Author: Nick

I began 2016 by removing a bumper sticker from my truck. The sticker proclaimed my support for a particular candidate for president. I didn’t remove it because I no longer support the candidate; it’s part of my new year’s resolution to be careful about where I place my trust. I still think this candidate would be best for the country, but I feared that the bumper sticker was an expression of trust in the ability of any candidate to really make a difference. That I don’t have. To me “trust” is a two-fold proposition. I have to trust the intentions of the trusted and the ability of that person to do what is necessary. I know longer believe that anyone in politics can do what this country needs; hence, the bumper sticker is gone. It’s strange whom we trust. For years I thought Bill Cosby was a great guy. One of the few comedians that didn’t rely on vulgarity for humor. He portrayed a wonderful family man on television. I would have trusted him with any woman in my family. Although I firmly believe in “innocence until proven guilty,” it certainly seems that such trust could have been greatly […]

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 My wife and I are celebrating New Year’s Eve in our traditional fashion. We are staying home. I am watching football and she is researching on the internet. I pretty usual night. It all started back in 1970 when we were dating. Rosemary got all dressed up to go out on New Year’s Eve and I showed up to pick her up in jeans and a t–shirt. She ended up agreeing to marry me anyway and we’ve never gone out on New Year’s eve for the last forty-five years. I’ve never understand the big deal over New Year’s anyway. I understand the fondness for newness. Who doesn’t like the smell of a new car or having anything “new?” The “newness” of the first of the year is pretty artificial. Frankly, for most of us, our lives are no different on January the first from what they are on December 31st. Even when we used to write a lot more checks it would take me weeks to update to the new year. I don’t know anyone who really makes long-standing […]

31“Now judgment is upon this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself.” John 12:31-32 Millions world-wide are wrapping up the celebration of Jesus’ birth. I recognize that many of those celebrating don’t know Jesus as savior or even much about him. To many it’s just a really great holiday. That’s okay. It’s  part of the process. The nature of our Savior is that He continues to draw us closer and deeper. Our relationship with Him is never enough. There is always more. With Jesus, it’s just a higher form of the relationship we might have with any special person. A magnetic personality draws us closer and deeper. Jesus is the super magnet. We can never get enough. Of the millions who celebrated Christmas just as a great holiday, there will be some who are drawn closer wondering how a birth two thousand yearsago could still be bring joy. They will want to know more about the child. They will be draw closer. Of the ones who come to believe that Jesus was a real person and, yes, maybe even the son […]

I know it’s cliche’ to say that Christmas is more about presence than presents, but this year I experienced the truth of that like never before. As we age, family begins to experience conflicts especially around the holidays. It’s hard to be everywhere we are expected to be and even want to be. In modern society, this is more stressful than ever because there are more “step” relationships that multiple the obligations. Yesterday, from where I sat, I could see each person climb the steps to our back door. Someone would announce who had arrived and a bit of relief and excitement would spread through those already gathered. Not once was there a single moan or exclamation of “I hoped they wouldn’t make it.” I was thrilled with the presence of every single person who “made it” for Christmas. The time for Christmas presents has passed, but the opportunity to give our presence continues. The week between Christmas and the return to school and work after New Years Day is an excellent opportunity to continue to give presence. Perhaps for the first time ever I was unable to make my extended family gathering on the 23rd. I hope this […]

The message of Christmas is simply expressed, yet enormous in impact and miraculous in execution. Since the miracle at Bethlehem, God is now with us in a universal, savior of the world, sense as well as a God is with me personally sense. For this there is amble evidence. For the universal evidence,  there are stars in the east, skies filled with angels, travelling wise men, and a stack of fulfilled prophecies. The personal proofs are, of course, various and individual but just as convincing. Last April, for example, I was cured of rotator cuff tears in both shoulders. I don’t know if the tears are still present. All I know is I can now raise either arm, lift a reasonable amount, and swim as much as I want without pain. That’s God individually present. I have experienced God providing escape routes out of situations that seemed hopeless. I have known nearly sixty-seven years of faithful provision. I have seen God in loving eyes, felt him in reassuring hugs, and heard him during dark times of doubt. God’s task of keeping us aware of his presence is tricky. He doesn’t allow the lives of his children to be so […]

I have to admit that it just doesn’t feel like Christmas. I’m not sure exactly why that is. It could be the weather. Frankly in south Louisiana none of us expect a white Christmas but temperatures in the eighties, rain and tornadoes? Ho, Ho, No. Maybe it doesn’t seem like Christmas because life isn’t exactly jovial. This year has been a great challenge and 2016 doesn’t look better. Our family has dealt with a lot and will deal with a lot more and I know we are not alone. How did Christmas get so connected with winter weather, fabulous food and spending too much on gifts?  I grew up in south Louisiana and the Christmases I spent away from home were in places like California and Vietnam. No snow,  sleigh rides or fabulous feast on those Christmases past. The good Christmases I do remember involve wearing out the Sears catalogue trying to decide on the one gift Santa could afford that year for me and my eight brothers and sisters. There weren’t a lot of extra presents under the tree, a box of Reese’s Peanut Butter cups from Nan Mil was about all you could be sure of. Lots […]

We wrapped up a really nice Thanksgiving by taking our granddaughter to see the Peanuts movie. It was a fun movie. There is a new red-headed girl in Charlie Brown’s class and Charlie Brown is in love. He wants to get the attention of the new red-headed girl. Of course, his attempts to impress are met with extreme frustration. It turns out that the new girl is perceptive enough to recognize Charlie Brown’s good qualities through his bumbling attempts to impress. The dreams and desires of our youth don’t just slip away. I’m still trying to impress the little red-headed girl. I’ve met with varying success over the years. As the little red-headed girl gets older she’s tougher to impress. Our lives become more complicated with age. Our motivations seem more complex and our goals more advanced. However, at some level we never really grow up. We are still at sixty-six chasing the dreams of our youth. Those dreams may be fame or fortune. We may want to be sports heroes or to make great financial success. Or maybe we just want to impress the cute little red-head we’ve loved for years.

            Let’s face it. Thanksgiving is a pretty easy holiday. For most of us it’s eating, watching football and reading the newspaper circulars as we pray we don’t find anything we really feel a need to fight the Black Friday crowd to buy. Even the purpose of the holiday is pretty easy. Most of us, most of the time, have no trouble finding things we are thankful for. We have family, a bit of money in the bank, a job we can sort of count on, relatively good health and a few years left to do something. There are times for a few of us that Thanksgiving is a bit hard. Some years everyone we want to have around our table can’t make it. Health gets to be a concern as we age. The wallet is not as fat as we would like as we approach retirement. The years we have left to “make something of ourselves” are distressingly fewer. If the forecast isn’t exactly stormy, it’s not necessarily bright blue skies either. Sometimes Thanksgiving is a little work. We have to dig a bit to be upbeat and to find things to be […]