actions

by

Your Actions May Not Be Making Things Better

Sometimes your actions and efforts to fix a problem just make that problem worse.

Your actions may not be making things better

The other day I picked some weeds out of the driveway at our cottage. They shouldn’t be there. We had fixed our weed problem last year (read here).

We have a gravel driveway with packed down white stones. I’m not sure how many inches thick it is, but it’s quite a few.

Over the last few years we noticed how the weeds have been coming up in the driveway in a more pronounced way. Our plan was to put some high-powered weed killer on the driveway, let it soak in and do its thing with the weeds. 

But we got a tip from a neighbour that a better solution would be to rake the driveway. 

It was certainly a more environmentally friendly approach to the weed extermination, and a far less costly one for us as well. 

What it did mean was a lot more sweat and effort on our part to get it done, but it seemed like a great solution. We tried it. 

We got out some rakes and started at the driveway systematically, digging deep down into the gravel and stirring those stones from the bottom up.  

It was like taking a comb to your scalp and going back and forth on it. … I’m not sure that’s good for your scalp and I’m sure now that it’s not so good for the driveway either. 

Mind you it looked great when we were done, like we had just put fresh gravel on our parking area. The stones were all fluffed up … if stones can be fluffy. I guess what I’m saying is they weren’t all hard packed and mashed together. 

We were pumped.

But probably within a week we noticed some weeds peeking through the gravel. 

How could this possibly be? We had gotten rid of all the weeds. They would have had to start from scratch to make their way through about three or four inches of gravel. 

Yet there they were. 

And now this year there seems to be even more and they are hardier than the variety that used to come up before we raked.

… This is an aside, but hear me out. I wonder if your hair was thinning and you wanted to stimulate growth in some way, maybe you could take a comb and really go at your scalp. Possibly you might be able to stimulate those hair follicles to start producing again. I’m not saying rush out and get yourself a new comb – it’s just a thought.

Anyway, back to our driveway this year. If we don’t get on this weed problem, instead of our driveway having a nice white stone look, it will have a hairy green look to it. 

This year we may have to apply the high-powered weed killer to the area and see if that action has better results.

Here’s the thing: If you take no action spiritually, you can bet the weeds of your own sin nature and societal influence will take over. Taking action spiritually is important; developing your faith is essential. It’s also important to take spiritual action that will make a long lasting impact on your life. Choose well what will stimulate spiritual growth in your life. Don’t let the weeds creep in.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you allowed to creep in to your life? Leave your comments and questions below.

Subscribe to this blog and receive these posts directly to your inbox.

by

I Think My Actions Changed The Weather

I sometimes wonder if our actions can actually change the weather. 

You see, right now we should probably have snow on the ground here in Kingston, but instead we have green grass … oh, and a touch of frost this morning. 

So far it’s been an interesting fall, with a lot of rain and more overcast days than I can could. … I was told that in October we only had three days of sun. 

Snow came early out west; there is lots of it in Ottawa … but we have none. 

I think it’s because I finally got winter tires. 

We got a new vehicle a couple of years ago and the tires were good, so I never purchased winter treads. 

But this year, my tires are a little more worn and, on a trip up north, they proved to be really bad in the snow. 

But since I got the new winter tires put on my SUV, there has been no need for them whatsoever. 

It’s like when you buy a new winter coat that you’re dying to wear. It’s impressive and you want to impress, but the temperatures stay high. You force the coat into action anyways even though it’s way too mild. You look like a fool and also learn that your new coat can act as a sauna as well as winter apparel. 

Can purchasing tires or a new winter coat really prevent the weather that is required to put them into action? 

I can’t say for sure, but it happens so often … as much as the weather man gets his predictions wrong. 

Now, I know I’m not the only one buying new tires, and there are people buying tires in snow-ridden places. I’m just saying that it’s uncanny how this works out for me. 

I know the snow is coming and really a major part of me is quite willing to delay the inevitable as much as possible. But I’d kind of like to know how these tires do in the snow. Will I be slipping and sliding around with them or will my vehicle be just as stable as if on dry asphalt?

It sure would be nice to be able to change the weather by my actions. It might be expensive, however. 

What else would I have to buy? 

Oh, I know! – a snowblower! I’ve wanted one of those for years, but my wife, Lily, keeps telling me we don’t need one. 

I can imagine if we got a snowblower in the next week that we wouldn’t see any white stuff on the driveway until after Christmas. 

I could also buy winter boots, and I could use some new winter gloves. 

I realize we are going to eventually get winter. I also don’t want to push winter into spring with a whole loft of purchases. That would not be good at all. 

… I’m not superstitious – really. I’m just making some observations about things that don’t happen when I prepare for them in some way. 

Here’s the thing:  Your actions can’t actually change the weather, but your actions can change someone. A smile, a word, a gift, an example can change a person’s day. Your consistent testimony can change a person’s destiny if they are drawn to the Father God by your actions. Be a light to others. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What would you like to change with your actions? Leave your comments below.

by

Her Emotions Got The Best Of Her

Often it is our emotions that dictate our actions and reactions.

This morning I came back from early morning hockey to find the lights on in the living room.

Normally, on a Saturday morning after hockey, things are the same as when I left at 6:30 a.m. – dark and nothing stirring.

But this morning there was activity. There was a vacuum humming in the background and I wondered what was going on.

There were a couple of possibilities: Lily had a lot happening and she needed to get a good jump on the day, or we had a guy coming in to do the backsplash in our kitchen.

I knew that it was a guy who was going to be doing the work and his work would focus only in the kitchen, but that didn’t matter; the whole house needed to be clean before he arrived.

… Turns out that neither one of those reasons was correct.

Lily had the vacuum out because there was a trail of ants in our living room and there was no way they were going to survive on her watch.

She was so busy vacuuming the little critters up that she couldn’t tell where they were coming from or going to. But she didn’t stop talking to them … in a rather loud voice, I might add.

That Dyson vacuum really swirled those ants up. They either got a great ride out of the deal or it was like they were swooped up and taken from Kansas to the world of Oz … only there was no yellow brick road, just a garbage can at the end of their ride.

The ants kept coming though. Lily was so preoccupied with killing them that she wasn’t doing anything about dealing with the reason they were coming in or how to keep them out.

Finally I decided to remove a large poinsettia plant from the living room that may have been their destination. And Lily got some spray we had in the garage to attack them.

We wiped up around the plant and made sure that the area was clean. Then we sprayed the place where the ants were coming in, as well as the outside of the house.

You would think that after that we could get back to the regular activities of the day and let the spray do its thing, but no! Lily wanted to make sure the stuff was working so she stuck around and watched the ants curl up and die.

… It kind of amazes me that she is perfectly fine seeing that kind of a massacre but when I put on a shoot’em up, blow’em up movie, she can’t take it.

At least in my movies no one really dies; it’s all made up stunts.

When it comes to ants in her house, there is no way she’s taking prisoners alive!

As far as the ants were concerned it was a real-life horror and they were the main characters.

I think watching the hockey game tonight, no matter how rough it gets, will be tame compared to this morning’s events.

Here’s the thing:  When something grabs our emotions, we can’t let it go. I wonder if many Christians have an intellectual relationship with Christ but it has yet to get to their emotions. Faith in Christ is more than giving assent to a belief; it involves being emotionally engaged in what you believe.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What grabs you emotionally about Christ Jesus? Leave your comments below.

by

Four Attitudes that Control Your Actions

I’ve been doing a lot of highway driving lately and it may be affecting my attitude. I’ve developed a bad attitude toward cruise control in cars.

vemp_1007_01+c4_corvette_cruise_control_repair+

Maybe drivers just need some lessons on how to use cruise control properly – especially in traffic (and where can you drive without traffic?!). Numerous times this last week, I have found myself behind someone who has their cruise control set for about 5 kilometres slower than I’ve been driving.

I know, it could be a sign to me to slow down. Maybe I shouldn’t be such a “lead foot Larry”. But on the other hand, maybe those cruise control people should just get out of my way!

I’m not bitter that I don’t have cruise control, I just wish people knew how to use it. If you have your cruise set, you really should drive in the right lane. If you want to drive in the left lane, take the cruise off.

It’s not that hard a thing to do. With only a touch of the brake, you can get back in control of your gas pedal again. How hard can that be? Judging from the drivers I’ve been behind, people are able to find their brake pedal way too often!

What really bugs me is when someone tries to pass another vehicle with their cruise control on. It’s so painful to be behind them; it drives me crazy! They try to pass someone who is going only about two kilometres slower so it takes them five minutes to make the move.

It’s like when a truck pulls out in front of you on the highway and wants to pass another truck. At that point, all you can do is crack open a Dr. Pepper, chow down on some chips or licorice and enjoy reading all the decals on the back of the truck.

Sometimes, by the time the truck gets past the other transport, I’ve almost figured out the driver’s first name – I certainly know all about the company he’s driving for. It’s brutal!

But there is no excuse for someone driving a car and doing the same thing. Here’s a tip:  if you are in cruise mode, just step on the gas when you pass. When you’re done, the cruise control will take you right back to your original speed.

Or, here’s a radical thought: touch your brake, step on the gas, and then hit resume when you’ve passed the guy.

It seems to me that people who block you while using their cruise control have an attitude. Their attitude may be “I’m going the correct speed, and I’m going to enforce it”,  “I could care less about anyone else on the road; it’s all about me”, “I’m too lazy to touch my brake or step on the gas”, or “I just want to bug you”.

The bottom line is, no matter what attitude they have, they are bugging me! People should have to take lessons on how to properly engage their cruise control before the dealership activates it.

Here’s the thing: Like the use of your cruise control can frustrate others, so can your use of the Bible. Let’s use the Bible in a right way, and not to slam, to be holier than others, to seem more knowledgeable, or to guilt someone. Rather, we should use the Bible to teach, rebuke, correct, train in righteousness (I read that somewhere!). There’s a subtle difference … and that’s determined by our attitude.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What’s your biggest attitude beef? Leave your comment below.