When Old Guys and Winnebagos Describe Your Life

There are images that come to mind when we hear certain words put together, like “old guys” and “Winnebagos”.

When old guys and Winnebagos describe your life

Those three words together cause us to play one of several scenes in our minds.

There was a time that I would always look to see who was driving those big, huge motor homes … 99% of the time it was an old guy. 

Now, some people would call me an old guy, but when I say “old guy” I’m not talking about someone who has adult children. I’m talking about someone who has adult children who have adult children.

In the past, the old guys driving those big, huge buses-turned-into-luxury-hotels-on-wheels were in the age range of about 80. 

It may have been that I was younger then and anyone over about 55 looked like they were 80+ to me, but I always questioned whether they should be the ones driving those big rigs, whether they should, you know, give the job to their grandsons, who were probably about 40 and could easily handle those machines.

Now-a-days you see younger people driving the big Winnebago-style vacation homes, but they are not driving grandpa’s; they have their own. 

When someone reaches 80, they have to take a driver’s test every year. This qualifies them, and assures the MTO, that they will still be safe behind the wheel.

But the MTO workers are probably thinking cars, not tour buses.

There should be a whole other set of tests for an old guy driving a fast-moving train down Highway 401 at 102 km.

… Which reminds me of another image that comes to mind when I think of old guys and Winnebagos. They are always towing a car behind the massive boat they are captaining down the interstate. The motor home is big enough, but adding a trailer just makes it that much more of a site. 

Well, I now have a new image of old guys and Winnebagos and this really was a Winnebago. 

I was looking out the windows at the cottage and one of those buses turned at the corner in front of us. 

He cut the corner way too hard, almost ran over our cedar shrub, and took out a garden moonray light. He also ran over some landscape ties that we have edging our driveway. 

His tires went over the end of the ties creating a teeter-totter effect, flipping the landscape ties out of the ground and snapping them in two places.

The best part was he just kept going like nothing happened! 

It turns out, ya, you guessed it, it was an old guy driving the rig – and not just a 55-year-old old guy. This fellow was way over 80.  

We did catch up to him and he seemed oblivious to what he had just done. He said he only takes the rig out about once a year. 

… Maybe once a year too many.

My hope is that he doesn’t leave the park the same way he came in! 

Here’s the thing: When you give your life to Christ, you essentially let Him drive your life. But over time you can find that you are back behind the wheel. Eventually when you cut a turn too sharp, or run something over, you realize you shouldn’t be driving the bus. Well, if that’s you right now, it’s time to give the keys back to God and let Him drive your life. Do it today.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are indications that you are driving your life instead of Christ? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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How Memories Are Triggered

It is interesting how an insignificant sight or sound can trigger all kinds of memories. 

How memories are triggered

I don’t know if it happens to you but it happens to me all the time. 

It can happen for me as easily as someone mentioning a word, and that word triggers a song in my head. I may not have heard that song for years, but the memory of it, the tune and all the words come back fully loaded into my brain.

The hard part is then trying to get that song off the playlist in my head.

The other day I was alone at work when it started raining. It was not just raining, it was like the heavens opened up and water was let loose.

You could hear the rain loud on the roof, and it just kept getting louder. 

As I listened, I remembered an event back when I was a youth pastor, directing a junior high camp at which a lot of the kids from my church were attending.

That week the girls had been pulling all kinds of pranks on my guys. The strange thing was my guys had just been taking it all. No retaliation. 

So half way through the week my assistant and I stormed into the cabin where my students were staying. We yelled, “What’s wrong with you guys?” The boys replied, “We’re just trying to be good.” 

We shook our heads and said, “Well, don’t just take it from those girls; stand up for yourselves.” 

They looked at each other, gave me that mischievous look, and we knew our work was done. 

The next day at dinner time, the girls were all lined up, waiting outside the dining hall until the cooks let them in. They were in a line along the side of the building, talking and giggling.  

I was chatting with the girls when I looked up at the top of the roof of the dining hall. There, on the crest of the roof, were five or six of my guys with buckets of water. 

The cooks called me inside and insisted I get the boys off the roof. I told them the boys would be down in a minute. Then I went outside to see the show. 

As my guys poured their buckets out on the roof, I watched the silent flow of water quickly moving down the shingles … until the water got to the edge of the roof which, by the way, had no eavestrough. 

When the silent flow of water hit the edge it broke into a loud waterfall that came crashing down on the unsuspecting girls in line. 

Dinner was delayed that night because of a needed clothing change. 

The girls got it good.

… Isn’t that funny? That whole memory came back with just the sound of rain beating down on a roof. 

Here’s the thing: Little things can trigger a thought about God. It might be a view of the lake or the sound of thunder. When that thought comes to your mind, don’t dismiss it or refocus on what you were doing. Take a moment to let your memory recall when God stood out to you in that context. Replay that tape. It will remind you of the character of God, who He is and help you feel closer to Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What things trigger memories for you? Leave your comments and questions below.

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It Doesn’t Take Much To Make a Big Difference

It doesn’t take much to make something look a whole lot better. In fact, just a little is all you need to make a big difference.

 big difference

We came home from vacation and our back lawn was incredibly long – so long that the grass couldn’t hold itself up; it was laying down … that’s how long it was. 

It looked atrocious … kind of like the way most of us looked in the early seventies to our parents. We thought we looked great, but our parents hated our long hair. It was wild and unruly – at least mine was. 

Over the last five months many of us experienced that wild and unruly look again, while others experienced it for the first time. With hair salons closed because of COVID, we all went a long time without getting trimmed.

I, for one, was coming up with a new way to comb my hair every day. When my hair got too long for one look, I started experimenting where I would part it. I went from sort of a side part to gradually moving my part farther up my scalp until it got to the middle. Sometimes I whisked my bangs to the side, sometimes they just flopped down my forehead.

The one consistent thing about my hair was it looked bad. It always looked like I needed a haircut three weeks ago. 

Well, our lawn looked like that after our vacation. 

I really didn’t want to cut it because I knew that my lawnmower would be chugging the whole way and I would be stopping and starting, having to keep clearing the clumps of grass out from under the machine deck.

When I thought about it, I remembered when I was growing up and had to cut my back yard. It was big and would take over an hour and a half. We would always leave it too long so it was even more painful to cut. We would have to take two steps forward and then back up, step forward and then back up again. 

Looking at our lawn the other day, I had that painful memory that made me wish we had paved the whole yard.

When I got out there, I decided that I would have to cut the lawn two or three times over the next several days to get it as short as the front yard. 

I started on the highest setting on the lawnmower. To my surprise it didn’t clog up and I was able to cut the grass in a reasonable time with ease.

I was just trimming the tops though. I figured I had a few more passes to go. 

… Maybe not. When I stepped back and looked at it, even though it was a couple of inches longer than the front yard, the back yard looked great – nice and trimmed. 

It looks so good I’m going to leave it for a few days before I do any more trimming. 

… Maybe long can look good.

Here’s the thing:  Salvation is a little like that. When you give your life to Christ and have your sins forgiven, there is still much that needs to be changed. But that initial faith that you place in Jesus Christ makes a big difference in you. The transformation is huge and noticeable. Sure, there’s lots more to work on; that can come later. Just be sure to take that initial step, to give Jesus control. It makes a big difference.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What little thing do you need to do that will make a big difference? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Thirty-Five Is Way More Than Just A Number

Thirty-five is just a number until you put some context to it, and a number can have many contexts. 

Thirty-five is way more than just a number

It can represent the number of years one has lived on this earth. … I remember when I was 35 years old, mountain biking with my youth group in the mountains in Jasper, Alberta. A bunch of them wanted to take a black diamond trail, so I figured I should go along. 

About a third of the way down, I thought to myself, “I’m too old to keep up with these kids.” I had watched them grow from junior-highers to 16 and 17 year olds and I was feeling old.

Thirty-five can also be used in the context of money. It wasn’t that long ago when $35 was about the price of a round of golf. Well, those days have long gone.

Some people might have possessions that were made 35 years ago, but I can’t think of too many things I own that are that old. 

I don’t have any clothes from back then; I don’t have a bike that is that old; certainly not a car … though a car that old would be considered vintage.

The house I live in hasn’t been around that many years, and I don’t have children that age either.

But I do have something that is 35 years old and that is a ring. It was made 35 years ago and I actually received it 35 years ago to this day (August 17).

I know you’ve guessed that it’s my wedding ring.

Thirty-five years ago today I married Lily. Well, it’s not quite 35 yet because we were married in the afternoon and I’m writing this in the morning. 

A “35” in front of “anniversary” has context. Some might consider it vintage, while others would say we’re just getting started.

But thirty-five years of marriage packs a lot of memories, and those memories go back to when we looked like kids.

I have memories of our honeymoon in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that I can’t give you any details about … though we did play a number of championship mini-putt courses there.

I also have memories of our 10th anniversary when we stayed in the FantasyLand Hotel at West Edmonton Mall. We stayed in the Polynesian Room, but I can’t give you any details about that either.

What I can tell you is that I have loved every minute of our 35 years together. 

Well, every minute might be stretching it.

Lily and I have shared many amazing times, emotions and events in our life together. And we have also shared some low times as well.

Like any marriage, you reminisce about the good times and grow deeper together in the tough times. 

I even remember one anniversary where we spent the night in a dorm room of a university, while taking twenty-one high school students to a youth conference in Waterloo, Ontario.

… Funny thing is I can’t give you any details on that one either.

Here’s the thing: Most of us can quantify our love for someone. We can identify when we realized we loved that person and we can calculate the time from then until now. But God’s love for us is more complicated than that. His numbering system is more difficult to quantify. God says in the Bible that He’s “loved you with an everlasting love”. That almost defies putting it into context, but we know exactly what He means. Accept His love today if you haven’t already. Celebrate and reminisce about His love if you already have it. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What number means something to you? Leave your comments and questions below.

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A Name Contains A Lot More Information

A Name contains a lot more information

There are times when you see a name or title and you know exactly what it refers to.

There are company names that do this very well. In the US there is a store named “Stop and Shop”. There is no question about what that store is all about. You stop your car and then you shop – it’s easy.

There are, however, store names that can leave us puzzled, like “Giant Food Stores”. I’m not sure if the food comes in giant packages or if the food they sell is so large that only giants would shop there. 

Another store is “Piggly Wiggly” – that’s a grocery store name. You would never know it … or maybe you would. … I think I’ll leave that one alone.

There are some people who don’t look like their name. I’ve met people for the first time and, when I’m told their name, I think, “No way. They look more like a Jim or a John.” 

Sheryl Crow sang about that once in a song called, “All I Wanna Do”. She sang, “He says his name is William, but I’m sure it’s Bill or Billy or Mack or Buddy.”

It’s good when a name matches, isn’t it? 

But if a product’s name describes a function of the product, it better live up to its name.

This week I was back to work after being on vacation for a while. You always hope that things will go smoothly your first week back in the office.  

Well, I was working away and I often make notes on a white board and then scan them to my phone. I then wipe off the board and make more notes and scan another page when the board is full.

I had two days of note taken on my phone – about five pages. When I went to save those pages to my computer, the app on my phone started up like it was the first time I used it. 

And yes, you guessed it: all my notes were gone. 

There was a button to restore old notes but, when I clicked it, there were no recent documents. 

I had five pages on that app less than 24 hours ago!  

The app said it stores files on the phone for 30 days. There was nothing. 

You know who makes the app? A company called “Evernote”.

Did you get that? “Ever” means it never ends; it will always be there. My notes should be around for ever. That’s what the company name means and I think, if I’m not mistaken, that is what they are trying to describe with their name.

My first week back in the office and my Evernotes are like never notes, like I never made them at all.

Maybe a better name for the company would be “Some Notes”. Then you’d have a heads up that only some of your notes will last while others will disappear … for ever.

I’ll still use Evernote but I’m not going to treat it like it’s name suggests.

Here’s the thing: The Bible describes God as being the same yesterday, today and forever. So you can count on God to be faithful, to act with a loving heart and to act with the end in mind. God can not go against His nature. He will live up to His name.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to trust God for today, given that He will follow through on it?  Leave your comments and questions below.

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I Gave Up On Them … There, I Admit It

I have to admit it: I gave up on them … but maybe it was for the best. 

I gave up on them ... There, I admit it

It is strange talking about hockey and the Toronto Maple Leafs in the middle of the summer, but anything goes this year.

By the time this post is published the final game of the series will already have been played. Their win last night might not matter, but what does matter is how I responded to the game last night. 

First, I wasn’t sure I could take watching the game at all, so I went for a long walk on the beach with my wife, Lily. The Leafs were battling it out while I was getting great drone shots of the sunset.

When I did start watching the game, I will be the first to admit that I turned the TV station when the Leafs went down 3-0 in the final half of the third period.  

I gave up on them.

I was convinced that it was over and that their season had come to an end. I’d seen the scenario take place too many times to watch it play out to its end. 

I flicked the channels for a bit, settling on a movie when I decided to check my watch. … I get scoring updates on my watch. I figured the game was over so I looked to see what the final score was. 

I couldn’t believe my eyes!

It said the game was 3-3, and that could only mean one thing: we were in overtime! 

I quickly grabbed the remote and turned back to the game. The first overtime period had just begun. 

There were chances at both ends. At times it looked liked the Leafs were beat, but our goalie made a save or one of our players cleared the puck. 

At one point, my son texted Lily and asked how my heart was doing. Lily texted back, “He gave up on them, but is watching now”. 

His response was “maybe it was the healthiest thing he could do.” 

The curious thing is, if I had have been at the game in person, I would not have left the building until the final horn sounded. I would have been there to watch every agonizing minute of the game. 

But being at home, watching from my couch, the sense of despair ate at me. Then it became 3-0 and it was too easy to just turn it off. It was too easy to walk away, find another program to watch, focus my mind on something more pleasant, become distracted from how I was feeling. 

As tense as the overtime was, I didn’t turn away. There was hope, a chance the Leafs could win. 

And then it happened. The four big stars of the team came together – Rielly to Marner to Tavares to Matthews, who made no mistake. 

They WON!! 

And my heart, at least for then, was at rest.

Here’s the thing: Maybe you are not a quitter. You would never give up on God or church. But maybe from your couch it becomes easier to have your heart turn to other things. Maybe all the bad news, the changed world, the no magic fix for the virus, the possible years we will have to distance and protect ourselves is too discouraging. So the easy solution is to turn your attention elsewhere. Let me just say, this is not the time to give up on God or the church. Now is the time to tune in, show up, be more vigilant than ever. Christ won on the cross and He will come in victory. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What’s your plan for staying connected to Christ? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Being Proficient Over Just Learning Something

Learning to do something new is exciting, but it doesn’t take long before being proficient at that new thing is what’s really exciting.

Being Proficient Over Just Learning Something

I remember when I first learned three chords on the guitar – I was thrilled. I could strum out a song – many songs – with three chords.

The problem was, though I knew those three chords, it took me too long to contort my fingers into position for those chords.

Sure I could play three chords, and sure I could play a song, but the pauses in between the chords, while I maneuvered my fingers to the next chord, made singing along to the song an agonizing experience.

I needed to become more proficient with my chord progressions. 

It’s like that with most things. We are thrilled when we can do something but we are more thrilled when we can do that something quickly, or without hesitation, or even without thinking. 

We want to be able to do that new thing in less steps or with less effort. There is a desire to cut down on the time it takes or the space it takes up.

I’ve watched YouTube videos of people doing some amazing tricks. The trick is often jaw-dropping, but it’s probably near impossible to repeat. You can’t become proficient at tricks.

The other day I picked up a computer mag and started going through it. It had some tips and tricks to make working on my computer faster and easier. There was one that caught my eye and I started looking into how I could use it with my work.

I’ve been using a Mac Book Pro for many, many years. … After a while you think you know your way around your computer pretty well. You think you’re doing things on your computer the best way possible. 

But then you read about a process that you didn’t know or never really considered to be useful to you.

It’s sort of like always putting Ikea furniture together without instructions.  

You become very acquainted with the way they engineer things and how to insert and use their fasteners. And then, after building 10 to 20 different items over the years, you discover that the piece of paper with the pictures that came in the box wasn’t a comic strip for your children. It was actually the instructions on how to put the item together. 

Now you’ve discovered a way to be more proficient in building that table or storage unit. You don’t have to undue that one leg because you put it on upside down and backwards.

Well, that’s what I found in this magazine. I’ve been setting up the study apps on my computer the same way for years. It’s worked well for me. 

I realize now that I could have been working more efficiently if I had become proficient at using this new-found study set up. 

One little article later and I have a more efficient way to study than I did last week.  

Here’s the thing: We often use the same method to discover and apply personal application of God’s word, the Bible. In fact, you probably have been using the same method for so long you think you are going about it the best way possible. But it’s more like a comfortable path you’ve found. You can become more proficient in applying God’s word to your life if you are willing to seek new methods. Be open and alert to new ways.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Where can you look for new study methods? Leave you comments and questions below.

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We Forget How Much We Enjoy Things

This week I noted that you can forget how much you enjoy something when you haven’t experienced it for a while.

We forget how much we enjoy things

It can happen in all areas of our lives. For instance, when I was growing up my mother often made a lemon cake-top pudding for dessert. She would make it every couple of months so the memory of the taste and texture was engrained in my mind. 

As an adult though, years and years went by without me having that lemon pudding. I kind of forgot about it. 

But somehow my wife, Lily, found that old recipe of my mom’s and decided to try it. 

Unbelievable! – that’s all I can say. Everything about that pudding was amazing from the way the soft, fluffy cake emerged from the pale yellow semi-thick sauce to the lemony taste that can’t be replicated in any other dish. 

I truly forgot just how good it was. … Sorry, the recipe is an old family secret now. 

But the other day I had an experience much like that. I went golfing.

I’ve golfed a lot over the years. Many years ago I would golf three, sometimes four times a week. But my golfing has tapered off over the years for many reasons.

One reason is that it takes up a lot of your day, and my days seem to be fuller, busier than they used to be. I’ve also lost some of my golfing partners to other things, and my interests have shifted. I’ve done far more mountain biking over the last ten years than golf. 

So on vacation I booked a tee time for Lily and I. It took me three weeks to do it and I’m not sure why. The thought of golfing sparked some interest but I guess not enough to pick up the phone, search for a deal and book a time. 

Finally I got around to it, and you know what? I had forgotten just how much I love taking out that driver and giving my golf ball a good smack. 

I get excited standing over a twenty foot putt and stare down that hole, willing my ball to go in.

I love standing on an elevated tee box and looking down the fairway at the contoured mowing, the trees on either side, and the lush green gleaming in the distance. 

I’ve played one other time this year, but for some reason this round brought back how much I enjoy the game of golf. 

I didn’t score all that well – what golfer is ever satisfied with his or her score?- but I hit the ball well. 

That feeling of hitting the ball in the sweet spot of the club face and then watching that ball sail through the air towards the target – mmmm … just like that lip-smacking lemon cake-top pudding when it crosses your teeth and hits those taste buds.

I’m going to feast on that enjoyment and savour every moment of it as I look forward to my next game in a couple of days with my son. 

Maybe I will score better too!

Here’s the thing: I’ve noticed that in life we can get completely focused on what we are experiencing, especially the trials and difficulties, like what many of us may be experiencing now. All our effort and focus is on what we can do to alleviate, or eliminate the trouble. We forget we have a God who is all powerful. During these days, reach out to God and remember just how good He is in the midst of the rough waters in life. Enjoy Him. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What aspect of God do you need reminding of right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Some Hot Tips That Will Really Pay Off

In the last two weeks I’ve received a couple of hot tips that have really paid off for me.

Some hot tips that will really pay off

If you’re wondering if I’ve started going to the track and betting on my favourite horse, you’d be wrong … though when one hears the words, “hot tip”, it would be pretty natural to let your mind drift to the horse track or the stock market. 

And just so we are clear, I didn’t cash in big on the stock market with these tips either.

Both my hot tips have to do with our property … nope, we’re not selling either.

A couple of weeks ago, my wife was bemoaning the fact that our grass was looking horrible. In fact, our lawn looked more like an Israeli desert where sheep would have to scrounge for something green to eat.

I suggested that Lily talk to our sister-in-law because she knows how to grow green grass. … I used the word “green” just so you didn’t think I was talking about some other kind of grass.

Some people just have a knack for growing things, and I thought advice from Anna would go a long way to helping us get our lawn back in shape. Anna told us to scuff up the ground with a rigid rake, liberally throw down grass seed, and then cover it with a thin layer of dark earth. When we were done all that, we were to water it really well. 

The payoff? – You should see how green the grass is that has sprung up! It’s amazing that two people like Lily and I, who do not have half a green thumb between us, could see results like this. 

What a tip; we really cashed in on it. 

The other hot tip came as a result of a blog post I wrote (you can read that one here), bemoaning that our gravel driveway was filling up with weeds and that the extreme measures we took the year before did nothing.

Well, two people commented on my post with suggestions about dealing with the weed problems in the gravel. The solutions were almost identical with using white cleaning vinegar as the central ingredient to the formula.

I was definitely not expecting the results we got. After all, we weren’t putting Round-Up on the driveway. But it was amazing – in one day all the weeds had dried up and died. You can’t buy a commercial product that would work any quicker.

What an amazing tip! 

Two problems, two hot tips producing payoffs that were truly remarkable. 

Like with any hot tip, there is always a little part of you that is sceptical. You think, “if this is true, then why isn’t everyone getting in on it?”

Sometimes the scepticism wins and you ignore the hot tip. Sometimes that’s good because the tip might not work out. But you kick yourself when you find out the tip you received was a true hot tip that paid dividends.

I’m glad we tried both these tips because they paid off ten to one.

Here’s the thing: The greatest hot tip there has ever been is that Jesus died on the cross to pay for your sins. The payoff is a real and close relationship with Him and a future eternity in heaven. But like any hot tip, some people will take it and some will be too sceptical. My recommendation: take the tip. It will pay out more than you can imagine.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you usually respond to hot tips? Leave your comments and questions below.

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My Story Just Might Be Your Story Too

I’ve been thinking today that maybe my story is the same as your story.

My story just might be your story too

I’ve noticed something about myself over the last several months, and I can honestly say I don’t like it. I wonder if there are others who feel the same. 

There are significant changes that I’ve seen since we first started isolating and social distancing. I’ve also noticed that some things have fallen through the cracks.

I worked hard at maintaining my work effort and, in many ways, had to learn new skills to do it. I’ve had to find new ways to connect, new ways to meet, new ways to communicate. 

… And that has taken lots of time and effort. 

I guess I can be satisfied with what I’ve accomplished and provided so far for my congregation during this time. 

But there is something that I’ve really failed at. I’ve even made excuses for it. I’ve justified my failure and even have taken comfort in it. 

It’s possible that I’m not the only one and that you, to some degree, have failed in the same way I have.

Even great people who we look up to still have failure in their lives – the business guru who has built companies and made fortunes but has failed as a husband and father; the talented athlete who has conquered his or her sport but failed personally; the musician who has garnered the fame and awe of millions but become consumed by alcohol and drugs. 

They all had aspects of great success, but also great failure. 

I’ve been thinking about my failure during this time of isolation. I’ve been okay with it too because I need a break, an outlet. I need some kind of escape from all the effort I’m directing to new things. 

Do you see this in yourself as well?

My story, my area of failure is in my personal disciplines. Over the last five months, I’ve eaten way too much of the wrong things and put aside consistent exercise.

The crazy thing is that if I had not failed in this area I would have been better prepared to handle all the new things I’ve had to do.

In the spring when the weather wasn’t so great, my home gym got dusty. I just felt too drained each day to use my equipment in any kind of a consistent way. Even when the weather turned warm, I had excuses for not getting out there to mountain bike or play golf regularly.

I’ve looked for comfort food to easy the burden of the new work I’ve taken on … and comfort food for me is junk food and candy. I’ve told myself I deserve the break, but I’ve been too tired to break what has become a pattern for me. 

I know what I need to do, and that is to break the pattern, fight off the weariness and get back to my discipline.

This is my story and it’s not going to be easy to change – like going against gravity – but I need to do it … and maybe you need to do it too.

Here’s the thing: Maybe you’ve slacked off spiritually as well. Is it possible that you had questions about God, things you wanted to investigate, but haven’t moved on to finding answers? Maybe you have been lazy in spending time with God. Maybe God’s taken a back seat over the last several months. It’s time to break the pattern and go against gravity. Work at that spiritual part of your life.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What disciplines are you going to get back to? Leave your comments and questions below.

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