"If" ... My Daddy didnt want to teach me "faith" He wanted me to learn poetry.

My Father did not take us to church or teach us to pray. However, he wanted us to memorize poetry.

I started to look up the word "poetry" and see what its sources are, but decided not to. Poetry always come from the heart not the head.

I would only add to this, faith found on your own, and not memorized is my message here. To me, my Father's plan was a good path..poetry borne in the heart (not the head) has to me at least helped lead me to Jesus....and it is all about living in the moment.

"If"
by Rudyard Kipling
as I memorized it from one of my daddy's poetry books.

If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you.

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you...but make allowances for their doubting too.

If you can wait.. and not be tired by waiting.
Or be lied about.. dont deal in lies
or be hated... dont give way to hating.

And yet...
dont look too good
or talk too wise

If you can dream and not make Dreams your Master
or think and not make Thoughts your Aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster,
and treat both those Imposters as just the same

If you can take one heap of all your winnings,
and risk it all on one turn of "pitch and toss"
and Lose!
but start again at your Beginnings
and never breathe a word about your loss.

If you can bear to hear the Words you have spoken twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
or see the Things you gave your life to broken and stoop and build them up again with worn out tools

If you can walk with Crowds .... and not lose your Virture,
or walk with Kings ....nor lose your Common Touch

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you.
If All men count with you, but none too much

If you can fill the unforgiving minute with 60 seconds of distance run.
yours is the World and everthing in it, and what is more.. you be a man my son...

****

or, IMHO

"which is more, you will be in the kingdom my child."



Peace and Love
Keren