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My Goal Setting Disaster

There is something about the beginning of a new year that sparks an urge in many of us to set goals or think of plans for the months ahead. New Year’s resolutions are at the top of people’s minds, with dreams of what the coming year will bring, and an anticipation of making those dreams come true.

For the last few years I’ve been following a plan to set my goals. I’m not naturally a goal setter; on my own, I’m more spur of the moment, but since that doesn’t jive with my world, I force myself to plan.

However, this year I’m having an issue right out of the gate. I’ve decided not to purchase the plan I’d been following in recent years; instead I’m going to try to set my goals with the materials I already have and the process I’m now familiar with.

The problem with that is it is now up to me to get going. I don’t have email reminders and links to motivational videos that press me into making time to get my goals down on paper in a manner that is realistic but challenging for the year.

Having a coach or trainer who encourages me to get going and to follow through has helped in the past, but this year I have to be coach, trainer and student.

I can do it, but there are times I feel a little schizophrenic, or like I’m having conversations with another part of myself – like the guy in the old movie, Taxi Driver. He stood in front of a mirror and started talking to his reflection, saying “Who are you looking at? You looking at me?”

I know I can get past this, and move myself on to set goals this year, but the other problem is time.

I’ve had a very busy Christmas season this year. Yes, I called it a “season” because, for me, there is about a six week span that is pretty much completely focused on Christmas.

I really haven’t had any down time to make room for setting goals. Normally there is a bit of a lull between Christmas and the first few days of January before it’s back to the regular pace.

I didn’t get that lull this year.

To do my goal setting the way I’ve been doing it the last few years, I need about thirty minutes each day for five days to pull it all together.

I’m not seeing that time this next week, and I’m away for most of the week after that.

It might not be until the end of January that I have the time to clear sufficient space in my life to set some goals. I don’t really like that plan, but it might be my only option.

On the other hand, though I feel overloaded, and like I don’t have a window of time to set my goals, I really only need thirty minutes a day. I should be able to squeeze thirty minutes into the next five days if I make it a goal.

Look, I’ve already set one goal!

Here’s the thing: The beginning of a year is a great time to make commitments of how you want to grow in your relationship with Christ for the coming year. It’s easy to put off; it’s easy to think it’s too late. But the best thing to do is decide right now when you will make your spiritual growth commitment for this year and then keep that date.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you find hardest about setting goals? Leave your comment below.

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I Can’t Believe I Forgot that Event!

How can you forget an event you had planned for and were looking forward to? … You might do that if you were very busy and it was just one of many things you had to do.

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Well, I did that when I had nothing else to do. And it wasn’t like I remembered part way through and was able to just get there late. I didn’t think of it until it was over!

It was New Year’s Day, our daughter was in town and there was an OHL hockey game scheduled. Being the chaplain of the team, I’m kind of expected to show up to games.

I usually make arrangement for tickets the week of a game, but with the holidays things got messed up. So just two days before the game, I called a guy and arranged to get three tickets.

The tickets would be waiting for me at the main gate … They’re probably still there waiting for me.

I was looking forward to going with Lily and Karlie. We didn’t have anything else to do or anywhere else to go, so it was perfect.

New Year’s Day was a pretty lazy affair. I went to see Star Wars in an empty theatre with my son, took an afternoon nap, and worked on my sermon.

I was looking for something to do, wanting something to do before Lily suggested something that I didn’t want to do.

She suggested that we play a game … and in hindsight you’d think that would have triggered thoughts of the hockey game we had tickets to.

Since I’m not a fan of playing games, and since I had nothing else to do, I decided it would be a good time to put the winter tires on the car … I didn’t really want to change the tires but it was something that needed to get done.

After that task was finished, I checked in with Lily and Karlie playing a game, each of them trying to beat the other and beat their own scores.

That didn’t even jiggle loose any memory of the hockey game from the far regions of my brain.

I then decided it would be a good time to rent a movie. After checking out all the possibilities on TV and having to make a tough decision on a rental, I finally settled down to my movie.

The first couple of scenes came on and I don’t even know what it was, but all of a sudden I remembered – WE HAD TICKETS TO THE GAME TONIGHT!

It was 9:30 pm at that point; the game would have been over. I yelled down to Lily and Karlie, “We forgot we had tickets to the game tonight!” … I heard many groans of disappointment from the basement.

It turned out that the boys didn’t need me cheering them on. They won 5-3 on their own.

Maybe I need a little more in my schedule to keep me attentive to the things I have planned.

Here’s the thing: I don’t know how many times I have forgotten to ask God for help, until it was almost too late or was too late. There have been times someone else has said to me, “Have you prayed about that yet?”, and no, I hadn’t. The great news is God never forgets about us, so learn from your forgetfulness and keep going. There’s always another game.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are some reasons why you don’t think of first asking God for help? Leave your comment below.

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I’m Still Paying For Dinner

Someday, when my family goes out to dinner, I won’t be paying the bill. The other night I saw a foreshadow of this, but in the end, I still had to ante up.

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My family is not quite there yet. They still depend on dad to come through at crucial times, like at the cash register or when the mobile credit card machine is brought to the table.

It was a momentous occasion – both Karlie and Mike were in town on the same day when it wasn’t a holiday or some special event. It was a last minute kind of thing so we quickly threw a plan together.

I got a couple of extra tickets to the hockey game and we decided to go out for dinner beforehand.

We only had one hitch: we had to decide where we would eat. That shouldn’t normally be a difficult decision. There are plenty of restaurants in town.

Reading everyone’s mind and coming up with the right place is not always easy in my family.

I suggested burgers … Hey, we were going to a hockey game, not the theatre, so burgers seemed to be a good fit.

My wife, however, wanted everything. She wanted a classy dinner at hamburger prices.

Well, there just isn’t that option in downtown Kingston, so we ended up settling on a trendy restaurant which catered more towards Lily’s atmosphere tastes than her desired price point.

It was good though because we were all in agreement.

However, I noticed a few things right away. It was my son who took the lead at getting us a table. It seemed to me that our waitress identified him as the leader of our group … or that he was the most eligible person at the table!

And when the menu came, it was Mike who gave his mother a few pointers regarding what was on it. And both our kids gave us a little instruction or constructive criticism on ordering food in a restaurant.

When that happened, I had a flashback to when they were children and we not only had to order for them but we had to feed them as well.

I wondered if the tables will turn completely the other way one day. Well, it’s better not to think about that too much, so, never mind.

We had a great meal. Everyone seemed to enjoy what they ordered and I noticed my kids didn’t seem to have any concern for the price of things.

When it was time for the bill, the waitress brought it to the other side of the table where my son was sitting.

Maybe it was because he was dressed a little better than I was, or maybe he just seemed to be the one in charge at our table. … Or maybe he was the most eligible one at the table and she was hoping he also had all the money.

Well, sadly for her and for me, Mike had no hesitation with passing the bill over to me.

I had this brief glimmer of hope of what could be, of what might be someday. It all lasted two, maybe three seconds before I was staring at the $100 plus bill.

Dear old dad is still good for something, I guess.

Here’s the thing: We can look very good on the outside, like we have it all together, that everything is under control, like we can take care of things. But in the end, it doesn’t matter what we look like on the outside, all that matters is what’s inside. Do you have the currency to meet God’s demands? Faith in Christ is the only currency He’ll take.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How is your currency with God? Leave your comment below.

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Today Is The Day The Lights Go Up

So today has been declared, “put up the Christmas lights” day.  No one has put any pressure on me to do it today; it’s just time to get them up.

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I’ve seen the Christmas lights on many houses for the last week or so, but I’m not one to start burning through the electricity all that early in the season.

My neighbour is pretty smart. He waits for the warmest day in November and gets them up even if he doesn’t turn them on for another couple of weeks. His lights have been on for the last week and every time I drive into our court, they stare at me, goading me into playing Russian roulette with the weather.

And that’s what I usually do. I see my neighbour out there getting his lights up, wearing a light sweater or jacket … but I like to take my chances.

Sometimes it doesn’t work out well for me – I’ve put my lights up when the snow’s been flying and it’s frosty on the hands. There were times I’ve even had to wear a winter jacket and hat.

If you know me, I don’t wear hats all that much. The only time you’ll see me wearing a toque is on a ski hill, or tobogganing, or losing at weather Russian roulette putting up my Christmas lights.

It doesn’t take me too long because I’ve figured out a system and I have the right clips to make it all work. … However, it used to be a problem.

For many years the light manufacturers weren’t meeting their profit margins, so every year it seemed they would change up the clips to attach the lights to your eavestrough or roof shingles.

When I would go to put up my lights, I would invariably be short a couple of clips. So off I’d go to Canadian Tire, only to find they didn’t make those clips anymore. I had to replace them all with a new clip system.

The light people must be doing alright now because I haven’t had to overhaul my light clips in several years.

One thing I miss though is the help. Years ago, before my daughter, Karlie, left home, she would help me. It made the job a little nicer; it was something we looked forward to each year.

I tried to get my son, Mike, to help when Karlie moved away, but he never had much interest. I think he figured one day he’d be doing it for the rest of his life, so he was in no hurry to get started.

The great thing about putting up the lights today is that I won the weather game this year. It’s a mild day out there; no need for gloves.

Here’s the thing: In Ecclesiastes it says there is a time for everything, like a time to reap and a time to sow. The thing is you have to do whatever it is at the right time. If you don’t do it at the right time it will be harder or impossible for you. It works the same way with God. There is a right time to give yourself to God, and if you miss the right time, it’s not just harder, it’s impossible to give yourself to Him. The good thing is the time is now and we don’t know when it will end. The smart play is to give yourself to Him now – today. Get it done. Don’t play Russian roulette with God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you put off that you should just get done? Leave your comment below.

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New Doesn’t Always Feel Better At First

I’ve worn the same hockey skates now for 22 years – that’s a long time to be wearing the same set of blades.

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Some people like to stay current and keep up with the latest improvements. Though I like new things, when it comes to hockey equipment, I don’t easily let go.

Over the years I’ve replaced my skate blades several times. But recently I saw signs that other parts were beginning to wear out.

Some of the stitching was giving way, and there were some cracks in the leather inside the boot. … That’s right, leather! It’s not easy to find skates with leather anymore. It was time for a new pair.

But this was not a quick decision. In fact, I’ve been thinking about buying new skates for a couple of years, but the thought of parting with my old skates was just too hard.

My old skates are comfortable; they are well broken in. I like to hang on to things like that. When I was in my early twenties, I sewed strips of cloth to my old long underwear, so that I didn’t have to get a new pair to wear under my equipment.

So making the move to a new pair of skates was a big deal for me.

I’ve worn CCM Tacks for 40 years or more, so that’s what I gravitated to in a new skate. But the new ones looked different, felt different and even fit differently than my old skates.

My old skates were the very first attempt at moulding the boot to your particular foot. With those skates, you put them on and they took a heat gun to the boot, making the boot pliable. Then they sucked all the air out so that the boot formed tight to the contours of your foot.

With my new skates, they went into an oven and were heated up. Then you put them on, tied them up tight and just sat with your skates on until they cooled down.

The results were pretty much the same, though I think my new skates feel even better than my old ones.

But that’s what you get with new things. Processes have been refined over the years, materials have been enhanced, and my new skates weigh considerably less than my olds ones did.

My new skates look better, more modern, up-to-date.

Even though there are many good things about my new skates, there are some drawbacks that I need to overcome. For some reason the new boot feels like there’s more to it so I feel a little clumsy in them.

My new skates also lace up higher than my old ones, which feels a little awkward. I had to undo the top eyelet so that I could get into a comfortable skating position … but tying them one eyelet lower makes them feel like they need to be done up a little higher, just not a whole eyelet higher.

I really needed to get a new pair of skates, and I know that eventually I will get used to them, but between now and then it’s not going to be fun.

Here’s the thing: When God prompts you to make a change in your life, it’s never an easy one. You are comfortable with the old; you are used to it. You feel awkward or out-of-sorts with the new. It’s going to take some getting used to, but in the end, it will be better … God is shaping you into His image.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you put off changing in your life? Leave your comment below.

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Watch Out! The Hype Can Disappoint

When the hype doesn’t match the experience, you are doubly disappointed. And I have to say, that’s how I felt after my lunch yesterday.

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It was Sunday after church and Lily was in the mood to eat out. When that happens, you always jump at it! Normally she is the voice of reason, the voice of saving, the voice of “there are leftovers at home we can heat up”.

So when she threw out the suggestion, I jumped at it. I said “sure”, even before she had second thoughts and blurted out, “though we will be spending money eating out later this week”.

It was too late, however; I had already agreed to going out for lunch.

Now it was just a matter of deciding where to eat.

Lily wanted to eat at one of those places that is only open until about three in the afternoon. You know, the ones that specialize in serving breakfast to people who get up late and want to keep that sleepy feeling that it’s still morning.

It was against my better judgement to eat there but I said, “Sure, let’s go.” When we arrived there weren’t many spots in the parking lot and the line up to get in was almost out the door.

… It has got to be a great spot when people are waiting just to get breakfast food, which usually comes with very little or no meat at all.

This place was popular because it was close to 1:30 pm and it was still jammed to capacity. The good thing was that, by that time, many people were finishing up so the wait was not too long.

The atmosphere was cheery in the bright open restaurant. Its colours of yellow, green and orange gave the impression of a beautiful sunny morning.

As we took our seats, it felt like a great day to be alive. And with the sounds of happy people talking all around, I’m sure most everyone felt the same way.

The menu was filled with pictures of the food you could order. It all looked so good, and even half healthy – not like some restaurants where even the pictures of the food make you feel like it would sit in your gut like a lump till dinner time.

I had a hard time deciding if I should go with a crepe filled with fresh fruit and cream or choose a traditional egg meal.

I decided on eggs Benedict. I felt good about my decision, even when it arrived at the table. It looked great; I had high hopes. But one bite in and I was disappointed. The hollandaise sauce was bland; no taste. The very thing that makes the eggs Benedict was blah.

We could have gone home after all. Lil can make eggs Benedict astronomically better!

Here’s the thing: When you spend time with God, put aside the flashy, popular devotional guides and books that tell you what to think. It’s far better to let God shape your thoughts and responses. Grab your Bible and turn to just a verse or two. Read the verse over a couple of times, maybe even write it out. Then ask yourself a few questions like: What’s the instruction here for me? What should I praise God for in this verse? What do I need to confess to God here? What do I need to do? There will be no hype to get in the way of really hearing from God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you found to be the most nourishing devotional method? Leave your comment below.

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You Should Act On Your Impulses

Last weekend I did a little shopping on impulse. It’s not what you think; I didn’t come home with some frivolous purchase that will end up in a corner of the garage behind a stack of tarps.

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I didn’t come home with anything.

What I did was more like shopping research than actual shopping. The research involved a little bit of price comparison, but my investigation mainly centred around product features.

The impulse was the idea I got in my head that it was time to get some smart home devices. Right now those items are mostly lights you can turn on and off and thermostats that can be controlled from anywhere in the world with a swipe across the screen of an iPhone.

I’m not really sure what brought on the impulse, but I sure jumped into action. The brainwave hit me when I was in a store and so I moseyed over to the right department, but they didn’t have what I was looking for.

My next stop was a nearby big box hardware store where I was introduced to a couple of products I’d not seen before. Both looked pretty good; I was leaning towards one in particular.

That’s when a store employee came by and I asked him all kinds of questions. He had some answers, even owned one of the products, and was pretty enthusiastic about it.

But he said one thing that kept me searching. He said another store sold products that would work alongside theirs. … I had to see that.

This took me to another box store where I didn’t find any compatible items to the previous store’s offering, but I did come across some new products that did similar things.

I also ran into a salesperson who owned one of the products and was again very eager to tell me all about it and how it worked.

I picked up a little more information there, but left with more questions, not about the products but about how they interacted with the smart phone technology.

I started to search the web for more information on where these smart home devices are going, and since I was close to another big hardware store, I thought I would check it out.

There I found some repeats and a few news products. I also had a salesperson, who knew absolutely nothing about the products, try to answer some of my questions.

By the time I had finished my tour of the stores, and my brief internet discoveries, I concluded that it might be too soon to jump in and get my home all smart.

There are new products in the works that will be far less limited than the ones that are available right now.

I’m waiting for when I can get my home to prepare my meals for me. Oh wait, no, that’s called a retirement home . . . I’m definitely not ready for that.

Here’s the thing: I was thinking about how I, on impulse, did some research into a product that just popped into my head, and was thinking we should do the same with the Bible. When you read the scriptures you are confronted with things that cause you to question. How often do we just keep reading and never do anything to satisfy our curiosity? Ask questions, get a commentary, read a book on something in the Bible that causes you to think. Don’t just pass up on that impulse.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you become curious about in the Bible?  Leave your comments below.

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Making The Most Of A Bad Thing

My wife, Lily, is always looking for things the two of us can do in our city. This past weekend we had some visitors staying with us and, to be helpful, she checked to see what special events were happening in case they needed something to do.

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Honestly, I think she was researching what was happening in the city to come up with plan for the two of us to do together. And, you guessed it, she found an event that was happening downtown all Sunday afternoon.

Usually I like to watch a little NFL football through my eyelids on Sunday afternoons, but this time I felt the need to give in to her scheme.

We headed downtown right after lunch. It couldn’t have been a better day for an outside activity – warm and the sun was shining.

The event was called “Streets Alive”, put on by the City of Kingston. You would figure that the city would have all the resources to put on a top-notch event.

In this case something must have gone seriously wrong. Not one person, but a whole team of people, must have missed their assignments to create this flop!

They had blocked off a city street for about one kilometre, turning it into a huge sidewalk. However, when Lily and I were strolling down the middle of the street we were pretty much the only ones on the road.

We had puzzled looks on our faces for most of the walk. At intersections there were officials to ensure no cars came onto the street. We asked one guy what was supposed to be happening and he admitted he didn’t really know much. He was just manning the barricade.

The street ended at a park with a sign at the entrance posting a long list of booths spread throughout the park. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see more than a few.

There were four food vending trucks which was one more than the number of booths that we saw.

We turned around and walked back … passing a few other people walking the street with similar puzzled looks on their faces.

The event was called “Streets Alive” but from what I could tell, it was more like “Streets Dead”.

I think I have an idea of what they were trying to do. Every year in the fall the city produces a magazine that lists all the various community opportunities, clubs and classes one can take part in. I think they were trying to do a live version of that magazine.

The only problem was the clubs, classes and organizations didn’t get the memo to set up booths, and most people would rather open a magazine rather than walk down a deserted street to a park with a fries truck and a fortune telling booth.

It wasn’t all bad, however. Lily’s scheme got us out of the house, doing something together, and I got some raspberry gelato. I think next year though we’ll pass on the “Streets Alive.”

Here’s the thing: Often we put the onus on the organizers of an event, thinking they better put on a great event or we’ll be let down and have a right to complain. We do that with church, too. Sometimes we don’t like the music or feel the sermon wasn’t good. But I believe if you are seeking to connect with God at church, He will draw you into any worship music and He doesn’t need a straight stick to strike your heart.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you make the most of a bad thing? Leave your comment below.

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The Dilemma Of Making A Decision

I’m a little torn this morning. I have a day off and my dilemma today is, “Do I go for a bike ride or play hockey?”

It’s that time of season where I can choose. In a couple of months there will be no choice; it will be hockey or nothing. But today the sun is shining and it’s still warm outside.

That gets me in the mood for a good bike ride and I haven’t ridden in over a week.

But on the other hand, pick-up hockey has started and it’s been a long time since April when I last laced up the skates. I’m kind of excited to get back at it for another season.

On the one hand, there will be fewer and fewer opportunities to hit the trails on my mountain bike. The weather will start to be more unpredictable, and the shortened daylight will make it harder to get in a ride before it’s dark.

So I should really get out there and enjoy the trails while I can, before it’s too late and my bike gets packed away for the winter.

On the other hand, there is something about arriving at the arena in shorts and sandals, and the contrast of the cold temperature inside and the warmth of the sun outside.

It’s a tough decision to make on your day off when you just want to chill and do something fun. Having to make a choice makes it a little like work and less like fun.

You know, I probably have the time to do both today if I really want to. Though, I think I would get a little bit of objection from Lily, who would like to spend some time with me today.

If this was a work decision that I had to make, I would probably be praying about it. I might be conferring with a few other people to get their input. I would certainly make a list of pros and cons for each decision.

I might catch a cold playing hockey going between the extreme temperatures. Or I could get a flat tire in the middle of the bush and have to walk my bike out. I have to play hockey at a certain time, but I can go biking whenever it fits best with my agenda today.

The bottom line, however, is I’m going to get sweaty no matter what I do. It will also take about the same amount of time whichever activity I choose.

I have to get off the couch and out of the house regardless of the type of exercise I decide to put my body through.

And I win no matter what I end up giving myself to.

Wow, I still don’t know what I’m going to do today. All I know is I better make a decision before the decision is taken away from me.

… If I wait too long one option will be off the table.

Here’s the thing: Making a decision for God is important, because then God will work with you, steer you, guide and direct you. But if you delay too long in making your decision, there might come a time when the option to decide is off the table.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question:  What have you had a difficult time deciding on in the last three months? Leave your comment below.

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The Real Winner At Ribfest

Last weekend my wife, Lily, and I went to the ribfest in town. Anything with ribs in the title grabs my attention, so we go every time the tour stops in Kingston.

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If you’ve never been to one, you’re probably not much of a meat lover.

The main show is the huge structures that advertise each of the different rib venders all in a row.

It’s a friendly competition of who has the best ribs. Each vender has a table full of trophies, and their signage tells the story of which cities think they’re the best.

The ribs are good, but it really comes down to the sauce. We tried ribs from two different booths:

“Crabby’s” and “Smokehouse” and the difference was their own special sauces they put on their ribs.

Each vender hopes you will try their ribs and give them the best rating. They are looking for another trophy and more advertising they can put on their massive signs.

We’ve been for the last three years – the first two years involved a significant amount of rain which kept the crowds down and the atmosphere something less than electric.

This year it was sunny, warm and the place was hopping. Crowds covered the open field; it was tough to get a seat at a table.

But I have to say that, though all the signs and attention were focussed on ribs, they should really call it the onionfest.

In fact, I bet that’s what the “Colossal Onion” mobile fryer owner calls the festival – secretly that is … at the end of the night, by the warm glow of his fryer, as he counts his money.

While all the attention is focussed on ribs, the guy who has the biggest profit margin is the onion truck owner.

Unlike the rib venders who just sold you a half rack of ribs for $13 and a full rack for $23, the onion guy sold a blooming onion, onion rings and spiral fries each for the cost of $10.

I think the ten bucks was mostly to make it easy for the gentleman who was taking the money. This way, if the bill was purple, he just kept it and if it was green, well, he had to give one of those purple bills back to the customer.

The thing was the line up at the Colossal Onion was longer than any of the rib vender lines. People just kept getting in line to eat something alongside their ribs.

So you paid thirteen dollars for a half rack of ribs, and ten dollars to get a deep fried onion. The way I figure it, meat these days is costing a little bit more than what farmers are charging for the onions growing in their fields.

That means the onion guy is rubbing his hands in money … cha-ching!

It was all good though; we had a great time, and we’ll be back next year for onionfest, I mean ribfest 2016.

Here’s the thing: Some parts of life shine brighter than other parts. We get drawn in to the parts of life that are attractive and attracting. But there are parts of life that are more valuable – more valuable in some cases than the parts that shine. Don’t get sucked into living for what shines bright. Seek out what is most valuable and be sure you spend your time there.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you consider most valuable in your life? Leave your comment below.