family

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Just The Two Of Us From Now On

This morning when I got up, it felt different, like now there’s just the two of us.

just the two of us from now on

I’m not sure why that feeling hit me now because Lily and I have been empty-nesters for years.

It might have been that we had the kids home for Thanksgiving weekend and this morning there was just the two of us.

It could be that the house is fuller when the kids arrive – there’s a son-in-law, a girlfriend and a dog. 

When they all leave, it feels like … and then there was two.

In 1978 the rock group, Genesis, recorded an album called “… and then there were three …” In the late sixties the group consisted of five band members and by 1971 they had the lineup of musicians that would make them famous: Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins. 

However, this group didn’t stay together. A few years later, their lead singer, Peter Gabriel, left the band. Instead of replacing him with another singer, Phil Collins, the drummer, took over singing responsibilities along with playing the drums. They continued as a group of four. 

A few short years later in 1977, their guitarist, Steve Hackett, left the band. With both Gabriel and Hackett gone, the band’s next album was titled “… and then there were three …”

Like a band, it’s natural for the members of the family band to depart, spread their wings, get involved in new ventures. But this morning there was something more to how I was feeling than that.

Normally Lily and I are quite used to doing things just the two of us. This summer we spent a good deal of time at our cottage together. We usually do things just the two of us, whether it’s going out to dinner or doing something else. 

But Lily just retired at the end of September. So now it’s not like it’s just the two of us, it really is just the two of us all day long.

For years I would leave for work in the morning and be gone all day. This past year, though I was retired and at home, Lily was working and spent most days locked up in her home office. We were still separated all day long.

This morning when I got up, and the kids were gone and the house was quiet, and there was just the two of us, something was different. 

Lily and I are now doing the same thing – nothing. 

We don’t have different itineraries or schedules or even places to be. We now have the same job. As Lily’s new T-shirt says, “busy doing nothing”.

It just kind of hit me. For the first time in our marriage it really is just the two of us. 

There is no one or nothing that stands between us. There isn’t a time she is busy with someone else or some responsibility. We’re on the same schedule now.

I think I just got some inspiration for my kitchen sign board. 

Here’s the thing: It’s important to have someone about whom you can say, “it’s just the two of us”. No matter what your relationship status is, you can have that “just the two of us” kind of relationship with Jesus. He died on a cross so that He could have a relationship like that with you. So be sure to treat your relationship with Jesus like a close, “just the two of us” relationship … or decide to start a “just the two of us” relationship with Jesus. Pray and ask Him; He is willing. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Who do you have a “just the two of us” relationship with? Leave your comments and questions below.

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The Neediest One In The Family May Be You

It takes a lot of wisdom to deal with the neediest one in the house … and someone can always claim that title.

the neediest one in the the family may be you

When two people get married, the title of “neediest” switches between the couple depending on the situation. 

But when that couple has their first child, that child becomes the neediest person in the family. Period. And that position doesn’t change until another little one enters the family. Then, of course, the new child becomes the neediest. 

There are the diapers, clean ups, feedings – it really doesn’t stop. Just making sure you have everything in the “go bag” is exhausting. 

Babies are dependent on their parents for everything … or, if you’re lucky, on the grandparents sometimes. 

Kids are needy. That’s a fact.

Children pretty much trade needy positions back and forth throughout their growing years.

Even when you reach the stage that they are no longer under your roof, that doesn’t mean one of them won’t be the neediest – one of them will. It just looks a little different and costs more … just kidding, well, maybe I’m not. 

Lily and I have been in this empty nest stage for many years and we have gotten very used to it. Sure, we were there to help our kids set up their first homes, making purchases, packing and unpacking boxes, renting vans, driving long distances.

However, the neediness of the persons in our family has steadily gone down over the years. 

Since I’ve retired, though, I’ve noticed Lily has become more needy. She somehow needs more help in the kitchen, help with laundry, help with cleaning and on it goes. 

But there is now a new neediest one in our home. And this guy is by far the neediest of them all. 

His name is Martin. You’d think that with a name like Martin he would be an engineer or a doctor or something. Martin is neither; he’s a dog. He’s a nice dog, but man is he needy.

For the last two weeks we have been dog-sitting for our daughter and son-in-law while they’ve been on vacation. 

Martin is a well-behaved dog, but he is also a rescue dog which brings a whole other level of neediness to the situation. 

This guy needs petting and loving 24/7. And we found out early that if you give him all the attention he wants, he becomes demanding about it. 

We’ve had to back off a bit. 

But still, he is by far the neediest one in the family now. 

He’s shedding so much that Lily’s got the vacuum on high alert. He needs walks every day, food and treats. But since he can’t get food out of the cupboard, we even have to set his food down for him.

The little fellow runs like a gazelle and wants to be chased in the backyard every time we let him out. 

Oh, and Martin even needs us to pick up after he does his thing. I didn’t sign up for that part. 

We love the guy, but he sure is needy – the neediest one in the family.

I don’t see it changing any time soon.

Here’s the thing: We all have long lists of things we need and want. I wonder if God has the same thoughts about me as I have about Martin: “I love you, man, but you are the neediest guy I know.” Thankfully, God expects us to depend on Him, to need Him. If we think we don’t need God, then we foolishly have placed ourselves in the position of God in our lives. Since we obviously can not secure our own forgiveness or eternity, being needy is a good position to be in. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to depend on God for? Leave your comments and questions below.

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So It’s Christmas – Say It Isn’t So

I’ve been thinking, “Is it really Christmas when the family is not present?”

so it's Christmas - say it isn't so

This was the first Christmas where our kids weren’t at home on Christmas morning. 

We have probably had a longer run at Christmas time than many families. But still, it seemed a little off not waking up to a house filled with our children.

And it’s not like there are little ones running around. Our kids are grown and live in other cities.

But still, part of me thinks that at Christmas you revert back to the days when you were all together all the time … maybe because it was tradition, and traditions are hard to let go of. 

There’s nothing wrong with making new traditions, and we have done that over the years.

When we lived in Edmonton, we would have a Christmas Eve meal at the revolving restaurant atop the Chateau LaCombe hotel. When we moved to Kingston we realized they didn’t have a revolving restaurant. For that matter, Kingston and all its restaurants close at about 6 pm on Christmas Eve.  

We needed a new tradition.

We started having a family fondue after the Christmas Eve service. That became our new tradition. It was an easy switch; the family was still all together.

This year things were much different.

There was no one getting up early. There was no dragging anyone out of bed to open Christmas stockings.

On the other hand, there was no “wife saver” brunch thingy that Lily used to pre-make that we never really appreciated.

But this year Lily and I were not really excited to restart an old tradition of doing Christmas with just the two of us. Those first four Christmases were many years ago. 

Back then they may have been special, just the two of us, but we’re not sure we are ready to go back to that. So we decided to stop time for one day. 

Our kids arrived later and much later on Christmas Day. So we had our Christmas on Boxing Day. That’s the new Christmas for us … well, at least for this year.

John Lennon sang the words, “So this is Christmas.” … Yes it is. It’s not what it was, not what it should be, but this is what it is.

The day after we got up, opened stocking and presents and later had Lily’s side of the family over for a meal. 

It’s like Christmas Day came one day late. 

In all that shifting and adapting, I realized that really to me Christmas is all about family. Family has replaced the central focus of the day.

There is nothing wrong with family, but this day – Christmas Day – is about the birth of Jesus. 

The idea of any birthday is to focus on the one who is celebrating his or her birthdate. I’ve come to realize that I’ve replaced that focus with my family. 

I need to rethink Christmas from the ground up. 

Here’s the thing: We celebrate Christmas because it marks the time God sent his Son, Jesus, to us. The reason we celebrate the birth of someone who is not part of our family is because of what He did. Jesus grew up and died on a cross to pay for our sins. Then He rose from the grave and offers us forgiveness for our sins and a relationship with God. Just as we have a connection with our family members, we can all have a connection with what Christ did for us. We just need to take Him up on His offer and put our faith in Him. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What Christmas tradition do you need to rethink or make next year? Leave your questions and comments below.

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A Rally Call For Your Family; Do Your Have One?

Hockey is a rally call for my family; I don’t know what your family’s rally call is.

A rally call for your family; do you have one?

When we get together we talk hockey, even a little bit in the summer. 

There have been a few years when my family has gotten together for our Christmas gathering in between Christmas and New Years. The evening entertainment has usually been watching the World Junior hockey tournament. 

My family enjoys humour around hockey as well. The other day I got a tweet regarding the many NHL teams that are reporting players who are out with covid. The tweet read, “If you own a NHL jersey of any kind, please report to that team’s stadium now for practice. You have been called up.”

I immediately sent it to my son and texted, “I’m leaving for TO now with the Leaf jersey we got you as a kid.” 

He didn’t text me back. He just called me and asked when I’d be getting there. We had a good laugh.

I only have two siblings, but in each home we have embraced the game and that is why it is one of the focal points of our families. 

About sixteen years ago my father passed away. One thing I remember about my dad is that he would always watch us play hockey – not so much when I was younger, although he did coach me for a few years. 

It was really when my brother and I hit our late teens that he started making it out to all our games. He would drive us or just show up at games. And when the grandkids started playing, if there was a game they were playing, he would want to attend.

After dad died we wondered what we could do at Christmas that would remind us of the bond we have together. I think it was my sister who suggested we rent ice and have a family hockey game. 

We’ve been doing it ever since.

The kids were younger when we started, but now they are all adults and the games are fast. At one time we played the old guys against the young guns but we can’t do that any more. They are bigger and faster. Now they have to watch out for the two old guys (my brother and I) with the suspect tickers. 

So we divide up as evenly as we can and just enjoy the rivalry.

The other week we assembled for our annual Christmas get together and our traditional hockey game. Then we met back at one of my siblings’ homes for an awesome Christmas family meal. 

Of course there are some in the family that wouldn’t care if we got together for a game of hockey, but over half of us would really miss that time on the ice before we settle in for the spread. 

Here’s the thing:  Every family has a rally call. The other rally call we have is our faith in Christ. This year my brother-in-law shared how greatly honoured Jesus is when the audience stands in the singing of Handel’s Messiah. Kings and queens stand in His honour. It’s a rally call to all of us to bow before Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I hope you will this year. Merry Christmas. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your family’s rally call? Leave your comments and questions below.

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The Perfect Message Can Be Very Illusive

Lately I’ve been trying to come up with the perfect message. 

the perfect message can be very illusive

No, I’m not referring to preaching a perfect sermon. That’s not what I’m talking about. 

I do remember when Dave Stieb, a long time pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays, wrote a book. He titled it “Tomorrow I’ll Be Perfect”. The pour guy could have had several perfect games if his defence behind him could have helped out a bit. 

I’m also not referring to being perfect at what I do. 

We have a sign board in our home. It’s the kind that you put letters on and create a message for others to read. It’s not permanent; I can change it any time I want. 

Sometimes the message reflects the time of year, and sometimes it announces a special event or occasion. 

Last year we had a message up there for a long time. It was a countdown to my daughter’s wedding day. That one took work. I had to change the numbers on it every day. 

Every time I change the sign, I’m looking for the perfect message to put on it. I want it to be witty or funny or profound – something that will cause people to think.

It’s not easy, and maybe that’s why I don’t change it very often. When I get a good message, I like to milk it for a while. 

But I need to change it now. I have a son who’s turning 30 and a nephew who’s going overseas for 4 years. It really needs to be the right mix of letters.

I wish my dad was around to help me. He was the king of messages. 

When I was in college out west, he would write me often. For a while I received cards in the mail from him on a weekly basis. 

They weren’t greeting cards. They were just card stock paper he cut to size (about 5”x4”). He would address them on one side and write his message on the other. 

From his readings he would write out an inspirational message to me. It was usually some saying to motivate me.

I looked forward to those cards, and I always wondered how many other people benefitted from reading them, before they passed them on in the sorting line.

We see messages everywhere these days – probably more than ever before. 

Every store or building you enter has a message, usually COVID related. Some stores ask you to pause and read their messages … even though after a year of COVID I think we know them off by heart. 

This morning I’m looking for the perfect message. And I know there’s one for this time and this family. 

I just need to dig deep and come up with something that will speak to the moment and inspire those who read it. 

Here’s the thing: God has given us the greatest message of all time. That message culminates in our celebration of Easter in a couple of weeks. The message is inspirational and personal. It’s the message of the gospel that God loves you and made provision by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for you, so that you could experience God’s love. Be sure to consider this message this year as we turn our attention to Christ’s great sacrifice on the cross. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What would be the message you want your family to read right now? Leave your comments and questions below. 

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We Fit More People In Than I Thought We Could

You can always fit more people in than you think you can. This has been proven over and over, but we just proved it once again. 

We Fit More People In

I remember in the 70’s – before seat belts were a must – we would, at times, pile insane amounts of people into cars.

Sometime we would do it for fun, but mostly it was out of necessity. We frequently needed to transport more people than there were available seats in the vehicles. It was routine that we would go somewhere with friends, often sitting in the back seat, squished between two guys, with two or three girls sitting on our laps. 

It was similar to a gang tackle in football, only we were under the pile a lot longer. 

Sometimes we would shoehorn so many friends into a car that we had to ask someone to move a bit so we could shift gears. For long trips that wasn’t bad, but for city driving it meant for a lot of moving parts.

Well, for the first time in 24 years, we hosted the Christmas meal at our home. We really should have done it the first year we moved back to Ontario – we would have had a few less people. But having the whole family for Christmas dinner at our place this year, as apposed to 24 years ago, created an even bigger space issue. 

In 1996, 6 of the 14 family members at the meal were 7 and under. Not now – everyone is an adult – no little people anymore. 

We have a dining table that seats 8. With some creativity and ingenuity from my wife, we were able to up that to 12 people. That left 6 people eating standing up, so we brought in a folding table that extended into the living room.

It was going to work we could fit everyone in. But when everyone started to arrive and the tables were set up, it didn’t leave a lot of room for people to mingle. 

There were people sitting in the living room but then a whole lot of others standing around the perimeter of the room … much like a bunch of junior highers at a school dance.

 Fortunately we soon saddled up to the tables and got down to some serious eating. 

And when dinner was over, we pushed the extra table against a railing in the living room and shortened the dining room table. People spread out to other parts of the house; some went downstairs to the family room. Before too long the family was fitting in the space.  

I’ve been to parties where there was a crowd in every room you entered, wall-to-wall people. It was not nearly that bad … certainly not too crowded for a day.

The day after I was talking with a friend and told him about the 18 people we had over to our little home and he just smiled at me. Then he said, “We have 16 people living in our house all the time.” 

… Maybe we should have the whole family over every weekend.

Here’s the thing: People have joined God’s family for over 2000 years, putting their faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t know when Christ will come back, but one thing we know is that there will always be room to fit more in. So if you have not joined God’s family by claiming Christ as your Saviour, the time to do that is now.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How can you strengthen you family ties? Leave your questions and comments below.

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When Your Agenda Is Not Your Agenda

Sometimes you don’t have control over your agenda. Circumstances can take precedence, or a boss may place demands on you, but whatever the case, you know when you are not in control of your day.

your agenda

This weekend I did a lot of hanging around – it was Thanksgiving weekend here in Canada. We do it earlier than the States, probably because it gets cold earlier. We’re still harvesting in mid October, but by the time the end of November comes around, places like Saskatchewan and Alberta can be deep in snow.

This Thanksgiving we had our family around and that meant just hanging out and carving each other up as we reminisced of years gone by.

I discovered that with all the family here my agenda was not my own. I didn’t get to do what I wanted when I wanted.  

Even writing this blog didn’t happen early in the morning when I like to write. I was out to the stores three times and each time the purpose was primarily for someone else.

It was interesting because it reminded me of about a twenty year stretch of my life.

When Lily and I were married, we waited about four years before we had kids. In that time our agenda was our own. We did what we wanted when we wanted and for how long we wanted to do it.

But from the moment our first child, Karlie, was born things changed. Our agenda each day was not really our own.

It was high-jacked everyday after that, in some form or fashion, by our kids … until our second child, Mike, moved into his own place.

Then, as quickly and miraculously as we had lost control of our daily agenda, we got it back. 

In fact, we’ve had our agenda back for so long that it’s difficult to remember what life was like when we had a couple of pirates controlling the ship for so many years.

Well “matey”, I guess I just rediscovered what it’s like to have Captains Blackbeard and Jack Sparrow battling for control of the details of our day.  

It’s always interesting – never a dull moment – and there is lots of comedy.

But I’m not doing what I might have planned if I was in control of my agenda.

For one thing I would have had my blog post written long ago. I also would have felt free to do the things that were on my list of things to do. 

… But when I think of what is on my to-do list, there are a whole lot of things I don’t really want to do. 

So the high-jacking of my agenda might not have been a bad thing after all. 

Maybe what’s really at stake for me is the feeling of freedom. Freedom is not a real thing because I’m either tied to my list or someone else’s agenda. 

… For some reason, I just feel more free with my list. 

It’s all moot because everything went back to normal on Monday night. I got my agenda back. 

Here’s the thing: We like our freedom so much that we don’t like to give our agenda up for anyone, even God. But your freedom is really an illusion because there is always someone or something in control of your agenda. It comes down to whether you choose to feel free with God’s agenda or someone else’s. Bob Dylan was right when he sang, “You’re gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.” Choose God and choose His freedom.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Who has control of your agenda? Leave you comments and questions below.

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The Answer To An Age-Old Automobile Controversy

This post is from 2014. From time to time II like to republish posts I’ve written in the past.  I hope you enjoy it.

I believe I’ve uncovered the mystery to a controversy that has baffled mankind of a long time … at least since the passenger car was invented.

In fact, I feel a little like Banting and Best when they discovered insulin, or when a scientist discovers some kind of breakthrough that will lead to possibly finding a partial cure for a certain strain of a multifaceted disease that continues to develop into different strains.

Whoa, I got a little dizzy just writing that.  

Back to my discovery. I got in the car the other day and when I turned a corner the sun shining through the windshield almost blinded me. All I could see was a big red ball of light, so I quickly pulled down the sun visor to block it out.

When I did that, I stumbled onto something that could be a key to changing driving habits, all the way to changing insurance rates. 

When I pulled down that visor, I almost scared myself into the next lane of traffic. The shield covering the visor mirror was gone. I went from looking into the centre of the sun to looking at two eyes staring at me and it freaked me out.

Fortunately, I controlled myself and stayed in my lane. But not everyone is as composed as I am when they drive. And here’s my discovery …

The mirror in the visor is a driving hazard and the ones who are guilty of using it are mostly women. Because of it, they are causing untold numbers of accidents. 

Every time I look behind the visor, if my wife has been sitting in the seat before me, that mirror is visible. Imagine how many men have jerked the steering wheel to the left, when they’ve suddenly seen a pair eyes about six inches from their face. 

Or how about the light that reflects off a woman’s bleached white teeth, hits the mirror and like a laser pointer temporarily blinds some poor unsuspecting driver behind her.  Another accident.

Or what about the woman who’s putting on her makeup and drifts a little, causing the car beside her to swerve and careen into a light pole on the side of the road.

You see what I’m saying?  

Statistics says that “80% of collisions and 65% of near crashes have some form of driver inattention as contributing factors” (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2010).

I’m not saying women cause more fatal accidents. No, men are best at doing that. But statistics say that women are in more fender benders than men.

It’s that distraction factor, and a little piece of the solution could have something to do with the mirror that is on the back of sun visors. 

This is still an early discovery. Now I just have to figure out how to get Lily to place the cover back over the mirror when she’s done.

Here’s the thing: God is trying to teach us all the time, but often we are distracted by other things. Being attentive to little things can lead you to discover something amazing about God that you haven’t noticed before. You can learn much about God from life around you. Don’t be so distracted by something that’s right in your face that you miss learning about God’s character and how that relates to you.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What discovery have you made recently about God? I’d love to hear from you; you can leave your comment below.

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My Complaint Was Unjustified

I was a little too hasty with my complaint.

Spring is here and I should be writing about mountain biking, hockey playoffs or maybe baseball. 

… Or how about those Raptors and Kawhi Leonard’s four bouncer, rim shot, buzzer beater to send Toronto to the NBA Eastern Conference Finals?

But I can’t write about those things. I’m still trying to get my head around my latest bill from Bell Canada.

At the beginning of April I got a shock when our TV/Internet bill increased by $79 from the previous month. (I wrote about it here.)

I got a double shocker this month when my latest bill appeared to be devoid of any adjustments.

After the big increase a month ago, I had called Bell and complained. … I’ll make this short by saying they gave me a $40 reduction on my bill plus faster internet service. To get that, I was on the phone for way longer than an hour with more than one customer service rep.

Within a day or two I noticed some results. They kept their promise of adding three free stations and removing one station, but the internet service didn’t seem any faster. 

Then this month’s bill showed the free stations, but no mention of the upgraded internet, and the same price for TV and Internet as the month before. 

Back to the phones I went! … If nothing else the phone company is ensuring we are still using their services because we have to call them all the time to complain! 

This time the conversation was more disturbing and discouraging than the previous month. 

I talked to two customer service reps who didn’t want to budge. They basically dismissed what I had been told a month earlier. They said that the notes for that complaint didn’t say anything about the credits and changes we had agreed upon. 

In the end, the rep said that she would have her manager call me.  

So I have to wait for the manager’s call … which also means there may be a follow up to this post some time in the future.

Then this morning, as I reviewed my bill again, I noticed something I had missed before. All the itemized charges are the same as the previous month, but there is an amount in an adjustments box with no explanation.

That adjustment is a credit. It only shows up on the remittance page, but it brings my bill to what was promised me the month before.

So I didn’t get faster internet and there doesn’t seem to be any record of or reason given for the credit, but I got one. 

The question I still have is, “Will this credit show up every month?” There is no record of what it is for, so it would be easy to just drop it.

As it stands now, when the manager calls, the only thing I can say to him is … in the words of Saturday Night Live’s Emily Litella, “Never Mind”.

Here’s the thing: I’m distrustful about what my tech company has given me. They might take it away as fast as I received it; it only shows up as a mystery item on my bill. How many times do we treat God that way when He gives us something? We treat Him as though He might take it away at any moment, or we are suspicious of whether it was God who gave it to us in the first place. You might not be able to trust your tech company, but you can trust God. Give Him the credit and praise He deserves.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has God provided for you that you didn’t really thank Him for? Leave your comment below.

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Our Stuff Doesn’t Last As Long Anymore

Things don’t last as long as they once did. We also don’t try as hard to make them last.

This is particularly true with clothes … and many other things.

When I was a kid, I remember my mom would sew my ripped jeans at the knee. Sure, I had a stitch line that looked like a crease going across my knee, but I would get more time in those jeans.  

Mom also had some iron-on patches and sometimes, if the rip or the hole was too big to sew together, she would iron on a patch. 

The patch usually was a close, but not exact, match. It was really noticeable that I had a hole in those pants. But, hey, at least my skin wasn’t showing through. 

Nowadays we extend the life of jeans by just wearing the ripped skin-showing hole or holes in the knee. … Some pants already come that way. 

Years back there was a progression with pants. They would get sewn, then patched. When the patch started to lose its grip and begin to flap, Mom would cut those jeans off above the knee and you’d have a pair of shorts to wear. 

You really could get a lot of wear out of a pair of pants back then.  

Not so much now. 

My favourite jeans have a hole in them. I just noticed it. It’s going to get bigger too, so time is running out on these good ol’ pants of mine.

They seem to be coming to an end far too quickly, and the rip isn’t even in the knee. 

The hole in my pants is developing in my back pocket. It’s where I keep my wallet. 

It’s not that I carry huge amounts of cash in my wallet or that I have three inches of credit cards and identification back there either. It’s just that I have a hard case for my credit cards and a billfold with pointy edges. 

That combo creates extensive friction against my pants pocket and, though from the front the pants look fine, my right back pocket is starting to look like a real mess. 

It’s not fashionable yet, and I can’t cut them off at the pocket either. Sewing and patches? Well, I don’t think that style is ever coming back. It’s time to start looking for new jeans. 

I’m looking forward to the day when I won’t have to carry credit cards or cash with me. I do make many purchases electronically from my watch, but if we went cashless, if that became more fashionable, my pockets wouldn’t wear out and I could wear my favourite jeans for years. 

There is one thing that might save my jeans: it’s called darning. Some of you have never heard of the word … because nobody does it any more. 

When I was a kid, if you got a hole in your socks, your mom would say, “ah darn”, and then she would take needle and wool and close up the hole. 

My back pocket hole is darn-able; it’s not that big. I even said “darn” the first time I discovered it. Maybe I’ll bring back darning. 

… Not the word, just the fixing hole part. 

Here’s the thing: When it comes to relationships, we often don’t put effort into keeping relationships that are in need of repair. We just move on. Even with the Lord, we can be guilty of not trying hard to keep up our relationship. All relationships are worth it – especially your relationship with Christ. So do what you need to do to preserve, repair or fix your relationship with God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What relationship needs repair in your life? Leave your comments below.