Awe And Frustration At the Same Time

From time to time I will post a article I’ve written in the past. This one today is a repost from August 2014. I hope you enjoy.

I believe it’s possible to be in awe and frustration at the exact same time.

awe and frustration at the same time

Can something be good and bad at the same time? Can you be completely frustrated and in awe in the same breath? Is it okay to clench your fists in rage while gazing at something beautiful?

Not only do I think the answer to these questions is “yes”, I know it’s “yes” because I just experienced it on the weekend. 

As crazy as it sounds, it’s true. 

It’s almost like that trick you do with a toddler or a baby: you distract them with something else and they stop crying. You know the child is crying because he scraped his knee, but you say “Oh look, a balloon!” The child’s attention is drawn to the balloon, he stops crying, and life is good again.  

It works like a charm every time.

It doesn’t work as well with adults. You can distract them with something else, but they are not going to forget the pain (whatever type) they are in.  

I played golf on a beautiful course this weekend. Six holes have been fashioned after famous golf holes from around the world. The fairways were like hitting off carpet; the greens were like bowling allies.  

They even had a set of bunkers called church pews – I was tempted to try them out but I stayed away.  

The day was beautiful, sunny, hot, with no wind. The course was lush, green, with dramatic undulating terrain. You wanted to take a picture at every hole. In fact, some guys in my group did take pictures as we went around. I was in awe.

But to contrast the startling grandeur of the course was the brutal ineptitude of my play. On the practice tees I was straight and long. On the course, I missed all but one of the fairways with carpet-like feel to them.  

I was looking at a picture of magnificence at every turn, but in what I was doing there was no beauty at all.  

So I would line up my putt on grass that seemed like it had been cut with my razor that very morning, but when I hit the ball I had no control of when it would stop rolling. And on every hole it kept rolling and rolling and rolling. 

I was amazed by the course but I wanted to hit it at the same time. In fact, there were two occasions when I swung my club really hard at the ground after another missed green, while staring at a scene that looked so inviting I could have lived there.

During my round, I couldn’t decide which emotion should win: awe at the stunning splendour of the course or my total frustration with my game. 

It seemed that for the longest time the two emotions were entwined together, stuck like a vine to a trellis. 

In the end, I would not have traded my experience. It was a great day, despite the play.

Here’s the thing: We can be utterly amazed at what God has done in someone’s life or ministry.  We can marvel at results that occur that clearly point to God’s hand of mercy or power. But at the same time, we can be completely frustrated by the lack of results or answers in our own life or ministry. We live here in this contrast, and to truly embrace Christ is to give glory to God while at the same time pleading out our burdens before Him. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has amazed you while frustrated you at the same time? Leave your comment below.

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My Project Will Be Like Going To War

Sometimes you have to tackle a project like you are preparing for war.

my project will be like going to war

When a country goes to war, they first strategize. They plan the kind of defence and attack they will take and try to outthink their enemy. 

The generals want to be two or three steps ahead, knowing the conditions, the terrain and having the right equipment delivered to the battle site. It takes an enormous effort, a large team of advisors and courage to make the right calls.

In some sports we see a similar kind of approach to a game, match or series. A lot of homework needs to be done beforehand.

I remember watching Mohammad Ali fight George Foreman for the heavyweight boxing championship of the world. The fight was held in Kinshasa, Zaire and was dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle”. 

Mohammad was getting older and did not have the skills he once had. But that didn’t stop him from devising a strategy that would see him defeat a younger, stronger boxer. 

He called it “rope-a-dope”.

For seven rounds Ali let George pound him with punches. Ali wasn’t as quick on his feet and had lost much of his lightning hands, but he could always take a punch. 

Foreman pounded away at him, round after round. Ali covered up, hung on the ropes and just let him pound. … Until George got tired and had expended all his energy. 

Then Ali came to life. He started dancing, doing the Ali shuffle; he started hitting Foreman. 

And in eighth round, George Foreman went down to defeat and Ali was declared the champ again.

It was all strategy, knowing his opponent’s weakness and preparing for what he would have to do to defeat him.

Well, today I need to tackle a project that I feel will be like a war, like a boxing match against an opponent that is bigger than me – I am going to install a new garage door opener. 

I started my project by buying an opener last night. I am now preparing for war later this morning. 

I’ve opened the box and laid out all the parts, making sure that everything was in the box and nothing was missing. I looked over the list of tools needed to install this opener and I have placed them next to all the parts that will need to be assembled and put in place.

I have studied the instructions. … You know instructions! – they sometimes need to be read and re-read to decipher their code. 

And then I spent some time last night checking with my advisory team on how to best approach my enemy.

My advisory team, of course, is YouTube. I watched several videos of professionals and amateurs installing garage door openers. And I have to say I gained a little insight from each member of my team.

I think I’m now ready to launch my attack and gain victory over this garage door opener. 

With great confidence (and fear), I plan to park my car in the garage tonight for the first time in two weeks.

Here’s the thing: We can’t afford to be casual about our commitment to Christ. Your spiritual life takes thought and strategy to continue to grow in relationship to Christ. If you don’t have a plan to stay close to Christ, you will begin to fall away. So devise a plan, a strategy that will keep you close to Jesus. Then you will defeat the enemy who wants to take you down. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your spiritual strategy plan? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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Olympic Hopes, Dreams And Realities

The other day most of Canada had their eyes on Olympic hopes in the 100 metre hopeful, Andre De Grasse.

olympic hopes, dreams and realities

The 100 metre race is quick. You could go to the kitchen for a glass of water and miss the whole thing. They run the race in under 10 seconds. 

Andre and the other competitors hit top speeds of over 40 kilometres an hour. Try to get your head around that one!

But much more than the race itself is the build-up and the follow-up.

There are heats leading up to the race and then there is the production of getting the race started correctly.

There is such a build-up to the start and when someone false starts, all the runners have to set up all over again. It’s pretty devastating for the one who starts too early. He is out of the race and his olympic hopes of a medal are gone.

Canada’s man in the race, Andre De Grasse, had high hopes to get a gold. 

He won a bronze medal in the last Olympics when he raced against Usain Bolt. They had such a close relationship that it seemed like Usain was passing his three time Olympic gold medal torch to Andre. 

It was a pretty special memory for not only De Grasse, but all of Canada. 

The media replayed the scenes of the two sprinters exchanging looks, smiles and hugs. And it was enough. It was all we really needed to think that our guy, Andre, was next and that he would take the gold this time. 

Our olympic hopes were high, I’m sure Andre was thinking gold this time as well. … But it was not to be. 

Andre finished third, collecting the bronze medal, which by any standard is a win. Third fastest in the world, plus breaking his own personal best time – how could you want anything more?

As happy as I was for him to win that bronze (and it made me proud), I was disappointed he didn’t win the gold. … I think he was too. 

He had trained for it; he had dreamt of it. He had overcome hardship and injury to get there.

But it was not to be. 

There were some factors that didn’t help him. The lane placement was not ideal. He ran in lane 9, so far from where the leaders were grouped. He also got off to a slow start. Then the runner beside him dropped out part way with a pulled hamstring. De Grasse had no one around him, no gauge as he ran. 

… Yet he ran the fastest last half of the race. Andre turned it on and ran from last place all the way to catch third place by the end. 

My daughter, Karlie, was in a commercial a year ago with De Grasse. In the commercial she turned to Andre running nearby and said, “Pick it up, Andre”. 

Well, pick it up he did! De Grasse flew during the last half of the race. 

You have to be impressed with his running.

The way I see it, Andre De Grasse didn’t settle for his bronze medal, he went out and won it. Way to go, man!

Here’s the thing: We don’t always get what we want in life. Nor do we always get what we hope for. But God has a plan for your life. And no matter what is thrown at you, all you have to do is trust him and go for it. Follow Him and you will get you exactly what God has planned for you. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to put more effort or focus toward right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Your Time Has Boundaries That Change

There are certain things you will do no matter what time it is. But what I have found is that what you will do at any time can change.

your time has boundaries that change

Here is an example of what I’m talking about: When I was in my teens, if someone said, “Paul, we have ice at 2:00 am Saturday morning,” my response would be, “I’ll be there. What arena?” 

At that stage in my life, it didn’t matter what time of day or night I would play hockey. I was on call 24/7. 

But that is not how I feel about playing hockey today. I still love playing just as much as I did back then, but now I have limits – or should I say boundaries – as to when I will play.

For years guys have asked me if I wanted to play hockey on their teams. My answer has always been the same: I don’t like playing the late games. 

Adult hockey usually starts at 8:00 pm in the evening and by the time you get home it’s 10:00 or 10:30 pm. 

But that’s not all. When you get home that late after playing hockey, you are still wired. You can’t just flop on your bed and fall asleep. You have to unwind for a while. That means you are not getting to bed until 11:30 pm or 12:00 am.

If you have to get up in the morning, it’s a killer. 

And then think about the games that start at 9:00, 10:00 pm or later. 

I once played an 11:30 game, got cut and needed to go after the game to the hospital for stitches. The emergency was empty that night but I still got home at about 3:00 am. 

Not much sleep to go on to teach Sunday school the next day … or should I say, later that morning. 

So now when someone says to me, “Hey Paul, we have ice. You want to play?” I respond with, “What time?”

I won’t do late any more.

It’s true with a lot of things. I will do it in keeping with the boundaries I’ve set. 

But just the other day I threw out the boundaries and agreed to get my hair cut whenever a time was available. 

I would not normally book a haircut in the morning. I usually have things already scheduled then. But when you haven’t had a haircut for 3 1/2 months, you are willing to take any appointment. 

I called my barber at the first of the week and he hemmed and hawed. I told him it didn’t have to be that day, and he responded with “I realize that”. He paused a few more seconds and then said, “How early do you get up? How about 7:00 am Saturday?”

I didn’t even flinch. “I’ll be there,” I replied. It was like the guy had booked a sheet of ice. 

I’d get up to play hockey at 7:00 am on a Saturday. It turns out I’d get up to get my hair cut at 7:00 am too. 

… Well, not always.

Here’s the thing: When something is really important to you, you will change your schedule, make exceptions and do what you have to do in order to accommodate that important thing. Well, consider your relationship with God. If He is important to you, what lengths will you go to in order to spend time with Him? I hope you can respond, “I’ll be there”.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What stands in your way of spending quality time with God each day? Leave your comments and questions below.

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My Night Stand Is A Disaster Right Now

This morning I took a look at my night stand and saw it for what it truly has become.

my night stand is a disaster

The bottom line is that my night stand has become a place to put things, like an open drawer where nothing is hidden away.

I don’t even really know how it got this way. 

I remember clearing my night stand at Christmas time. It seems that I accumulate things around Christmas – things like receipts from purchases and small stocking stuffer trinkets that have no other home. 

I get to the place where I just want to wipe everything off the stand and start over. 

On the stand I have a lamp and a clock – they belong there – but then there’s all the clutter. 

I think it gets that way because the night stand is viewed as a temporary place to put things, like my wallet, keys or glasses that only stay there for the night – not forever, just for right now. 

The only problem with that kind of thinking is that “for right now” becomes forever … well, until you get sick and tired of the clutter and wipe it clean and start over. 

Part of the problem is that the things on my night stand don’t have a permanent place. They get there because I don’t know where to put them and I might need them again. 

Right now I have several receipts lying on it. I put them there because I didn’t want to throw them out yet. Some of them have been there a long time. I don’t need them any longer; it’s just that I haven’t got around to trashing them. 

I do have an envelope there for gas receipts. I need to collect them for income tax purposes. The envelope is on my night stand to remind me to put the receipts in it. 

I can be one of those out-of-sight-out-of-mind kind of guys so the visual is a reminder. But it sure adds to the clutter. 

I also have a few masks piled on the corner of the night stand. That’s a new thing. When they get washed I put them there because I have easy access to them. I don’t know where to put them either.

And that is probably my biggest problem with the things that are cluttering and taking over my night stand. I don’t know what to do with them. They have no other place to go so they become like a layer of dust on the stand. The dust could be wiped away but it just lays there for a while. 

Well, it’s been long enough. Today I’m going to throw out, put away or find a home for the myriad of things that have cluttered my night stand.

Ha, then I will actually see the layer of dust and be able to wipe it off. 

Here’s the thing: Just like a night stand can become cluttered with things that shouldn’t be there, that we should get rid of or place somewhere else, our lives can get cluttered with things that shouldn’t be there, that we need to deal with and settle. Every once in a while, it’s good to think through the things that are cluttering your life and do something about it. Ask God what needs to go and what needs to be dealt with. Usually the clutter in your life will get in the way of developing your relationship with God. Take some time to clear off the clutter. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What’s cluttering up your life right now? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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Half Full Or Half Empty, What Kind Of Person Are You?

You’ve likely heard of looking at something as being half empty or half full. People who have a positive view on life are usually half full people. Negative people – those who focus on the problems of the world – are usually half empty. 

half full or half empty, what kind of person are you

I would say that I’m more of a half full person. Even when things are not the best, I can usually find something that is good about them. 

But I have to say that my phone is more of a half empty device now. 

It wasn’t always like this. My phone has worked really well. I’ve had no desire to upgrade to the latest and greatest iPhone … well, until lately. 

Now my phone can barely make it through a day on its battery. It’s strange because this is not something that has happened gradually … or at least I haven’t noticed a gradual decline. 

It just started happening that my battery was running low near the end of each day. Now it needs a charge partly through the day. 

I didn’t know what the problem was so I took to Google. 

I found out that battery life does deteriorate over time. My phone is three and half years old … which in people years isn’t much, but in dog years would be like thirty. In phone years that translates to about fifty-five years.

My research also gave me some tips of what I could do to help preserve my battery life. Some of them were helpful; one I found strange. 

The tip was to put the phone in airplane mode. In airplane mode you can’t receive phone calls, texts or connect to wifi, but it really reduces the battery usage. In other words, if you render your phone useless, this will preserve your battery. Great tip!

I checked out the battery tab in my settings and discovered something very interesting about my phone. My phone is only running on 89 percent of its battery. In other words, when my phone says it is fully charged, it’s really only at 89 percent. 

My phone is a half empty kind of phone. 

Even when I first take it off its charger, I’m not getting 100 percent of battery out of it. 

The setting didn’t say that the battery was in bad health, I just took it as it was old. The battery doesn’t have the same stamina it used to. 

I kind of understand how my phone feels because I don’t have the same stamina I once had either. There are times when I could go for a nap in the afternoon to recharge myself. 

The difference is I’m not looking to exchange myself for a new me.  

But I did hear that my cell phone company has a good deal on the latest iPhone. Maybe I need to look into getting a new one and sending my current phone off to cell phone heaven. 

Here’s the thing: How you look at life now could have something to do with what you believe about the future. If you believe that it all ends when you die, then the older you get the more half empty life is. But if you have your faith in Jesus Christ, you have an eternity to look forward to. So, as this life runs down, you still can view life as half full. I recommend it.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Are you a half empty or half full person? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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Major Milestone Check, But Let’s Keep Going

I hit a major milestone last week, but in many ways it’s just like any other marker on the journey. 

major milestone check but let's keep going

I’m not sure you do this, but my wife for sure does it when we travel. She takes notice of the exit numbers on the highway. I’m not sure how they work anywhere else in the world, but along the 400 highway system in Ontario the exit numbers represent a kilometre number. 

So if you take the 667 exit off the 401, you are 667 kilometres from where the 401 starts in Windsor.

Every exit is a mileage marker. You always know where you are on the highway because of those exits. They kind of work like milestones when you know what the exit numbers means. 

You can be traveling an hour on the highway but, when you see an exit number, you know how far you’ve gone and how far you need to go.

I never used to pay much attention to the exit numbers but Lily has tuned me in to them. Once you get it in your head, you can’t help but mentally check off a chunk of your trip as you pass them. 

What we don’t think much about, however, is that there are other mileage markers along the highway every kilometre. They are not advertised and they don’t stand out like the big exit signs. These mileage markers are just small green blades with numbers on them – mileage numbers calculated from the beginning of the highway.

We pass those mileage markers quickly when we are traveling 120 km/hr down the 401. But most of us don’t pay attention to them; we don’t even really notice them at all. 

They go by so fast that they are virtually unnoticeable. Yet when we pass by one of those exit signs, we realize we’ve travelled quite a distance. 

It’s much like aging. 

We have days, months, years that go by pretty fast and regularly, yet often times we don’t take too much notice of them. 

It’s not until we hit one of those milestones that we start to think, “Wait a minute. I’ve really covered quite a distance.” 

Last week I passed a milestone. I turned 65. 

It was kind of like noticing the big exit sign. Mind you, I have no intention of taking the exit at this point. 

Leading up to this milestone, I’ve passed mileage marker after mileage marker. 

They go by quickly.

We travel at high speeds. 

In reality, other than the fact that the exit sign is advertised several kilometres before you get there, and when you do, there is a big sign with the exit number on it, it’s really just another mileage blade marker. 

… And you pass by it as fast as you do any other mileage marker on the highway. 

It’s a blip and then it is gone. Maybe that is best so we don’t dwell on that milestone too long and take the exit. 

Here’s the thing: We move through life at high speeds. The older we get, the more we realize the speed at which we travel. It is important, therefore, to make wise decisions along the way. The best decision I’ve ever made was to put my faith in Jesus Christ for forgiveness of my sin and for eternal life. The result is that I don’t carry guilt with me and I am looking forward with certainty to spending eternity in heaven when this life comes to a halt. I hope you do the same.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What milestone are you coming up to? Leave your comments and questions below.

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A Collection That Could Save Me Some Time

I’m thinking of taking up a collection on my street today. But it’s probably not the collection that you are thinking I might take.

A collection that could save me some time

I need some screws. I’ve scoured my stash, I don’t have the right ones, and any hope of getting them from a hardware store has diminished drastically.

I think I might have a better chance of getting the screws I need from one of my neighbours.

If I could just get them to spread out all their screws on their work benches, I could look through them and find the ones I need.

I really only need four screws. 

… I remember when I was a kid and spent every Saturday with my family at my dad’s convenience store. My brother and I had noticed that my dad was selling trading cards – Man from Uncle trading cards to be specific. 

In 1965 these cards were hot. Every kid wanted them, and my dad had them in his store before the stores in our neighbourhood did. My brother and I craved these cards so much that we swiped a handful each. 

When a kid came in to purchase some packs of cards, there weren’t any there. My mom was no dummy though; she knew right where to find them. 

When she caught up to John and I, we were sifting through our cards. Our mouths full of the gum that came in the packs. All she said to us was, “Spread your collection out, boys”.

Then she told the kid to pick the cards he wanted. 

If I could just get my neighbours to show me all their screws, I could probably find the four that I need. It would be much faster than getting anything from the hardware store these days. 

Last week I went online and ordered two different sizes of screws, just in case one was the wrong size. 

It was five days later before I got my hands on those screws. And when I got them home, I discovered that I was way off on my sizing.  

Neither size worked. 

The frustration of being in the middle of a project and finally getting all the parts I needed, only to discover one part was not going to work … well, you can imagine how I felt. 

At that point I couldn’t bear trying again with the hardware store and waiting another five days for the right screws. 

I just thought that somewhere in some can or cubby the very screws that I need might be lying in amongst dozens of random-sized screws. 

If I don’t take up a collection on my street, I only have two options: one is to wait until the stores are open in three weeks. The other is to get back on my computer and choose a different hardware store this time … maybe one that could get me some screws in less than a week!

Somehow, before I decide on either of those options, I better know for certain what size screws I need. 

I can’t go through this again. 

Here’s the thing: We all live life with an expectation of what will happen at the end. Some people will find out that the end is very different than what they had expected, and they will be stuck with an ending that they did not want. To be sure your ending will match your expectation, make sure your faith is placed in Jesus Christ. Then you will be guaranteed the right outcome. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has not turned out the way you expected? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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Summer Sheets Just Might Save This Spring

We made the switch this week to summer sheets. 

summer sheets just might save this spring

… You mean you don’t know what they are? That was my wife Lily’s response when I told her we needed summer sheets.

It makes perfect sense to me. 

In the winter, some people might put an extra or thicker blanket on their bed, or use flannel sheets. Well, in the summer we should switch to summer sheets – sheets that are cooler, that when you get into bed feel cold for a few seconds. They feel lighter on your body – you know, summer sheets.

All through this winter we have had sheets that, to me anyway, seem thicker. Apparently they are microfibre. 

All I know is that they have cut down on our electric bill. They produce so much static electricity that I can’t remember the last time we had to pay a utility bill. 

Plus, during these COVID lockdowns with no haircuts, when I get up in the morning my hair is standing out like I touched one of those static electricity balls at the science centre. 

The one good thing about the microfibre sheets is that when you do climb into bed during the winter months, it’s not like taking the polar bear plunge.

Lily likes to drop the temperature in our house to below zero for sleeping purposes. So it’s already a little nippy by the time I’m jumping into bed. Not having the sheets engulf you like an igloo is a good thing.

But when summer comes and we are already hot (because for some reason Lily doesn’t like to drop the temperature when it’s warm outside), well, it’s not too inviting to get into an even warmer bed. 

It was just the other day when we finally put those thin, cool, cotton sheets on the bed. And it feels so good – so good in fact that I could go with summer sheets all year long. But then we wouldn’t be calling them summer sheets, would we?

And that is why most of you have never heard the term, “summer sheets” before. You don’t mess with those crazy microfibre sheets like we do. 

And, to be honest, I don’t think I was ever consulted about making a switch to microfibre sheets. 

All I know is that when the temperatures started to rise, I started resisting getting under the sheets. I started waking up in a sweat and not because of some post trauma I was reliving in a dream.

The sheets just made me too hot. 

Now that we have the summer sheets on the bed, I’m sleeping better, the electricity bill has gone back up to normal and my hair … oh, it’s longer, but I don’t look like I sleep all night with my finger in the power bar beside my bed.

I’m sure glad they still make cotton. We would all be doomed if we had to sleep in microfibre sheets all year long. 

Here’s the thing: Now that the seasons have changed, there is a whole new set of things we involve ourselves in. With more outdoor activities, our lives become busier in some ways. That also means it’s time to adjust to the change without sacrificing time with God. You still need to meet with God in prayer and through scripture. Be sure you find a transition that will keep your relationship with Him thriving. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are the biggest changes you need to make moving into summer? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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Limping Along In Life Is No Way To Live

I’m afraid my team is limping into the playoffs. 

limping along in life is no way to live

It’s hockey playoff season again – that special time of year when you can watch a hockey game that matters every day of the week. 

My wife, Lily, loves this time of year! (I wrote that sarcastically, just in case someone wasn’t able to pick up that vibe.)

All the teams are set and it begins tonight … at least for the teams south of the border. 

We still have a few Canadian teams that need to finish up. So the North Division will politely wait to begin the playoffs until two non-playoff contenders finish out their season. 

The teams in the States will already be three games in by then. 

My big concern is for my team. 

With almost a week off before the playoffs start, the Leafs have time to get ready. Those who have been injured can get healthy again and practice with the team. It gives the team time to figure out a new way to approach their power play, which was once first in the league, but now is dismal. 

Maybe the biggest thing they can do in this next week is get the end of the season out of their heads. 

You want to enter the playoffs cresting. You want to be peaking at the right moment. But the Leafs lost three of their last four possible points. 

They lost in overtime and then just lost their last game straight out. They didn’t look all that great. It looked like they were limping off the ice.

Some might argue that they didn’t need to try very hard because they already had the top spot locked up in the North. 

But they finished 6th place in the league when they could have finished 4th. It’s not a big difference but it could have an impact on home ice advantage if they make it to the later rounds … that is if there is home ice advantage for Canadian teams. 

Hopefully, they will be able to travel to the States, and the American teams will be able to travel to Canada. 

… After all, we’ve been letting planes land in Canada from all over the world. Yet these hockey players, who are on chartered flights and get tested for COVID every day, are not allowed to cross the border. 

There is some faulty thinking there!

… Anyway, I digress. 

My point is that my team has not gotten out of the first round of the playoffs in 17 years. Losing your last two games of the season is not a good omen. 

You can’t be pumped up for the playoffs when you were pretty flat in your last two games. 

And if it’s a matter of trying to stay healthy and not getting hurt, well, the physical play is going to ramp up now. You might as well get ready for it. 

Overall, the Leafs have played well this year. They have proved they can hold on to the top spot. 

Why not prove to yourselves and show all the other teams your confidence by ending the season strong?

Here’s the thing: There is something that COVID may contribute to and that is you limping along in your faith. It is easy during this time to coast along, maybe even relax in some of your spiritual disciplines. You just find yourself underwhelmed in your faith. You started so strong in the Lord but during this time you are fading spiritually. Don’t let that happen. Find a new gear and pour yourself into your relationship with Christ. Finish strong.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has fallen flat for you during COVID? Leave your comments and questions below.