The Final Inspection

THE FINAL INSPECTION
The Soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass. 'Step forward now, Soldier ,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?' The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I have not.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough. But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep. And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears. I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand. There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God. 'Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'

Author Unknown~

It's the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the Freedom of the Press.
It's the Soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us the Freedom of Speech. It's the Soldier, not the politicians
That ensures our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. It's the Soldier who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag.

If you care to offer the smallest token of recognition and appreciation for the Military,
Please pass this on and pray for our men and women
Who have served and are currently serving our country
And pray for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for freedom....


THESE COLORS DON'T RUN

Hummingbirds

Every spring I watch for the return of the hummingbirds. For some reason thier return signals hope for warmth and sunshine. I have always put out feeders and enjoy watching them. They all have different personalities. Some are friendly birds, while others are mean and selfish. I remember one year I wanted to some how get rid of one bird who would chase all the others away from the feeder. He would not eat, just sit on it and fly at any other hummingbirds that came along. Finally I purchased another feeder and hung it at the oppisite end of the porch. He could not hog both of them at once.
Did you know that hummingbirds mate for life? Several years ago one of the hummingbirds got trapped in our car and died. For years that bird's mate came back, alone, to the feeder. Now he too is gone.
Yesterday I was sitting on the back porch, and sudddenly there was a hummingbird. He looked at me as if to say, where is the food. So this afternoon, up went the hummingbird feeders, in the back yard this time. So I can watch them from the porch.
Yes, they are a sure sign that spring is here.