different

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It’s In The Books And It Was Different

Well, my first hockey game of the season is now officially in the books. 

It's In the books and it was different

…I probably wouldn’t have commented on it – there was nothing stellar about the game – but what led up to the on-ice time and afterwards is worth making some observations on.

For most of my life, hockey has been part of the changing of seasons in the fall. 

I start by putting away the golf clubs, while biking begins to peter out. There are just more bad weather days than good ones for these outside sports. 

Hockey starts to become my main sporting activity and usually near the end of September I get my first taste of the new season.

This year not only did I get my first taste, it came in a new flavour.

With COVID comes new rules and restrictions. Some are not so good; some are a little uncomfortable. 

Besides the predictable rules of having to sign in and wear masks until we put our helmets on, we could only show up fifteen minutes before our game, could only use the dressing rooms to lace up our skates, and were not allowed to leave anything in the dressing rooms. 

… When I describe it like that, it sounds easy – except it means we now have to come into the rink dressed for the game … like we did when we were seven years old! 

I had visions of being wedged in my car between the seat and the steering wheel and not making it to my game in time! 

The reality though is that we are now dressing in the parking lot. 

I showed up with my hockey undergarments on and a pair of sweats. With the back hatch of my car opened like a locker, I stood in the parking lot and put on my shin pads, pants, elbow pads and sweater. 

The important note here is you want to make sure your jock shorts are in good shape and that you are not wearing ones that you’ve had for ten years and have become a little holely, if you know what I mean.

That would not be a pretty show. 

Walking into the arena carrying my stick, with skates, gloves and helmet all in a bag was painless. … I had contemplated the skates and helmet skewered on my stick like a shish kebab look but decided to put them all in a gym bag instead. It was definitely the way to go. 

Another downside was with the regulations to prepare for the next group, we had to get off the ice as soon as our hour was up; there was no extra time.

On the upside, with not being able to change in the dressing room or use the showers, I found I was out of the rink in record time. 

When it was all said and done, this is going to take a little getting used to. … And I can hardly wait until my new outdoor locker room is sub-zero temperatures!

Here’s the thing: In some cases, we are making big changes because of COVID. We want to do certain things, so we are willing to make the necessary changes. What big changes are you willing to make for God? When you are confronted with something in your life that does not please God, are you willing to make changes because you care about pleasing Him with your life? Let’s be as willing to change for God as we are to make changes for other things we view as important. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What change do you need to consider making right now? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Normal Is Going To Be Different From Now On

Things are opening up in Ontario, but that doesn’t mean we are getting back to normal.

Normal Is Going to be different

Normal would be making sense of things. Normal would be going back to the way things were just a few months ago. 

With the province opening up, we are entering a wide spectrum of twists to things we would normally be doing. 

I realize that there are things that have changed for good. We won’t do some things the same any more. There are other things we will continue to do because we have experienced them and found them to be a good thing. 

An example would be at my church. We didn’t do online services or group meetings before, but we will most likely continue to do them, even after the province has completely opened up. 

But there are things that we can go back to doing now that are not exactly like they were before.

An example is what we do at the beach. Two weeks ago we couldn’t even go on the beach by our cottage. Someone was fined $800 for flying a kite on the beach!  

Now we can walk on the beach again and also go in the water, but – and this is a big “BUT” – you can’t stop on the beach. 

That’s right, you can walk along the beach and go in the water, but you can’t stand on the beach and watch a sunset. You can’t spread your towel out on the beach and lie on it, nor can your children play in the sand on the beach. That would technically be stopping on the beach.

So if a family goes down to the lake and their kids are in the water, Mom and Dad also have to be in the water. They can’t be watching from the beach … because that would mean they are stopped. 

I’m pretty sure that in no one’s books would that be considered normal. 

Let’s remember that we are Canadians. We have a pretty large personal space circle around us. When people lie on the beach, they don’t put their towels closer than six feet to the group beside them … ever! That would be weird, and so un-Canadian!

I liked a facebook post I saw. It was a picture of an empty prairie road and the caption read, “Saskatchewan: social distancing since 1920”.

We are getting back to doing activities that we normally do when the weather is nice, but we are now doing them in a weird way. 

I wonder if walking in circles, small circles, around a towel on the beach, like you would if you were playing musical chairs … or towels, would count as moving. 

… The provinces may be opening up again but there is a weirdness to what we can do. It’s not really like getting back to normal. 

Here’s the thing: As things open up and we can slowly return to our old ways of worshipping God, there have been some new ways of worship that we have been introduced to. “Normal” going forward may include some new expressions and avenues of worship and study, so learn to embrace the new, the weird, and keep moving forward. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What new experience from COVID have you tried that you want to continue? Leave your comments and questions below.

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They Were The Same But Different

Things that are the same can also be very different from each other. 

sunset, same,

  I learned this early in life because my mother loved to purchase clothes for my brother and I that were the same … same in almost every way except the colour. For some reason, John’s colours were always blues and greys and my colours were always browns and greens. 

It’s a colour pattern that I never shook until I got married. With Lily’s help I pretty much got rid of all my brown clothes.

I’m not sure why I got stuck with brown and green, but it may have had something to do with the colour of our eyes. I never asked my Mom that question when she was alive.

My mom would buy us everything the same – shoes, socks, shirts, and pants. It didn’t matter what it was; they were even the same size. She just got two of everything – identical except for the colour.

I do remember one area she failed in, however. In the late sixties, corduroy pants were a big hit. Everyone was wearing them and the style at that time was really wide corduroy stripes. They were the hot new style. 

My mother found the wide corduroy pants we wanted so that we fit in with everyone else. And she got the identical pants for both of us, just in different colours, of course. 

But the one thing that was different about them was that they had wide corduroy stripes but with medium and small stripes in between. 

They ended up sort of the same, but very different if you really looked at them. 

My mom was the queen of shopping at discount stores and, for some reason, the discount clothing industry at the time was not particularly observant when it came to copying corduroy pants.

… Some things that are the same can also be very different. 

That statement is also true about the sun. Every night the sun sets in the west and, as the sun goes down, it creates a scene in the sky. 

Although this same event happens every evening, the scene in the sky is different each night. Some days it’s more orange, other days it’s more pink, or even more deep red or purple. 

If it’s green though, head for cover – there’s probably a tornado coming. 

This is why you can look at the same thing day after day and never get bored. Though it’s always the same, it’s different.

You can point to where in the sky the sun will dip below the horizon; it’s always the same place. But the scene is different today than it was yesterday.

Lily showed me a picture of the sunset she took last night, and I couldn’t say, “Oh ya, I’ve seen that before.”

Why? Because though I have watched the sun go down many times, her picture was different than it was the previous night or will be tonight.

It’s the same, but it’s different.

Here’s the thing: God is the same yesterday, today and forever. But every day you need something different from Him. Some days you may need encouragement; other days it might be comfort. There will certainly be times when you need correction. And there are a myriad of other things that you might need from God who is always the same. That is why the Bible not only tells us that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, but that He is also new every morning. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need from God today? Leave you comments below.

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The Masters Left Me With a Different Feeling

Yesterday I had a different take on the Masters than most people did. 

I love to play golf and I’m also one of those people who likes watching it on TV.

For golfers, the Masters is a must watch event. It is one of the premier golfing events of the year.

But this year I had a different feeling than most people did watching the tourney.

Tiger Woods was making a charge; he was on a comeback. He hadn’t won the Masters since 2005 and he hadn’t won a major tournament in 11 years.

He’s had operations to fix chronic back problems, swing issues that has seen him completely change his swing, and emotional issues to overcome due to a marriage scandal which captivated public interest, coincidently 11 years ago.

Some thought that with all his issues, Tiger might not play golf again – at least at a level that would see him compete on the leader board.

Well, that is all in the past now. 

Tiger Woods played phenomenally this past weekend and his body, his swing, his mental toughness never looked better. 

Tiger is back.  

He certainly is one of the greatest – if not the greatest – golfer who has ever played the game. 

What I found disturbing yesterday, as I watched this amazing comeback and rise to the top for Tiger, was what seemed to be the worship of him. 

And it seemed consistent from the TV announcers to his fellow golfers to the crowds that paid homage with their cheers and praise. 

You can not take his golf ability away from Tiger. He truly is a marvellous golfer, but we shouldn’t be hailing him as the second coming of Christ! 

Ironically, Tiger’s win, and all the worship of him, came on Palm Sunday – the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, to the cheers and shouts of “hosanna” by the people who lined his path into the city.

Tiger made a triumphant walk from the green to the club house, his family in tow … well, at least for part of the walk. He left them all in the dust behind him as he gloried in his own greatness to the fans shouting his name and reaching out to touch a piece of him.

The announcers couldn’t say enough of his achievements and how truly miraculous this achievement was fighting back from adversity to reach this pinnacle. 

But I wondered how his ex-wife felt, not about how he played or that he won, but about how everyone worshipped this man.

As he stood on the green with his arms raised in victory to the thunderous applause, I wondered if Elin felt that all he had done to shame her and break up their family had been forgotten, been forgiven.

It was like that never happened. 

Like taking a brush to a chalkboard, this victory wiped out any memory people had of the life he has lived off the course. 

It is alright to celebrate a victory, but let’s keep in mind the character of a man who actually missed the cut.

Here’s the thing: Jesus rode into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the shouts and cheers of “hosanna in the highest” … but it didn’t go to his head. Instead he shook off the adoring fans and went to the cross to die for YOU. Now that’s character.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: Is your character something to be copied or something to be hidden? Leave your comments below.

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Same Experience Different Takeaway

It is no surprise that people can be engaged in the same experience but have different takeaways.

Even as I write this now, I prove this “same but different” concept to be true. It’s 3:30 am and I’m writing my blog while my wife is fast asleep. 

Just a few moments ago we were both in bed. We got into the same bed at the same time, and turned the lights out at the same time. 

All the conditions were the same, yet she is sleeping and I am not.

I spoke at a church in Spain two weeks ago. Everyone heard the same message, though some in Spanish. One woman, however, responded differently to the message than everyone else. She gave her life to Christ that day.

Back in 1974 I had waited outside of A&A’s record store on Yonge St in Toronto for tickets to an Elton John concert. My friends and I got 17th row on the floor, centre stage. 

Those tickets were pretty sweet.  

From the first note, all 20,000 of us in the Gardens that night were on our feet, jumping up and down and screaming out the lyrics of every tune Elton sang … I pretty much demolished the chair I was standing on.

Near the end of the concert, someone I knew was even closer to the stage. I’m not sure if he wormed his way up there or if his seat was just that close. 

At one point in the concert, Elton John came to the edge of the stage and touched the hands of delirious fans. This acquaintance on mine had a felt top hat in his hand. He held it out to Elton and he took it, sat down at the piano and played, “Bennie and the Jets”. 

Then Elton got up and, amongst all the extended arms, put the hat right back into the hand of my school mate.

We all experienced the same concert but that guy had a different takeaway than the rest of us. 

I just finished attending a conference in another part of the world. During one session each day, conference participants spoke about their experiences of sharing God’s love with others. 

The stories were the same in that each story was about making Jesus famous. The content of each story had the same bottom line of how Christ was changing people’s lives. 

But each story was so different.

Some of the stories involved people being healed. There were stories of kindness being the convincing factor. Some stories were about explaining or interpreting a dream. And some of the stories involved a consistent example. 

It was amazing how in one story it seemed like only an angel could have been involved in making Christ famous. 

It was so interesting because, though we heard story after story on the same theme, each story was so different.

It was the same message but each person had a different takeaway. 

Here’s the thing: The message of Christ is the same. It doesn’t change but people respond to different parts of it. Some people respond to love extended to them, some to a truth that finally clicks and makes sense. Some respond to the contrast of God’s desire for them versus the desire of another god. Some take longer to respond than others, and some respond through different means, like in dreams or visions. But to all who respond, the takeaway will be the same … salvation.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What experience have you had that needs a different takeaway? Leave your comments below.

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Having Different Definitions Can Cause Trouble

We have different definitions of being ready … at least we do in our home.

Getting ready to go somewhere has always been a point of tension for Lily and I.

It seems that I am always waiting for her when we are going to leave the house. In her defence, sometimes she has more to do before she is ready to leave.

But I think it has to come down to a difference in our definitions of being ready.

On Saturday we decided to go to a store late in the afternoon. The store was not going to be open for very long so we needed to go quickly.

I asked, “So, are you ready to go now?” Lily answered, “Yes”. I headed to the door and put on my shoes. Lily headed into the bedroom!

I was literally ready to walk out the door when I had asked her if she was ready to leave. Lily just needed one minute before she was ready to close the door behind her. 

This was not an isolated incident; this is a reoccurring scenario.

When we were recently going to our cottage for a few days, we had a number of things we needed to take with us, being the beginning of the cottage season. 

The night before I piled everything we needed to take by the front door. Lil did the same.

The next day when I was ready to start packing the car, I knew that everything that needed to go was right there before me. 

Lily said she was ready. “I just need to put the food from the fridge into the cooler”, she said.

“Great”, I thought as I started to pack. The only problem was that the bag with her clothes was not at the front door. 

I started packing but the bag wasn’t showing up and I needed that bag near the beginning of the packing because of its size.

She said she was packed, but apparently not completely packed. There were still a few things she needed to add in. 

When I say “I’m all ready”, by definition I mean “I am ready this instant”. When Lily says she’s ready, her definition means that there are only a couple more things she needs to do first. 

We did finally pack the car and head off to the cottage. As we were driving, we got a text from our daughter, asking us to pick her up on the way. 

I asked her if she was like her mother and still needed to pack. Karlie replied that everything was by the door. 

Lil shot me a look and said, “I guess she’s not like her mother.” 

Well, when we got to Karlie’s house, I expected to grab her bags that were by the door and leave. 

It was perfect … she still had a couple of things that had to be added to her bag! Then we left. 

I guess it all comes down to definition.

Here’s the thing: We may have different definitions of being ready for Christ’s return, but there is only one definition that matters: His. Ensure your faith is securely placed in Christ as your Saviour and Lord because, when He returns, there will be no time for one more thing.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is your definition of being ready? Does it fit Christ’s? Leave your comments below

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Embrace Your Difference

It’s amazing how different our bodies work. What’s good for one person may not be good for another.

Recently a friend sent my wife, Lily, a video clip and told her not to let me see it. Of course, Lily couldn’t help but show me the video.

DPSign1

The video clip showed a lady who was 104 years old telling the interviewer that she drank three glasses of Dr. Pepper a day. She said, “It’s good; it has sugar in it.”

She also told the interviewer that two doctors had told her that drinking that much Dr. Pepper would kill her. But then she said, “Both doctor are dead and I’m still here.”

For this woman, she found an elixir that has kept her going for over 100 years. If I drank that many Dr. Peppers a day the only 100 I would count on would be the pounds I would gain in no time flat!

It’s curious that the same thing can have such drastic differences depending on the person.

Some people can eat fries, pizza, and chicken wings, and never have their cholesterol change one bit. However, if I just look at a picture of wings my cholesterol starts to rise.

Maybe that’s why I eat my wings while watching hockey games. I keep my eyes on the screen and never have to gaze at those delicious little morsels passing over my palette on their way to my arteries.

Our bodies also change over the years so what never was an issue, at some point becomes a problem for us.

In university Lily used to drink coffee by the bucketful. Now caffeine gives her headaches and keeps her awake at night.

When I was younger I could eat anything and in any amount. I might have felt stuffed at the time, but the next day, just like an anaconda that swallowed a rabbit whole, there was no sign any crime had been committed.

Now if I could just stick to eating salad without any dressing, I might be able to keep myself from gaining weight … of course that would still depend on averting my eyes from pictures of wings with Frank’s red hot sauce on them.

I’m happy for that lady who can drink three glasses of Dr. Pepper a day and live to 104, while keeping her school girl figure.

I would like to find the thing I could eat or drink without caution that would keep me going for years and years. My fear, however, is that what would work as my elixir would be brussels sprouts or something along those lines.

It’s not that I haven’t tried to find my elixir, but so far I’ve had to write off liquorice, Mike and Ike’s, and Turkish Delight. I’m still hopeful for dark chocolate with whole almonds.

Almonds are good for cholesterol, you know.

Here’s the thing: There are many voices that will try to tell you how to structure your time with God. When someone finds a way to have a rich and meaningful relationship with God, they believe everyone can have the same kind of relationship if they follow their pattern. There may be points and principles that we can pick up from others on how they spend their time with God, but for the most part, we need to seek a way that works specifically for us. We just don’t all respond to God, or find meaningful interaction with him, in the same way or setting. Find your way to a meaningful relationship with God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What have you tried in establishing a rich, meaningful relationship with God? Leave your comment below.