142. Red and Warm

Red and Warm

Right in the middle of winter,
Tucked between snowstorms and hanging icicles,
Peeking out from woolen scarves and thermal boots
Showing a lacy patch of red and warm
And lighting spirits young and old, near and far,
Comes Valentines Day -
A time to let your heart shine most clearly
To open it for all to see
That special day to dance, to sing, to laugh, to love.
So, I searched for something to give you,
But, cards seemed plain and did not contain the fullness of my feelings,
Glittery, sparkly diamonds were far beyond my means,
And, then, I turned my eyes to the heavens
And I saw just what there was for you . . .
The sparkling stars are so much brighter in the evening sky
Their glittering glory is yours to have, to admire, to feel, to share
I thought of flowers,
But, all of them paled to the rainbow and God's verdant fields,
And they are all there for you, too, in everyday abundance.
I thought of sending something sweet -
But how could I match the joy in a childish giggle,
The warmth of a baby's smile, or the loving care of a mother's touch ?
Candy is gone in an instant, but God and His world are eternal
So, on this Valentine's Day, I offer all of this to you
Embrace His creation
Celebrate His worth
And wrap yourself in His glory !


Happy Valentine's Day

© Susan Gordon

141. Great Quotes

Great Quotes

"The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it."
- Debbi Fields

"The winners in life think constantly in terms of I can, I will, and I am. Losers, on the other hand, concentrate their waking thoughts on what they should have or would have done, or what they can't do."
- Dennis Waitley

"There is no royal, flower- strewn path to success. And if there is, I have not found it. For if I have accomplished anything in life, it is because I have been willing to work hard."
- C.J. Walker

"Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. Thoughts are things! And powerful things at that, when mixed with definiteness of purpose, and burning desire, can be translated into riches."
- Napoleon Hill

140. Be A Winner

Be A Winner

No matter what your age in life --
press forward.
Regardless of the pain or strife --
move onward.
Victory is never won
unless the job is fully done
and the race completely run.
Climb upward.

The swiftest in a race does not always win --
Use cunning.
He may tire and slow near the end --
Keep running.
The stronger in a fight does not always prevail
if you feint and jab and make him flail.
You may score points and cause him to fail --
Keep gunning.

Nothing is gained by your looking back --
Look forward.
It may cause your pace to slack --
Speed onward.
What lies behind you doesn't mean jake
except you must learn from every mistake
and try to never those same ones make --
Look goal-ward.

The rules are the same in youth or old age --
move outward.
In closing a chapter or turning a page --
press forward.
Every person has his or her calling.
To fail to fulfill ir would be quite appalling,
so get in the race. It's time to quit stalling!
Look Heavenward.

139. Arlington Cemetary

Arlington Cemetary

Jeopardy Question

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was "How many steps does the guard take during his Walk across the tomb of the Unknowns?" All three contestants missed it!

This is really an awesome sight to watch if you've never had the chance . Fascinating. Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during his Walk across the tomb of the Unknowns And why? 21 Steps: It Alludes to the twenty-one gun salute which Is the Highest honor given any Military or foreign Dignitary.

2. How long does he hesitate after his about face To begin his return Walk and why? 21 Seconds for the same reason as answer number 1

3. Why are his gloves wet? His Gloves are moistened to prevent his losing his Grip on the rifle.

4. Does he carry his rifle on the same shoulder all The time And,if Not, why not? He carries the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After his march across the path,he executes an about face and moves the rifle to the outside shoulder.

5. How often are the guards changed? Guards Are changed every thirty minutes, Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a Year.

6. What are the physical traits of the guard Limited to?

For A Person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, he Must be Between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and His waist size cannot exceed 30.

They Must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, Live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot Drink any alcohol on or off duty for the rest of Their lives. They cannot swear in public for the Rest of their lives and cannot disgrace the Uniform or the tomb in any way.

After Two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that Is worn on Their lapel signifying they Served as guard of the tomb. There are only 400 presently worn. The guard must obey These rules for the rest of their Lives or Give up the wreath pin.

The Shoes are specially made with very thick soles To keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to The top Of the shoe in order to make the loud click as They come To a halt.

There are no Wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform. Guards Dress for duty In front of a full-length Mirror.

The first six months of duty a Guard cannot talk to anyone nor Watch TV. All off duty time is spent studying the 175 Notable people laid To rest in Arlington National Cemetery

A guard must memorize who they are and where They are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe Lewis {the boxer} Medal of Honor winner Audie L. Murphy, the most Decorated soldier of WWII and of Hollywood fame.

Every guard spends five hours a day getting his uniforms ready for guard duty..

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

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was Approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days Off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC Evening news, it was reported that because of The dangers from the Hurricane, the military Members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb Of The Unknown Soldier were given permission To suspend the assignment.

They Respectfully declined the offer, "No way, Sir!" Soaked to the skin, Marching in the Pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that Guarding The Tomb was not just an assignment,

It was the highest honor that can be Afforded To a service person. The tomb has been patrolled Continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

137. One Nation Under God

One Nation Under God

DID YOU

KNOW

As you walk

up the steps to the building which houses the

U.S. Supreme Court you can

see near the top of the building a row of the

world's law

givers and each one is

Facing one in the middle who

is facing forward with a full frontal view ....

It is Moses and he is holding

the

Ten Commandments!

 

DID YOU KNOW?

As you enter the Supreme

Court courtroom,

the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on

each lower portion of each door.

 

DID YOU

KNOW?

 

As you sit inside the

courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme

Court Judges sit, a display of

The Ten Commandments

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

 

There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the

Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington , D.C.

 

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

James

Madison, the

fourth president, known as 'The Father of Our Constitution' made the

Following

Statement:

'We have staked the whole of all

 

Our political Institutions

upon the capacity of mankind for Self-government, upon the capacity of each

and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to

sustain ourselves according to

The Ten Commandments of

God.'

 

 

DID YOU

KNOW?

 

Every session of Congress

begins with a prayer by a paid preacher, whose salary has been

paid by the taxpayer since 1777.

DID YOU

KNOW?

 

Fifty-two of the 55 founders

of the Constitution were members of the established Orthodox

churches in the colonies..

DID YOU KNOW?

 

Thomas Jefferson

worried that the

Courts would overstep their authority and instead of Interpreting

the law

Would begin making law an

 

Oligarchy: the rule of few over many.

How then, have we gotten

to the

Point that everything we have done for 220 years in this

Country is now suddenly wrong

and

Unconstitutional?

Lets put it around the

world and let

The world see and remember

what this great country was Built on The Holy

Bible and

belief in GOD!

136. Stone

Stone

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT .

DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT; AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND ,

TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE .

THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH.

THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM.

AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE:

'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE'

THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW, YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'

THE FRIEND REPLIED 'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY.

"And This To Shall Pass Away"

BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT' LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE

134. Believe in Miracles

Believe in Miracles

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet. She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect.. No chance here for mistakes. Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall's Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment. Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

'And what do you want?' the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice.. I'm talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven't seen in ages,' he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

'Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,' Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone. 'He's really, really sick....and I want to buy a miracle.'

'I beg your pardon?' said the pharmacist.

'His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?'

'We don't sell miracles here, little girl. I'm sorry but I can't help you,' the pharmacist said, softening a little.

'Listen, I have the money to pay for it.. If it isn't enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.'

The pharmacist's brother was a well-dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, 'What kind of a miracle does your brother need?'

' I don't know,' Tess replied with her eyes welling up I just know he's really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can't pay for it, so I want to use my money.'

'How much do you have?' asked the man from Chicago .

'One dollar and eleven cents,' Tess answered barely audible. 'And it's all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.'

'Well, what a coincidence,' smiled the man. 'A dollar and eleven cents---the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.' He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said 'Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet your parents. Let's see if I have the miracle you need.'

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn't long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place. 'That surgery,' her Mom whispered. 'was a real miracle. I wonder how much it would have cost?' Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a miracle cost....one dollar and eleven cents...plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need. A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

133. Seven Percent

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short – enjoy it

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye, but don't worry, God never blinks.

16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative of dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have, not what you need

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

Its estimated 93% won't forward this. If you are one of the 7% who will, forward this with the title '7%'. I'm in the 7%. Friends are the family that we choose.

131. Signature Found

Signature Found

A Pennsylvania college president who was cleaning out his office last week stumbled across a lost document signed by President Abraham Lincoln 150 years ago.

Lycoming College President James Douthat, who will retire at the end of the month after 24 years, was cleaning out a closet in his office last week when he found the certificate signed by Lincoln in 1863 that named the college's founder a Civil War chaplain, The Associated Press reported.

Displayed inside a slightly worn black frame, the certificate itself appears to be in good condition. Lincoln's neat signature is clearly visible, just above an ornate, patriotic-themed imprint at the bottom of the commission certificate for Methodist clergy Benjamin Crever.

"In the back of my mind, I remember hearing about it," Douthat told the AP. But he never went looking for it and didn't know what it looked like.

Douthat initially thought the frame was an access panel — the kind to get to interior plumbing, for instance.

"When I took it down, of course I recognized Lincoln's signature immediately," he said. Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton also signed the document.

"I assume it was in the top of the closet 24 years ago," Douthat said. "I had never seen it."

College officials say they always knew they had it in their possession. Somewhere.

"It was (initially) discovered a while ago," associate dean and library director Janet McNeil Hurlbert said in her office as she proudly displayed the document on a table. "And then it got ... put someplace else for a while."

Word of the document's rediscovery sprouted slightly different theories of how it might have been misplaced.

It could have been in the closet all along during Douthat's tenure. Or maybe someone brought it to his office to show Douthat, but, unbeknownst to him, it got stored away in the back of that shelf.

A preliminary appraisal has valued the certificate at more than $6,000. For Lycoming, a school of about 1,400 students in central Pennslyvania, its added value is its proud connection to founder Crever.

"It was a pleasant surprise just to see it," Douthat said.

John Brinsfield, a U.S. Army Chaplain Corps historian emeritus, said Crever was one of 500 Union hospital chaplains. Crever was assigned to the military hospital in Frederick, Md., and served between July 1862 and August 1865, a period that would have included the major battles in the region at Antietam and Gettysburg.

"Civil War commissions of any type are rare because they were sent to the individual chaplains," Brinsfield wrote in an email. "If any exist, it is only because the families saved them."

Until the school decides where to permanently place the document, it will be kept in the college archives in the basement of the library.

But one thing's assured: "We will know exactly where it will be from now on," McNeil Hurlbert said.

In Philadelphia, The Raab Collection recently sold for $11,000 a similar certificate signed by Lincoln that appointed Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's brother-in-law as a hospital chaplain, said Nathan Raab, vice president for the historical document dealer.

The powerful story behind the certificates, Raab said, was that Lincoln approved the chaplains in the first place.

The renewed interest in Lincoln — including last year's epic film biography by Steven Spielberg — and the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War have also added allure to such documents.

128. Doolittle Raiders

Doolittle Raiders

It's the cup of brandy no one wants to drink.

On Tuesday, in Fort Walton Beach , Florida , the surviving Doolittle Raiders gathered publicly for the last time.

They once were among the most universally admired and revered men in the United States . There were 80 of the Raiders in April 1942, when they carried out one of the most courageous and heart-stirring military operations in this nation's history. The mere mention of their unit's name, in those years, would bring tears to the eyes of grateful Americans.

Now only four survive.

After Japan 's attack on Pearl Harbor, with the United States reeling and wounded, something dramatic was needed to turn the war effort around. Even though there were no friendly airfields close enough to Japan for the United States to launch a retaliation, a daring plan was devised. Sixteen B-25s were modified so that they could take off from the deck of an aircraft carrier. This had never been tried before -- sending big, heavy bombers from a carrier.

The 16 five-man crews, under the command of Lt. Col. James Doolittle, who himself flew the lead plane off the USS Hornet, knew that they would not be able to return to the carrier. They would have to hit Japan and then hope to make it to China for a safe landing.

But on the day of the raid, the Japanese navy caught sight of the carrier. The Raiders were told that they would have to take off from much farther out in the Pacific than they had counted on. They were told that because of this they would not have enough fuel to make it to safety.

And those men went anyway.

They bombed Tokyo , and then flew as far as they could. Four planes crash-landed; 11 more crews bailed out, and three of the Raiders died. Eight more were captured; three were executed. Another died of starvation in a Japanese prison camp. One crew made it to Russia .

The Doolittle Raid sent a message from the United States to its enemies, and to the rest of the world:
We will fight. And, no matter what it takes, we will win.

Of the 80 Raiders, 62 survived the war. They were celebrated as national heroes, models of bravery. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer produced a motion picture based on the raid; "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo," starring Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson, was a patriotic and emotional box-office hit, and the phrase became part of the national lexicon. In the movie-theater previews for the film, MGM proclaimed that it was presenting the story "with supreme pride."

Beginning in 1946, the surviving Raiders have held a reunion each April, to commemorate the mission. The reunion is in a different city each year. In 1959, the city of Tucson , Arizona , as a gesture of respect and gratitude, presented the Doolittle Raiders with a set of 80 silver goblets. Each goblet was engraved with the name of a Raider.
Every year, a wooden display case bearing all 80 goblets is transported to the reunion city. Each time a Raider passes away, his goblet is turned upside down in the case at the next reunion, as his old friends bear solemn witness.

Also in the wooden case is a bottle of 1896 Hennessy Very Special cognac. The year is not happenstance: 1896 was when Jimmy Doolittle was born.
There has always been a plan: When there are only two surviving Raiders, they would open the bottle, at last drink from it, and toast their comrades who preceded them in death.

As 2013 began, there were five living Raiders; then, in February, Tom Griffin passed away at age 96.
What a man he was. After bailing out of his plane over a mountainous Chinese forest after the Tokyo raid, he became ill with malaria, and almost died. When he recovered, he was sent to Europe to fly more combat missions. He was shot down, captured, and spent 22 months in a German prisoner of war camp.

The selflessness of these men ... there was a passage in the Cincinnati Enquirer obituary for Mr. Griffin that, on the surface, had nothing to do with the war, but that captures the depth of his sense of duty and devotion:
"When his wife became ill and needed to go into a nursing home, he visited her every day. He walked from his house to the nursing home, fed his wife and at the end of the day brought home her clothes. At night, he washed and ironed her clothes. Then he walked them up to her room the next morning. He did that for three years until her death in 2005." ---THAT folks, is one measure of a man .....................

So now, out of the original 80, only four Raiders remain: Dick Cole (Doolittle's co-pilot on the Tokyo raid), Robert Hite, Edward Saylor and David Thatcher. All are in their 90s. They have decided that there are too few of them for the public reunions to continue.

The events in Fort Walton Beach this week will mark the end. It has come full circle; Florida 's nearby Eglin Field was where the Raiders trained in secrecy for the Tokyo mission.
The town is planning to do all it can to honor the men: a six-day celebration of their valor, including luncheons, a dinner and a parade.

Do the men ever wonder if those of us for whom they helped save the country have tended to it in a way that is worthy of their sacrifice? They don't talk about that, at least not around other people. But if you find yourself near Fort Walton Beach this week, and if you should encounter any of the Raiders, you might want to offer them a word of thanks. I can tell you from firsthand observation that they appreciate hearing that they are remembered.

The men have decided that after this final public reunion they will wait until a later date -- some time this year -- to get together once more, informally and in absolute privacy. That is when they will open the bottle of brandy. The years are flowing by too swiftly now; they are not going to wait until there are only two of them.

They will fill the four remaining upturned goblets.
And raise them in a toast to those who are gone.

127. The Meaning of a Flag Draped Coffin

"The Meaning of the Flag-Draped Coffin"

Straight from the Mouth of Abe
Quotes and interesting stories Homer (ABE) has collected over the years..... "The Meaning of the Flag-Draped Coffin" All Americans should be given this lesson. Those who think that America is an arrogant nation should really reconsider that thought. Our founding fathers used GOD's word and teachings to establish our Great Nation and I think it's high time Americans get re-educated about this Nation's history. Pass it along and be proud of the country we live in, and even more proud of those who serve to protect our 'GOD-GIVEN' rights and freedoms. I hope you take the time to read this...To understand what the flag draped coffin really means...Here is how to understand the flag that laid upon it and is surrendered to so many widows and widowers: Do you know that at military funerals, the 21-gun salute stands for the sum of the numbers in the year 1776?

Have you ever noticed that the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the United States of America Flag 13 times? You probably thought it was to symbolize the original 13 colonies, but we learn something new every day!
The 1st fold of the flag is a symbol of life.

The 2nd fold is a symbol of the belief in eternal life.

The 3rd fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing the ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of the country to attain peace throughout the world.

The 4th fold represents the weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.

The 5th fold is a tribute to the country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, 'Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong.'

The 6th fold is for where people's hearts lie. It is with their heart that they pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America , and the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. The 7th fold is a tribute to its Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that they protect their country and their flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of their republic.

The 8th fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day.

The 9th fold is a tribute to womanhood, and Mothers. For it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded. The 10th fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of their country since they were first born.

The 11th fold represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon and glorifies in the Hebrews eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The 12th fold represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in the Christians eyes, God the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit. The 13th fold, or when the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding them of their Nations motto, 'In God We Trust.'

After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a cocked hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the Sailors and Marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for them the rights, privileges and freedoms they enjoy today. There are some traditions and ways of doing things that have deep meaning. In the future, you'll see flags folded and now you will know why. Share this with the children you love and all others who love what is referred to as the symbol of ' Liberty and Freedom.'


126. I Want My Country Back

I Want My Country Back

What’s happening, America?
Where is the county I know and love headed?
Where is the respect and the glory,
The honor, the pride, and the majesty?
How did we slipping from the top to the bottom?
How did the tired and poor become our own huddled masses
And our voices reach out in protest instead of allegiance?
Why do our democratic oaths need to beg to be free again?
We need the values of Washington, the morals of Lincoln,
The constitutional depth of Jefferson, the resolve of Ronald Reagan,
The tenacity of Teddy Roosevelt, the tempered protection of George Bush.
We need to ask with John Kennedy what we can do for our country
And not expect what our country can give to us.
We miss the pioneer spirit, the American push to the pinnacle.
Where is the marvel of our blossoming growth,
The beauty of sea to shining sea,
The fulfilling drive of manifest destiny,
The American Dream fulfilled?
We need the resolve of our patriotic past
As we look to a democratic dedicated future,
A Congress that cares, and a government that leads,
A politic that succeeds, media and press that tell the truth
What’s going on in this messed-up world?
Christian clarity and unity are now hidden in pagan shadows
And steps are leading away from morals and holy design.
I am shocked by Presidential apologies and educational mistruths,
Tired of political correctness but having to “press 1 for English”
I cry for aborted babies, unemployment, and global warming lies,
FEMA and PETA ploys, gun control, and government cover-ups,
Unbridled spending, over taxation, and illegal amnesty.
Bring back the sanctity of marriage and the honor of family ties,
Let us rediscover the power and wisdom inside our Constitution,
Heaven help us to be what we can and should be again.
I want my country back !