birthday

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Flowers Have Taken Over My Kitchen Table

I think I might be looking at opening a flower shop – at the very least setting up a flower stand.

flower have taken over my kitchen table

Flowers have never been a fascination of mine, although I do think they are beautiful to look at. 

I couldn’t really tell you much about flowers, other than they are good for the environment. Even cut flowers produce oxygen – these little things help the environment even when they are dying.

The different kinds of flowers are lost on me. When I see a flower, I’m more likely not to know what the flower is called. 

The thing that stands out the most for me is the colour, not the kind. When a bouquet of flowers has a stunning colour, or a variety of colours, that attracts my attention … well, for a moment or two; then I move on. 

… Except when I’m picking out flowers for my wife. I tend to brood over the different varieties and colours while I try to make the difficult decision of which ones to get her.

My wife, Lily, loves flowers, especially roses. But we were well into our marriage before I found out that red roses are not necessarily her favourite colour. 

Since that time I’ve tried to get her yellow, orange, purple and pink roses. Something different. Over the years I’ve pretty much stayed with buying roses. However, in recent years my son has also started buying roses for his mother. 

So now sometimes I have to get her a variety pack … well, that’s what I like to call it. I don’t know what the individual flowers are but they all look good bunched together.

You may be wondering why all this discussion on flowers. It’s because Lily just had a big birthday. She turned 60 recently and, as a result, our house has been inundated with flowers – mostly cut flowers, but there are some plants as well. 

She loved receiving all these flowers, and she’s enjoyed looking at them every day. 

However, she has just gone on a business trip and left me with all her flowers. By the time she gets back, the flowers will be gone for sure. I will have sold them off, given them away or they will have died. 

There is a plant or two and I will try my best to keep them going until she returns. I did receive watering instructions, but I must say I was not paying too much attention when those said instructions were given. … I think I only have to water them once a week.

It’s too bad this is not around Valentine’s Day. I have 60 roses in stock right now and I could sell them singularly on the street to couples for a couple of bucks each. 

My problem with these flowers is their life expectancy is so short. … I started to look up ways I can extend the life of cut flowers, but frankly I don’t care that much.

Here’s the thing: When you think about all the kinds of flowers and all the colours of flowers, if you consider their different shapes and and how delicate and intricate they are, you can’t help but think they were designed that way, that they were not a random accident. Even the flowers we give to each other or put on our tables point to God’s creativity in creation.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Have you stopped to consider creation lately? 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 Canada Look-Back, I Mean Ahead

On July 1 we celebrated all that has made Canada what it is today. This was our 150th birthday.

I’ve only shared 61 of those birthdays with the country, but just writing that puts it in perspective how young a country we live in.

I’m only 14 years shy of being half as old as Canada. Wow!

My grandmother – if she was still alive today – would have only been 17 years younger than our nation. Now that would be impressive! My grandmother passed away in 1983 at the age of 99.

It’s all nice to look back on your birthday, but I want to look ahead in this piece.

When I think of Canada’s 150th, it brings a few questions to my mind that I wonder about.

One question I have is, “Will the Toronto Maple Leafs win the Stanley Cup in the next 150 years?”

It’s been 50 years since their last victory, but lately they seem to be making some moves in the right direction. I can wait a long time for it to happen, but I don’t have 150 years left in me.

I also wonder, “Will Donald Trump last 4 years in office, or will he even last the year?”

I get a CNN feed on my Apple Watch and 95% of the news that shows up is related to Donald Trump. I have never seen the news/entertainment industry so captivated with one person before.

Trump is like the Beatles were in the 60’s; no one could get enough of them.

As I watched TV and saw a protest on Parliament Hill, one question that came to mind was, “Will we ever come to a resolution with our Indigenous Peoples of Canada?”

The Prime Minister sat with the leaders in a teepee they had set up on the Parliament lawn. When he left, the Indigenous leaders were all encouraged and felt he had heard their heart. But a few hours later the protesters were trying to set up another teepee on the lawn.

I wonder if any real progress will be made on this issue in the next 150 years.

In light of global warming, my questions is, “Will the weathermen become more accurate in predicting rain and snow, or will the forecasts remain much the same – wrong about 50% of the time?”

Another question I have is, “With all the rights various groups have now, will we become cookie-cutter people, forced to think, talk and act like each other? … You know, shades of Orwell’s “1984”.

If that happens, it will cut down on the myriad of choices we have to make now. Things like fashion, interests, and food might not be all that exciting, but we won’t need an opinion; we will all share the same one.

Just think, when you need to buy a car, there would only be a few choices: Will that be a compact, mid-size or SUV?

I’m not convinced that what got us through the last 150 years will carry us on into the next. We are venturing into new territory.

Here’s the thing: We may have many questions about the future of our country and life in this great land of ours. We can’t foresee the answers to many of our questions, but there is an outcome that has already been determined. When Jesus died on the cross for mankind’s sins, He said He is coming back to take those who put their faith in Him to be with Him in heaven. That we can have confidence in. Make sure your faith is based in Christ because you can count on God to know the future.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What questions do you have about the next 150 years? Leave your comments below.

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Wow, It’s Just Another Birthday

It’s my birthday today (Friday), and they say I’m one year older … but I don’t feel one bit different than I did yesterday.

I don’t really feel any different one day to the next, but I guess as you look at the past and then ahead to the future, that’s when you start to feel your age.

This year I joined a baseball group for those over 60 – I think I’m the young guy on the team. Playing ball again has got me looking back to years gone by.

In Monday’s game, I tracked down a few fly balls and, though I got to most of them in time to make a play, my quadriceps muscles have been killing me the rest of the week.

I never really thought about my muscles years ago. When I needed some speed, I just ran harder. Well, now it’s not so easy; now I pay the price for trying to get to a well-hit ball … couple that with three all-out sprints to first base and I wish I had a wheel chair to move around in this week!

I did manage, however, to play golf with a friend near the end of the week. He made a comment that he never thought walking 18 holes was exercise, but now he does. That’s crazy talk! … but I had to agree with him.

During my previous game I had carried my clubs around the course. I found out that I can do that for nine holes without a problem, but I’m not able to carry my clubs for 18 any more. Yet years ago I had though nothing of it – it was just walking.

When I look back on things, I definitely see how I’m a year older today.

Then when I look forward, I see what is to come … and it’s coming quicker than I really want it to!

I performed a funeral last week and visited a few elderly people in my church. All these people were very vibrant when I first took this position. I guess that’s what staying in one place for a long time does – you get to see people grow up and grow old.

I’ll admit I’m not really excited about life in a senior’s home or nursing home. Maybe I’ll change my tune when I get to that age … all I know is that I feel it closing in on me.

I also know that the longer you live, the less friends you have. But when your best friend is your doctor, simply because you see him more than anyone else, you know you’re really getting old!

Well I thought today I might take a day off of exercising, and even cheat a little on what I eat, but with all these thoughts of aging, I might have to re-think that.

Maybe I’ll have to double up on the exercise and ask for the senior’s meal at the restaurant tonight … which we all know is not a discount but just a smaller portion.

Here’s the thing: When you think about maturing in your relationship with God, it can be hard to tell one day from the next if you are progressing. At times it might seem like you’re moving forward, but other times going backwards. Well, look in the past and look ahead to the future to evaluate your maturity in Christ over a longer period of time. Then make sure you don’t stop where you are at, but keep moving ahead.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you noticed about your relationship with Christ over many years? Leave your comments below.

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I’ve Had Too May Birthdays – That’s Enough!

I guess you could say I’ve had a lot of birthdays – so many in fact, I can’t remember them all.

happy_birthday_old_man_cake_topper-r20ffcb20d1f54ef39cbb94f5fb640918_fupml_8byvr_630

I just had one the other day. This one I will remember – actually, I would like to forget it, but I’ll remember it because it’s one of those birthdays that ends in a zero.

The day before my birthday, I went mountain biking. I almost crashed into a tree, but instead grabbed it and scraped my arm a bit.

Someone asked me if I’m going to stop biking because of the injuries. I said, “No. I was in my 50’s when I crashed; now that I’m 60 my co-ordination and balance is way better!”

Most people were very nice to me on Facebook, wishing me a happy birthday. The odd person rubbed the age thing in a bit, but not too much.

The thing about it is, on the one hand, I’m proud that I reached a milestone like 60. I’m pretty pleased that at sixty I can still play hockey, ride my bike, and beat my son in golf.

But the downside of turning 60 is that it sounds so old. When I turned 40 or 50, those were ages that sounded like maturity. Even if I lacked a little at times, at least my age gave the appearance that I was a mature adult.

It’s different with 60. It just sounds like you’re an old man. Who cares if you’re mature? You’re old now and that’s all people think when you say, “sixty”.

They think, and may even ask, “Where are you keeping that cane?” “You driving a Buick yet?” “Did you hear me or do you have your hearing aid in?”

I know that by next year I will probably get used to being sixty, but right now it has a strange ring to it.

I hope things don’t start to change automatically at this age. Tonight my wife, Lily, took me out to dinner for my birthday. After dinner we went for a walk downtown and I could feel a little tightness in my hip.

… I’m hoping that was a result of my bike ride way back when I was in my 50’s, and not some age-inherent arthritis I was feeling.

As we walked, I did see a number of senior citizens who had some pretty significant limps. I was hoping I wasn’t fitting in with them.

They say you are only as old as you feel. I don’t feel that old … I certainly don’t feel like I’m 60 – that’s an old guy! My dad was sixty once, and I thought he was old then; I’m not that old.

I might have to take this next year and prove that I’m not an old man by doing things old men wouldn’t do.

… I’m not sure what those things are, since I don’t know what sixty year olds won’t do, but this year when I feel like I don’t want to do something, I’m going to do it just in case it’s one of those things!

Here’s the thing: If you’ve put your faith in Christ, when you sin, sometimes you don’t feel like a Christian. But the truth of the matter is you still are a Christian, whether you feel like it or not. Confess your sin and get on with living up to who you are.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you found to be a difficult adjustment to make? Leave your comments below.

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Why Keeping Secrets Can Hurt You

I need you to keep this blog a secret … at least from my doctor. Today is my birthday and there are probably going to be a few surprises. But there will also be a few things that I am sure of today.

Paul's Birthday cake

While I have no idea what presents I will receive, I do know what cake I will be eating on my birthday. It’s the same every year. And just to confirm my already confident prediction, I saw Lily baking it.

Now the reason we have to keep this from my doctor is because of the sugar and fat content of this cake. All cakes fall into the “not healthy” category of food groups, but my cake probably ranks up there higher than most.

The ingredients are simple: angel food cake, whip cream and raspberries. When the cake has been baked, it is cut in half and both halves are hollowed out just a bit. Then in a bowl you mix the raspberries into the whip cream to make the “icing”.

Once that’s done, you put a ton of the “icing” into the hollowed out parts of the cake and then put the two halves back together.

Finally, you slather the outside of the cake (and I mean slather it on thick) with the whip cream mixture and you’re done.

Now is your mouth watering already? . . .  Mine is, and it’s only 7:30 am when I’m writing this piece.

So, you see, this is not the kind of thing you share with your doctor.

When he asks how you are feeling, you say, “Very well, thank you.”  When he asks, “Have you been getting your exercise?” you say, “I’ve been biking three times a week.” When he queries how you have been eating, you DON’T mention the cake. You just say, “I’ve been trying to eat more vegetables lately.”

Now I only get this cake once a year. It’s strictly a birthday cake, not an “I thought I’d bake your favourite cake Friday”. But this year I got a bonus.

For the first time in six years, Karlie was home for her birthday and Lily, like usual, was all geared up to bake her a cake. But to everyone’s surprise, and my delight, Karlie asked for my birthday cake.

So I’ve had a couple of pieces already this year; just as good as ever, and double reason not to let this leak out to the doctor.

By the way, it’s not all bad. I’ll be working that cake off today by stripping the paint off my deck at the cottage. It will be like I ate only vegetables today.

Here’s the thing: In life we can keep things from others. We might do it to look good or because we would be embarrassed or ashamed if others knew. But just like my birthday cake will contribute to clogging my arteries and adding on a few pounds, keeping things from others only hurts yourself. You can try to keep things from God, and try to ignore the fact that He knows everything. You can even pretend that it’s all a secret. But you are only hurting yourself. Admit your sin to God; don’t try to hide it from Him. He knows anyway … just like my doctor will probably get wind of this blog.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How has keeping something from others hurt you in the long run? I’d really like to hear from you;, you can leave your comment below.

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When Your Son’s Life Parallels Yours

My son turned 23 the other day, and what stood out to me is just how much his life has paralleled mine so far.

grass

I thought for a moment that I had a “do-over” in him. And I wondered if a lot of parents think that … they see their son or daughter as a way to correct or change their own path. In some cases, they see their children as a way to fulfill a long-lost dream.

I didn’t dwell on that very long because I realized that he has some living ahead of him that I have no desire to do over.

When I look back, I don’t want to have to finish my education, or decide on a career, or choose a mate, or a number of other things. No, that’s for Mike to go through. All I can do, or want to do, is be a sounding board for him in all those things.

But still, it’s hard not to dream for him and want to make decisions for him when I see him having to make the same decisions and going through the same circumstances as I did.

There are times I want to shout out, “Choose this”, or “Do that and you will save yourself time and pain”.

But that would be cheating him out of figuring out life. That would be keeping him from growing up. That would be preventing him from becoming himself instead of a do-over of dad.

Besides, when we’re 23 there’s something inside us that compels us to experience things for ourselves and not take the advice of the wise sage.

We went out for dinner to celebrate this occasion. And there was a young family who sat at a table across from us: a mom, a dad and a daughter about 6 years old. I looked back at my family, all adults now, and flashed back to remember days long ago when my children were young

How often I have said, “Wow, he’s a lot like me in the way he thinks and the things he does, the choices he makes. Even his physical development parallels mine.”

Mike laughs at me and calls me a fatty. But I look at him, knowing my physique was identical at his age and say, “This is all yours in thirty five years!”

I never had this conversation with my dad, but I know there were lots of parallels between us, too.

Back at home to open presents after dinner, the last present he opened was a new 3 wood. I could see the excitement in his eyes, the longing to get on the golf course and play.

That’s something that he has become passionate about through his friends. It’s also with his friends that he has developed his ability. Though I share the same love for the game, he didn’t catch the bug from me.

But even in that, he parallels my life: picking up the game from a friend and being mentored in golf by him.

What’s good is we can play together and maybe this will be the year he finally beats me.

Here’s the thing:  A relationship with God is personal and though it may look like your journey to God parallels someone else’s, each relationship with God is unique. You can’t replicate your relationship with God in someone else. However, you can fellowship together in your relationships with God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: In what ways has your life paralleled someone else’s?

I would love to hear from you. You can leave your comment below.