voices

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I Want A New Deal With Bell Canada

Bell Canada has a good thing going, but it hasn’t been very good for me.

Bell Canada

Today I turned on my TV and I heard voices talking but the screen was as dark as it was before I turned it on.

I started hitting buttons, but the only buttons I could get to work were the volume and the power controls. 

My first thought was that I needed a new TV. We’ve had this one for many years and maybe it was just its time. But I turned on another device that was plugging into my TV and there was the picture.  

It seemed the problem lay with my Bell Canada Fibe TV box.

Immediately a whole load of thoughts flooded my brain. I remember sitting with a woman as she outlined the great deal that Bell had for us that would save us a ton of money. 

What she told us sounded so good we decided we would make the switch after 18 years with another TV provider and 22 years with another internet provider. 

We were given tons of promises, and everything worked pretty well. We were happy for the first month and a half. 

Then we noticed a price increase. As the months went on, the increases for varying amounts showed up about every two months. 

Then a year into the contract, we got hit with a huge increase. After less than two years, we are paying more than double what we had agreed upon when we got Bell’s service!

That is a sweet contract for them. We pay a penalty for leaving the contract early but they can raise their rates continuously throughout the contract. 

When I inquired as to why the increases, the answer was, “we are continually improving our service”.

I think that means I’m paying for Bell to dig up other streets so they can install Fibe TV in those neighbourhoods as well. 

I’ve seen no difference to my service. It’s not faster, not more reliable. I don’t even have more of the same stations to watch the same programs on!  

… Did that last sentence hypnotize you a little? Well, that’s just the reality of TV.

Every time I’ve called customer service, they refuse to honour what the original salesperson told us because they can’t verify what she said. Instead they offer to reduce my channels to reduce the impact of the increase to maybe half. They, however, always get an increase.

Just the other week I received a phone call from Bell. They said they had a great deal for me because they’ve upgraded the service in my area. 

I replied that I’m already paying more than twice what I started at a year and a half ago, and I wasn’t interested in paying more. I said I was just waiting for the end of the contract. The salesperson said they would have someone call me.  

No one has called.

I wonder … if I called and told them I’m only hearing voices, would they set me up with a psychiatrist or reduce my bill in half? Probably neither. 

Here’s the thing: In this life, institutions, businesses and people are looking out for their own interests above all else. Even God has His best interest in mind. However, God’s best interest is truly best and, because He loves you, His best interest is really your best interest as well. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you think God’s best interest for you is? Leave your comments and questions below.

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There Are Too Many Voices In My Head

Sometimes when you tell people your problems, they make stuff up. They don’t have a better solution to your predicament, but they come across as experts anyway.

Domiphen-Bromide-Medicated-First-Aid-Adhesive-Bandages-Big

Even when you tell them what remedy you’re trying, they disagree and give you a fix that you don’t want to have to resort to.

People do this all the time.

Recently I got a new pair of skates (you can read that post here). They are awesome skates but there is one issue that I was having with them.

They were rubbing and causing about a 2 1/2” long rug burn on each ankle.

It wasn’t too bad the first time it happened, but then I played hockey a couple of days later before the rug burns had healed. That time it kind of opened the wounds up and made them a mess.

If you know anything about rug burns, they take a long time to heal – longer than a straight cut. So the next time I played, the scabs quickly opened up and it was very sore to play at first until I got used to it.

I knew I needed to do something or they would never get better … well, at least until after the season.

My solution was bandaids that were long and padded. I found some at the drugstore that were four inches long. I hoped that covering and cushioning my ankles would stop the disaster they had become.

I figured all I had to do was get the skin healed up. The skin would get tougher so that this situation wouldn’t happen again.

The next time I played I tried out my bandaids. Surprise, surprise – they worked like a charm!

There was a little blood but it was minimal.

This is when all the experts came to my rescue. As I was taking off the bandaids, the guys in the dressing room turned into Dr. Bob or something.

They all had solutions. My ankles still looked pretty messy so they didn’t think my solution would work.

The “back of a pack of matches” physicians had to give me their second, third, and fourth opinions. “Wear socks”, one said. Another one said, “Cut the foot part off a sock and just wear the ankle portion”.

Others agreed with the diagnosis and said there was no other way. “You have to put something over your ankles.”

I disagreed but smiled and said, “We will see.” They all trashed my solution.

Well, I’ve been doing the bandaid thing for a month now. I’ve stopped wearing one on my right ankle and it’s crazy – like magic, the skin has toughened up and I have no more issues!

The other ankle is almost ready to go. The next skate I’ll take the bandaid off and give it a shot.

Maybe Dr. Silcock does know best after all. … I’m sure glad I didn’t cut up socks and wear them like sweat bands around my ankles!

Here’s the thing: Other people will be the loudest voices in your life and it will be easy to listen to them. They are well-meaning voices and they may even have good ideas for you to follow. But the best voice to listen to is the still, small voice of God. It might be hard to hear God’s voice over all the other voices, but if you listen closely you will hear Him and He will give you the best advice hands down!

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you hear God’s voice over other voices? Leave your comment below.