The best part about sending Karen's Korners through my web site is that I can send them from wherever I am. Today, Jamie, Luke, and I are in Amana with Ed and Heather. We are on our way to the Clear Creek - Amana awards day ceremony to give our fourth annual scholarships to two of Merry's former students. We will probably do this one or maybe two more years.

Tomorrow is the awards night ceremony in Clarion and this will be the first time in five years that we haven't awarded a scholarship there in Merry's memory. The funds come from more than generous memorials given to our families following Merry's death, so thanks for any of your previous generosity.

Today's poem is one taken from a web site emailed to me by Dorothy Reikens titled "Today I Heard a Bird Sing - The Movie". As you can image, complete with bird photos, chirps and background music. Here is a portion of that poem:

Today I heard a bird sing

It's voice carried notes of both struggle and strain

It sang its best as I woke again.

Today I heard a bird sing

Hungry mouths in the nest all opened wide

Every daylight hour spent working, how that bird must be tired.

Today I heard a bird sing

No vacation or weekend retreat, each day a struggle just to eat

But it sang anyway, throught the twists and turns; it sang its best, thankful for worms.

Today I heard a bird sing

It had nothing in the bank, nothing stored for a rainy day

And to the cat and the hawk it was prey, but it sang, it sang anyway.

Today I heard a bird sing

Soon another answered, singing two; a rule of nature

Singers draw mates and love songs flew.

Today I heard a bird sing

So I began my own tune, I sang my best

Happy and full though there was still room for more in my nest.

Tomorrow mouths will be hungry, the work will be there

But thank God I've got wings to take to the air.

Today I heard a brid sing

And I joined my voice, to sing or not

That's the real choice.

For the birds of the air have nothing on you

You've got more to drink than the morning dew.

So live up your voice; go ahead, make that choice and let go a tune

Daybreak's a'coming so, start singing soon!

Behold the fowls of the air; for they sow not, neither do they reap

Nor garther into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much better than they?

(Matthew 8:26)