my activities

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I Took A Risk This Weekend

I took a bit of a risk this weekend that could have led to a big problem.

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For most people, they wouldn’t think anything of this, but for me, I had “worst-case scenario” in the back of my mind.

All I did was cross the border on Friday afternoon of the long weekend.

My wife, Lily, and I were heading to a cousins’ retreat at a cottage on Lake Ontario – that would be on Lake Ontario in New York State.

One of Lily’s cousins had rented a huge home on the lake and nineteen of us found our way to this place for a couple of days.

For us it was about a three hour trip, which is not that bad … it can sometimes take us three hours to get to Toronto.

But the added element of surprise was that we had to cross the border and I had to be back Sunday morning to preach in church at 10:30.

I had a choice: come back late Saturday night and get very little sleep, or risk a border crossing early Sunday morning and arrive at church by 9:00.

I had visions of having our car searched, pulling everything out and being delayed long enough to create a mini-panic at church.

I even told one of my elders that I was scheduled for praying mid-service and preaching, so if I didn’t make it, well … he was on!

On the way down we didn’t have any trouble at the border. In fact, I’ve never had any trouble getting across the border.

There was one time that I was driving a van with about six people in it, two of whom were born in Asia and Africa. I simply said we were going to a conference in Chicago, and the border guard said, “Have a good time.”

My internationally born friends couldn’t believe it. They had never crossed the border that easily before and said, “Paul, you’re definitely driving when we cross back over!”

The only time that I had a bit of a hassle was going to a conference in Ohio. The border guard asked me what was in my trunk.

I replied that there was a suitcase and my golf clubs. He told me to open the trunk. After looking, he came back to the window, asked me what my golf handicap was, and proceeded to give me some golf instructions!

Although these have been my border crossing highlights, you never know when they’ll just decide to rip your car apart.

I was feeling like the risk was worth the extra sleep so we decided to get up at 5:30 Sunday morning and make our way home.

The drive was pretty quiet; there wasn’t much traffic on the roads, and I was going over my sermon … Lily was driving.

The border crossing was no big deal; we were through in a matter of a minute and a half.

I think the key is don’t say much, and keep your words to a minimum (which might be hard for some people) so as not to give the border guard ideas to question you on.

Arrival time: 9:08 am.

Here’s the thing: It’s no big deal to take a calculated risk on something that might cost you some time. It’s another thing to take a calculated risk that might cost you your life. It’s an even greater deal to take a calculated risk on your eternity. Make sure you are right with God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How secure are you in your relationship with Christ? Leave your comments below.

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I Hold My Breath When I Start Things Up

I love opening up our cottage after the winter and getting it all ready for a new summer season. But I have to tell you, I have my fingers crossed when I do it.

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You just never know if things will work properly after sitting dormant for a while.

There’s not a lot to opening up our cottage. You turn on the power from the source; you turn on the water and get it flowing; you turn on the gas so you have heat and a working stove.

Electricity is always first for me. It’s the easiest thing to turn back on … a few flicks of some circuit breakers and, voila, you have lights and a working fridge.

Having lights lets you do the other work without feeling around like everything is in Braille.

I get the gas turned on next because it’s also pretty easy. After turning on the propane tank, I simply light the stove burners and turn the heat on.

Then there is the water. It’s not hard; it just takes a little more work. You have to hook up the hoses, turn the water on at the source and then systematically turn the different taps on to coax the water out and start filling the hot water tank.

Those are the main things we need to do. The rest is set up and clean up.

But every year there seems to be some kind of issue with starting up. I think two factors play into that …

First, the place has been sitting for six months in a dormant state, and second, I only open the cottage once a year so I don’t have a well-oiled routine.

Last year I had a heater problem. You can read about that here: ______ It turned out I had forgotten to take some tape off a vent.

One year I needed to replace the filler, float and flapper in our toilet. It had frozen over the winter and was leaking in the spring.

This year – wow – it was a mystery. I turned on the water and all the taps were working.

But as I tested the hot water lines to see if the water was flowing out of them, the tap in the bathroom sink dried up. I was getting water out of all the other faucets but nothing out of the bathroom sink.

Then I turned the cold water on again … nothing. Every other water source worked except that one set of taps.

I just couldn’t figure it out. Fortunately, we could live without water from that sink so I decided to sleep on it and tackle the issue in the morning. Secretly I was hoping it would magically fix itself.

… Turns out, living at the beach, it’s possible to accumulate a fair amount of sand in the water lines. The aspirator on that faucet was completely beached! … Easy fix.

Here’s the thing: You know when you take a break from serving God in some capacity?  Maybe you needed a rest; maybe it was time to leave a particular ministry. Maybe you moved from one place to another and you haven’t jumped right back into ministry. When you do go to start up again, don’t think you will pick up where you left off. Starting up again is not as simple as flicking a switch. Seek God’s help, guidance and wisdom as you move into service so you don’t go into it in your own strength.

That’s life!

Paul

Question:  What have you started up recently? Leave your comment below.

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I’m Having A Difficult Time With A Home Project

I always find home projects to be more difficult than they should be. I think it has something to do with being handy … which I’m not.

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I can do things, but it always comes at a price to me.

The idea of completing something around the house is appealing, but the actual work never ends up being enjoyable.

I’ve spent time in emergency rooms; I’ve left projects half done for months; I’ve gotten myself completely frustrated to the point of smashing the project with whatever is in my hand at the moment.

Mostly what deflates me about projects is the time. Everything I do takes longer than I figure it should take.

There is always a wrinkle, a hitch, an exception, an unforeseen catastrophe that makes the project go way beyond the time I’ve estimated for it.

A couple of weeks ago I wanted to change the tires on my car. I was going on a trip and wanted to take my winter tires off and put my summer tires on.

… Not a big deal; I can do it in about thirty minutes.

I had a little time the night before I was leaving so I got to work. I jacked one wheel up and took the lug nuts off. When I went to take the tire off, it wouldn’t budge.

There was nothing holding the tire on, but it was glued to the hub!

Fortunately, I had this happen to me once before so I knew what to do. I started kicking the tire – not just tapping it with my foot – I was whaling on the tire with my heel as hard as I could!

The theory is, by kicking it, you create a vibration on the wheel so that it releases itself from the hub.

I went into action, but nothing. I got a rubber mallet, and still nothing. I looked at the time this was taking and realized it wasn’t worth it so I put the nuts back on the tire, lowered the jack and went on my trip the next day with my winter tires still on.

About a week later, after my trip, I decided I better try again. I started with the same tire and I got out all the equipment I thought I would need to work on it. To my surprise, It came off fairly easily.

I put the summer tire on in its place and moved to the next tire. Surely, it would not be stuck on as well.

Wrong! It was so frozen to the hub, though I pounded and pounded, and worked up a real sweat, the tire never budged.

I tried a different tire – same result. Nothing I did would loosen the tires so I could change them. I had to drive for a day with one summer tire and three winter tires.

I found videos on the internet that gave me solutions … they didn’t work.

My thirty minute project has now taken me a couple of hours and I’ve only changed one tire!

Today I’ll purchase a sledge hammer and see what that bad boy can do for me.

Here’s the thing: Time is often an issue for us because we try to do things without the right tools. Spiritually, we often struggle with things because we don’t go to the right source. Seek God first; let Him have what you’re struggling with.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find yourself struggling with right now? Leave your comment below.

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Make Time To Climb The Stairs

From time to time I republish posts I have written in the past. This is a repost of an article I wrote in April 2013

Does anybody like to climb stairs anymore? Has anybody ever liked to climb stairs? I’m just wondering because it seems like people try to avoid them if they can. 

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The other day, I was doing a hospital visit and my wife Lily was with me. As we got close to the elevator, she said, “We are not taking the stairs, are we?” I looked at her and replied, “You take the elevator and I’ll meet you on the 6th floor.”  

She answered that she didn’t want to climb the stairs because she was in high heels and a heavy coat. I’ve never climbed stairs in high heels before, but as I recall, my heels don’t normally hit the ground when I climb, so it should be a mute point. 

Lil isn’t a wuss so she took the stairs with me, but she was lagging behind a little. I would chock it up to those darn high heels but her huffing and puffing gave away that she was really just out of stair climbing shape.

For the last year or so I’ve been taking the stairs more often. It’s not because I like climbing stairs; it’s because it helps me get closer to my daily walking goal. And I’ve learned a few things in taking the stairs over the elevator:  

One thing I’ve learned is if you dislike crowds and being in close quarters with people, take the stairs – you’ll have the place to yourself! When I take the stairs at the hospital, 90% of the time I never encounter anyone else. The other 10% I just see hospital staff.  

If you want to sing or whistle while you get to your destination, take the stairs. Not only will no one hear you, the acoustics in the stairwell really make for a rich, full sound!  

If you need some quiet to think, take the stairs. The only sound you will hear is your own heavy breathing as you round the 5th floor.

I’m not petitioning for more people to take the stairs – I like to whistle undisturbed when I climb. I’m just saying there’s more to taking the stairs than giving you a heart attack.

There are some people who like to climb stairs. In Toronto, at the CN Tower, they’ve been running a fundraiser stair climb for 23 years. They get about 6,400 people walking up the 1,776 steps (that’s 144 flights!) every year. 

My daughter has made this climb the last two years, first doing it in just over 17 minutes and this year in under 16 minutes. I get out of breath just linking about it.

For the most part though, multi-floor buildings promote the use of elevators and escalators. The stairwells are usually in out-of-the-way places reserved for emergencies … and then good luck finding them! 

Of course, the older we get, the more we start looking for those elevators. I’ve heard that 70 year olds can spot an elevator at 60 paces, but still not be able to read what button to push without their glasses!  

I figure I’m not there yet, so I better keep using the stairs.

Here’s the thing: We gravitate to what’s fast and easy until that is all we can do. Becoming more like Christ takes time and work. If we’re always looking for the fast and easy, we may never look much like Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you do the hard way just to not give in to the easy? Leave your comment below.

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The Other Side Of The Clouds

From time to time I will republish a post I have written in the past. This is a repost of an article I wrote in May 2015

On a recent plane trip, I became fascinated by two very different realms that exist in our world. There is the realm below the clouds and the realm above the clouds.

other side of the clouds

On the plane ride home from Calgary we flew above the clouds with the sun shining brightly all around and into the cabin of the plane. I noticed how some people shut their blinds so that they could sleep or to cut the glare on their TV screen while they watched a movie.

Looking out my window the sun was unhindered and I found myself squinting to shade my eyes as I looked out.

Below the plane was this white base that seemed firm and as I focused on it, in my mind I could envision a vast landscape of mountains and valleys. It was pure white, clean and bright, inviting.

On our descent, the clouds looked softer and billowy and certainly not solid like before.  They morphed into a wispy cottony substance as we enter them.

This particular day, the cloud cover was thick and it seemed that we traveled a long way to get through the clouds.  Everything out my window was grey and it resembled thick smoke when it is whipped up by the wind.

At one point, I thought, “How long are we going to be in these clouds?” I was surprised how thick they were.

When we finally got through, the scene was vastly different from above the clouds. Though it was only 1 pm, it looked like it was late in the evening.  The realm below the clouds was dark and grey, rainy and dull.  It was a complete contrast to the realm above the clouds.  The realm below was sun starved and I felt an immediate dip in my spirit.

Though this was the realm I live in, there was something about the realm above the clouds I wished was present.  Despite my familiarity with the terrain and the landscape, I had a longing for the bright warm and inviting sun.

So here’s my thought: When life seems rotten, when we’re down and things are going all wrong, internally we are in a realm much like I found myself in below the clouds.

In reality though, the sun is still shining – shining as bright as ever, providing warmth and light and goodness.  It just seems as if the sun is absent.

I envision the sun as God’s goodness and blessing shining on us.  For me to experience that once again, I turn to prayer.  I can’t break through my realm (through the clouds) to the realm above, but my prayers can.

Some times the clouds are thick and it seems to take a long time for my prayer to make it through them.  But that doesn’t mean God’s love isn’t shining down.  In the book of Daniel, he once wondered why it took so long for God to answer his prayer.

Look up Daniel 10:1-14. The angel tells Daniel his prayers were received right away but that he was delayed in responding, like there was a battle going on in the clouds.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we have to pray for a long time before we see a break in the clouds, and the sun shining again in our lives.  But what I need to remind myself of is that my prayers are received by God instantly, and regardless of how long it is before my prayers are answered, God’s love and grace is shining down on me as bright as ever – even when I can’t see it. And that’s good to know.

That’s Life!

Paul

What are your thoughts on delays in answered prayer?  Leave your comments below!

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My To-do’s Are Never Ending

Recently I had a to-do list that I was trying to work through – the only problem was that it kept expanding. For every item I crossed off the list, I added one or two more to it.

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When I have a list of things I have to do, there is no greater pleasure for me than to be able to check those items off the list when they are completed.

And to be honest, when I check something off a to-do list, I give it more than a check. When I make the list out by hand, on a piece of paper, I don’t usually put a check mark beside the item when I’ve done the task … I obliterate it from the paper!

It’s like I don’t want to be reminded of what it was that I’d just finished. I draw lines through it about a dozen times so that the best intelligence agent could not decipher what lies beneath the pen strokes.

But I find that I only use pen and paper when I’m in a time crunch and all the to-do’s need to be completed by a deadline. Otherwise, I use a task app which puts a nice little check beside each item and fades the type for a while before it totally disappears. The app is called “Nozbe” and it’s a great little task manager.

This week I’m in one of those time crunches and so out came the lined paper and a pen to scratch out my to-do’s.

The first day I made some progress … not as much as I’d hoped, but I was able to almost rip through the paper with my lines on a few of the tasks.

The next day didn’t turn out as well. I was able to obliterate two items from my list but had to add three more that also needed to be finished by the deadline.

One of the items came as a by-product of completing a task. It was one of those,”well I did this, which means now I have to do that” kind of thing.

Another task was something new that came up. It didn’t really matter; it all felt the same. My list was not getting smaller.

I was inclined to give up on the list all together and just do what came to mind until the deadline, but that would cause me greater grief in the end.

That’s the problem with to-do lists: they don’t end! There is always another thing that needs to be taken care of.

Right now I’m going through my list to determine if there are some things that can wait, and be completed after my deadline.

What would make me happiest is to know that I have gotten to the end of my to-do list. So before I add anything else to the list, I will destroy my current task sheet and start a new one … after my deadline.

Here’s the thing: We need a sense of completion with things, whether it is a to-do list or reading the Bible. When you have a goal in mind, I would suggest that you set up a reading plan and work to complete it before you start your next plan. That way your Bible reading won’t seem never-ending but will have a start and finish date. Then move on to the next plan.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you gain a sense of completion with your Bible reading? Leave your comment below.

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Saturday Morning Starts Early

Saturday mornings I play hockey at 7 am … some people think that’s too early to be getting out of bed for something you don’t have to do.

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I’ve been getting out of bed for things I like to do but don’t have to do for most of my life.

I wouldn’t say it’s always easy. There are many times it’s a struggle to get up simply because I haven’t had enough sleep.

One time in high school, some guys decided to set a new Guinness World record for the longest indoor ball hockey game.

We played in shifts over three or four days, 24 hours a day. Everyone would play for a few hours and then have a couple of hours off.

Some guys slept in the school but I lived across the parking lot so I went home. I had a tub of baking powder by my bed. I would sit on my bed, put my feet in the baking powder, and then go to sleep.

When I got up I would rub on heat liniment, put my feet back in the tub and get ready to play. There were times it was brutal trying to get out of bed for my next shift.

Then there were the times I played golf every Saturday morning with a couple of guys. Many times I slept through my alarm and woke up to little pebbles hitting my window.

It was the boys waking me up to hit the links.

I love playing hockey or golf early in the morning but it’s not always easy getting up.

That’s why I wasn’t too surprised when my son didn’t respond this morning for hockey … he gets half his genes from me you know.

I texted him at 6:15 am to make sure he was awake and ready for me to pick him up. I got no reply.

That was a bad sign. I waited five minutes, then I phoned.

Mike’s phone rang about eight times before it clicked off. I knew right then he might not make it.

I called him again with the same results; the phone just rang and rang. I decided to call right back thinking that maybe if the last call seemed dream-like this call would get him conscious.

It didn’t work; no response. So I got in the car and backed out of the garage.

I decided to try one more time, just in case … no luck. I figured his phone was either buried under clothes or in another room.

I drove to the arena, got dressed, stepped onto the ice, took a few shots and then felt my watch vibrate on my wrist.

I took a look and there was a voice mail message. I knew who it was immediately. I went back to the dressing room and gave Mike a call.

He was pretty groggy but said he’d come. Surprisingly, he got about half the game in.

It was nice having him on the ice with me, and good to know that he’ll also get up for something he likes … even if he needs some friendly help.

Here’s the thing: Meeting with God in the morning is something I like doing, and I hope you do as well. But in order to ensure you’re able to get up, it’s best to get enough shut-eye during the night so you are able to rise to the occasion.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you ensure you can get up early for something you enjoy? Leave your comment below.

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How To Keep Your Lights Working

I don’t know what we’d do without lights. I guess we would all go to bed earlier … and wake up later.

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Lights keep us working late; they keep us going when we run out of daylight.

Recently I’ve realized that I have lights IN me. They’re called electrolytes.

Actually, I’ve know about them for many years, but recently I clued into something about them that is making a difference in my exercising.

For some time I’ve been having muscle problems when I play hockey or do anything strenuous. What happens is my muscles in the lower half of my body feel like they have been exercised to the max and I just can’t get any more out of them.

That would be understandable at the end of a workout or near the end of a game of hockey, but unfortunately it happens to me very soon after I start exercising or on my first shift playing hockey.

I thought it was a reaction to the medication I take. I even wrote about that and you can read that post (here).

But it’s more than the medication. What my research is revealing to me is I need more lights or “lytes”, that is, electrolytes.

My son just laughs at me like, “How can you be so old and not know this?”

You see when I play hockey I don’t drink any water. I’m sweating tons of it but not replenishing any.

In other words, I use lots of electrolytes but I’m not putting any back into my body.

And I really need them so that my muscles don’t seize up!

Over the last couple of months I’ve been experimenting. I’ve been loading up on water before I play hockey and, amazingly enough, during the game as well.

I actually take a water bottle out to the bench, just like most of the other guys. I guess I’m not special after all, just normal like everyone else.

This hydrating myself has worked pretty well. I’ve noticed a marked difference but it’s not perfect. I still have shifts where my muscles feel all worn out.

So today I tried something different. I thought maybe I needed more electrolytes than what I get in just plain water. I decided to guzzle a bottle of Gatorade before the game.

Well, I would have drank Gatorade because my son works for Pepsi. But the vending machine only sold Powerade so I downed a bottle before I hit the ice.

As I said before, I don’t know what we’d do without “lytes”. This electrolyte-packed drink kept my muscles from barking at me the whole game. Not once did I get a message to stop skating and take a rest.

I think I’m on to something here and I’ll keep the experiment going until I come to a definite conclusion.

Oh ya, and I’ll keep taking a bottle of water out to the bench.

Here’s the thing: Like with your body, spiritually you can only give so much before you need to replenish. The warning signs that you are not getting enough spiritual nutrition will be a lack of love for God and a heaping pile of unconfessed sin. To replenish, you need to read God’s Word, but not just read the words, soak them in, ask questions and personalize what you read. Your spirit will be renewed and you will be able to keep going, staying strong spiritually.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What problem have you been trying to find an answer to? Leave your comment below.

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I’m A Bit Of An Open Book

Have you ever found that being an open book has tripped you up? Well, I have!

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As a pastor, there are times I share things about my life with my congregation that kind of exposes me to their scrutiny.

I wouldn’t say that I reveal everything about myself to my congregation, however, there have been times my wife, Lily, has complained that she finds things out about me in my sermon, along with the congregation.

… Those conversations are a little revealing as well.

Over the years, I would say my congregation knows what I’m like. They know some things that I like, and some things I don’t. They’ve found out about situations I’ve been in.

They know about some of the problems I’ve had. They know some things that make me happy and some things that make me sad.

They also know about things that make me angry, or mad.

And they know about my health. They know I had a heart attack. They know I try to exercise and try to eat the right kinds of foods.

They know my weakness for Dr. Pepper … even though I’ve tried to convince them that it works together with my cholesterol medication.

They know my weakness for junk food and fast food.

When it comes to things like that, I’m a bit of an open book.

As a pastor, it’s not just your family who’s reading you, it’s your whole congregation who’s reading you.

So yesterday I was in a grocery store … pretty innocent – I mean a lot of people go into grocery stores everyday.

It’s just not a good sign when I’m in one. You see, Lily would rather me not go grocery shopping with her. There are too many things that catch my eye and end up in the cart.

And the things that catch my eye are never on her list of things that we need. They are, of course, items that work together with my cholesterol medication.

It’s good that I don’t go in grocery stores that often. They are big places with lots of people strolling, or trolling up and down the aisles.

But that’s where I was yesterday afternoon. Lily was off getting some healthy things down in the produce section … I was in the candy aisle.

And that’s when someone from my congregation spotted me. She paused, cleared her throat, and I looked up.

I was caught! I had already been to the chip aisle so the evidence was in my hands.

What do you say to someone who knows you had a heart attack, that you are trying to live healthier, but they catch you with chips in hand, drooling over a big pack of licorice?

Well, what you do is you play the card you can only play one day a year.

I looked at her, smiled and said, “You’ve got to have junk food for the Super Bowl!”

And that was a good enough answer.

Here’s the thing: Being an open book can trip you up sometimes. But you know, whether you think about it, realize it or not, we are all open books to God. He sees it all, even the things that aren’t seen, like our thought and words. So it’s best to be honest and up front with Him. Don’t pretend He doesn’t see or know. He does. Be quick to confess, and let His awareness of you control your actions, thoughts and words.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you been caught doing lately? Leave your comment below.

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Facebook Just Sucked Thirty Minutes Of Life Out Of Me!

 

I just spent a half hour doing nothing on Facebook.

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Most people know that Facebook sucks you in and keeps dangling the carrot in front of you to stay connected, but I’m kind of new to the Facebook scene. I think I’ve only had friends for about a year now. I used to be a loner.

At that time all my friends were through my wife. She was my entire source of friends until I decided to branch out on my own.

Last year I finally broke down and got myself some friends. The thing is, I’m not that good of a friend. I don’t go on Facebook enough to know what my friends are doing or up to.

I keep getting emails that let me know what I’ve missed since I’ve been away. It’s usually a few notifications, maybe a friend request and a poke.

I don’t even know what a poke is.

The thing is, I don’t have time to go through all the stuff that’s posted on my home page … and truthfully, with some of the stuff, I don’ t want to either.

They say – whoever “they” are –  that you have time for what’s important to you. That may be true for me.

Now I’m not saying that my friends are not important. No, they are important; it’s just some of the stuff that gets posted doesn’t really interest me.

It’s possible that my friends are not that interesting and that’s why I’m not getting stuff on my home page that draws me in.

But that’s not really it either. I just don’t go on Facebook that much.

There is always something else I could be doing or should be doing that keeps me from sticking my head in the Facebook world.

But this morning I was scrolling the apps on my phone and saw a number 5 beside my Facebook app.

My first thought was, “I have a little time. I’ll get rid of that little red number”, but when I went inside there were a number of videos and pictures that were staring right at me.

I wasn’t in a hurry and I didn’t have anything that was pressing, so I started to scroll.

I did learn a few things, like that David Bowie died of cancer. I saw some motocrosser do some amazing tricks with his bike, and I watched 19 construction works try to corral a power trowel that got away on a freshly poured slab of cement.

I’m not sure any of that is going to help me today. I doubt I’ll be able to use any of this info in a sermon … well, maybe the cement workers and the trowel – there’s got to be an illustration there!

The one good thing about the half hour I spent on Facebook this morning is that it’s a lot like Kentucky Fried Chicken: once you have the experience, you don’t need to go back for a while.

I’m sure my friends don’t mind; there are plenty of other people who stay glued to their walls.

… It was nice to see a pic of a buddy with Bobby Orr though.

Here’s the thing: When you think of how much time you spend on things like Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media, do you find it hard to squeeze some time in your day to read the Bible? Here’s a challenge for you: Make 2016 a year you read through the whole Bible, and get God’s perspective on the world.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How much time a day do you spend on social media? Leave your comment below.