A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.


The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know,
Then thesure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.


A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.
"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"


For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts.
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,
"Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram a lways remembers.
"My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.


Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.
I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother.
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall."
"So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you' ve done,
For being away from your wife and your son."
Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

All in All

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all

Seeking You as a precious jewel
Lord to give up I’d be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name
Jesus Lamb of God
Worthy is Your name

Taking my sin, my cross, my shame
Rising again I bless Your name
You are my all in all

When I fall down You pick me up
When I am dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

This is my favorite song, it is my prayer every time that I worship and live another day. Life has not been very easy for me, but it has been even harder the last few years and even the last few weeks. I am so glad for grace and forgiveness. For without it I would be really dead and no where near getting into heaven to be with the Lord.

Walk the straight raod and fight the good fight. God bless.

Giving It All To Jesus

I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

And we say yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord Amen

I'm pressed but not crushed persecuted not abandoned Struck down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning...

This is something that the Lord has been teaching me latly. When I mess up, instead of trying to make it better on my own, I am to geive it to Jesus. Now in all reality, we are not to continue to sin or say "I will do what I want now and later give it to him". Never... We are to be continously fighting the good fight with the help of Jesus. It is amazing that we have found a friend that wants us to throw all of our worries and cares on Him. This is something that most friends would not be willing to take on let alone be able to handle. I am a guy which means that I naturally like to do things on my own and not bother anyone one with my pains or weaknesses. But He calls us to humble ourselves and give to all to Him.

If you are like me today and find it easy to give it all to Him but extreamly hard to acually do, then you are in my boat. Romans 7:15 says "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." This is so true in my life, so often I know what is wrong and yet I do it. This blog is for incourgement and to let you know that there are others out there that struggle with Pride issue of not giving it all the Jesus.

My challenge to you and Myself today is to let God make the desions in your life today. I don't mean just stop what you are doing and not do anything at all. But the Lord will guide your speech and the way that you act around others. So lets let Him do that today and the days to follow. Anything that is to big for us to do on our own, give it to Jesus. And everyting that we do on our own let us think about what Jesus would do.

How fun

I will say that last night was a blast. It was so much fun playing against my own church. HE HE...yea we lost but heck it was fun. And something funnier than that is that we are playing again next week. I will say that it was the most unpredictable game we have had all season. Team 2 has some girls on their team that make me scared. I mean Abigail just about majorly bruised my foot and the other girls could hit the ball like there was no tomorrow and the guys could all hit the tar out of it. I am not bragging but I can hit ball really hard and mine seemed like nothing last night. wow. I hope that everyone had as good a time as I had. I have had to pull myself back this year and not be so competitive. This is extremely hard for me to do but by the grace of God I am learning, and last night was the best game that we have had in a while. I think that it is just have fun when we start playing well. Good job guys...this is the way that we need to play from here on out. Lets play for the Lord and give Him our all. Thanks guys for playing so hard and showing me that not everything needs to be competitive. This is going to be the best Summer of my life.

OL' SPOT

A group of country neighbors wanted to get together on a regular basis and socialize. As a result, about 10 couples formed a dinner club and agreed to meet for dinner at a different neighbors' house each month.

Of course, the lady of the house was to prepare the meal. When it cametime for Chris and Susie Brown to have the dinner at their house, like most women, Susie wanted to outdo all the others and prepare a meal that was the best that any of them had ever lapped a lip over.

A few days before the big event, Susie got out her cookbook and decided to have mushroom smothered steak. When she went to the store to buy some mushrooms, she found the price for a small can was more than she wanted to pay. She then told her husband, "We aren't going to have mushrooms because they are too expensive." He said, "Why don't you go down in the pasture and pick some of those mushrooms? There are plenty of them right in the creek bed." She said, "No, I don't want to do that, because I have heard that wild mushrooms are poison." He then said, "I don't think so. I see the varmints eating them all the time and it never has affected them."

After thinking about this, Susie decided to give this a try and got in the pickup and went down in the pasture and picked some. She brought the wild mushrooms back home and washed them, sliced and diced them to get them ready to go over her smothered steak. Then she went out on the back porch and got Ol' Spot's (the yard dog) bowl and gave him a double handful. She even put some bacon grease on them to make them tasty. Ol' Spot didn't slow down until he had eaten every bite.

All morning long, Susie watched him and the wild mushrooms didn't seemto affect him, so she decided to use them.

The meal was a great success, and Susie even hired a lady from town tocome out and help her serve. She had on a white apron and a little cap on her head. It was first class.

After everyone had finished, they all began to kick back and relax andsocialize. The men were visiting and the women started to gossip a bit.

About this time, the lady from town came in from the kitchen and whispered in Susie's ear. She said, "Mrs. Brown, Spot just died."

With this news, Susie went into hysterics. After she finally calmeddown, she called the doctor and told him what had happened.

The doctor said, "It's bad, but I think we can take care of it. I willcall for an ambulance and I will be there as quick as I can get there. We'll give everyone enemas and we will pump out everyone's stomach. Everything will be fine. Just keep them all there and keep them calm."

It wasn't long until they could hear the wail of the siren as theambulance was coming down the road. When they got there, the EMTs got out with their suitcases, syringes, and a stomach pump. The doctor arrived shortly thereafter. One by one, they took each person into the master bathroom, gave them an enema and pumped out their stomach.

After the last one was finished, the doctor came out and said, "I thinkeverything will be fine now, and he left."

They were all looking pretty peaked sitting around the living room,and about this time, the town lady came in and said, "You know, that fellow that ran over Ol' Spot never even stopped!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just thought that this would be fun for you to read. let me know what you think. It is not something that I wrote, but something that I got off an e-mail. enjoy