{Straight From the Heart}   *Niagra Falls*  11/21/99
                                                                                                                        

Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"

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(Michael T. Powers) and let me know what you think!

                                                                                                                                       

Niagara Falls

   Have you ever seen Niagara Falls lately. Guess what? It's still
   running. Many a person has wondered where all this water comes from.

         In early spring, Niagara Falls is quite awesome as the heavy
   winter ice starts to break up. Did you know that last year the ice in
   the gorge was the thickest that it has ever been-- up to 30 feet
   thick? This ice forms an ice bridge that people can actually walk on
   to the other shore, not that I'd like to do that.

         That's like our lives at times. God's Spirit comes rushing over
   the Falls, breaking up some of the bitterness present, old habits, old
   thoughts lingering. He wants to flush them out of our lives and
   perhaps unrepentant hearts so He can work again.

         Sometimes we like that ice bridge in our lives because it
   anchors and solidifies us to our past or our traditions. But many
   times God wants us to move on and seek a new dimension, something that
   we may have never experienced before. And that can hurt. The ice likes
   to stay around but the warmer water eats it away. The ice heaves,
   buckles, and is hurled down the river bed, leaving a clean slate for
   God to work with. Maybe some scars remain, but God wants a clean river
   bed to work with. It's the Spring season that can make the flowers
   grow, the trees bud and blossom.

         Further down stream is the whirlpool. Here you'll see water and
   debris go around and around, always moving in a circular,
   counterclockwise direction. Floating objects can stay there for weeks,
   constantly orbiting in a mindless direction.

         We can have the same motion in our own lives. Our excuses could
   be that we were born that way, we were brought up that way, or it's
   too hard to change our circumstances. Little do we know that if we
   allow God's Spirit to prod us out of our giant whirlpool of life, take
   a tangent, our situation could improve. Maybe we might have to take a
   little hectic ride down the rapids through the narrows where the river
   is less than 200 feet wide called the Devil's Hole Rapids. It just
   below Niagara Glen but wow, we can    see a whole new part of God's
   creation.

        Jeremiah 29:11 says it all. " 'For I know the plans I have for
   you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
   plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and I
   will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with
   all your heart. I will be found by you,' declares the Lord, 'and will
   bring you back from captivity.' " Jeremiah is talking to the
   Israelites and telling them they will will be coming back from exile
   to the Promised Land.

         I believe he is also talking to us, giving us hope when we may
   feel that our lives are in a mindless orbit with lots of garbage and
   debris floating beside us. If we but ask God to get us out of the
   whirlpool that we are entangled in and get us into the channel of
   grace that is just down the river, wow, the scenery could really
   change. Get the picture? We might have to seek repentance, ask for
   forgiveness, allow some bitterness in our lives to be dissolved, or go
   to someone who you have wronged or has wronged you. In other words,
   get that slate clean so that God can begin a new work within you.

         Have you ever seen Niagara Falls lately? It's still runnning
   over. That's like God's power-- it's unlimited. It just keeps on
   a-comin'. It never dries up. And God's power is probably more
   constant, still running over. His Spirit can enter our lives and make
   us a new creation for His Glory! Can't beat that aye?

        It's our prayer that we can somehow get down that river of life
   so that one day we can see God's glorious redemption, only found in
   our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Psalm 29:3, "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters
             The God of glory thunders,
             the Lord, upon many waters."         
    
By:  George Prins   gprins@freenet.npiec.on.ca

I live very close to Niagara Falls, in Ontario, Canada.  I enjoy my family, 
running, meeting people, playing piano/pipe organ, trumpet and writing.  I 
believe that whatever we do should be to the glory of our Creator.  
My web page is:
 George's Home Page:
 Click here: Living Water 
 http://lynn.shada.com/living_water/

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REQUESTS:

From: 	 (Mary Carol)  MCdevey@aol.com


Dear Michael---Through your writings I know that you are a Christian and someone 
who prays---and I'm guessing that most of your mailing list is the same.  Soooo 
when I got my latest phone call from my daughter Lisa about my granddaughter Laura's 
condition I thought I'd write you hoping that you would pass the prayer request on to 
the many that know how to pray out there in computer land.

Laura was born with only 3 heart chambers.  Many surgeries later (3 of them 
being open heart surgeries) she is now 12 years old with a heart pacemaker. 
 She truly is a living testimony to Gods grace and mercy.  (Some other time 
I'll tell you about the last 12 years---such things as the cleaning lady 
praying for her as a new born, etc.) 

She had a check up with her doctor in Madison, WI for an echo (whatever 
that is) I do think I kind of understand that test--it is not major--but 
after she had it the Madison doctor, knowing that she was to have a check 
up in Rochester, MN., told my daughter to pack her suitcase. That was the 
part that my daughter Lisa is concerned about.  She was expecting it to be 
just a check up at Mayo.  Laura is having a hard time breathing and has had 
some migraine headaches since her last major surgery on Aug 18th of this year.

Thanks for listening--and in advance for praying.  Their appointment is for 
the Monday after Thanksgiving.  Many Blessings to you.
 Mary Carol  Laura's  grandma 


From:  Michael Powers

I would like everyone to pray for one of my beloved basketball players.  Karen 
Van Nevel hurt her knee as the buzzer sounded at the end of an overtime basketball 
game last night.  She saw a doctor late last night, and it looks like she probably 
tore some ligaments.  I know there are many things that people are dealing with, 
including life and death situations, but I ask that you pray for Karen as she deals 
with this injury. To a young high school student, who loves the game of basketball, 
this kind of an injury can be very hard to deal with, as she looks at missing possibly 
the whole season, and some painful rehab in the coming months.  I know that God cares 
for us in all matters of our lives, whether they be big or small.......
Thanks!
Michael
P.S.  I love ya Karen! 

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What's the world coming to!  Michael has his own weekly column on being a daddy!!
This week: Michael takes Caleb to his first swimming lessons!
Click on this link to go to ChildFun.com!
 Daddy's View | Michael's Weekly Column 
or type in the following in your browser:
http://www.childfun.com/dads/michael.shtml

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Thought For The Day:

"Personality has the power to open doors, but character keeps them open."

Verse for the Day:

"The righteous shall never be removed."
Proverbs 10:30


Kid's Thought for the day:

"You are only little until someone littler comes along."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you said; 
after marriage, he'll fall asleep before you finish saying it."
(Helen Rowland)

Coach's Thought For The Day

"Winners do the things that losers don't like to do."

Deep Thought For The Day:

"I just got skylights put in my place, the people who live above me are furious."

  _
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\  /    THUNDER27@aol.com   http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html
/_/  \    "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