special

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It’s The Little Things That Make It Special

Often it is the little things that make something really special and stand out. 

Yesterday I attended an event at the Hockey Hall Of Fame in Toronto. We took in all the sights and looked at the history making events and people. 

There were even a few former NHLers who attended the event. One was Ron Ellis who not only was a Hall of Fame member but also has his name on the Stanley Cup.

A visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame isn’t complete without visiting the room where the Stanley Cup resides. 

The room itself is amazing. It’s set in an old bank with a high, domed, stained glass ceiling. The room is adorned with the many trophies that are handed out to NHL players for various achievements, as well as glass plates with images of those who have been inducted into the Hall. 

But the key piece, the item that stands out over everything else, is the Stanley Cup. 

I got my picture taken with the cup but I told Lily that I couldn’t touch it so I wouldn’t jinx myself from ever winning it … haha.

But that’s one of the things that make the Stanley Cup the most special of all trophies in sports. 

It’s a magnificent looking trophy, so large you need two hands to hold it. It’s also old, having been first awarded in 1893. 

Those little things are what make it the greatest trophy in sports. 

I joke about not touching the cup, but a Junior hockey player or a current NHLer won’t touch it until they win it. 

The cup has gone around the world, spending a day in the home town of each player who has won the cup that year. 

People have drank from the cup; they have sat babies in the bowl of the cup. The Stanley Cup has been left on the side of the road; it’s been tossed in a river. There was once an attempt to steal the cup. 

It has been touched and held by more people than any other professional trophy. 

And there is no other celebration of victory that centres around a trophy quite like the Stanley Cup.

Some trophies are handed out to the winning team in a press room or locker room. Some are presented on a high stage with all the focus on the owner who created such a great team.

But the Stanley Cup is the focal point of the hockey championship. It is presented to the captain, who skates around the rink and then passes it to his teammates who each get to skate and lift up the trophy. 

The win is all about getting your hands on that cup. Oh ya, and the honour of having your name permanently engraved on it. 

… Now that’s special.  

It’s all those little things that make the Stanley Cup the greatest trophy in sports. 

Here’s the thing: It’s the little things in Christianity that make it special. The big thing is that Jesus died on the cross to pay for all mankind’s sin – that’s a big deal! Other religions leave it up to you to have to work your way to their god. But the God of heaven did all the work for you. That’s big; there is no religion like it. But our God is also very personal. He meets with us, speaks to us through the Bible, helps and directs us on a daily basis, and lives in each of us by the Holy Spirit. Those are the little things that make being part of God’s family so special. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is one little thing you are thankful to God for? Leave your comments below.

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Today Is Special; Everything Changes Tomorrow

Today (November 19th) is a special day; tomorrow everything is supposed to change.

… I remember the day before we had our first child … life was so different. Everything changed the next day.

Life was just Lily and I. The next day when Karlie arrived everything about life was different – what we thought about, how we approached our day, how we made plans.

I remember going to the mall the day before our daughter came on the scene. It was a spur of the moment decision; we just left the house, got in the car and drove to the mall.

I remember going to the mall after Karlie was born. When we wanted to go, we couldn’t because Karlie was napping. Then when she woke up she needed to be fed. We packed a bag and finally got her ready, but just before we were to leave she needed changing.

I almost threw my hands up and said, “Forget it! It’s not worth it; it’s too much work.”

One day changed going to the mall into a whole new experience.

Today we are on the cusp of that kind of day. Tomorrow we are supposed to get snow for the first time this year – and it’s supposed to be significant.

Today, however, it’s sunny and plus 16°C. I’ve already played hockey this morning and got in my exercise for the day.

But this is most likely the last day of the year I will be able to go biking. Everything changes tomorrow.

After today, I will need a fat bike to ride the trails at my club … and I’m pretty sure Lily isn’t convinced that I need to spend $1200 – $1500 on a fat bike just so I can keep riding in the winter.

So this is my last chance to take my bike out. It will be 4 1/2 – 5 months before I ride again.

That’s the thing – tomorrow brings such an abrupt change. It’s not slow or gradual; it’s all of a sudden.

… When I was in grade 4, all my stories started that way. I would write, “All of a sudden” at the top of the page and then continue with some action.

My teacher responded the same way to all those stories by giving me another “C”. It was a predicable mark, not all of a sudden. For some reason, she wanted me to develop the plot before I got to the “all of a sudden”.

As I sit here planning my day, all I can think about is the “all of a sudden” snow we are supposed to get tomorrow.

Today I need to go for that bike ride, put up the Christmas lights, and apparently I need to wash our new car because I’m told it looks dirty.

Well, tomorrow it won’t matter how clean the car is today. Tomorrow it will be dirty. And I’m sure there will be some mild temperatures in the next few weeks for me to put up the Christmas lights.

But it’s today or never for that last bike ride. I think I need to escalate it to the top of today’s list.

Here’s the thing: Christ’s return will be one of those “all of a sudden” stories. It will be the day everything changes. We need to do something today so that we are okay when everything changes, when “all of a sudden” happens. Be sure you’re right with God by placing your faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What would you do if you knew everything was changing tomorrow? Leave your comments below.

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Why Anniversaries Are Special

Special days and anniversaries often come and go without giving them too much thought. There are, however, certain special days that are more special than others.

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Though every birthday is special, when someone turns 16 that’s extra special because they can obtain a driver’s license. At eighteen you are considered an adult and get to vote, so that’s special. Depending where you live, 19 or 21 is a special day for dubious reasons.

It seems that span of about five years is littered with extra special days. But after that, the special days like birthdays and anniversaries seem to come in 10 year periods like 30, 40, 50, et cetera.

Some people look forward to these special days; others pretend they didn’t happen.

It’s more likely that someone will want to hide the fact they have reached an age milestone, while being quite proud of reaching an anniversary achievement.

Yesterday I celebrated my 29th wedding anniversary with my wife, Lily. Twenty-nine is not one of those special anniversary dates – 30 is a big deal but 29 is just a run-of-the-mill anniversary.

It doesn’t even have a name or gift associated with it. I figured the gift for the 29th anniversary would be brunch at “Milestones” the restaurant.

It had to be something like that because I have to save up for next year’s anniversary which is “pearl”.

I had a great aunt named “Pearl” and it would’ve been nice to bring her over for tea or something on our 30th … she would be about 115 now. Auntie Pearl passed away 20 years ago so I can’t use her as my “pearl” gift to Lily on our 30th.

It’s a good thing I have a year to figure it out.

But getting back to this no-name 29th anniversary of ours. Though on the surface it doesn’t seem hardly worth getting a card to even acknowledge the day, it is in fact a very special anniversary to me.

On this day I have now been married for exactly half my life – the most recent half, I might add.

That’s significant. Think of all the years you grew up in your home with your family, and then all the years you hung out with friends and went to school, and the years you figured out what career you were going to go for.

Think of all the fun and hardships of the years you spend before you were married, the experiences and adventures, all the people, all the laughter, tears, worry.

Well, all of that, I’ve done all over again with Lily. It’s like I’ve lived life twice, once single and now a second time married.

So you see, my 29th anniversary is a special day. It should be called something, even at the very least, the “corrugated paper” anniversary.

Hey, that’s a great idea! I could get Lily a box, and I could fill the box with hope … hope that next year she’ll get a pearl on her anniversary.

Here’s the thing: Have you ever compared your life before Christ to the time you’ve spent with Him? The experiences, the adventures, the joys, laughter, tears and worry? Have you ever considered just how significant your life with Christ has been so far compared to your life before you knew Him? Take some time to reflect on that, and praise God for your relationship with Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What has been a particularly special date or memory you have had with Christ?  Leave your comment below.