The Month Before Christmas

'Twas the month before Christmas when all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying nor taking a stand.
Why the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say

The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
It might hurt people's feelings, the teachers would say
December 25th is just a ' Holiday '.
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks and credit
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it!
CDs from Madonna, an X BOX, an I-pod
Something was changing, something quite odd!

Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa
In hopes to sell books by Franken & Fonda.
As Targets are hanging their trees upside down
At Lowe's the word Christmas - was no where to be found.

At K-Mart and Staples and Penney's and Sears
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver- si-ty
Are words that were used to intimidate me.

Now Obama, Now Pelosi, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen
On Boxer, on Reid, on Edwards, on Clinton !
At the top of the Senate, there arose such a clatter
To eliminate Jesus, in all public matter.

And we spoke not a word, as they took away our faith
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.

So as you celebrate 'Winter Break' under your 'DreamTree'
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS, not Happy Holiday !

Written by a Marine..Worth Sharing!

A New Christmas Poem

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,

HE LIVED ALL ALONE,

IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF

PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY

WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,

AND TO SEE JUST WHO

IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,

A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,

NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,

NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,

JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,

ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES

OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,

AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,

A SOBER THOUGHT

CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,

IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,

I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,

ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,

SILENT, ALONE,

CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR

IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,

THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,

NOT HOW I PICTURED

A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO

OF WHOM I'D JUST READ?

CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,

THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES

THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,

OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE ! SOLDIERS

WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,

THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,

AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE

A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM

EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,

BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,

LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN'T HELP WONDER

HOW MANY LAY ALONE,

ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE

IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT

BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,

I DROPPED TO MY KNEES

AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED

AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,

"SANTA DON'T CRY,

THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,

I DON'T ASK FOR MORE,

MY LIFE IS MY GOD,

MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS."

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER

AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,

I COULDN'T CONTROL IT,

I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,

SO SILENT AND STILL

AND WE BOTH SHIVERED

FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL.

I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE

ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,

THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR

SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,

WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,

WHISPERED, "CARRY ON SANTA,

IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE."

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,

AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,

AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT."

This poem was written by a Marine. The following is his request. I
think it
is reasonable.

PLEASE. Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many
people as
you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our
U. S.
service men and women for our being able to celebrate these
festivities. Let's
try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people
stop and
think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for
us.
Please, do your small part to plant this small seed.

I Don't Normally Get Into Politics...But Enough is Enough

Think about it!

What a wonderful guy!

Captain Mike Davis is going to take a few plunges for special olympics. Please go to this site and make a contribution to a great cause.
http://www.firstgiving.com/captaindavis

This is so Funny!!

You really CAN"T fix stupid (true events)

Help Stop Child Abuse..Report It!!

Dear Mr Jesus

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Please Don't Judge My Child!

>
This is my child and one of the beautiful faces of autism.

I Love This!!

The Five Stairsteps - Ooh Child

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Great Program From Kids Come First

As part of our Safety on the Internet Program, Kids Come First distributes this contract to be filled out by parents and their children at our seminars. We suggest that your family keeps this contract visibly displayed by your computer. We urge kids to set some rules for their parents as well.

After all, RULES AREN'T JUST FOR KIDS!


(Please note that this contract is to be used as a guideline in creating your own family contract.)

I have studied the rules about Internet Safety, and I know that following these rules will help to make the Internet a safer place for me. I know that using the computer is a privilege and I must obey certain family rules when I use the computer:

1. I will only enter Chat Rooms and other areas of Instant Messaging with my parents’ permission and I will give them my buddy list.

2. I will choose a safe screen name that can be for a boy or girl that will not reveal personal information about my family or me.

3. I will not communicate from my home computer or away from home with anyone on the Internet that I met online and do not know personally.

4. I will never meet anyone in person that I met on the Internet.

5. I will not share my password with anyone except my parents.

6. I will not register at ANY websites or create my own website without my parents’ permission.

7. I will not include personal information in a profile. I will not share any information about my family in any way with someone I have not met in person and have only met online. This includes things like my name, address, phone number, age, and school name.

8. I will treat others with respect when communicating online. I will use good language and will not pick fights or use threatening or mean words.

9. If I read or see something bad, I will tell my parents immediately.

10. I will not send my picture to anyone online without my parents’ permission.

11. I will always tell my parents about communicating in any way—email, phone call, or instant messaging—with any adults no matter who they are—even family friends.

12. I understand that my parents love me and do not want anything bad to happen to me and for that reason they may use software to monitor my computer or limit where I go online. I know that by protecting me they are protecting all of our family.

13. I will teach my parents and siblings how to use the Internet safely.

14. I will act responsibly and make my safety and the safety of my family a priority.

I agree to the above.


Your signature ________________________________Date__________

Parents:
I promise to learn the rules about Internet Safety. I promise to protect my child’s safety online by making sure our family rules are posted where everyone in the family can see them and by making sure they are followed. I will place computers in our home in a public area such as a den or kitchen.

If my child encounters an unsafe situation or gives away personal information while using the Internet, I will calmly learn how this happened and will not blame my child without knowing all of the details. I will work to ensure their safety and their trust.

Parent Signature(s) ____________________________Date____________

Kids Come First, www.kidscomefirstonline.org

Thank You Veterans!

I would like to wish all of you a good and safe Veterans Day this year. To all of you who have served our country, THANK YOU. And thank you to all of our troops currently in the field as well, may God bless you and bring you home safely.

Thank You Veterans!

.

It is the VETERAN , not the preacher,

who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN , not the reporter,
who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN , not the poet,
who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN , not the campus organizer,
who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN , not the lawyer,
who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN , not the politician,
Who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN ,
who salutes the Flag,

It is the veteran ,
who serves under the Flag,

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

God Bless them

A DEDICATION

This is a wonderful video. Please Pray for our Soldiers and Respect our Veterans!!

Dedication to our soldiers.

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A Tribute To Our Veterans

Veterans Tribute

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What is a Veteran

Some Veterans bear the visible signs of their service...a missing limb, a jagged scar, a certain look in the eye. Others may carry evidence inside them: a pin holding a bone together, a piece of shrapnel in the leg, or perhaps another sort of inner steel-the soul's alloy, forged in the refinery of adversity. Except in parades, however, the men and women who have kept America safe wear no badge or emblem. You can't tell a Vet just by looking. What is a Vet? He is the cop on the beat who spent six months in Saudi Arabia sweating two gallons a day, making sure armored personnel carriers didn't run out of fuel. He is the barroom loudmouth, dumber than five wooden planks, whose overgrown frat boy behaviour is outweighed a hundred times in the cosmic scales by four hours of exquisite bravery near the 38th parallel. She - or he- is the nurse who fought against futility and went to sleep every night sobbing for two long years in Danang. He is the POW who went away one person and came back another--or didn't come back at all. He is the Quantico Drill Instructor who has never seen combat--but has saved countless lives by turning slouchy, no account rednecks and gang members into Marines, and teaching them to watch each others backs. He is the Parade riding Legionaire who pins on his ribbons and medals with a prosthetic hand. He is the career Quartermaster who watches the ribbons and medals pass him by. He is the three anonymous heros in the Tomb of the Unknowns, whose presence at the Arlington National Cemetery must forever preserve the memory of all the anonymous heros whose valor died unrecognized with them on the battlefield or in the ocean's sunless deep. He is the old guy bagging groceries at the supermarket--palsied now and aggravatingly slow--who helped liberate the Nazi Death Camps and who wishes all day long that his wife were still alive to hold him when his nightmares come. He is an ordinary, and yet an extraordinary, human being. A person who suffered some of his life's most vital years in the service of his country, and who sacrificed his ambitions so others would not have to sacrifice theirs. He is a Soldier and a Saviour and a Sword against the darkness, and he is nothing more than the finest, greatest testimony on behalf of the finest, greatest nation every known. So remember, each time you see someone who has served our country, to just lean over and say, Thank you. That's all most people need, and in most cases, it will mean more than any medals they could have been awarded, or were awarded. Two little words that mean a lot, "THANK YOU".

Lessons on Life

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons
to learn not to judge
things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest,
in turn, to go and
look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the
spring, the third in
summer and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them
together to describe
what they had seen. The first son said that the tree
was ugly, bent, and
twisted. The second son said no it was covered with
green buds and full of
promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with
blossoms that smelled
so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most
graceful thing he had
ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it
was ripe and drooping
with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all
right, because they
had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a
person, by only one season,
and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure,
joy, and love that
come from that life can only be measured at the end,
when all the seasons
are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the
promise of your spring,
the beauty of your summer and the fulfillment of your
fall.

Don't let the pain of one season destroy the joy of
all the rest.

Don't judge life by one difficult season. Endure. Stay
steadfast. Continue
on to the end and fulfill the plans God has for your
life.

A Strong Woman Vs. A Woman of Strength

A strong woman works out every day to keep her body in shape...
but a woman of strength kneels in prayer to keep her soul in shape...

A strong woman isn't afraid of anything...
but a woman of strength shows courage in the midst of her fear...

A strong woman won't let anyone get the best of her...
but a woman of strength gives the best of her to everyone...

A strong woman walks sure footedly...
but a woman of strength knows God will catch her if she falls...

A strong woman wears the look of confidence on her face...
but a woman of strength wears grace...

A strong woman has faith that she is strong enough for the journey...
but a woman of strength has faith that it is in the journey that she will become strong...

GOD BLESS THE PARENTS THAT DRUGGED US!!

The other day, someone at a store in our town read that a
Methamphetamine lab had been found in an old farmhouse in the
adjoining
county and he asked me a rhetorical question.

'Why didn't we have a drug problem when you and I were growing up?'

I replied, I had a drug problem when I was young:
I was drug to church on Sunday morning.
I was drug to church for weddings and funerals.
I was drug to family reunions and community socials no matter the
weather.

I was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to adults.
I was also drug to the woodshed when I disobeyed my parents, told a
lie,
brought home a bad report card, did not speak with respect, spoke
ill of the teacher or the preacher,
or if I didn't put forth my best effort in everything that was asked
of me.

I was drug to the kitchen sink to have my mouth washed out with soap
if I uttered a profanity.
I was drug out to pull weeds in mom's garden and flowerbeds and
cocklebur's out of dad's fields.

I was drug to the homes of family, friends and neighbors
to help out some poor soul who had no one to mow the yard, repair
the clothesline,
or chop some firewood; and, if my mother had ever known that I took
a single dime
as a tip for this kindness, she would have drug me back to the
woodshed.

Those drugs are still in my veins and they affect my behavior in
everything
I do, say, or think.
They are stronger than cocaine, crack, or heroin; and if today's
children had this kind of drug problem,
America would be a better place.

God bless the parents who drugged us.

Blue Friday's

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing
blue every Friday. The reason? Americans who support
our troops used to be called the 'silent majority' We
are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for
God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We
are not organized, boisterous or overbearing.
Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends,
simply want to recognize that the vast majority of
America supports our troops. Our idea of showing
solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and
respect starts this Friday -- and continues each and
every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a
deafening message that ... every red-blooded American
who supports our men and women afar, will wear
something blue.
By word of mouth, press, TV -- let's make the United
States on every Friday a sea of blue much like a
homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every
one of us who loves this country will share this with
acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will
not be long before the USA is covered in BLUE and it
will let our troops know the once 'silent' majority is
on their side more than ever, certainly more than the
media lets on.
The first thing a soldier says when asked 'What can
we do to make things better for you?' is ...'We need
your support and your prayers.' Let's get the word out
and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear
something blue every Friday.

Confide in a Friend

When you’re tired and worn at the close of day,
And things just don’t seem to be going your way,
When even your patience has come to an end,
Try taking time out and confide in a friend.

Perhaps she too may have walked the same road,
With a much troubled heart and burdensome load,
To find peace and comfort somewhere near the end,
When she stopped long enough to confide in a friend.

For then are most welcome a few words of cheer,
For someone who willingly lends you an ear,
No troubles exist that time cannot mend,
But to get quick relief, just confide in a friend.