God

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I May Have Left It Too Late Again

I looked out the window this morning and thought, “I may have left it too late”.

I may have left it too late again

I wanted to cut my grass one more time this fall. I don’t like it being too long through the winter. 

Today is a bright, sunny day and, though the temperatures are a little lower than what I’d like, it would be a good day to cut the grass.

However, there is one problem with that plan: we have leaves all over our lawn. My idea of one more quick cut before the snow flies is a good one, but first I’ll have to spend an hour vacuuming up the dead leaves.

If I had done it two weeks ago there would have been very little clean up to do first and it would have been much warmer outside. But I kept saying to myself, “the front yard doesn’t really need it yet, even though the back yard could use the cut now”. 

Well, four days ago I noticed that the front yard could use a mow. The grass was looking a little fuzzy, like the hair on your head does just before you go get a haircut. 

The thing is for the last four days the weather has been a little overcast and rainy – not optimal for getting out there with my lawnmower. 

This morning, however, with how sunny it is, I’m considering doing the task. I realize that the longer I leave the leaf problem, it will only get worse since our tree still has about sixty percent of its leaves hanging on for dear life. Many haven’t even changed colour yet. 

But that extra work of getting rid of the leaves before I cut the grass is creating a dilemma of whether to cut or not. I’m wondering if I’ve missed my window. Maybe I should just let the grass go until spring.  

I remember when I was a kid and it was my turn to cut the grass in the backyard. The task would take an hour and a half; there was never a time I wanted to do it. I would look at the lawn and think, “maybe I’ll wait till tomorrow”. 

I always left it too late and then paid for it. I ended up spending two hours cutting the grass because it was so long. 

I hated that task, but when I left it too late, I hated it even more.

You would think that so many years later I would have learned my lesson and not put off the things I should do … but here I am, considering if I’ve left it too late. 

I think I have one more window today and tomorrow before it rains again. 

I have a few other things that I need to attend to first. … I hope in the spring I won’t be shaking my head and muttering that I left it too late again.

Here’s the thing: Often we have adequate time to get something done, accomplished or settled. But how quickly that time goes. Concerning your relationship with God, don’t make the mistake and think you have lots of time. Be sure you have a relationship with Jesus Christ now. You don’t want to miss your window and for eternity shake your head that you left it too late.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you most prone to leaving until it is too late? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Impact Your Living By Who You Live For

Sometimes others can impact how you live … and not necessarily for the better.

impact your living by who you live for

Back in May of this year we looked after our daughter and son-in-law’s dog for two weeks. Neither Lily or I have had any pets, other than a turtle and an iguana, and those were many years ago. 

Having a dog in our home for two full weeks was a pretty big deal. 

All in all, it was a good experience and we really enjoyed having the little guy around. His name is Martin (you can read about him here).

Well, Martin’s back for another two week stint and things have been going very well … other than we would like to give him a bath, but that’s not something we are going to try.

There is one big thing I’ve noticed with having him around this time. He’s having an impact on how I’m living.

I think most people adjust to whoever they are around. You may be more of a listener with some, or more of a talker with others. You may not bring up certain topics around some people. It all depends on who you’re with. 

I’ve discovered that this principle doesn’t just pertain to people; it also pertains to other creatures like dogs.

I have been altering how I’m living in my own home because of the furry fella who’s pretty much by our side all day long.

Martin has some special qualities that keep him front and centre in our attention. He’s definitely the neediest one in the family. 

For starters, he likes to be petted, probably 24/7 if he could get it. He also likes chasing squirrels and rabbits which we have plenty of in our backyard. 

But it’s more about the things he doesn’t like that has impacted my living experience … in my own home.

He doesn’t like being downstairs very much and so I’ve found myself hanging around upstairs more than I normally would. Instead of working on my computer at my desk, I’ve been bringing my laptop upstairs and working at the kitchen table. 

He doesn’t like my pool cue, nor does he like the sound the pool balls make when they smack together. So I’ve tended not to play as much pool the last week and a half. 

Martin also doesn’t like it if Lily and I go to bed at different times. He likes it better when we go together. 

Once Lily goes to bed, Martin will keep coming downstairs to check on me. He will give me gestures, like he’s communicating, “Hey, are you coming upstairs now or what?”

That has led me to not finish the movie I’ve been watching, or to turn off the TV and not watch another episode of the program I’m binge watching at the time. 

And my response has been, “Okay, I’m coming now.” 

In the last two weeks, this little fuzzy fella has literally forced me to reduce my time in the family room and kept me living in a fraction of our home’s square footage.

I’m looking forward to having no restrictions on my living next week.

Here’s the thing: When you deeply care for someone – or something, in the case of Martin the dog – it will impact your living. It is also true with God. If you truly love God, it will impact how you live; you will want to live to please Him. You can judge how deeply you love God by the impact He has on your living.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Who is impacting your living right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Confidence Is Fragile And Can Evaporate Easily

It is sometimes the little things that give you confidence in someone … or not. 

confidence is fragile and can evaporate easily

In my last post I wrote about my experience of going to the urgent care unit at the hospital (read about that here).  

I got hit while playing hockey and later that day saw some flashing lights in my peripheral vision. The urgent care unit couldn’t help me. So first they made an appointment for me with the eye clinic and second, I guess it wasn’t that urgent. 

The next day I arrived at the eye clinic for my follow-up. I was really hoping that someone would actually look at my eye this time. 

The good thing was that they did. I was escorted to a dimly lit room and asked to sit in a chair that pointed directly at a light panel. The light panel was on the wall at the far end of the room.  

They had me read the letters that came up on the panel, put drops in my eyes and then sent me back to the waiting room.

Not long after that, I was summoned to exam room 6. No one came to get me; the announcement came over the intercom, sort of like an announcement at Walmart, “There’s a blue light special over in aisle 6”. 

Fortunately, I could still see well so I found my way to the exam room and was greeted by a resident. He asked me a couple of questions and then started poking around my eye. He flashed light in my eyes and pushed on my eye while he had me look in different directions up and down, to one side, then the other. 

My eye got a good workout. 

He then wanted to do another test but first needed to turn my chair around and recline me back in it. 

The problem was that the chair wouldn’t move. He tried a couple of times and nothing. So he said, “Just a minute” and left the room.

When he came back, he had another resident with him, full of confidence. He tried to move my chair as well, but it wouldn’t budge. He then simply reached to the side, moved a lever, said “the lock was on” and left.

… That didn’t give me a lot of confidence in the resident who was working on my eye! 

After some more eye gymnastics, he told me what was wrong and said he would report this to the doctor.

When the doctor came in and looked at my eye, she told me I have a vitreous detachment, which happens naturally when we age. However, my hockey collision likely caused it to detach quickly, creating in some large floaters. 

Nothing can be done and my eye was not damaged.

Hearing her diagnosis gave me confidence that things would be alright. 

I had little confidence in the resident. … When he couldn’t move an examination chair, you have to wonder how many of these exams he had done. 

I walked out squinting because my eyes were dilated to the size of a nickels, but confident I got the right diagnosis in the end. 

Here’s the thing: Confidence can evaporate quickly with the slightest thing, often because we have put our confidence in ourselves or others. If you put your confidence in God, you can rely on His wisdom, His care and His power to diagnose and respond to every issue.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: In who or what do you tend to first put your confidence in? Leave your comments and question below.

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Urgent Care Doesn’t Always Mean It Will Be Quick

Well it was Monday morning and I was driving down to the Urgent Care Centre at the hospital. 

urgent care doesn't always mean it will be quick

They used to call it “Emergency” and maybe they still do, but not at the hospital I was on route to. 

Urgent Care is for those who think they need a doctor and can’t wait for an appointment with a medical worker. 

Let me tell you, when I arrived there was a long line of people who were looking for some quick answers to their issues. The variety of problems was extensive, there was no order to who was next, and the people kept rolling in. 

It reminded me of going to the local barber shop when I was a kid. 

It was usually a Tuesday evening and us kids were lined up along the windowsill because all the waiting chairs were taken by adults. There were maybe 10-15 of us looking to get buzzed – yes, “buzzed”; that’s what barbers did to kids in those days. 

The cut itself didn’t take long, but there were so many of us, and there was no numbering system. You had to know who was in front of you and who was after you or there was going to be trouble. 

And that’s how I felt going into urgent care. There was a sea of humanity and no one was keeping track of the order in which we came in. 

… And, by the way, that was just to get to triage!  

I found myself calling out to others, “Who was last in?” I wanted to know where I stood. The guy next to me said, pointing, “You came in after the guy over there.” 

So I asked that guy who came in before him. He had no clue. 

A few minutes later I was taking charge of the room, figuring out who was next and what order we were moving in toward triage. 

… Man, has nobody been to an old-fashioned barber or what?!

The reason I was at the Urgent Care Centre was to have my eye looked at. A couple of days earlier, while playing hockey, a guy ran into me on the ice. It was a pretty good collision and we both went down hard. 

I didn’t think too much about it, but several of the guys asked me if I was okay. I just thought they asked because I was the senior citizen of the group. 

Later that evening, however, I noticed some flashing lights off in the peripheral of my left eye. I didn’t think that was a good sign. 

So Monday morning I was at Urgent Care, waiting for 3 hours to see someone about my eye. When I finally got to see a doctor, she didn’t get closer than 5 feet from me. She listen to my story and said, “We can’t check that here; we don’t have the equipment.” So she made me an appointment for the next day at the eye clinic. 

So much for Urgent Care. Maybe they should rename it to the “We Care Unit” and leave it at that. 

There wasn’t much “urgent” about any of it. (Stay tuned for part 2.)

Here’s the thing: Most of us want answers to our problems – fast … yesterday, if that could be arranged. But often, even when we think our issue is urgent, the answer takes some time. God knows what you need and when you really need it. Just take your concern to Him and let Him work out the timing. God’s timing is always perfect.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What urgent matter do you need to leave with God and His timing? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Change Is A Curious Thing That Impacts Us Differently

Change is a curious thing. To one it can bring much joy and to another it can bring much heartache.

change is a curious thing that impacts us differently

I recently changed internet providers and the change has been a good thing.

Even making the change was not that disruptive … which was surprising because change, even change for the better, can be disruptive.

When a family moves, the change brings some challenges. The good things like more room or nicer amenities will be enjoyed, but there is that whole process of packing up one’s home and unpacking ii all in another, not to mention all the real estate and financing that has to be worked out. 

The family will enjoy the change – in this case, their new home – once they are settled in. They just have to wait until all the details have been worked through.

But for my internet change, I didn’t miss a beat. I can’t say that there was any time when my internet was down. Even though I was switching companies, they both rent the cable line from the same cable company. Somehow they made the switch without dropping the service. 

Everything about this change has gone really well. I can’t be more pleased.

However, that’s not everyone’s experience with change, nor is it my experience with every change in my life. 

Our lives change, sometimes for the better and sometimes not. There is a lot of change we can make happen but there is some change we don’t have a say in. It just happens. 

Change in our weather or climate is like that. 

This summer we’ve seen the news or experienced the devastation of fires all over Canada and now mainly in the west: people displaced, homes destroyed – it has been horrible for many. 

And there has been much finger pointing at climate change. 

The curious thing about climate change is that while the west is in a struggle to stop the fires that have altered so many lives, here where I live the weather has been wetter and cooler this summer. 

Change for one can be so different than for another. 

With climate change, I’m not sure we can control it like I can control when and how I change my internet. I’m not convinced the measures we take to prevent climate change will have a significant effect on the changing climate that’s taking place in our world. 

Maybe we should brace ourselves for change, or embrace the changes we can’t control. 

We should live responsibly and help one another through the difficulties some change brings.

Here’s the thing: This world is not everlasting; it will not last forever. Evolutionists believe it has already been here from millions of years. Creationists have God’s Word that says the world will not last. Near the end there will be more frequent natural disasters and wars, among other things. The best way to brace for change is to put your faith in God who has a plan. Embrace Christ; he will help you through all life’s changes.

That’s Life!

Paul

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Getting Lost In Your Thoughts Is A Must Exercise

I found a new way of getting lost in music and thought. I haven’t really done this kind of thing for years and, honestly, probably not for 49 years.

getting lost in your thoughts is a must exercise

As a teenager, I had lots of time on my hands. I would often just lie on my bed, listen to record albums and let my mind drift along with whatever thoughts wanted to flow through it.

If you’ve never done it, it’s a pretty cool experience, relaxing, entertaining and creative. Some great ideas have come from those times.

But way back then it was different than it is now … 

I remember going to a record store and combing through bin after bin of albums. I’d thumb my way over album covers of my favourite rock groups, hoping to find a gem at a reasonable price. 

That reasonable price was somewhere between $7 and $11. Compared to the $50 I recently paid for a record I got my son, that was a bargain!

It was always risky to buy an album, though. You knew one or maybe two songs on the record because they were on the radio. The rest of the album could have been horrible … you never knew unless you listened to FM radio. 

FM stations would often play two or three non-hits off an album. I listened to the hits on 1050 CHUM (Toronto) but the “B” side songs on CHUM FM (104.5). By listening to FM radio, you took some of the risk out of buying albums. 

When the purchase or purchases were made at the record store, I’d take them home and put them on the stereo to listen to them. 

You could stack a number of records on a stereo. The mechanism that used to drop the next record onto the platter was the inspiration for the game “Mouse Trap” … or maybe it was the other way around.

I could stack three records from my favourite band or listen to three different bands. I would lie on my bed or on the couch in the living room and just let them play. Then I’d get lost in it all and let the music wash over me, daydream, wonder and contemplate. 

It was an awesome time. 

Now that I’m retired, there are parts of my teen years that I’m reliving – like having large amounts of time on my hands.

The other day I did what I would do so many years ago … except with a difference. 

I don’t have to buy albums anymore. I have Apple Music that will play me whatever I want. Now I can stream any number of songs or albums without addition cost. 

So there I was, lying on my couch, listening to a Steely Dan stream. And my iPhone just kept playing the band’s songs, song after song. 

Thirty minutes into that enjoyable, relaxing, free-flowing thought train, my brother stopped by. And my listening stream just continued, becoming the background music to our conversation. 

… Not a bad afternoon for a guy “living the life of Riley”. Again.

Here’s the thing: We all need time to lie down, to think, dream, and let our thoughts pull and tug at us. It’s also important to do this with God – to meditate on a Bible verse or passage, to let His words and ideas pass through our minds. It’s a way of letting God, through the Holy Spirit, speak to your heart and move you in His direction.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: When will you make time to think and meditate? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Discipline Can Be Very Elusive At Times

 

There are certain situations or places that trigger a lapse in discipline … and I’m in one of those places right now.

discipline can be very elusive at times

Creating a habit or trying to form a pattern in life takes discipline – lots of it, in many cases.

For instance, if you are trying to get fit or lose weight or just eat healthier, you have to work at it. No one drops 20 pounds by not making some sacrifices. No one gives up pizza twice a week or pop every day of the week without some effort.

Well, for the past 6 or 7 months I’ve been making a real effort to stay fit.

Now that I’m retired I’ve let my work go, but I don’t want to let my body go as well. I’ve needed to be disciplined at exercising every day and eating at the right times.

Through the winter, exercising came easily. I played hockey 4 or 5 times a week and on the off days worked out in my home gym.

Eating was not as easy, but I decided to keep my food intake to between 9 am and 6 pm (which I didn’t realize at the time was a form of intermittent fasting). 

I haven’t followed any meal plan or diet of any kind. I only eat food in that window, don’t eat junk food at night and keep snacks down to a very small amount. 

Things were going well – I mean, pretty well. The biggest hurdle was finishing dinner by 6 pm. … It should have been easy but I haven’t been able to convince Lily that we need to be done dinner by 6 pm. 

She controls my evening meal because, though I’m an excellent breakfast maker and micro waver, I’m not much of a cook. To be honest I’m not a cook. I can make a grill cheese sandwich and soup but that’s a lunch meal. I can also make spaghetti, but I can’t eat that every night. 

Let’s just say, for the most part, I have been disciplined and things were going really well.

Then summer happened. I spent more time at the cottage. And along with the change in environment came a dip in my discipline. 

For some strange reason being at the cottage means snacking at night, eating out more often, extending my meal window by sometimes a few hours and not exercising every day.

I was having no problem at home, but that same discipline I had a home didn’t get packed in the trunk to take to the cottage.

Oh, and it doesn’t help that there is a candy store and three ice cream shops in town. With only having my bike for exercise up there, I don’t have a means to exercise on rainy days.

I know when I’m home I will have my discipline back, but right now my discipline is lapsing. 

Here’s the thing: Discipline can also be an issue for spending time with God. You may have a well-disciplined time with God at home, but when you are on the road that can all change. Your schedule is different and you don’t have the same set up or place to meet with Him. One thing I do is always make my time with God the first thing I do in the day. Then the rest of my day gets adjusted from that.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to get back to being disciplined about? Leave your comments or questions below.

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Do Something You Have Been Meaning To Do

Sometimes you just can’t get yourself to do something you want to do.

Do something you have been meaning to do

… You can call it procrastination or lack of motivation, and maybe it is a bit of both. I like to call it “ready to move on”. 

Often something new has grabbed my attention or interest and, as much as I want to do that first thing, I also want to get on to the next thing.

Back in the spring I shot some video with my drone and GoPro camera of me biking at our cottage. It was early spring so the leaves on the trees weren’t fully developed and last year’s leaves were still covering much of the trailers. 

After getting all the shots I wanted, I was looking forward to putting the video together. It was going to require a fair bit of editing but I was good at that. In my editing programs, I selected the clips I wanted and started to cut them down and put them in order. 

I still needed to add music and make sure the colouring was similar between the cameras’ footage. But while I was still working on all that, I shot more video and got kind of excited about putting those shots together. 

I wanted to finish my first video but I was now drawn to the next project.  

It’s like the kids who are in the cottage next to us. They have every toy you can imagine … and most of them are displayed all over their lawn. 

Some of those toys just sit there and don’t move for days or weeks, not because the kids don’t like them any more. They just have so many toys that some get neglected. 

Those kids are excited about their newest toy or another toy that has caught their attention. The toys on the lawn just have to take a number and wait before they will get used again.

Well, that was the same with my video. It’s now the middle of the summer and I still haven’t finished it. … So yesterday I forced myself back to editing. 

I started when it was light out and when I looked up I was in darkness except for the glow of light coming off my computer monitor. I had gotten right back into this video that I wanted to make like it was the only thing I wanted to do. 

After getting back at it, I wasn’t ready to move on; I was ready to complete the project. 

I wish I could say I did complete the video, but I’m not quite satisfied with the music. I’m going to have to take another crack at it before I’m ready to move on. It’s close though, so maybe I can start my new project tomorrow.

That reminds me, I need to get out and shoot more video which may delay my next video edits. 

At least I’ll be ready.

Here’s the thing: There’s no end to things that can stand in the way of us doing what we want to do, like getting to know God more or exploring who He is. We might have a desire to discover more about God, but there are always other things we want to do and so we may never get to it. You just have to be intentional about discovering God. Once you start, you will find you get right into it. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is something you need to force yourself back into? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Being Present Is Not As Easy As You Might Think

It should be a no-brainer, but when you are present, you should be present. 

being present is not as easy as you might think

We know that though we can be physically present, our minds can be somewhere completely different. We often call this daydreaming or being distracted.

Not being present can take many forms … like when my kids were little and wanted me to play with them, but I was watching a sporting event on TV.

With my eyes on the TV, watching the game, they’d be diving off the couch onto my back. I managed to wrestle and play while I had one and a half eyes glued to the television.  

It took talent to pull that off, but it’s an example of not being present. 

My wife, Lily, has also caught me not being present … not in wrestling but in conversations.  

Many times she has tried to communicate something important to me over the phone while I have been working on my computer. I guess I’m not good at talking and focussing on a screen at the same time. 

She has asked me something, followed either by a long pause or me asking her to repeat the few words she had just spoken.

She would know I was distracted by something and would often say, “Are you working on your computer?”

Busted again! I would have to take my hands off the keyboard and sit back in my chair to be present in the conversation. 

The same thing happened many times in high school. I remember sitting in the back of history class as the teacher went on about the political climate in the world just before World War I … while I was writing out the lyrics to Elton John songs for my buddy sitting next to me. 

There was no question that I would be marked present for attending history class, but really I was not present at all.

I think it’s a matter of discipline to force ourselves to be attentive and present in the space we are in. 

One might think that this should get easier as we get older, but it doesn’t. 

The other day I was sitting on the sofa at my cottage reading. Yet while I was reading, I found myself thinking about other things.

My thoughts went in a completely different direction from the topic I was looking at with my eyes. In fact, I was thinking about doing three things that had nothing to do with what I was reading. 

I was not present with that book. 

We need discipline to get back to being present. … I picked up a pen and paper and wrote those three things down. 

The simple act of acknowledging those thoughts by writing them down gives your mind the confidence that you will not forget them.

You can get to them later so you can focus on what you are doing now. That’s being present. 

Here’s the thing: This distraction from being present often plagues me when I am spending time with God. I get thoughts of what I need to do that day, or thoughts of projects I’d like to be doing. To get back to being present with God, I write them down to relieve my mind of them and to get back to being attentive to the conversation I am having with the Lord. Try it, it works. 

That’s Life! 

Paul

Question: When do you find being present the hardest? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Something Outstanding Still Needs Evaluation

When you find something that is truly outstanding, you’re tempted to go all in with it. But that’s not always your best move. 

something outstanding still needs evaluation

For years I’ve had a love relationship with Dr. Pepper. 

You could stack any number of beverages in front of me and I would pick DP every time. 

When I was in college I would often go to the local convenience store and get a Super Big Gulp sized cup of the nectar. If I had a paper due or needed to study late, I would suck that back till the wee hours of the night and then fall fast asleep. 

I know there is caffeine in Dr. Pepper, but it never had an effect on me. I slept like a baby.

But after years indulging with the Doctor, it started to negatively impact my health. 

I had to learn that a good thing isn’t a good thing all the time. You have to show restraint. You must have discipline. It’s not best to dive into something without holding something back. 

In poker when a player goes “all in”, others think that player has an outstanding hand. He puts in all his chips; he goes all in. He risks all his chips without holding back.

Several months ago, going through the check out at Costco, I noticed they sold ice cream cones. This wasn’t something new. I’m sure I’d seen the signs before, but this time I felt like having some ice cream. 

For the first time I decided to get a cone. They’re a good size too. You get about a pound of soft ice cream on a waffle cone, all for the price of around $3.00 after tax.

It’s a great deal! 

But as good a deal as it is, if the ice cream is not that good, who cares how much there is or how cheap it is. 

Anyway, I was juggling a couple of packages I had purchased when the lady handed me the cone. I took one lick … and almost dropped my packages.

It was the best soft ice cream I had ever tasted! It was not made from ice milk – more like 45% cream. 

.. Let me tell you, Dairy Queen would do well to find the formula Costco is using for their ice cream because it is truly outstanding. 

I was hooked. 

The next time I went to Costco I was with Lily. Naturally I had to get another cone so she could taste how good it was. To be honest, I didn’t like sharing it with her and it is still a sore spot between us. 

I then went to Costco another day just to get an ice cream cone. That’s when I realized I needed to show some restraint. 

You can’t go all in just because something is truly outstanding. If I did I would put on about 100 pounds and my arteries would be solid white … soft white, but definitely white. 

It’s the best soft ice cream out there, but I discipline myself now so that I will be around long enough to enjoy a cone once in a while.

Here’s the thing: Going all in on something truly outstanding needs evaluation. But you can go all in with God and be confident you won’t have to hold anything back. He is the only one who will not lead you down a path that can have negative results. Don’t be afraid to follow Him completely. Pursue Him hard, with all you’ve got.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How can you follow God more closely? Leave your comments and questions below.

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