On Todds web site, you will read a fantastic story of how one man’s uplifting speech changed Todd’s life. All of the wonderful things said in Coach Lou Holtz’s speech were awesome, but the one which stands out in my mind is when he says, “Help other people.”

Todd has not only succeeded at many physical goals and challenges, but I have personally found him to be a very kind hearted individual, who becomes genuinely interested and concerned for others when they are down-in-the-dumps or depressed. Yes Coach Lou, you are correct to say that helping others is important, however in my opinion helping others is life’s greatest achievement!

Below is the story of Todd Lewis and how listening to speaker Lou Holtz at a seminar changed his life forever! Thank you Todd for sharing your story!

I came across your website while reading Bits & Pieces. I wanted to forward a bit about myself as well as thank you for the inspiration.

Nine years ago I was in a sales job and spinning my wheels. I flew to Dallas, TX for a company sales conference. To be honest with you I really didn’t want to be there. One night at dinner they brought out a speaker who talked about a positive attitude and making a list of goals. Even though I didn’t meet the speaker, he changed my life. Shortly after that night I made my own list and started learning to unlearn a few things and focused on being positive. One of the goals on my list was to meet this man in person and say “thank you”. My dream came true last month. I met Coach Lou Holtz. He even called my Mother and left her a message at home since she couldn’t travel with me. If it weren’t for his message I would have never done the following:

- The running of the bulls in Pamplona
- Climbing Kilimanjaro
- 40 Marathons before I turned 40
- Took my Mother to Ireland
- Hiked to the Base Camp of Everest

I posted some photos at www.irunwithbulls.com

Thanks again,

Todd

Read a short story submitted by Todd.

Photos of Todd and Lou together

People come together during natural disasters, whether big or small. This story is one which happened just recently in our quiet town in Michigan.

The other day while waiting for my husband and son to return home from work, I noticed the skies darkening to a very deep grayish black. Apparently, there was a huge storm approaching. I battened down the hatches at the house, and prayed that both my husband and son would be safe coming home that night. The rain began to fall in sheets with whipping wind of which I had never seen before. Our many large and small trees were doing the limbo under the stress of the strong relentless winds, and I thought for certain that one or more would fall over. This torrent of rain, wind, and flying branches continued while our lights flickered on and off. I have to admit it was fun to watch. I kind of felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. But still, my worry deepened about the safety of my family.

Listen to “With a Little Help From My Friends” by Joe Cocker

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This is an update to The Gary Family Goes to Guatemala Part 1

The Gary family and the other team members recently returned from a week-long mission trip to San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. Here is a follow-up of some of the things they experienced, written by Shelli Gary.

“San Juan Sacatepéquez is a beautiful town located in the Guatemalan highlands. There is a town center where daily open markets take place, selling fruits and vegetables, fabric and beautiful flowers that are grown throughout the city. It was interesting to see the hustle and bustle of commerce taking place with the amazingly colorful background of the local Mayan clothing and culture.

We stayed at a church located right in town. Pastor Santos, his family and the people were so welcoming and showed us so much love and hospitality. The genuine affection we were given was heart touching. It is something I will never forget.

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On June 14, a team of nine from Connexions Church in Dexter, MI, will be headed to San Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala on a mission trip to serve the needs of the people in the community. Among the team will be the Gary Family, who will be returning to Guatemala for their second time in less than a year.

“Last year we were in the Mayan Highlands in Santa Apolonia. The town was beautiful, and full of the traditional Mayan culture, that has not changed much over the years. The women and young girls still wear the traditional Mayan Huipals and Cortes (hand woven and multi-colored tops and wrap skirts). We served in a church by hosting a children’s fair and Vacation Bible School for more than 250 children! But, it was the Mayan people who captured our hearts and we fell in love with them. The Mayans are very warm and beautiful people, and very family oriented. It is not uncommon to see older siblings carrying their younger brothers and sisters around on their hip, or grandfathers carrying their grandchildren around on their shoulders. The family unit is very strong in the Mayan culture. But we also witnessed much need. There is great need for health education and medical and dental services, and the illiteracy rate is 64%, one of the highest in Central America.

Listen to “Get Together” by The Youngbloods

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When violin virtuoso Philippe Quint left a 1723 Antonio Stradivari in a taxi two weeks ago, he was distraught. The $4 million instrument was not only irreplaceable, it was on loan. But the cab driver returned the violin the next morning, and in gratitude, the Grammy-nominated musician will performed a private concert at the Newark airport cab stand.

Article 1 - BBC
Article 2 - Newser

Philippe Quint homepage
Philippe Quint - Myspace Music page

Take the time to check out this one. It needs to be played in every school and building in this country! So many have seem to forgotten the meaning of which Red explains so well.

This is so unbelievable. In 1969, how did he know?

Some of you may remember him but he passed away before many of you were born. Red Skelton was a good and funny man. He also ended every show by saying, “Good Night and God Bless”. Listen to the end of this. It is something he said 39 years ago. Very important that you listen to the very end! Eerie! Take a moment and listen to it (from 1969). How would he have known that this is what is happening?

Click here and turn your sound on.

For the Few Who Don’t Know:

Red Skelton was a movie star and comedian on television back in the 1950s. He created a number of characters, and his show was watched by millions.

Photo : Jeffrey D. Allred of Deseret Morning News

Below is an email sent to HappyNews by one of its readers.

Hello Happy News, I love your site.

I wanted to let you know about a special little girl named Taylor and her dad, who’s biking across the country to help save her life. It would mean a lot if you could help spread the word about Taylor, her Dad, and their cause. Taylor’s story is below, and you can learn more about Taylor, her dad, and the other childeren and dads at www.loneliestroad.org.

Taylor is a vibrant, blue-eyed, funny two-year old girl who loves to dance, loves princesses, and loves playing with her older brothers. Taylor has a devastating pediatric cancer called Neuroblastoma. She is stage 4-High Risk. She has been incredibly strong in her fight against this disease, enduring 7 rounds of chemo before age two. She is now being treated at Sloan Kettering in NYC because the local doctors have done all they can with their resources.

In New York, there is a new treatment against the disease that could be manufactured, but the funding is currently unavailable. The survival rate for high-risk neuroblastoma is a grim 30% with a 50% relapse rate. This new treatment gives much hope to the families being treated there, but they needed to come up with a way to fund it. Taylor’s dad, along with other dads have taken it upon themselves to raise the funds. On Monday, September 10th they began the long trek across our country on their bicycles in a campaign they are calling “The Loneliest Road.” They will travel mostly along US Rte. 50, against the elements, and fatigue. It is an echo of what their children are going through each and every day. They hope to raise much needed awareness for this devastating and often “silent” cancer, as well as raise the funds for the new treatment.

Thanks for your time, I appreciate any help you can provided.

Sincerely,
Michael Waisley
Ashburn, VA

Visit The Loneliest Road.

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When I was 27, my life as I knew it was stripped away from me. I went from being a totally healthy, active, vivacious young woman to being completely bedridden all in one day. Doctor after doctor were puzzled by my strange symptoms, which were numerous and debilitating.

It took eight months for me to be diagnosed with Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome. It took a year for me to be able to work again, and then it was only a part time, sit-down job. A ridiculously high heart rate and bottoming out blood pressure left me out of breath and seeing-stars-dizzy whenever I stood up for any length of time. I was lucky though; some people with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome are wheel chair bound and can’t stand up at all.

It has now been eight years since I was originally diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, an often unheard of disorder characterized by dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, the part of the body that is involved in the control of automatic functions such as breathing, temperature, heart rate and blood pressure. I have healed greatly in the last eight years, and I know that I am blessed to be able to go for walks or just stand up to hug my husband and son when they come in the door. I feel as if I’ve been given a second lease on life, and I’ve spent the last four years running a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping others who have been diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Because the disorder is not well known, funding is in short supply. If there is anyone out there who can help me, I’d greatly appreciate it. Donations are tax deductible and can be made online at www.dinet.org or mailed to:

DINET
PO Box 55
Brooklyn, MI 49230

Thank you,
Michelle Sawicki

Air Force Chief Master Sgt. John Gebhardt, of the 332md Expeditionary Medical Group at Balad, Iraq, cradles a young girl as they both sleep in the hospital. The girl’s entire family was executed by insurgents: the killers shot her in the head as well. The girl received treatment at the U.S. military hospital in Balad, but cried and moans often. According to nurses at the facility, Gebhardt is the only one who can calm down the girl, so he has spent the last several nights holding her while they both sleep in a chair.

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in your care. Give them victory over the enemy…Grant them a safe and swift return…Bless those who mourn the lost. - Anonymous

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What a Merry Christmas it will be for all of the children at “The Foote Care Center” in Jackson, Michigan. This hospital administers its services to the care of both adults and children in all aspects of healthcare, and the pediatric unit was thrilled to hear the news that they would be receiving home-made Christmas cards from children as far away as Los Angeles California, Louisiana, and Hawaii!!! BK2HK also included a box of chocolates for the nurses!

These wonderful cards put a BIG smile on my face, and I know they will do the same for these hospitalized children! A GREAT BIG THANK YOU to all who participated in this “KIND ACTS IN ACTION“…they are as follows: Girl Scout Troop 748 in Los Angeles, California. Misty Broussard from Columbia, Louisiana. And our friends @ Pahio Resort in Princeville Kauai, Hawaii!!! Also, a BIG thank you to doonenicething.com and Debbie Tenzer for her thoughtfulness!! Happy Holidays to you all!!

View photos of the cards

Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. “Just a minute”, answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 90’s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940’s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

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