Nick’s Walk

Recently a link for Viagra appeared on my website. I didn’t too much mind the link being there, but I wasn’t set up to get any income from those who clicked on it. It wasn’t very well done. Clicking on the link did not take you to a drug store. My apologies to those who were scandalized by the thought I had gone into the drug business. I really don’t want to hear from those of you who weren’t surprised. I am still working to rid the site of the link. It may be a long fight. It keeps coming back. Some research indicated that I have been under a “brute force attack.” I learned that means that hackers set up automated attempts to log onto my website. Someone apparently succeeded and thus the Viagra link.  Under my new security system, I am advised every time someone attempts to log onto my site. It happens multiple times each day. I am somewhat honored that a hacker, probably in some third-world country, finds my site worthy of attack. I hope he reads some of my posts and has a life change as a result thereof. I realize that is probably wishful […]

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 Dear Logan James: Hi. I have a few words for you. I know you won’t be born until July, but I have seen your picture and know you are a person. I mainly wanted to tell you how lucky you are. Your parents are two of my favorite people. They love to have fun, but they are responsible and hard-working. They already love you and, most importantly, they love and are committed to each other. You don’t know yet how rare and important that is these days, but you will come to appreciate it. You have a great big sister. She’s a very special person, although it may take you years to appreciate that. That’s how sisters and brothers go. The most important thing she did for you was act as a lab rat for your parents. They have already made most of their parenting mistakes on her, and, because they are pretty smart I figure they have learned from those goofs. Your parents have great support from their families […]

Yesterday on my way to Albertsons for my annual Valentine Day flower arrangement purchase I was slowed down by traffic for the Youngsville Mardi Gras Parade. I’m sure these two events have collided in the past. I just hadn’t noticed it. I began to try to tie the two events together. The Albertsons looked like a floral arrangement first aid station. It seemed every employee was drafted as amateur florists. Men with confused looks tried to make reasonable purchases from the vast array of choices. I couldn’t help but think that those spending the most money had the most to seek forgiveness for, but that’s probably just me. I spent more than the average. Just so you know. Valentines Day seems less about love and more about obligation. How thrilled can a loved one be to receive a gift that was mass produced on the same day that nearly everyone in town is receiving something similar.  Don’t get me wrong. I participate. I have been in love with the same woman for 45 years and I try not to miss an opportunity to show her how I feel. Valentine’s Day just doesn’t seem to be my best chance.  There is […]

As I have grown older,  have developed the habit of checking the obituaries. This practice has provided me with significant life lessons. I’m still alive.  The first thing I do when checking obits is to look for my name. So far I have been pleased with what I have found. It would be terrible to die and not know it. I have lived longer than many. Lately there are lots of people younger than me listed in the obits. Many  never lived to get married or have children, I have. I even have grands and great grands. I have had a great family and a life filled with great experiences. If I died today, it would have been enough. Lives are very different.  Although there is a certain commonality to obits, there is enough difference to show the great variety of life. Many obits are long and full of “achievements.” Others seem to struggle to come up with something, “He was an avid television watcher.” “He loved a good joke or a great meal.” “He was  liked by some.” I think I will start drafting my obit today. Don’t tell the whole story.  Obits are not really very helpful […]

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1 And Abram said, “I’m really pretty much in the zone here. I’m really comfortable. What new land are you referring to? What am I going to be doing there? Do they speak my language there? Do you have a map? Do they have the kind of foods I am used to? The wife isn’t going to be happy about this. I’m a bit old to be resettling. How long will it take to get there? Are there giants in the land? Is this really the Lord? You sound a lot like the devil?” When a player is doing great, all his shots are going in and he can’t seem to do anything wrong, we say he is “in the zone.” When we kind of lose control and contact with reality we say we are “zoned out.” Did you ever stop to think that the Lord is trying to get you out of your zone, your comfort zone? When we are “in the zone” we are satisfied and pretty pleased with ourselves. We are in […]

We tend to think of grace in the past tense. We were blind, now we see. We were lost, now we’re found. Grace is the basis of our wonderful entrance into the Christian walk, but it’s much more. It’s the fuel for that walk. As we struggle to follow Christ, grace remains crucial. It’s by grace, that we are able to focus on our Lord as we seek to follow Him. It’s by grace, that we confess and return when we wander off the path. It’s by grace, that we are able to forgive when others harm us or those we love. It’s by grace, that the written word becomes alive in our hearts. It’s by grace, that the Spirit comes to us to comfort and lead us. It’s only by grace, we are able to love unconditionally, in the way that Christ said would identify us as His. That kind of love is beyond natural. It gives without quid pro quo. It’s by grace that sin in our lives is revealed, layer-by-layer and it’s by grace that we are freed from its chains. It’s by the continuing infusion of grace in our lives that we will walk confidently […]

I have been critical of the modern church. It doesn’t resemble the church that Jesus called us to. It has divides that he did not create or envision, like the separation between paid and unpaid. It’s way too spectator oriented and designed to create individual kingdoms. It does, however, provide on a weekly basis opportunities which we should take complete advantage of. Worship. There is something very special about group worship. It lifts the soul, encourages and comforts. It forces us to consider the two most important truths of our spiritual lives. Who God is and who we are. A little truth provided to both issues goes a long way in moving us forward. God is all-knowing, all-powerful, all just, yet all loving. Glorious inconsistencies to our human minds. We are weak, self-centered, in need of help and a savior. Only God can provide all we need. We need at least a weekly, though preferably daily reminder of these truths. An Opportunity to Hear.  Here I’m not speaking only or even principally of the sermon. I am speaking of the spiritual silence that allows an opportunity to hear from God. When I go to bed at night I turn on […]

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:18 Rosemary and I spent Thursday afternoon delivering copies of the February issue of Covenant Spotlight. It was a great time of fellowship for us and exercise for me, much in and out of the car and carrying of boxes. Rose mostly supervised. 🙂 Magazines are heavy, especially when boxed 100 at a time. It also was a reminder to me of Jesus command to “Go” and spread the good news and make disciples. I have done a blog for years and had the opportunity of teaching on many occasions, but there is something different and special about “going.” I remember learning years ago that “going” implies a change of place. That was certainly true as we travelled from Crowley, though Rayne and Duson, down into Milton and Maurice, Youngsville and Broussard and, finally, this morning to New Iberia.  There was much “going” involved. I was also reminded of the parable of the Sower and the Seeds. At some locations, all the magazines we left last month were gone. At others, almost all the ones we left were still there. It […]