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{Heart4Teens.com} *All is Well with the World* ______________________________________ 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 Heart4Teen.com readers around the world by sending a blank e-mail to: Heart4Teens-subscribe@myinjesus.com or visit: http://www.Heart4Teens.com Visit our inspirational web site and 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 ____________________________________________ Be sure to check out our other inspirational email list and web site! http://www.HeartTouchers.com To subscribe send a blank email to: HeartTouchers-subscribe@myinjesus.com _________________________________________ All is Well With the World Tonight by Michael T. Powers A husband takes his wife's hand and whispers, "Honey, take some time for yourself this evening. I started a bubble bath for you. Don't worry about the kids. I'll take care of getting them to bed..." A high school student hugs her mom and dad tightly and says, "Thanks for making me do my homework this weekend instead of going out with my friends... I know I have a shot at that scholarship now, and I owe it all to both of you." She even offers to do the dishes before turning in early for bed... An elderly gentleman is returning home from his nightly walk when four tough looking teenagers approach him. They walk slowly up behind him, grab him and say, "Sir. We just wanted you to know that you dropped your billfold a couple of blocks back. We are really sorry, but we were unable to get all the snow off your leather wallet. Here it is. Everything is still there. We're disappointed that we couldn't get all the moisture off it before it started to stain... No, we don't deserve any reward, we were just glad we came along when we did." A lonely stray cat limps up to the dark house. He lifts his keen nose and sifts the cold air currents. There is food up ahead. He hasn't eaten in days, and he is cold and growing weaker by the hour... He has been here before and knows the dog chained to the doghouse will not let him near, but desperation drives him on. He draws closer to the appetizing aroma coming from the food dish, all the while waiting for the deep growling to begin. To his amazement he approaches the dish unchallenged and begins to gulp huge amounts of food. The Doberman only watches... When he is done eating and his hunger is satisfied, he hears the dog whine. The abandoned stray walks slowly up to the canine and they sniff noses. Soon they are fast asleep, sharing the warmth that only two can provide. For one night, the ancient enmity between cat and dog has been set aside... A young single mom turns off the TV and walks slowly into the kitchen. She looks longingly at the bottle of whiskey on the counter... This is part of her evening ritual. It's how she deals with her problems. It's how she gets to sleep most nights, but for some reason tonight feels different. The tall bottle doesn't call to her as strongly. She doesn't feel the overwhelming urge to bring the container to her lips, to feel the fiery liquid burn down the back of her throat and make her forget... Instead she gracefully slides over to the kitchen sink and pours every last drop down the drain. "Not tonight," she whispers to herself. Maybe not ever again... She makes her way down the hallway and looks in on her sleeping children. She walks from bedside to bedside, bending down and gently planting a loving kiss on each round chubby cheek. She is in bed before midnight for the first time in a year. She just might make it to work on time tomorrow. "Boy, won't my boss be surprised," she thinks to herself. Just as she is drifting off to sleep, the stillness of the night is broken by the sudden, jarring ring of the phone. "Hello," she says sleepily. She can't believe what she is hearing. She doesn't want to believe. She thinks she is just going to wake up from this dream and none of it will be true. She reaches down and pinches her leg... She isn't dreaming. The voice on the other end of the phone belongs to her husband who left her two years ago. "Honey, I'm coming home, if you'll have me. I have made a lot of mistakes in my life and leaving you and the kids was the biggest..." She sobs quietly into the mouthpiece... "Don't cry honey, everything is going to be all right from now on..." Last night, after 95 long years, the Chicago Cubs finally win a play-off series by defeating the Atlanta Braves 5-1. Yes, All is Well With the World Tonight... Maybe all of these things didn't happen last night. Maybe Michael T. Powers just has an overactive imagination. Maybe... Nah! The Cubbies win and all is well with the world! Michael T. Powers HeartTouchers@aol.com Copyright © 2003 by Michael T. Powers ***** Michael T. Powers is a youth pastor, the founder of HeartTouchers.com and Heart4Teens.com, and also an author with stories in 15 inspirational books including many in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. To preview his books visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com To join the thousands of world wide readers on his inspirational e-mail list just send a blank e-mail to: Heart4Teens-subscribe@myinjesus.com _________________________________________ LET'S GO SURFING DUDE! Are You Considering an Abortion? You are a teenage girl and you find yourself faced with one of the biggest decisions of your life -- "Do I have my baby or do I abort it?" Click on the link below before you make your decision to find help and answers! http://www.heart4teens.com/abortion __________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "A professional is one who can do his best work when he doesn't feel like it." --Alistair Cook Verse for the Day: "To win the contest you must deny yourselves many things that would keep you from doing your best." -- 1 Corinthians 9:25 Teen's Thought For The Day: "Who ceases to be a friend never was one." Parent's Thought For The Day "One of the oldest human needs is having someone wonder where you are when you don't come home at night." --Margaret Mead Coach's Thought For The Day "You are the real teachers. You have these children when they are at their emotional peaks and lows. That's when they are the most pliable. It doesn't take any intelligence to send a kid home with her head hanging between her knees. But to send her home with her head up every night might show a little coaching." --Morgan Wooten Deep Thought For The Day: I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, "Where's the self-help section?" She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose. _________________________________________ 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! 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 ________________________________________ 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 6:00-8:30 PM at Faith Community Church which is located at 2931 Lucerene 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: Important Note: Both the Jr. High and Sr. High small groups will be meeting at the Powers house this week! _______________________________________________ UPCOMING EVENTS For Those Students Who Passed the Summer Challenge: We will be attending the Michael W. Smith/Mercy Me concert in Milwaukee on Thursday, October 16. We will also be heading to the Dells (Treasure Island) on Friday night October 17th and then returning Saturday night October 18th. The only money you would need to bring would be for snacks and souvenirs if you wanted to buy them! ______________________ All-Stars has extended its time to 6:00 - 8:30 PM on Sunday nights. 6:00 - 6:30 will be time for the youth to chat and discuss anything they want with the youth leaders or each other. 6:30 - 7:00 PM will be for games or fun activities and then 7:00 - 8:30 PM will be for the lesson and discussion time. Students are still welcome to "hang out" after 8:30 PM if they want, as the leaders are usually at the church until at least 10:00 PM, and some nights even later. (For the past couple of months the students have continually complained that we are running out of time before we get to really discuss the topics in full and asked if we could have longer teaching times... I know, most of you are probably now getting back up off the floor from the shock. have been most encouraged that the teens have been wanting to stay longer to be able to discuss the lessons more fully.) The Outlet: "Get plugged into Jesus Christ!" (Teen Cell Groups) Wednesday night community groups for teens. The groups are limited to no more than ten teens and will be originally 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. Extreme Teens" (formerly the Core Group) meets from 5:00 - 6:00 PM at the church. 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. (If your teen will also be attending All-Stars that night, they are encouraged to bring a sack lunch or snack to tide them over until 8:30.) We are very excited at what God is doing with our youth! _________________________________________ Author MICHAEL T. POWERS www.Heart4Teens.com Contributing Author to Chicken Soup for the Teen's Soul on Love and Friendship and 15 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 |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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