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______________________________________ *Trusting the Coach* 3/18/02 ______________________________________ If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of many! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, join the thousands of HeartTouchers.com readers around the world by sending an e-mail with the word "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@aol.com Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past stories in our archives at: http://www.HeartTouchers.com ____________________________________________ From now on we will be offering our book, Straight From the Heart "A Celebration of Life" for only $13 (instead of the regular price of $14.95), and best of all, we will pay the shipping! So if you have any interest in purchasing an autographed copy of the book for yourself, or as a gift for your loved ones, now is the time to get it! To order your autographed copy send a check or money order for $13 (We pay the shipping!) for each book made out to Michael T. Powers, and then send it to: Michael T. Powers 1918 Liberty Lane Janesville, WI 53545 To preview the book by reading some of the stories visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/michael_t__powers/ AOL Users Click below: Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life _________________________________________ Trusting the Coach By John Hoh For the first time since 1947, the Wisconsin Badgers basketball team won at least a share of the Big Ten college basketball title. Although the Badgers ended in a four-way tie for first place, by virtue of tiebreakers they received the #1 seeding in the Big Ten tournament. Now you might wonder why I mention this in this forum, but if you'll be patient, I'll get to the lesson. Obviously, to have something happen that hasn't happened since World War II was still a vivid memory and not lessons on a movie screen is big news around these parts. It is as unexpected as the Badgers' Final Four run four years ago. What made this especially sweet is this. The Badgers had hired a new coach. This is always cause for transitional problems. Especially if current players transfer to other schools because they feel they can't play under the new coach. Add to that the sanctions levied against the Badgers in a tennis shoe scandal. To further add insult to injury, one player had to cease playing basketball for health reasons. Another was lost for the year to a leg injury. The Badgers effectively had eight players in uniform for much of the season. Coaches had to dress for practice in order for the team to scrimmage! And the season got off to a rocky start. I believe a Division II team beat the Badgers! At one time their record was 1-4. It did not look like a good year. And they would soon host the unbeaten Marquette Golden Eagles. In a stunner, the Badgers tagged Marquette with its first loss. Soon the Big Ten season started and the Badgers upset #7 Illinois at home-not in a squeaker but in convincing fashion. Soon a road victory (on a last second basket reversal) at Michigan State stopped the Spartans 50+ home winning streak. The Badgers kept on-winning AT Indiana for the first time since 1977 and defeating Co-leader Ohio State on the road as well as Minnesota at Minnesota, which had always been a trap for the Badgers. Yes, there were setbacks along the way. Their conference record finished at 11-5 and of those five losses were losses to Northwestern and Penn State. OK, what's the lesson? Some no doubt would look at this season's feat and say the lesson is to never give up, to keep believing in yourself. You can accomplish anything as long as you try harder and work harder. Horatio Alger would be proud of this team. But that's not the lesson. There's a bigger lesson. Throughout life we face adversity and hardship. We may not know how we'll survive the fixes we find ourselves in. Sometimes an addiction is involved and it seems no matter how hard we try, we fall back into the old habits. We give up. We throw in the towel. One of the positives on this year's Badgers team was that the players knew they couldn't win on their talent and their speed and their endurance. They don't rank among the elite teams in talent. They don't exactly have the fastest feet for a "Showtime" team. And when you start with three to four fewer players than your opponent night in and night out, you are not going to tire your opponent out. But the team trusted its coach and trusted the coach's instincts on ball handling and defense and passing and driving to the basket. In essence, each player surrendered to the coach's will so that the team would succeed rather than fail, even in dire circumstances. How often are we willing to place our trust in the Almighty Creator God who not only created each and every one of us, but also bought us with his own blood? Do we trust that He knows what's best in our lives? If we cannot trust him with our earthly lives, how can you trust him with your eternal life? When life is tough and we can't see the forest for the trees or the light at the end of the tunnel may just be another train coming at us, remember that God is still in control. "Immanuel" means "God with us." That is more than a name; it is a way of life. Even as St. Paul says, "I do not consider the sufferings of this world worth comparing to the eternal glory that is mine in Christ Jesus." It is God who made us, God who redeemed us, and God who preserves and protects us for now and for all eternity. We may well join with David in proclaiming "Yeah, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and staff they comfort me." John Hoh John.Hoh@med.ge.com Write John and let him know your thoughts on his story! _____________________ John is married to his wife, Maija, and together they have one son, Matthew. John is a technical writer for GE Medical Systems Informational Technologies in Milwaukee, WI, and does free lance writing as well as serve as Senior Editor for BookIdeas.com (http://www.bookideas.com) and as Contributing Editor of Lutheranism at Suite 101.com (http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/lutheranism). Though not ordained, John helps his seminary classmate in the ministries at Salem Lutheran in Milwaukee. John was born and raised in Appleton, WI. To sign up for John's list, "Lutheran Table Talks," go to http://www.topica.com/lists/Lutherantabletalk/subscribe/?location=listin fo or send an e-mail to Lutherantabletalk-subscribe@topica.com. Look for John's books Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, or through the publishers' web sites. "The Church on the Web" (http://www.churchgrowth.org or http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/webstore/store.cgi?page=admin.html&fr ame=yes&cart_id=p1015347157_748) gives instructions for a church with little internet experience to plan, develop, design, implement, and maintain a web site. The book contains reproducible materials for church use. "Santa Claus: Is He for Your Child?" (http://www.xlibris.com or http://www1.xlibris.com/bookstore/bookdisplay.asp?bookid=10387) looks at the history and theology of St. Nick/Santa Claus. "Immanuel! God is Still With Us!" (http://www.booksurge.com/ or http://www.booksurge.com/author.php3?accountID=GRTU00331) is a look at Scripture and in the lives of historical saints which display that God has not abandoned us but remains with each and every one of us. "Silent Meditations on a Silent Night" (http://www.amazon.com or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1550726552/qid%3D982602180/102-00 59326-4021739) is a collection of poems and short stories centered on the birth in Bethlehem. _________________________________________ Reader Feedback! Michael, It's been awhile since I've sent an update to you. I hope you remember who I am. I'm the arthritis/fibromyalgia gal with no income [waiting to go to court with social security for disability benefits]. God continues to send angels my way. Since I have no income and no health insurance, my teeth got so bad I couldn't eat anything but soup and baby food for 8 weeks. God Bless Glenn Fowler. He is the angel-friend who is paying for all tooth repairs. I've had several root canals [possibly more before it's all done] and crown repairs, but at least I'm in the process of getting them fixed. I enjoy reading anything Max Lucado writes. The piece you included in today's mailing was especially relevant to me. I have to make a choice every day when I wake up. My choice is first, to give up, or to fight and endure the pain. Then my choices are similar to those Max listed. Thank you for sharing this! -- May God watch over you, and fill your heart with His peace now and forever. Love, Nancy nh11151@att.net _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "Swallowing angry words before you say them is better than having to eat them afterwards." Verse for the Day: "From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled; with the harvest of his lips he is satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." Proverbs 18:20,21 Kid's Thought For The Day: "Before you trade sandwiches, check between the bread." Parent's Thought For The Day: When your first baby drops her pacifier, you sterilize it. When your second baby drops her pacifier you tell the dog, "Fetch." (Bruce Lansky) Coach's Thought For The Day "To fight a bull when you are not scared is nothing. And to not fight a bull when you are scared is nothing. But to fight a bull when you are scared -- That is something." Deep Thought For The Day "Why is there so much month left at the end of the money?" ___________________________________________ _ /_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS \_\ / HeartTouchers@aol.com /_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no \_\/\ \ longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I \_\/ live in the body I live for the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 ___________________________________________ The copyrights to the stories that appear in HeartTouchers.com are owned by the authors and are used with their permission. We refuse to run stories without the author's permission and contact info listed after the story. We also refuse to publish stories listed as "author unknown." (All of which violates Copyright Law and the rights of the authors.) This e-mail may be forwarded in its entirety, but please do not cut and paste the stories to be used elsewhere unless you have contacted and been given permission by the individual writer. Thank you so much for honoring the rights of those writers who graciously share their stories with us! __________________________________________ Video Imagery --Michael's Video Production Business "I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video we gave them. They loved it, to say the least! Within thirty seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too. They said it was the best Christmas gift we could have given them!! You did such a beautiful job! They were so surprised and so touched--they really, really, really loved it. Thanks for helping to make it so special to us all. My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for the video too! Thanks again!" Kelli-- College Station, TX Let me make you a video from your photos! Check out my video production business by visiting: http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery/ AOL Users click here: Video Imagery ___________________________________________ Would you like to see your story in HeartTouchers.com? Writer's guidelines can be found on our Web site here: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/guidelines/ AOL Users click here: Writer's Guidelines ___________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: "I need a daily source of inspiration and encouragement in my life!" To become a HeartTouchers.com Member send an e-mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@AOL.COM Then get ready to laugh, cry, and be deeply touched by some of the best stories on the Internet! __________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: All you have to do is send an e-mail with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@aol.com Give it a day or two to be processed... __________________________________________ Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you? http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm AOL Users click here: The Four Spiritual Laws __________________________________________ |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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