I used to speak a lot for local government officials. I have made speeches for The League of Cities in 26 states. My topics were: Don’t Lose Your Marbles–Staying Calm & Effective Under Pressure; The Spirit of Serving Citizens; and The Power of Inspirational Leadership.

Being from Nashville, I have always liked to create some humor by sharing a couple of funny country music song titles. Two of my favorites are: "You’re The Reason The Kids Are Ugly, Little Darlin’" and "You’ve Left Me So Many Times It’s A Wonder You Ain’t Gone." Those have always gotten some great laughs from mayors and councilmen.

Then I liked to turn the focus on city government by asking, ”What if a country music song writer decided to write a song about your role in your city?”. And I would give them these two country song titles that I made up:

"I Got Elected In This Place–Now My Life’s A Solid Waste!"

"Little Darlin’, Your Unfunded Mandates Have Unfunded Me!"

Elected city officials have a tough job. They can use our support and encouragement.

One beautiful summer day, I was sitting in a park in Paducah, Kentucky talking with a friend. Suddenly, my friend’s eyes got really big and I heard the sound of a heavy thud behind me.

I turned around and there was a squirrel sprawled out, apparently unconscious, on the ground. Somehow it had fallen out of the huge tree we were sitting under.

My friend and I were stunned. How could a squirrel fall? However, after a few seconds, the squirrel suddenly jumped up, scampered up another tree, and began to jump from limb to limb.

I learned a lesson that day. If even an agile, acrobatic squirrel can fall out of a tree, any of us human beings can fall down in life. However, falling is no shame if you get up, get going, and get back in your tree.

Something tells me that the squirrel didn’t spend the rest of his life feeling guilty over his fall. He was too busy frolicking in the branches to wallow in his mistake.

Perhaps our life would work better if we would learn from the falling squirrel’s example. Let’s get up, live right, and forget our mistakes.

Teenagers are widely expected to rebel and experiment with alcohol, drugs, and cheapo sex. A big percentage of them live down to the low expectations of their family and friends.

Marriages are expected to end in divorce. Half of them live down to low expectations.

Inner city kids are expected to drop out of school, join gangs, abuse drugs and sex, have babies as young teenagers, and engage in violence. Many live down to the low expectations around them.

Men are expected to be tough, cold, and emotionally hard. Many live down to those low expectations.

And nowadays, just about everyone is expected to call good, things that have been historically known as sinful behavior. It seems like society today is enthusiastically living down to that low expectation.

Perhaps we need to raise our expectations.

Ok. Then fill in the blank: Home____?

Less (Homeless) — For whatever reasons, we have a significant homeless population in the USA. Actually, one person or one child would be a significant homeless population. Many people are homeless because of reckless lifestyle choices often driven by their upbringing and/or personal pain. Others have had unfortunate events and/or financial difficulties that took away their home. Homeless people need help and encouragement. Many, through despair and the lack of hope, have forgotten that they can live better.

Blessed (Home-blessed) — The majority of Americans are home-blessed. We have a house or an apartment — a roof over our head. This is not something to shrug off. A home is a great blessing.

Obsessed (Home-obsessed) – Many people in our culture seem driven by a desire to accumulate unused floor space. My hometown of Nashville seems to be flooded with huge homes for two or three people to live in. People even shine bright lights on their home so that other people will notice their ability to accumulate unused floor space. Does the person with the biggest house win the game of life? Or is a home much more than floor space?

Town (Hometown) — Would my (and your) hometown be better off if we had better housing opportunities for those who struggle to find a home? Should homelessness be a concern for city government? Is there anything we as individuals or as a community can do to help solve homelessness?

Motivation Quotation: “It is no more a sin to hear whispers and suggestions of evil in our souls than it is for us to hear the wicked-talk of bad men as we pass along the street. The sin comes, in either case, only by our stopping and joining in with them.” –Hannah Whitall Smith

Motivation Thoughts: When do we as individuals do something wrong? Is it when a wrongful thought or impulse crosses our mind? Or is it when we begin to engage and participate with that wrongful thought or impulse?

I used to think I had done something wrong if a sinful thought passed through my mind or if I felt a sinful desire. But that was before I understood what Hannah Whitall Smith is trying to tell us.

You are not responsible for a bad thought that enters your mind. Your responsibility begins only if you accept or entertain that thought. If you reject an evil thought, resist it, and kick it out of your mind, you have done nothing wrong. You were tempted, but you didn’t sin.

Smith compares this to suddenly coming across an evil conversation. If you keep walking, you are not a participant in it. In the same way, you can’t keep a thought from entering your mind, but you absolutely do not have to allow that thought to remain. You have the power to drive all unwanted, evil, and self-destructive thoughts from your mind. Take up your power and use it today. Declare war on every sinful thought and fight for your right to a positive, healthy mind!