Author: Nick

One of the highlights of our recent vacation was our visit to my brother Michael’s home. On one wall of his living room, Mike has pictures of family ancestors, his family on one side and his wife, Mary Ann’s, family on the other. It’s a touching display of the importance of recognizing our heritage.The display includes a picture of my Dad’s mother. We called her Mama Beam. She was a devoted Catholic of the old school. When the church went to the English in the mass, she  ignored that and would say her Rosary during the ceremony.She was an avid card player. She had a group of friends she played with, as I recall, daily. During lent she would “give up” card playing. No one wanted to visit Mama Beam during lent because she missed her card playing and it showed up in her disposition.I remember trying to “give up” things like spinach or homework. I guess I didn’t get the idea.The concept of “giving up” things or making a sacrifice for God is an ancient one. Over the centuries the concept has gotten confused. If you ask someone making such a sacrifice today the reason for their actions, […]

Rosemary and I wrapped up our vacation trip to Houston with a great ride home. We had good conversation and Rosemary shared with me from a book she has been reading. Moments of intimacy are the greatest blessing of a relationship. We have known each other for forty years; but we try to never make the mistake of thinking we completely know each other. Even now, in fact, frequently, we are surprised by each other.  So much more so with God, who is infinitely more complex than Rosemary or I. We never get to the point where we know God. And the great pleasure of our relationship with Him are those moments of intimacy when our knowledge increases; when we learn just a tiny bit more of Him. As always, OC provides me with an insight I never had on intimacy. He says, “Fruit bearing is always mentioned as the manifestation of an intimate union with Jesus Christ (John 15:1-4). John 15:1-4 are the familiar verses about the vine. John 15:1-4 (New International Version) The Vine and the Branches  1“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no […]

We’ve decided to leave Houston a day early in order to escape the approaching winter storm. We know it will probably add up to little more than really cold weather, but the thought of combining Texas and Louisiana drivers with potentially icy conditions is sending us scurrying for the shelter of home.  Besides, the vacation has had it’s intended results: a few days in a different environment, a refreshing and a gradually growing gratitude that our life is our life. Nothing against Houston; this phenomena occurs any place we visit and we have been blessed to visit many spots. At first there is a small touch of envy at the different life style you are plunged into; but eventually comes the realization that the life we have is pretty great. Oswald Chamber (henceforth OC – yes, after 5 days of devotionals I feel I’ve reached the level of familiarity with Oswald that I can abbreviate his name) gives us a different definition of Worship today: Worship is giving God the best that He has given you.  This, for me, is a new definition of worship. Worship in the dictionary is “The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an […]

I amaze myself at what I don’t know. We came to Houston for the week because we believed we were familiar with it. Not so. We drove around the downtown yesterday and I commented that the recession had hit Houston hard. There was hardly anyone on the streets. I discovered later that there are tunnels now below downtown Houston. There were plenty of people  moving quickly below ground; smart enough to be in tunnels and not on the streets in cold weather. We descended into the tunnels and couldn’t find anything more interesting than more tunnels. My adventure into my ignorance continued upon exiting the tunnels,  when I wasn’t smart enough to figure how to get out of the parking garage. And me a techie and all. Today I drove through parts of Houston I didn’t know existed. Some are wonderful; others not so much so. I am learning that just when we think we “know it all” our alarm bells should go off. This particularly true with God. Even if we are smart enough to realize that it’s all about relationship and not trying to get the rules right, we are rarely competent at relating. Relationship is about […]

I am at the Borders at the Galleria in Houston, Texas. How and why I am here is the subject of today’s Nick’s Walk. Rosemary and I are on “vacation.”We decided to take a few days alone after a hectric Christmas season. The plan was to spend a few days in Houston after a brief stop at my brother, Michael’s place in Port Arthur. Yesterday was fine. We had a great visit with Mike and his great family We got to the hotel late and I am suffering from a cold. So drugged with Nyquil I got a great night’s sleep. I  awoke late for me, so the day was already off beam. I had planned to wake up at my usual early time and do my blog and then, of course, a full day of vacation like activity. Plan destroyed. As I open my eyes, Rosemary says “Are you going to breakfast? Can you bring me some.” Knowing she never gets up that early, 7:30. I astutely realized that she hadn’t slept all night. The day’s plans further shot. I took a shower, got dressed and went down for breakfast. After breakfast, I packed up a buffet for […]

How often do we get past the joy of salvation (What He did for us.) and into the complexity of relationship (Who He is.)? As a species we are generally not good at relationships. When someone asks us about another, “Who is that?” We generally respond by announcing what the person does. For example, “He’s my teacher.” “He’s my neighbor.” “He’s my friend.” These are roles. They are defined by what the person does. A teacher…teaches. A neighbor…lives nearby. Even a friend is someone who hangs around us. It is rare that we really get to KNOW someone…rare and a bit scary. As Chambers describes  God, quoting Psalm 97:2, “Clouds and thick darkness are around Him.”We like to relate to people, and to God, by what they do; because that’s simple. What people are is more complex, and what God is, is complex indeed. For me, this is one of the great lessons of Kairos. I always think I know about an inmate after meeting him on Thursday night of a retreat, but by Sunday night I realize he is so much more. What happens between Thursday and Sunday, on my part, is just listening. God does much in […]

It is a fine to say that we want to live a life based on trusting God; that we want Him as our pilot. Oswald Chambers asks “Will you go out without knowing?” Do we have the courage to step out each morning without a plan other than to do what He dictates. God doesn’t share his plans. He leads one step at a time.We do well when considering leading an Extraordinary Life by giving our Utmost for His Highest to consider a young man who last night probably established himself as the greatest player in college history and accepted the Most Valuable Player of the Sugar Bowl award by thanking his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on national television. Tim Tebow demonstrates the Christian who is unashamedly Christian while being the finest he can be in his chosen vocation. Tim wore a bible verse reference on his face for each game. For his final game as a Gator he chose Ephesians 2:8-10 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s workmanship, created […]

Yesterday I was listening to the first couple of chapters of John Bevere’s Extraordinary. We will be doing that study on Sunday nights beginning in a couple of weeks. Bevere begins with an Extraordinary but simple point. We can do nothing to make God love us more. His love is constant and unchanging and NOT dependent on anything we do. However, his pleasure with us IS dependent on what we do. This is a point the Church desperately needs to learn. We have overtaught the love of God with a negative impact. Most Christians know that God loves them, no matter what they do. So they conclude that what they do doesn’t matter. The message regarding pleasing God is grossly undertaught.I am a pleaser. I like to do things that please others. We pleasers need to be ever vigilant of a point as subtle as the love/pleasing issue. It is a wonderful thing to do things for others BECAUSE of our love for them. It’s not so good to do things so that they will love us. We pleasers have to constantly be on guard less we cross that motivation line. This is particularly true with our relationship with […]