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{Heart4Teens.com} *Because of His Love* ______________________________________ 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 teenagers everywhere! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, you can join Heart4Teens.com readers around the world by visiting: http://www.hundred-acre-woods.com/magic-list/Heart4Teens Visit our inspirational web site to read all the past articles in our archives and view the tons of resources we have there for teens! http://www.Heart4Teens.com/Teen_Stories _________________________________________ Because of His Love By Jaye Lewis Job was not a brilliant man. He swept floors for a living. He believed that Tarzan was a real man, and that all those movies were really documentaries of Tarzan's life. He believed that professional wrestling was a real sport, and he had a list of his "favorites." He was the kindest, truest, most patient man I ever knew, in my young life. He was the butt of many jokes, yet he taught me about the essence of a "real man," with all a real man's virtues: love and respect for women, honor, kindness, gentleness, and a child's simple faith in a loving God. He was a giant of a man, faithful and noble. Job embraced life in unexpected, simple ways. He showed up for work, on time. He never bragged about himself, and he loved only one woman.his wife, Molly. Job filled a void in my life. He was sober and steady, at a time when my father was a heavy drinker. He was principled and straightforward, in my world of dishonor and lies. He was a humble man, forging through a sea of pride, and he loved God. He loved me as his very own grandchild, even though he was a year younger than my father. I will never forget my graduation from high school. That was a day of hopeless inevitability for me. My father, who was a heavy drinker, began his celebration very early in the day. By the time we congregated in the high school gymnasium my father had congratulated himself through nearly a case of beer. I tried to be invisible within a sea of faces. I wanted to run away. Disappear. Most of all I wanted no one to guess whose kid I was. I was betrayed by my last name, which began with the letter "A," so I was the first graduate on the first row. Being a red-head gave me even more exposure, and the baccalaureate speaker, who had never met me, decided to use me as his audio-visual aid. "This young lady.this bright young lady, with the bright red hair." His voice rolled through the auditorium in sonorous phrases, as I sank lower in my seat. Over to my left, at the door of the auditorium, was a seating arrangement of folding chairs for the "elderly." And there sat Molly, age 61, and Job, age 47, with all of the grandparents. My heart ached when I looked at them, wishing with all my heart that I were, truly, their grandchild. However, I had become a realist by that time, stoically enduring my Dad's lack of sobriety and my mother's helplessness to do anything to make a change in her life. As the speaker continued with his speech, he reached a point where he had an uncontrollable urge to introduce "all the wonderful people, who have made this day possible!." "All the siblings of the graduates, please, stand." I slipped lower in my seat, glancing hurriedly around, hoping to remain invisible. "Now, all the parents, please stand." Dear Lord, I thought, I'm sure my father can't stand, even if he wanted to. I didn't bother to look around. "Now the grandparents.." I closed my eyes, dreading the hopelessness of my situation. I had no grandparent to stand proudly for me. I finally opened my eyes, and there they were, Job and Molly, standing proudly with all the other grandparents. Job looked over at me, his eyes beaming like diamonds. "I'm so proud of you," he smiled as he mouthed the words that I will never forget. I knew that he stood there, not out of duty, but because of his love for me! Jaye Lewis jlewis@smyth.net Jaye Lewis is an award winning writer who looks at life from a unique perspective, celebrating the miraculous in the day to day. Jaye is a Chicken Soup for the Soul contributing author, and she is seeking a publisher for her manuscript, Entertaining Angels. Jaye is a Vietnam Era veteran and the wife of a retired U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer. They make their home in the beautiful mountains of Virginia. Email Jaye at jlewis@smyth.net or jayelewis@comcast.net _________________________________ Thought For The Day: "The goal in marriage is not to think alike but to think together." Verse for the Day: "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and the united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." --Ephesians 5:31 Teen's Thought For The Day: "Here's the key to success and to failure: We become what we think about." Parent's Thought For The Day "The college years are when your children and your luggage both leave home - but the laundry comes back to visit." Coach's Thought For The Day "Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there."--Bo Jackson Deep Thought For The Day: "A man who correctly guesses a woman's age may be smart but he's not very bright." _________________________________________ Author MICHAEL T. POWERS www.Heart4Teens.com Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul on Love and Friendship and 21 other inspirational books. "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 _________________________________________ ALL-STAR Ministry --The Youth Church of Faith Community Church in Janesville, WI If you are in 6-12th grade and live in the southern Wisconsin/northern Illinois area and would like to check us out, we meet every Sunday night from 6:30-8:00 PM at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerne Dr. in Janesville, WI. (About 3 blocks south-east of The Skating Place.) Currently we have students from Fort Atkinson, Milton, Janesville Craig, Janesville Parker, Marshall, Orfordville, Clinton, Beloit Memorial, Beloit Turner, South Beloit, and Hononegah. E-mail me back if you have any questions about our weekly meetings or would like to come to any of our events that are listed below... We have way too much fun and then, most importantly, talk about issues that are relevant to you as a teenager. This Week: Sunday July 3 -- Movie Night! Upcoming Topics! Sunday July 12 -- God's Play Dough (How do we know God's will for our lives?) Upcoming Events July 6: Great America Trip! July 8-16: Guatemala Missions Trip! July 22-23: 30-Hour Famine (high school only) September 16-18: Annual Fall Retreat! _______________________________________________ Teen Community Groups 6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights (September though May) Wednesday night community groups for teens. The groups are limited to no more than ten teens and are split into Jr. High and High School ages. This night is for those teens who want to dig deeper than what we do in All-Stars, but may not be ready to be a part of the Extreme Teens. These cell groups will also be doing special activities with each other as the year goes on to build community. Join us as we do a Bible Study called "The Discipleship Experiment!" _______________________________________________________ The Extreme Teens 6:30 - 8:00 PM Wednesday nights is on Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 8:00 PM "Extreme Teens" meet Wednesday nights from 6:30 - 8:00 PM (All Year Round) This group is very extensive with weekly homework, memorization, service projects, etc. Students interested in this group will have to fill out an application, provide references as to why others think they should be involved with this, and sign an agreement as to what is expected of them. Join us this summer as we develop a Christian World View! |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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