Author: Nick

Tomorrow morning at Amana Christian Fellowship in Maurice at 9 we will mix Lovers, Liars, and He Man Woman Haters. There will be a confession of lying in church. There will be an attempt to recruit you into a Gang. If you miss you have no sense of adventure whatsoever.  It’s week 4 of Francis Chan’s Letters to the Church. It might be helpful if you have been attending the first weeks. It could be good if you read chapter 4 in the book. You can read it here.  It will be an adventure in any case. See you then. If you want to catch up first, here are some aids: Here Francis introduces Letter to the Church. Here is the We Are Church documentary on what Francis is now doing in San Francisco. We haven’t shown this yet so you will be ahead. 🙂  Is God pleased with the Church? This one is new as well.  Have a blessed day. Nick  

I was in a group study this week on the Gospel of Mark. Unlike the other gospels, Mark jumps right in beginning with the public ministry of Jesus. We were all amazed how at the simple call of Jesus to “Follow Me” the disciples dropped everything and followed. We provided numerous “explanations”. Perhaps the word about Jesus had spread and these men had foreknowledge of all this Man was doing. Others suggested that they followed, knowing they could always “unfollow” later if things didn’t work out. People, this isn’t Facebook.  We all missed the most obvious explanation: Love at First Sight. I feel sorry for those who have never experienced the awesome, overwhelming feelings that come with meeting “the person” that was meant for you all along. I’ve had that experience. I know that explains the drop-everything response to “Follow Me.” All the beauty of our world is but a reflection of the beauty of the Son Of God. That glory couldn’t have been well hidden when Jesus walked the world in human form. We know that he was not particularly physically handsome. There was, however, that special something that drew followers, committed, give-their-lives, leave-everything-else-behind followers. It’s sad we […]

I decided to go a bit casual to church yesterday. I wore my “old” windbreaker instead of a newer sports jacket. I’ve had the windbreaker for a long time. It’s an old friend. After church, Rose and I went to lunch and I, unsuspecting, impressed our waiter. “Is that a Member’s Only jacket?” he asked as he brushed aside the collar to expose the “members only” logo. “It is?” he exclaimed, truly excited. I considered this a very unique way to “earn” a big tip but “whatever.” Later he returned and advised that he had looked it up on Google. “Even an old stained one is worth money..” he advised like an investment broker. That crack, which I took as a comment on the condition of my windbreaker, knock his tip down considerably. Rose and I discussed and decided it was really old, but could not nail down how old.  “I think I bought it at “Brothers” before it burned. My wife measures the passage of time in terms of shopping trips.  Up to yesterday, Rosemary only remembers the burning of Brothers because they sold her a pair of shoes that didn’t match and burned their store down to […]

I’ve already blown one of my “resolutions” for 2019. I wanted to be more faithful to this blog and try to post every day. It’s mid-January and this is my third post of the year. My excuse is, of course, that I have been busy. I have been busy with lots of things but mostly with teaching Letters to the Church at Amana Christian Fellowship on Sunday mornings at 9.  God is really doing something there. Please forgive the distraction it’s been for me. Join us if you can. This Sunday we will acknowledge that we have cheapened something sacred, (the Church) and we must repent. I don’t think you will be lost if you join us Sunday. Each session stands on its own, but you can catch up by watching the movies and see what we’ve seen and/or listen to our audio and hear what we’ve heard.  Here’s the Kickoff Pep rally, everything seen but none of what I said.  If you want to hear, you can do that as well, here.  You can catch our second session – Departure: Or listen, here.  Hope you can join us Sunday at 9 a.m. at Amana Christian Fellowship in Maurice. I’ll […]

It all started with a discussion on what to “fast from.” You see at our church we are doing a 21 day “fast.” You know “crucify the flesh.” Hear God better. That kind of thing. My pastor doesn’t want us “bragging” about our fast but mine is so weak, it really wouldn’t be bragging. I’m just going to give up bragging.  I mentioned it to my wife whose response was, “You should give up Facebook.” After 48 years of marriage, you would think she would run out of silly things to say. I gave my usual response to silly things, that would be an eye roll. I would never give up Facebook. My 2253 friends (that is the real number. I’m a real friendly guy) hang on my every utterance. It did seem that Facebook was a bit of a distraction to which I had become addicted. What to do? What I did decide to do was to make my friends less annoying. Wish that worked with the family.  I was being notified every time someone burped on Facebook and I felt obliged to respond, like, comment, un-friend, something. I was getting notifications several times an hour and each time […]

I’m in my 69th year and every one has been different. No reason to believe that 2019 won’t follow that pattern. I hope some of 2018 sticks around. Last year, I returned to my 6-day-a-week swimming habit and that,  combined with healthier eating, reaped a reward of lower weight, higher energy and better attitude.  I’m starting 2019 with some changes. At 2 o’clock this morning I began my Chronological read of the Bible. My pastor is doing it and I am going to follow along. I can’t imagine that daily Bible reading won’t be great.  I want to blog each day. I hear some of you moaning, but I don’t do it for you. I find that blogging helps motivate and organize my day. It starts me off putting the Kingdom first. Call me on it if I fall short. My big “resolution” however is to be more grateful. I saw “The Key to Unhappiness” a great Prager U video tying gratefulness to happiness. As to the “how-to” on that, Nanette Cook, my councilperson, wrote a very practical helpful article in Active Acadiana. (I know I feel your shock at learning I would read something called Active.) Teaching Gratitude at Christmas […]

I’m not doing Christmas Cards this year. It’s not that I don’t like Christmas Cards. I do. I enjoy getting them from the ones I Iove or at least like a lot. I don’t get the same thrill from the cards I get from the bank, or real estate agents, or other lawyers who I savored destroying during the year.  I have sent out Christmas cards for years. I was beginning to feel more like the bank or a realtor than a loving friend. It was a machine like process. Sure I included some precious people on my list but they ended up getting treated like the lawyers I like to bash. It just didn’t seem right. This year I took the money I spent on Christmas cards for the last few years and gave it to charity. I chose the Refinery a mission for men in Opelousas. I have the privilege of ministering to the men there as they do to me. I believe in what is being done there and this seemed a better use of my time and money. I admit I did send a few cards. I returned cards to those who sent cards to […]

I wrote this article for Covenant Spotlight’s December issue. I suspect there may be a wider audience that needs to read it.  Christmas blues are very real. For many what should be the most joyous time of the year, is the darkest. Those holiday blues can be banished, but it takes some work. If you, or someone you love, is a blues victim this time of the year, the key to banishment is identifying the source. The blues may be rooted in jealousy. In every life, there is someone who does Christmas better. You know the type. The Christmas decorations magically appear on Black Friday and disappear on Epiphany. Gifts are purchased and wrapped by December 1st. Holiday meals are torn from the pages of Good Housekeeping. We can’t hope to measure up. CHRISTMAS IS NOT A CONTEST. Sometimes we are really competing with memories. We strive to make this Christmas like the ones we remember, or worse we try to make up for the Christmases we never had and believe we deserved. CHRISTMAS PAST WAS NEVER AS GOOD OR BAD AS WE REMEMBER. Sometimes we try to make up at Christmas for what we mess up all year. Gift […]