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I read a newspaper this morning. I wasn’t impressed. I did it because it was free at the restaurant where I had breakfast. I had not read a newspaper in weeks. I used to get the newspaper delivered every day. Then, without good reason, my delivery person changed and I stopped receiving the paper. I noticed I really didn’t miss it. I get a daily email from the news paper with the headlines. That’s more information than I need.  It disturbs my wife that I rarely watch the news. I think it gives me a better perspective. There is little good news. I have plenty enough issues of my own without starting my day reading about a lot of things which really don’t impact my daily life. More importantly, the paper contains much I can do nothing about. I’d rather focus on the needs of my family, friends and church. I always seem to find out when those folks need something. I try to keep my ear open to the Lord. If I need to do something, I think He’ll let me know. In some ways, ignorance is bliss and the “news” is not. Be blessed. Nick

Some who know more about sports than I do say, “The best Defense is a good Offense.” I don’t know about sports, but that certainly seems to be true in the Christian walk.  It seems we spend too much time trying not to be bad. We’re trying to get out of trouble rather than to move  into righteousness.  While we certainly need to defend against the world, the flesh and the devil, our primary activity needs to be directed offensively into being “in Christ” and therefore moving into righteousness. That’s where true holiness is.  He is our righteousness. Take the offensive: move into Him, move into righteousness. Nick

“Unhappiness comes from mirrors. Happiness comes from windows.” The Love Worth Finding daily devotional for today written by Adrian Rogers begins with this quote. What a wise observation. Most of the misery of life comes from looking in the mirror at self. Most of the joy comes from looking out of windows at the world our Lord created for us and the struggles others face.  Looking in a mirror everything is reversed. Up is down, left is right. Looking too much at ourselves is reversed as well. Happiness in life is very attitude and perspective based. And perspective has a tremendous influence on attitude. I have been suffering with my knee for the past few days. It got better for Sunday but I’m back using a cane today. It’s easy to be mirror focused when something hurts or your normal mobility is impacted. Today I went to a local drive in to pick up lunch. One of the workers was walking from the drive in to a picnic area behind the business. She was obviously struggling and could hardly walk. Yet she was having to work on her feet all day. My mirror switched to a window and that […]

At Amana we have been studying the names of God. In doing so we are learning about our God, but in the process we are learning much about ourselves. For example, this week we consider the name, Jehovah-Raah, The Lord My Shepherd. It is comforting to know that we have a Good Shepherd. It is a little less comforting to consider that we are sheep. Here are just some of the characteristics of sheep: 1. timid, fearful, easily panicked2. dumb stupid, gullible3. very vulnerable to fear, frustration, pests, hunger4. easily influenced by a leader, by the shepherd5. stampede easily, vulnerable to mob psychology6. little or no means of self-defense; can only run7. easily killed by enemies8. the shepherd is most effective, calming influence9. jealous, competitive for dominance10. constantly need fresh water, fresh pasture11. have very little discernment in choosing food or water12. best water source is early morning dew13. perverse, stubborn – will insist on their own way , even eating poisonousplants or drinking dirty water14. easily “cast” – flipped over on their back, unable to right themselveswill die of starvation if not turned over by shepherd; helpless15. frequently look for easy places to rest16. don’t like to be […]

The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.Proverbs 29:25The book of Proverbs is full of gems. This verse is just one of them. It points out a contrast which, if recognized and applied, can make an incredible difference in our lives. It balances fear of man with trust in God. Fear of man is a snare or trap. When we let the fear of man enter our lives we become disabled. That’s how a snare works. An animal in a snare or trap can’t move. Fear of man allows an artificial barrier to form around us which keeps us from living as our Father would have us live. Consider how we are when we are fearful. Fear fills our lives. We can think of nothing but the object of our fear. It disrupts our sleep and fills our days. We are frozen. The basis of fear is a concern that we are not in control; that someone else or something else will determine what will happen to us. The fear controls us.On the other hand consider the man who trust in the Lord. He know that he is not in control, […]

I have been to a bunch of churches in my 62 years. I have pleasant memories from most of them. I recall the holy quiet of St. Michaels in Crowley where I served as an altar boy. I remember the chapel at Immaculata Seminary which I attended for my freshman and half of my sophomore year of high school. I recall many years of not many churches until the Baptist Church in Gulfport where I went forward to proclaim my “acceptance of Jesus.” I have fond memories of a “church without walls” and, of course, Amana where I currently serve. Recollection of all of these and others brings a smile to my face; but none of these churches was perfect. There are no perfect churches and, we know, if there was one we would make it imperfect by our membership. There won’t be a perfect church until Jesus comes back, but that’s no reason to blame a church for detouring our walk. All of our memories of church are not great and some are even painful, but that’s in the past. We may be offended by the actions or failures to act of some churches. Again remember, no church is […]

Although my knee is better today, my mobility is still limited. I am not the most active of persons but when a trip to the bathroom requires a cane and is painful, it makes you think and spend even more time than normal on the computer. While reviewing Facebook I saw this entry, “Just sitting here praying.” Isn’t  that the way we think about praying? That it is a sitting around, passive activity. We even feel we should be doing something instead of “just” praying.  When it really is the most important thing we can do. I mean real praying, not complaining to God about everything that’s wrong or even going through a list of needs, but being still before God and listening.  We are quick to conclude that God doesn’t talk to us; but I believe more often the problem is we don’t listen. In our culture there is little quiet time. When I sit in the living room I either have my earphones on listening to a book or the TV is on. We go to sleep to the television and wake up to the morning news. How would we know if He was talking to us, […]

For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”  How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?  And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard?  And how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:13-14 Have you been praying for the lost? Have you tried to be a living gospel, trying to show Jesus to others by your life? That’s great, but for each of us there comes a time to speak. When the time does come to speak up, a lot of Christians are like arctic rivers:  frozen at the mouth.  But someone must tell the story. Pray for the unsaved, let your light shine, and when the time comes, tell them the gospel story.  Paul said in Romans 1:16, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. What are we to say? We need to relate the gospel story:   Mankind was separated from God,  Jesus paid the price for their sins,  He was raised from the dead, and if you put your trust in Him, you can be saved. I believe it’s […]