Author: Nick

Halloween is a challenge for me. It’s amazing how much the holiday has grown since I was a kid. It’s a big deal today. For Christians, it presents a challenge. There is no doubt that there is a certain darkness to it and that it has roots  in very non-Christian practices. There are bible verses that seem to counsel against participating in Halloween Philippians 4:8—”think about pure, lovely, noble things” Romans 13:12—“put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22—“Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.” 3 John 1:11—“do not imitate what is evil” Deuteronomy 18:9-14—”do not learn to imitate detestable ways, including spiritists, sorcerers and witchcraft” On the other hand I see my great-grandson dressed up as dinosaur and I have to wonder what can be wrong with that. There have been years where we hosted “harvest” alternative celebrations, where we just turned out the lights and hide in the bedroom, or where we passed out tracts with the candy. I am not sure what’s the best response.  I guess I like Kirk Cameron’s perspective: “Christians have always known since the first century that death was […]

There has been a lot happening in my life that I could complain about, until I look around. The sad truth is that I have been complaining, and worrying and generally being ungrateful. I found out today a friend has pancreatic cancer. I know someone who has lost a child and a spouse in the same year. Then there are those pictures taken in far away and not so far away places of children in hunger and pain. Then I take a close look in the mirror and tell myself, “Just shut up.” Just shutting up isn’t enough. The thing about being too mirror focused is that it keeps me from looking around at a world filled with folks with much bigger problems than I have or have ever had. You can’t do much looking in the mirror. Once you have shaved, brushed and combed, you have pretty much run out of useful activities. I need to spend more time looking out the window, checking out a world full of suffering souls. Even that should not occupy too much of my time. I need to do a lot more doing than looking at myself or at the world. Jesus […]

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13 “Stand Your Ground” isn’t primarily a political, Second Amendment, Self-Defense concept. It’s a biblical principle. It’s about securing the protection of God, which is spiritual preparation and then standing. Let’s think for a minute what it means to “Stand.” To stand means we are responsible for a territory. That strikes deep at the heart. Most of us frankly avoid responsibility. If we have to have responsibility we like to “share” it. We don’t witness because that’s the preacher’s responsibility. We don’t teach our children about the Lord, isn’t that the Sunday School teacher’s job? Yet to be told we are to stand means that we are to stand somewhere. For starters, it means standing where we are. To stand means we stand at home. It is most difficult to stand among our family. We can stand at church; most of those people only see us a couple of hours a week. We can fake it for that long. But if I have to stand at […]

I just reviewed yesterday’s election results. No one I voted for won. It seems I am totally out of touch with political reality. I am not sure if that is a good or bad thing. I think I’m going to go with good thing. I guess there are a lot of good reasons I might be out of touch with the electorate. I’m sixty-six years old and most voters are younger than that. I vote on what I perceive are character traits of honesty and fair dealing. The current voter seems to buy into negative political advertising. I can’t help but notice the dirtier campaigns seem to have generally prevailed. Most of the winners seemed to have promised the same things we are always promised with no plan to pay for or accomplish the promised goodies. I think the real reason, however, is that my head and heart just aren’t in this place any more. I have long given up on the political system to advance us as a society or to protect us as individuals. I really see all battles as primarily spiritual and beyond the understanding of politicians or the power of government. The really bad news […]

One of the longest running programs on television is  Let’s Make A Deal. I haven’t watched it in years but I remember the big decision contestants faced in choosing one of three doors. There was nothing to rely on but pure intuition. Great prizes awaited behind some doors. Gag gifts were hiding behind others. There are times in life like that. We face life changing decisions behind multiple doors. Which one should we choose? Sorry to say that this is not one of those posts in which I share a great insight I’ve had into one of life’s mysteries. This is just me staring at multiple doors and having no idea which to choose. I am not even sure which doors are actual viable choices and which are mirages. It’s pretty obvious when God has a change in store for us. If it isn’t immediately obvious, it eventually becomes so. God often did this to Israel. When they relied too heavily on God’s gifts and not Him, the gifts would start disappearing. Change was on the horizon. Door selection is less about making the richest choice than it is about making the most God dependent one. God’s  best path […]

I had a very enjoyable Monday. I got to spend some time with Tyler, my grand daughter’s husband and their child Logan. At suppertime, I got time with Martha, Nicky and Sammie as we celebrated Nicky’s 14th birthday. I get plenty of updates on these family members but there is nothing like a little face time. Getting information about someone, even direct, but not face to face communication just isn’t the same thing. Relationships really need that one-on-one time. Isn’t that true of God? It amazes me that since all that Jesus’ death accomplished including the renting of the temple veil and the establishment of the right to enter into the holy of holies, we don’t take advantage of the privilege given children of God. Forgiveness and salvation are truly wonderful, but they are just prerequisites to the privilege of one-on-one with the Creator. God didn’t create us to be saved and forgiven. He saves and forgives us so that we can carry out the purpose of our creation, relationship with Him. Yet I can easily number the times I have truly fully entered into His presence. Each time was life changing and glorious. I suppose our reluctance isn’t […]

This is usually one of my favorite weeks of the year. It’s time for Florida versus LSU in football. I enjoy it because I went to law school at Florida and just about everyone I know and love is an LSU fan. It’s just not the same this year. It should be. Both teams are undefeated and ranked high nationally. Normally I would be exchanging silly texts and emails with LSU fans. This year two idiots from the Florida team have ruined it all. The quarterback got suspended for illegal drug use and one of the best defensive players is off the team after getting in trouble with the law. It’s not the first time a Florida or an LSU player has done something stupid. (Wow is that an understatement.) I always one upped the LSU people because we produced Tim Tebow; they can’t top that one for all round good guys. Consider the problem. If LSU should win, they are,  after all, at home and two of our best and dumbest players are out, then there will always be the “what if.” You always want to win when your opponent is at their best. If Florida should win […]

I keep making the mistake of thinking that peace means being in control. That’s just not right. In fact, for most things in life, control is an illusion. We can control very little when you get right down to it. There are things we can influence, but very few we can control. Exercise and diet can influence our health but don’t completely control it. We can do nothing about heredity and very little about disease process. We have great influence over our children, especially when they are young. As they age our control dwindles and eventually disappears. Things like the weather, the economy and politics are completely out of control, ours or, it seems, anyone else’s. Even things like our calendar and to-do list seem to have either minds of their own or the minds of others. The great paradox about peace is that it is really only attainable when we let go of control and place everything in hands of the only one who really has any control, God.  That sounds very simple, but it’s really tough to do. It’s both a decision and a process. After years of trying, we have to come to realize that we really […]