The Power of Poetry

Roses are Red
Violets are blue

Ok, so maybe this isn't the most powerful poetry ever written, but, by and by, poetry is powerful. The poet takes a sampling of words and arranges them in an order known only to himself and then shares that piece of his soul with others when they read his work. What's cool about poetry is that when it is read, it can mean various things to the readers who read it while never losing its original meaning. I like to read poetry and I like to write poetry. I thought I would share a poem or two with you today.

Birth of Perseverance

Contentment is fleeting;

Greed never fills;

Spirit breathes life;

Money breeds ills.

Sin corrodes character;

Christ renews within;

Perseverance is born of struggle.

By it, we overcome in the end!

Selfish Creatures All Are We

We know to live by faith, not sight

that shows our frailty, not our might.

Selfish creatures all are we;

trusting self for victory;

When death to self secures the fight.

Roses Are Red

Roses are red;

Violets are blue;

God made them all;

And God made you.

The Boy's Heart Needs Adventure

My wife and I took our two oldest boys to see the new Indiana Jones flick last night. We had a blast! The movie, though not the best Indy movie, was good and filled with excitement. I enjoyed watching my 7 year old son as he watched the silver screen. Many times, he was perched on the edge of his seat as the story unfolded before his eyes. Believe me, there were plenty of things for a young boy to see. There were some bad Russian soldiers, a not-so-likeable double or triple agent, ancient graves, indian warriors, sand pits, blow guns, a cool dude on a motorcycle, a crazy man and that wonderful bullwhip Dr. Jones is known for.

As I watched him watch the movie I was transported back in time to the dark ages when I was 7 and seated by my grandfather at the very first silver screen appearance of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I'll never forget watching the scene where Jones is trapped in the room with the ceiling closing in on him and the lady hesitantly placing her hand in the bug-infested goo to pull the release level to free them. You'll remember that she did stop the ceiling from descending only to walk in the room to touch the same booby trap that started it all over again. The most memorable part of that scene is Jones reaching back under the closing door just in the nick of time to snatch his famed fedora from certain death. I remember two foreign gentlemen seated in front of me and they just laughed and laughed and laughed and discussed with great animation the fact that Jones risked his arm for that hat!

We had a great time that night and I had a great night last night. All the way home we heard our 7 year old talk about the whip and what he was going to do when he got his whip. In fact, he woke up this morning asking me where he could get one of those whips. I would say his heart was captivated by what he saw last night just exactly like my heart was captivated by what I saw so many years ago. A boy needs adventure. There is something about the ordinary, mundane, culturized behavior that errodes the soul of a boy and a man. God made men like this. We were made with this desire to subdue the earth and rule the world and have the pretty girl at our sides while we do this. When this desire, this manly desire, is redeemed and harnessed by the Holy Spirit, God has a weapon far greater than anything Indiana Jones ever faced! He has a group of men against whom the gates of hell can NOT prevail. May God help us Chrisitan men recover a sense of adventure in the things of the faith!

Remembering is Good

This Memorial Day was more memorable than others. I got to go fishing with a friend (he let me drive his boat). I got to hang out with family and friends over some freshly grilled chicken, steak and shrimp. I was able to load my wife's car for the school activities she is coordinating today (that wasn't so much fun....). I took a hot shower, laid down in a comfortable bed with a nice fan overhead to cool me. I slept worry free until I had to wake up this morning to go to work. And , most probably, today, I will travel over 100 miles without having to stop in at any checkpoints or explain where I'm going or why I'm going there. All of these things are possible because of the men and women of the armed forces both past and present who have secured my liberties with their sacrificies and lives.
The Bible teaches us in Romans 13 and other places that God has ordained the government to help maintain order in his creation. When we live like we are supposed to live, we have no fear of the governement. When we govern ourselves like we are supposed to govern ourselves (namely, when we look for the interests of the multitude rather than self-serving agendas), we have God's blessing.
For me the image of a verteran is an old, white-haired man sitting on a front porch sipping coffee. The reason for this image in my mind is because that old, white-haired man was my great uncle. In truth, he was more like a grandfather than a great uncle. He fought in WWII and rarely spoke of the things he endured. When he died, he left a great deal of his earthly possessions to me, but none of them was and is more special than the little metal lockbox I found hidden away in the attic. When I finally got in it, I found snapshots of Hitler and his armies, German medals, love letters and many other personal items that told me a story about a man I knew, but didn't know.
As I've pieced together some of those things to gain a clearer understanding of who he was and what his life entailed, I've concluded that he sacrificed and endured extreme hardship in order to secure our freedom as Americans. He and countles others like him are the reason why we enjoy the quality of life and style of life that we enjoy. Without him and his generation and without those brave men and women serving currently around the world, we would not know the peace that we enjoy. When I remember my uncle, I'm overwhelmed with gratitude for his sacrifice and I'm spurred on to show gratitude to those currently serving. Remembering is good - if it helps us to never forget and if it motivates us to action.