Author: Nick

Sometimes it takes a combination of events to get a message through my hard head. Motivated by the great weather my wife and I enjoyed a fun and active day yesterday. It seems I was busy “doing” all day. I observed lots of road work, but with many of the workers taking breaks, sitting or lounging on the side of the road, checking their phones. I read an article entitled “Why Sitting Too Much Harms Our Bodies.” All this got me thinking about how important it is to move from thinking about things to caring passionately about them, to doing something about them: from head to heart to hands. Recently there has been renewed interest in  the life and writings of Francis of Assisi, principally because the new Pope chose to adopt his name. Francis shook up the church of his day with his emphasis on doing over meditating and contemplating.  As Richard Rohr has noted: Those who have analyzed the writings of Francis have noted that he uses the word doing rather than understanding at a ratio of 175 times to 5. Heart is used 42 times to 1 use of mind. Love is used 23 times as […]

What an absolutely glorious morning. I know this even though just the first hints of dawn are peaking through. I am doing something I almost never do. I’m sitting on our patio drinking a cup of coffee and absorbing the cool dry air. From where I sit I can watch as the light begins to fill the eastern sky over Bayou Tortue. I can hear the birds as they begin to stir. They must be female birds, talking so much so early. A day like this has to be filled with wonderful promise and all good things. I didn’t feel like this when I laid my head down last night. I was tired, discouraged, and drained. I fell asleep wondering what new horror the next day would bring. I needed rest and refreshment. I get it by falling asleep with Christian radio playing through my earbuds. The night alternates periods of restorative sleep with minutes of encouragement and hope piped into my soul. The combination performs the miracle of night. The prosperity teachers are such liars. The Follower isn’t promised an easier life. I have observed that the more we strive to follow Jesus the harder, not easier, life […]

We began registration for the Focused Fantastic Follower series yesterday at Amana. I was thrilled with the response. We are going to have a great group. Registration isn’t necessary. Drop ins are actually welcome. It is helpful to know if  you are planning to come, even if not every week so we can have enough material for everyone. Here are the basics again: Focused Fantastic Followers Beginning August 30 on Sunday nights from 6 to 7 at Amana Christian Fellowship, 310 Milton Highway, Maurice.  Here’s a map.  The sessions will last for 12 weeks and will be loosely based on Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People We are going to give Covey’s great work a Follower of Christ spin. There is no charge. We aren’t selling anything. You don’t need to have a copy of the book, but you may want one. It’s available in paperback. There is a Kindle  version and an audiobook version. All available from Amazon or from local bookstores. I have even see it at Wal-Mart. Yes I shop at Wal-Mart. Let me know if you would like to be added to the list. Nick@Nicksigur.com If you can’t join us, your prayer support […]

I was working on the Fantastic Focused Follower program, listening to praise music, when the song, Soul on Fire began. It summarizes what the Fantastic Focused Follower concept is all about, a Soul on Fire. Consider the first verse: God, I’m running for Your heart I’m running for Your heart Till I am a soul on fire Lord, I’m longing for Your ways I’m waiting for the day When I am a soul on fire Till I am a soul on fire The essence of being a Fantastic Focused Follower is not just having a desire to know and share the heart of God,  but to do so with such enthusiasm that it’s best described as “running” for that heart. It’s not just wanting to have the heart of God, sharing His desires and His thoughts but “longing for Your ways.” I don’t know why we think that we can have the heart of God without action. After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do. Acts 13:22. We have to run after the […]

I love Kyle Idelman’s Not a Fan: Becoming a Completely Committed Follower of Jesus. It convinced me that we are called to be more than fans of Jesus. It lead me to stop being satisfied calling myself a Christian, a term which has lost real meaning. Folks call themselves “Christian” if: Their mom was a Christian. They go to church. They’ve been baptized. They live in a “Christian” country. They are a good person. They believe in Jesus. I can claim all of those criteria (well maybe not the Christian country), so what? That doesn’t define who I am in Christ. I’m a follower of Jesus. The problem is I’m not always a “Completely Committed Follower of Jesus.” A Completely Committed Follower of Jesus, it seems to me, needs to be focused and fanatical.  Isn’t that what it means to be “Completely Committed?” I am sometimes unfocused, sometimes unenthusiastic, and sometimes drift. Sometimes I’m all three simultaneously.  I don’t think I’m the only one. We should be called “fanatical.”  I agree with Idelman that it’s not enough just to be a fan, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be fanatical. That means we are zealous, extremist, extreme, militant, dogmatic, radical, diehard,single-minded, […]

I love the fall. To me it’s the season of new beginnings. I guess this goes back to beginning the new school  year as a kid. I loved the fresh start of new books and empty notebooks. The break in the summer heat is welcome. Every football team is undefeated. Every football fan loves this time of the year. I know its only mid-August but the daily rains seem to have broken the back of the oppressive heat and at least a few leaves are falling. I’ve already started acting like it’s fall. I’ve planted seeds for a fall garden and the new plants are emerging. Fall seems to me a better time for fresh starts than the days of New Year resolutions or the “new life” season of spring. That brings me to Fall’s Fresh Focused Fantastic Fans. I’ll be leading a group on Sunday nights at my home church, Amana Christian Fellowship in Maurice. It’s a project I’ve had in the works for years. In the 90’s I was fascinated by Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change which was first published in 1990, and it continues to be a business bestseller with more […]

I got a new wallet. It seemed like a good idea. My old wallet was really old. It is kind of big and bulky. It was just inconsistent with my new perceived lighter and slimmer image.  The new wallet was really cheap, but is “genuine” leather. It holds one picture id. It has three slots for various cards. It has a really cool magnetic clip for cash. It’s just perfect for my new quick and lighter life style. When it arrived I excitedly pulled out my old wallet and began the transfer process. That’s when the trouble started. I had to decide which cards would make it to my new slimmed down wallet. I put my cash in. I don’t carry much cash so that was pretty easy. Then I slipped in my driver’s license in the slot designed for that purpose. My debit card was next. It’s the reason I don’t carry much cash.  I was feeling pretty cool and modern. I just had to decide what would go into the other two slots. That’s when things got real serious. What about my medicare card, my medicare supplement card, my drug supplement card. I solved that one with an […]

I am excited  about a new ministry opportunity I will be involved in this fall, AMI Kids Acadiana Prayer and Share. AMI Kids Acadiana has a residential facility in Branch, Louisiana. AMI Kids provides an opportunity for teen age boys to separate a troubled past from a bright future. These boys have been placed in the AMI Kids program as an alternative to incarceration. The AMI Prayer and Share group will provide a weekly prayer and share experience for the boys as well as individual mentors for each boy. Our ministry group consists of men of varied races and denominations. It’s a great group of Christian guys. On August 29, we will have a kick off event. It will be a barbecue at the facility to give the kids an opportunity to met the men and learn about the ministry. We could use some help with desserts and side dishes. If you would like to assist please let me know. We will also need, of course, prayer support. I will try to periodically report on the ministry through this blog. You may contact me at 337-205-2353 by phone or text or nick@nicksigur.com. Thanks for listening.