"Ya man I can go with you" "Who cares, my parents don't care" "Are you kidding, man, my parents don't know what I'm doing and they don't care either" "My parents let me do what ever I want, they always have." "You have to be home early; not me brother I do what ever I want. My parents don't tell me what to do"

These are some of the things teenagers say to each other. Do the parents really not care? Or has their attitude over time been one of hope that their children will do the right thing. It is the perception that the child has of the parent that counts not the reality.

I know this from experience. I thought my parents didn't care. They never checked up on me or watched out for me when it came to choosing friends. Maybe that is why I was arrested 11 times before I was 17 years old. If my parents would have shown an interest in me and what I was doing, I would have been a better kid. Luckily, I lived through it and straightened out my life before I got killed or went to prison.

Make sure you know your children. I mean really know them.

This morning in our local paper there was an article about a young 17 year old High School senior, who was a very good student, a pretty girl, a hard worker and a special friend to all who knew her. She was shot in a neighborhood more than ten miles from her home; a very gang infested neighborhood. The shooting took place at a little after 11:00 pm on a Tuesday night. Aren't here parents going to question themselves for the rest of their lives as to why they didn't have a set time for her to be home on a school night. Aren't they going to be on a lifelong guilt trip for allowing their daughter to have too much freedom. Limits keep children safer than non limits. Here I go again, blaming the parents for not saying no. NO means I love you.

Raven

What is the meaning of life?

I don't know. But I do know this. If you are able to discover what talent God has given you that sets you apart from others and you can develop that talent to its fullest potential and you use it to help others, you will achieve happiness.

If you waste your talent and only benefit yourself with it, you will forever fall short of a state of happiness.

The happiest of all people are not the rich, not the famous, and not the super intelligent. No, my friends the happiest of all people are those who are the unselfish, the giving and the mentoring. This is not say the the rich that mentor, and the intelligent that give of themselves and the famous that use their fame to the benefit of others are not happy. Only the wasteful, the greedy, and the self absorbed fill the ranks of the unhappy.

'Twas a sunny winter morning, no clouds were in the sky
It looked like old man winter had fin'ly passed us by

It was crystal clear and breezy and a chill was in the air
As I sat by my window, I looked upon the garden there

Where the stems of spring arose and pushing hard to flower
Soon daffodils would strut their stuff, nature's awesome power

The re-newing of the cycle of all the plants and grasses
Where the spring rejuvenates the hopes of all the masses

For hope springs eternal when we see the spring arrive
And in our hearts we're thankful now, just to be alive

We know when spring is coming that summer's close behind
When fun and family outings come often to our mind

So here's my wish for you who read my winter morning verse
Enjoy the sunny days my friends 'cause the rainy ones are worse.

This is an original from this morning while watching the morning break.

Think about it. If liberalism was not a religion how could the liberals justify being against religion. They must have their own Icons because they want God out of the classroom, out of the courts, off the money, and out of the public square. Don't they realize that only 13 % of the people surveyed are atheists or agnostics. Pray tell me that if they don't have their own God, why would they want you not to be able to worship yours. In the constitution it does not say anything about separation of church and state. What it says is "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." First amendment. Liberals think it is OK to ban religion from schools. And, because they cannot, by constitutional law, have the congress pas a law against having religion in schools, they have had to do their dirty work through the courts. Their religion is Socialism not Judeaism, Christian or any other FAITH that believes in the creator. God by any other name is still God. Blessed are the faithful and the believers. Screw the atheists.

Raven