The following poem was written by my brother-in-law, Ron Mason on 5/25/05.

What is Poverty?

Poverty is the streets of our neighborhoods lacking enough children to remind us of our own. It is the stillness of the air without the music of their laughter. It is the lack of the innocence that spills from the eyes of these little ones who are fresh from heaven who should know nothing of rape and abuse unleashed by those with ice-cold stony hearts. We're poor if we can't see the ease at which faith can move a child to trust a Helper they have never seen or a Father their eyes have never looked upon.

We are poor when we accept at face value sickness and weakness of spirit. Our poverty chokes us when we fail to look to Heaven and refuse to call on the name of Jesus, Who loves us and gave Himself for us. We passively accept the curses   and the whelming floods of pain, torture and rejection used cunningly by the evil one.

Our cities and hamlets are poverty stricken when there is no peel of the bells on Sunday mornings calling sinners to worship Him who has the power to set us free and adore Him Who left His Ivory Palace in glory and came to earth to be born in a stable with livestock and shepherd as attendants. We are suffering depravity if we don't know Him who suffered the scorn of perceived illegitimacy and the cutting words that tore into His mother and father. He became poor in order to make us rich in His love and mercy.   

We printed this on her funeral card: