Christ

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Apparently I’m A Binge Drinker!

The other day I had a conversation with my wife, Lily, and she called me a binge drinker. I know some of you are now eager to hear some deep, dark secret of mine. Well, don’t start salivating like one of Pavlov’s dogs for some juicy morsels just yet. Let me explain …

I was complaining to Lily about how much water I have been drinking lately and how it’s interrupting my life. The thing is, the more water you drink, the more you find yourself visiting the washroom.

I used to use the facilities only a few times a day like when I got up in the morning, at noon, around dinner time and at bed time.

Not now! I’m hitting the john about every hour or so and it’s all because I’ve been drinking more water. Since we are supposed to drink more than most of us actually do, I got an app that helps me track how much water I drink. So naturally, I’m drinking more now.

In fact, I’ll have four glasses of water from the time I get up in the morning until the end of breakfast. When Lily heard this she shook her head and said, “You’re a binge drinker” … and I guess I am in a way.

So I started thinking, “When did it become so difficult to live that I’m not even drinking my water at the proper intervals?”

It used to be that we got up in the morning and didn’t think about when we drank water; we just did it because we were thirsty. Now it seems I need to read up a little more on the subject because my water bingeing is probably not that healthy for me.

I can still walk a straight line. I can even touch my finger to my nose and I never poke myself in the eye.

People don’t tell me that I’m slurring my words after I’ve had a couple of quick glasses of water either.

But I guess I still need some help because I found out I’m drinking too much water at meal times. My daughter tells me I shouldn’t be drinking water any closer than 45 minutes before a meal.

My question is, “How did people who lived 100 years ago survive?!” I’m sure they didn’t know this stuff back then. I understand that people didn’t live as long as they do now; maybe that’s why?

I think I may need a few lessons on breathing too. Apparently I breathe out of my mouth more than I should.

I wish I had a computer chip in my brain that could be reprogrammed so that I breathe and drink properly. When I look around it amazes me how many people seem to be living fine and they don’t follow any kind of breathing rules, or drinking rules for that matter.

All I know is that my mother taught me how to drink when I was a baby and I’ve been doing it ever since. And as for breathing, well I think a doctor smacked me on the butt when I entered this world and I haven’t stopped taking a breath yet.

Here’s the thing: We can be Christians with very little understanding of what that means. But if you want your life to be effective, then getting some special training is necessary. Don’t neglect the training you can get through the study of God’s Word.

That’s Life,

Paul

Question: Where could you use some focused spiritual training? Leave your comment below.

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I’m Not Going To Read Anymore Reviews

If you have ever written a review of a service or product, this post may offend you. I’m just giving a general warning that may or may not apply to you.reviews

With the advent of the Internet and social media, it seems everybody wants other opinions on products, services or what they are going to be doing at 6:05 this evening.

It sounds like it might be a worthy endeavour but, let me tell you, it really is a waste of time.

When I get a notice that an app I use wants me to rate it, I always decline. I don’t give reviews, and I don’t often take surveys online.

The reason is it doesn’t really help anyone.

Have you ever been interested in staying at some resort or hotel, or even eating at a certain restaurant?

You go online to see what others say about it, and what you find is an array of responses that range from “absolutely the worst place in the world; do not go there; do not spend the money” all the way to “this was the best experience I have had in my whole life”.

The point is people see things very differently. People have different standards. Some people can figure things out easier than others.

… Of course the slew of spelling mistakes in these reviews take away from the confidence you might have in the expressed opinions.

I wish you could tell from the review what kind of person wrote the comment. I’m thinking maybe with every review you should have to fill out a mini IQ test.

The results could be listed at the end of their review so that the reader gets a better grasp of the intelligence of the reviewer and can take the review with a “grain of salt” (whatever that means … I know you know what it means).

Instead of an IQ test, they could use some algorithm to measure the number of spelling mistakes against the total word count to create a score for the reviewer. The higher the score, the more nuts the reviewer probably is!

I know I’m being a little overdramatic here, but today I was in the market for a sleep app for my phone and watch. I looked at several and narrowed it down to a couple.

Then I started to read the reviews … not helpful at all. I started talking to myself, actually arguing with myself on the pros and cons of the app from the reviews I read.

I felt a little schizophrenic.

One reviewer wrote that it was difficult to install the app. If you simply touch the price or the “get it” box, basically it gets installed on your phone. I’m not sure what that reviewer was trying to do. He did have a few spelling mistakes in his review though.

The problem with all these reviews is that even though you know half of them are completely worthless, they put an ever-so-tiny doubt in your mind which makes you hesitate taking a chance.

Here’s the thing: Everyone has an opinion of God. Some of those opinions can’t be trusted, but they can put doubts in your mind. The only way to really know God is to experience God for yourself. If you seek Him, try things His way, listen to His voice, you won’t have to rely on well-intended people who maybe should not be giving their opinion at all.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: When has a review put doubts in your mind about God? Leave your comment below.

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There Are Too Many Voices In My Head

Sometimes when you tell people your problems, they make stuff up. They don’t have a better solution to your predicament, but they come across as experts anyway.

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Even when you tell them what remedy you’re trying, they disagree and give you a fix that you don’t want to have to resort to.

People do this all the time.

Recently I got a new pair of skates (you can read that post here). They are awesome skates but there is one issue that I was having with them.

They were rubbing and causing about a 2 1/2” long rug burn on each ankle.

It wasn’t too bad the first time it happened, but then I played hockey a couple of days later before the rug burns had healed. That time it kind of opened the wounds up and made them a mess.

If you know anything about rug burns, they take a long time to heal – longer than a straight cut. So the next time I played, the scabs quickly opened up and it was very sore to play at first until I got used to it.

I knew I needed to do something or they would never get better … well, at least until after the season.

My solution was bandaids that were long and padded. I found some at the drugstore that were four inches long. I hoped that covering and cushioning my ankles would stop the disaster they had become.

I figured all I had to do was get the skin healed up. The skin would get tougher so that this situation wouldn’t happen again.

The next time I played I tried out my bandaids. Surprise, surprise – they worked like a charm!

There was a little blood but it was minimal.

This is when all the experts came to my rescue. As I was taking off the bandaids, the guys in the dressing room turned into Dr. Bob or something.

They all had solutions. My ankles still looked pretty messy so they didn’t think my solution would work.

The “back of a pack of matches” physicians had to give me their second, third, and fourth opinions. “Wear socks”, one said. Another one said, “Cut the foot part off a sock and just wear the ankle portion”.

Others agreed with the diagnosis and said there was no other way. “You have to put something over your ankles.”

I disagreed but smiled and said, “We will see.” They all trashed my solution.

Well, I’ve been doing the bandaid thing for a month now. I’ve stopped wearing one on my right ankle and it’s crazy – like magic, the skin has toughened up and I have no more issues!

The other ankle is almost ready to go. The next skate I’ll take the bandaid off and give it a shot.

Maybe Dr. Silcock does know best after all. … I’m sure glad I didn’t cut up socks and wear them like sweat bands around my ankles!

Here’s the thing: Other people will be the loudest voices in your life and it will be easy to listen to them. They are well-meaning voices and they may even have good ideas for you to follow. But the best voice to listen to is the still, small voice of God. It might be hard to hear God’s voice over all the other voices, but if you listen closely you will hear Him and He will give you the best advice hands down!

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you hear God’s voice over other voices? Leave your comment below.

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Facebook Just Sucked Thirty Minutes Of Life Out Of Me!

 

I just spent a half hour doing nothing on Facebook.

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Most people know that Facebook sucks you in and keeps dangling the carrot in front of you to stay connected, but I’m kind of new to the Facebook scene. I think I’ve only had friends for about a year now. I used to be a loner.

At that time all my friends were through my wife. She was my entire source of friends until I decided to branch out on my own.

Last year I finally broke down and got myself some friends. The thing is, I’m not that good of a friend. I don’t go on Facebook enough to know what my friends are doing or up to.

I keep getting emails that let me know what I’ve missed since I’ve been away. It’s usually a few notifications, maybe a friend request and a poke.

I don’t even know what a poke is.

The thing is, I don’t have time to go through all the stuff that’s posted on my home page … and truthfully, with some of the stuff, I don’ t want to either.

They say – whoever “they” are –  that you have time for what’s important to you. That may be true for me.

Now I’m not saying that my friends are not important. No, they are important; it’s just some of the stuff that gets posted doesn’t really interest me.

It’s possible that my friends are not that interesting and that’s why I’m not getting stuff on my home page that draws me in.

But that’s not really it either. I just don’t go on Facebook that much.

There is always something else I could be doing or should be doing that keeps me from sticking my head in the Facebook world.

But this morning I was scrolling the apps on my phone and saw a number 5 beside my Facebook app.

My first thought was, “I have a little time. I’ll get rid of that little red number”, but when I went inside there were a number of videos and pictures that were staring right at me.

I wasn’t in a hurry and I didn’t have anything that was pressing, so I started to scroll.

I did learn a few things, like that David Bowie died of cancer. I saw some motocrosser do some amazing tricks with his bike, and I watched 19 construction works try to corral a power trowel that got away on a freshly poured slab of cement.

I’m not sure any of that is going to help me today. I doubt I’ll be able to use any of this info in a sermon … well, maybe the cement workers and the trowel – there’s got to be an illustration there!

The one good thing about the half hour I spent on Facebook this morning is that it’s a lot like Kentucky Fried Chicken: once you have the experience, you don’t need to go back for a while.

I’m sure my friends don’t mind; there are plenty of other people who stay glued to their walls.

… It was nice to see a pic of a buddy with Bobby Orr though.

Here’s the thing: When you think of how much time you spend on things like Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social media, do you find it hard to squeeze some time in your day to read the Bible? Here’s a challenge for you: Make 2016 a year you read through the whole Bible, and get God’s perspective on the world.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How much time a day do you spend on social media? Leave your comment below.

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I Like This Winter That Wasn’t

This is my kind of winter. Sure, we have some snow now … well, maybe not by tomorrow. And I know some folks south of the border have it tough with some wild storms. But right here in the “We the North” country, we’re loving this year’s edition of winter!

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I did put my winter tires on the car, but I haven’t needed them. I still own a winter coat but I don’t always need to wear it.

What I’m not having to deal with right now is trying to park my car in a snow bank on the side of the road.

At this time last year, when we would go downtown to catch a hockey game, the parking spots on the streets had turned into snow banks. So basically you aimed your vehicle on a thirty-five degree angle and plowed into the bank to make a spot for your car.

I do kind of miss being able to fish-tale my way out of the church parking lot on Friday nights when I leave for home, and not being able to do the “fast and furious” drifting around corners. This year takes a little of the fun out of driving.

But you know, not having to scrape my car, or warm it up before getting into it for fear of cracking the seat material – that I’m not having a problem with one bit!

I am loving that I’ve only had to shovel my driveway once this winter – ya, that’s how many times it’s snowed. For a few years now I’ve been bugging my wife that we need a snowblower. She’s not hearing much of a peep out of me this season.

Today I had some errands to run and it was raining outside. I didn’t mind that at all. I’m disappointed when it rains in the summer because that means no mountain biking or golf. But in the winter, that doesn’t stop anything I do because everything I do is indoors.

When I was young I would skate on a pond and at an outdoor rink, but that was way back in the day. Now all my hockey is tucked in a nice, dry, cool arena.

I do realize I live in Canada and that spring isn’t right around the corner. We are bound to get some weather that chills my innards. We will get more snow before it’s gone for another year.

That’s okay, because we are not going to get as much of it now that winter is almost half over. My only fear is that this global warming has changed up the seasons, so that now our weather is like Australia – cold in the summer and warm in the winter.

If that happens here, I’m taking everything back that I’ve written so far. I’m still looking forward to a nice, hot, dry summer in 2016.

Here’s the thing: Life is very unpredictable just like the weather. No one can figure it out, not even the weatherman. You just have to take what you get and make the best of it. God doesn’t give us a long forecast for our lives either; so be thankful for what you have, and live your life for the Lord in the midst of whatever you are experiencing.

That’s life!

Paul

Question: How would you rate the weather in your life right now? Leave your comment below.

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My Goal Setting Disaster

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I didn’t get that lull this year.

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

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

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

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

Look, I’ve already set one goal!

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

That’s Life!

Paul

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

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I Can’t Believe I Forgot that Event!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That’s Life!

Paul

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

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Get Things Done With The Right Tools

It is amazing how simple something seems with the right “know-how” and the right tools. It’s inspiring to see, to the point that you think you can do the same thing.

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Maybe that is why they have warning messages on some commercials, “Don’t try this at home”.

When you see someone with some skill using the right tools to do something or perform some task, it looks so effortless that it makes you think, “Just give me a try; I could do that too.”

Not so fast! I’ve been in this movie before and it’s not as easy as it looks.

Let me explain … Recently I was having trouble with my car. It was running rather rough, as if it was not firing on all cylinders.

I knew something wasn’t right, not only by the way the car was sounding and feeling but by the light on the dashboard that read, “check engine”.

I couldn’t get it to my mechanic because it was around Christmas, but I was a little concerned that the car could stop working at any time.

I mentioned my car woes to the guy who cuts my hair. … That may seem kind of odd when you read this, but my hairstylist knows cars, fixes cars, races cars, and can get anything for cars.

He’s a car guy.

I’ve been going to him to get my hair cut for about 17 years. Last year he got me a deal on winter tires.

When I mentioned my recent car problems, he said it was easy, that he had a scanner and could figure out what was wrong.

We arranged to meet; he brought his engine scanner and plugged it in. In about thirty seconds he told me one of my cylinders wasn’t firing. I needed a new coil.

He quickly called a guy and asked about the part. In the span of about two minutes we were off to the store to get the parts.

I then took my car to his place because he had everything we needed to fix it there. I watched as he went to work. There was no hesitation, no manuals, no computer YouTube video he was following.

He knew the right sized bolt head, and had the tool needed to get the spark plug out of the hole.

In about twenty short minutes he had replaced the coil and four spark plugs. I was on my way, the car sounded great again and the blasted engine light was off.

As I drove home my first thoughts were, “I think I could do that.” And what I meant was, “I think I could do that just like my hairstylist.”

And then I paused. I don’t have the tools he had; I don’t have the know-how to be sure of what I am doing. I would need the manual, or a YouTube video to follow. I know in the end, it would have taken me a couple of hours and several calls for help regarding various issues that I would have.

At least I saw how easy the job can be, with a little “know-how” and the right tools.

Here’s the thing: Your walk with Christ needs the right tools and a little “know-how”. Acquire the right tools, which includes people, books, the Bible, courses seminars, small groups, the list could go on.  Then gain the right “know how” from your experiences with God, trusting him for things, serving him, following his leading. That ensure that at the end of your life, the Lord will say well done.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What looks easy in your faith walk with the right tools and know-how? Leave your comment below.

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Christmas Tree Memories

This morning I’m sitting in our family room looking at our Christmas tree. The lights from the tree and the winter village are the only lights that are on.

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The tree lights draw my focus in and, as I sit quietly alone, I can’t help but reflect on what the tree represents.

I know that some people say that the Christmas tree is some pagan holiday symbol that we’ve stolen and now use as a symbol of Christmas. I don’t get too hung up on that because for years we sang hymns that had stolen their tunes from old bar songs.

It’s almost like hymn writers were the first “Weird Al Yankovic”. And if you don’t know who Weird Al is, don’t worry about it – it’s not important to my Christmas tree reflection.

To me this Christmas tree has become a burden and a blessing. And this year we decided to be done with the burden part.

You see, for the last 30 years Lily and I have exchanged Christmas decorations, and since our kids were born they also have received decorations. So let me do a little calculating here … that works out to 110 ornaments!

No wonder Lily sighs when she thinks about putting the decorations on the tree. But that’s nothing – our poor Christmas tree starts drooping in preparation for all that extra weight on its branches.

Let me tell you about the burden … These decorations are not just any decorations. They have to reveal something about the kind of year that person has had, or something memorable in that person’s year.

Like the year we vacationed without the kids, I got a small picture frame and added a picture of two people in beach chairs on a beach. The year the doctor told me my triglycerides were sky high, I went on a diet to get them down. Lily gave me a grapefruit ornament that said “the year of the grapefruit” to remind me of my progress.

At first I didn’t take this ornament giving too seriously. I think for the first four Christmases I got her a red ball decoration that said “our first, second, third … Christmas together”.

But that didn’t last. They don’t make “our 13th Christmas together” shiny hanging balls.

There were some dark years that I had to struggle to find a theme for the year. Eventually I ended up making many of my ornaments. That in itself took a lot of work.

It seemed sometimes that it was more work than it was worth. But on Christmas morning when Lily would open her gift, her reaction was always worth the effort I put into it.

But year after year it’s a burden, and there’s not much room on the tree anymore. I suggested that from now on we should just pick a ten year period and only put decorations up from that decade.

She didn’t like that idea. Instead, out of the blue one day, Lily said maybe we should stop giving ornaments to each other. I jumped at the suggestion and said, “Great idea; let’s stop.”

So I’m looking at the tree right now, with all its memories, because that’s what they are. The burden is over; I don’t have to make another ornament. But the blessing … the blessing of the memories that fill that tree will continue to bring comfort to my mind.

Here’s the thing: Remember special times in your spiritual life, like when you accepted Christ, when you made a spiritual breakthrough, how God met a need, how He helped you at a crucial time in your life. It’s those memories that will stay present with you, and give you comfort in the years to come.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What traditions do you have that bless you with great memories? Leave your comment below.

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Up Early Christmas Morning … Again!

Well, this year I’ve come full circle. I thought it would take longer for it to happen, like maybe not until I was 80 or 85.

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But no, it’s happened already.

In life we start out needing help for pretty much everything and, at the end, we also need more and more help.

They say seniors and teens have lots in common. They both can’t hear – one group because of head phones, the other because, well … they just can’t hear.

They both have no filters on what they say; they say exactly what they’re thinking.

You don’t like their music and they sure won’t tolerate yours.

Each thinks the other doesn’t know anything.They both don’t remember what you said to them five minutes ago.

And they’re both really dangerous behind the wheel of a car!

I’m not saying these things are observable right now in my life, but there is one thing.

When I was a kid I used to get up real early on Christmas morning. It was understandable; I was excited about the presents and all.

Then I went through the stage where I slept in on Christmas morning because I was tired and not that excited about what was under the tree.

But this year, in this way, I’ve reverted back to my childhood. I was up at the crack of dawn Christmas morning.

That’s right, 5:55 in the morning and I was climbing out of bed!

The difference this year was I passed by the treasures in the living room and headed straight downstairs.

I spent time alone doing my devotions and then I worked on my sermon.

We had determined the night before that we would get things rolling at our house at about 10 am so I figured I would have a few hours of productivity first.

By the time people were stirring and visions of sugar plums were starting to fade, I had a couple of hours of work completed on my sermon.

I had tried to work ahead, but I just hadn’t been able to finish my sermon before Christmas Eve for the Sunday after Christmas.

With only a couple of days in between, it meant writing on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. I didn’t want to miss out on time with my family so I thought, “I have an opportunity here to use unused, discarded time to get things done.”

I had just put the final strokes on my message when I heard some footsteps from above. For a second I thought it  was old Saint Nick making his yearly visit but then I realized it was only my wife heading into the kitchen.

As the house came alive and everyone gathered for some breakfast, I emerged from the basement, sermon complete, ready to enjoy Christmas morning with my family with no pressure hanging over my head.

But just like the young, about mid afternoon I was ready for a nap.

Here’s the thing: Often we think those early hours are time to sleep, and not good for anything. But those early quiet hours can be the most special time we can have with God.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Paul

Question: What have you seen come full circle in your life? Leave your comment below.