David L. Weatherford, Ph.D., a frequent contributor to the Chicken Soup books, is a child psychologist and freelance writer. After thirty years of chronic health problems (fifteen years on kidney dialysis), he has learned that love and faith provide the foundation for a strong will and a joyful appreciation of life. David believes his inspiration for living and coping well come from God. He finds that much of the "divine help" he needs is sent to him through his family (Bill, Jackie, Charlie, Susan, Jason, Jared, and Joe Don) and his soul mate (Laura Kathleen). He can be reached at 1658 Doubletree Ln., Nashville, TN 37217 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Erik Weihenmayer is a speaker, writer and world-class adventurer; an acrobatic skydiver and scuba diver, a long-distance biker and marathon runner; a skier and a mountaineer, an ice climber and rock climber. He has scaled Mt. McKinley (20,320 feet), Kilimanjaro (19,300 feet), Aconcagua (22,800 feet), and El Capitan, the famed 3,300-foot rock face in Yosemite Valley. What sets Erik apart, more than his adventurous spirit, is that he is blind, but he has never let this interfere with his passion for an exciting and fulfilling life. Erik's feats have earned him ESPN's ARETE Award for courage in sports, the Gene Autry Award, and introduction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Erik inspires readers to reexamine their perceptions about what is possible. "Someone once told me that I would need to realize my limitations, but I've always thought it much more exciting to realize my potential."
Jeffrey Weinstein is president and chief executive officer of Certified Federal Credit Union in Los Angeles, California. He is also founder and director of the Keene Alliance Group, a management-consulting firm that puts small businesses in touch with proven professionals. In addition, Jeffrey chairs "Kidz'n Motion," a children's medical research foundation, and spends his time traveling as an organizational-leadership and motivational speaker to schools, corporations and various other organizations. He can be reached at Keene Alliance
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Group, 23312 W. Montecito Pl., Valencia, CA 91354, by calling 661-263-6589 or by e-mail at [email protected].
Nikki Willett is currently attending the University of Arizona, majoring in management information systems. She just returned from celebrating Laura's twenty-first birthday in Texas and would like to thank everyone who has made a difference. She can be reached at 602-870-7729.
Bettie B. Youngs, Ph.D., Ed.D., is an international lecturer and consultant living in Del Mar, California. She is the author of fourteen books published in twenty-eight languages including the bestseller Values from the Heartland and Girls of the Heart, Tasteberry Tales and Tasteberry Tales for Teens. You can contact Bettie by wiriting to 3060 Racetrack View Dr., Del Mar, CA 92014.
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PERMISSIONS
(continued from page iv)
Small Soldiers. Reprinted by permission of Rachel Berry. ©1999 Rachel Berry.
Journey Out of Silence and Mrs. George. Reprinted by permission of William L. Rush. ©1999 William L. Rush.
Albert. Reprinted by permission of Magi Hart. ©1999 Magi Hart.
The Racking Horse. Reprinted by permission of Rhonda Reese. ©1999 Rhonda Reese.
Tina's Ten Points and Ode to the Champions. Reprinted by permission of Tom Krause. ©1999 Tom Krause.
Beat the Drum. Reprinted by permission of Carol Barre. ©1999 Carol Barre.
The Letter. Reprinted by permission of Bill Holton. ©1999 Bill Holton.
Just Do What You Can. Reprinted by permission of D'ette Corona. ©1999 D'ette Corona.
New Directions. From Wouldn't Take Nothing for My Journey Now by Maya Angelou. Copyright ©1993 by Maya Angelou. Reprinted by permission of Random House, Inc.
Dare to Imagine. Reprinted by permission of Marilyn King. ©1999 Marilyn King.
The Little Girl Who Dared to Wish. Reprinted by permission of Alan D. Shultz. ©1999 Alan D. Shultz.
Perseverance. Reprinted by permission of Anne Stortz. ©1999 Anne Stortz.
Never Give Up. Reprinted by permission of Jason Morin. ©1999 Jason Morin.
How to Be New and Different. Reprinted by permission of Patricia Lorenz. ©1999 Patricia Lorenz.
I Was Thirty-Seven Years Old at the Time. Forever Erma ©1996 by the Estate of Erma Bombeck. Reprinted with permission of Andrews McMeel Publishing. All rights reserved.
The Secret Behind My Success. Reprinted by permission of Guideposts magazine. Copyright ©1977 by Guideposts, Carmel, NY 10512.
Dharma. Reprinted by permission of Deborah Tyler Blais. ©1999 Deborah Tyler Blais.
Dear Jesse. Reprinted by permission of Paula Bachleda Koskey. ©1999 Paula Bachleda Koskey.
The Other Mother. Reprinted by permission of Diane Payne. ©1999 Diane Payne.
A Prayer for Children. Reprinted by permission of William Morrow and Company, Inc. ©1995 by Ina J. Hughs.
Washing Teddy Bears. Reprinted by permission of Jean Bole. ©1999 Jean Bole.
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To Love Enough. Reprinted by permission of Cynthia M. Hamond. ©1999 Cynthia M. Hamond.
The Angel Who Fetched. Reprinted by permission of Susan McElroy. ©1999 Susan McElroy.
Ben. Reprinted by permission of Terry Boisot. ©1999 Terry Boisot.
Heaven's Very Special Child. Reprinted by permission of Edna Massimilla. ©1999 Edna Massimilla.
Lavender Roses. Reprinted by permission of Charles A. Hart. ©1999 Charles A. Hart.
The Day I Finally Cried. Reprinted by permission of Meg Hill. ©1999 Meg Hill.
The Sound of One Hand Clapping. Excerpted from Holy Sweat by Tim Hansel ©1989, Word Publishing, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
The Joy of Usefulness. Excerpted from Home Town Tales. ©1998 by Philip Gulley. Used by permission of Multnomah Publishers, Inc.
The Writer and The Cracked Pot. Reprinted by permission of Willy McNamara. ©1999 Willy McNamara.
Tzippie. Excerpted from Shining Lights: Illuminating Stories of Faith and Inspiration by Ruchoma Shain. ©1997. Reprinted by permission of Feldheim Publishers.
Mama's Visit and A Tribute to Courage. Reprinted by permission of Victoria Robinson. ©1999 Victoria Robinson.
The Yellow Ribbon. Reprinted by permission of Nikki Willett. ©1999 Nikki Willett.
And, And, And and Sledding. Reprinted by permission of Robin L. Silverman. ©1999 Robin L. Silverman.
The Day at the Beach. Reprinted by permission of Arthur Gordon. ©1999 Arthur Gordon.
A Lesson in Cloud Recognition. Reprinted by permission of Joyce A. Harvey. ©1999 Joyce A. Harvey.
A Story to Live By. ©Los Angeles Times. Reprinted by permission. Story by Anne Wells.
Sensory Deprivation. Reprinted by permission of Deborah E. Hill. ©1999 Deborah E. Hill.
The Birthday Present. Reprinted by permission of Mavis Burton Ferguson. ©1999 Mavis Burton Ferguson.
A Bowl of Humility. Reprinted by permission of Linda LaRocque. ©1999 Linda LaRocque.
Wind Beneath My Wings. Reprinted by permission of Karyl Chastain Beal. ©1999 Karyl Chastain Beal.
How I Came to Terms. Reprinted by permission of Bill Holton. ©1999 Bill Holton.
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Like Me. Reprinted by permission of Emily Peri Kingsley. ©1999 Emily Peri Kingsley. Like Me was suggested by a story by Jennifer Fink.
The Best Advice I Ever Had. Maurice Chevalier represented by The Roger Richmond Agency, Inc. Beverly Hills, CA 90212. www.hollywoodlegends.com.
The Victim's Voice. Excerpted from People magazine 5/26/97 by Richard Jerome and Susan Christian. Goulding/People Weekly ©1997 Time Inc.
Barriers or Hurdles? Reprinted by permission of Irvine Johnston. ©1999 Irvine Johnston.
Riley. Reprinted by permission of Jeffrey Weinstein. ©1999 Jeffrey Weinstein.
You Can Beat the Odds and Be a Winner, Too. Taken from the Dear Abby column by Abigail Van Buren ©UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.
Superman Learns How to Ride. Reprinted by permission of Robert Ta
te Miller. ©1999 Robert Tate Miller.
A Father's Advice. Reprinted by permission of Christopher de Vinck. ©1999 Christopher de Vinck.
Highsights. Reprinted by permission Erik Weihenmayer. ©1999 Erik Weihenmayer.
Ask Creatively. Cited in The Best of Bits & Pieces. ©1994. The Economics Press, Inc. The Economic Press, Inc., 12 Daniel Rd., Fairfield, NJ 07004-2565. Phone: 800-526-2554 or (+1 973) 227-1224 worldwide. Fax: 973-227-9742 or (+1 973) 227-9742 worldwide. E-mail: [email protected]; Web site: www.epinc.com. Please contact The Economic Press directly to purchase this book or for subscription information or free sample of Bits & Pieces, the magazine that motivates the world.
Never Say Quit. Reprinted by permission of Bob Hoppenstedt. ©1999 Bob Hoppenstedt.
Struggle and Victory. Reprinted by permission of Lila Jones Cathey. ©1999 Lila Jones Cathey.
Mothers of Disabled Children. Used by permission of UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE. ©1996, excerpted from Forever Erma. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Third-Place Winner. Excerpted from Gifts of the Heart by Bettie B. Youngs. ©1996. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, Health Communications, Inc., Deerfield Beach, FL.
Challenger Baseball. Reprinted by permission of Darrell J. Burnett ©1999 Darrell J. Burnett.
Don't Worry, Be Happy. Reprinted by permission of Mindy Pollack-Fusi. ©1999 Mindy Pollack-Fusi.
The Wake. Reprinted by permission of Melva Haggar Dye. ©1999 Melva Haggar Dye.
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