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*Hangin' On* 11/26/01 ______________________ 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 ____________________________________________ Before we get to today's inspiring story by regular contributor Al Batt, 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 to your loved ones, now is the time to get it! But if you want them in time for Christmas, you need to act fast! This is only for those orders that come directly to us and not the publisher... 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 _________________________________________ Hangin' On By Al Batt "Sustained winds of 50 miles per hour and higher," blared the radio. My wife was listening to the radio. She has a love-hate relationship with our Minnesota weather. This has turned her into a bit of a weather junkie. She finds our weather both intriguing and frightening. Her feelings are not unlike those of a child watching a particularly scary horror movie--nearly scared to death, yet seldom feeling so alive. I found myself staring out the window. Lightning filled the sky and rumbling thunder shook the house. Rain began to fall. The trees were bending in the strong wind. However, it was none of these things that was commanding my attention. It was a little blue and white bird that I could not take my eyes off of. I was looking at a Tree Swallow--a small bird that nests in an old bluebird box in our rural yard. The tiny swallow, weighing at most three-quarters of an ounce, was hanging on with dear life to a small branch of a tree. Its mate was sitting on eggs inside the nest cavity. The wind blew harder and harder, almost as though it was determined to shake the tiny bird free from its perch. The bird's plight caused me to reflect on the trials of a friend. When my friend Keith broke his leg, he felt that it was the last straw. Keith, a farmer all of his life, had been suffering from leukemia for a year and a half, and a bone marrow transplant had produced disappointing results. The leukemia had gone into remission, but the bone marrow hadn't started reproducing as everyone had hoped. Things just hadn't been working out. Keith was pulling a wagon with a four-wheeler when a freak accident happened, breaking his leg. It was one of those cases where just as you think that things can't possibly get any worse, they get worse. Keith found himself laid up and with 160 acres of beans in the fields that needed harvesting. It looked as if his wife and his 82-year-old father would have to try to harvest the beans. Things were looking bad. Then a miracle happened. The miracle came in the form of good neighbors. In the spirit of good Samaritans, two neighbors organized five volunteer crews. Trucks and combines poured into Keith's fields and made short work of the harvest. In less than three hours, Keith's fields were bean-free. The project took longer to plan than to do. I believe that neighbors are meant to help neighbors. I once tried to talk my father into buying a neighbor's farm. The neighbor wasn't much of a farmer and really didn't tend to his business. Besides, we could have used a little extra land. I will never forget my father's answer to one of my pleas. It was one of those responses that comes with its very own life's lesson. He told me that he would rather have the neighbor than the neighbor's land. At the time, I thought he was terribly old-fashioned and had let his feelings get in the way of good business sense. Watching the neighboring farmers harvest Keith's beans made me realize how right my father was. I felt good watching so many people get together to help a neighbor who was down on is luck. I knew that Keith would reciprocate if given the chance. A fundraiser was organized for Keith and many people worked and donated to a worthy cause. A meal was served to an overflowing crowd at the local school. As I remembered these events, my thoughts and prayers were with Keith. I hoped for his rapid and complete recovery. My thoughts left Keith and his bean harvest when I heard a loud crack, followed by a deafening crash. The fierce wind had blown down a large tree that had been standing forever and a day in our yard. I looked at the fallen tree with a touch of sadness. I could plant another tree and I would, but I would never see one of the same size in its place. Then I remembered the Tree Swallow. My eyes sought the bird. I looked at the branch and saw that the small bird was still hanging on despite the heavy wind, the thunder, the lightning, the rain and the falling tree. My spirit soared because I knew, as one is allowed to know these things, that my friend Keith was going to be all right. Al Batt SnoEowl@aol.com Write Al and let him know what you thought of his story! _______________________________ Al Batt lives on a farm near Hartland, Minnesota. Besides being a husband to Gail, father and grandfather; Al is a newspaper columnist, a radio and TV personality, a storyteller, a tour leader and an avid birder. Al Batt RR1 Box 56A Hartland, MN 56042 _________________________________________ Reader Feedback on "The King of Turtle Greens Mr. Powers, Your story about Grandpa Conway was awesome. I am turning this concept around for Christmas. I'm having the grandchildren in our family write letters to my mom and dad about what they have meant to them in their lives. We won't let my mom read them that day though or we'd have to have a very large box of tissues. Your family is very blessed. Thank you for sharing it. Pam Clark Madisonville, KY This has got to be one of your all-time wonders. Thank you for sharing this and for being sensitive to the wonders of God and the goodness around you. God bless you. Paula brat59@mindspring.com Michael, that was so sweet. I was intrigued by the title and loved every line of the letter. Caleb will surely cherish it and learn to love the memory of his Grandpa, too. Thank you for sharing it. Love, Charlene AUNTTOBY@aol.com Hello Michael The first thing I do when I get to the office is to read your daily story. I can always find something in there to give me hope and to get me through the most difficult day. Sometimes I sit here and cry because a story is so sad ... or so happy. I especially enjoyed "The King of Turtle Greens". I think it's wonderful to leave a letter like this one to your child and I'm sure he and everybody else reading this letter will use the life's lessons for years to come. Thank you for all the wonderful stories. Michelle Grobler South-Africa michelle.grobler@za.eds.com I just wanted to tell you how beautiful and touching your story was. Both of my grandfathers died before I was born, how I wish someone had written things about them for me. I also have a son named Caleb. I am sure your Caleb will love your letter to him. I hope you are feeling better. Your stories and others are always a bright spot in my day. Thank you, Patricia Stover pstover@earth1.net Hi Mr. Powers :), Today's letter to your son, about your late father-in-law, was one of the sweetest stories you have run in a long time. Your father-in-law must have been one heck of a special person. I'm sorry that your children will not have the opportunity to know him. Usually, the only comments most people make regarding their in-laws are negative or nasty. It is so refreshing to see someone who had a loving and positive relationship with his wife's father. You were truly blessed to have had such a relationship with him. God bless and please take care, Lynne Pugmom37@aol.com _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "It is not guided missiles, but guided morals that is our great need today." --George W. Ford Verse for the Day: "The man of integrity walks securely." -- Proverbs 10:9 Kid's Thought For The Day: "A five-year-old daughter was explaining how the brain works, by making other parts of your body move. The mother asked her how the messages travel down the spinal cord, and she explained that there are nerds in there that carry the messages." Parent's Thought For The Day: "If, in instructing a child, you are vexed with it for want of adroitness, try, if you have never tried before, to write with your left hand, and then remember that a child is all left hand." --J. F. Boyse Coach's Thought For The Day: "Don't mistake activity for achievement..." --John Wooden Deep Thought For The Day: "No matter how good the first half of the sandwich is, all anyone remembers is the roach in the middle." ___________________________________________ _ /_/\/\ 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 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 ___________________________________________ 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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