Author: Paul Silcock

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Something Outstanding Still Needs Evaluation

When you find something that is truly outstanding, you’re tempted to go all in with it. But that’s not always your best move. 

something outstanding still needs evaluation

For years I’ve had a love relationship with Dr. Pepper. 

You could stack any number of beverages in front of me and I would pick DP every time. 

When I was in college I would often go to the local convenience store and get a Super Big Gulp sized cup of the nectar. If I had a paper due or needed to study late, I would suck that back till the wee hours of the night and then fall fast asleep. 

I know there is caffeine in Dr. Pepper, but it never had an effect on me. I slept like a baby.

But after years indulging with the Doctor, it started to negatively impact my health. 

I had to learn that a good thing isn’t a good thing all the time. You have to show restraint. You must have discipline. It’s not best to dive into something without holding something back. 

In poker when a player goes “all in”, others think that player has an outstanding hand. He puts in all his chips; he goes all in. He risks all his chips without holding back.

Several months ago, going through the check out at Costco, I noticed they sold ice cream cones. This wasn’t something new. I’m sure I’d seen the signs before, but this time I felt like having some ice cream. 

For the first time I decided to get a cone. They’re a good size too. You get about a pound of soft ice cream on a waffle cone, all for the price of around $3.00 after tax.

It’s a great deal! 

But as good a deal as it is, if the ice cream is not that good, who cares how much there is or how cheap it is. 

Anyway, I was juggling a couple of packages I had purchased when the lady handed me the cone. I took one lick … and almost dropped my packages.

It was the best soft ice cream I had ever tasted! It was not made from ice milk – more like 45% cream. 

.. Let me tell you, Dairy Queen would do well to find the formula Costco is using for their ice cream because it is truly outstanding. 

I was hooked. 

The next time I went to Costco I was with Lily. Naturally I had to get another cone so she could taste how good it was. To be honest, I didn’t like sharing it with her and it is still a sore spot between us. 

I then went to Costco another day just to get an ice cream cone. That’s when I realized I needed to show some restraint. 

You can’t go all in just because something is truly outstanding. If I did I would put on about 100 pounds and my arteries would be solid white … soft white, but definitely white. 

It’s the best soft ice cream out there, but I discipline myself now so that I will be around long enough to enjoy a cone once in a while.

Here’s the thing: Going all in on something truly outstanding needs evaluation. But you can go all in with God and be confident you won’t have to hold anything back. He is the only one who will not lead you down a path that can have negative results. Don’t be afraid to follow Him completely. Pursue Him hard, with all you’ve got.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How can you follow God more closely? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Instructions – Are They Really For Everyone?

When assembling anything, following instructions is optional for some people and not for others.

instructions - are they really for everyone

I personally am one who likes to follow the instructions. 

I don’t want to be that guy who puts something together and has a handful of nuts and bolts left over. It looks like it’s finished, but will it work or will it fall apart? 

There are the companies that just use pictures for a manual and leave you a little confused. 

More than once while building a “KALLAX” or a “BILLY” from IKEA I had to take something apart because I had put the wrong piece in place.

I, for one, just want clear easy-to-follow instructions that guide me to the assembled product. 

Then there are those who you expect to be able to do things without instructions, like the person who maybe had built that product a hundred times and can do it in the dark, blindfolded with only one wrench. That guy is the expert.

We don’t expect the expert to follow the instructions. We expect him to just go at it and get the job done. 

I remember watching a friend do the Rubik’s cube back when it first came out. The guy could solve it in a matter of seconds. His hands flew as he spun the cube and made little adjustments. Then, all of a sudden, each side was all one colour. 

I was fascinated at his skill and knowledge. I had complete confidence in him to solve the cube in any state of mess.

We figure the experts know what they are doing and can do it without having to follow the instruction manual step by step. 

Well, this week we had to get a new stove for the cottage. It runs on propane and the range we got had to be converted from natural gas to propane.

I watched a bunch of YouTube instruction videos on how to make the conversion. But I decided that I didn’t want to take the chance of blowing Lily up while she was cooking spaghetti or something. 

I called in an expert, someone who is trained in working with gas. However, I think this person may not have done too many stove conversions before. 

I got a little nervous when she opened the manual and started reading it like I would have done. 

To be honest, I was not confident that she would be able to do the job until right near the end. 

But the expert was able to finish the job … even though it cost me more than it should have in labour. 

If she wasn’t an expert before, she is now. I guess it was a good thing we had the instructions for her to follow.

Here’s the thing: Most people go through life trying to figure out what their life is all about. Along the way they discover their skills and gifts, their passions and aptitudes. Some try to figure out the purpose of life and their purpose in it. We can try to figure that out on our own, but we have an instruction manual given to us that will guide us to it. It’s called the Bible, God’s instruction manual for us. I encourage you to use it. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How are you at following instructions? Do you welcome them or resist them? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Letting Go And Moving On Isn’t Always Best

When the season changes, letting go of some things and move on to other things is pretty normal.

Letting go and moving on isn't always best

Certainly that’s true with the NHL hockey playoffs. My team is now out and they’re down to four teams. The weather is getting nicer, there are bigger breaks between games and it seems like the playoffs are just dragging on. 

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before but my daughter was born the night Calgary won the Stanley Cup back in 1989. That was May 25. Now 34 years later we have another month before a team will walk away with the cup.

I’m ready to watch golf Sunday afternoons and not be glued to a TV Saturday nights for the next four weeks.

It’s light outside for longer in the evenings; there is more to do outside in the summer. I’d really be happy if hockey season was over. 

There are so many other things that can take its place – things you can’t do in the winter months.

For me there is golf. I’m looking forward to playing more this season than I have in the past number of years. In fact, I’m playing this weekend which I’m quite excited for.

I’ve also started mountain biking again. I’ve already been out several times. It’s always interesting to bike the trails when the leaves haven’t fully come out yet. You see the trails differently from when everything is lush with colour. I like this transition time.

There are other things as well, like getting to the cottage. 

We spent the last week puttering around Sauble Beach. Though it was too cold to go in the water, it didn’t stop Lily and I from going for a 10 km walk along the beach at sundown. Our first sunset of the season and it certainly didn’t disappoint. 

… I will say our legs were a little rubbery when we got back to the cottage. 

New seasons are for letting some things go while picking new things up. However, this year I’m a little sad to let one thing go. 

Next week will be my last hockey game until fall. Yes, I said I was ready to let hockey go, but I meant watching hockey on TV. 

Other years I was also glad when I stopped playing. This year, however, it’s different. I’m sad it’s coming to an end even though I’ve played more hockey this year than I have in a long, long time. 

From February to the middle of April I played 4 to 5 times a week. Since then I’ve played on average twice a week. You might think I’ve had my fill, but I would still like to play a little in the off-season.

It’s a satisfying feeling showing up to a cold arena in shorts and sandals, hockey bag slung over your shoulder. It’s hard to describe, but the contrasts put a smile on my face.

So this year it will be hard to let go until the seasons change again.

Here’s the thing: I’ve been thinking that sometimes we let go of speaking up for God. The world doesn’t want to hear it; there is pressure to keep silent. But I was reminded in my time with God this morning that every voice matters. Whether it’s a quiet voice to a few people or through a new medium, God wants us to keep speaking up for Him. There are many other voices that seek to drown Him out, but as for me, I want to keep my voice being heard. I don’t want to let go of speaking of God’s love and goodness to us all. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you want to hang on to in this new season of life? Leave your comments and questions below.

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The Neediest One In The Family May Be You

It takes a lot of wisdom to deal with the neediest one in the house … and someone can always claim that title.

the neediest one in the the family may be you

When two people get married, the title of “neediest” switches between the couple depending on the situation. 

But when that couple has their first child, that child becomes the neediest person in the family. Period. And that position doesn’t change until another little one enters the family. Then, of course, the new child becomes the neediest. 

There are the diapers, clean ups, feedings – it really doesn’t stop. Just making sure you have everything in the “go bag” is exhausting. 

Babies are dependent on their parents for everything … or, if you’re lucky, on the grandparents sometimes. 

Kids are needy. That’s a fact.

Children pretty much trade needy positions back and forth throughout their growing years.

Even when you reach the stage that they are no longer under your roof, that doesn’t mean one of them won’t be the neediest – one of them will. It just looks a little different and costs more … just kidding, well, maybe I’m not. 

Lily and I have been in this empty nest stage for many years and we have gotten very used to it. Sure, we were there to help our kids set up their first homes, making purchases, packing and unpacking boxes, renting vans, driving long distances.

However, the neediness of the persons in our family has steadily gone down over the years. 

Since I’ve retired, though, I’ve noticed Lily has become more needy. She somehow needs more help in the kitchen, help with laundry, help with cleaning and on it goes. 

But there is now a new neediest one in our home. And this guy is by far the neediest of them all. 

His name is Martin. You’d think that with a name like Martin he would be an engineer or a doctor or something. Martin is neither; he’s a dog. He’s a nice dog, but man is he needy.

For the last two weeks we have been dog-sitting for our daughter and son-in-law while they’ve been on vacation. 

Martin is a well-behaved dog, but he is also a rescue dog which brings a whole other level of neediness to the situation. 

This guy needs petting and loving 24/7. And we found out early that if you give him all the attention he wants, he becomes demanding about it. 

We’ve had to back off a bit. 

But still, he is by far the neediest one in the family now. 

He’s shedding so much that Lily’s got the vacuum on high alert. He needs walks every day, food and treats. But since he can’t get food out of the cupboard, we even have to set his food down for him.

The little fellow runs like a gazelle and wants to be chased in the backyard every time we let him out. 

Oh, and Martin even needs us to pick up after he does his thing. I didn’t sign up for that part. 

We love the guy, but he sure is needy – the neediest one in the family.

I don’t see it changing any time soon.

Here’s the thing: We all have long lists of things we need and want. I wonder if God has the same thoughts about me as I have about Martin: “I love you, man, but you are the neediest guy I know.” Thankfully, God expects us to depend on Him, to need Him. If we think we don’t need God, then we foolishly have placed ourselves in the position of God in our lives. Since we obviously can not secure our own forgiveness or eternity, being needy is a good position to be in. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to depend on God for? Leave your comments and questions below.

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A Purchase Made Without Objection Are Often The Best

Making a purchase is better when you don’t have anyone interjecting negativity.

a purchase made without objection are often the best

Some people call that making a snap purchase, where the mood or the moment hits you and you strike the deal. Others say that emotions and persuasion put the pressure on you to buy.

But none of that is necessarily true. 

We’ve probably all been there, where we have done the research, looked at the purchase from many angles, but then had some voice of reason or restraint nix the desired acquisition.

I remember when my brother and I were little, we had begged our mom to let us go to the store to buy some candy.

In a moment of weakness she said we could. 

John and I immediately trotted off to our bedroom to get our cash. We had little change purses that we started loading up from our piggy banks. We thought they would be easier to carry to the convenience store than our piggy banks. 

The intent was to take every penny – and I literally mean pennies – because you never know how much some candy is going to cost. 

Our mother walked into our bedroom right in the middle of us trying to squeeze the last cent into our little wallets. She said, “No way, boys. You are not going to the store now.” I guess she didn’t like our desires to spend our life savings on candy. 

She was the negative voice … mom would have characterized herself as the voice of reason. 

Sometimes you don’t need that voice. Sometimes you don’t want that voice to impact your decision to buy things. Sometimes you seize a moment when there are no discouraging voices to throw you off your intent. 

One of those times for me was the purchase of a leaf mulcher. I purchased that when Lil had gone on a trip and I needed to collect the leaves in the yard. 

That purchase was researched and thought through and fifteen years later I’m still glad I made that purchase.

Well, I just did it again. 

Lily was away on a business trip and I had recently had a friend speak highly of the FoodSaver vacuum seal machines. Years ago I had thought it might be something we should have, but never got any good vibes from Lily on it. 

With Lily away and a renewed interest in sucking the life out of food products in order to freeze them fresh, I started to research. 

I checked them out at a few different establishments and got an idea of what the average price would be. It didn’t take long. The second store I went to had a great deal that included freezing bags and all. 

Before I could blink, I was in the checkout line at Costco and then walking out with my new FoodSaver machine. 

The first day I froze bread and pizza. … I can hardly wait to freeze chicken wings. 

And when I thawed the frozen bread I packaged with my new purchase, it tasted like it had just come out of the bread maker. 

Another great purchase!

Here’s the thing: There are times when having someone speak into your life is best. There are times when you get a sense of what God wants you to do. It might be a confession you should make or an action you should take. God may give you a path forward on a decision you’ve been contemplating. When He does, take the course He is setting you on and don’t look for negative voices. They will only impede you in doing what you know is best for you. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is it that you just need to follow through on right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Doing Stuff You Don’t Like Doing

Where do you sit on doing stuff you don’t like to do? Are you one of those people who takes it on as a challenge or a duty? Or are you one of those people who will, if possible, do anything other than the stuff you don’t like doing?

Doing stuff you don't like doing

For some things, I often fall into the second category. If I can I will avoid things I don’t like to do and for as long as I can.

When I was young we had a huge back yard and my brother and I would take turns cutting it. I didn’t like cutting the back yard because it took an hour and a half. And when you are thirteen, an hour and a half is like an eternity! It was precious time I would never get back. 

Well, I would put off cutting the lawn until I almost needed a swather to come cut it. I always hoped that a farmer would look at our lawn and bring his combine over and make hay bales out of the grass. 

The thing about leaving something you don’t like doing is that the delay often makes it worse. You will eventually have to do it but it’ll be harder to do when you finally get to it. 

I sometimes will look for excuses to not do the stuff I don’t want to do … like a baseball pitcher with a hang nail who misses his start in the rotation and has to go on the DL. 

Put a little crazy glue on that hang nail and get out there and throw some strikes! 

Meanwhile in the NHL playoffs this past week, a player had a skate jammed up under his visor just missing his eye. He went to the dressing room, got 74 stitches in his forehead and around his eye, missed about thirty minutes of the game while the doctor worked on him, and then came back to play the rest of the game. 

He gave no excuses … and probably makes $10 million less a year than the pitcher with the hang nail. 

And then there was me the other day. 

I hate raking the lawn the first time in the spring. I will avoid it and flat out say, “No, I’m not doing it.” But now I’m retired and have some time on my hands. 

It’s definitely one of those things I don’t like doing. But I decided rather than putting off doing stuff I don’t like doing, I would get’er done.

So I got the rake out, put some gloves on and started raking. Five minutes in, my rake broke. 

That was my excuse; it was perfect.

But I hopped in my car and went and bought a new rake. Then I got right back to it.

Three rakes in, the handle came off. 

I was almost ready to call it quits and give in to my desire not to rake. Instead I took that rake downstairs and drove a nail through the rake and the handle. 

No excuses! I raked the lawn. … We’ll see about next year.

Here’s the thing: We can get into patterns or habits around our relationship with God. Circumstances often bring about those patterns or habits. One of those patterns I observed since coming out of lockdowns is people not going to church. It’s too easy to sleep in on Sunday morning or to watch church online … or to get to where church fits into the category of not doing stuff you don’t like doing. It’s not easy to break the pattern or change that attitude, but get up and get back to going to church. You will be more engaged in your faith and an encouragement to others who attend.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How much effort will it take to make it to church this week? Leave your comments and questions below.

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The Least Possible Will Not Meet The Requirements

Sometimes we do the least possible to meet the requirements or demands. 

the least possible will not meet the requirements

Some people are more prone to this than others, but inside all of us there is probably an area of our lives where we do the bare minimum. 

I remember a time when our son was in a church kids’ program where the kids got rewarded for memorizing Bible verses. Each week he sat down with an adult to recite the verse or verses he’d learned that week.

One evening I was helping him with his verses. He was learning the verse but before he had really mastered it, he said to me, “That’s good, Dad.”

I commented, “What do you mean, ‘that’s good’? You don’t know the verse well enough yet.” 

His reply was immediate: “Well, I make sure I tell my verse to so-and-so and she likes me. I get three helps and I can do it with three helps.” 

“Wow!”, was all I could come up with.

My son knew what it would take to get his reward and he was not going to do any more than that.

He’s not the only one. We all have propensity to do the minimum to get or meet the grade, the requirement, the standard.

There have been instances when I had to present something at a meeting and hadn’t spent much time working on it. I looked at what I could present and, though it wasn’t complete, I was able to give enough information to bide me enough time to complete the assignment for the next meeting. 

I’m pretty sure we’ve all been there at one time or another. 

I guess what bugs me is not those isolated times where we are in a pinch and just need to get by. What bugs me are those who live their life by this code and, on a daily basis, will do the least possible to meet the requirements.

I think my garbage man is that kind of guy.

Each week we put our compost bin out to the curb. So often some of what I put out gets left behind. 

In the winter it’s not the end of the world because stuff stays frozen. But now that the warmer weather is here, that bin can get quite smelly because our compost consists solely of kitchen scraps. 

It’s just Lily and I at home so we usually only have a couple of small bags in our compost bin. I couldn’t figure out how the guy could not get it all each week. They have hooks on their trucks to turn those bins upside down and dump everything out of them.

But each week there is a bag left at the bottom of the bin. 

This week I watched the guy and now I know. 

He opened the lid, stuck his hand in the bin and took out the first bag he could reach. He would have needed a longer arm to get the bag at the bottom. … But it’s faster than using the truck’s hooks.

Technically he took the compost, but he didn’t get it all. He did the least possible.

Here’s the thing: There are some people who believe they can do the least possible with God. They might say, “I try to do good things”, or “I prayed a prayer”, or “I believe in Jesus”. But without following Christ with your whole heart, you are merely doing the least possible to meet the requirements. The thing is God knows it all; we don’t fool Him. Put your faith in Christ and follow Him with your whole heart. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Where have you been guilty of doing the least possible? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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Old Tech – Do You Really Need It Anymore?

When is a good time to get rid of your old tech? The answer: maybe never. I know that’s not something my wife, Lily, wants to hear. 

old tech - do you really need it anymore

I still have an old eMac computer that dates back to 2002 taking up space in our basement. Lily would jump at the chance to get rid of it. 

I have older tech than that as well. I have an old one-button Mac mouse that dates back to the late 80’s or early 90’s. That item I keep just in case I ever create an Apple shrine in the house … but we won’t mention that idea to Lily.

I will admit that saving old tech sort of goes against my pattern recently.

Over the last six months, we have purged a lot of stuff from our house. When I retired back in October, I got rid of a lot of books, paper and files. We got rid of a big desk and a slew of other things we didn’t need and were no longer going to use. 

But I have a tendency to keep most of my old technology.  

For instance I have an old floppy drive that hadn’t been used for more than fifteen years. However, it came in handy during my fall purge. I was able to get information off of dozens of floppies before I tossed them in the garbage. 

No one uses VCRs anymore but I still have one. And I used it recently to get the contents off some old VHS tapes and then digitize them into a usable format for the modern world.

This process was a true testimony to the importance of keeping old tech around. 

I used my VCR to play the VHS tapes. Then I hooked up a 23-year-old camcorder to record the tape to digital format. Once I’d done that, I used my old 2009 MacBook Pro to download the digital recording into an old movie editing software. I needed the old Mac because it is the only computer I own that still has a FireWire port on it.

I felt like McGyver … only I wasn’t using sticks, rocks, rubber bands and sulphur to make an explosive device.

But if you really want to know why you shouldn’t throw out old tech, it’s because your spouse still needs it. They don’t think they need it, but they do. 

Yesterday Lily came from visiting her Mom and handed me a 16G iPod Touch from 2007. She simply said, “This was my Mom’s. Can you see what’s on it?”

Well, there is no way I could find out what was on that iPod without charging it. And it hadn’t been charged for five years or more. 

In order to charge the iPod, I needed a 30-pin connection. I haven’t used one of those for years. That connection goes back three iPads ago and to a 2010 iPhone for me.

But I still had the connector.

I charged the iPod and gave the information to my wife. … You’re welcome!

Here’s the thing: Today there are many people who are saying the past is not important, and perhaps even harmful. There are those who say the Old Testament of the Bible should not be used, that we should bury it. Many people today don’t think we need to pay attention to some passages anymore. But the Bible is God’s word. It’s true, it’s right, and it is old. There may be unpleasant passages in it, but don’t dismiss them or this book. It is God’s word to us. Read it, memorize it, know it and live by it. I’m sure God would say, “You’re welcome.”

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What old tech have you kept around? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Don’t Waste What You Really Want

There’s an old saying, “waste not, want not”. Well, sometimes we waste what we want or waste an opportunity that comes along. 

Don't waste what you really want

I was with a friend recently who is going through the process of looking for a new home. He told me he had seen a place that had everything he needed, but because he didn’t jump on it soon enough, he didn’t get it. 

I know it still bugs him because he talks about that place like the one that got away. He probably looks back on it like a wasted opportunity.

We have all wasted something we really wanted. 

… Like that ice cream cone that you were three licks into when it dropped on the ground. 

You were so into that cone that you used about 30 more pounds of press with your tongue when you took the next lick. And that did it. The ice cream toppled right off the cone like someone had put little tiny explosive charges around it and then hit the detonator. 

Boom! You are left looking down longingly at the scoops of ice cream covered in grit and sand. 

What a waste. 

The other week I told you that I’m a bread maker now. I baked my first loaf of bread and it turned out amazing (read about it here). The bread was great tasting, but I don’t eat bread every day. 

I have a regular breakfast routine Tuesday to Friday and it includes a half a grapefruit and a small bowl of hot oat bran cereal. It’s a pretty boring meal. 

But on the weekends, I treat myself. A half a grapefruit is still on the menu but, instead of the oat bran, I have toast. I usually have one piece with just butter on it and a second piece with peanut butter on it.  

I really look forward to those breakfast meals on Saturday and Monday mornings. Sunday I have my regular weekday breakfast – just a throwback to when I was pastoring.

I had made that first loaf of bread Saturday morning and I was pumped – not because of the breakfast but because I’d made the bread myself. 

On Monday I had toast again. It was all good. Then I went back to my regular weekday breakfast and forgot about the bread I’d made. 

It sat Tuesday through Thursday in the bread container on the counter. On Friday Lily looked at the bread and noticed it had lots of mould on it. 

Just as I was getting to the weekend to have bread again, it was no longer good. 

I had wasted what I wanted. 

Monday I should have sliced the rest of that loaf up and put it in the freezer. Through my neglect, what I wanted so much I had actually wasted. 

I guess a new loaf is in order for this weekend.

Here’s the thing: No matter who we are, we all want peace and hope and love. We look for these three things in many places. We look for peace, hope and love in people, in things and in experiences. Sometimes it works out and we get one or more for a time. But a guaranteed place to find them is in God. God offers us peace, hope and love through Jesus Christ His Son. Don’t waste the opportunity to get hold of what you really want. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Where do you usually turn to find peace, hope and love? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Bread Is Not Just Something That Arrives At The Table

I guess you can call me the breadman now. I’ve started making bread at home.

bread is not just something that arrives at the table

I’ve never really done any baking before and it was never something my mother taught me growing up.

I was always better at eating what she made than I was at helping in the preparations. In fact, I was such a good consumer of baking that my mom would bake cookies and then hide them. If she didn’t there wasn’t any cookies for dessert at dinner time. 

My brother and I would come home from school and scarf down a handful of cookies each. I think my mom got a little discouraged seeing all her hard work gone in a matter of minutes. But she should have been pleased that we liked what she baked. 

I still love those oatmeal cookies with gum drops in them … and her gingerbread cookies were indeed fine.

In our marriage, I’ve carried on that tradition of being a better eater than a baker. Lil has complained a few times how the cookies seem to disappear rather rapidly after she bakes them.

Maybe that’s one of the reasons why she doesn’t make cookies all that often anymore. 

So I have experience in baking – it’s just more on the front end than on the back end.

And one thing I do eat regularly is bread. Two days a week I have toast for breakfast, so we need to have bread in the house for that. 

Years ago Lily took to making bread and so that has been my main source for one piece with a little butter on it and the other with a whack of peanut butter slathered over the surface.

But recently Lily was away. The weekend was approaching and we were out of bread for my traditional Saturday morning grapefruit and toast.

So I took to the phone and got some instructions on how to use the bread machine, including the precise ingredients and the correct order to add them.

Then I got the machine all set and let it rip. I set the time to come on early in the morning so I would have piping hot, fresh bread by breakfast time.

I have to tell you, it was some of the finest toast I have ever had! The loaf itself was perfect in colour and shape. Really, for my first effort, I don’t think I could have done a better job. I mean I must be a natural. 

This may be one of my special talents in life. I wouldn’t call it a spiritual gift, but I think just maybe I’ve been blessed with the ability to make bread.

For sure I impressed myself and figure I’m a baker now. I may start listing my new talent in my LinkedIn profile and with my email handle.

There is a hockey player whose last name is Panarin and they call him the breadman. I don’t think there’s any reason not to refer to me as the breadman now too.

Here’s the thing: When we take a look at what we do well, we can give thanks to God since He has made us with the gifts and skills we possess. And those talents are not just for our own benefit, but also to benefit others. For those who have placed their faith in God, He also gives us spiritual gifts to use to benefit God’s people and His kingdom. Use your talents and gifts well to serve others.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are your top talents and what is your spiritual gift? Leave your comments and questions below.