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Lists Can’t Kill You, Right?

Next week I start my vacation. Until this week I have had pleasant thoughts about my time away.  But right now, this week, all I can think of is the list that’s in front of me.

I don’t always make lists, but when I’m under pressure or feel time is closing in on me, I start to make them.  Sometimes I use my smart phone and check items off electronically.  Sometimes I enter them into my computer calendar, so they’re scheduled in my day.  But when I am really under the strain of a deadline, I get out a pad of paper and I write them down.

I do that because there is little satisfaction in checking something off with a click.  But when you take a pen and scribble lines through a task, completely obliterating it from the page (but not carving a hole in the paper), that really satisfies pent up frustration.  I think that when you completely eradicate an item on your list it releases endorphins in your system giving you a sense of euphoria.  Well, that is, until you think of something else you need to add to the list. Then one just cancels out the other.

It bugs me that I can never think of everything at once, so as something gets crossed off other things get added.  It’s like the list that never ends (that reminds me of a song).  Like a child can’t have dessert unless he finishes his meal, I can’t leave for vacation until that list is done, gets crumpled up and thrown in the trash … usually tossed like a basketball into the garbage can.  (There’s an extra sense of satisfaction if it goes in with a swish!)

I should be dreaming sweet dreams of my vacation but instead I’m tossing and turning at night because of that list.  With the list ever before me this week, I can have no fun.  Even if what I am doing is fun, the list haunts me and calls me back to look at it, even stare at it sometimes, as if I could complete some tasks just by thinking about them.

What I do know is this:  next week, there will be no list.  No focusing all my attention on getting things done.  No worries of deadlines.  No finding contentment in scribbling things out on a piece of paper.  It will all be done, finished, complete, and I will be reclining on a beach, sipping a nice cold Dr. Pepper (I mean, bottle of water), soaking up the sun and waves on Lake Huron.

Here’s the thing:  In life, I need to stay focused on who I live for.  I need to keep Christ before me like this list has been with me all week.  Everywhere I go and in everything I do, Christ should be on my mind.  Christ should be involved in my thinking, how I process information, how I respond to life, and what I produce in life.

One day this life will be over and I won’t have to keep Christ before me – that will be an unforced, natural rhythm for me in heaven.  It will all happen in an instant, like the start of vacation.  But for now, I must work at keeping Christ before me, and dream of a time when it will all be as easy as sitting on a beach.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  What keeps you from staying centered on Christ?  Leave your comments below.

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I’m Not That Lucky

Like most people, I’m not crazy about getting woken up in the middle of the night.  But that’s what happened last night.  It was somewhere around 3:30 am when I got a text. Who texts at 3:30 in the morning?  Well, possibly our daughter who is two hours behind us and maybe in need of some kind of parental support.

I squinted to look at my iPhone screen, which seemed too bright for eyes that had been in the dark for a few hours. It was like the bright light at the end of the tunnel when you are about to die or something.  I was also squinting to bring the words of the text into focus.  I finally make out the words “congratulations you’ve won . . .” and so I turned it off and tried to go back to sleep.  I never win contests; it had to be a scam.

But by then my mind was engaged, and I started thinking: What have I won?  Why are they contacting me at this time of the morning?  I wonder if I can choose my prize.  What time zone would they have to be in to send this out now?  … I finally got back to sleep.

When I did get up later in the morning that text was burning on my mind.  I checked my phone and found out it was from Best Buy.  I like Best Buy; its one of my favourite stores.  There’s lots of stuff I would like to have from there. So I was intrigued that I had won.  Since I belong to their rewards zone club, I thought maybe my winning was connected to that.

I stared at the text for a while and then decided I would click the link to get more information about what I’d won. As it started to load the website, I got a message that said my browser wouldn’t open it because it was an unsecured site.  As soon as that message appeared, I thought maybe I’d been scammed.  I googled for a Best Buy text contest and found out that, yes, it was fraudulent.

I thought how stupid of me to get sucked in like that.  I know better; I’m usually more suspicious than that.  I just hoped my browser saved me from revealing a bunch of information about me and my contacts.

Right after that, in my devotional reading, I read Ephesians 4:27 which says “and do not give the devil a foothold.”  I started thinking about how tempting some things are, like  things that I want to do, that may seem great because others are doing them, that play into my wants and desires, that I could have for a price.  They’re so tempting and all you have to do is take a simple step, even a click of a mouse.

But then it’s got you. One little move, one click and it’s got a foothold.  It then has access to much more of us than just our thoughts.  It has us hooked.  We’ve committed to it in some way.  All it took is a simple click, a simple act, and a simple decision.

Here’s the thing: I have to be disciplined in my thoughts and decisions, constantly making sure I think of the consequences and possible deception I might be giving in to … disciplined so I “don’t give the devil a foothold.”

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

p.s.  If you get a text or email from me that’s suspicious, like from Best Buy, you know I got taken.

Question: What’s one thing that’s a temptation you need to guard against?

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Why Can’t We Be More Agreeable?

This week I attended our denominational meetings in Winnipeg. I look forward to these conferences every two years, and came with great expectation for the week.  But soon after settling into the business sessions, I remembered why I also get frustrated with these meetings.  It all comes down to decision-making … we take forever to make a decision!

There are parts of Assembly I thoroughly enjoy.  The public services always inspire and challenge me and that’s good for my soul.  It’s also great to catch up with old friends, some I haven’t seen in years.  I even met up with a few former students from when I was a youth pastor.  To see them grown up with families and established careers is fantastic.  That part of Assembly is great.

But one of the main reasons we come to Assembly is to make decisions, and that’s where we get bogged down every time.  This year a motion was put to Assembly, and when someone didn’t like it, he tried to change it.  In doing so, he actually made it into another motion and we had to temporarily divert our discussion on it before we got back to the original motion.  It was a wrong turn that wasted half an hour going down the wrong road, only to have to come back to the right road and start again.

There are also delegates who are incredibly nit picky.  Some don’t like the smallest of words, like the word “it” or “a” for instance.  I’m always amazed how long people can talk about the appropriateness of such little words and be so passionate about them.  Personally, I use the word “the” a million times a day and never think about how I’ve used it.  At Assembly, however, any word is up for debate, and a LONG debate.

Then there are those who feel they need to speak at the mic on every motion, and even after several people have already expressed the same thought.  Of course, they think they bring a new view or understanding, but it’s all a rehash of the same thoughts.  I wish we had a system where people could “like” a comment in the way one can on Facebook.  That would greatly streamline things.  When a comment is made, people could just register their “like” by hitting a button on their digital device.  We could plow through reams of legislation that way.

But whom am I kidding?  People want to have their say; they like to hear themselves talk; they’re delusional, thinking their point is going to change everyone’s mind.  So they keep coming to the mic. … and my frustration with the painful process of decision-making continues.

Here’s the thing:  God has put motions before us – actually, commands for us to follow. And, instead of agreeing with (voting for) his commands and putting them into practice, we act like Assembly delegates.  We try to change or tweak God’s commands to better agree with us.  We want to massage some nuance of the command so it is a little more palatable.   We try to make an argument for our position of not following a particular command.

I think it’s got to frustrate God like Assembly frustrates me.  If we would only vote “yes” to God’s commands, maybe life would be more enjoyable for us.  We’d dispense with much of the frustration.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  How have you tried to change or resist God’s commands? Leave your comment below.

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Life In The Slow Lane

Yesterday I realized how fast our pace of life really is compared to times gone by.  On Canada Day, Lily dragged me to watch the reenactment of the War of 1812 at Fort Henry in Kingston.  I wanted to see some bands play down in the park.

I actually thought we would be able to do both, but I forgot they were reenacting a war from 1812 and not from 2012.  Things moved MUCH slower back then.  We had to wait for the ships to come down the lake and they were late because of the wind.  I kept looking at my watch and thinking, “Not a chance we’re going to see the band I was hoping to see perform.”

When the ground troops finally got to shore, they took a long time getting into position to actually fight.  If I had have been alive back then, I think I would have gone home and waited for the next war.  It moved way too slowly!  It’s a wonder anyone died.  Bullets went about as fast and far as I can take a slap shot.  I think an average person could have ducked and easily gotten out of the way.

Time kept ticking.  Finally the Americans and the Canadians got close enough to do some damage.  You know that line in the movies, “Don’t shoot till you see the whites of their eyes”?  That wasn’t said to draw the enemy in – it was said because, with their accuracy, they couldn’t hit someone whose whites of their eyes they couldn’t see!

I’ve seen movies depicting great wars of the past.  They’re all fake – those battles never developed as fast as they portray them.  Seriously, you could go to the store, get some pop and chips (not that I would eat it), come back and still wait to see it all unfold.

The funny thing was, every time an American solider died, the crowd cheered.  And though the war was a real nail biter, in the end our troops won and the Americans surrendered.  So, I’m glad to report, we won . . . again.  We’re safe until the next reenactment.

When it was finally over, I looked at my watch and we had pretty much missed all the music in the park.  Thank you, War of 1812.  As we walked back to the car, Lily thanked me several times for enduring the event for her sake.  Interesting note:  we drove home (about 14 km) in less time than it took the talk ship to make its way past the downtown to the Fort Henry battle area (about 1 km).

Here’s the thing:  we don’t even realize how quickly we want things to happen, take place or develop.  And, we can carry that attitude into our time with God.  We want answers quickly.  We feel we need to keep our time with God short because we have somewhere to be, something to do.  We get bored reading the Bible and distracted praying.  But what we need to do is slow down, take a trip back in time to an era like, say . . . 1812 when everything was so much slower.  Just be in the moment, enjoy it, don’t rush it, and don’t look at your watch.  Don’t let our fast paced life rob you of a rich time with God.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: How do you slow your pace to take time with God?

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When “No” Is A Good Thing

I remember when gas stations were full service – you would drive up to the pumps and the guy would come out to your car, ask you how much gas you wanted, and proceed to fill your tank for you.  He would even clean your windshield and check your oil.

Just think about that for a moment.  You never had to leave your car.  The pump jockey would even take your cash from your car window.  You could have them put in even $5 of gas and your gas gauge would actually move.  When I was a kid I remember hearing my dad say to the attendant, “Just put in a couple of bucks” . . . and he wasn’t embarrassed saying that!  Oh, how times have changed.

Personally, I like pumping my own gas (well, except when it’s -25 C in a strong north wind).  I don’t have to wait for anyone, and it gives me a chance to stretch.  But, I would like it if someone else cleaned my windows.

So, when I drove up to the gas station the other day, and there were a couple of girls cleaning windshields, I thought, “Hey, this will be great!”  These girls seemed friendly, and were talking to the people while they cleaned and the drivers pumped gas.

While I pumped gas, I waited for one of these girls to come over to wash my car windows, but it didn’t happen.  They completely ignored me.  I’m not sure if they took a look at my windshield and decided there were too many bugs on it (from a recent trip on the 401) or whether they thought I looked too muscular and didn’t need the help.  But I was a little hurt that they didn’t come over.  I felt like calling to them, “Over here; don’t forget my car”, but I didn’t say anything.  I just got the squeegee and started scrubbing my windshield (the bugs were practically glued on).

Feeling a little slighted, I went in, and paid for my gas.  On the way out, I noticed that these girls were not just cleaning people’s windshields for fun.  They were selling a repair service to fix cracks and dings in windshields.  Then I thought, “Well, that was good.  Not having them clean my windshield saved me having to endure a sales pitch.”

Here’s the thing:  There have been times when I have asked God for things, sometimes with much passion.  And then I’ve felt slighted, and even hurt when He hasn’t answered me.  Some of these requests were very worthy requests.  He just seemed to ignore me and answered someone else’s requests instead.

It was only later that I realized I really hadn’t wanted that request answered in the way I thought.  I was glad He didn’t answer the request because I was way off in what I was asking.  It’s interesting how I don’t often thank God for those answers.  I should be as thankful when God says “no” to me as I am when He says “yes”.

Oh, and by the way, I’m glad I had to clean my own windshield … I’m sure I did a better job than they would have anyway.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: To what request has God said “no” that you are now thankful He did? Leave your comment below.

 

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Where Did It Go?

Normally, I have a good handle on where my belongings are, but recently I’ve been misplacing things. I’ve been forgetting a lot of things lately, like hats, glasses and keys.  In early June, I couldn’t find my ball cap.  No big deal, right?  Well, not to me! – this ball cap is the only one I have ever found that fits my melon!  I looked everywhere and couldn’t find it.

The good thing is, I’m pretty good at retracing my steps and finding things.  So, I thought maybe I had taken it up to our trailer in May and left it there.  I took comfort in that thought.  But later in June when we were there, the hat didn’t turn up.  I was at a loss to know where it might be, but mainly upset that I had lost this one-of-a-kind (at least in the known world) ball cap that fits my head.  I’ve since found it (a month later) in a mostly unused compartment of my computer bag.

I have also lost my reading glasses on a number of occasions in the last few months. One of those times I never did find them again.  So last week when I came home from a board meeting and couldn’t find my newest pair, I definitely was perturbed.  I searched high and low.  In the morning, I found them in a room at the church – they had been clipped to my shirt and evidently fell off when I was moving tables.

This Sunday, however, was a record day for me in the “leaving things behind” department.  It started when I woke up and I forgot to take my pills … first time I’ve done that.  And I didn’t realize I had forgotten until the next day!  I also forgot a video camera we needed for a baptism at church.

But to top it all off, when we were leaving for church, I couldn’t find my keys.  We searched everywhere until finally we just had to go.  What really bugged me was not being able to figure out where I could have left them.  We were two streets from home when I looked in my rearview mirror and saw my bike rack on the back of the car.  At that moment I remembered!  The day before I had put my keys on the trunk when I took my bike off the rack.

We stopped the car, but the keys weren’t on the trunk.  So we drove slowly back the way we came, and sure enough, they were lying in the middle of the road. They had slid off the trunk when we made the first turn off our street.

All this misplacing, forgetting, leaving things behind bothers me.  I don’t like it.  It makes me feel like I’ve blown it.

So I wonder how we‘ll feel when we get to heaven and realize we’ve left not someTHING but someONE behind.  I know we can’t make people follow Jesus, but if we forget, or neglect, or miss opportunities to tell them, isn’t it like we’ve left something behind?  God hasn’t asked us to do His job (saving people) but He has called us to tell others about Him, and in doing that, we’re not leaving people we care about behind. I need to be better at this.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: What could you say to point people in your life to follow Jesus?  Leave your comment below.

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My Top 5 List

This week I went to see my cardiologist for the first time since I had my heart attack.  It’s been almost 4 months, and to say I’ve been anticipating this meeting is an understatement. I’ve been pretty anxious to find out what was going on under my chest.

So, (drum roll please) . . . the doctor was content (not an overly excitable man, but I could tell deep down, he wanted to do a happy dance with me) – my heart is working at near normal levels!  He stopped my blood thinner medication immediately which means mountain biking and hockey are now back in my exercise mix.

I can’t describe how I felt when I was told. I just kept saying over and over, “That’s amazing!  Thank you Lord.”  After news like that we had to celebrate, so Lily and I went out for lunch.  I ordered a large salad . . . actually I had a gourmet burger, with fries and a salad (give me a break – we were celebrating!).

Now four months is not a long time but I’ve come to realize a few things since my heart attack and here they:

Number five  . . . Dr Pepper isn’t really a doctor. For years Dr. Pepper has been the pop (soda) of choice for me.  I used to drink it by the “Super Big Gulp” size from 7/11. I have no proof (or maybe I am the proof), but I think Dr Pepper has more sugar in it than most other pops.  I have to seriously consider whether I should be seeing the good doctor any more.

Number four  . . . Everyone has a story to tell. I’ve been amazed at how many people have been touched by heart disease. I was talking with a neighbor telling my story and he started telling me all about his heart surgeries.  While we were talking another guy came by, stopped and shared a few of his heart stories.  It was like we were all part of an exclusive club.

Number three  . . . It really happened … I had a heart attack. Sometimes I still find it hard to believe, but I’m coming to the realization that it really did happen.  What helped me face reality was filling out forms for my driver’s license and health card.  When the form asked, “have you ever had . . .” I always used to check the “no” boxes.  Now I have to check some “yes” boxes.  That just feels weird.

Number two  . . . I’m still in need of more patience. Patience isn’t my middle name. I told my cardiologist the day after my angioplasty that I was good to go.  That freaked him out and he cautioned me that I was not “good to go.”  The thing is, I felt good, but I needed to be patient.  No driving for a month was a killer; Lil is a good driver, but still  . . . patience.  No biking, just walking; you can go so much farther and faster on a bike  . . . patience.

And the number one thing I’ve realized so far is . . . God has been so good to me! When you think about it, I had my heart attack while I was alone in a hockey arena dressing room and then I drove home.  Yet, I’m still alive.  I didn’t have my angiogram till the next day, and needed to be on a blood thinner because my heart damaged.  Yet, four months later I’m off that blood thinner. This past Wednesday, I found out God’s been healing my heart. God blew me away and I am so thankful.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question:  What are you most thankful to God for today? Leave your comment below.

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Pylons Make Me Mad

This week as I was traveling on the highway, I noticed a long stretch of roadwork.  You couldn’t help but notice – they had pylons lining all four sides of the divided freeway!  Apparently, they are repaving both sides of the road.  Actually, they were just paving a section on the other side of the highway but they figured they would prepare everyone for the nightmare to come.  (They do say there are only two seasons in Canada:  winter and construction.)

My first thought on seeing the pylons was that the company that makes them must be worth millions! – there were literally thousands of pylons lining the highway.  The rows of pylons were endless … and that was just for one project!

Then I started thinking about these pylons from different perspectives.  For me, as soon as I see them, I think, “Oh great.  We’re going to be forced into one lane, traffic will be backed up forever, and we’ll be traveling (well, we won’t really be traveling … more like crawling) at 10 km/hr.  From my perspective, there’s nothing good about these pylons.  Besides getting funneled to one lane, people will try to butt in (I never do that), there will be no end in sight, and I’ll be late getting home.

I’ll get annoyed with the people driving in front of me who won’t keep up to traffic, making it easy for cars to cut in line.  I’ll try to analyze the drivers in front of me, and if they’re wearing a hat (other than a ball cap) I know they’re going to be slow.  They’ll continue to bug me unless I get past them (sorry to any hat wearers out there).  … My friend and I used to call these people “lids”, and if we got behind someone who was wearing a hat and going slow, we would call out (sometimes in unison) “LID”.  Say no more, we both knew what was ahead.

But the other perspective on these pylons comes from the road workers.  They view the pylons as a buffer between them and the frustrated drivers.  They feel safe on their side of the pylons, and even have a sense of security there, without fear that a car will take them out (even though a car weighs 3500 pounds and can travel at high speeds compared to a pylon that weighs 20 pounds and is stationary).  That’s pretty amazing.

Here’s the thing:  You view pylons as either good or bad depending on your perspective. And, we can look at God’s laws as a barrier, frustration, and inconvenience that keep us from doing what we want, or we can look at God’s laws as a buffer from disaster, as protection that gives us a sense of security even though it doesn’t provide a physical shield.

I used to say it’s easier to get forgiveness than to ask for permission, but that’s just an excuse for doing what you want.  God’s laws are good and He made them for us, not against us.  But we will only appreciate them if we take the perspective of the road worker.

I find I still have to change my perspective on some things.  Maybe I should start driving wearing a hat (maybe not).

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: Which of God’s laws do you find yourself frustrated or annoyed with?

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An Early Birthday Present

I got an early birthday present this year.  I was going to be away on my birthday, so my son thought it best to give me my present early – either that, or he wanted to get it out of his trunk to free up some space.  So what was it, you ask? … It was a new golf bag.  But not just any golf bag – it was a Taylormade, Toronto Maple Leaf golf bag!

I know some of you are thinking, “But the Leafs play hockey, not golf.”  And some of you are thinking, “That makes sense:  the Leafs are the best golfers because they get an early start each year.”  I’m not sure if my Maple Leaf golf bag means I’ve jinxed the Leafs to miss the playoffs for another 3 years or not, but I’m willing to take the chance.  The bag is pretty sweet.  Way to go, Mike – great present!

I also received another early present and this one reminded me of the presents I used to buy my Mom when I was a teenager.  When it came to buying presents for her, I always looked for things that she might be able to use … you know, necessity kind of things, like household items.

I’m not sure how many times I bought her drinking glasses, but it was more than twice.  Our juice glasses were so small you barely got a good taste of the orange juice in them.  I calculated that if I bought bigger glasses that would mean more juice.  My mother applied another formula that the bigger the glass, the larger the gap between the juice and the top of the glass.

I thought I was getting her great presents, things she’d really like.  She was always appreciative, but now that I think about it, they weren’t really presents.  Those glasses were more like necessities, items you’d go out and buy yourself because you didn’t want your teenage son drinking out of the carton any more (like that stopped me).

Those memories came back to me because my other early birthday present was tools for our trailer. It was great to get the tools, but I would have purchased them as necessities.  Why waste a good present on something I need?  And that’s when it dawned on me:  those are the kind of presents I used to give my Mom!

You know, I wonder sometimes if we do this with God, as well. We come to church to worship. We sing songs about Him, and listen (intently) to the preacher tell us how we can know, love, and serve God better.  And we think we are giving God a great present.  “I’m worshipping You, God.  Isn’t that great?  Aren’t you pleased with my present, God?”

However, worshipping God is one of those necessity kind of things.  The Bible says that if we don’t praise Him, the rocks will!  When we worship God, whether it’s by praying, serving, singing, reading or listening, we are just doing what we ought to do.  It’s a necessity.  We should never think we are giving God something He doesn’t require from us.

That doesn’t mean God isn’t pleased when we do worship Him.  He is always appreciative when we give Him glory … just like I really was pleased with the tools I got as an early birthday present.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: In what ways do you give God worship?  Leave your comment below.

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Who Else Wants To Be Blessed

In my devotions today I read 2 Samuel 12:13 that says “Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan replied, ‘Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin.’”

When you think about it, David did a lot of bad things in his life, but God still blessed him despite all that.  Though we tend to think of King David as someone God really blessed, the reality is David had his share of suffering and hard times:  he had some serious family catastrophes, spent time hiding from people who wanted to kill him, and he was always at war. Still, I think David was one of God’s favorites.

This morning I found myself comparing my life to King David’s …

 In the sin department, I’m not sure whether he “out sinned” me or not – it’s probably too close to call.  Yet God has forgiven me just like He has David.

As for hardships in life, David had to live with some troubles and personal tragedy for long periods of time.  I, too, have had hardships – maybe not to the same depth of sorrow and hardship as David had, but still, I’ve had my share.

As for blessing, David sure was blessed:  victories in battle, crowned king of the country, wealth and riches.  He lived life at the top!  As for me, my wife is amazing, my family loves me unconditionally, I have a church that supports and cares for me, I live comfortably, and I enjoy life and what I have.

Conclusion:  King David and I come out pretty much tied in all these areas.

So, why do I look at specific (and sometimes small) things to determine if God is blessing me?  In the comparison I just did, I have to admit, my life is just as blessed as David’s was.  But I don’t feel it – even now, I don’t feel it.

You know why? I think it’s because I want someone else’s blessing without their sin or hardship.  I just want blessing.  I only care about being blessed, and the blessings I have received don’t seem to count when I look around.  I just want a blessing I don’t have.

When I read about David, I think, “Wow, God really loved him!  David was really special to the Lord.”  But the fact is, I’m as blessed as David was.  That means God really loves me, and I’m really special to Him, as well.  David isn’t in some elite class all by himself. God treats me the same way.

So why am I not satisfied?  I think it comes down to the fact that I’m a taker; I’ll take all I can get.  I’m really not all that thankful – just bring me more.

This morning, after thinking about David’s life and blessings, I found myself praying:

“Thank you, Lord for all you bless me with.  Thank you for being with me in the times that are hard, and for not walking away from me when I sin.

Forgive me, Lord for being selfish and completely unreasonable in wanting blessing.  Forgive me for having a one-dimensional view of blessings (that it’s all about me).

Lord, help me to take great joy in your blessing.  Help me not to compare others’ blessings with my hardships.  Lord, may I see myself as You see me, just as I picture David.

Until Next Time!

Pastor Paul

Question: How do you measure the blessing of God on your life?  Leave your comments below.