Author: Nick

You have made a wide path for my feet to keep them from slipping. Psalm 18:36 There is a step leading to our carport. It doesn’t take much rain for that area to flood and fill with mud. I have tried everything I can think of to keep this from happening. I know one day I will fix this problem. In the meantime, I have placed some squared blocks that Rose and I can step on when this flood/muddy condition exists. This works as a temporary solution. (We have been in this house for 30 years. “Temporary” is in the mind of the beholder.) Of course, when we use the blocks we have to be very careful. That path is much narrower than the sidewalk.  Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” John 14:6. I tend to think of this in the broadest sense. He is, after all, the only “way” to the Father. However, He also provides a very specific path for our lives. This path is not meant to be a test or a punishment. It’s just the best and safest way to Him.  Like most paths, it tends to be narrow and […]

I can be moody. That is “given to unpredictable changes of mood, especially sudden bouts of gloominess or sullenness.” It’s common in teens, and I guess in 70 somethings. I read that, if temporary, it’s normal.  I find bad moods are generally situational. If there is an obvious reason for your feelings, that’s not a mood. That’s a reaction to a problem. Deal with the problem. Some causes of a bad mood aren’t so obvious. Am I feeling guilty about something? Maybe an apology is in order or maybe I just need to accept the forgiveness that’s already there. Have I been rejected? Small rejections aren’t always obvious. Is someone not returning my calls or texts? Has no one “liked” my awesome post on Facebook. Usually, this isn’t rejection. People are just busy. Do I have things I really need to be doing? Make a plan. Have a to-do list. The process of putting together or reviewing a to-do list can often banish the blues. Decide what you really need to do and what should be done now and what later on. Can you delegate? Is this someone else’s responsibility? Am I really the only one who thinks this […]

Tonight LSU and Clemson play for the National Championship. I’m a football fan and I know it’s a  big deal. I’m not a particular fan of either team, but I have been looking forward to tonight for some time. I get two newspapers delivered and each has had an entire supplement every day for a week on this game. I know millions will be bet. I know blood pressures will rise. Work productivity will drop. School absentees will occur. In fact, some will be closed. I get it. It’s a big deal BUT It’s just a game. I say this not because my team isn’t in it, although that would certainly make it a bigger game. I say it not to diminish the excitement or take away from the pride in just being in the national championship game. I say it because it’s such a good reminder of what is really important. For everyone, including the team and coaches, there are more important things than this game. For the rest of us, there are many more important things. I won’t be pompous or holier-than-thou enough to tell you what those things are. That’s too personal.  During half-time, I plan […]

We know that we are in a fight and that the battle is the Lords. Where does that leave us? What are we to do?  Surely we have a part. I believe our part is to be Alert, Armed and Available. ALERT Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 1 Peter 5:8.  Satan, like a lion, can approach in stealth. We need to be on alert, keeping an eye out for him. We are called to be fearless, but not foolish. Sometimes, a lion uses a different technique. He makes his presence known and roars to raise fear in any creature that may be around. A frightened creature can make a mistake. Instead of laying low in a place of safety, he may make a run for it making his presence known and allowing the lion to pounce. We can also be so Satan aware that we see him when he’s not there. The “devil made me do it” is sometimes, but not always true. We need to be alert to our failings and tendencies to sin. ARMED 10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his […]

You must not fear them, for the Lord your God, Himself fights for you. Deuteronomy 3:22 …we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 1 John 2:1 We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 The Lord your God, who goes before you, He will fight for you… Deuteronomy 1:30 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace. Exodus 14:14 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you. 2 Chronicles 20:17 The battle is the Lord’s. 1 Samuel 17:47 The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name. Exodus 15:3 But you, LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. Psalm 3:3 A follower of Jesus loves his quiet time. In those times, I regain perspective. My tensions loosen. I am renewed. My quiet times are a little different. My quiet times come while I swim. They are not technically “quiet.” I swim with waterproof earbuds. Music, or more rarely a good book, provides the environment. He speaks and, at least sometimes, […]

Sometimes I feel that the natural state of man is to feel restless and alone. That is not to say that we always feel both together, alone and restless. Or that we always feel one or the other. It’s just that I often feel one or the other or both. I sometimes have these feelings when they make no sense.  I have felt alone in a crowded room as well as on a solitary walk. I have felt restless when that might be better described as boredom, nothing to do, as well as when my to-do list was as long as my arm. I could be “alone” in these feelings, but I don’t think so. As I’ve written recently, depression is epidemic and it seems depression, restlessness and the sense of being alone, all march together.  I can hear some readers saying, “You just need to get out more.” (It’s a great gift to be able to hear readers even before words are read or even written. ) I should say that this condition is not, at least in my case, caused by a lack of loving human relationships. My wife and family are great. I have good friends […]

I spent some time recently in a horrible place. I have called it “a pit” and it was. But it was nothing like the pit Betsy and Corrie ten Boom experienced. They spent time in a concentration camp during WWII. They were not Jews but were sent to the camp for helping Jews. They managed to sneak in a Bible and shared God’s Good News with other prisoners. Betsy died in the camp. While still alive she would tell Corrie, “Be thankful for the fleas.” Turns out the fleas kept the guards out and allowed the worship services they led. It is said, that as she lay dying in her flea-infested barracks, she said, “There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still.” I led a chapel service at The Refinery, a men’s shelter in Opelousas Tuesday night. One of the men shared his heart with me after and I counseled him as best I could. I guess I did okay, but I wasn’t awesome. The Spirit seemed to take over and he wept as we prayed together. Even that weak effort felt good, but it was in a very protected environment while I was already […]

A friend recently sent me a great article that offered advice to those over 65. https://maybienvh.wordpress.com/2018/05/24/between-65-and-death/ If you know me, you know I think such articles can be improved. Here’s my attempt. The “Golden” years of “retirement are our last and best effort to be awesome. Let’s not miss this chance. Here are some tips. I would appreciate it more.  01 – Be realistic about your finances. Most fear they don’t have enough to live on, but life can be cheaper as you age. My wife and I realize we can split entrees at restaurants if we can agree on the entrees. That’s just one example. My observation is that some are just addicted to work or to making money or just don’t want to be home with the spouse. Be realistic. For most, it really is time to stop and smell the roses.  02 – Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren , and don’t feel bad spending your money on yourself . You’ve taken care of them for many years , and you’ve taught them what you could . Be like the momma bird, it’s time to toss them out of the nest and […]