Daddy's Poem

Her hair was up in a pony tail, her favourite dress tied with a bow.

Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go.

But her mummy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home.

Why the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone.

But she was not afraid; she knew just what to say.

What to tell her classmates of why he wasn't there today.

But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone.

And that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home.

But the little girl went to school eager to tell them all.

About a dad she never sees
a dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the back wall, for everyone to meet..

Children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats One by one the teacher called a student from the class.

To introduce their daddy, as seconds slowly passed.

At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare.

Each of them was searching, a man who wasn't there.

'Where's her daddy at?' She heard a boy call out.

'She probably doesn't have one,' another student dared to shout.

And from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say,

'Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day.'

The words did not offend her, as she smiled up at her Mum.

And looked back at her teacher,
who told her to go on.

And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak

And out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique. '

My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away.

But I know he wishes he could be, since this is such a special day.

And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know.
All about my daddy,
and how much he loves me so. He loved to tell me stories
he taught me to ride my bike.

He surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite.

We used to share fudge sundaes, and ice cream in a cone.

And though you cannot see him. I'm not standing here alone.

'Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart I know because he told me,
he'll forever be in my heart'

With that, her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest.

Feeling her own heartbeat,
beneath her favourite dress.
And from somewhere in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears.

Proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years.

For she stood up for the love of a man not in her life.

Doing what was best for her, doing what was right.

And when she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd.

She finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud.

'I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star..

And if he could, he'd be here, but heaven's just too far.

You see he is a soldierAnd died just this past year.

When a roadside bomb hit his convoy and taught brave men to fear.

But sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away.'

And then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day.

And to her mother's amazement, she witnessed with surprise.

A room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them, who knows w hat they felt inside.

Perhaps for merely a second, they saw him at her side.

'I know you're with me Daddy,' to the silence she called out.

And what happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt.

Not one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed.

But there on the desk beside her, was a fragrant long- stemmed pink rose.

And a child was blessed, if only for a moment, by the love of her shining star.

And given the gift of believing, that heaven is never too far..

Refresh Your Spirit

Everyone needs a spiritual tune-up from time to time, says Bernie Siegel, M.D., author of 365 Prescriptions for the Soul. When life throws you a curveball, such as illness or money troubles, it's easy to feel disconnected from your faith. When he needs a little inspiration, he says he looks for a sign: "For me the most significant sign is a penny. Its value is in the message, not the materialism."

The face of a penny contains three messages: The word Liberty, reminding us we are all free to be ourselves. The image of Abraham Lincoln, facing forward, which reminds us to accept our mortality and live in the moment. And above all is the phrase "In God we trust." Each time Siegel finds a penny, he picks it up and spends a moment thinking about those ideas.

When he collects a 100 pennies, he buys a lottery ticket, with the promise that if he wins he'll use the money to do good in the world. "I think of the found coins as pennies from heaven - crumbs left for someone to follow home," he says. "It's an uplifting experience."

Heaven & Hell

A Holy man was having a conversation with the Lord one day and said, 'Lord, I would like to know what Heaven and Hell are like.'

The Lord led the holy man to two doors.

He opened one of the doors and the holy man looked in.

In the middle of the room was a large round table..

In the middle of the table was a large pot of stew,
which smelled delicious and made the holy man's mouth water.

The people sitting around the table were thin and sickly.

They appeared to be famished. They were holding spoons with very long handles that were strapped to their arms and each found it possible to reach into the pot of stew and take a spoonful.

But because the handle was longer than their arms, they could not get the spoons back into their mouths.

The holy man shuddered at the sight of their misery and suffering.

The Lord said, 'You have seen Hell. They went to the next room and opened the door. It was exactly the same as the first one.

There was the large round table with the large pot of stew which made the holy man's mouth water.

The people were equipped with the same long-handled spoons, but here the people were well nourished and plump, laughing and talking.

The holy man said, 'I don't understand.

'It is simple,' said the Lord. 'It requires but one skill.
You see, they have learned to feed each other.

The greedy think only of themselves.'

When Jesus died on the cross, he was thinking of you.

You Might Be A Redneck If...

We have enjoyed the redneck jokes for years. It's time to take a reflective look at the core. Beliefs of a culture that values home, family, country and God. If I had to stand before a dozen terrorists who threaten my life, I'd choose a half dozen or so rednecks to back me up. Tire irons, squirrel guns and grit -- that's what rednecks are made of. I hope I am one of those.


You might be a redneck if: It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, 'One nation, under God.'

You might be a redneck if: You've never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a redneck if: You still say ' Christmas' instead of 'Winter Festival.'

You might be a redneck if: You bow your head when someone prays.

You might be a redneck if: You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You might be a redneck if: You treat our armed forces veterans with great respect, and always have.

You might be a redneck if: You've never burned an American flag, nor intend to.

You might be a redneck if: You know what you believe and you aren't afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a redneck if: You respect your elders and raised your kids to do the same.

You might be a redneck if: You'd give your last dollar to a friend.