A poet’s prayer for his native land

Although Facebook didn’t alert me,
I posted a birthday greeting to my favorite uncle on my timeline.
Even though he’s getting older,
there’s still a spring in his step and a patriotic beat to his heart.
This uncle of mine has been through the war a time or two
and has the scars to prove it.
Fighting for the freedoms I too often take for granted
has taken its toll.
But he is not bitter.
He’s confident his service was not in vain.

While his vision is not quite what it used to be,
my uncle still manages to focus on the disturbing headlines
as he sees beyond the years and dreams of a better day.
Although prejudice, homelessness,
rampant gun violence and radicalized religions
make my uncle weep,
he prays (in his own way)
that God will bless our land once again.
In spite of the fact
his extended family is having trouble getting along,
my Uncle Sam refuses
to write his nephews and nieces out of his will.
He believes in them.
He knows they are better than they sometimes seem.

And so on this his 241st birthday,
I call on all my cousins from coast to coast
to honor this special man and give him the respect he deserves
by the way we treat each other.
I can’t think of a better birthday present to give our dear uncle
than giving each other the understanding,
acceptance, kindness and trust he longs for.
And may the frosting on his cake be a determination
to give one another the benefit of the doubt
when we are tempted to think the worst.

Happy Birthday, Uncle Sam!

Reflecting on the 10th anniversary of the iPhone’s birth

I AM is like my iPhone.
God is with me wherever I go.
Just like my smart phone,
He gives me direction when I’m lost.
His vast knowledge is limitless.
He fills my life with a source of music.
He wakes me each morning.
He is a source of light in the darkness.
His memory exceeds mine.
With Him I can deposit my concerns 
and withdraw His grace immediately.
He always has time for me.
He connects me with those I need 
and those who need me.
He provides me with pictures 
of people and places 
that define His plan for my life.
He allows me to take a selfie 
in order to focus on just how blessed 
I am.

A call to understanding not agreement

Our culture isn’t good or bad.
It’s just what makes us tick.
Like cultured milk that turns to cheese,
it need not make us sick.

Our culture is the way we live.
The values we embrace.
It is the language that we speak.
It is our nation’s face.

Our culture is our shared beliefs.
What we contend is true.
It is our common way of life
that shapes the things we do.

Our culture changes through the years.
And we’d best be informed
of what is current or passé.
We need to know the norms.

How Phil Mickelson scored a hole in one

Phil Mickelson the golfer
is a father, but there’s more.
From what I’ve heard he also is a dad.
He’s a dad who loves his children
more than prize money or fame.
Priorities to him are iron clad.

The U.S. Open beckons
but this golfer won’t be swayed.
His daughter’s graduation matters more.
A dad (unlike a father)
knows the best trophy of all
is based on time and not the lowest score.

What makes a father “dad-like”
is denying his desires
and giving those he loves what they most need.
A dad invests the interest
that he earns by spending time
avoiding traps of selfishness and greed.

Check out: https://www.sbnation.com/golf/2017/6/8/15759852/phil-mickelson-us-open-2017-erin-hills

Remembering those who fought on D-Day

A day at the beach
proved to be so much more.
The lives that were lost
turned the tide of that war.

So as we remember
what took place that day,
let’s cherish our freedom
and take time to pray.

Let’s humbly acknowledge
our longings for peace
as Uncle Sam’s nephew
or Uncle Sam’s niece.

Let’s ask the Almighty
for courage to fight
advances of terror
that bleach knuckles white.

Let’s ask God to give us
that same daring glance
that marked those young soldiers
in Normandy France.