relationships

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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I Need More Automation In My Life

I need a little more automation at a reasonable price.

This week I was putting together some booklets for a seminar I am running. It was a multi-step process that began with printing the material in a half-page format. The paper then needed to be cut in half, with care, so that the pages would be in the right order.

Then there was the binding – a two-step process in itself. There were holes that had to be punched and then the paper had to have the curly rings inserted into the holes.

The first part went smoothly; I have a program that arranges the pages in the order they need to be in.

From there I needed a little more automation. I didn’t have a cutting machine that would cut more than about 7 or 8 pages at a time.

The book was about 100 pages double-sided, so to cut the paper for one book took about 5 cuts. I don’t have an electric cutter either, so it required some arm effort on my part.

For this project, to get a cutter that would cut my time down (pun intended), I might have to mortgage my house.

I remember when I was a kid, my dad was in the printing business and he would take me to work sometimes.

I got to see some pretty wild printing presses and cutting units. There was one machine that just put numbers on invoices.

Back in the day, invoices came in triplicate – that’s three together with a carbon between each page. That meant that each invoice needed the same number stamped on each sheet, and then they had to be glued together.

This machine was like the old mouse trap game. There were little vacuum-like tubes that would suck one sheet and move it over to be printed. Then another set of tubes would move it to the assembly section, waiting for the other paper to be numbered and added, then the invoice would be glued along the top.

That was just one page! It was amazing to watch this machine, and listen to it make all kinds of noise while paper was flying from one part to the next.

If back in the sixties they could have a machine that did all that, how come now it costs so much money to punch holes in paper so it can be bound?

With my cut and assemble job, I had to be extremely careful because the machine was finicky and would only punch holes through a maximum of 10 pages at a time.

Oh, and if I made a mistake, and the puncher was misaligned on one section, I basically had to scrap that whole book!

There should be a cheap machine out there that can punch holes in paper with a press of a button, and can handle 20 to 30 pages at a time.

We’ve made so much progress in so many areas, with new discoveries and great advancements in technology … how about someone spending a little genius power on book binding?

Here’s the thing: The more automated our world gets, and the faster technology changes the things we do, the more we want all of life to be faster, easier, effortless. But there is no short cut to growing your relationship with God. It’s going to take time and you have to put in the effort. Keep at your routine of meeting with God daily.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What in your life would you like automated? Leave your comments below.

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Super Bowl Comeback

It’s what dreams are made of – the Super Bowl on Sunday night was an amazing comeback.

It was supposed to be a high scoring game; both teams had high powered offences.

But for the first three quarters, it looked like the story had already been written. Atlanta looked destined to win Super Bowl 51.

New England had the ball for much of the game, but there were dropped passes, quarterback sacks, and a couple of turnovers that just kept them from turning their possession time into points on the board.

By late in the third quarter, the score was 28-3 for Atlanta. New England finally crossed the goal line with 2 minutes left in the quarter, but then missed the convert.

New England went into the fourth quarter in a hole that seem insurmountable – it had never actually been mounted before.

People turned the game off, wrote the team off, got into that sorry funk when your team is out of it.

Then New England got a field goal and, with it, a glimmer of hope that if they scored two touchdowns with two point conversions they could tie the game.

Not likely; you’d need the comeback kids to do that.

… I remember playing road hockey on our street. My team was a little weaker than the other team. My brother was on that team and they also had the oldest and biggest guy on the street.

When he took a shot, everyone got out of the way. No one wanted to block his cannon.

We were behind in the game by about 4 goals, and dinner time was fast approaching. We huddled together and determined to beat those guys.

We scored a goal quickly and then it started … we muttered to each other, “the comeback kids.”

We got another goal, and our mantra got a little louder, “We’re the comeback kids!”

After the next goal, we actually believed what we were saying and the chant picked up some swagger to it.

After that we put in the goal to win the game, just before dinner. We were ecstatic, hugging each other and cheering, “Comeback kids, comeback kids, come back kids!”

That was the greatest comeback story of all time … but last night’s Super Bowl game came pretty close to it.

One of New England’s sure-handed receivers (Julian Edelman) had dropped about 3 passes in the game. But with 2 minutes left in the final quarter, he made one amazing catch that put them into the category of the comeback kids.

A pass to Eldeman was tipped, but the receiver stayed with it and tracked it down, getting hold of the ball about an inch from the ground.

It was something else! A Falcon defender said it best; looking up at the replay on the score board, you could see him mouth the word “wha . . .wha . . .wha . . .wha . . .wha . . .t?!”

That’s right, this catch got everyone out of their seats, and set up the greatest comeback (next to the comeback kids of ’69) in Super Bowl history. Awesome!

Here’s the thing: When do you quit when it seems impossible to make the change that God wants you to make? The answer is never! That’s what comeback kids do; they keep coming back to see it through to victory.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need a comeback on right now? Leave your comments below.

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I Was So Tired After My Recent Road Trip

There is something about being on the road that tires me out.

I’m not sure what it is … maybe it’s not sleeping in my own bed or maybe it’s keeping later hours, but being away from home just tires me out!

I don’t know how many times I’ve come home after a vacation and said, “Man, I need a vacation from my vacation!”

The whole idea of vacation is to relax and rest, but I’m always tired after my rest and relaxation time way.

It must be a bit of a mental thing, because when I lived in a dorm for four years I was able to feel rested, even though home was really halfway across the country.

Home is where you tell yourself it is, but once you settle on it, you get your full rest there; anything else kind of drains you a little.

This past week both my wife, Lily, and I were away from home – in separate directions. I was in the Toronto area for three days and Lily was in Ottawa for that same period of time.

I stayed one night in a hotel and the next night at our daughter’s place. Lily spent her nights at her mother’s. We were both in pretty familiar and friendly territory.

But when we both arrived home Saturday afternoon, we were wiped. If we hadn’t had things to do, both of us could have easily taken a big ol’ afternoon nap.

In fact, that might have made us more productive!

Our time away was spend with people we knew well. Both of us had a mixture of business and family time in our itineraries. But it seemed to drain us and not give us renewed energy.

I’ve talked to other people who share similar thoughts. The consensus is if you can make it back home after a full day away, it’s better being home than staying overnight somewhere else and getting back the next day.

You might think this feeling would be detrimental to hotels and resorts, but they seem to be able to sustain a good business. We like home, but obviously we also like to travel and experience other places.

I’ve been on vacations, missions trips, and business trips, some lasting as many as four weeks. But no matter where I’ve been, or how long I’ve been away, when I get back home it feels different.

When you get home, that’s when you really are at rest. Your whole body relaxes physically and mentally … that is unless you’ve been at home for a long period of time and find yourself a little stir-crazy. That’s when some time away from home will “reset” home for you.

It’s like a computer that’s been working for a while but then freezes. You can’t get it to do anything; the mouse won’t work and pressing the buttons does nothing.

All you have to do is hit reset and the computer comes back on, working like it always did.

A brief time away resets home so that coming back, walking in the door, flopping on your bed brings you back to the rest that comforts your body, soul and mind.

It’s home!

Here’s the thing: When you spend regular time with the Lord, that’s home. You know the place, the setup, the atmosphere; there is rest there. But sometimes that regular time gets disrupted, making you spiritually tired. You need to reset, get back to your time with God and find rest.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: When was the last time you reset your time with God? Leave your questions below.

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We Need More Than Product Selection

I’m all for more product selection in Canada, but they should also be serviceable.

The United States has a plethora of products available for purchase. One of the painful things living in Canada is finding out that, “Oh, that product is not available in Canada”.

We get so much advertising from the States that it seems like everything is available to us, whether in stores or through the internet.

But there are many products we just can’t get. For instance, if by accident you get onto the amazon.com site and then you try to find the same thing on the amazon.ca site, sometimes it’s not there.

We are used to that up here in the north, and we don’t get too bent out of shape when it happens to us. That’s just the way it goes.

There are more people in the US than in Canada so they have more of a selection and cheaper prices.

The department store, Target, learned that lesson the hard way. So many Canadians went across the border to shop at Target that they thought they could move into Canada and clean up.

The problem was they forgot two things – two very important things – price and selection. Those two things didn’t make it across the border and now we have empty department stores with large red balls at the front entrances, right across our country.

We know the prices are better and selection is better south of the border.

But if a company decides to ship their products to Canada for sale, they need to support their products.

My wife bought me a very small drone for Christmas. It wasn’t something I had been looking for, not an item I thought I would ever own.

She just knew I liked gadgets and toys and so she got it.

I’ve had some fun with it. Though it’s really tiny, it takes video and pictures.

And I’ve had fun learning to fly the thing in my basement, crashing into a variety of obstacles: Christmas tree, pool table, TV, chairs, walls – you name it, I’ve run my drone into it.

Since it’s only January, I figure I will need some spare parts if the thing is going to make it to the spring when I can try it outside without the confines of walls and ceilings.

So I got on the website and found some replacement parts I could purchase, just in case. The cost of these things was next to nothing when I totalled them all up.

I was all set to key in my credit card to make the deal when I got a pop-up window saying, “We can’t ship this product to this address.”

I’m not sure why – the world doesn’t stop at the US border! Even the US postal system will work with Canada Post to get things delivered.

… So I have this great little product, sold in Canada, but I can’t get it serviced if I need parts. Man, that bugs me!

Here’s the thing: Not only has Christ died for your sins so that you can be forgiven and live forever with God in heaven, but He will also speak to you about how to get through the obstacles and things that have you stumped today. Christ does it all: saves you completely AND helps you along the way.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: You trust Christ for your salvation … what could you trust Him for today? Leave your comments below.