Author: Paul Silcock

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Neglecting Things Is More Than A Time Issue

I’ve been thinking lately that I need to make more time for some things I have been neglecting. 

neglecting things is more that a time issue

… Actually, it would be nice if I could make more time, like take some electricity, insert it into a vacuum and somehow – poof! – have some extra time that no one else had, just personal time for me.

But that wouldn’t work. I’m sure there are a few more ingredients I’d have to add to “make time”.

Even with more personal time, it wouldn’t necessarily mean that I would use it for something I’ve been neglecting. I proved that this weekend. 

I had some time alone because Lily was away. But instead of using some of that time to focus on things I’ve been neglecting, I worked more.

I worked on a few things that I probably wouldn’t have if Lily had been home. I certainly would not have worked as late if she had been here. 

So making time for something I’ve neglected does not move me to action. 

Time is not my only issue. I also need the will to do something. 

I need to be motivated to do the things I’ve neglected. 

Motivation is what gets you off the couch and on your feet. It comes from a vision inside you of what could be. 

Motivation isn’t a pie-in-the-sky kind of vision; it is a realistic vision that you believe can be realized. 

Motivation is not fantasy.

For me, to get to those things I’ve neglected, I need to think about them – even for a brief moment – to get an image in my mind of what could be. 

With time and motivation, I could tackle anything I have been neglecting.  

… Yet I did have time and I did have some motivation this weekend. Still I didn’t get to some things I have been neglecting. So there must be something else that keeps me from getting to my neglected items. 

I think I know what it is. 

There is another element that will take the time I have and the vision in my mind and put them together. It is opportunity. 

Some people say you make your own opportunities, but that is not always correct. Sometimes there are outside forces that either provide opportunities or don’t. 

This weekend I thought about flying my drone. It had been over a month since I had last flown it. I had time and, certainly with Lily away, I could make time to get out and drone. 

Motivation is not usually an issue for me because I can easily envision what kind of video to create from the drone shots I take. 

But there has to be opportunity. Though the time was available and I was motivated, the weather didn’t provide the opportunity. 

I hope it won’t be too long before these three things come together and I can get out there and fly.

Here’s the thing: God has graciously given us time to discover He is worthy of our worship. By sending His Son to die for our sins and forgive us, God has given us opportunity to worship Him, for we cannot really worship God without being forgiven. And what about motivation? When you observe the beauty and intricacies of this created world and realize God’s loving act of forgiveness and sacrifice for us, that should motivate us to worship and love Him in return. … You have the time, motivation and opportunity to know and worship God – it’s time to act.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What’s something you have been neglecting? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Great Intentions Will Get You Nowhere

I had great intentions this morning. I knew what I was going to do first … well, maybe not first. First I take some personal time with God and then I play hockey on Saturday mornings.

great intentions will get you nowhere

It was after that that I intended to write out a list of things I wanted to do today.

That was the catalyst for my great intentions.

Hockey was over at 8:30 am but I just finished writing out my list at 1:15 pm. No, it didn’t take me that long to write out my list. I just didn’t get to it. … So much for great intentions.

Other things consumed my time, like deciding to listen to music while I ate breakfast. 

I had issues trying to connect my phone with the speaker in the kitchen, but rather than just listen to the music from my phone’s speakers, I chose to solve the issue with the speaker in the kitchen.

In the process I listened to a lot of music on my phone before I got my kitchen speaker set up … and burned through a good deal of time. 

Then I checked my email on my phone, which sent me on a rabbit trail, that took me to facebook and a lot of scrolling. 

Before I knew it, I was feeling a little peckish, so I rustled up some lunch, which usually means reheating a leftover meal from earlier in the week. 

We had one meal in the fridge so that worked out for me. I also got wings out of the freezer for my dinner later, so I was all set for meals.

It was time to make that list. 

And when I make a list of things I need or want to get done, there is always more on that list than I had originally thought of in my head. 

Today my list is kind of long … not too long for a 9-in-the-morning list, but rather long for a starting-after-1-pm list.

What really messed me up was that I didn’t make my list until the afternoon. Somehow my brain thinks that when the list is made, then I have my instructions for the day. Until I make that list, I’m free-wheeling on whatever comes into my mind to do that minute. 

That’s just how my mind works. 

I remember years ago taking a Myers Briggs temperament evaluation. Along with the four letters that indicated what each particular temperament was, there was a prayer that went along with it. 

One of the prayers went something like, “God help me to keep my mind on one thi … Oh look, it’s a bird.”

For some reason I need a dock or a post to chain my mind to. For me, a list is that post or dock that keeps me focussed. 

I’m hoping my list will tie down my brain to the things I want to do today.

Here’s the thing: Our great intentions don’t mean anything unless we actually get to them. That is true with God as well. You might have great intentions to follow Him one day, but intentions won’t make that happen. You might have great intentions to forgive a person, or to clean up some part of your life. Great intentions won’t do it for you. You have to get at it and start. What are you waiting for?

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What’s your great intention and what are you going to do about it? Leave your comments and questions below.

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My Fine Motor Skills Are Definitely Lacking

I’ve determined that my fine motor skills are not what they should be.

my fine motor skills are definitely lacking

It’s not as though I can’t work a pen or pencil, although, if you’ve seen some of my writing, you might call that into question. 

When my son was little and watching me journal, he asked me a very thoughtful question. He said, “Daddy why are you scribbling?”  

I told him I wasn’t, that I was writing, to which he rebutted “you are scribbling”. 

So maybe I can’t wield a pen or pencil like other people. 

I get along just fine doing most things. My hands work well: I can type, hold a baseball and catch a ball in my hand. I have no trouble holding or using a hockey stick … though my thumb is a little sore after a collision playing hockey this morning. But when it comes to more intricate moves, maybe I am lacking. 

If you do something enough times you get the hang of it. And that should also be true when using your hands.

For instance, no matter how uncoordinated you are, if you practice tying your shoelaces enough times, you will get pretty good at it. … I’m glad to say that I have mastered that fine motor skill and I don’t think I even needed any remedial help with it. 

But there are a few things that I just can’t seem to master. One of them is a video game joystick. 

Maybe you have to be born after 1980 to use one. I can never get my thumbs and fingers doing the right things at the right time. 

I was not much into video games but when my son was just starting out, we would play hockey on his Nintendo. 

… Well, that lasted about a month. 

We started off about equal but within a matter of weeks he had surpassed my skill level and never looked back. 

Any time after that when he’d challenge me to play with him, I just smiled and said I was not in the mood. It was really because my fingers don’t work that well.

But there is one more thing that really bugs me and that is playing the guitar. I can practice the same thing over and over and never seem to get past a certain stage. 

There is a little lick I’ve been trying to master for literally half a year. It is a couple of chords and then a solo part. I’ve played it over and over but I can’t get it to sound like it fits. 

And my fingers on my right hand refuse to cooperate with my pick in my left hand. 

I’ve practiced that bit way more than I ever practiced learning to tie my shoelaces. But if I had had this much trouble mastering my shoelaces, I would have switched to velcro straps instead.

Maybe you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

Here’s the thing: We all have limitations; there are things we just can’t master or figure out. But there is a God who has created this whole world, who has never fretted one moment about accomplishing any of it. He is worth trusting your life to and depending on when you’ve reached your limitations. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find hard to master? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Perception Can Either Be Right Or Completely Off

When people have a certain, inaccurate perception of you, it’s really great to prove them wrong. 

perception can either be right or completely off

We form perceptions of people all the time. When we first meet or see someone, we instantly have a perception of them.

We secretly determine what their personality is like or how smart they are. We size them up – are they funny, serious, intriguing or boring? 

And we do all this in a matter of seconds.

Every once in a while my wife, Lily, and I will do some people watching. It makes for some good entertainment, especially if we are just sitting around, like in the food court of a mall.

We might notice a couple talking at the entrance of a store across the way. I’ll give Lily a rundown of their possible conversation. My story will include what the couple are talking about, whether they are arguing or agreeing with each other. 

Sometimes I will provide accents for the two people or what their voices sound like.

Our perceptions are not always right … likely more wrong than right. It doesn’t matter because this all happens before we have met them.

It is one thing to have a perception of someone you are meeting for the first time. It’s a totally different thing to have a perception of someone you have known for years and years … like about 40 years.

That’s what I ran into this weekend. 

Our daughter, Karlie, has just taken training in FST. You probably have no clue what that is – most people don’t. It stands for Fascial Stretch Therapy. 

… And it has nothing to do with the face. 

It does have to do with the most prevalent connective tissue in your body.

Your fascia supports every aspect of movement – muscles, tendons, organs, ligaments and nerves.

FST can increase your flexibility, reduce aches and pains, and improve range of motion. A person trained in FST basically stretches you during a session. 

Well, Karlie has recently started treating clients and loves to improve her skills as much as possible. (You can check out her instagram pics here.)

… So who better to practice on when you are home for Thanksgiving than your family?! 

Let’s just say there was a lot of stretching that happened this past weekend. 

But then there was me – the only one who hadn’t been stretched. 

The perception of the family was that I would be very tight and that my flexibility and range of motion would be dismal. 

I guess all the disparaging talk and the perception of my physical condition got to me. I had Karlie stretch me. 

Ha, turns out their perception was wrong! I am way more flexible and have way more range of motion than both my wife and son. 

So much for perception.

Here’s the thing: Many people have perceptions of God. Their perception is based on things they have heard and people they’ve listened to. Some people form their perception based on something that happened to them. They make up a scenario of God’s involvement in that incident. But these are all perceptions and they may be wrong. To know what God is like, you have to meet Him and have experience with Him. You can start to meet Him by reading the Bible, and have experience with Him by talking with Him (prayer). The more you do these things, the more you will discover what God is really like.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What perception do you have that needs to either be proved true or busted? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Our Memory Can Get Us In And Out Of Trouble
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Our Memory Can Get Us In And Out Of Trouble

Our memory can will us forward but it can also set us back. I learned the latter just the other day.

our memory can get us in and out of trouble

Your memory of what you have done can give you real confidence to attempt to do the same thing again. After all, you know you’ve done it before; why couldn’t you do it again?

Well, sometimes our memory doesn’t take into account the reality of new circumstances.

I kind of faced that this past week when I went golfing with a few buddies from high school.

I had some great memories to bring with me to the game:  We were playing a course I have played literally hundreds of times (the one caveat being that most of those games were over 35 years ago and I haven’t played the course more than a dozen times since). The golfers I was playing with were all high school friends from way back. So I knew the course and I was comfortable with who I was playing with. 

Then there was the game itself. I felt good, my swing was good and I was pretty confident that I wouldn’t have any trouble hitting the ball well. 

… And that is where my memory didn’t help me. 

You see, I do know how to hit a golf ball and most of the time I can hit it well. But I’ve only played four rounds of golf this year and the last time I picked up a club was almost two months ago.

Still, my memory of the game had me convinced that, given all the factors, I would be able to shoot a score that rivalled games I have shot it the past. 

But my memory didn’t account for several things …

The greens on this course were lightning fast and that was not easy to get used to in a short time. The greens were also large so I faced a lot of very long putts.

Then there was the concentration factor.  

It takes a lot of concentration to keep hitting the ball well. You don’t have to concentrate the whole time, but you have to be able to really focus for short bursts when you are hitting a ball. That can make you mentally weary. 

And then there was the physical weariness. When you are not used to walking a long, 6000 plus yard course, you tend to get tired. Near the end of the round I noticed that I was not hitting the ball well. I was just tired and out of golf shape. 

What can you expect? … I kept telling myself that after I would hit another shot that missed the target I was aiming for. 

In the end, I didn’t shoot a score that rivalled scores of the past. I shot a score that rivalled one of my worst scores ever on that course … probably the worst score I’ve shot in years – maybe 30.

Next time I’m not going to rely on my memory. I’m going to work on my skills and conditioning before I show up. 

Here’s the thing: Sometimes you can face a spiritual challenge – a struggle with temptation or a battle with emotions. You may be tempted to rely on your memory of how you’ve worked these through in the past. But the best way to deal with these challenges is to keep spiritually fit and engaged so that you are well-equipped to deal with what you face.

That’s Life! 

Paul

Question: What are you relying too much on your memory for? Leave your comments and questions below.

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The Phone Call You Hesitate Returning

I got a phone call from someone who said he knew me but I couldn’t place him. I didn’t even recognize the name. 

the phone call you hesitate returning

So I hesitated making the call, not being sure what this person may want from me.  Instead, I made another call, just to warm up to the idea of returning this message.  

It didn’t help.  

I again looked at the message, to try to figure out who this person might be, and how I might know him. Then I decided to give it a shot; I made the call.   

Some people answer the phone and start talking like you know them, and if you don’t immediately make it clear that you have no clue who they are, the phone call becomes awkward.  

It’s agony when that happens. 

You strain to pick up on any tip the person may drop as they talk.  About a month ago, I was five minutes into a conversation before I figured out who I was talking to.  

During that time I thought it was one person and then I thought it was someone else.

When I eventually figured it out, what the guy was saying finally made sense.  I was sweating on the other end of the line. 

Thankfully, this guy didn’t leave me hanging.  

He could tell I didn’t have the slightest idea who he was and asked, “You don’t know who I am, do you?”  When I said “no”, he gave me some context to place him in.

I had played shinny hockey with him years ago. 

In fact, except for one game of hockey he played with me about a year ago, I probably haven’t seen him in about 5 years.  

Let’s just say he hadn’t been in my circle of associates for a long time, and I had only known him by his first name.  He phoned me because he knew I was a pastor and thought maybe he could talk some things over with me.

The guys I regularly play shinny hockey with all know that I’m a pastor.  Somehow it comes out.  When they find out, their language usually changes for a while, and when they slip up they usually apologize … at first.  

Even though I’ve been playing hockey with some of these guys for years and years, not often am I asked for anything other than a pass on the ice.  

This call was pretty unusual, especially given the fact we had been out of touch for so long. 

We talked about setting up a time to meet and then ended the conversation.  When I hung up the phone, I just sat in my chair for a moment, thinking about how that guy came to call me at this particular time in his life.

Here’s the thing:  What we do today may not seem like it makes much difference.  In fact, one day may not make much difference.  But over a long time, being genuine to those around you may trigger something in someone, years from now, in their time of need.  That’s when being a consistent Christian example before them will make a difference.  God reminded me, through this phone call, that the testimony of my life has no expiry date attached to it.  So, I need to keep living a life God can use.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How has your life, your testimony, your example made a difference years later?  Leave your comment below.

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Writing Things Down Can Ensure Success

Writing things down increases your potential every day. 

writing things down can ensure success

… You might be thinking, “That’s a pretty bold statement. Do you have facts to back it up?” 

Well, no I don’t. 

I suppose I could find some facts that would support my statement at least in part. But I think my own testimony is good enough on this topic.

We rely heavily on our memory and, thankfully, for the most part, our memory is great. 

You don’t have to think about so many things during the day because your memory brings them to the forefront of your mind and you just act on them. 

Your phone number – you don’t have to think about it. Your address – you recite it automatically. You know your co-workers’ names by heart. 

It is amazing how often our memory assists us. 

However, when you have work to accomplish, something you want to put into your memory, or just something you don’t want to forget, writing it down is a better option than relying solely on your memory. 

This is what I have found … 

For all the things I need to accomplish in a day, or things I want to accomplish, if I keep them all in my memory I am more likely not to accomplish everything on my mental list. 

But if I write out a to-do list of the things I have in my mind to accomplish, I have a much greater success rate. 

I’m not sure why that is. Maybe, if it’s only in my mind, it’s not prioritized; it’s simply one of many things that needs to be done. 

I am more apt to think, “I’ll get to it sometime today” … but that sometime may never come.

Writing things down keeps you more focussed. There is something about seeing that task in front of you and crossing it off when it is complete that keeps you locked into the things that are a priority. 

Recently I was having a difficult time staying focussed all day long. I knew what I needed to get done, so I didn’t bother to write anything down. 

And every day that week my work ran out of hours in the day. There were times that I wasn’t productive. Basically I wasted time. 

I had things to do but I figured I still had a bit of time to look into something that was not on my mental agenda. … I never got back to the things I wanted to get done in time to actually get them done. 

When Friday came around I was way behind on what I needed to accomplish. 

So I did two things: first I tidied up my desk – I feel better when my desk is clear. Then I wrote out a list of tasks I needed to get done.

One by one I checked them off my list. I didn’t deviate from my list; I wasn’t even tempted. 

Writing things down gave me the focus and motivation I needed to get all my work done. 

Here’s the thing: When you make a commitment to God, or you believe God wants you to do something, if you just keep that in your memory, you may or may not get around to it. But if you write it down, you will be more likely to follow through on what God is asking of you.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What things do you need to write down today, in order to accomplish them? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Good Technical Support People Make Life Easier

Good technical help is not easy to come by … and it’s not because the skill and know-how are hard to find.

good technical support people make life easier

When you visit another country and they speak a language that you do not, there is definitely a communication barrier. I’ve been to several countries where I didn’t speak the language. I could communicate but it was not very easy.

A few times I have preached with an interpreter and that takes a little getting used to. You need to keep your sentences short and only speak a couple of sentences at a time. Then you just hope that the interpreter is telling the people what you said … and not telling them what he thinks of what you said or how you are dressed. When you didn’t tell a joke but the people laugh at what the interpreter says, you get a little suspicious.

My wife, Lily, and I went to Quebec City for a vacation one year. Fortunately, Lily can speak a little French and she understands more than she can speak. For myself, after bonjour, I’m a little thin on my French. 

In grades seven and eight I learned how to say pen and pencil and a few other words. But that will not get you far, especially if you are trying to order a meal. You won’t find pencil lead or ink on the menu.

I also have the ability to  speak words with a French accent so they sound French. … You should hear me say “dessert”.

But you can’t really communicate effectively with what I have to work with. 

In Quebec I would get off to a great start with my “bonjour” but then when they would say something back to me, I would just look at Lily, sort of like,”Okay, take it from here.”

This week I’ve been trying to switch our church website hosting from one company to another. Basically we are creating a brand new website. The new website will be easier to use and update, but it doesn’t seem to be easy to switch it from the old site.

Part of the difficulty in making the switch is that the technical support people, from each company involved, are speaking a different language. 

On the surface it appears they all communicate in English. But that’s misleading because what they say is very difficult to understand. 

Maybe they are too used to talking to computers and they have lost the art of communicating with humans. Maybe they only know certain phrases and words in English so they stick to the phrases they know. 

I had technical help from three companies: my new website host, my old website host, and my URL name registrar. After a day and a half it seemed like none of them could or were willing to help. They knew the solution but they didn’t communicate it to me in terms that were clear to me. 

I just needed to ask the right questions and listen carefully to their answers. 

Here’s the thing: Some people feel like that with God. They ask God questions or for certain things but they don’t get or understand the answers. The thing is God will communicate to us clearly, but often we are not really listening very well. Listen to God with your eyes, your mind, your heart and your ears. He is speaking clearly to you. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: In what way do you need to improve your listening skills with God? Leave your comments and questions below.

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My Nose Is Giving Me Some Issues Right Now

Excuse me if I’m holding my nose right now. It’s not because of the smell, but it is becoming a common activity for me lately. 

my nose is giving me some issues right now

I remember as a kid holding my nose when my family drove past a farm. In those days we only had four-by-four air conditioning in our car – that was basically all four windows rolled down. Thankfully, we were usually out of range of the farm really fast. 

This summer on our vacation, Lily and I drove for a good thirty minutes with the smell of manure seeping through the closed vents in our car – it was brutal. We had the air con blasting and the air circulating in the car and not bringing in fresh air. The smell was still pretty strong.

… I think the worst for me, though, was one time when the administrator at the church I was working at got manure for the gardens around the church.

It was pretty fresh manure … too fresh. 

Even though I was an adult at the time, the scent was so strong that I would hold my breath or plug my nose from my car to the church. 

It was amazing that that administrator kept his job! The strong odour lasted for weeks and the students I was working with at the time were very vocal about it. 

The good thing was that the kids ran into the church for our programs. There was no lingering outside. They came straight in.

A rotten odour is usually what you think of when you see someone holding their nose. But that has nothing to do with why I’ve been holding my nose lately. 

It seems that every year at this time, and another time in the winter, I am prone to nose bleeds. 

I’ve been having them since my teen years and they come on very suddenly and unexpectedly. I had my share of nose bleeds from being hit in the nose, but these bleeds happen at any time for no apparent reason. 

I’ve had two in the last week. Both times my nose started bleeding in the shower. 

On the one hand, there isn’t any mess; it all goes down the drain. But have you ever tried to finish showering with one hand? … And then there is the drying off. 

This morning I had a nose bleed while showering after playing hockey. I wished they had one of those car wash dryers. Then I could have let the wind dry me off.

I am now a master at the one-hand towel manipulation. 

I’m sure I will have a few more bleeds before the end of the fall. My blood pressure is in check, so it’s just something that happens as the seasons change. 

You know some people can tell by the pain in their neck when it is going to rain. Well, I can tell that the season is changing by my leaky nose.

Here’s the thing: No one likes getting a cut or having a nose bleed. Our blood is meant to stay inside us. We need it to live. But Jesus was willing to bleed and die for your and my sins. He bled for us – something we wouldn’t wish on anyone. Be sure you are secure in His salvation by placing your faith in Jesus as the Son of God and your Saviour. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How much would you suffer for someone else? Leave your comments and questions below.

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How a Plan Would Have Improved My Day

From time to time I will repost an article I’ve written from the past. This post was published back in September of 2013. Enjoy.

how a plan would have improved my day

Maybe it was the weather that made me lazy, but I sure needed a plan last Saturday. I felt like I accomplished nothing, like I wasted my precious day off, like I frittered away the day.

That doesn’t happen every day to me because most days of the week I make a plan. I have things that I want or need to get done and so I put them on my reminder list or right into my calendar.  

Some people can keep it all organized in their heads, but I need to write it down. I like to see it and check it off. 

Saturday was different for me; I wasn’t motivated to do anything. Well, I was … I wanted to go for a bike ride but the rain put an end to that dream, and with it any motivation to do anything else.

It was like I was thinking, “If the weather’s not going to let me go biking, I’ll show it. I’ll do nothing instead.” I didn’t actually think that, but in hindsight that was what I was doing.

I spent my day getting lost in the new iOS for my phone and iPad. I’d look at the time every once in a while and shake my head, but then go back to the nothing I was doing.

There were a couple of things I did during the day but they weren’t things I scheduled. They were things that others scheduled for me, and they didn’t give me a sense of accomplishment.

All I really needed to do was to spend about ten minutes writing a few things down and that would have changed the pattern of my whole day. I would have gone from floating through the day to having some kind of purpose. 

Having a simple list of things I wanted to work on or complete would have also changed how I felt about my day. I would have progressed through it instead of being annoyed at how the time was advancing.

But I can’t figure out why I would keep doing something – in this case nothing – that I didn’t like doing and not do something about it. (I hope I didn’t hypnotize you with that sentence!)

But that’s what lack of planning does – it keeps one stuck in the past/present while time is still moving. It’s like for me, time was standing still, but in reality time was passing me by. 

I could say that I was tired and I needed a day of nothing, but why, at the end of the day, didn’t I feel good about the nothing I did? No, even planning one or two things would have brought me fulfillment.

Here’s the thing: If you’re not planning God into your day, either connecting, growing or serving Him, you will float along in your relationship, stuck in the past/present with Him. Time will keep moving while your relationship will be standing still. Simply thinking of how to include Him in your day is all you need to improve your day.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How has planning made a difference in your life? Leave your comment below.

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