summer

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Torn Between Two Choices. Which One Will Win?

Have you ever been torn, wanted to be in two places at the same time? Well, I sure have, and it seems to be happening every fall now. 

torn between two choices. which one will win?

My wife, Lily, and I closed up our cottage earlier than ever this year. For several years we closed it the week after Canadian Thanksgiving, the second Sunday in October. But the last few years it’s been the first weekend in October. This year it was the last few days of September. 

That seems crazy early to me, especially when the sun is shining and it’s still 23 degrees Celsius during the day. When you can walk on the beach and be greeted by a sunset like this picture almost every night, it’s tough to leave it all behind.

My first impulse is to squeeze every ounce of summer-like weather out of the fall and there is no better place to be for that than at our cottage.

It should be a simple decision of when the weather starts to turn, you close up and say goodbye until the spring. 

I remember going to college in another province and when school ended I had no problem packing up my belongings and turning my back on Regina for the summer. But there was really nothing to keep me there, nothing I felt I would be missing out on when I left. 

Leaving my cottage behind is a different story. 

I want to be there. I like the relaxed atmosphere of a beach town, the walks on the sand and up the strip, maybe with a stop at the ice cream shop for a scoop of black cherry on a sugar cone.

Though I want to be there, and though I miss so much there, home is calling and I also want to be there. 

Much of what is happening at home could wait till the weather turns sour at Sauble. But one thing at home seems to be starting earlier and earlier. 

It’s hockey season. 

Though the NHL season doesn’t start until the first week of October, my hockey starts the first week of September. And to make matters worse, the OHL Kingston Frontenacs team that I’m the chaplain of start tryouts and preseason at the end of August. 

I feel torn between being home and being at the cottage because if I’m enjoying an incredible sunset I’m also missing out on playing hockey with my team. 

Have you ever had to choose like that? … Suppose you were with your family for the weekend, let’s just say Thanksgiving weekend. You’re having a good time with everyone; everything is going well.

Then on the last day you get a text. You had planned a family pickleball match before everyone went their separate ways. However, the text is an invitation to watch a Toronto Blue Jays playoff game … sitting in box seats. 

Now that’s being torn. Do you bail on the family game and go to the Blue Jays game. Or do you say no to the tickets? 

Tough decision, right? 

Well, that’s how I was torn between the cottage and home. Hockey won, that’s all I can say. 

Here’s the thing: God wants you to be part of His family for all eternity. But it comes with a choice. By faith will you believe that Jesus died and rose again to pay for your sins, or will you trust in your own self for your future? You may be torn in making that decision, but eternity is a long time. For me, being part of God’s family is the best choice to make. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What are the big choices you are torn between making? Leave your comments and questions below.

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I’m Not In The Shape I Should Be In

The summer is coming to an end and it’s time to get myself back into shape … and when I say shape, I’m not just talking about my physical shape, though that needs some work.

not in shape

Over the summer I have kind of abandoned several things that I really need to get in line again – things that will improve my physical shape and also help me do my job and generally be more at peace.

… Much like a student in junior high or high school who, over the summer, has slept in every day, has stayed up late, spent more time with friends and basically felt free. Now that school is starting, they have to turn themselves to the routines of life being in school.

I remember those high school days when I would stay up late at night. I’d stop off at Country Style Donuts after my evening job and eat a dozen donuts. I’m not talking about timbits or donut holes – I mean I would buy a dozen jelly-filled donuts and down them in one sitting! 

I remember one summer when it was really hot, I’d walk to the nearest convenience store and buy a dozen popsicles (about 10 cents each). I’d come home with a variety of flavours. I wouldn’t even put them in the freezer; I just ate them all before they melted.

I would also sleep in every morning until 11:30 and still feel groggy. 

That was life until school started again. Then it was time to get back to some routines of life.

Now there are two main areas I must attend to to get myself in shape for this coming fall and winter season. 

Discipline is one of them.

I haven’t been consistent with exercising, which in turn has not helped my physical shape. To add to that, I have not been very disciplined in what I’ve eaten.  

The thing is I’m not really happy with how I feel right now. I know as soon as I hit the ice, I will not be happy about how I feel playing hockey either.

But my discipline has to extend past exercise and food. I also need to be disciplined with my time … especially my bedtime.

Being disciplined with how much sleep I get will pay huge dividends when it comes to my overall mental and emotional shape. I don’t mean that I’m weeping at sappy, romantic movies that Lily tricks me into watching. I mean I can deal with and handle work and home with much more efficiency.

… Which brings me to the second thing I need: focus. 

Getting enough sleep helps my focus, but for a guy with ADD, I also need to employ a few tricks I’ve developed over the years to keep me focussed. 

These tricks involve doing the right things at the right time for the right amount of time and to have a plan of what I expect to accomplish.

That’s what I need to get myself back in shape. And I need to start today!

Here’s the thing: What will you do when you drift from God, or find yourself hit and miss with your time with Him, or if you’ve found that sin has crept into your daily life and lives there, or you have become distracted from the Lord by some other interest? What will bring you back is discipline and focus. Just start today and you will see amazing changes immediately.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What do you need to work on: more discipline or focus? Leave your comments and questions below.

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Hockey Should Be A Summer Sport

I played hockey the other day, and it was 30 degrees Celsius (86 F) outside … not your standard hockey weather.

Inside the arena it was a cool 11 degrees and the ice surface was about -17 … not really shorts and T-shirt weather. 

But there is something nice about going to play hockey in shorts and sandals as opposed to parkas and boots.

When you think about it, when it’s hot outside there is no better place to cool down than in a frosty, cool arena. … I’m surprised that more people don’t show up to watch whatever game is being played just to keep their core temperatures down.

On those days when there are weather warnings to stay out of the heat, especially for seniors and those with breathing problems, don’t stay in your home, or hot apartments. Head down to your nearest arena and check out a game.

… Maybe bring your skates and get right out on the ice for some pleasure skating. 

In the winter the local rink is the place you go to play hockey, but in the summer the rink is a refreshing place to spend a few hours. 

In the summer some arenas take the ice out to do maintenance and to run ball hockey leagues, but that really defeats the benefits of a place to cool off. 

We have public swimming pools to get some relief from the heat of summer, but you have to get all wet and bring a change of clothes for that. 

At the arena all you need is a windbreaker or a sweater and you are set. If it gets too cool for you, just go out to the lobby for a few minutes.

When you need a break but are not near a lake, when the steam is coming off the pavement and you are looking for some kind of oasis in the distance, what you need is an arena. 

How did we get this all wrong? Hockey should be a summer sport! We should be packing arenas; people would pay just to get inside a cooler place for a while. 

And maybe we should build domes over golf courses and enjoy playing golf in the winter to give us a break from the cold. 

For so much of the winter I trudge through the snow, hauling my hockey bag in from the parking lot. Summer hockey is so much nicer. 

My buddy and I were leaving the arena the other day after about an hour and a half on the ice. We both remarked that there is nothing better than coming out of the rink with no coat, no socks, and the sun licking your face.

So these summer nights, right after dinner when you’re thinking maybe you should go for an ice cream cone, stop; turn the car around and head to your local arena. Check out the action and stay cool. It’s gonna be a hot one.

Here’s the thing: In the summer we can get derailed from spending time with God – there are vacations, all the great weather and relaxed schedules. When you’re away on vacation, check out another church. Meet with God out on your deck, or in a park. Don’t let the change of pace in the summer cause you to distance yourself from God. Enjoy your time with Him in new and fresh ways.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: How do you plan to stay connected to God this summer? Leave your comments below.