snow

by

Climate Change Could Be More Descriptive

The thing about climate change is that it keeps on changing. 

Climate change could be more descriptive

Even what we call it has changed. We used to call it “global warming”, but somewhere along the line it got switched to “climate change” … which is more vague that the term, “global warming”. At least with that name we knew something was happening continually over a long period of time. 

Our climate has always changed, so those who think this is a better name are fooling themselves. 

In Calgary, climate change can happen in a moment’s notice. There they are known to say, “If you don’t like the weather now, just wait a few minutes.” 

In Kingston, about twenty years ago, our family went down to the waterfront to celebrate Canada Day. It was a beautiful day; the sun was shining and it was about 25°C. We were all in shorts and T-shirts. 

That was at 2 pm. By 9 pm the temperature dropped 20 degrees to a brisk 5°C. 

Talk about climate change. Our pre-teen kids had no meat on their bones in those days and they were frozen. They were huddling up to Lily and I who were also chilled right through. 

That was July 1st – not your normal summer weather for Kingston. 

In some places around the world the climate stays relatively the same, but they still have climate change. They might not experience the spring, summer, fall and winter we do, but they have a rainy season and a hot season. 

I’m just saying, the term doesn’t really describe anything different than what we have always experienced. 

But times are changing, that is for sure. 

We recently spent a week in Palm Springs, which is a desert town in California. All you have to say is “California” and “desert” and you know it’s going to be hot. 

But it wasn’t. The temperatures only made it to 20°C twice all week. 

While we were away, there were a couple of days the early morning temperature in Palm Springs was the same as the high back in Kingston. 

Interestingly, when we got home after our week away, we had no snow in Kingston and the temperatures were above 0°C. … No worries though, that climate change thing kicked in after we got home and we had a foot of snow on our driveway by midweek. 

I’d like to say that climate change is happening again but it looks like this dump of snow will stick around for at least a week.

I understand that what is meant by climate change is overall erratic and unusual weather patterns across the world. But you have to admit that it’s not a very creative or clear name for what’s happening. 

Maybe they should pick a new name using AI (artificial intelligence). I recently read that a brewing company asked an AI chatbot to come up with a beer recipe. Apparently the recipe was good because they named it Robo beer. 

What name might a chatbot choose for climate change?

Here’s the thing: For us, change is normal. Change is always happening. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy or enjoyable. Often change is difficult and uncomfortable; many times we plain don’t like it. The thing about God is that He doesn’t change. You can count on Him. He will be the same no matter what happens, no matter how you change. You can always find a constant in God. And why is this important? – He loves you and cares for you and that never changes. Trust Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What unwanted change is happening in your life right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

Subscribe to my blog and receive posts like this one to your email weekly.

by

Not The Prettiest Time Of Year But I Will Take It

It’s not the prettiest time of year, but it is a welcomed time of year just the same. 

not the prettiest time of year but I will take it

The other day signalled the first day of spring, but I didn’t even realize it because I was more focussed on the dull and dirty landscape. 

Still lining parking lots were rows of snow piled up almost like a screen to keep you from seeing what was in the parking lot next to it. Not that long ago these piles of snow looked more like a mountain range. But with all the melting, the snow piles quickly resembled rolling hills. 

To add to the look, the snow that is left is no longer white but rather grey and filled with gravel and sand to give it an old, rugged appearance.

That’s the start of spring and it’s not very appealing. The grass is still all matted down from the pressure of the snow that has now melted away above it. Our streets have mounds of sand and grime just to add to the dingy appearance of the neighbourhoods.

I remember two years ago, when winter was over, there was so much sand on our church parking lot that we could have created a beach with it all!

It’s also right at the beginning of spring when you also realize how bad we all are at putting garbage in garbage cans. Strewn along curbs and sitting on the lawns, there are cups and paper and lids, plastic of all kinds. 

I take pride in throwing my garbage into waste cans like I’m making a three point shot on a basketball court. But if I miss, I don’t leave my trash; I go pick it up and drop into the bin.

However, it seems like many people assumed that if they missed the garbage can, their trash would melt like the snow by the end of winter. Well, it didn’t melt. And now we are left with lawn decorations that are not fitting at any time of year.

We all know what the signs of spring are – trees beginning to bud, flower sprouts poking ever so slightly out of the ground. And, of course, grass beginning to look like it is alive once more. 

But on the first day of spring, none of these signs are there. There is no hint of what is to come, just the dull, dirty reminder of what we’ve come through.

We welcome this time of year just the same. We do it, not for what it is, but for what will come after it. 

It’s that in between stage, not the prettiest time of year.

You know when your child gets to the stage where their baby teeth are falling out and the new ones aren’t all the way in. And they have started to get a little gangly and their facial features are starting to change? We know that soon their beauty will emerge again, but for right now they are not in their prettiest stage. 

This stage of spring will not last long. And I, for one, am happy about it because I know what’s on the way.

Here’s the thing: You may be going through a not-so-pleasant time in your life. In my experience, those times don’t last forever. One thing I do is pray to God who loves me. I ask Him to bring the change that will be best for me … and God always does.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What good thing is right around the corner from what you are going through now?  Leave your questions and comments below.

Subscribe to my blog and receive posts like this one to your email twice weekly. 

by

The Coldest Night Of The Year … To Me

Last night was the coldest walk outside this year. 

the coldest night of the year to me

It may not have been the coldest night of the year, but it certainly was the coldest I’ve been all year.

I remember my days in Edmonton. We would always get a stretch of cold temperatures each winter. It might have lasted a couple of weeks, but it felt like it was never going to end.

It was the kind of cold in which we would talk ourselves out of even going to the store to get milk: 

“Dear, are you sure you really need milk? Maybe you could pour something else on your cereal in the morning.” 

“Have you ever tried almond milk? I think you might like it.” 

“Let’s just stay in and go to the store tomorrow. I hear it’s going to get up to -24 C tomorrow afternoon.” 

The conversation would go something like that and we would stay in and do without, just because we didn’t even want to drive in that cold if we didn’t have to. 

But I also remember times I did go to the store and there would be three pickup trucks at the 7-Eleven ahead of me, nobody in them, but the engines were still running. 

I did the same. 

Car thieves must have had the same conversation about whether they really wanted to go out in the cold to steal a car that was open, keys in the ignition with the engine running. 

Well, last night that’s what it felt like. We went to the Kingston Frontenacs’ game and found a parking spot several block from the arena … which meant hoofing it to the rink, but that’s what we do all the time. 

Last night we should have tried to get valet service because, man, that walk was cold. 

It had snowed earlier in the day. In fact, before the temperature dropped there was a lot of snow that fell in a very short time – so much that many businesses didn’t have a chance to shovel their sidewalks.

Because it got so cold so fast, the snow packed together and stuck to the streets and sidewalks, leaving them very uneven and slippery. We were walking on trampled snow and underneath our shoes the snow squeaked as we walked. 

You know when you buy cheese curds and you pop one in your mouth and the cheese squeaks as you chew? That’s the sound the snow made as we walked to the arena. 

It took me about half the game and a hot chocolate to start to warm up … but we were in a building that has its floor frozen with a sheet of ice on it. 

The walk back to the car was colder. 

The temperature had dropped several more degrees from when we came. 

I didn’t think the car was going to heat up before we got home. It was the coldest night.

Well, they say it’s the damp air in southern Ontario that makes the cold go right through you. It sure did last night. 

Here’s the thing: In the comfort of your home, you may not feel so pressed to go out and follow Christ. You may be able to convince yourself you are okay just as you are. But let me encourage you – get out to a church, talk with a pastor and find out how to follow Christ. Don’t hibernate on this decision. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you put off because you are comfortable? Leave your comments and questions below.

Subscribe to my blog and receive posts like this one to your email twice weekly. 

by

Deceived By Green Grass And Mild Temperatures

We can perceive things wrongly and be deceived, so that we make assumptions on what something looks like. 

deceived by green grass and mild temperatures

Shadows in the middle of the night cause objects to look different, bigger, scarier than they really are.

The weather here has been a little like that. For the most part, the weather has just not seemed to match the season … but we know that can happen anywhere, any time. 

When my daughter, Karlie, lived in Calgary she said one year they had either snow or hail in every month of that year. 

I remember one Canada Day in Kingston that was very uncharacteristic of that time of year. There were all kinds of family friendly things to do downtown by the water, so we decided to check them out. We had planned to stay downtown for the afternoon and enjoy the bands and fireworks at night.

When we parked our car the temperature was about 25 degrees celsius. We were all dressed in shorts and T-shirts. But some weird cold front came screaming into the region and in a matter of hours – maybe four hours or so – the temperature dropped by 20 degrees. 

By the time the bands were playing and we were finding a spot to watch the fireworks, it was about 2 degrees. 

We had come prepared for the temperature to drop a few degrees, but not that low. We needed winter parkas! On July 1st it’s supposed to be warm. We are not supposed to be huddled together trying to keep the kids from getting hypothermia.

Right now in Kingston we are in the middle of winter, but until this week it didn’t seem like it. 

On Sunday we had green grass showing on our lawn. Sure, we had tiny snow piles from where we shovelled our driveway, but it didn’t look like it was the middle of winter. 

If you took a quick look, you might think it was the tail end of the cold, that spring had already sprung. It looked like the big old, cold winter had pretty much been beaten. 

But then Monday morning we woke up and wondered if that green grass on our lawn had been an illusion. Falling snow covered everything and didn’t seem to be slowing down one bit. 

In the end we got 42 cm of snow … and me and one other neighbour are the only ones on the street who don’t have snowblowers. 

Now it looks like the middle of winter. There is no deception, no mismatch of seasons. We definitely have ourselves some winter.

I can’t say I like it any more than I did that July when the temperature dropped by 20 degrees. But at least when I look outside, I don’t get fooled into thinking that summer is coming any time soon.

Here’s the thing: Life can be a little deceptive. Your life can seem to be doing really well – solid relationships, financially secure, healthy and in great shape. You could assume that you have nothing to worry about. But if you have not cared for your spiritual side, you’re deceived. Though from your perspective, externally life looks good in every way, what is not seen may reveal a different reality when you face God. Ensure your spiritual side is right with God and then you will not be deceived.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need proper perspective on right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

Subscribe to my blog and receive posts like this one to your email inbox twice weekly.

by

I Feel Responsible Even Though I’m Not

I may be responsible for bringing the snow to this area. It could never be proved in a court of law though, so I think I’m safe. 

I feel responsible even though I'm not

You know how it is, the one who brings bad news is considered bad news himself. That’s why the phrase, “don’t kill the messenger”. 

Apparently, there were at one time a lot of well-meaning people with unpopular messages getting knocked off for saying their peace.

You see that in the movies. It’s always the crime boss – some crime syndicate kingpin – who shoots the guy who simply tells him, “Ya, boss, he got away”. That poor guy is never seen again. 

I don’t want to be that guy. 

But on Saturday I decided to put the Christmas lights up on our house. 

It was a great day for it. The weather, as they say, was balmy. I didn’t even have a coat on at first. Only later did I put on a light jacket. 

It made sense to put up the lights when it was warm out. I’ve experienced many years when I waited too long and ended up freezing my hands off, up on the ladder. I didn’t want that to happen this year so I got the job done. 

The very next day it snowed. 

At first I thought it was harmless. The snow was melting as fast as it was falling. But in the end, there was a layer of the white stuff that began to stick to the ground. 

Then came the freezing rain which created a protective glaze to the snow. 

And I knew … that maybe … I was to blame.

When you have bad weather, there has to be someone to blame. We used to blame the weatherman. But in more recent years we have widened the net to include innocent people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time.

You know how it goes. When you’ve travelled from one part of the country to another, the first thing people say to you after you land is, “Did you bring this weather with you?” … as if you had packed it in your suitcase and checked it with the luggage! 

It doesn’t even help when you tell them, “No, I just came with a carry on.” Like how in the world could you ever manage to stow the weather in something as small as a carry on bag? 

Still, I do feel a little responsible for the snow. Maybe if I had delayed putting up the lights we would have had a few more days of nice, warm weather. 

I just have to keep a low profile for a couple of days. I understand that the temperature is on the rise and all this will soon be gone. 

Then whatever I have brought on – whether real or completely and ridiculously imaginary – will be deemed forgiven and forgotten. 

All I have to do is stay away from those crime bosses till then.

Here’s the thing: No one wants to be responsible for something they didn’t do or bring about. But that is exactly what Jesus willingly did. He died not for His sins but for our sins. He wasn’t responsible but He took on the role of being responsible. The punishment for that was death. He died for our sins – more specifically, He died for your sins and my sins. That act frees us from facing the punishment we would be responsible for. When we place our faith in Christ’s sacrifice and seek His forgiveness, we are free. That is something we all need to consider. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you often feel responsible for that you shouldn’t? Leave your comments and questions below.

Subscribe to my blog and received posts like this one delivered to your email inbox twice weekly.

by

My Pleasant Surprise Turned To Disappointment

Recently I had a pleasant surprise, but it’s all gone now. In fact, now I’m disappointed.

pleasant surprise

Pleasant surprises are nice – like when you didn’t study for a test and then it was postponed. 

…Or when you planned a golf game, then saw the forecast called for rain, but when you got up on the day of the game, it was bright and sunny. 

You are more joyful playing that game of golf than you would normally be, just because it was a pleasant surprise.

Well, back in the first week of November, I wrote about us getting a dump of snow and how cold it was (you can read about it here).

It was too early for the snow and cold. I even commented to people how this weather seemed more like it was the middle of winter – like January or February weather. It really had that kind of feel to it. 

Because the weather was so bitterly cold, and the amount of snow so great, I didn’t think we would see the grass again until the snow melted in the spring. 

I didn’t think there was any possible way for all that snow to melt, and especially the piles of snow created by the snowplow on the edges of the roads and parking lots.

One day my grass was green and then the next it was covered in snow. There was no process of watching the grass slowly turn brown before the snow came.

It was green, then gone.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised because, over the course of a couple of weeks, not only did the weather warm up again (we had some days in the double digits), but all the snow melted. 

… even the snow piled up on the edges of our church parking lot.

Gone. All gone. 

Even more than all that, the grass was still green. It hadn’t stayed cold long enough to turn the grass brown and yellow. 

It really was a pleasant surprise … but that all came to an end the other day.

Not only was the surprise over, but a disappointment set in. The first day of December we got a major snowfall.

It started in the afternoon and it just kept coming down. Traffic was snarled; there were warnings not to go out if you didn’t have to. Travelling on the major highways was treacherous with multiple car crashes and injuries reported. 

There was nothing good about it. 

Once again the grass went from green to being covered in a blanket of white. 

And disappointment has set in. 

It’s still too early to be fighting with shovels and scrapers. It’s too early to be carrying gloves in my coat pockets. 

Probably the biggest disappointment is that this time the snow is here to stay. 

Just like when you got that pleasant surprise of a test being postponed, it never happened twice. 

Well, the snow won’t melt again before the end of the year. 

All I can hope for is an early spring. … Who’s got a farmer’s almanac?

Here’s the thing: No matter how hard life might get, no matter how many disappointments you face, even if you have been defeated time and time again and don’t have much hope left, with nothing to look forward to tomorrow, remember that if you know Jesus Christ as your saviour, one day you will wake up and you will stand in the presence of God. It will be the most pleasant of surprises … and you will never be disappointed again.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has been a pleasant surprise for you lately? Leave your comments and questions below.

by

I Noticed Something Hopeful

I noticed something the other day that I have not witnessed in several months. It was the light of the sun. 

I’m not saying that I haven’t seen the sun in months – I don’t live in the Antarctic. What I noticed was that it was still light out when I left work to go home. It was 5:40 pm and it was still bright outside. 

It seems like for months it’s been dark at 4:30 in the afternoon. 

I’m sure sundown didn’t just jump from 4:30 to 5:45 in a week, but it was nice to still have some light at the end of my work day. 

We’ve had many – I should say, mostly – overcast days that have made it seem like the sun has gone down early.  

But yesterday it was really sunny all day so, as evening approached, the light lingered and for a brief moment I felt like we were finally getting the better of winter. 

We just had Groundhog Day and, from the most reliable sources, the decision goes to an early spring. Wiarton Willie and Punxsutawney Phil both predict an early spring with Shubenacadie Sam being the dissenter after seeing his shadow. 

For me, after seeing the sunlight at 5:40 yesterday, I’m on the side of the early spring hogs. 

And frankly, I can’t wait.  We’ve had a pretty easy winter so far but the last two weeks have been anything but. 

I liked what I saw last night though, and I’m encouraged by what our two little groundhog friends are reporting.

… Though in the days of climate change, how can they really know? 

I’m just glad that those rodents don’t live in the Midwest. It’s sunny there all the time so they would see their shadows every year. Then we would definitely have long winters. 

… And that’s what those in the Midwest experience: long, cold winters. However, it is sunny there and that makes all the difference. Well, that and the fact that it is a dry cold so it really doesn’t feel as cold as it is. 

It’s -25 C in Red Deer but with the sun and the dry cold it feels like it’s +2 C.  …These are stories people tell themselves to help them believe winter isn’t that bad. 

The west has sun and dry cold and we have a couple of rodents calling the shots. 

This year I’m all onboard with Phil and Willie.  

As soon as I shovel off my back deck, maybe I’ll fire up the BBQ just to get me in the mood for the coming spring and summer. 

I know that catching a glimpse of light at dinner time and a couple of groundhogs not seeing their shadows isn’t much to hang my hopes on, but it could be time to put the shovel away for another year. 

And if nothing else, we can hope for it all to be true.

Here’s the thing: We are so quick to put our hope in things that don’t have a sure base. And we are comfortable in doing that. But how often do we forget or neglect to put our hope in God for things that are much weightier? – especially when placing our hope in God is sure and secure based. We all need hope because while we are living in the present we are constantly pushing against and moving the boundaries of the future. It’s what’s ahead that drives us to seek hope. Seek hope in God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need hope for? Leave your comments below.

by

When Should We Hibernate?

I feel I must place a caveat on this post. I wrote this article on Saturday morning. Sunday morning we got a ton of snow and wind. It turned out that only a handful of people showed up for church. I am not pointing fingers at anyone.

There are animals that hibernate in the winter and sometimes there are people who hibernate as well.

So far this winter has been pretty easy on us in this region. Often first thing in the new year we have some weird weather patterns that create lots of rain and then a deep freeze. 

… We certainly know in Kingston what an ice storm is like! 

But this year we have had relatively little snow. It really has been minimal. 

Most years I drool over the snowblower ads in the flyers and whine to Lily that I need one. But I have not given them a second thought this year. 

I could be a contributing factor to the reason the snow has been almost non-existent this year -in the fall I finally bought winter tires. (You can read about that here.)

But we are not done with winter and today I’ve been reminded just what winter is like. 

We are supposed to get a snow storm today, with lots of snow, but I’m hoping the snow drops south of Lake Ontario so that we get very little.

However, the temperature today is the coldest it’s been all season and it’s way colder than I want it to be. 

It was minus 20 Celsius this morning! 

And if there was ever a time when human beings would think about hibernation as something they would consider practicing, minus 20 would be a temperature that would drive them to it. 

I played hockey this morning before I knew just how cold it was outside. We park our car in our garage so I didn’t really experience the weather until I got to the arena and got out of my car. 

Man, it was bitter!

The little snow we got the night before was squeaking as I walked across the parking lot. It was like how fresh cheese curds sound in your mouth when you chew them.

It turned out that we didn’t have too many guys for hockey this morning. I think some of the boys thought hibernation was on.

… And that’s the extent of hibernating that a human does. We eventually have to come out of the cave (house). 

We might stay indoors for some things, but there are still things we need to come out from our winter slumber for.

I know I need to pick up a few things from a store today. I wish they could be delivered, or that maybe Lily is going out and can pick them up for me.

But I think if she has things to get, she’s probably hoping I will pick them up for her when I go out. 

I will also need gas for the car soon. I could have gotten it two days ago when it was warmer but now it looks like I will have to stand at the pump when the mercury is all sucked into a ball at the bottom of the thermometer.

The real reason we can’t hibernate too long is that we have to eat. We’re not like bears that store up food for the winter. 

I need hot wings tonight for the hockey game. It doesn’t matter how cold it is, I’m going out to get them.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we let things like weather influence our decision to do certain activities. On Sundays we gather to worship God. Letting weather determine your decision on attending, well, that just takes you down the food chain a couple of notches. Worshipping God together is important; don’t neglect it. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What things keep you from attending church? Leave your comments below.

by

Just In Time For Christmas!

Just two days before Christmas we got a light covering of snow here in Kingston, Ontario. The white stuff came just in time for Christmas day. 

Some how, for us living in Canada, the presence of snow puts us in the Christmas mood. It feels like Christmas when everything glistens in white under the moon.  Snow makes Christmas.

There is a passage in the Bible that says, “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.”

Like the snow came at just the right time, this year, Jesus came to us at just the right time.

That passage goes on to say, “God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children.” (Galatians 4:4-5, NLT)

At just the right time, Jesus came, so that we could be made right with God. God wanted us to be part of his family, and Jesus makes it possible.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones.

And thank you for reading my blog.

That’s Life!

Paul

by

I Think My Actions Changed The Weather

I sometimes wonder if our actions can actually change the weather. 

You see, right now we should probably have snow on the ground here in Kingston, but instead we have green grass … oh, and a touch of frost this morning. 

So far it’s been an interesting fall, with a lot of rain and more overcast days than I can could. … I was told that in October we only had three days of sun. 

Snow came early out west; there is lots of it in Ottawa … but we have none. 

I think it’s because I finally got winter tires. 

We got a new vehicle a couple of years ago and the tires were good, so I never purchased winter treads. 

But this year, my tires are a little more worn and, on a trip up north, they proved to be really bad in the snow. 

But since I got the new winter tires put on my SUV, there has been no need for them whatsoever. 

It’s like when you buy a new winter coat that you’re dying to wear. It’s impressive and you want to impress, but the temperatures stay high. You force the coat into action anyways even though it’s way too mild. You look like a fool and also learn that your new coat can act as a sauna as well as winter apparel. 

Can purchasing tires or a new winter coat really prevent the weather that is required to put them into action? 

I can’t say for sure, but it happens so often … as much as the weather man gets his predictions wrong. 

Now, I know I’m not the only one buying new tires, and there are people buying tires in snow-ridden places. I’m just saying that it’s uncanny how this works out for me. 

I know the snow is coming and really a major part of me is quite willing to delay the inevitable as much as possible. But I’d kind of like to know how these tires do in the snow. Will I be slipping and sliding around with them or will my vehicle be just as stable as if on dry asphalt?

It sure would be nice to be able to change the weather by my actions. It might be expensive, however. 

What else would I have to buy? 

Oh, I know! – a snowblower! I’ve wanted one of those for years, but my wife, Lily, keeps telling me we don’t need one. 

I can imagine if we got a snowblower in the next week that we wouldn’t see any white stuff on the driveway until after Christmas. 

I could also buy winter boots, and I could use some new winter gloves. 

I realize we are going to eventually get winter. I also don’t want to push winter into spring with a whole loft of purchases. That would not be good at all. 

… I’m not superstitious – really. I’m just making some observations about things that don’t happen when I prepare for them in some way. 

Here’s the thing:  Your actions can’t actually change the weather, but your actions can change someone. A smile, a word, a gift, an example can change a person’s day. Your consistent testimony can change a person’s destiny if they are drawn to the Father God by your actions. Be a light to others. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What would you like to change with your actions? Leave your comments below.