family

by

You’ve Got To Know The Right Guy

Knowing the right guy is so important. When you need advice or expertise, being able to connect with the right person is invaluable.

When it comes to making or fixing things around the house, I’m pretty limited.

I can do a few things as long as they don’t involved sharp objects. I’ve just had way too many cuts on my hands to be comfortable with saws and knives. … Hey, I’ve even done some damage in the past with a screwdriver and I wouldn’t consider it a sharp object.

In the past week or so I needed some advice on the kitchen upgrade we are doing at home.

Let me say upfront, I’m not doing much on this one; Lily is doing most of the work, which involves a lot of painting.

But we were also getting a new kitchen counter and that meant we would have to disconnect the water to the kitchen sink for about a day.

There were no shut-off valves under the sink so I needed another solution … unless we wanted to shut off the water supply to the entire house for over a day … No!

The guy at the hardware store said I needed a converter piece to connect our old style pipes to the new kind of pipe and then add a shut-off valve to that.

Well, I bought all the parts and it came to about $52. I thought that seemed like an awful lot of money for 24 hours of water!

I mean, for that money, there was no ride I got to go on, or show I got to see, or course I got to play. It was just plumbing parts … pretty uninspiring.

After I bought the parts I had a few days before I had to shut the water off, so I just kept them all in the bag.

The day before I needed to shut the water off I decided to go to another hardware store to see if there was a simpler solution.

I showed the guy at the store a picture of my present hook up and he suggested a threaded cap.

It was basically a plug that screwed into the end of the pipe. It only cost me about $11 and about 10 minutes to complete the whole task.

He was the right guy to ask.

After the new counter was installed, we needed a piece of wood to span the length of the opening under the sink. It needed to be 1 1/8″ thick, and if you know anything about wood, that’s not a common thickness.

I went back to the hardware store and the wood guy was totally unable to help me; he had no solution for me.

However, the next day I was talking to a friend who works in construction and told him what I needed.

Without hesitation he said, “You need 5/4 piece of wood. You have to get that at…”  and named the supply house.

Again, knowing the right guy made all the difference in the world.

Here’s the thing: We experience a lot in life that we don’t have answers for. We come up against things that we are totally unprepared for. But no matter what it is, Christ is that guy who can help us in our need. So often we don’t go to Him first. Christ is the authority and expert; He is able. Go to Him before you look elsewhere for help.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need advice and help with right now? Leave your comments below.

by

A New Take On “Take Your Kid To Work” Day

The other day was like “take your kid to work” day only flipped around.

I was visiting my son last week and one day I went in to see where he works. Mike’s told me a lot about his work, but I wanted to put a picture to what I was hearing. I wanted to see his working world and the people he works with.

It wasn’t just like “take your kid to work” day; I didn’t go into work with him. Mike starts at 5 am and there was no way I was going to go in that early!

I drove over later in the morning but, as I made my way, I couldn’t help but think about the times I took my kids to work.

Some time when they were each in junior high, I took Karlie and Mike to work with me. I set up my day to let them see a variety of things that I do.

I gave them some work to do while I studied, and we went out for lunch … which I remember was a big hit – one of the highlights of the day. I took them with me when I made some visits, and we did some work together on a project I had on the go.

I think both of my kids had a fun day coming to work with me. It certainly was different from their school work and they got to see firsthand some of what I do rather than just hear about it.

That’s what was nice about going into Mike’s workplace. I got to see firsthand what he does and where he does it.

I got a tour of the plant, met some of the people he supervises and some others he works with.

After I had seen the place and met pretty much everyone who was there at the time, it was almost lunch.

He took me to a lunch spot that he’d been to before and we had a nice meal together … although interrupted by a work call that I could tell was going to change his afternoon plans.

On the way back to his office, we made plans to meet up after work. I then left for a business appointment of my own that I needed to make in the area.

As I drove away, I was really glad I had gone in to see Mike at work, to see him in his environment and meet the people he works with. It gave me context for when he talks about his job.

I’m really proud of what he does and what he’s accomplished so far in his career.

There was just one thing that was exacting the same as when I took Mike to work back when he was in junior high … I still paid for lunch.

… Some things take longer to flip over than others. But I wouldn’t trade it.

Here’s the thing: If you have kids, at some point things are going to flip from you to them. You will eventually watch them do the things you once did … but it’s more than just what they do, or how they work. Are you setting a spiritual example for them to embrace and live out in their adult lives? What you do now will flip from you to them. Make sure the most important thing – your relationship with Christ – is flippable.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What good traits do you see in those you influence? Leave your comments below.

by

I Don’t Like Wallpaper Much

I remember why I don’t like wallpaper that much – it’s not a fun task to take it off!

I’m sure there are some types of wallpaper that can be easily removed … maybe it’s just the ones my wife picks that aren’t.

We are renovating our kitchen right now. I should really say that Lily is renovating the kitchen. She has done all the planning and work so far.

We have a new range and, in a couple of weeks, we will have a new counter. But before that comes, we needed to take off some wallpaper that Lily had put up as a backsplash above the counter.

The new backsplash will be tile.

I’m not sure if it’s proper protocol, but I would have put the tile right over the wallpaper … if it hadn’t been for Lily’s choice of wallpaper years ago!

This wallpaper has some texture to it. It looks like tile so it’s not really flat against the wall.

But really, how hard could it be to remove paper from a wall?

Well, it turns out that it can be pretty hard.

I came home from work one evening to find Lily working on the wall. She said she had been doing it for a couple of hours and she hadn’t gotten very far.

Of course I tried to help and do a little of the work. But this is what I found: this wallpaper had to come off in three layers!

There was a plastic-like layer that held the colour of the paper; the second layer was sort of foam-like to give it the texture and look of tile. Then under that was the paper with the glue that stuck it to the wall.

Each layer had to come off on its own. Let’s just say there was a lot of scraping that needed to be done.

It reminded me of the last time I took wallpaper off a wall.

At that time we lived in Edmonton and had just bought our first house. The previous owners had some pretty disgusting wallpaper on the living room walls and we wanted it off immediately.

They were also smokers … so picture Lily and I sponging down the walls with brown water dripping down from the ceiling to the floor.

The paper was an old style and pretty much cemented to the wall. It was a brutal job.

This one was cemented much the same. Lily wondered why it was so tough; she had used this same wallpaper in Edmonton. Then she remembered that she never took it off the wall there. She had just put it on a few months before we moved.

Well, the stuff we just destroyed the kitchen walls over has been up for 21 years. Let’s never do that again!

Here’s the thing: Habits stick to us like cement or some kinds of wallpaper. They don’t break or come off easily. That’s good and bad news. The good news is if we have habits that are the kind we should keep, they will stick with us. If we have habits, however, that need to go, be replaced or just displaced, it’s going to be a fight. It will take a lot of work, but you have help. The Lord is with you to help you as you deal with those habits. Lean on His muscle to remove those old habits.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What habits in your life need to be removed? Leave your comments below.

by

Fickle Fans And Me Don’t Mix

In some cities fans are fickle; it doesn’t take much for them to give up.

I don’t get it – maybe because I grew up in Toronto, that hasn’t seen a Stanley Cup outside the Hockey Hall of Fame for 50 years.

I was 11 when the Leafs last won the Cup, but the thing is I still cheer for them like they’re going to win it this year.

… I figure I have at least a couple more years before I see that happen again.

But I know other cities – some that I’ve lived in – that are pretty quick to give up on their team if they aren’t doing well.

Those are fickle fans. A real fan is a fan through the good and the bad, the long and the short haul. The bottom line is you don’t turn on your team.

That’s what’s got me concerned about the city I live in right now. What kind of fans live here?

Some are whiners, some are only good time fans, some are complainers. Not many, apparently, are true fans.

The biggest hockey action in my town is OHL hockey – these are the kids that are feeding the pro ranks.

In my town, the Kingston Frontenacs are the top bill.

Last year the team made a run in the playoffs but fell short. This year was a building year. The team wasn’t supposed to do much, and were expected to finish near or at the bottom of the league.

Well, they surprised everyone – maybe even themselves. They ended up 4th in their division, giving them home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Not too shabby in my books.

They did all this, mind you, with 13 sixteen and seventeen year olds, 4 of them on defence. That’s on a roaster of 23 guys.

To say they overachieved is a bit of an understatement!

But that doesn’t seem good enough for Kingstonians. The first two games of the playoffs saw smaller attendance numbers than an average regular season game this year … which was a far cry from last year’s attendance.

People blame it on many things: past experiences, higher ticket prices, waiting to see if they make it to the next round, and they don’t like where the arena was built. These are all excuses of fickle fans.

It’s almost like the fans said, “You had your chance last year and you blew it. We’re not doing that again.”

There are some people who wish for the good old days. They liked watching hockey then; those were real teams.

I remember my dad, at about age 70, was asked by another senior if he was going to attend a seniors’ service at his church.

He said he didn’t think he would go. The man replied, “We are going to sing hymns like the good old days.”

My dad’s reply was, “The good old days were not that good.”

We build the past up to be bigger than it was. The present is where it is at. Be a fan, not some fickle version of it!

Here’s the thing: When you make a commitment to Jesus Christ, it’s not some half-hearted, in the good times only commitment. You are trusting your life now and forever to Him and you need to give Him your all – not some whiny, looking back at the past, fickle version of it. Live your commitment.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How would you describe a real commitment? Leave your comments below.

by

A Plan That’s Coming Together

My wife’s plan is slowly coming together, and so far it hasn’t cost me any blood, sweat or tears.

For the last couple of years Lily has wanted to redo our kitchen. All our appliances are over 20 years old and the counter top has a few nicks in it.

Those nicks, by the way, are all from Lily’s hand … although she only claims one of them to be hers for sure.

So the counter top seems to be the main item in this refurb, but along with it are some pretty expensive items that may be added a little later than sooner.

There was one item that she slipped in early and that was a new range. She said it made sense to have it in place when they came to measure for the new counter.

Now when I hear “range” I think of a farm, and cattle and grass and stubble. The range Lily had in mind was an induction top convection oven. I’m not sure what all that means other than you have to have the right kind of pots for the elements to work, and you can cook more than one sheet of cookies at the same time … which I’m all in favour of.

This reno may not have cost me blood, sweat and tears, but it is costing a few dollars.

I guess it’s time. This project has been on her list for ages and it seems that more than once we put it on hold because something else needed our attention and money.

At this point we are committed. A down payment has been made on the counter and they are coming to measure in a week or so. According to Lily they will install the counter about two weeks after that.

In the mean time, Lily has already painted the kitchen ceiling, and the range is in place. She still has to paint the walls, and arrange to have some tiling done above the counter.

But there is one other thing that needs to happen and it’s something I’m not too sure about … nor is Lily for that matter.

Rather than breaking the bank on new cupboards, Lily is going to paint our cupboards with some special cupboard paint.

That’s right, she found a paint that is specially designed for painting kitchen cabinets.

Personally, I’m afraid I will have to put on white gloves before I open any cupboard for fear of scratching the paint.

I can just see me putting on those white gloves just like the guy who carries the Stanley Cup.

We’ll probably have a little basket of them as you enter the kitchen. That way no one will be able to gouge Lily’s paint job.

It’s possible that this will work. My only fear is that in a year’s time, we will be looking to purchase new kitchen cabinetry … Cha Ching $$!

Here’s the thing: It’s easy to get in a rut, living with the same things, never changing or upgrading them. We can also live with things in our life, never dealing with or addressing them. We can do that for years, becoming very accustomed to those things – things that need to be replaced, things that need to go. There is no guarantee that making the changes will work out in the end, but give it a try. As uncomfortable as it might be, as inconvenient as it might seem while you are going through the change, in the end you will like the results.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to change in your life? Leave your comments below.

by

I’m Going Through A Cold Spell Inside Me

I am cold and the temperatures outside are only serving to accentuate that fact.

Over the last few months I’ve dropped about 15 pounds. I’ve written a few posts describing the things I’ve done to lose this weight (you can read about them here and here).

I didn’t even set out to lose any weight, but rather to try to figure out what was causing my muscle issues when I played hockey.

The outcome of that experiment is that I’m not having muscle pain, I’ve lost some weight and the huge benefit is I feel great.

The downside to all this is that now I’m always freezing. I’m having a hard time keeping warm.

I will often wear my coat at work, and at home I immediately put on a sweatshirt. If I’m watching TV, I’ve probably got a blanket over me.

It’s frosty in my house. I’ve even thought of getting one of those TV blankets that has sleeves so that I’m actually wearing the blanket.

Well, not really; I wouldn’t get one of those things – that’s crazy! … well, unless they had a leopard patterned one … just kidding.

What’s making this worse is the temperatures outside. It’s halfway through March and suddenly we’re experiencing the longest cold snap of the winter.

I was hoping it would be getting warmer by now. But spring – really just spring weather – can’t come soon enough for me.

There is a senior man from my church who I visit fairly regularly who can’t get out to church. He’s always cold as well. He wears long johns in the summer … I’m feeling his pain right now.

I sure hope I level out by the summer time. I don’t think wearing long johns with shorts is that good a look … but I’m not a fashion guru.

These days when I shake people’s hands, I’m hoping that the warmth of their hands will transfer to mine and take some of the chill away.

Back in the fall when we bought a new vehicle, the only option my wife, Lily, really cared about getting was heated seats.

We had them added, but only for her sake.

Now I wish we had a remote for the heated seats so I could fire them up before I got into the car. At this point, if it isn’t instant heat, it’s not good enough for me.

In a couple of hours from now, I’m going to play hockey – more cold. I’m going to have to skate extra hard just to generate enough body temperature to combat the sub-freezing conditions of the arena.

Fortunately, my muscles are working well now, so I can go all out and skate hard.

I guess with every good thing there is something that’s not so good. But the way I feel right now, I will put up with being cold all the time. It’s worth it.

Here’s the thing: There are some things in life that we put up with, but are those things worth it? Are there things in your life that are destructive, harmful, negative, sinful that you just put up with? It’s time to take an inventory of the things we put up with; keep those things that are worth it and cut out the things that drag us down.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you put up with that’s worth it? Why? Leave your comments below.

by

I’ve been Neglecting My Guitar 

I need to play my guitar; I think it’s feeling a little neglected.

I don’t play the guitar all that well, and maybe that’s part of the reason it has been sitting on the shelf so-to-speak … but I do like to strum and play some songs.

When my kids were young, I would play songs like “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin, and they would bounce up and down on the bed, while screaming out the words to the song.

I’ve played the guitar for about 30 years, but I have about 5 years of real experience … and about 6 months’ worth of talent.

When I was a youth pastor I wanted to lead my teens in worship, so a friend and colleague got me started.

I never really progressed much past that, and it was a bit of a relief when the students in my youth group got good enough to lead. They formed bands and took over all the worship for the group.

Since that time I’ve really only played for myself and my kids. Both of them now play a little too … and I think they’re both better at it than I am.

I chock it up to not having great hand-eye coordination. I see where my fingers need to go on the strings to form the chord; I just can’t get them on the right strings fast enough.

It’s like I’m in slow motion.

It’s easy to tell it’s been a while since I’ve played the guitar: there is a thin layer of dust on the guitar neck and when my wife strummed the strings, wow, were they ever out of tune!

And speaking of tuning, I’ve never been great at that either. Maybe my hearing is off, because even with my digital tuning device, I can still mess up the tuning.

With all these negative thoughts, you might wonder why I bother to still own a guitar.

The truth of the matter is I don’t even put it away. My guitar is always on a stand, prominently displayed in our family room. Why, you ask? – so it’s always right there, ready to be played.

It’s like keeping my hockey sticks in the car all winter long, or keeping my golf clubs in the trunk all summer, just so that I am ready to play at a moment’s notice.

I don’t think Lily would appreciate me keeping my bike on the roof carrier though. That might be too over-the-top – plus then our vehicle wouldn’t fit in the garage.

Hearing that out of tune guitar this morning did stir something in me. I think before the day is done I will try to bring those strings into harmony with each other and then pluck away for a little while.

I’ve always found playing the guitar a little soothing to my soul.

Here’s the thing: There are times in our life when we might find that we are neglecting God with our time. We can get busy doing other things; family responsibilities can get in the way; our Bible collects dust, and we become a little out of tune with our Lord. Let me encourage you! No matter how long it’s been, don’t play the guilt song. Just pick up that Bible and sit with the Lord for a while and have a conversation. He hasn’t gone anywhere; He’s right there waiting for you to check in with Him again.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has kept you from spending time with God in the past? Leave your comments below.

by

I Didn’t Realize How Precious Quiet Is

My house is quiet right now. Normally at 9:30 on a Saturday morning there is the sound of footsteps on the hardwood, the sound of dishes pre or post breakfast being put in the dishwasher.

But not this morning.

It’s just me at home; Lily has gone to Toronto to visit our kids. Sitting here right now, I am very aware of the quiet.

Now it’s not completely quiet – there are the faint sounds of cars going up the street, and the chirping of birds every once in a while.

But it’s quiet and that is rare for me.

For Lily this would not happen because, though she is home alone most days, and could possibly experience the quiet that I am right now, she has tinnitus so she always has a background track of static or white noise going on.

It’s interesting that she has this ear condition and not me. In my late teens and early twenties I went to a lot of rock concerts where the sound left your ears ringing when it was over.

I went to one concert – Emerson Lake and Palmer (ELP) – that was actually outside in a football stadium. My seat was half way back from the stage and it still left my ears ringing for three days afterwards.

Yet here I sit in silence … except now the hum of the furnace is kicking in.

I wonder how much we take note of the quiet. Mostly we are surrounded by noise. We turn on the TV or play our music, not really to listen to it, but to have a background track to our life.

When I go biking, if I’m alone I will often put my earbuds in and listen to tunes. Rarely will I just ride unaccompanied.

Even yesterday when I had finished writing my sermon, and I was finishing up some work that didn’t require much focus or concentration, I turned on some music to fill the air with sound waves that just added a little distraction to the routine work I was engaged in.

In the quietness of the present, I remember the days when our children were young and they wouldn’t interrupt the silence … they were the background track to our lives.

There was always noise from them, and if there wasn’t, that was not a good thing.

But here I am – no kids, no TV, no iTunes – just me and the clicking of the keyboard.

I have to say, it’s pretty peaceful; it’s calming, unhurried, unforced.

And those words remind me of verses in the Bible, in Matthew 11:28-30, that Eugene Peterson interpreted for “the Message”.

It may be one of the most peaceful passages in the Bible:

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

You might want to read that again, slowly. We could do with a little more peace and quiet in our lives.

Here’s the thing: I don’t need to say much more. Find some quiet in your day – five minutes, ten, whatever you can eek out – and spend some unforced rest with God. It will bring peace into your noisy life.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you do to find some quiet time? Leave your comments below.

by

Decluttering Electronic Waste

I’m looking at a pile of electronic waste I need to dispose of. It’s surprising how it can accumulate and become clutter that you live with.

Recently we were cleaning up the laundry room to prepare for a new washer and dryer (read about that here), and I noticed how much old electronics we had kicking around.

There’s an old TV – tube television that is – with a built-in VCR, an old laser printer, and a couple of satellite receivers.

I don’t want to say this too loudly in case Lily hears it, but I think if I looked harder around the house I could find more old electronics that could find their way to the electronic waste site.

And that is the problem right there. With any other trash in our house, we collect it in waste bins and then put it out by the curb for the garbage truck to haul away.

It happens weekly so there is never too much of a build-up. Maybe at Christmas time we need to put out more than one bag of garbage, but other than that, most weeks we put out less than half a green garbage bag of trash.

Then there is the recycling. We have a green bin as well as blue and grey boxes. But again, they are picked up weekly; we never get a build-up.

With electronic waste, it’s different. It doesn’t go to the curb; you have to take it somewhere.

I’m never sure where that somewhere is either, giving me more reason for keeping it in the house.

Electronic waste also still looks useful, unlike other garbage. It might not work, it may be old technology, but when you look at it, it looks like you could still turn it on.

So I hate to get rid of it. I’m thinking maybe there will be a time when some parts can come in handy or someone will come up with a great idea for an alternative use for these items.

Years ago Apple made a computer that had a nine inch screen. Did I mention it was a monochrome monitor? Yes it was.

Well, after computing had long progressed past the Mac plus or Mac Classic, people starting using the frames of these computers for things like goldfish bowls.

That may not be an exciting alternative use for the product, but you never know what someone will think up.

I have an old desktop computer that still sits on a desk in our basement … I’m sure that one day there will be a use for it. In the meantime, it has a real retro look to it.

These old electronics, that are spread out in different rooms in our house, seem to fit somehow. But now that a few of them have been placed together in a pile, I can see they really are good for nothing.

They just have to go.

Here’s the thing: It’s good to review your life and evaluate the things that are not of value, or may be negatively impacting your spiritual life. When you identify them as such, then you realize how they stand in your way of having a more meaningful relationship with God. If you don’t evaluate them, they will clutter up your life, preventing you from realizing why you seem to be stuck spiritually. You need a disposal of waste to declutter your spiritual life.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you evaluate the clutter to your spiritual life? Leave your comments below.

by

Is There Such A Thing As Luck?

Luck is something that has happened by chance, without you causing it. Some call it good fortune or being blessed; some call it just plain luck.

Personally, I believe some people have more good fortune in some ways than others. I don’t believe God moves us like chess pieces on a chess board.

I’m not saying that I have a well thought out and researched theory on this; it’s just what I have observed in my life.

For instance, I would not buy a lottery ticket for several reasons, but also for one simple overriding reason: I most likely would not win.

Even if I bought a lottery ticket with the same numbers every week for a year, I’m pretty sure I would not win. So I’m not going to waste my money. My years on earth so far have taught me this.

If I ever did decide to buy a lottery ticket though, I would have my son purchase it for me. In my observation, good things just happen to him.

Some people see those random happenings going their way more than other people do.

Yesterday we were at a hockey game, and in between periods there were some contestants on the ice in hopes of winning a prize … a pretty good prize I might add – a $4000 vacation package.

I don’t often pay attention to those contests, but my wife and I both heard a name announced that we recognized.

We stopped and look down onto the ice and, sure enough, we knew one of the people who had been picked.

Naturally we decided to watch it through. It was a pure chance kind of game; the announcer would pick a ticket and that person would be out.

Our friend made it through the first round and the second round.

With only three contestants left, Lily said, “You know, I could see her winning this; she wins things all the time.”

Sure enough she won the prize. When we met up with her later, she was thrilled.

Those kinds of things don’t happen to me. But I won’t say I don’t have good fortune or that I’m not blessed.

Looking back on my life, I can see time and time again when I have been blessed, without any action on my part. Things have worked out for me; I have found favour with people throughout my life.

I remember being in the hospital after my heart attack and the nurse stationed in our room said to the four of us, “You are the lucky ones. There are many who don’t survive a heart attack.”

With regard to that and other good things in my life, you could say I’ve experienced good fortune.

I look at it as God saving me, protecting me, keeping me, answering prayers.

I may not be the one winning prizes, but in my life, with all that I have experienced, I would say I’ve been blessed.

So is there such a thing as luck? I don’t think I have a definitive answer on that one.

Do things happen by chance? I think from our vantage point they do.

The bigger question is: What do you want to leave up to luck, or good fortune, or being blessed?

Here’s the thing: God knows all things, so ultimately there is no luck or chance from His perspective; it just seems that way to us. Don’t trust your future, your eternity to being lucky. Seek God and secure your forever with one action – faith in Christ.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How would you characterize your life up until now? Leave your comments below.