|
______________________________________
______________________________________ If you enjoy this free email service, I encourage HeartTouchers-subscribe@myinjesus.com Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past Be sure to check out our brand new inspirational list just for teenagers! Heart4Teens.com To subscribe, send a blank e-mail to: Heart4Teens-subscribe@myinjesus.com or visit: This weekly list contains Heart-touching stories, quotes, links to uplifting web sites, and humor geared towards the teenage crowd. However, parents of teens, grandparents, college students, youth pastors, teachers, coaches, and anyone who just can't read enough inspirational stories will also benefit! What are you waiting for?! Subscribe today to receive your weekly encouragement! _________________________________________ Reading Books, Changing Lives! For those of you who love to read or love to give out books as gifts... You can now order a number of different autographed best-selling inspirational books for the same price you would get them in the store, the shipping to you is paid for, and you are helping change the lives of teenagers and those they come in contact with! And best of all, every penny from the book sales are going to youth ministry to help pay for a life-changing winter retreat and a missions trip to Guatemala this summer! If you love to read inspirational stories, these books are most likely those you will eventually buy anyway. And how cool would it be to be able to buy books like those in the Chicken Soup series for your friends and family with a personalized autographed message by one of the contributing authors! How's that for a unique gift! Not only are you changing lives through supporting a youth ministry, but every book included below has the power to make a difference in the lives of those you give the books to. (Especially the Stories for the Heart and the God Allows U-Turns series.) http://www.HeartTouchers.com/books _________________________________________ We have another wonderful story today from writer and friend Jennifer Oliver. Love is in the air this week... Be sure to check out the interview we did with her and check out her web site at the links below! From my family to yours, __________________________________________ Pig Farmer By Jennifer Oliver
But not for us. We carefully laid out our finest on the bed. Stephen's blue suit that he'd worn only once to a funeral. My two-piece dress with a flowery, ankle-length skirt. Since our appointment was that afternoon, we decided to kill some time doing our favorite thing: antique-ing. We meandered up to a small town almost an hour away, the rare kind that still boasted a beautiful courthouse with shops on the square encircling it, as though bowing to its grandeur. Fairly new to the heart of Texas, the thought of scouring unknown territory for that one bargain held special appeal. A light mist began to fall. Look at this, Stephen whispered with triumph. It was an adorable owl clock hanging on the wall. A Lux clock from the 1930s. And it was only five dollars. That, ladies and gentlemen, was a bargain. We bagged our first prize of the day and continued the hunt. Stepping outside one antique shop, Stephen glanced at the courthouse with some curiosity. A smile spread across his face, his eyes shining with mischief. Let's get married here, he said. What?! I stared at him in shock and disbelief. He pulled my arm in that direction. He was serious. B-but, I sputtered, what about our appointment this afternoon? The Justice of the Peace would be waiting for us back home! We're not even dressed for the occasion! Oh, c'mon! We're here, we might as well do it now! Let's have some fun! We entered the building as though it were the Vatican. With reverence, we opened the door to the clerk's office. The J.P. will be with you in a moment, the clerk said nonchalantly and Nervously we stood there waiting in jeans and sweaters, while I clung to Stephen's arm. After four and a half years together we were actually going to take the plunge. February 4, 1992, would mark our ascent into the next chapter of our lives. Two days earlier we were exchanging thoughts about the stretch of galaxies and how humble and miniscule our lives were in the grand mix of things. Suddenly Stephen was quiet with a sly grin slowly spreading across his face. Uh-oh, I said, laughing. What's on your devious little mind, boyfriend? Shockingly, tears formed in his eyes as he burst out, "Let's get married!" I stared at him, my eyes wider than a cat stumbling across a mountain of catnip. Let's get married. The words I had waited patiently for all these years tumbled out of his mouth as if they'd been there all along. Let's do it! he said. We've invested nearly five years in this Yes. Yes. Yes! It didn't seem real. Even as we stood be before an amiable J.P. with a clerk nearby as a witness, I was challenging the reality of it all. I watched sweat break out on Stephen's brow. His lower lip trembled. I thought he was going to cry. Or panic and break away. When it came time to exchange rings, we were struck dumb. No rings. So the clerk excused herself and returned with two soda tabs. Our wedding rings. After pronouncing us a team, the J.P. let us know that anytime we wanted a pig to just give him a holler and he just might give us a good deal. A pig farmer. That was his other profession. We thanked him, paid $50 for a beautiful antique-style marriage certificate, and as soon as we exited the courthouse, we shouted our joy to the world. Then, through the mist, we trekked to the nearest antique store. A bargain was waiting for us there. As if it had anticipated this day. An old tea tray with delicate handles in a stack of picture frames. We dragged it out and appraised it. Painted on the reverse side of the glass was a classic scene of a clipper ship in full sail. Each corner of the silver frame was graced with a delicate flowerette. On a whim, Stephen ran out to the truck to retrieve our marriage license. Yes. It fit perfectly. He could scrape off the reverse painting and have the marriage certificate matted and framed behind the old glass of the tea tray. The lady, who rang up our ten-dollar purchase, asked how our day was going. Oh, we just got married. We giggled all the way back to the truck and all the way to dinner at a German restaurant and all the way to the video store and all the way home, where we watched movies and nuzzled each other like twin newborns. The next morning, upon arriving to work, someone asked me how my day off was. Oh, I got married. And it was perfect.
Write Jennifer and let her know your thoughts on her story! http://www.HeartTouchers.com/Jennifer_Oliver Jennifer and Stephen celebrated their 11th wedding anniversary on February 4. Although they've never gone on a typical honeymoon, their bedroom is still called the honeymoon suite! They live in central Texas with four blessings, ages 2 to 8 years. Jennifer, a HeartTouchers Featured Author, has stories featured on several websites and in the Heartwarmers series, Chicken Soup for the Soul of America, Stories for a Woman's Heart: The Second Collection, and the latest Don't Sweat the Small Stuff book. She is excited about the upcoming publication of her book, "Four Ears: Works of http://www.geocities.com/jenniferioliver2001 Here you can subscribe to her e-zine, and get the love direct!
Thought For The Day: "When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying."
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." --John 3:16
"Look at the footprints you've made."
"Performance under stress is one test of effective leadership. It may also be the proof of accomplishment when it comes to evaluating the quality of parenthood."
"Often the goal is nearer than it seems to a faint and faltering man, often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victor's cup. And he learned too late, when the night slipped down, how close he was to the golden crown."
"The best endings resonate because they echo a word, phrase, or image from
"The person who knows how to laugh at himself will never cease to be amused." _________________________________________ MICHAEL T. POWERS "I have been crucified with Christ and I no The copyrights to the stories that appear in __________________________________________ Video Imagery --Michael's Video Production Business Dear Michael, I just wanted to take a minute to thank you for the beautiful video you made for me! It was so special to see both of my parents in tears as they watched their children grow up in pictures before their eyes! I loved the way you made Estania's part set aside from the rest--that was the part that really got them! The music was beautiful. My mom kept blubbering, "What song is that?" I don't know how you did such a beautiful job with the video in such a short time. I really appreciate your doing it so quickly. You have a wonderful gift, and I thank God that you are using it to create such sentimental memories. I hope that I can find my niche like that in an area that I love. Your video gave us one of our most lasting Christmas memories! I hope yours was filled with moments to be treasured forever! Silverhill, AL Let me make you a video from your photos! Would you like to see your story in HeartTouchers.com? ___________________________________________ Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you? __________________________________________ |
 |
|
Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
|