Carleton Elijah LaMar Temple - Online Memorial Website

Hey bro! I know I didn't call you that when you were here, but it feels appropriate now, so I hope you don't mind! Anyway, I just wanted to share the lyrics of our song with you... love you!

Order my steps in Your word dear Lord,
Lead me, guide me everyday,
Send Your anointing, Father I pray;
Order my steps in Your word,
Please, order my steps in Your word.

Humbly, I ask Thee teach me Your will,
While You are working, help me be still,
satan is busy, God is real;
Order my steps in Your word,
Please, order my steps in Your word.

Bridle my tongue let my words edify,
Let the words of my mouth be acceptable in Thy sight,
Take charge of my thoughts both day and night;
Please, order my steps in Your word,
Please order my steps in Your word.

I want to walk worthy,
My calling to fulfill.
Please order my steps Lord,
And I'll do Your blessed will.
The world is ever changing,
But You are still the same;
If You order my steps, I'll praise Your name.

Order my steps in Your word.
Order my tongue in Your word.
Guide my feet in Your word.
Wash my heart in Your word.
Show me how to walk in Your word.
Show me how to talk in Your word.
When I need a brand new song to sing,
Show me how to let Your praises ring,
In Your word (2x),

Please order my steps in Your word,
Please order my steps in Your word.

I have had such a hard time dealing with his this loss. I'm an older man now and suppose to be strong and yet I have still so many tears even as I ask and pray for others to heal. Now along comes my daughter and she by Gods grace shows me the way... Praise God and Thank You Baby...

The first memory is after Carleton moved in with us and had been there awhile. The phone would ring and we lived in a big three story house on 29th and he would answer the phone and if it was for me he would make us all laugh. You see no kid could call me by my first name, it's not proper. and Carleton was always respectful  to everyone. But he was not sure how much he was a member of our family yet so he wanted to call me something but Mr Mooney was way to formal for that... little did we know. So he would answer the phone and yell: " You got a phone call!! And Brandon and Lex and Jelli and Retta and Mama would all say "WHO!! Has a call??? And bless you're heart you would pause and then say: " He has!!! " And everyone in the house would crack up and laugh and mess with you cause you did'nt know what to call me...

     Well as time went on you started calling me Magic after the nickname Jon gave me and most everyone around the block knew me by. That suited you and then years later you started calling me "Pops".. Talk about being honored OMG to have you call me that I was so honored. Face, if you only knew my beloved son how much I loved you from the start.... and to the last day I saw you and even now and forever. 

    Now the next one is with you and twin, God Bless You Both...

I had begun to "lose" my hair shall we say. Hair loss was a bit of a touchy subject with me back then as Mama  and the kids will attest. We where comming back fromn play ball at the coust and I was brushin my "hair" and then you say: "Don't brush to hard"... Funny man you were... Well time went on and you were with me at Royal Wood and Twin came by and I had then started to shave my head and then Twin see's me and bless her heart she says: "Magic, You look like Powder" off the movie, cause I worked nights and didn't get much sun. Well Carleton, you cracked up!!! Thought it was so funny that Twin got me saying that... and all I could do was laugh too....

     We shared so many moments. You allowed me to love you like a son and you showed me the love a son shows his father. It's just not natural for you to go before me no matter how. You should have been there with Brandon and Jon and Ret and Lex and Gels and Twin to see me off but as my baby said here... If I can love a bit more and feel and share more with my loved one's because of the loss I feel for you and yet always remember and keep you in my heart then you will have touched me more then you ever knew.  My Beloved Son Carleton, I Miss You and I Love You and God Bless You and Keep You... Pops Magic

  .

This memory of Carleton I'm sharing is for all those who don't know...hopefully it will make you smile, because it sure touched me!

I was trying to think of what to write first, and so many times I've written things on this site and erased them because it was just too hard. But after some time and a little talk with Brandon, I realized I don't have to accept that you're gone yet.  I will get there in time. But for now, I will share pieces of my memories of you so that your life will not be forgotten! I love you! And I hope you don't mind me sharing some funny things about you too because hey FACE it, you were a funny kind of guy. Again I love you! 

Here's the first memory... There was a time when I was very sick and I couldn't swallow. I hadn't eaten or drank anything for at least a week and I was so weak.  At this point in my life, Carleton and I didn't have a very nice relationship.  But as I laid in the bed feeling so down, I heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and automatically I knew it was Carleton because he walked heavy.  Anyway, he came in the room with his regular nonchalant attitude and he gazed over at me looking pitiful and asked "What's wrong witchu?" as if maybe I was faking and he couldn't care less. Through the soreness I whispered "I'm just so thirsty, could you please bring me a glass of water?" He then did what I expected him to do, he walked out of the room.

Now for those who didn't know our relationship back then, it was typical for us to fight.....and often did we!  I mean we would cut each other with the harshest of words and just continue on as if that was normal. But for us, at that time, it was.

Well I heard the faucet running in the kitchen the next room over, but I expected him to do something selfish and evil (like we were to each other back then) and fix himself a drink and drink it in front of me telling me something like how good it tasted or just another evil reply. But this time, was one of the first times I would see a different side of him.

Maybe a minute after he left the room, not only did Carleton return to my bedside with water, but it was the largest cup in the house!  I'm talking about one of those Big Gulp cups from 7/11, and it was filled with fresh ice cold water!

Now of course my initial thought was, "Ok, Did you spit in this?", but being as thirsty as I was and even looking at the sincerity on his face I figured it was legit. So I took the cup in my hands and just looked at him with such gratefulness, possibly for the first time ever, and even though I couldn't enjoy that water, I sipped on it for a while.

I probably thanked him for bringing it, and he probably acknowledged that and went on about his day, but here today I just thank him for that selfless act of kindness he showed me, even back then when we weren't so kind to one another...Carleton, I didn't know how much you meant to me until I found out you were gone. But all that you taught me in life, whether you tried to or not, if the Lord allows, I shall never forget. Your life was not lived in vain, and your death will not be either. What I learned from your death is to tell the ones I love that I love them while they're here. And I'm going to do just that. I'm sorry this tragedy had to remind me to do that, but I thank God for the ability to remember you and hopefully I will be able to give your children, my nieces and nephew, some of the wisdom you gave me (especially about relationships)!

Well, I'm going to sleep now. It would be nice if you could visit me in a dream, but even if you don't, I pray that you are well and that those who read this have peace when they think of you. I love you--I know, I know, you're probably tired of me saying it, but I do!!! Ok I'm going now--until next time, Good night!

P.S. I really did try to enjoy your favorite song, but that was difficult...I always liked that song, but I never could understand what the lady was saying, but I found the words and I'm determined to learn it now. I wish I could hear the lady at your church sing it who you said you loved to hear sing it. That will forever be our song!  It gets easier to hear the more I listen to it, but I will always remember it was at that moment, when I was sitting at the computer in Myrtle Beach, playing that song, and you told me you liked it.  We'd put it on repeat and sing it together, well, mumble it together.

But we had a conversation and you asked me why I always hated you and I told you because I felt like you took my best friend away from me. You said you never knew that and I told you it was ok because I didn't hate you anymore, but I told you I loved you and I called you my brother for the first time and from then on we were cool.  I pray that I never forget that, nor you!!! I love you Carleton Elijah Lamar Temple, you will always be my older brother and you'll always have a place in my heart! Sleep well!

Alexis

I went to see you yesterday and talked to you. I laughed and cried but most off all I prayed. I pray that you are in a better place looking down on us and watching over us. I miss you more that words can express! There is this feeling of emptiness that I have, I lost a true friend. Someone that meant a lot to me and always had my back. You gave me such good advice and was always there to listen when I needed you. No matter what u had going on you always took time out of your day 2 make sure I was ok. I miss all the times we were out kickin it. I can remember what a blast we had on 8/7/09. I wish I had a chance to say goodbye. No one can take your place and I know that I will never meet a more caring, understanding and most of all outstanding friend. I am deeply sadden by your loss and I have to find away to pick up the pieces and keep living life. I miss all your silly little sayings my favorite one was after everything I said you would always come back with "let you tell it" I find myself day dreaming of all the great memories we shared, and I am so glad that I have them to look back on and smile. Those are memories I will cherish forever. All your family, friends and co workers greatly miss you. Rest in peace C~

"To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of fake friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one's self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exulation; to honor God and respect and serve the aged and needy; to know that even one life you have touched has breathed easier because you have lived - this is to have succeeded"

This was/is what my Beloved Son Carleton was/is all about...