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*Tokens of Red and Blue* 11/29/01 _____________________________ 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 Heart Touchers 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 ____________________________________________ Happy Holidays from Heart Touchers! We wanted to let everyone know that for Christmas 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! But if you want them in time for Christmas, you need to act fast! IMPORTANT! This is only for those orders that come directly to us and not the publisher and we can only accept checks and money orders. For those who still want to order the book by credit card, you can still do so through the publisher at: http://www.booklocker.com/bookpages/michaeltpowers01.html but you will be paying full price and shipping. 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 Hurry! Time is running out! 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 _________________________________________ Special Announcement for all you writers! I received the following e-mail from Tom Krause, who is a coauthor for the upcoming book: Chicken Soup for the Coach's Soul. As a high school coach, this is a project that is near and dear to my heart so I am passing the info along to all of you... Have you had a coach that has a made a difference in your life? Now is your chance to let the world know about her or him! ****** Dear Michael - Hello, my name is Tom Krause. I have recently signed on as coauthor for CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE COACH'S SOUL. I am searching for inspirational/heartwarming stories about coaches or coaching. The stories should be 1200 words or less about a specific incident involving a coach that touched your heart. Any sport, at any age. Laugh or cry. This is a chance to share your stories with the world. Fee payable upon publication. I am also the author of the book, TOUCHING HEARTS-TEACHING GREATNESS, Stories From A Coach to Touch Your Heart and Inspire Your Soul. published by Andrews & McMeel Oct 2001. We look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Tom Krause, Coauthor CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE COACH'S SOUL PO Box 825 Nixa, MO 65714 417-724-9109 www.coachkrause.com E-mail: tkrause@mail.nixa.k12.mo.us _________________________________________ Tokens of Red and Blue By Mary-Ellen Grisham I can remember sitting in the dark living room in front of the console radio with its small "on" light. I was listening to the news, and the only other light was from the kitchen where Mom was fixing supper. I remember my insecurity as I listened to H.J. Kaltenbourn, John Cameron Swayze, and Edward R. Murrow. I even have dim recollections of the cultured, fatherly voice of Franklin D. Roosevelt as he gave his Fireside Chats. The serious tone of the broadcasts was alleviated only briefly by commercials for delicious, nutritious pudding and various singing, waltzing beer ads. I can also remember sitting in the semi-dark theaters as my mom and dad watched the occasional movie. After the cartoons and selected short subjects, I sometimes fell asleep, but oh those selected short subjects! Those usually featured war scenes, airplane bombings, soldiers, war propaganda, ads for savings bonds, calls for U.S. volunteers at home, and frenzied speeches excerpted from that villain Adolph Hitler. Various American leaders were shown at conferences with some heavy set man with a cigar -- Winston Churchill of England. I did enjoy his V for victory! And I can remember the shallow dish on the first shelf of the lower kitchen cupboard which held the ration vouchers and the coin purse next to the dish with the ration tokens of red and blue. Lumped together with old change and silver bus tokens, those small, round tokens of red and blue might have been for sugar or coffee. I was never sure. Maybe they were for rides on the old streetcar that lumbered out to Creve Coeur and back to Calvert, where we got on to go downtown to St. Louis. Anyway, the red and blue seemed patriotic to me, and I always thought well of those paper-covered cardboard tokens. I clearly remember fear. It seemed to me that if we were in a World War and people were getting bombed that after a while we might get bombed too. I asked mom if the bombing would start in our country. She did not think so, but I was still worried. After a few nights of burrowing under the covers of my small bed for protection, I decided the covers provided no real safety. Next, I decided to try under the bed, from which place I was removed by my very worried father. My mother, ever the peacemaker, and I toured the house the next day and decided that if the radio said that planes were coming, our best bet would be the coal bin in the cellar. That plan eased my fears. Then the ultimate happened. My father got called into the Navy. I hugged and kissed him before I went to bed the night before he was leaving, but horribly restless, I awoke very early the next morning. I can remember sitting on the old stairs and looking through the slats that separated me from the dining room where my dad was telling mom goodbye. I was cold and terribly frightened and wanted to join the hugging going on between my parents. I sat cold and alone until my father was long gone and mother was crying in the kitchen. I crept back to bed, wondering what would happen to us all. Then the miracle happened. Dad came back home that same evening. Government workers had been exempted from military service because they were needed within the country. My joy was unlimited. My small world was again secure and normal. My mother's four brothers, however, were not so fortunate. All four were in the Army, three of whom saw active duty on the Pacific front. Later, I would remember my Uncle Russell's stories of his island maneuvers, for which he won The Purple Heart--and the yellow and worn appearance of Uncles Art and Bob when they returned home after bouts of malaria and combat fatigue. Most of all, though, I remember the morning mom sent me the block and a half to Grandma's for the eggs. Grandma's eyes were sparkling, and she hugged me before putting the eggs in a sack. The radio was on at her house, and the Armistice had been declared! The boys were coming home, and all four of them were still alive! I ran all the way home, cradling those eggs in my arms, and began to yell at my mom who was standing at the kitchen window doing the breakfast dishes. I began dancing around the yard singing, "The boys are coming home!" My mom stopped washing. "What did you say?" she asked in a tremulous, nearly whispering voice. When I told her, she laughed and joined me for circle dances in the front yard. We finally had to put those unbroken eggs down, and I went to share the news with the neighbors! In coming years, the Quiet Lane kids and I played house and business with those red and blue tokens, but none of us ever forgot the sacrifices of war. We all knew how blessed we were to be free citizens of the United States of America. Mary-Ellen Grisham fantasy@apci.net E-mail Mary-Ellen and let her know what you thought of her story. Copyright (c)2001 by Mary-Ellen Grisham All Rights Reserved _________________________________ Mary-Ellen Grisham is a freelance writer and teacher living in Godfrey, Illinois, with her husband and son. Widely published on the Internet, she is a regular contributor to Eternal Ink and has recently published devotions in The Upper Room and The Christian Standard. Her work frequently appears at Ripplemaker daily publications, and Tears of Joy. _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "Guilt is concerned with the past. Worry is concerned about the future. Contentment enjoys the present." Verse for the Day: "Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content in whatever state I am."--Philippians 4:11 Kid's Thought For The day: "Play Dough and Microwave should never be used in the same sentence." Parent's Thought For The Day "The phrase 'Working Mother' is redundant." --Jane Sellman Coach's Thought For The Day "Many men fail because they quit too soon. They lose faith when the signs are against them. They do not have the courage to hold on, to keep fighting in spite of that which seems insurmountable. If more of us would strike out and attempt the "impossible," we very soon would find the truth of that old saw that nothing is impossible...Abolish fear and you can accomplish anything you wish." --C. E. Welch Deep Thought For The Day: "I had to go on two diets at the same time because one diet wasn't giving me enough food." ___________________________________________ REQUESTS: Michael, I would just like to take this opportunity to thank all the readers that have helped us pray for my husband to get a job. Kent got a job in Winchester, VA and started on November 19,2001, and that has really been an answer to our prayers. Do lift our family up in prayer as we prepare for this move and that we will find affordable housing and that our current home will sell quickly. Most of all pray that we will find a good church up there in the area. May God Bless you all. Cheryl and Kent Mann cmann@carolina.rr.com ************* Dear Michael, I just don't know what to say to you. "Thank you" seems just so inadequate. Isn't it just so amazing that we are related in the family of God? That has been evident today, as I read email after email filled with prayers, encouragement and love. You have been so kind and generous, and you have opened the windows of heaven for Jenny, my family, and me. I just pray that God increases you, in every way, a thousandfold, for all that you have done for us. None of us knew that Jenny would be facing...that we all would be facing...this crisis so soon; but because of what you have done, it's more like a strange blessing that I can't, yet, comprehend. All the emails that Jenny is still answering...all the prayers and emails that pour into us...has made abundantly clear to all of us, just how much God loves us, just how intimately He is entwined in our lives. Jenny and Tommy, her husband, drove today, to the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, VA to see a top surgeon. He evaluated Jenny's CAT-scan, and said that it did not give a clear enough view of the mastoid bone, which separates her inner ear from the brain. It appears, in the CAT-scan, that the brain is exposed, but in order to be absolutely certain, he ordered an MRI, which will be done tomorrow, Thursday, November 29th. If the mastoid bone has deteriorated, and the brain is exposed, it will be necessary to do brain surgery to secure a "plate" over the opening to protect the brain. Then, they will have to do another surgery, later, to rebuild Jenny's eardrum. Jenny has had her eardrum rebuilt four times, and each time it has grown into a cholesteotoma, which required further surgery. This seems like the worst case scenario, but, somehow, I'm expecting a miracle. Jenny is in wonderful spirits, as always, especially since she knows how you have all lifted her up in prayer. It comforts me, also, to know that you care so much. I will always be grateful. Blessings to you and your family, Jaye jlewis@smyth.net ___________________________________________ _ /_/\/\ 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 Heart Touchers 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 pictures or home movies! Check out the web page for Michael's video production business! Visit: http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery/ AOL Users click here: Video Imagery ___________________________________________ Would you like to see your story in Heart Touchers? 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 Heart Touchers 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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