Consider this

                  When I was 10 years old, I spent much of my time pretending to be someone else.   When I played road hockey, I was Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Mike Palmateer.   When I played football, I was Saskatchewan Roughrider safety Ken McEachern.   When I rode my bike, I was racing legend A. J. Foyt.                   Pretending you are someone else when you are a kid is fun.    Pretending to be someone else when you are an adult is lonely and isolating.                   Rather than be who we really are, we adopt personas so that we seem more impressive to others.   Instead of talking about how we ...

                A thousand years before Christ, if there was a “Most likely to succeed” vote, Saul would have won by a landslide!                   1 Samuel 9:2 introduces him by saying, “[Saul was] an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites – a head taller than any of the others”.   Some versions of the Bible say that he was “Young and good looking” or that “There was no one more handsome than Saul”.                   When God finally allowed Israel to have a king, the choice was obvious (1 Samuel 10).   Saul’s courage made him a good military leader (1 Samuel 11) and his popularity united the people.   Saul ...

                I have two lists.   One is a list of problems and issues that I need to fix.   The other list contains all the good things in my life.   The good things list is much longer than the problems list.   However, it is the problems list that gets most of my attention.   As I listen to people, it is obvious that they are concentrated on their problems list too.                 Contrary to what we are often told, listing your blessings is not going to change your focus.   Even the most depressed person can list the things that should bring them joy.   The list is obvious!   If we want to change our perspective, we need to add another, often missing, element.  ...

                  I cannot remember a time when I have looked forward to Thanksgiving weekend as much as I am this year.   The long weekend will be nice.   Having family around will be great!   But the big reason I am looking forward to Thanksgiving is because I need it.                 Compared to what other people are going through, my life is not that difficult, but lately it has felt very busy and chaotic.   There is always something to think about, worry about, plan for or figure out.   I have been living in crisis mode just waiting for the next thing to go wrong.                 I need Thanksgiving weekend...

                “If we were half the church we sing about, we would be unstoppable”.                   That statement, made by a song leader at a conference I was at last year, has bothered me ever since I heard it.   Think about the words we sing so regularly.                   “If Jesus goes with me, I will go!”   Really?   We sing that but do we mean it?   To be honest, most of the time I do not want to go anywhere. I would rather stay at home and be comfortable.                 “I am mine no more.   I’ve been bought with blood.   I am...