______________________________________


{HeartTouchers.com}   *Beautiful Scars* 

______________________________________

If you enjoy this email service, I encourage
you to spread the word to family and friends that we
may bring inspiration the lives of many!  If you
are not on the list and this has been passed along
to you, join us by visiting:

http://www.HeartTouchers.com

Be sure to check out our inspirational list just for teenagers!

http://www.Heart4Teens.com


____________________________________________


Michael's updated book Heart Touchers "Life-Changing Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter," is finally here! ($13.95)

Visit the link below to preview the book!  Personalized autographed copies are available at no extra charge and we pay the shipping for you!  An E-book version is also available for just $6.95!

http://www.hearttouchers.com/books

Be sure to let us know who you would like it autographed for and then allow about two weeks for us to sign it and send it on its way to you.Credit card, PayPal, Checks, and Money orders accepted! The book is also available through Amazon.com, Borders.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and Booklocker.com

_________________________________________


BEAUTIFUL SCARS

by Melva Cooper


It was my birthday! I was now threescore years old. Did that mean I had ten or perhaps by reason of strength twenty more earthly years? Would I, in time, reach that fourscore years?

Only God in His infinite wisdom knew that.

Every time I had looked in the mirror the past three weeks, I had seen an ugly scar across my throat. And if I turned in the mirror just right, I could see another scar several inches down the back of my head and neck. I was very painfully aware these scars were made by my neurosurgeon as he repaired the vertebrae in my neck and released the pressure on my spinal cord.

As the pain from the lengthy surgery began to slowly subside, I became almost aghast as I suddenly realized those ugly scars would be there the rest of my life.

And then as God often does, in His quiet gentle way, He reminded me that Jesus has scars too. Slowly at first, I remembered how beautiful those scars are to me. Because of those scars, if we trust Jesus as our Personal Savior, we will someday live with Him forever in Heaven.

Earlier, while unloading the dishwasher I had fallen in my kitchen floor, slightly injuring my hip and neck. Being the busy wife, mother and grandmother that I am, I thought nothing more about the injuries and I continued my activities as they healed.

Before long I began noticing numbness in my fingers and elbows. Since it was time for a visit to my family physician, I mentioned the numbness to him. His immediate diagnosis was, "It sounds like a neck injury to me." I then remembered the fall I had on my kitchen floor.

Pain soon developed and my doctor ordered an MRI. When the MRI results were sent to my family physician he said I must see a neurosurgeon soon. I suppose that should have alerted me to a serious problem, but I was not alarmed at all.

Walking into the neurosurgeon's office a few days later, I still was in no way prepared for the look in his eyes, or the tone of his voice as he explained the life threatening results he had found on my MRI. Actually the fall in my kitchen earlier had been a blessing, because it had alerted the doctors to much more serious problems.

The vertebrae in my neck had so deteriorated that the spinal cord was in a very dangerous position. His words got my attention as he explained a fall could mean sudden death or becoming a quadriplegic the rest of my life. The sudden death I could handle. I knew my destiny was to spend eternity with my Heavenly Father. My family having to care for me as a quadriplegic the rest of my life broke my heart.

Following other tests that confirmed what the MRI had shown, my husband and I agreed to the needed surgery.

I remember talking to the Lord about this, knowing he could heal me instantly if He chose to do so. But, as I prayed and read His Word, it seemed God was saying this was something we were going to have to walk through. His promises assured me He would be with us every step of the way. I prayed my family would be a testimony of His love and grace during surgery and the several months of recuperation.

I spent much time in prayer and in the Word, preparing myself emotionally and physically for the grueling eight-hour surgery and the extended healing process that would follow. The heavy neck brace I was wearing made the short waiting time before surgery very painful.

Excruciating pain followed the extensive surgery. But, God is faithful and the mending of my neck started immediately. And I was not paralyzed!

And now here I was three weeks after surgery. My birthday. Threescore years old. And looking forward to 'by reason of strength' possibly reaching that fourscore year.

A birthday present from my six year-old granddaughter, Mary Kathryn, was a recording. Made on her two year-old cousin's toy tape recorder.

With all my family gathered around the birthday table, Mary Kathryn sang to me from that tape recorder, "The Longer I Serve Him -- The Sweeter He Grows". As I listened tears of joy began to flow. She finished singing and after a while I stopped crying. When I could talk again, I folded my arms around her and told her, "Mary Kathryn, my prayer is that when you are my age, you can still say just as I can today, the longer I serve Him -- the sweeter He grows".

When I looked in the mirror later that day, the scars across the front of my neck and down my back were not ugly. They were sweet and beautiful reminders from God who loves me so much. Enough that He allowed me to have a gentle fall to prevent me from sudden death or perhaps being a quadriplegic the rest of my life.

I found myself shouting into the mirror - fourscore years here I come!


Melva Cooper copyright
jmelva@cox-internet.com

Write Melva and let her know your thoughts on her story!

Melva Cooper is a grandmother from Jonesboro, Arkansas. She encourages many, both in print and on the internet, with stories from her heart. Look for her devotion in A Cup of Comfort Devotional published last fall and her story "The Blessing of Giving" in Chicken Soup Celebrates Grandmothers that will be in bookstores in March. Read more of her stories at http://www.melvacooper.com



_________________________________________



Thought For The Day:

"It is better to give than to lend, and it costs about the same" --Phillip Gibbs


Verse for the Day:

"But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great." --Luke 6:35


Kid's Thought For The Day:

"It's more fun to ask questions than to answer them."


Parent's Thought For The Day

"If scientists can put a man on the moon, why can't they figure out which kid hit the other first?" --Bruce Lansky


Coach's Thought For The Day

"Keep your mind and options open. The lessons you learn after you thought you knew everything may be the most important of all."


Writer's Thought For The Day:

"I write just to get the voices in my head to shut up." --Dawn Colclasure


Deep Thought For The Day:

"The meek shall inherit the earth, if that's OK with you."



_________________________________________


Have you been to the HeartTouchers.com website lately?  If you like what you see and would like to have your own professional looking website, visit the link below.  Bizstudio has been a wonderful service for HeartTouchers.com and with 680,500 visitors and over 1,611,917 page views in the past three years, the website has been a tremendous tool in helping us to "Touch Lives, One Email at a Time." Although I had no prior experience building a website, I was able to create and build the HeartTouchers.com site easily utilizing Bizstudio's online editor.  It includes an Online Site Editor, Unlimited Updates, Unlimited Pages, Professional Themes, Pre-Programmed Features, E-mail Accounts, and free Search Engine Submission.  If I could do it with no prior experience you can too! Check it out at this link:

http://www.bizstudio.com/main/home.htm?bpn=A16435



__________________________________________


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

__________________________________________


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

_________________________________________


Reading Books, Changing Lives!

For those of you who would like to purchase the books from the HeartTouchers.com bookstore via your credit card, you can now do so!

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!

http://www.HeartTouchers.com/books


_________________________________________________


A number of people have written to us asking what an EBook is, since our book is being offered in both print and EBook versions.  An EBook is a book that can be downloaded and read right on your computer. The advantage of ordering the EBook is that is costs less, $6.95 (No other charges), as compared to $13.95 for the print book. Plus your EBook will arrive the same day you order it and you can begin reading the stories right away!

EBooks are read via Acrobat Reader, which is software that is already on your computer. So for those of you who don't want to wait for the print book to be delivered, check out this link to order the EBook version of Heart Touchers "Life-Changing Stories of Faith, Love, and Laughter."

http://www.hearttouchers.com/books