A YEAR OF ROSES
----------------------------

Each year he sent her roses,
and the note would always say,
I love you even more this year,
than last year on this day.
My love for you will always grow,
with every passing year.
She knew this was the last time
that the roses would appear.
She thought, he ordered roses
in advance before this day.
Her loving husband did not know,
that he would pass away.
He always liked to do things early,
way before the time.
Then, if he got too busy,
everything would work out fine.
She trimmed the stems and placed them,
in a very special vase.
Then, sat the vase beside
the portrait of his smiling face.
She would sit for hours,
In her husband's favorite chair.
While staring at his picture,
and the roses sitting there.
A year went by, and it was
to live without her mate.
With loneliness and solitude,
that had become her fate.
Then, the very hour struck,
and not one minute more.
The doorbell rang, and there were,
roses sitting by her door.
She brought the roses in,
and then just looked at them in shock.
Then, went to get the telephone,
to call the florist shop.
The owner answered, and she asked him,
if he would explain,
Why would someone do this to her,
causing her such pain?

I know your husband passed away,
more than a year ago,
The owner said, I knew you'd call,
and you would want to know.
The flowers you received today,
were paid for in advance.
Your husband always planned ahead,
he left nothing to chance.
There is a standing order,
that I have on file down here,
And he has paid, well in advance,
you'll get them every year.
There also is another thing,
that I think you should know,
He wrote a special little card,
he did this years ago.
Then, should ever I find out
that he's no longer here,
that's the card that should be sent
to you the following year.
She thanked him and hung up the phone,
her tears now flowing hard.
Her fingers shaking, as she slowly
reached to get the card.
Inside the card, she saw that he
had written her a note.
Then, as she stared in total silence,
this is what he wrote...
Hello my love, I know it's been
a year since I've been gone.
I hope it hasn't been too hard
for you to overcome.
I know it must be lonely,
and the pain is very real.
Or if it was the other way,
I know how I would feel.
The love we shared made everything
so beautiful in life.
I loved you more than words can say,
you were the perfect wife.

You were my friend and lover,
you fulfilled my every need.
I know it's only been a year,
but please try not to grieve.
I want you to be happy,
even when you shed your tears.
That is why the roses will be
sent to you for years.
When you get these roses,
think of all the happiness ,
that we had together,
and how both of us were blessed.
I have always loved you
and I know I always will.
But,my love, you must go on,
you have some living still.
Please...try to find happiness,
while living out your days.
I know it is not easy,
but I hope you find some ways.
The roses will come every year,
and they will only stop,
When your door's not answered,
when the florist stops to knock.
He will come five times that day,
in case you have gone out.
But after his last visit,
he will know without a doubt!
To take the roses to the place,
where I've instructed him
and place the roses where we are,
together once again.

www.janruhe.com

Written by Douglas Mallock
$ Bill Brown $
Bill Brown made a million, Bill Brown, think of that!
A boy, you'll remember, as poor as a rat.
Bill hoed for the neighbors, did jobs by the day,
Yet Bill made a million??...or more, so they say.
You can't understand it, well, neither could I.
But then I remembered, and now I know why.
The bell might be ringin', the dinner horn blow,
But Bill always hoed to the end of the row.

Bill worked for my father, as you may recall.
He wasn't a wonder, no wonder at all.
He couldn't out-hoe me, nor cover more ground,
Or hoe any cleaner, or beat me around.
'Fact I was better at one thing, I know:
One toot from the kitchen, 'n home I'd go,
But Bill always hoed to the end of the row.

We used to get hongry out there in the corn,
When it come to music nuthin' equalled a horn.
A horn yellin' biscuits, tomatoes 'n beans,
And pork and potatoes, and gravy 'n greens.

Now, I ain't blamin' no-one, for quittin' on time,
To stop with the whistle, that isn't a crime.
But as for the million, well, this much I know:
Bill Brown always hoed to the end of the row!
-from Jan Ruhe's Fire Up! book

F A M I L Y

I ran into a stranger as he passed by,
"Oh excuse me please" was my reply.
He said, "Please excuse me too;
I wasn't watching for you."

We were very polite, this stranger and I.
We went on our way and we said goodbye.
But at home a different story is told,
How we treat our loved ones, young and old.

Later that day, cooking the evening meal,
My son stood beside me very still.
When I turned, I nearly knocked him down.
"Move out of the way," I said with a frown.

He walked away, his little heart broken.
I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken.
While I lay awake in bed,
God's still small voice came to me and said,

"While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use,
but the family you love, you seem to abuse.
Go and look on the kitchen floor,
You'll find some flowers there by the door.

Those are the flowers he brought for you.
He picked them himself: pink, yellow and blue.
He stood very quietly not to spoil the surprise,
you never saw the tears that filled his little eyes."

By this time, I felt very small,
And now my tears began to fall.
I quietly went and knelt by his bed;
"Wake up, little one, wake up," I said.

"Are these the flowers you picked for me?"
He smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree.
I picked 'em because they're pretty like you.
I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue."

I said, "Son, I'm very sorry for the way I acted today;
I shouldn't have yelled at you that way."
He said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay.
I love you anyway."

I said, "Son, I love you too,
and I do like the flowers, especially the blue."

FAMILY
Are you aware that if we died tomorrow, the company
that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.
But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.

And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than into our own family, an unwise investment indeed, don't you think?

Do you know what the word FAMILY means?
FAMILY = (F)ATHER (A)ND (M)OTHER (I) (L)OVE (Y)OU

“If you can’t be a pine on the top of the hill
be a scrub in the valley
but be the best little scrub by the side of the hill.
Be a bush if you can’t be a tree.
If you can’t be a bush, be a bit of grass
and some highway happier make.
If you can’t be a muskie, then just be a bass,
but be the liveliest bass is the lake.
We can’t all be Captains; we’ve got to be the crew,
there is something for all of us.
There is big work to do and there is lesser to do,
and the task we must do is the near.
If you can’t be a highway, then just be the trail,
if you can’t be the sun, be a star.
It isn’t by size that you win or you fail,
be the best of whatever you are.”
-Douglas Mallock

A Creed To Live By
Don't undermine your worth by comparing
yourself with others.
It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people
deem important.
Only you know what is best for you.
Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart.
Cling to them as you would your life, for without them
life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers
by living in the past or for the future.
By living your life one day at a time,
you live all the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give.
Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect.
It is this fragile thread that binds us to each other.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks.
It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find.
The quickest way to receive love is to give love.
The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly;
and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't dismiss your dreams.
To be without dreams is to be without hope;
to be without hope is to be without purpose.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget
not only where you've been, but also where you're going.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored
each step of the way.
~ Nancye Sims ~

The Touch of the Master's Hand

by Mrya Brooks Welch
(in almost all of Jan's books-
Jan had to memorize this poem in High School-she happened to have an English teacher who loved this poem. Amazing what influences young people. You never know when you help someone with this poem what doors in their minds will open up to new possibilites!)

'Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile.
"What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar. Then two! Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?"

"Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three..." But no,
From the room, far back, a grey-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loosened strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet,
As a caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said: "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once; three thousand, twice,
And going and gone," said he.

The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand.
What changed its worth?" Swift came the reply:
"The touch of the Master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd
Much like the old violin.

A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game -- and he travels on.
He is "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that is wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.
www.janruhe.com

Here is the poem I read on Sarah White's Power Coaching call tonight, as requested. Pat Summitt, Coach of the UT Lady Vols National Champions, keeps it with her at all times, stuck in her weekly planner. Enjoy!

You can love me

but only I can make me happy.

You can teach me

but only I can do the learning.

You can lead me but only I can walk the path.

You can promote me but I have to succeed.

You can coach me but I have to win the game.

You can even pity me but I have to bear the sorrow.

For the Gift of Love

is not a food that feeds me.

It is the sunshine

that nourishes that which I must finally harvest for myself.

So if you love me

don't just sing me your song.

Teach me to sing,

for when I am alone,

I will need the melody.

- Dan Baker

Kick your business into high gear, PowerTeam, and keep kickin' it all the way to Diamond!

Kathy Roland Smith

Good Books
By Edgar Guest

Good books are friendly things to own.
If you are busy they will wait.
They will not call you on the phone or
wake you if the hour is late.
They stand together row by row,
upon the low shelf or the high.
But if you're lonesome this you know:
You have a friend or two nearby.
The fellowship of books is real.
They're never noisy when you're still.
They won't disturb you at your meal.
They'll comfort you when you are ill.
The lonesome hours they'll always share.
When slighted they will not complain.
And though for them you've ceased to care.
Your constant friends they'll still remain.
Good books your faults will never see or
tell about them round the town.
If you would have their company
you merely have to take
them down. They'll help you pass the time
away, they'll counsel give if that you need.
He has true friends for night and day who
has a few good books to read.

Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You've all that the greatest of men have had;
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise,
With this equipment they all began--
So start from the top and say, I CAN.
Look them over, the wise and the great,
They take their food from a common plate,
And similar knives and forks they use,
With similar laces they tie their shoes;
The world considers them brave and smart,
But you've all they had when they made their start.
You can triumph and come to skill,
You can be great if you only will;
You're well equipped for what fight you choose,
You have arms and legs and a brain to use;
And the man who has risen great deeds to do
Began his life with no more than you.
You are the handicap you must face,
You are the one who must choose your place.
You must say where you want to go,
How much you will study the truth to know;
God has equipped you for life, but He
Lets you decide what you want to be.
Courage must come from the soul within
The man must furnish the will to win.
So figure it out for yourself my lad,
You were born with all that the great have had;
With your equipment they all began,
Get hold of yourself and say, I CAN."
- George Washington Carver

Just Playing
Original Author Unknown

When I'm building in the block room,
Please don't say I'm "Just playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play,
About balance, I may be an architect someday.

When I'm getting all dressed up,
Setting the table, caring for the babies,
Don't get the idea I'm "Just Playing."
I may be a mother or a father someday.

When you see me up to my elbows in paint,
Or standing at an easel, or molding and shaping clay,
Please don't let me hear you say, "He is Just Playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I just might be a teacher someday.

When you see me engrossed in a puzzle or some
"playing" at my school,
Please don't feel the time is wasted in "play."
For you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to solve problems and concentrate.
I may be in business someday.

When you see me cooking or tasting foods,
Please don't think that because I enjoy it, it is "Just Play."
I'm learning to follow directions and see the differences.
I may be a cook someday.

When you see me learning to skip, hop, run, and move my body,
Please don't say I'm "Just Playing."
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning how my body works.
I may be a doctor, nurse, or athlete someday.

When you ask me what I've done at school today,
And I say, "I just played."
Please don't misunderstand me.
For, you see, I'm learning as I play.
I'm learning to enjoy and be successful in my work.
I'm preparing for tomorrow.
Today, I am a child and my work is play.

The True Leadership Treasure
I went on search to be a leader,
Searching high and low above the meter,
I spoke with authority that I remember,
All would follow, all but one member,
Why should I trust you? the one did ask,
What have you done to achieve the task?
I thought long and hard of what I did wrong,
Then I rolled up my sleeves and worked right along,
Shoulder to shoulder we got things done,
We worked side by side, all were one,
A mate of mine stumbled, I stooped to assist,
My hand he did grab, a smile did persist,
One was lost, didn’t know what to do,
I showed him how, the ropes, something new
I praised them one and all for their work,
All were unique, but I encouraged each quirk,
When the task was done, one did shout
You’re a great leader! they all turned about,
Without you there to support our plight,
Lost would we be with no end in sight,
I learned that day that I lead best,
When I get off my butt and help the rest,
To lead by example is the true treasure,
The secret of leadership, in one simple measure.
-Victor Gonzalez