You Know Me

I was thinking of Psalm 139 this morning, where it says, “Oh Lord, You have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, Oh Lord.”  Psalm 139:1-4

This could be a little overwhelming, like we don’t have any privacy from God. However, it also means we don’t need any ice breakers of introduction with God. We just start talking, and He’s already fully engaged in the conversation. We can explain things, for our own benefit, but He already understands how we feel and what we’re going through. We don’t have to dance around a subject because He gets it. God gets us.

We also don’t have to search for God physically. Churches and mountaintops and sunsets and retreats can make Him seem closer … to us. But He’s right there, right here. We live in His presence, or at least on the edge of it, at every moment. We can save a lot of petrol by understanding that we don’t have to go look for God. He’s here. We just have to acknowledge him. One of the names for Jesus from the book of Isaiah is actually Emmanuel, which just means, “God with us.”

Does all of this seem a little too intimate, too “in your face,” too “give me a little space, for heaven’s sake?” Maybe sometimes. Yet it’s also beautiful and miraculous and encouraging. And true. And if God’s right here with me, ready to listen and encourage and lead and participate, it kind of changes everything. It changes my humdrum, lonely, little life into something holy and powerful. It makes you and I participants in God’s kingdom and plan. It brings heaven near and makes eternity now.

God being with us isn’t just something that happened to Old Testament prophets and New Testament disciples, or priests and monks. It’s real, and we are right here in the middle of it. “Hey, God, good morning. Thanks for being here. What shall we do today?”

Saint James

There are certainly all kinds of people, and I seem to spend time around a lot somewhat boisterous type A personalities. Yet, among all those noisier folks I’m also blessed to know a man of a different sort. He has a quiet and gentle spirit. Being, “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry” in the words of the apostle James. His name, coincidentally, is also James. He’s definitely the strong, quiet type, who can seem a little imposing to the uninitiated since he is rather tall. But beneath that imposing and ruggedly handsome façade there beats a heart of pure gold. He teaches high school math, coaches a youth mountain biking team, has his own adult sons and is the servant of all. A man of few words, but the first one to show up in your time of need. He’s also a man of humble prayers that often humble me. And he is the only person I know who still occasionally uses the word “knuckleheads.” However, in his case it really is a term of endearment. It means those who could use a little extra help … or a lot. But rather than being the old guy who might generally proffer such and archaic term as knucklehead, he responds and jumps in to help. In his case, after the words “slow to speak and slow to get angry” you might also add “quick to help.” He’s a great encouragement to many people, and certainly to me. So I offer the following poem to my friend Saint James, whom I have dubbed the patron saint of knuckleheads. 

Saint James

It seems there is a patron saint

For most every kind of folk

Who need someone to watch over them

And whose name they can invoke

Soldiers, travelers and sailors

Beekeepers, cobblers too

Whatever hobby or profession

There’s a saint for what they do

And there’s a saint for ne’er do wells

Who at times have lost their way

On bike trails or their math skills

And he walks with them each day

He offers wisdom and encouragement

Kind words, and hope to those

Who seem to fall a bit behind

And he loves them, heaven knows

He dusts them off and nudges them

When they have fallen back

He prays for them wholeheartedly

And guides them to the narrow track

Those who need assistance

Can call on him by name

Most think of him as Mr. May

But he truly is Saint James

He’s the apostle of encouragement

No finer man this earth has tread

Than Saint James, the encourager

The patron saint of knuckleheads

                By Frank Carpenter ©

"Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry."  James 1:19

For the Dads

 I was blessed with a great father, an amazing step father and a father-in-law. It's Father's Day and I penned the following poem as a tribute to all of them as  I sat in church this morning. I thank Gid sir all of my dad's, and this one is for them.

For the Dads

I was blessed with three dads

Who helped me on my way

A father, step dad, a father-in-law

I celebrate them all today

Each of them had a season

Each one had influence

Each helped shape the man I am

And helped my life make sense

I was blessed with earthly fathers

Who blessed and encouraged me

Who showed me how to live and love 

And unravel the mysteries

Each of my fathers offered

The wisdom so dealt bought 

Through struggles and trials lived out

When they suffered, failed and fought

Each of them gave me a blessing

Each showed they believed in me

None left me with guilt or oppression

But left me feeling strong and free

These men are all in heaven now

But they left their impression on me

So I thank God for all of my fathers

And I am their legacy 

By Frank Carpenter

Proud of You

This one goes out to my granddaughter Aubree May Carpenter for her 14th birthday and her junior high graduation. We are so proud of you every day, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for you in the years to come. 

Lots of Love Always, Pops

Proud of You

Fourteen years old and moving

To high school from junior high

A girl on the brink of womanhood

That no one can deny

With a faith to move the mountains

Plus a smile so warm and bright

You seem to light up every room

And fill others with delight

In this summer of transition

Between seasons, between grades

Between childhood and adulthood

Between dreams and plans you’ve made

We stand by you and celebrate

All you’ve accomplished, all you’ve done

Friends you’ve made and love you’ve shared

How you bring joy to everyone

How you inspire others

With your faith and how you live

With the open-handed way

That you encourage and you give

And from this moment forward

It’s important that you know

Our hopes and prayers go with you

Wherever you may go

Wherever God may lead you

We carry you within our hearts

Through this big wide world of wonder

As we have right from the start

So dream farther than your comfort

Pray bigger than you dare

Reach for the very brightest stars

Always, always love and care

Trust in Jesus to walk with you

Every day, your whole life through

Happy birthday and graduation

Aubree, we’re so proud of you

                        By Frank Carpenter ©

Unforgettable

Some unusual thoughts today about a few possible futures I've mulled over after bumping into a friend who lost her husband to Alzheimer's. That's rare, but we've also had our own serious car accident. And a variety of other events in our wider circle of contacts reminds me that life just doesn't come with a guaranty. So it's become my philosophy never to neglect saying the important things both early and often to the people I love. I never want there to be any doubt about how I feel ... or felt. So to that end, I offer the following reminder to my bride of how much she is loved and how blessed our life has been. I hope we never need these words, but if we ever do at least they have been said.

Unforgettable 

Whatever the future holds for us 

Whatever may come our way

I reaffirm the love and commitment

That we share every day 

Everything seems so perfect

So many ways we're blessed

So this poem is a touch stone

In this season when things are best

Because we know that circumstances

Could always turn on a dime 

At anytime in this last third

Of our precious years and time

If our financial situation

Or my heart or memory

Should suddenly take a left turn

I want you to hear from me

That I've loved you with all my heart

From that first June day we met

That we've built a love and life

I would never want to forget 

If we swerved off the road again

Or end up in the ICU

If cancer or Alzheimer's mar our path 

I'll still be filled with love for you

Whatever the decades bring us

All that hasn't quite happened yet 

Lies beyond our vision or control

So I ask you to never forget 

All the beauty, wonder and laughter

Kids, friends, vacations and fun

This life of faith and blessing

Every good memory, ever one

If somewhere in the future 

I'm  somehow less me than before 

Remember our love right here and now

Know you're the one I always adore 

Know that I believe in forever 

In case I should forget someday

I have cherished our life together

And nothing could take that away

By Frank Carpenter

And one final thought. On the same subject, here is the chorus of a song I hope never to have to finish writing:

I hope you will remember

In case I should forget 

What happened that September

I never could regret 

All the years we shared together 

They mean everything you see

So in case I can't remember ...

Don't give up on me

The Times I Almost Died

The Times I Almost Died

There are those rare occasions when we end up thinking to ourselves, “Whew, that was close!” Most of us have had one or two such moments. As for me, I can think of at least four of those times:  One dicey health scare, and three driving incidents. And in each of the driving ones I was completely surprised and not at fault. The point is that no matter how careful we may be, things just happen, and they are often beyond our control. If we’re fortunate, they turn out to be near misses. When they are, we can be left wondering, “How did that happen?” Yet, with the way my heart and mind work, I’m more likely to ask, “Why didn’t that happen?” Why indeed. And here’s where your world view makes all the difference, because I happen to believe that there is a God who cares about us and has a plan to work things for good. Following that train of thought, if I’ve lived though all those close calls then I’m just assuming that God’s not done with me yet. In fact, I’m pretty sure that once God is done with us, we assume room temperature. So if I’m still here after all those close then I have to believe that I’m here for a purpose, that I should live in such a way as to be available for discovering and fulfilling that purpose. I may not know for certain what it is just yet, but I can still be inclining my heart and life towards God in order to be open to fulfilling it. Sure, I almost died a few times … but I didn’t. So I’m going to make the most of this extra gift of life God bestowed on me … on multiple occasions. Ever wonder why you’re also still here too. Apparently, God has a plan for each of us. Let’s go live it.

The Times I Almost Died

Jesus, why have you kept me here?

When you could have done otherwise

When I swerved too close to disaster

To danger and compromise

When the tires began to lose traction

Or the lines on the EKG

Dragged me to the edge of oblivion

Lord, why did you rescue me?

I can only conclude, my God

That you had other plans in store

That I still wake up every day

Since I was meant for something more

So Lord I offer up my life

And open up my heart

To whatever plan you have for me

I’m ready for it to start

Use me as your instrument

Sweep away my fear and pride

And do whatever you saved me for

On those times I almost died

           By Frank Carpenter ©

Countless, Worthless, Priceless Treasures

I have the good fortune to be married to a woman who understand the intrinsic value of things. She sees the beauty and wonder that God scatters upon the path in front of her, and takes the time to stop and enjoy it, living so much more in the moment than me. One of her favorite pastimes is looking for sea glass and shells when we’re walking on the beach. To her, a piece of polished sea glass is a precious stone. Precious is, after all, in the eye of the beholder. Consequently, we have quite a collection of various detritus from a host of favorite shorelines. That’s just fine with me, because she gets more joy from a rare and perfect piece of sea glass than many other people seem to derive from diamonds or emeralds. I’m not saying that she doesn’t deserve those as well, yet her perspective provides a commentary on how we assign value to the other things in our lives. The richest people aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest jewels. Rather, they are the ones with beautiful memories and various keepsakes that remind them of those memories. That’s what sea glass is to us. Not so much precious stones as touch stones. This also begs the question of what we fill our lives with … and why? In the meantime, I’ll keep hauling home the pockets full of sandy treasure that my beloved finds joy in collecting. After all, it’s not just about the glass. I think she’s actually collecting joy … and that is a treasure indeed.   

 Countless, Worthless, Priceless Treasures

Wherever the water kisses

The sand, you’ll find her there

Wandering happily down the shore

Wet feet and windblown hair

Oblivious to tide and time

As the lazy hours pass

She scours the shore for shiny stones

And odd pieces of sea glass

Tucking the treasures in her pocket

Whenever they appear

And wandering down the sunlit shore

As she has throughout the years

So we have a vast collection

Of such trinkets from the shore

Countless, worthless, priceless treasures

That she collects and she adores

And why not, we know so many folks

Who pay a fortune for the things

That they think will make them happy

Yet no greater pleasure bring

Perhaps the wisest of us all

Is she who wanders happily

And finds her joy in simple treasures

From the Great Lakes and the sea

          By Frank Carpenter ©