It's the day after Thanksgiving
And all through the house
There's all kinds of noise
Enough to have chase away any mouse.
Three precious grandchildren
Running all around
Jordyn, Landon and Charlie
Exploring what can be found.
Two sons-in-law
Competing with one another
Seeing who will be the Guitar Hero
Big boy's toys, oh brother!
Babysitting two grandchildren
While Mom and Dad go shopping
Hopefully they will survive
Making it home without too much stopping.
Granddaddy in his recliner
Shaking his head once in awhile
Thinking back of when it all began
In 1967 when he first saw my smile.
For me?
Today is much better than yesterday
I went outside to wash some windows
So my Christmas tree will show off its display.

I PRAY EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL THANKSGIVING DAY.

KAREN

I wrote this poem many years ago for a contest and won Honorable Mention. I have shared it before here on the Stream I believe, but I had something happen Monday while I was subbing in a first grade class. This poem came to mind, so I thought I would share it and the incident within the classroom.

Most children these days don't seem to have any concept of what respect and following the rules mean. It wasn't one of the worst days I have had, but it was quite exhausting. Children getting out of their seats, thinking they could run around the room or anything else they wanted to do while I was trying to teach the class. No matter how hard I tried using my patient, teacher mode, they just weren't buying it.

So I went in another direction and actually have done so in the past, but with not so much vigor and passion.

They had to color a little book about Pilgrims and the book talked about them coming to America to have their freedom. It is hard to talk about freedom of religion in a classroom setting, because it is such a thin line you have to walk concerning religion, but I did talk about another kind of freedom.

I told the kids that yes, they do come to school to learn about reading, writing and math, but the most important lesson they have to learn is to listen and follow directions. The reason learning how to listen and follow directions and rules now and get in a habit of it is because we want them to grow up being a good person. If you don't get into the habit of growing up doing what is right, then you will think you can do anything you want to do and not obey the laws. If this happens, you become a person who may lose their freedom, the same freedom the Pilgrims risked their lives for by sailing across the ocean on a ship, leaving behind everything they have ever known and come to a new land they had never seen before. They had to work hard, follow the rules and respect one another.

Today if you never try to follow the rules, show disrespect to your parents and your teachers and you become a grown-up still thinking that way, then there is a good possibility you will end up in jail or prison. All of your rights, your freedom is taken away from you and you will be told every single day when to get up, what to wear, what to eat, how much time you have outside to breathe the fresh air, kept away from your loved ones and then it starts all over the next day. Wouldn't you rather start now getting in the habit of respecting the very people who are trying to help you grow up to be a good person so you would never have to go to such an awful place and lose your freedom?

I know it may sound a little harsh for first graders, but if we don't start teaching our youngsters now right from wrong then unfortunately they may end up in prison where some of my former students are now. The same ones who thought they didn't have to listen or follow the rules. They promise me they will do better when they get out and see me, usually when they bring or pick up their children from school, or some that are still in jail, but are wheeled into the ER for certain ailments. Unfortunately so many end right back in jail and their families suffer for it and my heart breaks because of it. If I had only had the guts to tell them what I tell kids today, maybe just maybe they would have listened to me and my words might have found their mark and it helped one kid.

WHAT AM I THANKFUL FOR? I'm thankful for the children around the world who listened to the adults who taught them that following the rules and being respectful made them what they are today, a good person.

EXCELLENCE IN THE YEAR OF THE CHILD

Excellence means a call beyond
Our required daily dues,
This year is meant to stand and shout
Help remedy the childhood blues.

Each and every nation
Has the richest resources of all,
No, not silver, gold nor precious oil
But their children, who are fragile and small.

This is the wonderful year of the child
A celebration of wondrous deeds,
We must love and cherish each and every one
While putting aside our own selfish greed.

Our children are a tiny breed
Miniature copies of their mother and father,
When it's time to teach them right from wrong
The words are "patience and understanding, not, "don''t bother!"

So if we take the time to care
We shall excel to the greatest heights,
All should get down on bended knees
To pray for each child's rights.

by
Karen

Have you thought what a difference it would make, if we had the courage to tell another person that we messed up and ask for their forgiveness?

Will You Forgive Me?

I should have known better
Yet I said them anyway,
Will you forgive me
For the things I didn't mean to say?

You mean so very much to me
And you are way too dear,
For my wayward thoughtlessness
To have made you shed a tear.

I have learned an important lesson
From the careless words that were said,
Please tell me what I now can do
To smooth the pathway I chose to tread.

I would like to make this promise
Uncaring I shall never be,
I'm sorry for the way I acted
Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?

by
Karen

I'm one of these kind of people who knows right away when I make a mistake, whether through words or action, and I like to make amends right away and not ignore it. It makes me feel relieved to own up to my carelessness towards another person instead of trying to ignore the situation.

Have a blessed Sunday. It is pouring here and looks like it will continue for awhile. A lot of lightning and thunder. Haven't had that for quite sometime. If I could, I would send it my daughter's way to Dallas, Georgia outside of Atlanta. They sure could use this wet stuff.

YEAH Texas Tech Red Raiders!!! They are winning against Oklahoma. I hope it continues, but I'm exhausted and need some much needed sleep. So I'm off to bed, which is my favorite thing to do when it is raining.

Good night and sleep tight.
Karen

Volunteering in our local hospital's ER has been one of the best things I have ever done. Not to receive personal accolades from others, but to just help where help is needed.

The good, the bad and the ugly can happen in the ER and many times my heartstrings are tugged, silent prayers are said, and hopefully encouraging words laced with wisdom are shared with a patient, no matter where the patient is age-wise on their earthly walk.

I wanted to say something, do something, touch someone this week and then I remembered the poem, GOD'S WILL, I had written dozens of years ago.

Unhappiness and desperation can lead to unwise decisions, such as attempted suicide.

I actually wrote the poem because I abhor abortion and I wanted to make a statement. Many Streamers may have read the poem already, since I did post it before, but this poem paved the path for me to talk to a young lady who for one moment made a life threatening decision, to take her own life.

I first asked her if she believed in God and she did. I told her what a beautiful and special young lady she is and one day she'll fall in love, marry and with God's Will, give birth to a special child. For me all children are special.

My words, "People from around the world are always looking to God for answers to their prayers. I think the two prayers that top the list are prayers for a cure of a disease and of course, peace. I also believe that God answers those prayers, but it isn't just an automatic, with the snap of your fingers kind of answer. Nothing MAGICAL about it. God answers prayers through others. The child that you might give birth to in the future might be God's answer to those many prayers. He or she might be the one who will grow up to find that all important cure or the one who could bring peace to a region."

She listened and agreed with me, so my prayer is that my words ran deep inside of her and she will never try to kill herself again, but grow up, live a long and loving life, with her cup runneth over.

WILL ALL OF YOU JOIN ME IN THIS PRAYER?

Dear Lord, we come to you at this time as we send out this special prayer to you.

Please be with those who are hurting for some reason to the point of thinking suicide or destroying their child through abortion.

May they make better choices for themselves and their either future children, or the child they now carry.

If they are depressed and thinking suicide, please let them have the thoughts of telling someone so they may get some help.

If they are thinking about destroying their unborn fetus, please let them have thoughts of giving birth to the child and either keeping the child or putting the child up for adoption.

Thank you Dear Lord for being by my side at all times and I remember that through any kind of situation, I can go to You in prayer and have the faith that You will help me make the right decisions, not only for myself, but remember those whom those decisions would affect, whether it be in the present or the future.

AMEN



GOD'S WILL

Where are the peacemakers?
Where did they go?
Were they destroyed
Before their breath flowed?
Where are the healers
God sent to us?
Were they destroyed
Without any fuss?
What have you done
To preserve your rights?
Have you dimmed the sun?
Have you lengthened the nights?
How do you know
Who you destroyed today?
Have you realized yet
You stepped in God's way?
When will you learn
That the babies you kill,
Are our Earthly salvation
Sent to us by God's will!

by
Karen

The lonely dark hours seem to stretch
into unending corridors,
Winding and twisting like a maze, never
truly knowing where it ends,
Yet reality takes hold and your
senses feel there is an opening,
Just beyond the next turn or is it
this way? No, the darkness is stifling,
As if my heart is beating ever so rapidly
that soon it will cease to function,
Suddenly the air seems refreshingly cool, as
a glimmer of light dances across my face,
And I can feel the warmth of his smile
and the softness of his eyes.
"Welcome home My Darling," as the
void is filled with his everlasting
presence.

by
Karen



It is so hard to believe that the years go by so fast. I wrote this poem so many years ago on a lonely night as my husband was working.
On January 20th we will be celebrating our 40th anniversary. It takes a lot out of you to stick it out, but we did.

Chuck served two tours in Viet Nam. The first time he received his orders, our son was only a week old. Back then, the longest they could serve was a year unless you volunteered to extend your duty. Chuck told them no when they wanted him to, so he came home. They couldn't send you back for a year, which that is exactly what the army did. A year to the day he came home, he received his orders to go back.

When he came back that second year, he wasn't the same young man I had married. He was almost like a stranger to me. It took a lot to love the man who had returned. I had so many friends and people I met throughout the years after that who were experiencing the same thing.

Yesterday was Veteran's Day. It's a day that tugs at my heartstrings.
I kept all of the letters and cards Chuck had sent to me while he was overseas. Sometimes when I would be extremely mad at him for some reason, I would quietly go to our room and get them out. I would sit for hours reading the words my first Chuck had written. They would remind me how much we love one another.

Although he has been experiencing post traumatic stress disorder this last year, I am so glad we are together to go through it. A lot of history is wrapped up in forty years. He is now a loving, kind man. He has become a wonderful father and granddaddy. It took a lot of years to get to where we are now.

Both of our fathers were retired military and both served in World War II. So we have a military upbringing. It is sad when people in this country protest against the soldiers. Protesting against the war is one thing, but calling our young men and women who serve murderers is another. The majority of our men and women serving this great nation are brave Americans who deserve our thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately, with anything else, there are also the bad seeds.

TO ALL OF OUR VETERANS & PRESENT SERVING MILITARY WHO MAY READ THIS! I want to thank you for your service and sacrifice. Being from a military family and marrying into a military family, you all have a special place in my heart. AND TO ALL THE SPOUSES WHO WERE LEFT BEHIND TO KEEP THOSE LANTERNS BURNING ON THE HOME FRONT. I was one of them and those memories just don't fade. The lonely nights, the fear, the tears, the prayers that our loved ones would come home safely and whole. Unfortunately, most of them didn't, whether it was physical or mental. NO ONE TRULY WINS A WAR!

KAREN