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It Was a Royal Day At My House

It was a royal day in our house today. I don’t mean we had a visit from someone from the royal family or anything. The day was just filled with hours of television tuned to the proceedings and the analysis of the royal wedding of Harry and Meghan.

I’m not much of a royal family follower. I have a hard time identifying anyone past the next in line to the throne. But my wife, Lily, can recognize pretty much anyone who has a remote chance of being the king or queen.

I wasn’t sure if she would be getting up at 4 am to start watching the festivities, but she discovered that we have a PVR so she decided to sleep in a bit and watch the pregame show later.

When I left for hockey at 6 am, all was quiet at our house, but by the time I got back at around 8 am, the TV was definitely on and tuned in. 

She kept channel surfing too, not to see what else was on but to check out the quality of coverage on the other networks.

I, however, had lots to do and didn’t really have time to watch a wedding. After all, I’ve performed many weddings; I didn’t need to watch one on TV.

But there it was; I couldn’t get around it. So I found myself watching some of the ceremony and that long, tedious drive around town in a buggy.

They could have gotten to the reception in about one minute, but they took a ride in a horse-drawn carriage down a road they called, “The Long Walk”.

I noticed the horses acting up a little, so maybe they found it to be a long walk as well.

This wedding captured Lily’s attention. She didn’t want me to make any comments about the hats and fascinators, or any of the people in attendance. 

She didn’t even like me singing along to “Stand By Me” when the choir sung. She just wanted to soak it all in without any distraction. 

I couldn’t help thinking that at hockey a few hours earlier no one in the dressing room had mentioned the wedding. And no one was in a hurry after hockey to get home to see it.

… That’s not to say that I didn’t have any comments to make about the wedding.

There were a few things I noticed: 

Oprah Winfrey seemed to be walking around aimlessly in a daze. Elton John didn’t seem to like the sermon from the Bishop. He had his nose turned up when the camera was on him.

The Queen must have forgotten her glasses, because she was all bent over when they sang the hymn. She could barely see the words.

The bride’s mother seemed to be more sad than happy with everything that was going on. 

The commentators yammered on way too much about nothing. 

And Prince Phillip was walking really well for a guy in his late 90’s who’d just gotten a new hip! 

Those are just some of the things I noticed.

Here’s the thing: When something impressive, something that is bigger than life comes along, it captures our attention. We take notice and pause to take it all in. God has given us His Word, which is filled with insight into Him and what He wants us to know. Don’t act like you don’t have access. Let it capture your attention every day.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What strikes you about God’s Word? Leave your comments below.

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A Phone Call Rearranged My Day

My afternoon got rearranged with a simple phone call, just a random call put through to me.

Fridays are sermon writing days for me. Don’t get me wrong here, I work on my sermon all week, but Friday is the day that I put all the research and study together and write it.

The morning is the best time for me to write. I’m focussed, energized and think better and faster at that time of day.

It seems that once I take a break for lunch, I don’t have the same focus or energy, and sermon writing slows down considerably.

This week I had a fairly productive morning but had a hard time getting back to writing after lunch. I had a few other things on my mind that distracted me.

Then I got a phone call. I get phone calls like this regularly – maybe once a week – from someone who needs some help.

The story she gave me was long and complicated, and I wasn’t sure I believed everything she was telling me. Still, I didn’t want to turn her away in case she really was in need and I could do something to help.

I told her that the only way I could assist her was to meet her at the bus station and purchase a ticket for her. I don’t give people cash.

Well, she said she needed to check a few things first and would call me back.

I was thinking there was a good chance I wouldn’t hear from her again, but about 15 minutes later the phone rang and it was her.

This was the second time I had to stop my writing process and change gears.

She had discovered that getting where she wanted to go was not going to be possible, so she had a Plan B.

She asked if I could pay for a night’s stay in a motel. I replied that I could do that, but first she needed to check if a room was available.

When she called back the third time, I had not really been able to write anything more on my sermon. However, just before the phone rang, I had a brainwave and was ready to write a bit more.

She told me that she reserved a room at a motel, could get a ride, and would be there in about 10 minutes.

I said it would take me a little longer but to just wait in the lobby and I would get there shortly.

I got off the phone and quickly tried to put down the thoughts I had had just before I picked up the receiver.

I was almost finished my sermon; I just needed an illustration and would try to think of something while I drove to the motel about 15 minutes away.

When I got there, she was nowhere to be found. The front desk clerk had no reservation and no knowledge of this person.

I hung around for a few minutes and then drove back to the church … all that for nothing.

The whole ordeal sidetracked me from my sermon and I didn’t even end up helping her … but it sure changed my day.

Here’s the thing: We like to know the end; we crave resolution. But with God there is mystery, and sometimes we have to be okay with the mystery. It’s in the mystery that faith and hope can grow.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What mystery do you have to live with? Leave your comment below.

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The Day Never Seems To Come

Have you ever been looking forward to something, but that day never seems to come?

This spring I though I would try something new. Well, “new” might not be the right word, more like try something I have done in the past.

Back in March, Lily saw an ad in the paper for senior’s slow pitch softball. Wow, I just realized how old that sounds, and how that makes me feel.

Anyway, I can’t tell you what it’s like because it hasn’t happened yet.

After seeing the ad, I thought about it, remembering the days I used to play in a slow pitch league. It was a fun time so I responded to the ad.

I was told they play on Mondays, which is good because that’s my day off. During the winter I play hockey on Mondays at noon so this would be a great summer replacement.

I got my glove out in anticipation that we would start in a week or so. I noticed that some of the lacing had given way, so I took the time to replace a portion of the leather lace. That got me a little more exited to start playing.

I left my glove on my desk in the family room. When I go by it, I sometimes pick it up and throw a ball into it for a few minutes, just to get the feel of the glove on my hand and the ball getting squeezed between the webbing.

However, it seems that when each Monday rolls around, either the weather is bad or the previous few days have been so rotten that the field is in no condition to play ball on.

It’s now getting near the end of May, the Blue Jays are trying to climb out of the worst start in the club’s history, and all I’ve done is throw a ball into my glove a few times.

It’s Monday as I’m writing this post, and I will still have to wait at least one more week until I get to play!

… Lily and I had been looking at our schedule and figured that the long weekend was the only time in May we’d be able to get to our cottage. We decided to go after church on Sunday and come back on Tuesday.

It wasn’t until two days later that I realized I was going to miss the first day on the diamond … and it would be my fault, not the weather’s.

Well, right now sitting on the couch at my cottage, I understand that it is raining in Kingston … they won’t be playing today anyway.

It’s not looking good for me and baseball this year.

I remember when I was a kid and we would save the box tops of our Alpha-bits cereal to send in and get some prize.

We always had to wait 46 weeks for the thing to arrive. It was actually 4-6 weeks but it felt like 46!

Well, baseball this year, it feels like I’m waiting 46 weeks.

Here’s the thing: When you ask God for something, it’s easy to act like you’ve put in your order and are waiting on God. God is not an order desk, however, and you will receive your answer when He decides it’s best. When that time comes, it’s instantaneous, not 46 weeks.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How long have you been waiting for something? Leave your comments below.

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The Day I Got My Reprieve

I got a one day reprieve yesterday that was pretty amazing.

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Let me take you back three days earlier … I was doing a funeral service for a family, after which we went to the cemetery for the interment.

I generally ride with the funeral director in the lead car and this time was no exception. It was a quick ride because the cemetery was literally minutes away.

When we had finished at the graveside, I gave my condolences once again to the family and got  back into the lead car.

The funeral director got behind the wheel and shut the car door. Almost simultaneously to the door being shut, he sneezed really hard.

Immediately I thought, “Is there any way I can keep myself from breathing for the next few minutes until we get back to the funeral home?!”

That would have been a tricky act because how do you talk and not take a breath? … I’m sure he would have noticed if all the words out of my mouth came while I was exhaling. You could only keep that up so long.

But I knew it was not good. I was trapped in a car with the germs swirling around our confined compartment.

What were the chances I would escape unscathed?

Turns out, not that great! The next morning I woke up with a sore throat. All day, though I was drinking water by the gallon, it seemed my throat kept getting a little sorer.

That was Friday, and I still felt good despite my sore throat. The next morning, however, my sore throat remained so I tried my personal remedy for getting rid of a cold: sweat it out on the rink.

And that’s what I did. I wore something around my neck and an extra tee shirt. After hockey I still felt okay but, as the day wore on, my sore throat also turned into laryngitis.

That’s okay … unless you’re a pastor and you have to preach the next day! By dinner time I had nothing coming out of my vocal cords. I could only whisper one word at a time.

It was not looking good. I went to bed early and my wife, Lily, prayed for me that I would be able to speak the next day.

At church on Sunday, the service leader also prayed for my voice. Someone else offered me some throat lozenges.

When I got up to preach, my voice was clear – no cracking, no trouble putting sentences together. I didn’t even need to take a drink while I spoke.

I felt a little weak but, other than that, I didn’t feel too bad.

Well that was Sunday morning. By late Sunday afternoon I went to sleep, not feeling well. I even took some Tylenol before bed, and I don’t usually do that.

This morning I was hoping I would be a little better, but nope. I feel worse – achy, shivery, with a little bit of a headache.

But did I ever get a reprieve Sunday morning! Prayer works.

Here’s the thing: Some of our needs are selfish; they are for our own benefit. We wonder why God doesn’t necessarily answer them the way we want. But if your need is in line with God’s purposes, you can count on Him answering your prayer. I never doubted that I would be able to preach; I was just amazed how He did it.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How has God come through for you in a big time of need? Leave your comments 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.