In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

Back in September, on the first day of school, Martha Cothren, a social studies teacher in Ontario, did something not to be forgotten. On the first day of school, with the permission of the school principal, she took all of the desks out of her classroom.

When the first period kids entered the room, they discovered that there were no desks. 'Ms. Cothren, where are our desks?'

She replied, 'You can't have a desk until you tell me how you earn the right to sit at a desk.' They thought, 'Well, maybe it's our grades.' 'No,' she said. 'Maybe it's our behaviour.' She told them, 'No, it's not even your behaviour.'

And so, they came and went, the first period, second period, third period. Still no desks in the classroom. By early afternoon television news crews had started gathering in Ms. Cothren’s classroom to report about this crazy teacher who had taken all the desks out of her room.

The final period of the day came and as the puzzled students found seats on the floor of the deskless classroom, Martha Cothren said, 'Throughout the day no one has been able to tell me just what they have done to earn the right to sit at the desks that were in this classroom.         

Now I am going to tell you.' At this point, Martha Cothren went over to the door of her classroom and opened it.

Twenty-seven (27) War Veterans, all in uniforms, walked into that classroom, each one carrying a school desk. The Vets began placing the school desks in rows, and then stood beside the wall. By the time the last soldier had set the final desk in place the students started to understand, perhaps for the first time in their lives, just how the right to sit at those desks had been earned.

Martha said, 'You didn't earn the right to sit at these desks. These heroes did it for you. They placed the desks here for you. Now, it's up to you to sit in them. It is your responsibility to learn, to be good students, to be good citizens. They paid the price so that you could have the freedom to get an education. Don't ever forget it!

This is a true story. We wear a poppy to show respect for all those who have gone in battle to fight for our freedom. Some survived and live to tell of the horrors of war, and unfortunately, some never make it home alive. 

We wear a poppy on the left side of our shirt - ABOVE YOUR HEART- NEVER ON YOUR HAT OR ANYWHERE ELSE- To SHOW RESPECT.

THANK YOU, God, for the men and women who have gone into battle for our freedom. May we be peacemakers – in our homes, at school and out in the community. We also pray for world peace and the end to the wars going on in our world today.  AMEN