Compassion

Compassion
If you’re like me you try to do your part. Sure, we take our charity seriously by giving to our local church, supporting a missionary or two, giving to organizations related to our children’s schools and athletic teams. We attend a fund raiser now and then, bid on a ski trip or gift basket at an auction, all the usual stuff. Some months and years we even give the full ten percent you always hear about, if things have gone well. However, that’s where most of us draw the line. We might visit a sick friend in the hospital, but we never even speak to a homeless or handicapped person. Orphans? They’re all down in Mexico, right? Oh, we’re always willing to write a check if someone twists our arm, but we rarely get our hands dirty with the actual work of caring for people. We sub all of that out to others, to "professionals" with more training and time than we could ever hope to spare. Does that sound like you too? My concern is that most of us never serve on the front lines of compassion. We think it’s too far away, too messy, too inconvenient. Sadly, however, we fail to realize that no matter where we are right now there are plenty of hungry, homeless and sick people with ten miles of us ... probably even five. God forbid that we should ever go out looking for them as we would surely find them and feel some sort of obligation to them. No, better to let others look after the poor and indigent while we remain safely in the protected circles of our own whitewashed little worlds. Lest you be offended here rest assured that I have climbed down off of the soap box and am preaching to myself as well. I’m the first one to lift a pen and write a check, but usually the last one to lift a finger, if at all. Regardless of my own inaction, however, in my heart of hearts I know that while God appreciates our money, he really wants our action, our time and talents. He knows that the most costly and frightening thing of all is to expose our hearts to those in need, to love them and draw them into our own lives. That is exactly what Jesus did. He stepped out into the crowd, spoke to hurting people and loved them right where they were. And that, I daresay, is just what He would have us do. That is His example. Oh, we need to participate financially, but real love, real compassion, will always be measured in people rather than dollars. Those are the most costly contributions, the ones which tale the true tale of the state of our hearts.

Compassion
So often the subject of lofty thoughts
Of words which long for deeds
But compassion is empty and incomplete
Until it steps forward to meet the needs
A thousand gallons of passionate tears
Ten thousand hours of prayer
Mean nothing unless we roll up our sleeves
And add action to how we care
It’s far too easy to write a check
Sending others to do our work
Yet unless we serve the broken ourselves
True compassion is something we shirk
The widow, the orphan, the homeless
The hungry and outcast near at hand
Are waiting to know our compassion
And reshape the security we had planned
For however God has blessed us
Has only prepared us to serve
We must allow Him to loosen our heart strings
To rethink who we are and what we deserve
The test of our love and compassion
Transcends what we’re willing to give
God counts the cost of our actions
For true compassion is something we live
By Frank Carpenter ©

Echos of Devotion

Today I would like to write about homes. Any home which contains family memories certainly falls under this category. However, my primary focus in this session is that of homes that hold a great many memories, perhaps over a long period of time. My inspiration here is twofold. To begin with, this particular poem was written this last summer in the boyhood home of a dear friend whose father had recently passed away. As I wrote, I actually was sitting in the green chair by the hearth in the library of that house, pondering some of the memories which had been recounted to me. My friend had grown up there and his parents had remained in the home until their golden anniversary. Sadly, it has since been sold and knowing such a sale was eminent I was attempting to capture some of the valued memories as a keepsake for the family. A home can hold so much history, much of it intangible, and when we lose the building we are often relinquishing many of the reminders which serve as a gateway to those memories.
At this moment, those sentiments are all the more poignant as I write these very words while sitting in my father’s favorite chair in his house on our ranch in Oklahoma. This place, this very chair, are the sanctuaries of countless cherished memories. And, much like my friend’s boyhood home, the future of this house and, therefore, its access to my own past remain somewhat in limbo. Doubtless, the people are more important than the memories and the memories more valuable than the real estate in their own way. Yet, we cling to that which is familiar, that which seems to connect us to our past and the people who dwell therein. Such a home, while still in our possession, allows us wander the forgotten halls of our youth and listen for familiar voices in the creak of tired floorboards or rain drops upon the roof. We always fear that somehow our connection to these memories may be lost once we can no longer engage them in their natural habitat. For instance, so long as I am able to sit here in my father’s favorite chair I have the feeling that he is still here with me, after a fashion ... or at least I am with him. Such is the fate of we mortals who dwell in this tangible world. It is our nature to cling to the props associated with our existence here. Our memories, however, have a much longer shelf life than the buildings we tend to store them in. We must always remember that, and make every effort to write those memories not only into our hearts, but the hearts of our children for we are responsible to them as the guardians of their heritage. Often, we are unable to permanently maintain the tangible repositories of our past, like this house where I write from today. Yet, we can glean what they have to offer and treasure those memories up in our hearts to carry with us for a lifetime. However, while opportunity allows, I’ll just sit right here in my father’s favorite chair, in his favorite room, in his favorite place and soak up whatever memories happen to come my way. And someday, when this room is gone or changed or unavailable, I may be able to describe it to my grandchildren and pass my memories on to them ... perhaps even as I sit in my own favorite chair somewhere.

Echos of Devotion
In the quiet of the library
I tarried for a spell
With the party out of earshot down the hall
To leaf through some weathered volumes
In the green chair by the hearth
And admire a favorite painting on the wall
Like every room in this house
This one echos with the memories
From half a century of life, and more
And though things are quiet now
I clearly have a sense somehow
Of all that happened here and came before
I hear the songs of children
On the stair and in the garden
Through happy years of family time here spent
I feel the love maturing
A lifetime of joy still echos
In the halls with countless whispers of content
And there is grief, I sense it
In the quiet of the corners
For loss must come to every house, we know
But the memories here gathered
In this old house whisper volumes
Of a family’s love which spanned from long ago
By Frank Carpenter ©

The One I Usually Miss

Oft have I written on today’s theme, but it just happened to nudge it’s way back up to the top of the pile. We are all so busy, trying to get everything done and everyone taken care of, that life slips right by us sometimes. All the more so this time of year, without daylight savings time, when it seems as if I commute to work both directions in the dark and miss many a beautiful autumn day altogether. Countless sunsets go unnoticed while I try to accomplish a few more seemingly important tasks at the office. Meanwhile, bits of life slowly drift away like so much flotsam and jetsam in the great ocean experience. Do you ever feel that way, like you’re just a little out of control and run right past some amazing things you wish you could stop for? Every once in a while, I’ll pause to catch the sunset and think, "Why don’t I do this every day?" Most of those days just rush right by. Kids grow older. We grow older ... while a thousand little opportunities drift away because we were too busy to enjoy them. Today, however, would be a good day to make a change. Go home a little early. Take a walk. Get down on the floor and play with the kids. Fly a kite. Pray. Whatever. Take hold of those moments you cherish and try not to let all of them slip from your grasp. It’s your life, after all, and you have the right to live it. Have a great day ... and don’t forget to savor every moment!

The One I Usually Miss
Today, I stopped to watch the sunset
The one I usually miss
But there it was, like every day
Though I rarely stop like this
In fact, I really had no choice
So perfect was the scene
A man would be a fool to pass
On such a moment so serene
Far too often, I’ve been a fool
Letting life just pass me by
How many sunsets have I wasted
I ponder with a loathsome sigh
How much beauty, how much wonder
How many perfect, pristine days
Have I been too busy to notice
And cast heedlessly away
How areas of my life
Indeed, have suffered so
How many chances have I wasted
To watch my children grow
How many neighbors have walked past
When there was the chance to be
To be the very friend they needed
So very much has slipped by me
I must pause like this more often
And take each opportunity
To find the wonder in my life each day
Before it slips by me
By Frank Carpenter ©

My Protector

It seems like there’s always someone in my life who is sick or hurting or in the hospital. Indeed, if it’s not something, it’ll be something else. This poem goes out to several folks I know who are dealing with serious illness or may even now be in the hospital. I myself, sadly, am no stranger to hospitals and today’s literary offering was written from my own hospital bed three years ago, give or take a week. In fact, Thanksgiving marks the anniversary of some ongoing health problems which I hope are behind me for good. Nonetheless, my compassion for those in such need is all the more poignant due to my own experience. A sick bed can be a very lonely, sometimes even hopeless, place and we must all learn to remember that our God has authority over sickness and death. In this world of darkness, He is a constant light of hope and victory. Please share this poem with anyone whom you think may need just such an encouragement and let us look together towards the One who is our protector in those darkest of hours.

My Protector
Amidst the very depths of darkness
Within the clutches of my fear
The light of hope and comfort
Pierces through the shadows here
To lift my waning spirits
And remind me that my king
Shall never forsake His servant
Whatever trials life may bring
Whatever storms beset me
However the tempests blow
I know my protector is with me
His word has declared it so
By Frank Carpenter ©

The Difficult Words

No matter how wonderful life can be at times, there always seem to be some difficult moments with the people who share our journey here. Whether they are strangers merely darting through our lives or the people whom we care most deeply about, we will surely disagree from time to time. Once the train of communication gets derailed then everyone gets their feelings hurt and they all walk away thinking, "I’ll be dammed if I’m giving in first." The secret, however, to getting along over the long haul is learning how to show respect and grace ... even when we can’t find a reason to offer either, even when we feel we’ve been wronged. For once we put on the relational blinders of disappointment and resentment it becomes extremely difficult to feel any emotional charity towards or fellow sojourners. How can we avoid the kind of conflict which can result in unwanted damage? First, we need to take nice deep breath prior to speaking or answering any accusation, or even count to ten. (Or a hundred) Once we have spoken, however, once we have walked away and avoided someone things tend to get a little more dicey. Then it takes someone to speak first, not to give in or necessarily concede , but at least someone willing to swallow their pride enough to open a dialog. That act itself can melt a lot of the ice which forms in a chilly relationship. From there on it just takes patience and grace, lots of grace. Those difficult words don’t, by their very nature come easily, but they are well worth the effort. It takes some prayer, some patience, a little swallowed pride and an earnest desire to get that relational train back on the right track. If you are there yourself right now, be the one to make the call. You’ll never regret it.

The Difficult Words
Lord, when the difficult words come
When they must be spoken or heard
When so much is at stake and so much
Seems to be wrapped up in every word
Then Lord, give us wisdom and patience
As we struggle so to convey
What must be said and accepted
In our discourse on days like today
Lord, soften our hearts to each other
That we might be sensitive
In dealing with sisters and brothers
Today, and each day that we live
By Frank Carpenter ©

The Second Best God

We live in a world which pulls in many directions. God calls upon us to honor and serve Him. Our families, our work, our friends and other commitments all clamor for attention. Furthermore, whether we admit it or not, money also tugs at our heart strings and demands its place in our lives. It disguises itself as success, security, prosperity, opportunity, responsibility and a host of other euphemistic para-virtues. However, the fact remains that ten times a day, a hundred times a week, a thousand times a year we make tiny choices that draw us away from God in favor things financial. Many of those choices seem prudent and responsible, and usually even are if we don’t make allowance for the exchange rate into God’s economy. Yet, in the midst of all those choices we take incremental, almost imperceptible, steps away from God. We place our trust in the things of this world, often borrowing against the "treasures of heaven" to do so. Indeed, this is virtually unavoidable. We live in this world. We have responsibilities in this world. We naturally make most of our decisions based upon that perspective. Over time, though, our hearts are drawn far the God who should be our first love. We begin to depend upon our investments and retirement. We justify houses and cars and all manor of creature comforts which may not conform to God’s desires and the clear path towards heaven begins to grow hazy because we’ve become overly entrenched in the here and now. In the end, our lives betray a worship of the second best god, the god of this world, rather than the God of heaven. Before you begin pointing fingers, I daresay that the lion’s share of these burning coals is heaped upon my own head, for I am at best just like everyone else. Jesus said that we cannot serve both God and mammon (money) and I don’t pretend to fully understand either that statement or the fullness of its ramifications. What I do know it this: those who would follow the Christ need to look closely at his life and example. Let us not settle for the promises and security of the second best god when the true God has so much more to offer. I’m not quite sure how that must play out in our lives, but it certainly begs for a closer look and much prayer. May the Lord grant wisdom to all of us who seek it in this area of our lives.

The Second Best God
What do we place our trust in
Where do we find our security
What do we worship with our lives
With our time and talents, continually
We cannot serve God and mammon
Those are the bible’s words
Yet we often choose to ignore them
And such wisdom goes unheard
The God of heaven calls us
To worship Him, and Him alone
But we turn from Him with deaf ears
With hearts and minds of stone
To worship the second best god
The almighty dollar we love so dear
In which we place our hope and trust
Throughout each day and year
Our lips may declare it otherwise
But our lives betray our zeal
As we serve the second best god
The one with so much appeal
Who do you serve, God or mammon?
Would the people who know you agree
With the words of your profession
Or call it a travesty
Each of us must examine our lives
Our time, our words, our deeds
Study our check book registers
Winnowing out our desires from needs
Only then can we hope to determine
Which God we really serve
Don’t waste your life on the second best one
Give the real God the praise He deserves
By Frank Carpenter ©

Before There Were Sidewalks

There is a tendency in our grown up world to pander primarily to adults. It occurs to me today that some of my favorite friends are children and they receive a very small amount of my attention. So today’s poem is for the kids, for your kids as well. This simple story explores the way in which society and our surroundings are in a constant state of change. Some folks talk endlessly about the way things used to be. Others think only of the here and now and some are always looking towards the future. The only thing we can be sure of is that things will change. If we understand that one fact, we have taken the first step towards being prepared for whatever will come. When we wonder about what came before we open the door to dreaming of what is yet to come. And so it goes. Hope this one gets your gears turning.

Before There Were Sidewalks
Before there were sidewalks
To roller skate on
There were board walks of wood
But now those are gone
And before there were board walks
They just walked in the street
Back when streets were all muddy
And not very neat
Before there were streets
Or towns here at all
There were just plain dirt roads
That were dusty and small
And before there were roads
That criss-crossed the lands
There were just pony trails
Made by Indian bands
And way back before that
Before people came here
There were only the paths
Left by foxes and deer
There were only the mountains
And meadows and trees
The soft sounds of nature
And tall grass in the breeze
And that's how it was
Back before people came
The land never changed
Things were always the same
But now there are sidewalks
To roller skate on
I wonder if the sidewalks
Will ever be gone?
By Frank Carpenter ©

Veterans Day

Fellow citizens, in case you may have forgotten today is Veterans Day. I believe this should be one of our most cherished national holidays because it honors those who have served our country. It was originally Armistice Day, set aside to honor those who served in WWI, since that was the first real global conflict and considered the "war to end all wars." Then WWII came along, which was even bigger and the holiday was expanded to cover it as well. We now recognize Veterans Day as being devoted to all service men and women who have served in conflicts abroad on our behalf. And we continue to be at war, even today. Without belaboring our current conflict or any political ramifications thereof, let me just encourage all my fellow Americans to pause for a moment to reflect upon the service and sacrifice of all those who have fought to defend not only our freedoms, but the freedom of countless others around the world. Let’s thank God for what they have done and let us also, as a nation, pray for the safety and courage of those who are currently serving on our behalf. Ironically, freedom isn’t free ... and this day is set aside for the purpose of honoring those who best understand what the cost is. I actually began writing today’s poem on Memorial Day but never quite got closure. This weekend, however, when I began to think about Veterans Day, the words finally gelled. If you know someone in the military take the time to write, call or pray for them. If you know someone who served in the past, do the same. Veterans Day is a day of mourning and a day of gratitude. It is a day when we remember our obligations not only to our own great nation, but to others who count upon us the world over. Let us be a nation who remembers, and be sure to remind others what day it is and why we celebrate it. If you are interested, you will find below my poem a history of Veterans Day which makes very interesting reading. May God bless America, now and always.

The Cost of Freedom
As we consider Veterans Day
Let us remember what this day means
Let us remember the rows of head stones
Stretching across the fields of green
Each stands in tribute to those fallen
On behalf of this nation we share
Men and women who proudly served
Who paid with their last breath of air
For the lofty ideals of democracy
For the freedom of each of us
Often dying in far away lands
While never betraying our trust
Freedom isn’t free at all
It is costly beyond compare
Purchased by the precious blood
Of heros, and loved one’s despair
So as we celebrate Veterans Day
In this land of the brave and free
May we be ever mindful
Of the awesome responsibility
We owe to those who have fallen
Whom our nation was built upon
Let us fight to preserve that freedom
So our children may carry it on
By Frank Carpenter ©

HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY
Official recognition of the end of the first modern global conflict -- World War I - - was made in a concurrent resolution (44 Stat. 1982) enacted by Congress on June 4, 1926, with these words:
WHEREAS the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
WHEREAS it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
WHEREAS the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), That the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.
An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, and the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday - - a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as " Day. " Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen in the Nation's history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in lieu thereof the word "Veterans. " With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first "Veterans Day Proclamation " which stated:
"In order to insure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans' organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible."
A letter from the President to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans' Affairs, was sent on the same date designating him to serve as Chairman. In 1958, the White House advised the VA's General Counsel that there was no need for another letter of appointment for each new Administrator, as the original proclamation in 1954 established the Committee with the Administrator of Veterans' Affairs as Chairman. The Uniforms Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to insure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays- - Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the express will of the overwhelming majority of the State legislatures, all major service organizations and the American people. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only reserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: a celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.
This information came from the following web site at:
http://www1.va.gov/vetsday/page.cfm?pg=3

A Better Friend

When Jesus walked the streets of this world, one of the things He said was, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Later, he upped the ante by commanding us to, "Love one another, even as I have loved you." That raises the bar pretty high, but most of us like to think that we’re kind to everyone and we do a decent job of caring for the people around us. Recently our next door neighbor passed away. Now, he is older and had been sick for a long time so it didn’t come as a great surprise. However, his passing caused me to reconsider how little love and support I had offered to he and his wife during the years. In fact, despite all my lofty words, despite how good a friend I may actually have been to others in my life, I realized that I barely had any relationship with the people who lived next door. Worse yet, other neighbors down the street had been sick, and even died, without my even learning their names. Basically, I haven’t been much of a neighbor at all. Even within my family and group of closer friends I had come through for some folks and completely abandoned others. Sometimes it take something more dramatic to help us realize our shortcomings. This was my something. It’s no secret that I have a lot to say and plenty of advice for everyone else, yet there comes a time for all of us to take the bitter pill of our own experience. Are you like me? Do you have people in your life who need you, who would like to count on you, but you just can’t seem to get around to them? Well, we can’t help everybody. Some folks, however, don’t even call their parents or the obvious folks in their lives. Now I’m not talking from the soap box success here. I’m actually hitting myself over the head with that soap box. However, it’s never too late to become the people we really want to be. In fact, today would be a good day to begin. Today would be a good day to be a better friend.

A Better Friend
I could have been a better friend
Alas, now it cannot be
My next door neighbor died this week
Along with the opportunity
To be a better friend to him
And to love my neighbor well
The way my Lord commanded me
But my good intentions fell
Far short of all my lofty words
And the best intentions I
Aspired to so boisterously
As the days and weeks slipped by
Is there someone you have meant to call
Or who needs your help today
Take the time to be a better friend
Lest the chance should slip away
By Frank Carpenter ©

Lost in St. Louis

My last few postings have been a bit on the heavy side so figured it was time to give folks a break. I’m going to be traveling a bit this weekend and am reminded that when you travel, especially by plane, things don’t always go the way we plan. Today’s wacky poem recounts a time when I was trapped in St. Louis. According to the TWA computer I never arrived. Therefore, it refused to accept my reservation on any outgoing flight. Being left to the mercy of a machine who’s logic was based on faulty information, I resorted to my standard coping mechanism ... satirical poetry. Without digressing further, my point is that sometimes we simply lose control of our lives, or at least parts of them. That’s why we have to be a little flexible and maintain our sense of humor. Otherwise, we just end up pulling our hair out and eventually running amuck in public. I’ll be flying tomorrow and there’s no telling what might happen. More than likely, you’ll also find yourself at the mercy of powers beyond your control as well. That’s OK, it’s part of what makes life interesting. Whenever we inadvertently wander off the map of our well organized lives, we wander into the realm of adventure. With the proper perspective, however, those detours can make for some of the most interesting moments of our lives. So as you travel down your own road in the coming week, watch for the little detours that tend to be inconvenient and try to approach them as opportunities. And if you’re a control freak like me, get over it. Face that fact that life is simply out of control ... so enjoy the ride.

Lost in St. Louis
Dear friend, I was just thinking of you
As we came in on final approach
To the scenic city of St. Louis
Here I sit in 9-D coach
Touch down and landing were flawless
We taxi safely up to the gate
Soon I’ll be on a connecting flight
And home, I can hardly wait
Something goes wrong at the ticket counter
The computer says that I don’t exist
So it won’t let me leave St. Louis
And I am powerless to resist
I changed airlines back in Tulsa
Where my flight was canceled there
But now the TWA computer
Indicates that I’m not anywhere
"But I’m here, I’m standing in front of you!
Take my pulse, read my lips, it’s me"
"I’m sorry sir, but you’re still in Tulsa"
She proclaims emphatically
So here I sit in St. Louis
Though, technically, I haven’t arrived
And until I do, they won’t let me leave
They claim I’m not me, but contrived
I’m stuck for good in St. Louis
Look me up if you ever pass through
It seems the only thing worse than flying
Is not being able to
By Frank Carpenter ©

The Weight of the World

Today I write about an issue which has surfaced on the peripheral of my own life. Both of my children are in college and experiencing entirely different life stages than I, along with all the excitement, freedom and fun which college offers. The flip side to all that freedom can be the consequences thereof. Along those lines, I learned this week of at least three young college women who have suddenly found themselves burdened with unplanned pregnancies. It is not my place or intention here to judge them, rather I wish to sympathize with the complexity of their situations and offer them hope. They have difficult decisions to make in the coming weeks, which I surely don’t envy them. However, all is not hopeless and there are a host of options for those who are open to their consideration. What I want to say to you, young ladies, is that you are not alone. You have friends and family. There are countless councilors to advise you and there is a God who loves you and cares for you. You may feel alone or abandoned. You may feel lost or hopeless, but take heart. This is not the end of the world and you have both time and choices yet to spare. Take a deep breath and be willing to lean on those who love you. This last weekend, while praying and pondering over these issues, I wrote the following poem just for you. Feel free to share this with others even email me at the above address. Just know that people care about you and you are going to get through all this. What is more, you never know what may even turn out to be the seeds of future blessing in your life.

The Weight of the World
Right now, you feel abandoned
As you’ve watched love turn to dust
Seen the blossom of it whither
And a friend betray your trust
Leaving you to bear a burden
Which was meant for two to share
Instead, you stand alone, it seems
In a world that doesn’t care
And yet, you know you’re not alone
Less than ever, don’t you see
Someone is counting on you
A new responsibility
Now you find you’re faced with choices
You never dreamed you’d have to make
Force to chart a course through life
Beyond an unforeseen mistake
Perhaps you’re overwhelmed just now
And can’t see past today
With the weight of the world upon you
It’s difficult to find the way
But there is wisdom to be found
In friends and family
There are places you can turn
For support and help, you’ll see
God’s love is all around you
His arms are open wide
And a simple prayer is all it takes
To draw Him to your side
In the hours and days and weeks to come
There will be moments of despair
But you can rise above them
With the help of those who care
For what seems hopeless at this moment
In the darkness of this day
Can prove the seeds of future blessing
Somewhere down along life’s way
By Frank Carpenter

Please Vote!

One final thought, America, and that is please get out and vote on Tuesday. At the heart of our beloved democracy is our right to vote. Each of us has a voice, but it can only be heard if we participate. Regardless of whether you dissagree with me, vote! Even if you think your candidate can't win or may win by a land slide, vote. Your opinion matters and when you are silent you abdicate your rights to the hands of others. You are America and your voice should be heard!

The Weight of Temptation

I shop-lifted this expression "the weight of temptation" from a recent sermon at our church because I felt it captured the human condition perfectly. We live in a fallen world. By that I mean a world created by God, but corrupted by sin. While there is much good in this world, and many good people, it is our lot to bear a burden of temptation. Without a doubt, we do plenty of "right" things. However, the temptation of "wrong things," of poor choices, remains ever at hand. For some folks each day can be a real battle to stay in the center of the narrow path of faithful obedience. This is especially true because we no longer have to go looking for temptation. The wonders of various modern media have enabled sin to come looking for us. First of all, there are many kinds of temptation, but I’ll just use sexual temptation because of it’s ubiquitous presence in our daily lives. Television and printed media flood our homes, billboards and radio advertising follow us to work and our email "in" boxes are jammed with elicit spam on a daily basis. Even those of us who make a concerted effort to dodge the influence of all this inappropriate material cannot avoid a least coming into contact with it. You have to see an image in order to know you should look away. You have to read the subject line of an email to know that you shouldn’t. That’s just how things work. Even if most temptations burn up like comets entering the atmosphere of our conscious thought, some of them will still sneak through and end up leaving craters in the surface of our lives. Unless one gives in entirely, there is always a tension on the peripheral of our interaction with the world around us because one who would be pure must remain constantly on his guard. That is the weight of temptation, and to circumvent its effect upon our daily lives requires a proactive approach to living. Those who would be honorable husbands and fathers, leaders and role models, have to go farther than just doing the right thing. We have to completely avoid the wrong thing. Like a ship traveling through reef-strewn waters, we must give any obstacle a wide berth lest an unforseen wind or current should cause us to drift dangerously close to those unforgiving hazzards. Temptation exists. That is a fact in this modern world, just as it was from the onset of recorded human existence. We have the choice, however, of controlling it instead of letting it control us. Become a student of your own heart and your own life so that you learn to admit your weaknesses and discover how best to protect yourself from them. Don’t let the weight of temptation get the best of any area of your one and only life. Fight the good fight and live a life that will bring honor not only to you, but to your loved ones and your God. Onward.

The Weight of Temptation
It’s always there in the background
The darkness which follows me
Like storm clouds on the horizon
It pursues me patiently
Biding time, it lies in wait
For moments of weakness and pride
Those demons of temptation
Who whisper to me, deep inside
Sometimes the weight of temptation
Threatens to crush my feeble heart
Choking the very breath from me
As its claws seek to tear me apart
The evil one who pursues me
Is a master of disguise
Who lures me, unsuspectingly
To the brink of compromise
So I must be ever wary
My vigilance cannot wane
Lest temptation should come knocking
With the pleasure that leads to pain
Lord, gird my heart with the armor
Of Your word and shield my life
That I may be true to You, oh God
True as well to my children and wife
By Frank Carpenter ©