Nick’s Walk

I think when I get to heaven I will be shocked at how simple it all was and how complicated I tried to make it. My only consolation will be that I made it and that I wasn’t the only one who made it seem harder than it should be.  At times I have known in my head that it was simple, but I never let it stay that way. I would think things like, “Surely, there has to be more.” or “I don’t deserve it. I need to do something else.”  From the words of Jesus I should know that it’s all about relationship with Him and what He did and does through me. It’s not about what I do or deserve. I know that when I recognize what He’s done that I am compelled to do things. I can’t stop myself, but it’s not those things that earn my way; they are just evidence of what he’s done. What about when things are not so great? When I do things I am ashamed of. Those too aren’t important, for forgiveness and forgetfulness or right at hand. He knew all along I would fall. He died and planned for […]

I was eating gumbo from Chris’ last night and got to thinking about my blessed life. I know gumbo doesn’t sound like a big deal, but I remember living for years in California or Florida or Mississippi when you couldn’t get good gumbo at a fast food place. I’ve lived back home since 1981 and that’s a blessed thing. Then I came across the above photo.  I can look out my window from my air-conditioned room and see a forest of green in summer and changing leaves in the fall.  I have been able to work out of my house for years and spend most days with my lovely wife. I guess that makes up for being away for months at a time in the waters off of Vietnam. I have a beautiful daughter, grandkids and great grands. They all live around me. Harvey seems to be headed to Texas and not Acadiana. I am blessed. I think being blessed is really an attitude. It’s the ability, that I don’t always have, of spending an appropriate amount of time looking up and looking down.  I need to spend more time looking up at my great God and getting validation […]

After Moses led God’s People out of Egypt, he became their intermediary to God. He went up on the mountain and returned with God’s word for His people. Jesus changed all that and gave us the opportunity to deal with God directly, to go into His presence, learn His ways, and fellowship with Him. We aren’t always that comfortable with that. We like the distance that an intermediary provides. Someone studying Jesus movements noted that they tend to start when the leader becomes particularly close to God and they end when the followers substitute the leader for God.  Our current system makes it all about a couple of hours on Sunday. On Sunday mornings we try to provide teaching, worship, and fellowship. We make the followers think that if they made it on Sunday, they’ve done all that needs to be done. It’s just not so. Teaching – You can get great teaching lots of places. The more a pastor tries to make Sunday morning about teaching the less time there is for worship and fellowship. Group teaching has to be general. It can’t address the individual struggles and questions of each member. In some churches, sermons are pretty […]

My weird dream this week reminded me of a weird dream last week. In that one, I was   A. On foot B. In a “bad” part of town C. At night D. At Burger King E. With $1000 in cash bulging from my wallet.  As I’ve mentioned before, it’s always fun to try to tie in my dreams with what’s happening in my life. This is a tough one. I’m never on foot. It’s not just that I’m too lazy to walk (which I am), but our house isn’t really walking distance to anywhere. I try to stay out of “bad” parts of town. My grandson is afraid to go in “rich” areas. Sometimes the apple falls way far from the tree. I tend to stay away from areas where drug deals are happening. I am rarely out at night or at Burger King. Most fantastic of all I never have $1000 in cash bulging from my wallet. In my dream, I tried to pull money from the wallet with no one noticing I was “loaded.” It didn’t work as I was walking away with my Whopper in hand, and stuffed wallet hanging out of my pocket, I was […]

I had another weird dream last night. I was part of a contingent of American soldiers holding down a building under assault from a great number of Germans. We were out manned and out of ammunition. The question was whether or not to surrender. I awoke before having to make the fatal decision. I wish I could figure out where that dream came from.  As Christians,  we are at war. Jesus talked about it often. We have more challenges than whether to surrender or fight on. For us, everything is different, including what constitutes victory or defeat and who determines the outcome. If you look at church prayer lists, we fight principally on two fronts: health and finances. As to health, you would think we believe we should live forever. To succumb to disease or injury seems the most horrible thing in the world. It’s as if we had no idea, much less appreciation, of a forever life. Our bodies are designed so that health is always a diminishing asset. We have a responsibility to take good care of these temples, but it’s because we need to be useful in the work of God and not eternal residents of them. […]

I am amazed by what’s happening in my yard this summer. I can almost watch the grass grow. I have weeds higher than my knees. It’s just too hot and wet to get out there and tackle the problem.  Back in the spring, I had glorious ideas about a summer garden. I planted seeds in seeding containers. I reconstructed my raised beds and filled them with garden soil. By the time my seedlings were ready to transplant, it had gotten too hot to do it. All I have are very fertile and empty raised beds. The workings of nature are a dramatic lesson. Jesus often used seeds, plantings, and harvests as illustrations in His teachings. We reap what we sow. The time for planting is limited and critical. We want to seed in the spiritual and not in the natural. One day we will have to explain our plantings and take a hard look at our harvests. I marvel at how limited our time is to seed in the lives of others. My children have long grown and gone. My grandkids are not far behind. My great grands are growing fast and my chances to affect them are minimal.  […]

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV 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 We like things that are new, new cars, new clothes, new restaurants. Everyone, old and young, gets a thrill from something new. Following Jesus is all about newness, but we don’t usually think of it that way. It’s generally considered to be old and old-fashioned. As followers, we are contemporary – the latest thing. It’s worldliness and sin that’s passe’ and old-fashioned. The world is really tired of sin. It’s old hat; they just don’t always recognize that.  The world is caught in a routine. We followers awake each morning with new perspective, opportunity, and challenge. The world is drug down by its history. We awake with eyes forward unleashed from a world that’s not our home and tied to a new heaven and a new earth.  Consider what “newness” means: We are forward-looking. The past is behind. What was bad is forgiven. What was good is credited to our Lord. The future is a path […]

If the local church is going to survive, it needs to up its game on Sunday mornings. Sunday mornings used to be “church.” Not so much any more. Most couples work Monday through Fridays and take care of chores or kids sports activities on Saturday. On Sunday they are tired and just want to “chill.”  Even traditional church goers are falling away from Sunday mornings at church. There is just too much competition. The center piece for most Sunday morning church services is the sermon. I can get better sermons that directly address issues or questions I have on TV or online. There I’ve said it. The local pastor is competing with more talented better educated, more experienced teachers who are supported by staffs with vast technical and research resources. The local guy has to try to reach his regulars and any visitors with a one-fits-all message that he hammers together between pastoring duties during the week. The internet and tv guys can present very pointed, well researched and media backed messages. Lots of folks don’t even know what the Sunday message at their church is going to be and after a while they all tend to sound the […]