I don't have as much time to sit back and ponder the state of mankind and the world around me as I would like and those of you who know me understand what a mistake that might even be for me to start pondering anything - never mind the state of mankind! That being said today I pondered for a good four minutes and came to a highly intellectual decision. First decision is that pondering only takes four minutes and the second is that no matter what we say or do it is all selfishness on our part.
That's right...everything we do is selfish and born out of selfishness.
Think of anything you have ever done...Why do we relax? Why do we try to do good things? Why do we get married? Why do some stay single? Why do we have kids?
I can hear some of you trying to argue with me, but don't forget I "pondered" this!!! Everything we do. traced back far enough, comes down to one single reason, the big me. Eventually everything comes to the bare fact that we think it's for our own good. We can try to find examples of how we have apparently given of ourselves for the good of others, but we have to admit it`s really because it made us feel good and our need to do good is born out of our need to feel good ... which happens when we help others.
If anyone can give me an example of one act in your life that was totally unselfish with no ulterior motive I would love to hear it. Just the fact that you would consider writing back would be considered a selfish act since you're trying to prove your point!! Nope, no getting around it.
There is only one way to deal with this...we need to realize that we are all flawed people since only someone perfect would be able to make unselfish decisions and the rest of us are simply doomed to being less than. The good news is that when we realize this, it gets easier to understand our friends, family, acquaintances and even those we might not consider friends. We no longer wonder why so-and-so disappointed us or why someone said this or that or was mean to us; simply put, their actions and words came out of selfish reasons and desires.
Perhaps some can hide this inherent problem better than others, but we all struggle with it.
I hope this blog helps to clear this up...because writing this blog was of course an unselfish act ... and if you believe that I have a bridge for sale!!
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Routine...
Try saying that word 10 times a day for a month and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Is it just me or does the word routine itself sound boring and monotonous. Isn't that often what routine is, things we sometimes do for no apparent reason that lack excitement, lack that adrenaline rush that we often seem to crave. Even worse, we start enjoying our lackluster lives resigning ourselves to the fact that life is one big "Routine". There are times of course where we get a bit of a jolt that wakes us up out of our slumber for a minute, day or even a week! Maybe it was a movie we saw, a motivational speaker we heard or a great Sunday sermon...yes it happens!!! But we tend to loose that edge pretty quickly because passion, drive and rekindled vision takes its toll on our ability to sit back and fall into our comfortable routine.
I enjoy reading the obituaries, and I know I'm not the only one. I know some of you might think it's morbid, but for me reading obituaries motivates and shakes me out of my comfortable routine-type life. If I need a kick start, Iwhy look any further than the obituary column of the local paper? Because somebody else's zest or lack of zest for life is defined right there in those short paragraphs.
You get a quick sense of someone who lived life to the fullest ... or someone who didn't. You can tell if that person was loved and admired or just put up with, if he made a lasting effect on friends and family or is already almost forgotten.
So here's my challenge to you. Spend some time writing your own obituary column. What would people say about you, what can you say about yourself? You might find that you're not living the kind of life you expected to live, or even the one you might have thought you were living.
Now is the time to change things if that's you. Don't wait for life to change you; you change your life. Take the bull by the horns and and don't look back.
If you were to be called home today, what would be your legacy?
Try saying that word 10 times a day for a month and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Is it just me or does the word routine itself sound boring and monotonous. Isn't that often what routine is, things we sometimes do for no apparent reason that lack excitement, lack that adrenaline rush that we often seem to crave. Even worse, we start enjoying our lackluster lives resigning ourselves to the fact that life is one big "Routine". There are times of course where we get a bit of a jolt that wakes us up out of our slumber for a minute, day or even a week! Maybe it was a movie we saw, a motivational speaker we heard or a great Sunday sermon...yes it happens!!! But we tend to loose that edge pretty quickly because passion, drive and rekindled vision takes its toll on our ability to sit back and fall into our comfortable routine.
I enjoy reading the obituaries, and I know I'm not the only one. I know some of you might think it's morbid, but for me reading obituaries motivates and shakes me out of my comfortable routine-type life. If I need a kick start, Iwhy look any further than the obituary column of the local paper? Because somebody else's zest or lack of zest for life is defined right there in those short paragraphs.
You get a quick sense of someone who lived life to the fullest ... or someone who didn't. You can tell if that person was loved and admired or just put up with, if he made a lasting effect on friends and family or is already almost forgotten.
So here's my challenge to you. Spend some time writing your own obituary column. What would people say about you, what can you say about yourself? You might find that you're not living the kind of life you expected to live, or even the one you might have thought you were living.
Now is the time to change things if that's you. Don't wait for life to change you; you change your life. Take the bull by the horns and and don't look back.
If you were to be called home today, what would be your legacy?
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Ultimate Question
It was this last week that I had the privilege of hearing two world class motivational speakers. The first speaker was Joe Roberts, a story of determination and of overcoming insurmountable odds. The second speaker equally inspiring, Peter Legge, Chairman and CEO of Canada Wide Media Limited, the largest independently owned publishing company in Western Canada.
I don't know of anyone listening that wasn't challenge to live each day to the fullest, to look at adversity as challenges to overcome and providing opportunities to make us stronger.Among the things that Joe and Peter talked about was the value of hard work, the importance of positive influences as well as a close knit family unit and the significance of a strong spiritual basis and belief.
It was the ability of Joe Roberts to draw strength from and remember his spiritual roots that was instrumental in his turn around from being homeless person on the streets of Vancouver to making his first million. Likewise, Peter Legge credits his spiritual roots in the building of an empire that grosses around 30 million annually.
The question that needs to be asked is why do some see religion as a crutch or something that hinders rather than builds up? I could talk about the difference between religion and spirituality or the difference between undeserved grace and working for your salvation, but I don't think that's the real reason people see religion or faith as a crutch. It's simpler than that. The reason many people don't want anything to do with spirituality is simply you and me.
Isn't it true people often refuse to step into church because of "all the hypocrites" going there, or maybe because someone they saw as a spiritual role model disappointed or hurt them? Actions and words have done more to turn people away and off spirituality than anything else.
One of the things I value most of all is friendships, and fortunately I'm privileged to have a few. These include my poker friends who seem to like taking my time and money, my rotary friends who share my passion for helping the less fortunate, my colleagues and close friends at work, my family and extended family and the list goes on. However all these friendships can be destroyed quickly by actions and words, and the hurt caused can be sometimes be unrepairable.
If you're reading this blog and consider yourself a spiritual person then realize that you have a great responsibility. The responsibility of guarding your words and actions, the responsibility to live up to your spiritual values and the responsibility to be true to your beliefs. The ultimate test is how our friends and acquaintances view us. Are we able to be the same person wherever we are and whoever we are with?
That to me is the ultimate question.
I don't know of anyone listening that wasn't challenge to live each day to the fullest, to look at adversity as challenges to overcome and providing opportunities to make us stronger.Among the things that Joe and Peter talked about was the value of hard work, the importance of positive influences as well as a close knit family unit and the significance of a strong spiritual basis and belief.
It was the ability of Joe Roberts to draw strength from and remember his spiritual roots that was instrumental in his turn around from being homeless person on the streets of Vancouver to making his first million. Likewise, Peter Legge credits his spiritual roots in the building of an empire that grosses around 30 million annually.
The question that needs to be asked is why do some see religion as a crutch or something that hinders rather than builds up? I could talk about the difference between religion and spirituality or the difference between undeserved grace and working for your salvation, but I don't think that's the real reason people see religion or faith as a crutch. It's simpler than that. The reason many people don't want anything to do with spirituality is simply you and me.
Isn't it true people often refuse to step into church because of "all the hypocrites" going there, or maybe because someone they saw as a spiritual role model disappointed or hurt them? Actions and words have done more to turn people away and off spirituality than anything else.
One of the things I value most of all is friendships, and fortunately I'm privileged to have a few. These include my poker friends who seem to like taking my time and money, my rotary friends who share my passion for helping the less fortunate, my colleagues and close friends at work, my family and extended family and the list goes on. However all these friendships can be destroyed quickly by actions and words, and the hurt caused can be sometimes be unrepairable.
If you're reading this blog and consider yourself a spiritual person then realize that you have a great responsibility. The responsibility of guarding your words and actions, the responsibility to live up to your spiritual values and the responsibility to be true to your beliefs. The ultimate test is how our friends and acquaintances view us. Are we able to be the same person wherever we are and whoever we are with?
That to me is the ultimate question.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
The hardest thing to do...
If I were to ask you to list the five hardest things for you to do in your life on an on going basis how would you answer, what would you say? When I asked that question the other day, here are some answers I got. The raising of a family, being patient, balancing your career with your personal life, staying joyful, not worrying, staying calm under pressure and balancing the finances were mentioned frequently.
There was something that no one mentioned, which I believe is one of the hardest things in our life to develop and to maintain. It will inconvenience us at times, make us mad and demand a lot of our energy and sometimes even our resources. It has been the catalyst for many movies and the inspiration of many authors, and without it we would have a hard time surviving. What is it? It is the making and maintaining of friendships.
I'm not talking about the friends that we invite over for dinner or go out to a movie with, I'm talking about the deeper friendships, the ones we cry with, the kind of friends that we bare our souls to. The kind of friends that you can phone up at 2:00 in the morning and know that they will listen. Lets make it even harder...lets exclude relatives in this instance. How many friends would you be able to fit into that intimate close relationship?
For those of you who will right away take exception to the fact that I excluded relatives and yes that means spouses...Our spouses certainly need to be those kind of friends, but I see no evidence anywhere that deep wholesome friendships should end there.
We were created to have deep meaningful friendships, that transcend the normal superficial level. I believe that our Creator put into us a desire for those relationships and not developing those kinds of friends will not only hurt us but also not give us the fulfilling life we were meant to have.
These kinds of friendships take time, sometimes years to develop and it often means finding time in your schedule, reshuffling your appointments and yes often sacrifice. These are the friends that walk through the dark times with us, laugh and enjoy those high moments of life, and are the ones that will silently put their arms around us when you need it because they know. It's not only about us though, it is also for us to give to others. It takes courage to step out and be that kind of a friend, it will take effort to find ways and places to build those friendships and determination to see those friendships through to the end.
The day will come quickly for all of us when we will need those kind of friends, when we will need those deep relationships, and the day will also come soon enough when we will no longer be able to build those friendships, what's stopping you?
There was something that no one mentioned, which I believe is one of the hardest things in our life to develop and to maintain. It will inconvenience us at times, make us mad and demand a lot of our energy and sometimes even our resources. It has been the catalyst for many movies and the inspiration of many authors, and without it we would have a hard time surviving. What is it? It is the making and maintaining of friendships.
I'm not talking about the friends that we invite over for dinner or go out to a movie with, I'm talking about the deeper friendships, the ones we cry with, the kind of friends that we bare our souls to. The kind of friends that you can phone up at 2:00 in the morning and know that they will listen. Lets make it even harder...lets exclude relatives in this instance. How many friends would you be able to fit into that intimate close relationship?
For those of you who will right away take exception to the fact that I excluded relatives and yes that means spouses...Our spouses certainly need to be those kind of friends, but I see no evidence anywhere that deep wholesome friendships should end there.
We were created to have deep meaningful friendships, that transcend the normal superficial level. I believe that our Creator put into us a desire for those relationships and not developing those kinds of friends will not only hurt us but also not give us the fulfilling life we were meant to have.
These kinds of friendships take time, sometimes years to develop and it often means finding time in your schedule, reshuffling your appointments and yes often sacrifice. These are the friends that walk through the dark times with us, laugh and enjoy those high moments of life, and are the ones that will silently put their arms around us when you need it because they know. It's not only about us though, it is also for us to give to others. It takes courage to step out and be that kind of a friend, it will take effort to find ways and places to build those friendships and determination to see those friendships through to the end.
The day will come quickly for all of us when we will need those kind of friends, when we will need those deep relationships, and the day will also come soon enough when we will no longer be able to build those friendships, what's stopping you?
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Just finished reading a couple of good books that I could highly recommend. The first by David Aikman a former senior correspondent for Time Magazine called "Great Souls", and the second the autobiography of Elie Wiesel called "Night".
In David's book Great Souls, he talks about the lives of six people that in his opinion changed the century. Billy Graham by his proclamation of salvation, Mother Teresa by her compassion, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn by proclaiming truth, Pope John Paul II by his stand for Human Dignity, Elie Wiesel by calling us to remember and Nelson Mandela for his ability to forgive.
Reading the book and reflecting afterward, I asked myself what these six people had in common, and what in their livese enabled them to be such important figures in the last century. All six were diverse in their upbringing, their culture, their religious beliefs as well as in their life experiences. The one word that came to mind was "perseverance". Each and every one of them experienced times in their lives, often over long periods of time where their ability to persevere was their stronghold, their ability to see things through. But it wasn't only their perseverance, it was how they managed to persevere.
Patience, humility and respect are some of the attributes all six of these people displayed throughout their lives in spite of circumstances. Too often nowadays we look at perseverance as a negative, confront it with anger, self pity or doubt, too name a few. How do you face situations that come your way that force you to persevere? How do you make it through those times when every fiber of your being is tested, often over an extended period of time?
Is it your spouse, friends, church or faith that helps you overcome and persevere, helps you to come out of a situation stronger and more confident - ready to once again take on the next challenge that comes your way?
In David's book Great Souls, he talks about the lives of six people that in his opinion changed the century. Billy Graham by his proclamation of salvation, Mother Teresa by her compassion, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn by proclaiming truth, Pope John Paul II by his stand for Human Dignity, Elie Wiesel by calling us to remember and Nelson Mandela for his ability to forgive.
Reading the book and reflecting afterward, I asked myself what these six people had in common, and what in their livese enabled them to be such important figures in the last century. All six were diverse in their upbringing, their culture, their religious beliefs as well as in their life experiences. The one word that came to mind was "perseverance". Each and every one of them experienced times in their lives, often over long periods of time where their ability to persevere was their stronghold, their ability to see things through. But it wasn't only their perseverance, it was how they managed to persevere.
Patience, humility and respect are some of the attributes all six of these people displayed throughout their lives in spite of circumstances. Too often nowadays we look at perseverance as a negative, confront it with anger, self pity or doubt, too name a few. How do you face situations that come your way that force you to persevere? How do you make it through those times when every fiber of your being is tested, often over an extended period of time?
Is it your spouse, friends, church or faith that helps you overcome and persevere, helps you to come out of a situation stronger and more confident - ready to once again take on the next challenge that comes your way?
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Is it Possible?
Another year has flown by! I've decided that it's not our getting older that makes time seem to fly by faster, but rather our inability to slow down and relax.
Here I am sitting at the Wired Monk in South Surrey writing a blog, answering emails and checking office messages. Shari is sitting at a different table researching her next Blog topic due on Friday. Yes it's a work day and I'm fortunate to be able to work away from the office, but I often find myself working longer hours and often seven days a week because everything is at our finger tips.
Of course any of us who are involved in any type of service industry (or in my case the camping industry) know the importance these days of staying in touch and being available to our campers, staff, donors, friends and family of Green Bay Bible Camp.
So how do we balance all of this, work, family, hobbies, and oh yes spiritual growth!
At this point many people have some pretty good answers...not me, not right now. What I do know is that I enjoy my job, family and friends. I enjoy my many coffees throughout the week promoting Green Bay. I enjoy my early morning meetings 5 days of the week as well as my involvement in Rotary. I enjoy the Green Bay full time Staff ( and summer staff ) and our corporate desire to serve and improve the Green Bay Bible Camp experience for all our campers. I enjoy seeing life changing decisions made during the summer and during the rental season here at Green Bay, and playing a small part in this tremendous ministry.
I also know something else...if it wasn't for my wife and kids helping me to slow down and take some time off to relax, I would not be able to do my job well. So to all of you that keep reminding me, often to no avail--Shari my wife, Kirsten and Danny, Matt and Melissa, David and Bethany...and oh yes my two gran-kids Jake and Laine... a huge thank you.
Keep up the good work! I need all of you.
Here I am sitting at the Wired Monk in South Surrey writing a blog, answering emails and checking office messages. Shari is sitting at a different table researching her next Blog topic due on Friday. Yes it's a work day and I'm fortunate to be able to work away from the office, but I often find myself working longer hours and often seven days a week because everything is at our finger tips.
Of course any of us who are involved in any type of service industry (or in my case the camping industry) know the importance these days of staying in touch and being available to our campers, staff, donors, friends and family of Green Bay Bible Camp.
So how do we balance all of this, work, family, hobbies, and oh yes spiritual growth!
At this point many people have some pretty good answers...not me, not right now. What I do know is that I enjoy my job, family and friends. I enjoy my many coffees throughout the week promoting Green Bay. I enjoy my early morning meetings 5 days of the week as well as my involvement in Rotary. I enjoy the Green Bay full time Staff ( and summer staff ) and our corporate desire to serve and improve the Green Bay Bible Camp experience for all our campers. I enjoy seeing life changing decisions made during the summer and during the rental season here at Green Bay, and playing a small part in this tremendous ministry.
I also know something else...if it wasn't for my wife and kids helping me to slow down and take some time off to relax, I would not be able to do my job well. So to all of you that keep reminding me, often to no avail--Shari my wife, Kirsten and Danny, Matt and Melissa, David and Bethany...and oh yes my two gran-kids Jake and Laine... a huge thank you.
Keep up the good work! I need all of you.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Christmas Legacy
Candle light at home, a Christmas wreath, a Christmas tree with clear light bulbs, family and friends, laughter as gifts are exchanged (in an orderly fashion), Christmas Eve church service, snow, Christmas day dinner, reading the Christmas story - these are some of the things that mean Christmas to me.
The older I get however, the more Christmas seems to demand change. Some of the things that once meant Christmas to me I need to let go of. Spending time together as a family will not happen, this year. My daughter is married and they have two kids of their own. My son is married and they live four hours away. My youngest son is engaged and has also moved away. Christmas will be scattered; not once this year will we be altogether as a family.
My kids are developing Christmas traditions of their own, and heading over to "Opa and Omi's" house, or having "Opa and Omi" come over for a Christmas visit seems to be part of the tradition they are developing. Don't get me wrong, I love being a grandparent and being able to play the grandfather role is exciting to me, but I still miss the "altogether" Christmas. I will always miss being the father of young kids, having the kids wake us up Christmas day with the banging of pots.
But as I sit here and long for those good old days I am equally excited looking forward with anticipation of the good new days that are just around the corner. I have the privilege of being a grandparent, I have the privilege of knowing that my kids love having us over, (I think they do). I have the privilege of knowing that my grand kids get excited to see us. More than that though, we have the privilege of leaving a legacy to our kids and grand kids. It may not necessarily be a legacy of wealth, it will however, to the best of my ability, be a legacy of love, caring and of serving.
Merry Christmas and God's blessings for the New Year.
The older I get however, the more Christmas seems to demand change. Some of the things that once meant Christmas to me I need to let go of. Spending time together as a family will not happen, this year. My daughter is married and they have two kids of their own. My son is married and they live four hours away. My youngest son is engaged and has also moved away. Christmas will be scattered; not once this year will we be altogether as a family.
My kids are developing Christmas traditions of their own, and heading over to "Opa and Omi's" house, or having "Opa and Omi" come over for a Christmas visit seems to be part of the tradition they are developing. Don't get me wrong, I love being a grandparent and being able to play the grandfather role is exciting to me, but I still miss the "altogether" Christmas. I will always miss being the father of young kids, having the kids wake us up Christmas day with the banging of pots.
But as I sit here and long for those good old days I am equally excited looking forward with anticipation of the good new days that are just around the corner. I have the privilege of being a grandparent, I have the privilege of knowing that my kids love having us over, (I think they do). I have the privilege of knowing that my grand kids get excited to see us. More than that though, we have the privilege of leaving a legacy to our kids and grand kids. It may not necessarily be a legacy of wealth, it will however, to the best of my ability, be a legacy of love, caring and of serving.
Merry Christmas and God's blessings for the New Year.
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