Brad Paisley - He Didn't Have To be

This song is dedicated to Kenny ~ You walked into our lives 25 yrs ago and loved us as if we were your own children.  Never pushing us just being there and loving us. You loved me as if I was your daughter and treated me that way, You were always there for me when I needed you.  I wish you could be there when I marry Steve on the happiest day of my life.  I know this is what you wanted for me to find someone and be happy.  I miss you and think about you everyday.  It is so werid without you ~ Christmas is going to be awful without you ~ I hope you can see us from heaven and can feel how much we miss you and Love you.  I will be your precious forever.  Thank you for being the dad you did not have to be.

Blog excert about Kenny 8/2008

I found this excert from a blog I posted on myspace in August of 2008 ~ I wanted to share it

" This is going to be a busy week Kenny's b-day party is next weekend so Mom and I have alot to do, but he is worth it. He is a good man, with a good heart, I could not have asked God for a better man as my step dad, I'm 32yrs old, not his daughter and he still to this day takes care of me. He loves me and my brothers, he is a great Ja-Ja the kids just adore him, and he loves My Mother so we want to give him a party and make him feel special and let him see we love and appreciate him. The boys, Mom and I are all pitching in to do this for him. Mom and I will be setting up and decorating Friday night and getting most of the food ready, Shane & Shawn will be doing the music and booze so we got it all covered I just want everything to go well and for us all to have fun. He is excited that his sisters are all going to be there and some of friends from back in the day so it should be a good time. "

Email from MaryEllen (loved it and wanted to share)

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an

angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large

workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the

first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all

petitions to God said in prayer are received.'

I looked around in this area, and it was

terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on

 voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.

Then we moved on down a long corridor

 until we reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This is the

Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the

people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who

asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many

angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been

requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the long

corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great

 surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is

 the Acknowledgment Section, my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He

 seemed embarrassed." How is it that there is no work going on here?' I

 asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people

receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back

 acknowledgments"

 "How does one acknowledge God's

blessings?" I asked..

"Simple," the angel answered. Just say,

 "Thank you, Lord. "

 "What blessings should they acknowledge?"I asked.

 "If you have food in the refrigerator,

 clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are

richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your

 wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the

 world's wealthy."

"And if you get this on your own computer,

 you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity."

"If you woke up this morning with more

 health than illness. You are more blessed than the many who will not

even survive this day."

 "If you have never experienced the fear in

 battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the

 pangs of starvation ... You are ahead of 700 million people in the world."

 "If you can attend a church without the

 fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more

 blessed than, three billion people in the world."

 "If your parents are still alive and still

married ..you are very rare."

"If you can hold your head up and smile,

 you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and

despair..."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

 If you can read this message, you just

received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very

special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the

world who cannot read at all.

 Have a good day, count your blessings ,

and if you care to, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed

we all are.

Happy Birthday Debbie

Missing You

I find it so very hard to believe

That you have gone and I must grieve;

I call out your name -- you answer not,

And I look for you in every familiar spot.

Everything seems so strange and surreal,

I ask everyday is it a dream or real?

Away from the voices of those who went before,

Who beckoned you to come to that distant shore.

Where are the soft green eyes of affection?

Where is the laughter and talk of childhood reflection?

Where is the loving care when I was sick or sad?

Where is the generous soul for which I was glad?

Where is the forgiving and understanding heart?

Where are the bonds that were there from the start?

I miss all the little ways you showed you cared,

For there were so many good moments we shared;

Looking back on my life’s assorted scenes,

I realized you taught me what love truly means;

You were my trusted confidante and best friend,

On whose loving support I could always depend.

I look at your smiling face in all my photos;

Memories flood my mind as I touch the mementos

From the happy times you and I have had,

But now these bring tears and make me sad;

For the time together went by in a wink,

Life was not as long as we’d like to think.

Sometimes memories bring comfort and make me smile,

But there are times when grief takes over for a while;

Friends offer gentle words and prayers to console,

And tell me what has happened to your loving soul;

Can it be true what they say of time healing grief?

Is it enough when they say death has given you relief?

Can we believe what others say of a better place,

Where our beloved ones rest in God’s warm embrace?

I should be happy you’re free of pain and sorrow,

And rejoice that you’ll always have tomorrow.

How can I then be so heartbroken and selfishly cry,

Return to me from that peaceful place where you lie!”

Now I look down at your name on a cold hard stone

That says little of the loving light you have shone;

It tells nothing of the wonderful person you were,

And only serves to remind me of the painful loss I endure;

But I know your kind soul wants no tears or pain,

Instead you’d want warm memories and love to remain.

Although I cry and stand grief-stricken by your grave,

I promise not to forget the loving memories you gave;

But still I miss you so very much Debbie my dear,

And your caring words I long to hear;

My heart’s only solace is one day I will see you as before,

Beckoning me to come join you on that white distant shore.

I thought it would get easier as the time pasted but it has only made it worse. Missing your voice, your smile, your hugs and your face. I hope you know that not a day goes by that I don't think about you. Saying I love you and miss doesn't even begin to cover it. We will have a hot fudge sundae in honor of you today Deb! 

Love Your Neice ,

Stacy

For Debbie

If tears could build a stairway

and thoughts a memory lane

I'd walk right up to heaven

and bring you home again

No Farewell words were spoken

No time to say good-bye

You were gone before I knew it

And only God knows why.

My heart's still active in sadness

And secret tears still flow

What it meant to lose you

No one can ever know.

But now I know you want us

To mourn for you no more

To remember all the happy times

Life still has much in store.

Since you'll never be forgotten

I pledge to you today

A hallowed place within my heart

Is where you'll always stay.

Broken Chain

The Broken Chain

We little knew that morning that God

Was going to call your name.

In life we loved you dearly,

In death we do the same.

It broke our hearts to lose you,

You did not go alone;

For part of us went with you,

The day God called you home.

You left us peaceful memories,

Your love is still our guide;

And though we can not see you,

You are always at our side.

Our family chain is broken,

And nothing seems the same;

But as God calls us one by one,

The chain will link again.

When Tomorrow Starts without Me

If tomorrow starts without me and I’m not there to see,

If the sun should rise and find your eyes all filled with tears for me;

I wish so much you wouldn’t cry the way you did today, while thinking of the many things, we didn’t get to say.

I know how much you love me, as much as I love you!

And each time that you think of me, I know you’ll miss me too;

But when tomorrow starts without me, please try to understand that an angel came and called my name and took me by the hand; she said my place was ready, in heaven far above and that I’d have to leave behind all those I dearly love.

But as I turned to walk away, a tear fell from my eye for all my life,

I’d always thought I didn’t want to die; I had so much to live for, so much left yet to do, it seemed almost impossible that I was leaving you.

I thought of all the yesterdays, the good ones and the bad; I thought of all the love we shared and all the fun we had.

If I could relive yesterday, just even for a while; I’d say good-bye and kiss you and maybe see you smile.

But then I fully realized that this could never be, for emptiness and memories would take the place of me; when I thought of worldly things I might miss come tomorrow, I thought of you and when I did my heart was filled with sorrow.

But when I walked through Heaven’s Gates, I felt so much at home.

When God looked down and smiled at me, from his great golden throne,

He said, “This is Eternity and all I’ve promised you.”

Today your life on earth is past but here life starts anew. I promise no tomorrow but today will always last; and since each day’s the same way there’s no longing for the past.

You have been so faithful, so trusting and so true; though there were times you did some things, you knew you shouldn’t do. But you have been forgiven and now at last you’re free; so won’t you come and take my hand and share my life with me?

So when tomorrow starts without me, don’t think we’re far apart, for every time you think of me, I’m right here in your heart…