"Twas The Night Before Jesus Came"
This poem is offered for those who appreciate it. Those who do not can skip on by.

"Twas the night before Jesus came and all through the house
Not a creature was praying, not one in the house.
Their Bibles were lain on the shelf without care
In hopes that Jesus would not come there.

The children were dressing to crawl into bed.
Not once ever kneeling or bowing a head.
And Mom in her rocker with baby on her lap
Was watching the Late Show while I took a nap.

When out of the East there arose such a clatter.
I sprang to my feet to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash!

When what to my wondering eyes should appear
But angels proclaiming that Jesus was here.
With a light like the sun sending forth a bright ray
I knew in a moment this must be THE DAY!

The light of His face made me cover my head
It was Jesus! returning just like He had said.
And though I possessed worldly wisdom and wealth,
I cried when I saw Him in spite of myself.

In the Book of Life which He held in His hand
Was written the name of every saved man.
He spoke not a word as He searched for my name;
When He said "it's not here" my head hung in shame.

The people whose names had been written with love
He gathered to take to His Father above.
With those who were ready He rose without a sound.
While all the rest were left standing around.

I fell to my knees, but it was too late;
I had waited too long and thus sealed my fate.
I stood and I cried as they rose out of sight;
Oh, if only I had been ready tonight.

In the words of this poem the meaning is clear;
The coming of Jesus is drawing near.
There's only one life and when comes the last call
We'll find that the Bible was true after all!"

~ Author Unknown

 



A Soldier's Christmas Story

 

This story comes around every year at this time. Actually, I would like to see a version for every season, just as our troops are guarding our freedom throughout the year. This entire poem goes directly to my heart, but the line that truly says it all is

" That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

 

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,
'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,

I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.'
'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,

I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'
Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas '

Gram always remembers.'

My dad stood his watch in the jung les of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag .
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'
'So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'

'But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.'

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

The following note was on the email I received with this poem. In the hopes that this gives credit to the proper author, I include it here as well.

PLEASE, Would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U.S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us.


LCDR Jeff Giles, SC, USN
30t h Naval Construction Regiment
OIC, Logistics Cell One
Al Taqqadum , Iraq

A Letter That Needs To Be Shared Over and Over

The following email has come through my inbox again. It is one that makes all else around me come to a complete stop as I read it - again. This should be shared with every high school class room, with every company, every organization and every news media. We have shared this on Stardust Radio Network Inc in conjunction with a song by Darryl Worley called "POW 369", which echoes almost identical sentiments. The men and women who protect our freedom are as precious, if not more precious, than many of the natural resources that keep our country running. For without their dedication and  selflessness, without their commitment to keeping our country free and to our Constitution, we would have little opportunity to use our other resources. We cannot let these amazing Americans slip away unnoticed. Please reach out to the Veteran facilities in your area and take every opportunity you have to say "Thank You". SOON TO BE GONE  By Capt. Steven Ellison, MD  A MILITARY DOCTOR  This should be required reading in every school and college in our country. This Captain, an Army doctor, deserves a medal himself for putting this together. If you choose not to pass it on, fine, but I think you will want to, after you read it.  I am a doctor specializing in the Emergency Departments of the only two military Level One-Trauma Centers, both in San Antonio , TX and they care for civilian Emergencies as well as military personnel. San Antonio has the largest military retiree population in the world living here. As a military doctor, I work long hours and the pay is less than glamorous. One tends to become jaded by the long hours, lack of sleep, food, family contact and the endless parade of human suffering passing before you. The arrival of another ambulance does not mean more pay, only more work. Most often, it is a victim from a motor vehicle crash. Often it is a person of dubious character who has been shot or stabbed. With our large military retiree population, it is often a nursing home patient. Even with my enlisted service and minimal combat experience in Panama , I have caught myself groaning when the ambulance brought in yet another sick, elderly person from one of the local retirement centers that cater to military retirees. I had not stopped to think of what citizens of this age group represented.  I saw 'Saving Private Ryan.' I was touched deeply. Not so much by the carnage, but by the sacrifices of so many. I was touched most by the scene of the elderly survivor at the graveside, asking his wife if he'd been a good man. I realized that I had seen these same men and women coming through my Emergency Dept.. and had not realized what magnificent sacrifices they had made. The things they did for me and everyone else that has lived on this planet since the end of that conflict are priceless.  Situation permitting, I now try to ask my patients about their experiences. They would never bring up the subject without the inquiry. I have been privileged to an amazing array of experiences, recounted in the brief minutes allowed in an Emergency Dept encounter. These experiences have revealed the incredible individuals I have had the honor of serving in a medical capacity, many on their last admission to the hospital.  There was a frail, elderly woman who reassured my young enlisted medic, trying to start an IV line in her arm. She remained calm and poised, despite her illness and the multiple needle-sticks into her fragile veins. She was what we call a 'hard stick.' As the medic made another attempt, I noticed a number tattooed across her forearm. I touched it with one finger and looked into her eyes. She simply said, ' Auschwitz ..' Many of later generations would have loudly and openly berated the young medic in his many attempts. How different was the response from this person who'd seen unspeakable suffering.  Also, there was this long retired Colonel, who as a young officer had parachuted from his burning plane over a Pacific Island held by the Japanese. Now an octogenarian, he had a minor cut on his head from a fall at his home where he lived alone. His CT scan and suturing had been delayed until after midnight by the usual parade of high priority ambulance patients. Still spry for his age, he asked to use the phone to call a taxi, to take him home, then he realized his ambulance had brought him without his wallet. He asked if he could use the phone to make a long distance call to his daughter who lived 7 miles away. With great pride we told him that he could not, as he'd done enough for his country and the least we could do was get him a taxi home, even if we had to pay for it ourselves. My only regret was that my shift wouldn't end for several hours, and I couldn't drive him myself.  I was there the night M/Sgt Roy Benavidez came through the Emergency Dept. for the last time. He was very sick. I was not the doctor taking care of him, but I walked to his bedside and took his hand. I said nothing. He was so sick, he didn't know I was there. I'd read his Congressional Medal of Honor citation and wanted to shake his hand. He died a few days later. The gentleman who served with Merrill's Marauders,  the survivor of the Bataan Death March, the survivor of Omaha Beach ,  the 101 year old World War I veteran.  The former POW held in frozen North Korea  The former Special Forces medic - now with non-operable liver cancer  the former Viet Nam Corps Commander..  I may still groan when yet another ambulance comes in, but now I am much more aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women.  I have seen a Congress who would turn their back on these individuals who've sacrificed so much to protect our liberty. I see later generations that seem to be totally engrossed in abusing these same liberties, won with such sacrifice  It has become my personal endeavor to make the nurses and young enlisted medics aware of these amazing individuals when I encounter them in our Emergency Dept. Their response to these particular citizens has made me think that perhaps all is not lost in the next generation.  My experiences have solidified my belief that we are losing an incredible generation, and this nation knows not what it is losing. We should all remember that we must 'Earn this.'  Written By CAPT. Stephen R. Ellison, M.D. US Army

 

 

 

United We Roll World Tour Show

Stardust Radio www.stardustradio.com

Tuesday 12/11/12  1:00pm- 2:00pm Central (Live)

Wednesday 12/12/12  6:00pm- 7:00pm Central (Repeat)

Welcome Stardust Listeners -

We thank you for joining us on Tuesday, December 11h of 2012.

 

Today we are bringing you our first visit with members from the CTF 4-2.

We will be speaking with SSG Tiffany and SFC Danny Monnett, an active duty

couple who are on deployment in the same unit, but in much different jobs.

 United We Roll at Stardust Radio Network, Inc

www.stardustradio.com - click Listen Live button

SHOW SCHEDULE

1:00pm - Introduction / Announcements

Interview #1 (appr 1:11pm) - SSG Tiffany and SFC Danny Monnett

CTF 4-2  (Combined Taskforce 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division)

Afghanistan

Show ends at appr 2:00pm Central

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If you are not able to stay through the show this afternoon,

it will repeat on Wednesday 12/12 evening at 6:00pm Central.

After the repeat show has been broadcast, an MP3 copy will be posted on the

Stardust Radio Network Inc Archive site at www.stardustradio.info.

Ladies & Gentlemen, once again we are very grateful to have the opportunity to bring you these extraordinary visits. We hope that you will be able to join us again next Tuesday, Dec 18th, when we will bring more brand new interviews with deployed Heroes of Freedom.

 MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL & MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA!

 

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 KEEP SUPPORT GOING TO OUR TROOPS 365 DAYS PER YEAR!

There are many organizations who do incredible work day in and day out

and who make it very easy for you to donate with your time, money or items

to the cause of your choice.  With a click on your keyboard, you can tell

someone stationed thousands of miles away from home that you care and that

you are grateful for the freedom you enjoy and that they protect every day.

We will continue to highlight organizations in our blog, Facebook and on our shows with the many ways that they provide support to our military members, families, wounded warriors and veterans.

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To Our Military Members & First Responders

And To All The Families Who Also Serve...

Thank You!

 

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Stardust Radio Network Inc

Listening Instructions

 

To hear our broadcasts -  go to www.stardustradio.com and click the Listen Live button. A sound box from Live 365 will appear where you can adjust the settings to suit your listening pleasure. If you see red colored bars

in the volume indicator, that means that station sound is buffering and it will turn to green and begin to play shortly. There is no fee for the service as provided.

 

Local Area Riverside, Iowa - Tune in to 1690 AM radio

Past Show MP3 Tapes - Are available on our show archive site at www.stardustradio.info. Go to the main page, click on the United We Roll button on the left, then scroll down to the show you wish to hear or download.

Left click the link to listen or right click to download. There is no fee for the downloads.

 

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For more news &  articles on current happenings, please visit our United We Roll sites at:

Stardust Radio – www.stardustradio.com

United We Roll Blog – http://unitedweroll.blogspot.com/

original currently down - click World Tour blog button on United We Roll page at www.stardustradio.com

Stardust Archive Site for MP3 Copies of Shows - www.stardustradio.info

United We Roll Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/UnitedWeRoll

Twitter – www.tweeter.com/JudiBUSA

 

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Judi Burns
United We Roll at Stardust Radio Network Inc

"Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion,
but the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime."
Adlai E. Stevenson

 

Our Elected Officials Have Lost Dignity & Respect

 

Why is it that the dedicated Americans who protect our country & freedom through the military service and those who protect our communities & families through service as a First Responder are often the ones who have to plead for their promised benefits or see their benefits reduced before many other budget cuts are considered? These Americans are already working on salaries that are far below those made by the elected officials who also have additional benefits - jets to fly them from DC to the coast, vacations in Hawaii when Camp David and other less expensive facilities are available, and on and on.

But it is the military members and First Responders who are always there when they are needed. Not like politicians who decide when and if they will be in attendance to vote on legislation. Our failing budget should be as critical as a burning building, but our legislators can still take a 3 day weekend? Their bickering and posturing has brought our country to new crisis and new terms - "sequestration", "cliff fall".

Our legislators used to be Ladies and Gentlemen who earned our respect. Today, the use of despicable language, threats to punch someone out (as in the reporter incident recently), selfish behavior and the constant name calling has taken away any trace of dignity that once graced the halls of our capitol. Is it any wonder that young persons act out the way that they do? Just watch the evening news - what a terrific role model our elected officials have become. They are ripping this country apart with their blaming, shaming, lies and lack of trust. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

I am grateful that I grew up in the military and have known that community of love, loyalty and commitment. That used to be very similar to life in the USA. With the total lack of decent leadership in Washington DC and the horrific effects it is having on this country, I must guess that only those who are close to their faith or those who are in communities such as the military or first responders are able to find some security through those relationships.

The next time we see a terrible tragedy such as a school shooting or someone is charged with a crime that is far below what their actions called for (ie: Fort Hood shootings cited as "Work Place Violence" rather than the clear terrorism it was), let's look at our "leadership". They are quick to throw blame, it is time they start to accept blame for their actions and the trickle down effect it has had on our beautiful country. It is time they look to their own expenses and start cutting there. Perhaps if they come down off their pedestals and become a part of the regular American citizenry, they will find some of their common sense and other qualities that we really need in DC.

An Interesting Email on the Budget

I received this in an email today. Very interesting to see what a little math will show.

But this does not show the cuts that are and will impact our military and country's security, the Social Security and Medicare for which so many Americans paid through hard work, but is being whittled down as these funds are made available to people who are/were not American citizens and who have not paid into the system. And as we all face higher medical costs and higher taxes.

 

Of course, the  folks in DC have insulated themselves from the rest of Americans as they have given themselves their own healthcare and they have eliminated their participation in Social Security. Why do they need that, when they will live off the backs of American taxpayers for the rest of their lives with continues paychecks for life?

 

I used to hold our legislators in high regard, as once upon a time they did seem to care about our country and our people. Sadly, that does not seem to be the case today.

 

 

Budget Sacrifice?

 

I'm going to bite the bullet, too!!!! Will you join me?

President Obama ordered the cabinet to cut $100,000,000.00 ($100 million) from

the $3,500,000,000,000.00 ($3.5 trillion) federal budget.

 

I'm so impressed by this sacrifice that I have decided to do the same thing with

my personal budget. I spend about $2,000 a month on groceries, household

expenses, medicine, utilities, etc., but it's time to get out the budget cutting axe,

go through my expenses, and cut back.

 

I'm going to cut my spending at exactly the same ratio (1/35,000) of my total budget.

After doing the math, it looks like instead of spending $2,000 a month, I'm going to

have to cut that number by six cents.

 

Yes, I'm going to have to get by with $1999.94, but that's what sacrifice is all about.

I'll just have to do without some things, that are, frankly, luxuries that are worth a

whopping six cents!

 

Does Obama and the Democrats actually believe a microscopic 1/35,000 cut in the

federal budget have any effect in reducing the budget crisis? Do they also believe

we are so stupid that none of us would actually do the math? This is ludicrous!

 

The public needs understand how idiotic a $100 million cut is, in a $3.5 trillion budget.

You can bet they will make it sound like a great sacrifice along with the help of their

bed partners in the Lame Stream Media!

 

"There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation...

"One is by sword...The other is by debt."

 

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How Much Do You Know About Our US Navy

During our interviews, we have learned a lot of information about US Navy members that does not fit the typical picture of a sailor on a ship.
 

We have met Navy Corpsmen who were deployed to serve on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan. We talked with a member of the water security force, the fast boats who protect our ships at and around port locations from attack, among other duties. We talked with the Commander of a nuclear attack submarine and learned so much about the lifestyle of submariners and their families.

 

But we have just scratched the surface and we hope to bring you more interviews and news in 2013. More opportunities for all of us to learn about the many places where Navy members serve, the jobs they do and, of course, the men and women who join this service that is so rich in traditions and history.

In the meantime, there are some really fine articles and photos about this service which protects from sea and land. The following is just one of them with news, photos and a listing which provides

the Status of the Navy as of December 6, 2012 :

http://navylive.dodlive.mil/2012/12/06/your-navy-today-bangor-california-arabian-sea-republic-of-korea-kings-bay/
 

 

 

 

 

Welcome Home Army Captain James M. Johnstone

Welcome Home Army Captain James M. Johnstone

 

It is hard to find the words to express our deep feelings for the Johnstone family, who have

waited so long for their loved one to come home. We pray for your peace and comfort.

 

IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 958-12 December 07, 2012

 

Soldier KIA During Vietnam War Identified               The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced today that the remains of a serviceman, killed in action during the Vietnam War, have been identified and will be returned to his family for burial with full military honors.             Army Capt. James M. Johnstone, of Baton Rouge, La., will be buried Dec. 12, in Arlington National Cemetery.  On Nov. 19, 1966, Johnstone was the pilot of an OV-1A Mohawk aircraft that crashed while conducting a daytime reconnaissance mission over Attapu Province, Laos.  Nearby U.S. aircrews reported seeing the wing of Johnstone's aircraft hit a tree during a climb to avoid a nearby ridgeline.  No parachutes were seen exiting the aircraft.  Heavy enemy presence in the area prevented recovery efforts.              From 1993 to 2009, joint U.S.-Lao People's Democratic Republic (L.P.D.R.) teams, led by the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC), interviewed multiple witnesses, and conducted several investigations and excavations of the crash site in Attapu Province.  The teams located human remains, military equipment, an identification card bearing Johnstone's name, and aircraft wreckage of an OV-1A, which correlated with the last known location of Johnstone's aircraft.              To identify the remains, scientists from JPAC analyzed circumstantial evidence and used forensic identification tools, such as dental comparisons.              Today, the U.S. government continues to work closely with the governments of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia to recover Americans lost during the Vietnam War.              For additional information on the Defense Department's mission to account for missing Americans, visit the DPMO website at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo or call 703-699-1169.

 

United We Roll Blog is Home for the Holidays

Wow! Talk about memories - strolling through this blog is like a walk down memory lane.
Since we are having some tech issues with our current blog, we are coming back here and just may make ourselves at home here for good again.

We have a lot of things to talk about and news to share, so let's get at it.

I am also going to see if I can update our look - it is a bit "dated", yes????