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*Saving the Flag* _________________________ If you enjoy this free 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 HeartTouchers.com readers around the world by sending a blank e-mail to: HeartTouchers-subscribe@myinjesus.com Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past stories in our archives at: http://www.HeartTouchers.com ____________________________________________ 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: http://www.Heart4Teens.com 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! _________________________________________ Can't get enough inspirational stories in your life? Would you like to send a unique gift to your friends and family? Then order an autographed copy of the inspirational book: Straight From the Heart "A Celebration of Life" by Michael T. Powers for only $13.95. You can preview or order the book in just a few minutes via this link: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/michael_powers _________________________________________ One of HeartTouchers.com's favorite writers, Jaye Lewis, shares an incredibly touching story with us today... be sure to write to her and let her know your thoughts on her story! From my family to yours, Michael _____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ Saving The Flag by Jaye Lewis She was not the popular girl in high school. She was in advanced studies, in a school system that idolized their honors program. My daughters thought the world of her, and with good reason. Aimee was a patriot. No apologies nor excuses. She was an officer in her high school JROTC program. She was disciplined. Courageous. And she loved her country. You could always pick Aimee out in a field filled with young, military hopefuls marching in formation. She was sharp. She was proud. And, in spite of her petite form, she always looked tall. But Aimee did not have it easy. She was the butt of jokes and ridicule. Aimee worked her heart out in her classes, and she was about to graduate with a better than 5.0 average, which she had maintained for four straight years. In a school system where the grade point average of the honors classes went up to 6.0, Aimee didnt stand a chance for Valedictorian. Some unseen experts decided that Aimee would not become Valedictorian, because it would be unfair to the honors students. Although she had never made less than an A in her entire high school career, some A-B student in the honors program outranked Aimee. The high school Principal fought his way up through the School Board on Aimees behalf, to give her the honor she deserved. It was an outrage that such excellence would be ignored. It didnt make the papers, but on graduation day, Aimee received her victory, and she became Co-Valedictorian of her high school class, although many of us thought she had earned the honor to stand alone. Aimee did not sit with the other graduates. She stood, proudly, with her JROTC unit, as the assembly turned towards them to salute the flag. Aimee did not hold the flag, because she was graduating, but she was there, as always, proud to serve. Graduation was held in the football field. It was sunny and windy, and it was wet, as it had rained torrents the night before. Suddenly, the wind kicked up, and the beautiful colors of the red, white, and blue tottered in the air, as the flag holder lost his footing, and the flag careened toward the ground. Without hesitation, breaking formation, Aimee launched herself through the air, catching the flag and landing in the mud, on her face. Many in the crowd roared their laughter, but not all of us. Some of us were in tears, as Aimee, carefully steadied her countrys flag, and came back into formation, her JROTC uniform covered in mud. But not the flag. It never touched the ground. Aimee had saved the flag. Aimee graduated with honors, and she went on to college with an ROTC Scholarship, and on into a military career. My daughters still speak of her as a hero, which she was, and in our hearts still is. Aimee's story is what legends are made of. I have no doubt that Aimee is somewhere on the front lines, today, still defending the American flag. Jaye Lewis jlewis@smyth.net Write Jaye and let her know your thoughts on her story! Jaye Lewis is a Christian writer who lives and writes in the beautiful southern highlands of southwestern Virgina. Jaye is a U.S. Navy veteran, the wife of a retired Navy veteran, and the daughter of a World War II veteran. Jaye says: "this is a true story about one of the bravest young woman I have ever known." You can write to Jaye by clicking here: mailto:jlewis@smyth.net _________________________________________ 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 on our website has the power to make a difference in the lives of those you give the books to. Check out this link to find out more! http://www.HeartTouchers.com/books _________________________________________ MICHAEL T. POWERS www.HeartTouchers.com "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 by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 _________________________________________ The copyrights to the stories that appear in HeartTouchers.com 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 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! Love, Trisha Silverhill, AL Let me make you a video from your photos! Check out my video production business by visiting: http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery/ ___________________________________________ Would you like to see your story in HeartTouchers.com? Writer's guidelines can be found on our Web site here: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/guidelines/ ___________________________________________ Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you? http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm __________________________________________ |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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