my emotions

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Like a Square Peg in a Round Hole

Yesterday I helped a friend purchase an electronic tablet. I thought it would be straight forward, but part way through the process I realized I was going to be locked into the lengthy task of helping my friend learn how to use the device.

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If I helped someone in their twenties purchase a tablet, by the end of the transaction the need for my help would end. But my friend is not in his twenties and I can see that my services will be required for quite some time.

… And that gives me flashbacks to my dad with his computer! He would call me with a computer problem, hoping I would be able to solve it over the phone. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I was a pastor and not a computer geek, but I’m sure that wouldn’t have stopped him from seeking my help.

I would ask him to describe what he had on his computer screen so that I could replicate it on mine and then try to walk him through a solution. That might sound like a great plan, but most of the time, while he was supposedly following my steps, he would blurt out “It’s gone”. And then the following dialogue would ensue:

“What’s gone, Dad?”

“Oh, it’s back again!”

“What’s gone? What’s back? Dad, back away from the keyboard. Don’t touch anything!”

These calls were painful at times, trying to get a 73 year old to master new technology. It was like teaching a child which hole the round peg goes in and which hole the square one goes in. I remember how many times I had to show our kids, saying “No, see? The round one goes in here.”

They would still try to stick the square one in the round hole, but you had the hope that eventually, in time, they were going to figure it out. I remember I didn’t have that same hope with my dad.

One time when I was talking to my brother, I mentioned these computer help calls I’d been getting from Dad. As soon as I asked, “Has Dad ever called you about his computer?”, my brother’s eyes got all crazy-like and he just said, “Don’t get me started!”

It was then that I realized that my dad had a master plan for getting computer help. His plan was simple: phone one son until he was exasperated and then phone the other. My dad would go back and forth asking computer questions to whomever he thought had the most patience.

So yesterday in the store, I started to gear myself up for a barrage of calls and drop in appointments to my help desk. I guess my computer help desk is open for service again.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that God is like us and gets tired of our repeated requests. But God isn’t like us at all. So don’t ever stop bringing your requests and confessions to Him. He is always eager to hear from you.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Have you ever felt like you couldn’t bother God with something again?  Leave your comment below.

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Beware of Dangerous Fruit

You’ll notice the name and header of my blog have changed. When I created the blog ten months ago, I really had no idea what to call it so I just went with the church name.  I made this name change because it better reflects the content of my blog. Let me know what you think of it. (I also simplified the website address to psthatslife.com)

One night this week, I came home from work, and instead of smelling that sweet aroma of food being prepared, my wife Lily was engrossed in research.

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Now when I get home from work, I make a beeline for the pantry.  Nothing gets in my way of that. If Lily is in the path, I greet her with a kiss and a hug, but not a long hug because, she is in the path to the pantry.

You see, I get hypoglycemic which means I have to eat something right away.  It could be anything, but a kiss will not cut it and a hug will only keep me from falling down, and even then, I could take her down with me.  I need food when I get home and I need it fast!

So, as I was filling my face with chips (oh, did I write that?) Lily was calling me to come see what she had found on the internet.  After scarfing two more handfuls of chips, I made my way to her office where she told me about some research on grapefruit.

Apparently, grapefruit reacts to some medications, creating an overdose effect, a massive overdose in some cases.  (When she mentioned grapefruit, I immediately thought that would be a good chaser to the chips I had just eaten.)

But she was suggesting I shouldn’t eat grapefruit anymore. The whole reason I take “Crestor” instead of “Lipitor” is because I like a little grapefruit for breakfast. Now she was telling me studies show that another pill I take (Plavix) reacts to grapefruit.

I kind of laughed at that point because I have been eating grapefruit everyday for the ten months I have been on this pill. Then I checked and said, “Yup, my heart’s still beating. Hey, I’m alive.”  Lily just rolled her eyes and told me to watch the news report on the internet.

The video was from ABC news. They had their medical expert speaking as if it was a life or death matter. At the close of the interview he said, “Whatever you do, call your doctor and stop taking those drugs.”

I laughed, then asked Lily to play it back. I was right! The expert doctor said “stop taking the drug”. My doctor told me to never to miss taking “Plavix”; it’s keeping my stent open.  But this guy said stop the drug, but keep on eating grapefruit!

So the next morning, I had grapefruit for breakfast.  Later I viewed the video again and they had corrected it. Lil was still worried so she called the pharmacist and he suggest that I stop eating grapefruit.

They’re ganging up on me!

Here’s the thing: Even though it was a possible danger for me to keep eating grapefruit, I ate it the next day anyway.  When confronted by our sin, our natural tendency is to keep on sinning. The key isn’t to dismiss the danger just because nothing bad has happened yet. Rather, dwell deeply on the harm sin in your life can bring and make the change.

That’s Life,

Paul

Question: How do you react to sin in your life? Leave your comment below.

 

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I’ve Found the Secret

Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. The other day, my son and I went to our local golf store to try out his new golf clubs. Mike got new irons for Christmas, but we needed to make sure they had the right shafts for his swing.

The store we went to has a golf simulator that analyses your swing as you hit balls into a screen. As Mike started to warm up and hit some balls, I noticed that he wasn’t getting the distance I would get with the same club.

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The store employee mentioned that he was leaving all his weight on his right leg and what he needed to do was transfer his weight over to his left leg when he swung. I thought that was pretty common knowledge, but for Mike it was a revelation.

He started making that little change and his distance improved by about 25-30 yards, just like that. He was pretty psyched about the increased distance. I figured I would take a few shots to see if the new clubs would make any difference to my game. Sadly, they didn’t – even worse, Mike’s shots were now going a good 20 yards farther than mine!

Something as small as a shift in your weight can make so much difference to the distance you hit the ball and how you feel about your game. For a young guy, it’s all about the distance: the farther you hit, the better you feel about yourself.

Mike came home from the store and showed a friend his new clubs, he was so proud of them. He can’t wait until the spring to get a chance to use them. I think deep down he believes he will be able to beat me now. But I’m not that worried; he still can’t putt.

It’s really remarkable how little things, like shifting your weight, can make you feel good.  We often view the big things as mood changers. Things like winning a lottery, getting a big promotion, or making a significant move are what bring us big smiles.

But life is made up of little moments and not big events. Life is all about the little things, like savouring that steak that has been cooked to perfection, seeing the joy on your son’s face after he hits a golf ball, or anticipating the start of hockey on Saturday nights (finally).

We don’t live life from big event to big event. We live most of our life in the little moments that happen each day. It’s those little moments that make the real difference. It’s the little moments that sustain us every day until a big event comes along.

The last few weeks, I’ve been kind of frustrated. I think I’ve been trying to live from big event to big event and have gone through some deep valleys along the way. But if I would feed on those little moments I have each day, I would sail through even the longest gaps between big events.

Here’s the thing: The same is true with God. If we are waiting for God to do something big in our lives, we may get discouraged and frustrated in the mean time. Instead, if we are having little moments with God each day, they will take us through any valley we find ourselves in.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: What are the little moments in your life (day) that can bring a smile to your face? Leave a comment below.

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Another Eight Long Months!

A week ago, I drove up to Ottawa with my wife, Lily and daughter, Karlie. We were taking Karlie to the airport to catch her flight back to Calgary. She had been visiting us over Christmas.

We made several trips this last month. There were three trips to Ottawa and a trip to Toronto, all to visit family. Each trip had one leg that was difficult because of the road conditions. The hardest trip, though, was this last one, knowing we were saying good-bye to Karlie for another six to eight months.

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It’s not like we are new to this. Karlie has been in Calgary and other places out west for over 5 years now. It’s just that it doesn’t seem to get any easier to see her go.

There is a special element she brings to our home and family when she’s back – something that’s hard to explain.

It’s the looks we share when I tease her mom and we both anticipate the reaction that will be forthcoming. Some of those times are so predicable, but maybe that’s what makes them so funny.  Like when Lily says to me, “You’re looking a little pale. Are you feeling all right?”, my usual response is to sigh, drop my shoulders, and answer her in a weakened voice. Karlie can tell it’s an act, and we share that look. Lily, well, her reaction of concern moves into high gear! We smile every time.

There are the things Karlie does for me too, like the Christmas cookies she bakes. There was one batch she made just for me. They were my mom’s recipe, and she made them as good as Mom ever did. She also watched a few chic flicks with her mom, and even though that wasn’t directly for me, believe me, it was for my benefit!

We shared our father daughter breakfast (our tradition) and even though our restaurant was closed, we were able to find a new breakfast spot that served the same kind of unhealthy food with comparable quality.

There is a comfort to having her at home, like everything is back to normal, but with a twist. The kids, well, they’re adults now.  It used to be like the Flintstones in our house: lots of humour but half of it over the kids’ heads. Now they are right in on it all.

We’re able to relate on a different level now, like having adult conversations about plans and dreams and next steps. I found myself sharing plans with Karlie, too. She even hung out with her parents on New Year’s Eve, in downtown Kingston! I can’t remember a more exciting New Year’s Eve … well, maybe a couple or twenty, but Karlie made it a little more fun.

It’s not that our home doesn’t function when she’s not there.  It’s just that Karlie adds something special to our family, the little things that make everything so much better.  … On a good note, when Karlie came she brought a truck load of snow, and since she’s left, it’s melting rapidly.

Here’s the thing: Just like my daughter brings a special element to our home when she is present, we all bring something to our church community when we show up. What we bring will be missed if we’re not involved. No matter who we are, or what gifts we think we have or don’t have, God has placed us in our community to add to the flavour for everyone.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: What do you bring to your community? Leave your comment below.

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Let’s Just Forget That Sunday!

A few Sundays ago, I was glad when church was over – it was not a good morning. I had so much going through my mind, I wasn’t able to worship. For some people that might be normal, but it’s not good when you’re the pastor!

It was a typical Sunday morning when I first got up, but somehow Lil and I got behind in getting ready and we were a little late getting to church. It’s not that people were waiting for me, but I like to get there at about 7:30 am and that morning we were pushing 8:00 am. We just must have been moving in slow motion.

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At that point I wasn’t concerned, and I sure didn’t think the word “late” would be the theme of the morning. By the end of the service, however, I could have dismissed everyone by saying, “Today, our service has been brought to you by the letter ‘L’”, in true Sesame Street fashion.

This late theme wasn’t just with me. Everyone seemed to be running a good half hour or more behind. Our worship team was late in arriving, which, although it allowed me the time I needed to go over my sermon in the sanctuary, also created a little anxiety.

Our sound technician wasn’t there to set up for the worship team and I kind of got a little nervous about who might be able to fill in if necessary. Our media operator didn’t arrive to make sure all the songs were loaded into the computer to show on the screen during the service.

As the clock kept ticking, I darted back and forth from my office to the sanctuary, to answer questions and give assistance. I felt my adrenaline kick in, as my mind was buzzing like a bee going from flower to flower collecting pollen. I normally like to take some time in my office to sit, be still and pray. It wasn’t happening that morning; I had way too much to be concerned about.

Being late had a domino effect on everything. We were late setting up, finishing worship practice, getting to my office for pre-service prayer, and even late starting the service! And, as I made my way to the sanctuary, I was delayed another minute with a problem that sent me back to my office.

By then the worship team was on the platform. As I cruised through the foyer on my way to the sanctuary I noticed the lower foyer filled with people arriving … ANOTHER group of late people!

When I found my seat in the sanctuary, I was not thinking about worship. I was still thinking about how late we all were. Oh, and my sermon, I had to look at my notes to remind me of what I was even preaching about!

Here’s the thing: I was frazzled by the time the service began. I was more focused and worried about the externals than what God really cares about. When I talked to people after the service they had no idea anything had gone wrong. I should have focused on my spirit. Bill Hybels wrote a book titled, “Too Busy Not To Pray” – that was me that Sunday. I felt too rushed, too distracted, but I should’ve prepared with some quiet time and prayer. Next week will be different.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: How do you stay focused when you get rushed and distracted? Leave your comment below.

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The Longest Night Ever

Note: There will be no blog on Tuesday I’m going to take a break for Christmas.  So, today I want to share with you one of my favourite Christmas memories growing up.  I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and may God bless you in 2013.

Like most kids growing up, Christmas was a pretty exciting time for my brother and I.  John is just two years younger than me and we would fuel each other’s excitement.

We were notorious for getting up very early Christmas morning. We would often sneak out of our room, only to hear a voice from another bedroom boom, “GET BACK TO BED!”  That would send us backtracking really fast.

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One year, neither of us could sleep all night. It was literally agony lying in bed, thinking about the presents that might be under the tree, and not being able to open them. John and I shared a bedroom, which only made it harder to sleep as we kept talking about what we might be getting that year.

To make matters worse, we didn’t have a clock in our room. After a while, we couldn’t handle the waiting, so we decided to go on recognizance missions to find out what time it was. That meant we had to sneak through the hall undetected, creep through the living room with the Christmas tree glistening in the moonlight, past the stockings on the couch, through to the dining room, to the clock on the wall.

I went first, and to my great disappointment, I discovered it was only 1:30 am – oh, it was going to be a long night! On my way back, I couldn’t help but notice the stockings full to the brim, with a three-pack of underwear sticking out the top (Santa always brought underwear). Accidentally brushing the underwear with my hand, I notice something else sticking out the top of our handmade, wouldn’t fit anyone sized, Christmas stockings.

I snuck back to our room, hardly able to contain myself with excitement, and whispered at barely lower than an yell, “WE GOT ARMY MEN!”  (Hey, that’s a big deal when you’re 5 and 7.)

It took a while for us to recover from that mission behind enemy lines, but after what seemed like an eternity, it was John’s turn to check the time. He did a masterful job of getting out of our room undetected. When he got back, he shared some more news of what was in our stockings and told me the time was 10 after 4. We were closing in on 7 am when our parents said we could get up.

After another long time, it was my turn to go back. I used all my sleuthing skills to be quiet and went straight for the clock. I was shocked; I had to look at it a second time. It was only 3 am!  I turned and headed back to our room.

John had a problem with hands on the clock and he had mixed them up when checking the time. Instead of being 10 after 4, it was really 20 after 2 when he had gone. I had no option … he needed a beating for that mistake.

We had trundle beds in our room, which meant John’s bed slid under my bed in the day, and at night pulled out beside mine. This was to my advantage. Not only was I two years older and maybe an inch taller, but my bed being above his, gave me an extra foot of leverage. I took my pillow and beat him silly with it. He looked like a drunken sailor wobbling back and forth, until he collapsed on his bed in a heap.

At that point, I thought that night would never end. I thought we would never get to opening up our presents. But we did … and my brother John is still alive.

Here’s the thing: I wonder what kind of night it was in heaven as all the angels waited, anticipating the birth of Christ. We know they couldn’t contain themselves when the baby was born. They joined the angel who announced the birth to the shepherds and sang, “Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth, peace to those on whom his favour rests.”  We should be that excited about Christ our Saviour!

Merry Christmas,

Pastor Paul

Question: What excites you most about Christmas?  Leave your comment below.

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I Just Couldn’t Find it

Have you ever looked for something that you were certain of its location, but still couldn’t find it?  Don’t those times drive you insane?  I find myself living out the definition of insanity, “doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result.”  We probably all do that at times.

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You either dig around in a drawer or a room, searching the same spots over and over,  hoping to find what you are looking for.  You start talking to yourself, your blood pressure rises, you get angry with yourself, and then at the thing you’re looking for, until you don’t even want it anymore.  In fact, you hate it now, but you just HAVE to find it!

We’ve all been there; it’s not a pretty sight.  Your family starts out sympathetic, even helpful, but as you start to get frustrated, they start to vacate the area.  As you start to sound like Gollum (from the Lord of the Rings), your family members look for things to do, errands to run, other places to be.

The other day, while preparing my sermon, I had three illustrations I wanted to use: one was a personal story, and the two others came from books.  I could remember some of the details for one of the illustrations, and even remember the book I had read it in.

I had seen the title of the book the day before on one of my shelves, so I went directly there.  With the book in hand, I sat down at my desk and started looking for the story.

I looked at the beginning of each chapter because often times they started with a story.  That didn’t help.  I looked at the chapter titles to see if any of them would ring a bell.  I was sure the story was in this book, but I wasn’t having any luck finding it.

I was getting a little frustrated and I lost my confidence that I was even searching the correct book.  I got another book out by the same author and started looking through it, even though I didn’t think it was in there.  Then I turned to the internet.  I googled the gist of the story with the author’s name.  I had to change my search three times before I got some results that seemed promising.  I looked at several hits but none of them were helpful.  Then I discovered a document someone posted referencing the story.  Finally some hope.

The bad news was the document didn’t have the story details.  The good news was it confirmed that the story was, in fact, in the original book I had been looking in.  So I set to work to find the story.  I started at the back of the book this time.  I looked on pretty well every page for mention of it.  I finally found it . . . in the INTRODUCTION!

Here’s the thing:  In these situations, I often get all caught up in what I’m doing.  I know what to do, and it’s usually something small, within my power.  What I don’t do is ask God for help right away.  I fuss and stew instead of turning to the One who can guide me right to what I’m looking for.  I definitely need to try that next time.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  What have you learned from frustrating times like I described?  Leave your comment below.

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Is Christmas Early This Year, Or Is It Me?

I’m having a late start to the Christmas season this year.  I’m not sure why, but in some people’s minds that makes me the grinch.  My associate sure thinks so.  When he told me he’s been listening to Christmas music for the last few weeks, I kind of shuddered at the thought.  That’s when he said, “You’re the Grinch!” and screwed up his face to look like him … all he was missing was green coloured skin and the picture would have been complete!

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I don’t think anyone’s ever compared me to the Grinch before – and I don’t think it’s a fitting description of me!  I check my heart rate every day and it beats the same.  There’s no way my heart has grown smaller, and I’ve never dreamt about those “Who’s down in Whoville”.

My mood started on November 26th, Thanksgiving Day in the US.  For us in Canada, it was just another work day; we had our Thanksgiving early in October.

I was in my car with my radio tuned to my regular rock station.  There was a Christmas song playing.  I didn’t think too much of it until the next song was also a Christmas song.  That’s when the announcer said they were only going to play Christmas music until Christmas Day.

I immediately turned to another station and haven’t tuned back in since.  It just seemed way too early to be listening to old rock stars like Bruce Springsteen sing “Merry Christmas Baby” or the Beach Boys harmonizing their “Little Saint Nick” tune.

It’s not that I cringe when I hear Christmas music or see things like Christmas lights on other houses.  … Mind you, my wife had been reminding me that Christmas was only a few weeks away and I still hadn’t put up the lights on our house.  Okay, so I was a little late with that.  (I finally did put them up on the weekend.)  I figure it’s saved us a few dollars on our electricity bill and that’s not a bad thing.

There are reasons why I’m late with the lights.  That job used to be something I did with my daughter.  Every year we would try to pick the coldest day possible and then we would go out together and put up the lights.  Well, she’s been out west for the last six Christmases – abandoned me – so, I don’t have her help.  My son, well, he has yet to be inspired to pick up the yearly task with his dear old dad.  You can see why I’m a little tardy with the lights.

And though I’ve been working on Christmas themed messages for two weeks at work, I still haven’t got into the Christmas mood.  Even all the decorations at church haven’t seemed to penetrate my emotions.

You know, now that I think of it, maybe I AM the Grinch, or am having grinch-like symptoms.  I wonder if I caught it from someone or whether I’m just run down and the virus found me?  Maybe it’s none of that; maybe it’s that we don’t have snow, the grass is still green and it’s +10C (50F) out today and raining!

Here’s the thing:  We have made Christmas into a season, a feeling.  We have built it up into this amazing time of good cheer.  There’s nothing at all wrong with that, but if all that replaces our appreciation of Jesus’ birth and worship of Him, that’s when we miss the point.  … I’m still looking forward to Christmas dinner!

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  What distracts you from the real celebration of Christmas?  Leave your comment before.

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I Knew He Was Out To Get Me!

I find myself wondering what goes through people’s minds when they do something that just seems wrong.  I wonder that a lot when I drive … like the person in front of me the other day who slowed down to about 10 km/hr just to get into the other lane. What were they thinking?!

It happens often to me, so maybe it’s me and not them … or, maybe everyone is out to get me.  Ya, that’s it.  People are trying to mess with me … Ok, enough of that nonsense.

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This week I was playing hockey and a guy just smoked me (hit me really hard).  Out of nowhere he knocked me flying.  I never saw him coming.  Lying on the ice, I had that thought, “What was he thinking?  This is NOT contact hockey.”  In fact, I said it out loud a few times, “What were you thinking?!”

When I’m in my car, I never get an answer to that question.  On this occasion, I did.  He said, “You turned right into me.”  I couldn’t believe it!  Even if I did, he should’ve stopped or gone around me.  But no, he decided to run me over from behind like a freight train!

I was sprawled on the ice – not hurt, just annoyed.  As I got back to playing, I noticed the guy.  In the old days, I would have marked him and stuck it to him later in some way. But, I’m pretty chill now, and put it out of my mind.

I did notice, however, that he was pretty big, but not all that agile out there.  I figured he had a head of steam behind him and when I turned to the net, he either couldn’t stop in time, or didn’t have the maneuverability to change direction.  I got shmucked in the process.

As I kept playing, I started to notice that my knee was a little sore (not really bad, not enough to stop playing, just enough to notice).  I wondered if it was going to be worse after the game.  But I kept playing.

Later on after hockey, as my knee WAS getting worse, I realized I wouldn’t be able to do my exercises that day.  That was upsetting since I had just stopped taking one of my medications to determine if it was causing some muscle pain I’m experiencing.

This was an official trial, by the way.  A nurse had suggested I stop the drug for a week to see if the symptoms went away.  Here I was, one day in, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to exercise much for the next week.  The trial was a bust.

Hey, maybe people are trying to mess with me!  Just kidding … I started back on the drug the next day and will resume my trial when my knee is feeling a little better.

Here’s the thing:  When a few things happen, we start to wonder if there is a conspiracy out there.  Sometimes, we over spiritualize by thinking we’ve done something wrong and God is punishing us, or Satan is trying to get us.  We make up scenarios in our minds about what is happening, and they’re always bigger there.  In reality, mostly it’s just life.  It’s not an act of God, or Satan, or a conspiracy against us.  So, the key to dealing with things that happen is to depend on God THROUGH them.  Don’t point a finger, blame, or make things up; just trust Him through it.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  When life happens, how do you keep yourself from creating theories in your mind? Leave your comment below.

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It All Changed in an Instant

They say things can happen in a spilt second.  One moment everything is fine, and the next everything has changed.  That happened to me this week when I put my back out.  I was feeling good, keeping up with my aerobics and weights, and looking forward to playing hockey later in the day.  Then in one moment, aerobics, weights and hockey were all put on hold.

Sometimes things don’t happen quite so fast.  I remember a time shortly after getting my driver’s license, when I was returning home with my brother after a late night hockey practice.  It had lightly snowed while we had been practicing and there was a fresh, thin blanket of snow on the road.  Everything looked so peaceful.

As we left the arena, we turned onto an access road that took us to the main street.  It was a short, two lane strip of road, with no one in sight, and not one tire mark in the snow.  I thought I would show my little brother how to fishtail the car down a street.

We were driving my dad’s ’74 Buick LeSabre, with a 350hp engine, and rear wheel drive.  Looking back, it was a Sherman Tank without the caterpillar tracks!  As I started down the road, I began fishtailing the car back and forth.  Then . . . I gave it a little too much gas, and the car started to fishtail too far.  I panicked and jammed on the brakes with complete inexperience.

The fishtailing stopped but we started sliding, heading straight for a fire hydrant.  It was like slow motion.  There was no way to deviate from the course.  My life flashed before my eyes – not because we would die in the crash – because I knew my dad would kill me when I wrecked his car.  It seemed like an eternity, as we just kept sliding closer to the fire hydrant.

And then a miracle . . . the front tires hit the curb just before the hydrant and the car bounced back.  That was a long time to experience very little change.  I told my brother not to say anything to Dad and that was that.

The other day, however, feeling fine, I bent down to pick up a knife I had dropped.  In a split second I knew the next few days would be uncomfortable.  I got this sharp and stabbing pain in the base of my spine.  It was like that knife had been dropped into my lower back.

Immediately I realized my error.  I had bent with my back and not with my knees.  I’ve heard of people putting their back out by bending over to pick up a sock or something that weighs next to nothing.  I’ve seen Lily put her back out, without picking up anything.  I always thought that was weird.

Now I know what it’s like.  It sounds funny, “I put my back out by picking up a knife”.  But it wasn’t funny to me and it changed my life for the next few days.

Here’s the thing:  Sometimes we can see outcomes unfold from the decisions we make, and sometimes they happen so quickly we can’t anticipate the outcome.  If I am in a regular habit of bringing my decisions to God, and then following His direction, it will cut down on those times I find myself edging towards a big disaster, or suddenly appearing in the midst of trouble.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  What’s your plan for ensuring your decision-making doesn’t lead to trouble?  Leave your comment below.