My Soul Mate

Sometimes we take for granted

         the people in our lives

    that mean the most to us.

  I want to tell you how much

     that you being in my life

does for me every day in so many ways.

  So there a way to put all the feelings

   I have about us in one small poem,

        or can I only hope to intmate

           the role that our friendship

                Has played in my life?

   I never imagined when we first met,

          that someday you would be

      such an important part of my life.

   That in my life full of uncertainties,

            I could count on knowing

             with unfailing certainty,

        That you really are the person

   who knows me better than anyone else,

        including all my faults and foibles,

          and still loves me the way I am.

            You understand more about

                           How I feel

                          How I think

                          How I react

              How I handle the things in my life.

                                You just know

     Even when I don't give you much to go on

                         STILL YOU KNOW

      You are one of the only people I know

       to let see those secret places in my soul,

                that most people will never see

                                   or even realze are there.

                 You know the difference between

        when I am just blue and feeling overwhelmed,

             and when my life is really falling apart.

              You help me define those differences

              And figure out best way to get thorugh.

                                   But you are also

                          the first person I want to call

                      when something good happens.

                          When I write a new poem

                             I want to read it to you.

                            When I have a new idea

                        I want to share my creativity.

        with the person who has always had faith in me

  even when everyone else couldn't see those things in me.

                      You have loved me unconditionally

         in spite of all the mistakes I have made with my life.

                          You found a way to forgive me

                                   for what I put you through,

                                because you know a lot of it

                                          Was just my past

                                blinding me to everything else.

                                   I know you have felt that same pain

                                just in different ways,

                             so you really do understand

                             many times when other don't

                       You are the bset friend I never had

                               A true soulmate who share

                         so many of my hopes and dreams.

                             You know when you need me

                                    I wil be there for you

                       and that I am stronger than you think.

            I never want our relationship to feel like a burden

                               that you must carry alone.

                             We have gotten through a lot

                          on our journey together so far,

                    and I always want to share the load

               So we can make it ligther for each other.

                               You are the best friend I have ever had

                     and I value the hours we have spent

                      both laughing and crying together.

                       But the thing that I thank God for

                                 ---Every day of my life---

                Is that he gave me a wonderful loving wife like you.

                                 This is my vow to you Carol,.

Carol you are my, My best friend, wife,lover,soul mate, my dream, my woman, one true love, the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I promise you that I will be faithful, worthy of your trust, worthy of your love, your loving parter, I vow to honor you cherish you, love you ,respect you, laugh with you, cry with you, support you in your goals, hold you, guide you and protect you. For richer,for poorer,in sickness and in health, for as long as we both shall live. I will always be your man. To have and to hold from this day forward. I SWEAR AND PROMISE I WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU. There is nothing in this world we can't get through together. So Together hand in hand we will walk down that isle and stand face to face saying the words :" I DO "  now I ask for your hand in this journey as forever begins of this LIFE OF YOU AND I from this monent on.

                                               We will always be "ONE"

                                   I LOVE YOU ALWAYS AND FOREVER

                                                               TIM

                                                       DEC. 01, 2001

Roses in Heaven

Beautiful red, pink, yellow and white roses,

     They all say " I LOVE YOU "

 The thorns on the bush remind us

That mistakes need forgiveness too.

Red roses tell of GOD'S beauty,

     That often thrills my soul.

    The yellow, whispers of His Love,

  Chasing away sadness, and making us whole.

       The is for the blush in my cheeks,

     When laughter chases the blues away.

The white tells His forgiveness,

      We'll share together each day.

          If Roses grow in heaven.

  Lord, please pick a bunch for me.

  Place them in my loved one's arms

     and tell them, they're from me.

      Tell them that I love and miss

   them, and when they turn to smile,

         place a kiss upon their cheek

            and hold them for a while.

  Because remembering them is easy,

                    I do it every day.

  But there's an ache within my heart,

           that will never go away.

IT'S HAPPENED OVER AND OVER- THAT WHEN OUR LOVE ONES IN SERVICE AND OVERSEAS WERE ASKED WHAT THEY'D LIKE FOR CHRISTMAS,THEY SAID,  "MOSTLY TO KNOW THAT THE FOLKS AT HOME ARE CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS AS USUAL." THEY SAID OTHER THINGS TOO. "THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING FOR, ISN'T IT?" AND, "WHEREVER I AM, I'LL WANT TO BE THINKING OF THEM DOING WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE AT OUR HOUSE. IT'LL BE LIKE GOING BACK FOR A QUICK VISIT."

ONE YOUNGSTER IN THE NAVY SCIBBLED THIS TO HIS MOM: " I HOPE YOU WON'T FORGET TO BUY TIPPY A RED BOW. THAT FOOL OLD CAT EAS ALWAYS PROUD OF HER CHRISTMAS RIBBON." OF COURSE, CHRISMAS CAN'T BE ENTIRELY "AS USUAL," WITH LOVE ONES ABSENT. THERE'LL BE BIG GAPS IN FESTIVITIES, EMPTY PLACE IN OUR HEARTS. BUT WE CAN TRY TO SET THE STAGE AS USUAL, SO WHEN THE BOYS COME BACK FOR THAT QUICK VIST IN THEIR THOUGHTS, THEY'LL FIND US FOLLOWING THE FAMILIAR  PATTERN.

WE CAN TRIM OUR TREES, SING OUR SONGS, POP CORN WHISK PACKAGES OUT OF HIDING, YES-AND BUY TIPPY HER RED RIBBON, AND GET MICKEY, THE DOG, A SYNTHETIC BONE. WE CAN SEE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNIT HAVE AT LEAST A TOY FOR CHRISTMAS. WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OTHER BOYS FAR FROM HOME ARE INVITED TO THE BIRTHDAY FEAST OF THE BABE OF BETHLEHEM.

MANY OF YOU DO NOT FEEL LIKE CELEBRATING. TRY IT ANYWAY. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE START BY MERELY CREATING THE APPEARANCE OF A THING, AND SOON THAT THING COMES ALIVE.BEYOND SOCIAL CUSTOMS AND LITTLE FAMILY RITUALS,BEYOND THE EXCHANGE OF MATERIAL GIFES- IT'S THE SPIRIT THAT MAKES "CHRISTMAS AS USUAL." THE SPIRIT OF KINDNESS AND THOUGHTFULNESS. THE SPIRIT OF TENDERNESS, OF SERVICE. THE SPIRIT OF SHARING.

CHRISTMAS ? EVEN THE WORD HAS A RINGING SOUND. EVEN THE AIR IS MORE FRAGRANT, THE STARS MORE DAZZLING, THE SKY BRIGHTER- AT CHRISTMAS TIME.BECAUSE MEANS LOVE,THAT SPECIAL LOVE OFFERED TO US MORE THAN NINETEEN  HUNDRED YEARS AGO, ARE-OLD AND YET ALWAYS NEWBORN.

TODAY, HOLDING MY FOUR-YEAR-OLD GRANDCHILDS HAND, I EXPLORED THE HILLS IN A BOX OF SAND, INSPECTED A TRICYLE,CLIMBED WAGON'S  SEAT, AND FOLLOWED THE TRACKS OF FOUR-YEAR-OLD FEET; TURNED HUNDREDS OF PAGES FOR FOUR-YEAR-OLD EYES, AND TRESASURED THE MOMENTS OF GREAT SURPRISE WHEN SHE FOUND THE DOG,AND CAT, AND COW- ANSWERED DOZENS OF QUESTIONS OF WHAT AND HOW. AND WHY THE ANIMALS WERE THERE; AND THEN I ANSWERED THE QUESTIONS ALL OVER AGAIN. TODAY I BAKED A GINGER BREAD MAN THAT FOUR-YEAR-OLD FINGERS PLACED IN A PAN, AND LEFT MY DISHES PILED UP IN THE SINK TO LEARN WHAT A FOUR-YEAR-OLD HEAD CAN THINK. THERE ARE YEARS AHEAD FOR SWEEPING THE FLOOR-BUT FOUR-YEAR-OLDS SO SOON TURN FIVE;;;

You have come so far. May the journey that yoy took to get to this place and the lessons you learned along the way be as rewarding as the final accomplishment. May your past efforts, your present achievement, and your future dreams guide you smoothy dowm life's path.

PEOPLE COME INTO OUR LIVES,AND WALK WITH US A MILE,AND THEN BECAUSE OF CIRCUMSTANCE,THEY ONLY STAY AWHILE. THEY SERVE A NEED WITHIN THE DAYS,THAT MOVE SO QUICKLY BY,AND THEN ARE GONE BEYOND OUR REACH,WE OFTEN WONDER WHY.GOD ONLY KNOWS THE REASONS THAT,WE MEET AND SHARE A SMILE-WHY PEOPLE COMES INTO OR LIVES,AND WALK WITH US A MILE.

In the morning I would pray; Lord, help me live throughout the day ,In such a full , abundant way,That all around me I may see the touch of God in flower and tree.

And if, perchance,a friend I meet whom I can help as the moments fleet fly swiftly by on winged feet, May I ne'er forget he too,may  hold  a touch of   God in a heart of gold.

May this touch of God, in his heart and mine, Vibrate together in a song divine,That will rise as incense of myrrh refined, And join the song that angels sing,To make the heavenly arches ring.

And then, at night when I go to rest , From the busy day that has brought the test, May I feel that I have done my best, And simply lift  my heart so free, And say, I  love both man and thee!

,