If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage
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Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past
stories in our archives at:
http://www.HeartTouchers.com
____________________________________________

 

Happy Holidays from HeartTouchers.com

We wanted to let everyone know that for 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:

AOL Users Click below:
Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life

_________________________________________

It has been a while since I have shared a story from
my friend Terri McPherson. Be sure to take the time
to write to her and let her know how her words affected you...

May all of you have a Christmas filled with warmth
and love....

From my family to yours,
Michael

_________________________________________

By Terri McPherson

As time puts space between us and September 11th, the
vacuum it created in our lives is once again filling up with
other thoughts and tasks. We will never forget the horror of
its impact, but we must also remember the sorrow of its
fallout. Sorrow that is deeper and wider than numbers and
buildings, sorrow that took the most important person in the
world away from someone, sorrow that we ourselves already
know, or will experience one day.
 
A piercing reminder of that sorrow threatened the seams of
my heart the other night. My husband and I were setting the
dinner table and listening to NBC Nightly News on the
television. The last story was an interview with a young boy
who's father, a New York City Firefighter, died when the twin
towers came down.
 
The intended point of the story was to put a smile on the boy's
face by bringing him to meet the manager of the New York
Yankees. The boy is a big fan of the team. What transpired
was something else altogether.
 
When the interviewer asked the little boy if it was true that he
hadn't smiled much since September 11th, the young fellow
began to cry. There was a flicker on the interviewer's face,
and for a split second, I thought he was going to lose his
composure, but he held it together.
 
By this time, my husband and I were standing in the middle
of the living room floor -- watching and listening. As the
interviewer continued to talk, the little boy continued to cry, a
soul broken cry. I sat down on the floor. My husband sat in his
chair. We could do nothing else, but cry with him.
 
This wasn't about a hero, a firefighter who lost his life in the
line of duty. This wasn't about the physical size or tangible
scale of a terrible tragedy. This was about the magnitude of
loss in the life of one individual -- a little boy who lost his father,
a little boy who missed his dad. This was the immense
proportion of sorrow that seizes every person who's ever lost
a love one.
 
We were eventually treated to the boy's shy smile when he
met the Yankees coach and the team's newest hitter. We
saw it through tears that wouldn't stop falling.
 
At the end of the program, the seasoned face of the news
anchor crumbled when he tried to say his customary
'goodnight' to the viewing audience. Like us, sitting there
at home, he failed to keep his composure.
 
I will always remember the innocence of that little boy's
unchecked tears and heart splitting sobs. They cut through
the statistics and laid the raw sorrow bare.
 
Christmas is a time that intensifies both joy and sadness.
Remember those who are hurting. Save room for them in
your thoughts and prayers. Count your blessings, one by one.
 
If you remember, pray and count, with honesty and gratitude,
you will receive your best Christmas gift before you unwrap
your first present.

Living in love and loving life,

Terri McPherson
tmcphers@mnsi.net
Windsor, Ontario, Canada

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

________________________________

 

Terri lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has two
wonderful children, a six-year-old grandangel and a
terrific husband. She works as a Writer / Web
Designer / Production Assistant for a local production
company and teaches advanced clogging classes
for the Border City Cloggers. Her writing has
appeared in numerous online publications.

Check out her web site:
WiseHearts...Weaving Small Wisdoms Through
The Fabric Of Life and subscribe to her wonderful list!
http://www.mnsi.net/~tmcphers/index.htm

_________________________________________

Thought For The Day:

"It has been my observation that most people get
ahead during the time that others waste." --Henry Ford

Verse for the Day:

"The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely
as haste leads to poverty." Proverbs 21:5

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Why buy roses when daisies are free."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"Recall the aura, the ecstasy, the perfectness of your wedding day. The vows are meticulously and faultlessly repeated. A stimulating honeymoon reinforces the idealistic glow. Nothing could ever alter the thrill of this hallowed occasion.

Then comes reality. The couple soon realizes marriage is not an ongoing celebration of celestial dimensions. It's a lifelong process of down-to-earth hard work -- worth every drop of sweat it produces."

Coach's Thought For The Day:

"Those who coach must above all be able to coach themselves."

Writer's Thought For The Day:

"When I sit at my table to write, I never know what it's going to be until I'm under way. I trust in inspiration, which sometimes comes and sometimes doesn't. But I don't sit back waiting for it. I work every day." --Alberto Moravia

Deep Thought For The Day:

I think the best way to argue with someone is
whenever they make a point say "That sounds
like something Hitler might say." They'll get really
quiet, and you can then make a counterpoint.

___________________________________________

 

REQUESTS:

 

Thank you so much for your e-mails, they are a real blessing to me. A
member of my church, Mary Redd, just died unexpectedly I would really
appreciate prayer for the Redd family in MO. Thank God she is with Him
but it is very hard for her family right now. Thank you.
Sandy
sandys@famvid.com

Hello Michael,

Oh my, I am praying for your friend with cancer and your other coworker friend that lost his brother.

I am so so sorry for you and their families. We are so happy that Jesus bought us back from the evil one, but the first death sure hurts when it "possibly" my occur.

Again, thank you for lifting up my friend who lost her husband and oldest son five weeks apart.  She is coming out of shock now and realization is setting in.  She hurts so bad but has been and is still being blessed by many on our "Heart Touchers" list. Some have sent wonderful cards for Christmas to her. She reads them and is thankful.

I will lift you up in prayer as the people held Moses' arms up in the old testament. 
Agape, Linda C.
learnertlc@pngusa.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
___________________________________________

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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!"
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:

AOL Users click here:   Video Imagery
___________________________________________

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http://www.HeartTouchers.com/guidelines/

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Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?
http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm