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*Easter Pines*  3/29/02

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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:
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Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past
stories in our archives at:
http://www.HeartTouchers.com
____________________________________________

Can't get enough inspirational stories in your life? Would
you like to send a unique gift to your friends and family?
Then order a personalized autographed copy of the
inspirational book: Straight From the Heart "A Celebration
of Life" by Michael T. Powers for only $13.95. And
best of all, we'll pay the shipping!

Michael is an award winning writer whose stories have
appeared in numerous newspapers and magazines
around the world and in the following books:  Chicken
Soup for the Sports Fan's Soul, Chicken Soup for the
Grandparent's Soul, Stories For the Extreme Teen's
Heart, Stories For the Extreme Teen's Heart 2, Stories
for the Teen's Heart 2, Heartwarmers, God Allows
U-Turns Volumes 1, 3, and 4, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff,
and Creating Emotionally Safe Schools. He has signed several
contracts for future Chicken Soup and other inspirational books.

Still not convinced?  You can preview his book by visiting:
http://www.HeartTouchers.com/michael_powers

AOL Users click here!

To order your autographed copy have a check or
money order for $13.95 for each book made out
to Michael T. Powers, and then send it to:

Michael T. Powers
1918 Liberty Lane
Janesville, WI 53545

(Please allow about 2 weeks for delivery.)

_________________________________________

We welcome another new writer to HeartTouchers.com!
Michelle Barg shares a great story with us today about
Easter Pines.  And you thought Pine trees were only
good for Christmas symbolism!

Be sure to check our web site at:  http://www.HeartTouchers.com
to find a recipe for Easter Cookies that not only taste great and
are a lot of fun to make, but also teach a wonderful lesson about
the true meaning of Easter!

From my family to yours,
Michael
P.S.  For those of you in the Southern Wisconsin/Northern Illinois area
I would like to invite you to our Good Friday service at Faith Community
Church, here in Janesville, WI.  The service is from 6-7 PM and the address
is 2931 Lucerne Drive.  A map is available on our church web site at:
http://www.faithcommunitychurch.net

Be sure to introduce yourself to me... I'll be the goofy lookin' dude
in the tech booth at the back of the church!

_________________________________________

EASTER PINES

By Michelle Barg


In honor of Roy Yarbrough (1914-2001)


Papa was a quiet man when I finally met him in 1987. He was 73 years
old, and I was lucky to add him to my family. He stepped right into
my heart, filling the space left behind by my grandfathers.

Papa had grown up in a little town in northeast Florida, eldest of 10
children. He could do it all and probably had done it all at some
point in his life.

Papa didn't talk a lot, but when he did speak, it usually was a story
with some weight to it. It wasn't just an old man rambling on --
there was a lesson to be learned.

I would delight in listening to him tell me stories about my new
husband -- stories of George growing up under his wing. I loved to
hear the stories about George as a young boy spending his weekends in
the north Florida woods hunting with his Papa, or at Papa's gas
station, or helping in the garden behind Papa's house.

Papa was a quiet, religious man. He never was one to preach to
others. Two of his brothers were Pastors at local churches -- he left
the preaching to them. The little comments he made and the stories he
told shed some light into his beliefs and his love of God.

On April 8th, we made a trip to my parents' house for my father's
birthday celebration. My husband was quietly driving the family up
the Turnpike. I was occupied in the front passenger seat by a book,
while the kids were being much too quiet in the back seat engrossed
with a Gameboy and a coloring book.

I noticed out of the corner of my eye that my husband was straining
to look out my window. This startled me, since his eyes should be on
the long road in front of him. I asked him what he was looking at out
the windows, and he quietly replied, "Nothing." His eyes went back to
the road in front of him.

After a few minutes, I looked over at my husband and noticed a tear
running down his cheek. I asked him what was wrong. This time he told
me, "I was just thinking about Papa and a story he used to tell me."
Of course, if it had to do with Papa I needed to know the story, so I
asked him to share it with me.

He said, "When I was about 3 years old, Papa took me out in the
backyard and told me that the Pine trees know when it is Easter."

I had no idea what he meant by that, so I pressed him for more
information. He continued on... "The Pine trees start their new
growth in the weeks before Easter -- if you look at the tops of the
Pine trees two weeks before, you will see the yellow shoots. As the
days get closer to Easter Sunday, the tallest shoot will branch off
and form a cross. By the time Easter Sunday comes around, you will
see that most of the Pine trees will have small yellow crosses on the
tallest shoots."

I turned to look out the window and I couldn't believe my eyes. It
was a week before Easter, and you could see all the trees with the
tall yellow shoots stretching to Heaven.

The tallest ones shone in the sunlight like rows of tiny golden
crosses.


Michelle Barg
wall_flower67@yahoo.com

Write Michelle and let her know what you thought of her story!

Copyright © 2001 - Michelle Barg. All rights reserved.
Unauthorized reprinting of this article is prohibited without the
prior consent of the author.

______________________________________

Michelle Barg is a secretive writer, recently
venturing out to offer her short stories to the public. She lives
with her husband, two young daughters, and Doxie in Central FL.
She lives at the Little League softball fields and enjoys Girl Scouts
with her daughters.

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Reader Feedback!

Dear Eunice,

What a wonderful gift you have given to me this day, with your beautiful story and the reminder of how easily we slip into our wants and needs, forgetting the greatest gift of all, the gift of eternal life.  Your story is a precious Easter gift to all of us at HeartTouchers.  Thank you!  Blessings.  Jaye Lewis jlewis@smyth.net
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Thought For The Day:

"Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts."
(William Hazlitt)


Verse for the Day:

"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar?  Do you see that faith was working
together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?"
James 2:21,22


Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Let the frog go where you found it."


Parent's Thought For The Day

"The secret to feeding your child is learning how to disguise a vegetable
as a french fry." --Jan Blaustone


Coach's Thought For The Day

"Don't knock your competitors.  By boosting others you will boost
yourself.  A little competition is a good thing and severe competition
is a blessing." --Kindleberger


Writer's Thought For The Day:

"I always wanted to write a book that ended with the word mayonnaise."
--Richard Brautigan


Deep Thought For The Day:

"The other day I went to the bookstore to buy a dictionary. The
clerk showed me a really cheap one. I couldn't find the words to thank him."

___________________________________________

  _
/_/\/\    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
___________________________________________

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This e-mail may be forwarded in its entirety, but please
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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!"
K
elli-- 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
___________________________________________

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AOL Users click here:  The Four Spiritual Laws
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