A PERSONAL MESSAGE

He reached down from on high and took hold of me; He drew me out of deep waters. Psalm 18:16

Each life is a journey ~~ a uniquely personal passage through time. As you travel through difficult places, you need not give in to hopelessness. God is able to bring you safely to your destination when you place your trust in Him.

God is the Author of each journey. He knows the way through every dark and frightening valley. He knows the safest path along each high and treacherous mountain trail. God knows where the cool, refreshing waters flow and where you can find the provisions to meet each of your needs. He shares the weight of the burden you carry and causes you to lie down and rest in lush green meadows. He gives you hope and courage as you walk with Him, step by step, day by day.

~ JUNE ~

And what is so rare as a day in June?

Then, if ever, come perfect days;

Then Heaven tries earth if it be in tune.

And over it softly her warm ear lays;

Whether we look or whether we listen.

We hear life murmur or see it glisten;

Every clod feels a stir of might.

An instinct within it that reaches and towers,

And, groping blindly above it for light.

Climbs to a soul in grass and flowers.

SUMMER

Quickly, Summer, safely gather

Every cherished bit of beauty

From each shortened day;

Examine each with tenderness

Before it's put away.

Hold the magic of your mornings

Guard your heaven's brilliant blue

Lock the haze of evening

Close against the warmth of you.

Pack each precious well-loved moment

Sprinkle it with sun sachet;

Safely, Summer, store them till

You gently shake them out next May.

REMEMBER THIS !!!

It is the veteran, not the preacher, who has given us the freedom of religion.

It is the veteran, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of press.

It is the veteran, not the poet, who has give us the freedom of speech.

It is the veteran, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to assemble.

It is the veteran, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the veteran, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the veteran who salutes the Flag, who served under the Flag, whose coffin is draped with a Flag.

This is dedicated to all veterans who have served our country, past, present and future. May God smile down on all of you.......

'A veteran ~ whether active duty, honorably discharged, retired, national guard, or reserve ~ is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life".'

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY

WITH FLOWERS

South winds jostle them,
Bumblebees come,
Hover, hesitate,
Drink, and are gone.

Butterflies pause
On their passage Cashmere;
I, softly plucking them,
Present them here!

Does anyone remember, years ago, when the veterans in the American Legion, would sell the poppies to raise funds for their organization? I can remember as a young adult on Memorial Day weekend, when the veterans would come door-to-door and sell the poppies. I often wonder... why did they stop doing that?

SENSE OF HUMOR

Yes, God does have a sense of humor !!!!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Worry looks around......

Sorry looks back......

Faith looks up.......

This angel is sent to you with love.....Have Faith

OUR WONDERFUL BRAINS

To me, this emphasizes just how intricate the brain functions are, and also that there are many things that can go wrong with the way it functions. Schizophrenia is a good example of that. Years ago, the "disease" of the brain was blamed on "the mother" and Schizophrenia was shuffled to the background. Thankfully, research has found that the disease of the brain is actually a 'disease of the brain.' Sadly though, many older people suffering from Schizophrenia, and I mean suffering (and also their families) have not been treated in the proper manner. The person with the disease have had drugs shoved down their throats, warehoused, and also ignored by society. The movie "The Soloist" closely depicts the agony of a person suffering from Schizophrenia. Many of the homeless people suffering with the illness have been ignored by society. It is the lucky family member that has had family to stick by them, even if it is one of the most difficult tasks to undertake. Hopefully, with the heightened awareness in today's society, the stigma against the family and the one suffering with the illness will go away.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI and the National Institute of Mental Health NIMH are two organizations that have been undertaking much research on Schizophrenia, and hopefully, there will be paths for recovery opened, not only for the person suffering, but for their families. Suffering in silence is not fun !!! Another good source for information is NARSAD, the world's leading charity dedicated to mental health research.

CINCO de MAYO

The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, and it should be. Mexico declared its independence from the mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810.

The holiday has been celebrated in the United States at many organizations. One method of honoring our decedents, was to have a Mercado, which is Spanish for Open Air Market. This is one of the methods Internal Revenue Service (where I retired from) had of honoring our decedents from Mexico. The open markets would feature handmade Pinatas', original foods, paper flowers, and other items, mostly handmade by employees. It was a fun time for everyone involved. The celebration established the concept of working together, and understanding the history of the employees we worked side by side with every day. The money earned was put into the Employee Assistance Fund, for employees that may need help. The Mercado did many things; it taught us about our Mexican ancestry, taught us teamwork, respect for one another, and the responsibility we had to help our fellow employees that may be in need.

Mexicans never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That's why Cinco de Mayo is such an important holiday and party ! A holiday and party that celebrates freedom and liberty.

VIVA ! el CINCO DE MAYO !!