Scott Chester

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, you 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 ain’t.
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~

Remember, it is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us the freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet,
who has given us the freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier who salutes the flag,
who serves beneath the flag, and
whose coffin is draped by the flag,
who allows the protester to burn the flag.

Please pass and pray for our men and women currently serving our country and pray for those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.

Alanna says: Ok, so either this would be really cute, or if the guy totally creeped you out and he still liked you, it would kinda be like he was stalking you, so anywayz! It’s still totally cute!

1. Know how to make you smile when you are down.
2. Try to secretly smell your hair, but you always notice.
3. Stick up for you, but still respects your independence.
4. Give you the remote control during the game.
5. Come up behind you and put his arms around you.
6. Play with your hair.
7. His hands always find yours.
8. Be cute when he really wants something.
9. Offer you plenty of massages.
10. Dance with you, even if he feels like a dork.
11. Never run out of love.
12. Be funny, but know how to be serious.
13. Realize he’s being funny when he needs to be serious.
14. Be patient when you take forever to get ready.
15. React so cutely when you hit him and it actually hurts.
16. Smile a lot.
17. Plans a romantic date full of cheesy things he wouldn’t normally like to do, just because he knows it means a lot to you.
18. Appreciate you
19. Help others out.
20. Drive 5 hours just to see you for 1.
21. Always gives you a peck on the cheek when you depart from each others company, even when his friends are watching.
22. Sing, even if he can’t.
23. Have a creative sense of humor.
24. Stare at you.
25. Call for no reason.
26. Quit smoking, chewing, drinking, or drugs - just because he loves u that much to quit it.

The day finally arrived; Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven. He is at the
Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the gates are closed and
Forrest approaches the Gatekeeper. St. Peter says, “Well, Forrest, it’s
certainly good to see you. We have heard a lot about you. I must tell you,
though, that the place is filling up fast, and we’ve been administering an
entrance examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass
it before you can get into Heaven.”

Forrest responds, “It shor is good to be here , St. Peter, sir. But nobody
ever tolt me about any entrance exam. Shor hope the test ain’t too hard;
life was a big enough test as it was.”

St. Peter goes on, “Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only three
questions.

First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T?

Second: How many seconds are there in a year?

Third: What is God’s first name?”

Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day and sees
St. Peter who waves him up and says, “Now that you have had a chance to
think the questions over, tell me your answers.”

Forrest says, “Well, the first one — which two days in the week begin with
the letter “T”? Shucks, that one’s easy. That’d be Today and Tomorrow.

The Saint’s eyes open wide and he exclaims, “Forrest, that’s not what I was
thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I didn’t specify, so I’ll
give you credit for that answer. How about the next one?” asks St. Peter.

“How many seconds in a year?”

“Now that one’s harder,” says Forrest, “but I thunk and thunk about that a
nod I guess the only answer can be twelve.”

Astounded, St . Peter says, “Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in Heaven’s name
could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?”

Forrest says “Shucks, there’s gotta be twelve: January 2nd, February 2nd,
March 2nd. . ”

“Hold it, ” interrupts St. Peter. “I see where you’re going with this, and I
see your point, though that wasn’t quite what I had in mind. But I’ll have
to give you credit for that one, too. Let’s go on with the third and final
question. Can you tell me God’s first name”?

“Sure” Forrest replied, “its Andy.”

“Andy?” exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St. Peter. “Ok, I can
understand how you came up with your answers to my first two questions, but
just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy as the first name
of God?”

“Shucks, that was the easiest one of all,” Forrest replied. “I learnt it
from the song. . “ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I AM
HIS OWN. . . ”

St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates and said: “Run Forrest, run.”

Give me a sense of humor, Lord,

Give me the grace to see a joke,

To get some humor out of life, and pass it on to other folk . Because it
does not get any better than this -

The first day of school our professor introduced himself and challenged us
to get to know someone we didn’t already know. I stood up to look around
when a gentle hand touched my shoulder.

I turned around to find a wrinkled, little old lady beaming up at me with a
smile that lit up her entire being. She said, “Hi handsome. My name is
Rose.

I’m eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a hug?”

I laughed and enthusiastically responded, “Of course you may!” and she gave
me a giant squeeze.

“Why are you in college at such a young, innocent age?” I asked.
She jokingly replied, “I’m here to meet a rich husband, get married, and
have a couple of kids…”

“No seriously,” I asked. I was curious what may have motivated her to be
taking on this challenge at her age.

“I always dreamed of having a college education and now I’m getting one!”
she told me.

After class we walked to the student union building and shared a chocolate
milkshake.

We became instant friends. Every day for the next three months we would
leave class together and talk nonstop. I was always mesmerized listening to
this “time machine” as she shared her wisdom and experience with me.

Over the course of the year, Rose became a campus icon and she easily made
friends wherever she went.

She loved to dress up and she reveled in the attention bestowed upon her
from the other students. She was living it up.

At the end of the semester we invited Rose to speak at our football
banquet.

I’ll never forget what she taught us. She was introduced and stepped up to
the podium. As she began to deliver her prepared speech, she dropped her
three by five cards on the floor.

Frustrated and a little embarrassed she leaned into the microphone and
simply said, “I’m sorry I’m so jittery. I gave up beer for Lent and this
whiskey is killing me! I’ll never get my speech back in order so let me just
tell you what I know.”

As we laughed she cleared her throat and began, “We do not stop playing
because we are old; we grow old because we stop playing.

There are only four secrets to staying young, being happy, and achieving
success. You have to laugh and find humor every day. You’ve got to have a
dream. When you lose your dreams, you die

We have so many people walking around who are dead and don’t even know it!

There is a huge difference between growing older and growing up

If you are nineteen years old and lie in bed for one full year and don’t do
one productive thing, you will turn twenty years old. If I am eighty-seven
years old and stay in bed for a year and never do anything I will turn
eighty-eight.

Anybody can grow older. That doesn’t take any talent or ability. The idea
is to grow up by always finding opportunity in change. Have no regrets.

The elderly usually don’t have regrets for what we did, but rather for
things we did not do. The only people who fear death are those with
regrets.”

She concluded her speech by courageously singing “The Rose.”

She challenged each of us to study the lyrics and live them out in our
daily lives.

At the year’s end Rose finished the college degree she had begun all those
years ago.

One week after graduation Rose died peacefully in her sleep.

Over two thousand college students attended her funeral in tribute to the
wonderful woman who taught by example that it’s never too late to be all
you can possibly be

When you finish reading this, please send this peaceful word of advice to
your friends and family, they’ll really enjoy it!

These words have been passed along in loving memory of ROSE.

REMEMBER, GROWING OLDER IS MANDATORY. GROWING UP IS OPTIONAL.
We make a Living by what we get, We make a Life by what we give.

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
If God brings you to it, He will bring you through it!

Stop telling God how big your storm is.
Instead tell your storm how big your GOD is!
In Phoenix, Arizona, a 26-year-old mother stared
down at her 6 year old son, who was dying of
terminal leukemia. Although her heart was filled
with sadness, she also had a strong feeling of
determination. Like any parent, she wanted her
son to grow up and fulfill all his dreams. Now
that was no longer possible..
The leukemia would see to that. But she still
wanted her son’s dreams to come true. She took
her son’s hand and asked, “Billy, did you ever
think about what you wanted to be once you grew
up? Did you ever dream and wish what you would do
with your life?”
Mommy, “I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up.”
Mom smiled back and said, “Let’s see if we can
make your wish come true.”
Later that day she went to her local fire
department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met
Fireman Bob, who had a heart as big as Phoenix.
She explained her son’s final wish and asked if
it might be possible to give her six-year-old son
a ride around the block on a fire engine.
Fireman Bob said, “Look, we can do better than
that. If you’ll have your son ready at seven
o’clock Wednesday morning, we’ll make him an
honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come
down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on
all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And if
you’ll give us ! his sizes, we’ll get a real fire
uniform for him, with a real fire hat-not a toy
one-with the emblem of the Phoenix Fire
Department on it, a yellow slicker like we wear
and rubber boots. They’re all manufactured right
here in Phoenix, so we can get them fast.”
Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Billy,
dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted him
from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and
ladder truck. Billy got to sit on the back of the
truck and help steer it back to the fire station.
He was in heaven. There were three fire calls in
Phoenix that day and Billy got to go out on all
three calls. He rode in the different fire
engines, the paramedic’s van, and even the fire chief’s car.
He was also videotaped for the local news
program. Having his dream come true, with all the
love and attention that was lavished upon him, so
deeply touched Billy that he lived three months
longer than any doctor thought possible.
One night all of his vital signs began to drop
dramatically and the head nurse, who believed in
the hospice concept that no one should die alone,
began to call the family members to the hospital.
Then she remembered the day Billy had spent as a
fireman, so she called the Fire Chief and asked
if it would be possible to send a fireman in
uniform to the hospital to be with Billy as he
made his transition.
The chief replied, “We can do better than that.
We’ll be there in five minutes.
Will you please do me a favor?
When you hear the sirens screaming and see the
lights flashing, will you announce over the PA
system that there is not a fire? It’s just the
fire department coming to see one of its finest
members one more time.
And will you open the window to his room?
About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck
arrived at the hospital and extended its ladder
up to Billy’s third floor open window
16 firefighters climbed up the ladder into
Billy’s room.
With his mother’s permission, they
hugged him and held him and told him how much
they loved him.
With his dying breath, Billy
looked up at the fire chief and said,
“Chief, am I really a fireman now?”
“Billy, you are, and the Head Chief, Jesus, is holding your hand,”
the chief said.
With those words, Billy smiled and said,
“I know, He’s been holding my hand all day, and the angels have been
singing..”
He closed his eyes one last time.

My instructions were to send this to at least
four people that I wanted God to bless and I
picked you. Please pass this to at least four
people you want to be blessed.
This story is
powerful and there is nothing attached, please do
not break this pattern; uplifting stories are one
of the best gifts we receive. There is no cost
but a lot of rewards, let’s continue to uplift one another.
********************
Stop telling God how big your storm is. Instead, tell your storm how big your God is!

The Lord be with you this day, my friends

One day, I woke early in the morning to watch the sunrise.
Ah the beauty of God’s creation is beyond description.
As I watched, I praised God for His beautiful work.
As I sat there, I felt the Lord’s presence with me.

He asked me,

“Do you love me?” I answered, “Of course, God!
You are my Lord and Savior!”
Then He asked, “If you were physically handicapped, would you still love me?”
I was perplexed. I looked down upon my arms, legs and the rest
of my body and wondered how many things I wouldn’t; be able to
do, the things that I took for granted. And I answered,
“It would be tough Lord, but I would still love You.”

Then the Lord said,

“If you were blind, would you still love my creation?”
How could I love something without being able to see it?
Then I thought of all the blind people in the world and how many of them still loved God and
His creation.
So I answered, “It’s hard to think of it, but I would still love you.” The Lord then asked me,
“If you were deaf, would you still listen to my word?”

How could I listen to anything being deaf? Then I understood.
Listening to God’s Word is not merely using our ears, but our hearts. I answered,
“It would be tough, but I would still listen to Your word.”

The Lord then asked,

“If you were mute, would you still praise My Name?”
How could I praise without a voice?
Then it occurred to me: God wants us to sing from our very heart and soul.
It never matters what we sound like. And praising God is not always with a song, but
when we are persecuted, we give God praise with our words of thanks. So I answered,
“Though I could not physically sing, I would still praise Your Name.”

And the Lord asked,

“Do you really love Me?” With courage and a strong conviction, I answered boldly,
” Yes Lord! I love You because You are the one and true God!”
I thought I had answered well, but…
God asked,

“THEN WHY DO YOU SIN?”

I answered, “Because I am only human. I am not perfect.”

“THEN WHY IN TIMES OF PEACE DO YOU STRAY THE FURTHEST?
WHY ONLY IN TIMES OF TROUBLE DO YOU PRAY THE EARNEST?”
No answers. Only tears.

The Lord continued:

“Why only sing at fellowships and retreats?
Why seek Me only in times of worship?
Why ask things so selfishly?
Why ask things so unfaithfully?”
The tears continued to roll down my cheeks.
“Why are you ashamed of Me?
Why are you not spreading the good news?
Why in times of persecution, you cry to others when offer My shoulder to cry on?
Why make excuses when I give you opportunities to serve in My Name?”

I tried to answer, but there was no answer to give.

“You are blessed with life. I made you not to throw this gift away.
I have blessed you with talents to serve Me, but you continue to turn away.
I have revealed My Word to you, but you do not gain in knowledge.
I have spoken to you but your ears were closed.
I have shown My blessings to you, but your eyes were turned away.
I have sent you servants, but you sat idly by as they were pushed away.
I have heard your prayers and I have answered them all.”

“DO YOU TRULY LOVE ME ?”

I could not answer. How could I? I was embarrassed beyond belief.

I had no excuse. What could I say to this?
When my heart had cried out and the tears had flowed, I said,
“Please forgive me Lord. I am unworthy to be Your child.”
The Lord answered, “That is My Grace, My Child.” I asked,
“Then why do you continue to forgive me? Why do You love me so?”

The Lord answered,

” Because you are My Creation. You are my Child. I will never abandon you.

When you cry, I will have compassion and cry with you.
When you shout with joy, I will laugh with you.
When you are down, I will encourage you.
When you fall, I will raise you up.
When you are tired, I will carry you.
I will be with you till the end of days, and I will love you forever.”

Never had I cried so hard before. How could I have been so cold?
How could I have hurt God as I had done? I asked God, “How much do You love me?”
The Lord stretched out His arms, and I saw His nail-pierced hands. I bowed down at the feet of Christ, my Savior. And for the first time, I truly prayed.

In God%u2019s eyes you are special.

One day a 6 year old girl was sitting in a classroom. The teacher
was going to explain evolution to the children. The teacher asked a
little boy:

TEACHER: Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay.(He returned a few minutes later) Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That’s my point. We can’t see God because he isn’t
there! He doesn’t exist.

A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The
teacher agreed and the little girl asked:
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss (getting tired of the questions by this time).
LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMMY: Yessssss
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school, she must not have one!
“FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT”

At least my results are slightly different than those of Ussher and Pyro…

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, “Tell me, what do you see?”

“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, “What does it mean, mother?”

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity … boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

“Which are you?” she asked her daughter. “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity?

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.

The happiest of people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can’t go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.

When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you’re the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

One night a guy & a girl were driving home from the movies. The boy sensed there was something wrong because of the painful silence they shared between them that night. The girl then asked the boy to pull over because she wanted to talk. She told him that her feelings had changed & that it was time to move on. A silent tear slid down his cheek as he slowly reached into his pocket & passed her a folded note. At that moment, a drunk driver was speeding down that very same street. He swerved right into the drivers seat, killing the boy. Mieraculously, the girl survived. Remembering the note, she pulled it out & read it. “Without your love, I would die.”

If u would jump in front of a bullet for your girlfriend, boyfriend, x-girlfriend, x-boyfriend, best friend, family member, or just a person u love, then repost this!

Makes you think…you never know what the other person is thinking….speak your mind..KEEP IT REAL….

BOY: I saw her today
GIRL: I saw him today

BOY: It seems like its been forever
GIRL: I wonder if he still cares

BOY: She looks better than before
GIRL: I couldn’t stop staring at him

BOY: I asked her how things were going
GIRL: I asked about his new girlfriend

BOY: I’d choose her over any girl im with
GIRL: He’s probably really happy right now

BOY: I couldnt look at her without starting to cry
GIRL: He couldnt even look at me

BOY: I told her I miss her
GIRL: He doesnt mean it

BOY: I meant it
GIRL: He didnt mean it

BOY: I love her
GIRL: He loves his new girlfriend

BOY: I held her for the last time
GIRL: He gave me a friendly hug

BOY: Then I went home and cried
GIRL: Then I went home and cried

BOY: I lost her
GIRL: I still love him

Friend: calls your parents by Mr. and Mrs.
Best friend: calls your parents dad and mom.

Friend: would bail you out of jail
Best friend: would be sitting next to you sayin “that was so damn cool!”

Friend: has never seen you cry
Best friend: has always had the best shoulder to cry on

Friend: never asks for anything to eat or drink
Best friend: opens the fridge and makes themselves at home

Friend: asks you to write down your number.
Best friend: they ask you for their number
(cuz they can’t remember it)

Friend: borrows your stuff for a few days then gives it back.
Best friend: has a closet full of your stuff

Friend: only knows a few things about you
Best friend: could write a biography on your life story

Friend: will leave you behind if that is what the crowd is doing
Best friend: will always go with you & be by your side

As soon as u get online… whos name do u look for first? When a Slow Song Comes On da Radio–Whose Face comes To ur Mind first? When u Hear ur Phone Ringing…Who Do u Hope it is callin? Whose name Makes ur Heart skip a beat???…

In the next 21 seconds repost this and the person that u r thinking about will do something special for u to show u how much they care about u

several weeks ago, this pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn’t answer the phone.
   The pastor let the phone ring many times. He thought it was odd that
she didn’t answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a
few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn’t answered before, and she said that it hadn’t rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.
   The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office,
which was the phone that he’d used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he’d called on Saturday night.
   The pastor couldn’t figure out what the man was talking about. Then
the man said, “It rang and rang, but I didn’t answer.” The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he’d intended to call his wife.
   The man said, “That’s, OK. Let me tell you my story.
You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before
I did, I prayed, ‘God if you’re there, and you don’t want me to do this,
give me a sign now.’ At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, ‘Almighty God’. I was afraid to answer!”
   The reason why it showed on the man’s caller ID that the call came from “Almighty God” is because the church that the pastor attends is called Almighty God Tabernacle!!

If you believe that God answers prayers then pass this on. God bless!

READ EACH SENTENCE SLOWLY AND THINK ABOUT IT.

Love starts with a smile, grows with a kiss, and ends with a tear.
Don’t cry over anyone who won’t cry over you.
Good friends are hard to find, harder to leave, and impossible to
   forget.

Don’t let the past hold you back, you’re missing the good stuff.

BEST FRIENDS are the siblings God forgot to give us.
   When it hurts to look back, and you’re scared to look ahead, you can look beside you and your BEST FRIEND will be there.
   
Nobody is perfect until you fall in love with them.