God

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Conflicting Messages Often Hold Us Back

I hate getting conflicting messages from other people, don’t you? I just don’t know what they are trying to communicate.

conflicting messages often hold us back

Conflicting messages leave you feeling uncertain about the intentions, or what was really thought. 

Alanis Morissette wrote a song that was filled with conflicting messages. 

Another group I like wrote a song called, “Falling For The First Time.” The song has lines like, “I’m so cool, too bad I’m a loser. I’m so smart, too bad I can’t get anything figured out. I’m so brave, too bad I’m a baby.”

We can also be subtle when sending out conflicting messages like, “Your hair style is very interesting.” That comment leaves you wondering, “Are you saying you like it or you hate it? What are you trying to tell me?”

We communicate conflicting messages even when we are not trying to. 

Recently I was marking a talk given by a pastor. It was a good message. He had great content and interesting illustrations. But he spent the bulk of his message focussing on a minor idea in the Bible passage rather than the main idea in the text. 

In making my comments on the talk I found myself sending conflicting messages, that I liked the message but he emphasized the wrong thing. 

We are left to decipher the code of conflicting messages for them to be useful to us. That takes effort and often we don’t have the energy, the time or the will to try to decode them so we ignore them. Sometimes we focus on the negative and that fills us with emotion or prevents us from moving forward.

Recently we experienced a total eclipse in our city. My son-in-law Matt came to our home to watch it and brought his drone to take some video of the whole event. 

But when he went to turn it on, there was a message – a conflicting message. It read, “fly with caution” in yellow letters. Below that it read, “can’t take off”. 

Well, how do you fly your drone with caution if you can’t even get the thing airborne?

I had some recollection of this happening to me in the past so I pulled out my drone and set it up. And I got the same messages. I was pretty certain that two years before there was a work around, yet no matter what menu item I clicked, I could not find a way to dismiss the “can’t take off” message.

So we shrugged our shoulders and didn’t use our drones for the eclipse. 

Those conflicting messages bugged me and the next day I investigated further. I set up my drone on our back deck with those two messages flashing on my screen. I tried to take off anyway. 

As soon as I did, another screen came up with a series of questions and check boxes. I clicked on the check boxes, entered my phone number and received a code. When I entered the code, immediately the “can’t fly” message went away and I could take off.

We just needed to be persistent working through the conflicting messages to unlock the drone.

Here’s the thing: God’s conflicting messages to us are that He loves us very much but, because we have sinned, He can’t have anything to do with us. It’s so good that God also provided a solution, if we will persist to unlock it. God sent Jesus, His Son, to die on the cross to pay for our sin, so that we can experience God’s love. I encourage you to persist and unlock the love God has for you.

That’s life!

Paul

Question: What conflicting messages have held you back? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Twice Is Too Many Times For Me

They say lightning never strikes twice, but I’ve heard of people getting struck by lightning more than once.

twice is too many times for me

I remember golfing with a buddy when we were on the 16th hole down in a valley when the warning siren blared throughout the whole course. With our lightning rods – I mean umbrellas – raised, my friend Mike began walking up the steep cart path. 

I turned to say something to him and saw a flash of light that almost blinded me. The worst part, however, was the sound of the thunder that boomed about a second after the lightning. 

We knew it was close, looked at each other, said in unison, “Let’s get out of here!” and started running. 

No one wants to be hit by lightning, or even get close to it … but it does happen. 

In Canada there are an average of over 2 million lightning strikes per year, yet only 100 to 150 people are injured each year by lightning. That tells me that lightning is not all that accurate. Still, it claims about 9 or 10 lives per year. 

It’s rare to be struck by lightning more than once, but don’t tell that to Roy Sullivan. He was struck seven times!

Well, my golfing lightning story was the closest I’ve ever come, but something happened the other day that reminded me of being struck by lightning twice. 

When I was in college I got injured playing hockey. I was skating up the ice with a good head of steam and scooped at the puck along the boards. The plastic strip at the base of the boards had a join right where the blade of my stick made contact with the puck. The join wasn’t even and acted as a full stop for my stick. 

I drove the butt end of my stick into my upper thigh and it lifted me right off the ice, until the stick broke in half and I came crashing down. 

It was probably the most pain I’ve experienced in my life.

I’ll never forget it. I had clipped a small artery, just missing the main artery in my leg by a couple of millimetres. The result was a hematoma about twice the size of a golf ball that appeared in mere seconds. 

I ended up having surgery to tie off the artery and drain the blood. 

Fast forward 40 years later. … Last week I was skating with the puck and went to go around a guy right by the boards. It was tight, yet somehow the blade of my stick wedged into a gate – how it got in there, still amazes me.

All I know is the butt end of my stick hit my upper thigh and I was flying in the air.  

I had a déjà vu moment as I landed on the ice.

Thankfully it wasn’t serious this time, just some bruising and tenderness for a few days.

All I can say is, I hope I’m not the Roy Sullivan of hockey rinks.

Here’s the thing: There are some things that we don’t want to have to experience twice, or want another chance at. But God gives us multiple chances to respond to His invitation to begin a relationship with Him through His son, Jesus Christ. Don’t wait for another chance to come along. Put your faith in Christ today.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is something you hope you will not experience again? Leave your comments and questions below.

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A Burn Can Multiply To Become A Double Burn

Have you ever been burned by the actions of others, only to experience a second burn from that first action?

a burn can multiply to become a double burn

It happens. 

Maybe you have been part of a struggling company that got taken over by a competitor. The first burn was when you had to adjust to a new system, a new boss. But the second burn came when the amalgamation made your position redundant and you were let go. That’s a double burn.

I remember driving up north when a deer hit my car. It was an older car, but still drivable. But when I took it to the insurance claim centre the next week, they wrote the car off. They told me I couldn’t drive it. I replied that I’d already driven it over 550 kilometres since the accident! 

It didn’t change their minds. They just gave me a lift to the car rental place. 

I got burned by having my car damaged through no fault of my own. Then the insurance company gave me less than what I needed to replace my car. I got burned twice in that deal. 

Getting burned twice is being put out in two different ways from one action. 

Sometimes we can be the cause of our misfortune, but often we are not. And that’s what makes that double burn so annoying. I was not responsible for it, but it happened to me … twice.

So this is what happened to me the other day … 

I play hockey on the military base in my town. For that I pay for a gym membership and it includes pick up hockey at the rink. 

I purchase a pass for a few months at a time and only renew for the time I need to finish out the hockey season. I don’t use the gym year-round so I only need my membership from October to April.

Well, my pass was ending and so I went in to top it up until April. All was good. Then I went and played hockey. 

After hockey was over, one guy said, “There will be no pick up hockey next week due to the strike.” 

I immediately thought, “Wait! I just paid for my membership pass two hours ago.” 

Not being in the military, I didn’t know anything about the impending strike of the civilian support staff. 

I understand their complaint. They don’t get paid very much and these days that’s got to be difficult. I am sympathetic to their cause, but I don’t like them taking my money for a membership without informing me about the impending strike. 

That was Friday and immediately after the weekend I would not be able to use my membership for who knows how long.

If I would have paid after the strike it would have cost me less. But now, not only am I missing out on hockey because of the strike, I paid more than I needed to … a double burn!

I hope my wasted fee ends up in a support worker’s pocket. 

Here’s the thing: Having a relationship with Christ has a double benefit. You have Him in your life now to help you, guide you, comfort you, but you also will experience eternity with Him. The contrary is also true: no relationship with Christ means you miss out now AND for eternity. It’s the worst double burn you can experience. Don’t wait to put your faith in Christ. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How have you experienced a double burn? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Waiting Is What Drives Christmas Each Year

There is a lot of waiting that takes place at Christmas time. Sure, there is anticipation and celebration and, of course, there is a ton of preparation.

waiting is what drives Christmas each year

You can see the preparation by how full the parking lots are at the mall, or the crowds filing in and out of Costco. People are looking for presents to give, decorations to display, and food to make.

But besides all that, Christmas is a time of waiting. 

We wait for people to respond to invitations to get together. We wait to see if the day we set the invitation for will be acceptable to those invited. We wait to set dates for when the family can all gather together. 

We wait for the big turkey dinner to be ready on Christmas Day, and the smells of it all cooking make the wait seem never-ending.

We also wait to open presents as we see more and more gifts pile up under the tree. 

I remember when I was little, the waiting was the hardest thing for my brother and I. Most years the waiting was too hard for us and we started snooping around. Our parents had to be good and creative at hiding our presents before Christmas. 

One year we found our big present all wrapped up, trying to blend in on a shelf in our dad’s office area. The waiting was over the top torture. Waterboarding is nothing compared to the waiting that year. 

We thought we were pretty stealth in lifting a corner of the coloured wrapping paper but somehow our parents found out. Christmas morning the present was not in the pile. When we opened all the presents, our parents said because we had peeked, they took that present back. 

Both John and I were quite devastated for a few minutes until they hauled it out. 

It was the biggest hot wheel track set you could buy at the time. 

It was the waiting – or lack of it – that nearly cost us to miss the experience of setting up that hot wheels track and watching our cars zoom the length of our basement.

This year one of the most difficult things was waiting for our kids to arrive for Christmas. And the waiting was hard because they didn’t get here until late Christmas afternoon.

Though Christmas Eve and Christmas morning don’t pause for anything, in effect the waiting for our kids delayed Christmas for us on an emotional level until they got here.

You can’t really get into the whole Christmas spirit when you are still waiting for everyone to show up. We had to be patient and wait until one couple arrived, but then wait longer for the other couple to show up.  

It’s like you can’t start Christmas without them all there. 

Waiting is the nemesis of Christmas, but it is also part of what fuels how big that Christmas is. The unknown, the expectation and the excitement are all exaggerated because of the waiting.

So waiting is what we do at Christmas.

Here’s the thing: For hundreds of years God’s people waited for the birth of the Messiah. There were prophecies and signs of His coming, but they could only wait. Even now we wait for Christ to return. And one day He will. We don’t know when, but we wait. And God waits for all those who have and will be invited to show up. Be sure you are one who’s waiting for Christ. Put your faith and hope in Him.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What were you waiting for this Christmas? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Circumstances Should Dictate Our Actions

In order to be successful in our pursuits, or even protect against harm, we need to understand the circumstances we live in.

circumstances should dictate our actions

It’s one thing to be blindsided by something you didn’t see coming, but, if you are unaware or not paying attention to the circumstances, you will not see what’s coming. Then your reaction or actions will be out of step with reality.

This can apply to even the weather.

If you are unaware of the outdoor temperature, it’s very possible that you will not be dressed properly for going outside.

That may be a minor inconvenience in the summer, but in the winter it’s a lot more serious. You definitely want to be wearing the right coat when the temps dip below 0 Celsius, or wearing boots if there is a foot of snow outside.

To be caught unaware of these circumstances would be a mistake you wouldn’t want to make again.

On the other hand, if you have a rare collection of baseball cards and don’t understand that card collection is a hot fad at the time, you will probably miss out on getting as much for those baseball cards as you could have.

I’m beginning to wonder if some people in real estate right now are not paying attention to the circumstances they are in. They’re not in tune with the signs of the times.

My son is looking to buy a condo right now. Some might say it’s not a good time, but sometimes your circumstances force the issue.

He’s looked at a lot of homes and has put offers on a few. What he’s finding is the sellers all want more than what they are asking. 

I don’t blame the sellers because who wouldn’t want to get more than your asking price? But the economic circumstances we find ourselves in right now might not accommodate that kind of thinking or selling practice.

Some sellers set a price but don’t want to settle for anything less than way over what they are asking. Then there are other sellers who set a low asking price and take bids on a certain day. They are hoping for a bidding war that will drive up the price of what they get. 

However, we don’t live in that world right now. That’s not reality.

Twice now my son has placed the best offer on one of these bidding listings. Once he was the best offer between a whopping total of two bids. The other time he was the only bid. He didn’t get either one of the homes. And because what the owners really wanted was a figure far above the asking price. 

It seems that some real estate agents and their clients still believe the circumstances are like they were during covid.

The other night ended with two unhappy groups and a lot of wasted energy, hope and expectation.  

You have to know your circumstances.

Here’s the thing: We can see the world struggling environmentally, struggling to find peace between countries, struggling to solve world economic and health concerns through a one-size-fits-all controlled system.

Thousands of years ago the Bible predicted it all, but also gave a hope in the midst of it all. That hope is Jesus Christ and, by having our faith in Him, no matter what happens to this world we can share eternity with Him in heaven. Be aware of the circumstances and act appropriately.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What circumstances have you been ignoring lately? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Construction In My City Has A Different Timeline

They say there are two seasons in Canada – winter and construction.

construction in my city has a different timeline

Summer is usually when all the road construction and repairs get done. But we have become lulled into living with lane restrictions and detours, some that last our entire spring and summer.

Here in my city, they are taking the construction season to a new level. 

Road construction now goes deep into the fall and, I dare say, into winter.

Coming back from our cottage in late August this year, we were welcomed home with work being done on an intersection close to our place. This intersection is so close that I use it every day. Actually I would have to go out of my way not to use it.

I thought the construction would help the flow of traffic and make things easier to get out of our subdivision, especially during peek hours. 

I did wonder why they were starting it at the end of the summer though. School was fast approaching and the traffic that the nearby high school generates makes it tough to get out of our community. It was obvious they would finish the construction after school started, which made me wonder why they couldn’t have scheduled it to start earlier in the summer when the intersection is not as busy.

Well, here we are rolling into December and they are still pouring cement and paving the road. And it looks like it will not help one bit with traffic flow … but hey, it will give bikers a nice lane to ride on. 

Maybe the city is sending a message right before the snow flies: Ride your bike; don’t take your car. 

I’m pretty sure that as the roads pile up with the white stuff that there will be fewer bikers … but at least they’ll have a beautiful lane. It may even get plowed. 

Why not? So much time and money has been spent on it, why not keep the lane open for the crazies who want to freeze riding to school or work. 

This intersection is taking so long to create and is such a pain, that I have a new Christmas wish. But it’s not a great wish, because it would mean I wouldn’t receive it until Christmas morning. And you know those construction workers will not be tying a bow around the stop lights for me on Christmas Day.

My worst fear is that this will go on into the new year. If it does, I will have to make a New Year’s resolution to find another way out of my subdivision.

Already I’ve had to find a few alternate routes that take me on a meandering drive through other communities. I am seeing a new side of the city.

I remember as a kid the agonizing wait for Christmas to come. Seeing the presents pile up around the tree got me hoping. Wondering what was in them created uncontainable excitement. 

I never thought I would experience those same feelings over the construction of an upgraded intersection.

Here’s the thing: It’s natural for us to have a timeline for things we want to obtain in our lives. Sometimes we have some control over them. But there are times when we want God to bring about something in our lives. It’s those things we must be patient for. God’s timeline is not ours.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are you in a rush to see completed or come about in your life? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Your Agenda May Not Be Your Agenda At All

It seems like everyone has an agenda for you, whether you like it or not.

your agenda may not be your agenda at all

People like to impose their agenda on you and sometimes they don’t even realize they’re doing it. 

I went to an eye clinic the other day to follow up on some tests I had had concerning an issue that resulted from my on-ice collision several weeks ago. (You can read about it here).

I was there to get the results from about seven tests they had done on my eyes at the previous appointment.

I was a little concerned going in to see the ophthalmologist because I didn’t think I had done very well on a few of the tests. But when I sat with the eye doctor he really had a different agenda than to give me feedback on the tests.

The eye specialist is no different from anyone else.

When I say to Lily, “I’m going to the store”, her response is always the same – “What store are you going to?” And I know that question means trouble. Either she wants to know where I’m going so that I can pick something up for her, or she wants to come with me.

No matter her response, there is always an agenda in her answer. 

If she wants to come with me, that most likely nixes my agenda for my shopping trip. Somehow the trip becomes Lily’s trip with me just tagging along. We end up going into several women’s clothing stores or a home furnishing store, or stopping at the grocery store for a few items we can’t do without.

And all I wanted was a shirt! So much for my agenda.

Well that’s how I felt at the eye doctor’s. 

He told me my eye structure was similar to one with glaucoma, not that I have or will necessarily ever get it. He wanted me to see an optometrist on a yearly basis so that they could monitor my eye health as I age.

I was kind of discouraged by all that. I just wanted to know how I did on the tests and how my eyes are now. It had been about 27 years since I’d been to an eye doctor and discovered I needed reading glasses. Now, all of a sudden, I was being told I need to be monitored for potential eye issues.  

Feeling a little frustrated, I asked the doc, “How are my eyes now? How did I do on the tests?”

His response was, “Your eyes are very good; you did really well on the tests.”  

There was one I was particularly concerned about and he said I did perfect on that test. 

I walked out of the clinic that day a little miffed that I would be called in a year for another appointment. If I hadn’t have asked, I would not have found out what I wanted to know.

The appointment was all the eye doctor’s agenda, not mine.

Here’s the thing: We all have an agenda for our own lives and an idea of what we think is best for it. There are also other people who will seek to impose their agendas on you. But God has an agenda for you. His agenda is worth joining because God knows you and what’s best for you so His agenda will lead you to the best outcome in the long run. Put you faith in Christ to link with God’s agenda. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Whose agenda are you following these days? Leave you comments and questions below.

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Rogers May Not Be Recording Their Conversations

I’m not so sure if companies like Rogers record phone conversations as they say they do.

Rogers may not be recording their conversations

For the last month I’ve been in conversations with Rogers Cell Network. They promised me something that now they have no intention of doing.

Rogers has been my cellphone company for 15 years, since they first started selling iPhones. Needless to say, I have history with them. 

Over the years I’ve never really had a reason to question whether to stay with them or go to another carrier. 

… Well, that is until now. 

I received a phone call from them in early September saying that I could upgrade my plan to a forever plan. It would cost me an extra $10 per month and it came with 50 gigs of data. 

I wasn’t that interested in the idea of paying more money and I certainly didn’t need 50 gigs of data. But I knew my wife Lily would need a plan in a month and maybe we could share the data.

I suggested that idea to the salesperson on the phone. She said that, yes, that could happen and the price she quoted me to add Lily was very reasonable. I just needed to call back at the end of the month when Lily was ready to bring her phone over. 

… Well, that didn’t happen.  

Even though every time I called Rogers they said each conversation was being recorded for training, safety and to verify my voice, the recordings were not used.  

Over the next month I phoned Rogers four times and each time I was told that I would receive a call within 24 to 48 hours to set the deal in motion. 

… It never happened; I never got a call.

Finally, on my last call, the person said there was no such rate as I was quoted and that the salesperson had not made notes of that offer to me.

I responded with, “Just listen to the recording.” But each person I spoke with said they had no access to the recordings. 

I thought that was rather convenient: tell someone something, don’t make a note about it and it’s like it never happened.

Rogers believed the salesperson’s notes, but not the verbal offer I described was made to me. 

Easy solution: just listen to the recording! If the offer was not on the recording, they could just say no. But if the recording revealed that an offer was made, then make good on the offer. After that, use the recording for training purposes so the salesperson doesn’t do that again. 

But Rogers just said they don’t have access to the recordings. 

I wonder if they really make recordings or just say they do. 

The crazy thing is, why would I agree to increase my monthly payment by $10 to get an absurd amount of data, when I only use a fraction of my present data? The only logical reason is that they offered me something that I could benefit from. 

My days with Rogers may be numbered. I don’t need the plan I have.

Maybe WE should start recording phone conversations with these companies!

Here’s the thing: God offers us a simple plan for life and eternity. We can have our sins forgiven, start a relationship with Him and spend eternity in heaven. Our part is to put our faith in Jesus Christ in a way that shows it’s true faith. We don’t have to wonder if God will make good on His promise. John 5:24 tells us that God will fulfill His part of the offer. Look it up and take God up on His plan.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Who can you trust to do what they say they will do? Leave your comments and questions below.

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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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