Zip Zip Shalopski

Our family plays a car game called Zip Zip Shalopski. The origin is somewhere back in my wife’s family story. The essence is to seek and find horses and call them out on any road trip. The first person to see them and call out, gets the points. Zips are any horse but a white one and are worth one point. A shalopski is a white horse and worth two points. A zip holder (horse trailer) counts as five points. You can wipe out all your competitor’s points by seeing a graveyard/cemetery first and calling it out.

Some of the finer details.

  • Horse pictures and the word horse count for three points each. 
  • The driver can claim a bunch of zips and then have someone else in the car count them. Because they need to pay more attention to driving!! 
  • If your competition is sleeping on the drive, you still have to call the zips out loud. 
  • I even will text my wife when I’m on the road with any points I have claimed during my trip. 

Try it out. It can be addicting. If you try it, leave a comment. 

There are lots of car games. Here are a few we also play. 

  1. License plates either by seeing how many provinces and states you can get.
  2. Using the letters from billboards or road signs to work though the alphabet.
  3. I Spy is well known for sure.
  4. Two Truths and a Lie can get you in trouble, but it’s fun.
  5. Never Have I Ever could lead to more lies.
  6. Name That Tune was never one I was any good at, but many play.
  7. Car Colour Search determines whether red, white or black cars are the most common. 
  8. Would You Rather? leads to interesting conversations. 

What car games do you play? Comment below with your favourite one. 

Agree to Disagree

We used to be able to say that we’ll agree to disagree. I’ll keep my view and you’ll keep yours. You won’t change my mind and I won’t change yours. Sometimes its opinion, sometimes it’s a different view of the facts. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen any more. Almost never! Too often there is their version of the information and that is the only acceptable version. 

“Agree to disagree” is a conversational strategy used to resolve a stalemate. It involves parties halting a circular or unproductive argument while acknowledging differing perspectives. It allows individuals to maintain a polite relationship when neither side will be convinced to change their mind.

Tolerance no longer means being tolerant of other opinions if they disagree with you or certain special interest groups. Forcing me to believe what you believe isn’t any more fair than for me to do it to someone else. It’s not hate, it’s disagreement. 

My Christian faith informs my beliefs, actions and morals. If you don’t have the same beliefs, you are not held to mine. However, that doesn’t mean that I think your actions or beliefs are correct or moral or right. Nor do I believe that I must or should believe what you do. 

Some options when we don’t agree. 

  • “I hear your perspective.”
  • “I understand where you are coming from.”
  • “It’s okay that we have different approaches to this.”

Fyodor Dostoevsky said, “Tolerance will reach such a level that intelligent people will be banned from thinking so as not to offend the imbeciles”. 

Dostoevsky understood that the preservation of intellectual freedom is often uncomfortable. When a culture begins to value social politeness over the rigorous pursuit of reality, it creates a vacuum where critical thought is viewed as an act of aggression. The ultimate irony he points toward is that true tolerance requires the endurance of ideas we find disagreeable. 

We won’t always agree. We won’t always believe the same things. Let’s have a conversation instead of telling me that I’m intolerant or hateful. 

Let’s talk. 

The Psalm Project

Psalm 19In our small group at church, we had a church wide study for five weeks. After that, we tried a new idea where each member of the group participates in leading a study based on their favourite Psalm. Each person picks their favourite Psalm and shares it with the group. We called it “The Psalm Project“.
Some may need to read some Psalms to discover their favourite one. For me, I chose Psalm 19. It reads
The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. This is one of the clearest biblical statements that nature itself is meant to show the greatness of God. These words are in the present tense. That is, the heavens “are declaring,” and the sky “is proclaiming” the creative work of God. It’s a continual display. What we see in nature is meant to constantly show us that God exists and tell us how amazing a Creator He truly is.
Here are some of the things I discovered in Psalm 19.
  • We are created by God for his glory
  • Science keeps discovering more the the universe, it’s God sized
  • Without uttering a word, creation shows God’s glory and righteousness
  • I cannot discern my own errors
  • The heavens declare and we are without excuse to believe in God
  • Who am I? The servant of the Lord
  • The law serves to reveal sin and it’s consequences
  • Willful sins; Paul said the same thing, “the very thing I don’t want to do, I do.”
  • Lord = ruler; rock = solid foundation; redeemer = Saviour 

To do: 

  • Give God the glory, honour and praise
  • Follow the law of the Lord
  • Pray for forgiveness 

I suggest you watch Indescribable video by Louie Giglio and follow NASA on Instagram, the pictures are astounding

To help do your own study, you can use the attached guideline to help you in your preparation (posted below). Pick your favourite Psalm (or other Bible chapter) and answer the questions below.

OBSERVATION

  • Where are the action words?
  • What stands out to you?
  • What seems strange?
  • Was there something here that you hadn’t considered before?
  • What questions do you have about the text?

INTERPRETATION

  • What is the author trying to communicate to the original audience?
  • What is the point of the passage?
  • What’s the overall message?

APPLICATION

  • The general question here is who am I in this story?
  • How am I going to respond to that?
  • What will change in your life today, this week or this month?

Add any additional notes that you think of. Make note of any other Bible verses you are reminded of and be sure to review those as well.

Enjoy!

Betty’s Charm Bracelet

Today is my birth mom’s birthday. She went by Betty. She would have been 87 today. I wish I got to meet her. 

This charm bracelet was given to me by my sister Jill when she came to visit in October 2021. It belonged to our mom. Each charm tells a story, especially (for me) the one that is separate from the bracelet.

Jill told me the following story. 

When Mom was in the nursing home, she often mixed up her days and nights and would call me in the middle of the night wanting to talk. I always answered, never knowing if the call might be something serious, though it usually wasn’t. Most of the time, she had the same “good news” she couldn’t wait to share. 

She would tell me, with excitement, that she was pregnant. Because of her Alzheimer’s, I went along with her story every time. I’d congratulate her, ask how far along she was, and whether she knew if it was a boy or a girl. She’d say she did know but then ask me which I wanted. I always told her I wanted a sister—that boys were gross. She would laugh every time.

We’d talk for a few more minutes, and then I’d tell her it was time for bed and that I’d call her tomorrow. An hour later, the phone would ring again. She’d be just as excited as before, announcing that she had the baby-and it was a boy. I’d congratulate her again and tell her she needed to go take care of the baby, hoping to go back to sleep.

I always assumed she was confused and was telling me that she was pregnant with Sam as he was younger than I was. That same conversation repeated every few days until her schedule settled back into place.

Once Jill (and Sam) came to know me and my story, they knew that the pregnancy story was about me. When Jill found the single charm of a boy with the bracelet, she figured it was about me. There are already charms on the bracelet for Jill and Sam. The boy head charm was separate from the bracelet in an older plastic box from the 60’s. 

When Jill and Sam were sending me pictures of our mom, they sent me one from the fall of 1962. I wrote back that I was in that picture, though well hidden. 

It’s been a fun time learning about my family. 

5 Money Mistakes That Can Strain Relationships

Money is one of the top sources of tension in relationships — but experts say even strong couples can stumble if they avoid key conversations.

After studying more than 60 couples, money expert Heather Boneparth found that the happiest partners share five habits:

  • They adapt when circumstances change, rather than sticking to outdated money routines.
  • They don’t dwell on financial regrets or let shame define their decisions.
  • They avoid holding past mistakes over each other’s heads.
  • They focus on shared priorities instead of constant comparison.
  • They stay honest about spending and goals, building trust through transparency.

The takeaway? Communication matters as much as cash flow. Open conversations can help partners align values and expectations — and reduce unnecessary stress around money.

Source: cnbc.com “Successful Couples Never Let These Financial Mistakes Ruin Their Relationship,” October 15, 2025

Not Too Early; Never Too Late!

By Dr. Michael A. Halleen

“Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years.” (Genesis 18:11)
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young.” (1 Timothy 4:12)

Age isn’t related to important achievements. Maturity, yes. Attitude, absolutely. Skill and intelligence, of course. But not age.

Benjamin Franklin, already a successful publisher, inventor, diplomat and signer of the Declaration of Independence, led the convention that drafted the Constitution of the United States. He was eighty-four. A few years earlier, about the time Franklin was signing the Declaration, Mozart was living in Salzburg, having just completed all five of his violin concertos, each one a masterpiece. He was twenty. Age had no bearing on that summer of significant moments.

Some time ago I interviewed a young man seeking a job. At nineteen he lacked spirit, the fire within—if there had ever been one—just an ember. The same day I spoke to a new friend, age eighty-seven, whose voice was alive, eyes shining, energy directed toward what was next. Age is irrelevant. Attitude is everything. Trying, not giving up, caring enough to use the resources we’ve been given—these are the things that matter.

So William Gladstone at eighty-five was prime minister of England and the world’s leading statesman. At seventeen Elizabeth Barrett (Browning) published a volume of serious poetry. Galileo was dictating records of his latest discoveries about the rotation of planets (and hiding them in his mattress in order to avoid punishment as a heretic) when he was seventy-eight. Michelangelo began painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in his early thirties. Insight, determination and genius are not limited by age.

Martin Luther was thirty-four when he walked to the door of the castle church in Wittenburg, Germany and posted there the ideas for change he wanted to debate with Church leaders. Abraham, founder of the Hebrew nation at the age of one hundred, might have smiled at how one so young could do something so important while Timothy, at twenty-six the leader of one of the largest Christian churches of the first century, might have wondered what had taken Martin so long.

Beethoven had composed a prodigious quantity of music by the time of his death at fifty-six, while Grandma Moses, the famous 20th century folk artist, didn’t take up painting until she was seventy-five. Golf prodigy Michelle Wie turned professional at fifteen, the same summer as my father-in-law, age ninety, made his first hole-in-one.

We’re not too young to do something significant. And we’re never too old.

Copyright 2009 Dr. Michael A. Halleen. Permission is granted to send this to others, with attribution, but not for commercial purposes.

Cooking with Moose: Mashed Potato Soup

Back when I was directing Camp Widjiitiwin, I wrote a series of blog posts with some of the foods we did at camp and some from my family’s cookbook, “That Tastes Like Home”. We gave one to each of our girls when they left home for college/university.

This new one was created because we had leftover mashed potatoes. I didn’t quite like any of the recipes, so I created my own. It’s quite delicious if I so say so myself. It starts with a half pound of bacon, so how can it go wrong? I hope you enjoy it. If you try it and like it, please let me know. 

Mashed Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • ½ lb bacon, chopped
  • 2 diced onions
  • 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 cups milk
  • 4 cups leftover mashed potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon red peppers & garlic
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup shredded medium cheddar cheese

Directions

  • Add bacon and fry over med-high heat until almost crisp
  • Add onions and sauté until tender
  • Add the rest of the ingredients in order stirring regularly over low-med heat
  • If you have extra mashed potatoes, add a little more broth

Garnishes for serving: sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sliced green onion or chives, crisp bacon bits. 

You’re the ONLY one!!

You’re the ONLY one!!

Considering your personality, talents, abilities, strengths, experiences, passions, spiritual gifts, plus our personal core values; what do you think might be your most important contribution to your family, your neighbourhood, your town/city, Canada or the world in the next season? What did God put us here on the earth to accomplish. Of course it has to be something for His Kingdom purposes.

Consider Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.“

And Ephesians 2:10 says what we are created, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

As God has lead me from place to place and camp to camp, a year working for Canadian Pacific, a time with Unitas Health and Safety and now Primerica. Each job and position building on the last one to accomplish His purposes.

We all need to be reminded that we have something important still to do for God. God is busy creating you into the tool he needs you to be for His Kingdom’s purpose and in His sovereign planning.

I like the idea that God has been planning my work. As I look back on what I have done I can clearly see how each job or situation or circumstance has been integral to the next task I was lead to do. I can see that the culmination of my skills is exactly what I needed for my role as director of Camp Widjiitiwin. Looking back it is much easier to see the plan. Looking forward requires faith. Rick Warren writes, “God’s plan for your life isn’t a map you see all at once, but a scroll unrolled a little at a time, requiring faith”.

Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that, “In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps”.

  • Who sees what you see, feels what you feel, hears what you hear and has your perspective?
  • Who has your unique experiences, your talent, your abilities, your hurts, your passions, your personality, your character?
  • What will you do with all that you have received from God for the sake of His kingdom? 

The things that make me different are the things that make me. A. A. Milne

You are the ONLY one who can be who you are, fulfill your destiny, accomplish your tasks that God has assigned you. 

You Are Missing From Me

You are missing from me. Sometimes, I feel the words “I miss you” do not come close to expressing the pain that grief and loss brings. It’s forever and I can do nothing to change it. 

The phrase is derived from the French phrase “Tu me manques,” meaning “you are missing from me” rather than “I miss you”.

“I miss you” is an active, standard English expression focusing on the speaker’s feelings of longing. “You are missing from me” shifts the focus to the person who is absent, implying they are a necessary, missing piece of the speaker’s life, often conveying deeper, more profound, or existential loneliness. 

A key difference is that it becomes a passive voice. The focus shifts to the one who is not there. You are gone, and I am incomplete without you. Its about their absence. 

Dad, you are missing from me. 

Forever loved, forever missing, forever absent, forever remembered, forever cherished… forever… 

Yellow Snow

Don’t eat yellow snow! No doubt we’ve all been told that when we were kids. If you haven’t, here’s your sign.

I never gave it much thought after I learned why. Until this winter that is… our dog pees outside (which is good). That’s not remarkable and its way better than in the house. Since, its winter here in Muskoka, he creates yellow snow. All over the driveway. Plus the brown bits. 

And since I keep the driveway clear of snow. In fact, I have a pretty specific pattern I follow. And I use a snow blower to clear the snow. It throws the snow back and away from the driveway. Sometimes 30-40 feet away. Sometimes less. And some days when the wind blows I get showered in a fine mist of snow particles. So far, so good.

My pattern for sure takes me past and over the places that Harry has peed. Have you caught the drift of where I’m going yet? Right. When I go over a spot of yellow snow and it gets thrown into the air and lands away from me, no problem. BUT, what about when it blows back at me. THOSE are the moments I’m less than enthusiastic about. I assume you would be too. 

He also leaves other “deposits” in the driveway. I don’t even want to think about what happens to those…

So moral of the story, don’t eat yellow snow! And try not to blow it around.