Heart Touchers

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*Perfect Valentine* 2/10/03

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Reading Books, Changing Lives!

For those of you who love to read and 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 site has the power to make a difference in the lives of those you give the books to. Check ou this link to find out more!

http://www.HeartTouchers.com/books

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It is good to be able to share a story from wonderful writer and friend Jaye Lewis today. I am sure you will enjoy this story as much as I did...

From my family to yours,
Michael
P.S. Look for a special love story from HeartTouchers.com author Jennifer Oliver tomorow!!

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Perfect Valentine

By Jaye Lewis

When my husband and I first became friends, we had no idea of any differences in our ages. I had inherited great genes, so at the age of 34 I was slim and young looking. Louie was fun, with a great sense of play, and yet, he was very serious about his path in life, unafraid to take on new challenges.

There was only one time, in the 23 years that we have been together, that I thought I might back out because of our age difference. I got one good talking to from a trusted friend. ?Let?s see, Jaye,? he told me. ?He?s wonderful! He loves you! He adores your children. He wants more than anything to spend the rest of his life making you and the girls happy?but, he?s younger. That?s a great reason to break up!? I saw the ludicrousness of my fears, and I never looked back.

We were married in the home of a friend, with three little bridesmaids breathlessly waiting to call Louie ?Daddy.? It was greater than any joy I had ever known. Louie was a natural father. He adopted our daughters exactly two years after the day we had met. He is faithful and loving, and the best friend I have ever had.

At the same time, through the years, I thought that I had missed out on that romantic dinner by candle light, Louie dropping to one knee, holding out an engagement ring, and begging me to marry him. We had started out married life with a house full of kids, no privacy, and a gratitude that children have to go to bed early.

Then began my health problems. Where my body once was slim and strong, it soon became medicated and plump, in all the wrong places. Where once my cheeks were slim, there was now a layer of insulation that could make my feet float. I walked and walked and walked, when I was well, and, yet, no amount of exercise could bring my body back to where it once was. By the time we had been married nearly fifteen years, one look in the mirror was enough to send my self-esteem plummeting.

Louie was always loving and exciting, but I wondered if I was. I?d look at my wedding band, as it got tighter and resized. In my jewelry box was a diamond that we had never gotten around to setting into a ring. I mused that surely he could not want me that much anymore.

I slipped a dozen cards into every cubbyhole that day, watching as he joyously found and read them. But there was nothing in the house, for me. Of course, I didn?t mind. We were going out to dinner, and that would be romantic. We arrived at the black tie restaurant together, and I saw the lovely gift bag with the card sticking out, so I knew I would not be totally forgotten.

We ordered our drinks, and then the meal, and we watched the sun go down into a brilliant splendor, and Louie handed me my card. It said all the wonderful things that always make me cry. His eyes were shining. How handsome he was. Then suddenly he moved, and pushed his chair back. Swiftly, out of the bag came a small velvet pillow and a small box. I was stunned to see my husband kneel on the pillow and hold out the little box. Astonished, I backed my chair up.

?Jaye, I love you!? Louie declared, opening the box to expose a lovely diamond ring. ?I know I don?t deserve it, but will you marry me?!?

?Oh My!? I heard from the waitress behind me. All eyes in the room turned their attention to this intensely private, shy, wonderful man. The room exploded with applause, as I sobbed, ?YES!?

No one knew that we were an ?old? married couple. No one knew or cared that I was an ?older? woman. No one saw anything except our joy and our love. And I will always remember that day as my perfect Valentine!

Jaye Lewis
jlewis@smyth.net

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

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Jaye Lewis is a writer/poet and Heartwarmer Gem, who lives and writes in the beautiful southern highlands of southwestern Virginia. Jaye also shares her home with two of her daughters and a menagerie of pets, including her constant companion, her mini-dachshund, Happy Dog. Jaye and her husband Louie will soon be married 23 years, and he is still Jaye's perfect Valentine.

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Thought For The Day:

"Learn by experience - preferably other people's."

Verse for the Day:

"All these things happened to them as examples - as object lessons to us - to warn us against doing the same things." 1 Corinthians 10:11

Kid's Thought for the day:

"Always have something in your lunchbox you can trade with."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"An infallible way to make your child miserable is to satisfy all his demands."

Coach's Thought For The Day

"The difficult we do immediately. The impossible takes a little longer."

Writer's Thought For the Day:

"Hide not your talents, they for use were made. What is a sundial in the shade?" --Benjamin Franklin

Deep Thought For The Day:

"If it weren't for electricity we'd all be watching television by candlelight."

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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
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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!

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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/
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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/

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

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