Nick’s Walk

Some of the most recognizable Christians today aren’t clergy or missionaries. They are the Robertsons from Duck Dynasty. Their program is the most popular “reality” show on television. The program isn’t overtly “Christian.” In fact, the principal christian aspect of it is that each episode ends with the extended family saying a plain spoken grace over a meal. Outside of the program, the family members in interviews and books have made it clear they are Christians and proud of it.  I’m not sure how I feel about that. The bearded leaders of the family look more like mountain men. In fact, one was escorted from a Trump hotel after being mistaken for a homeless person. He told the press later that he was the victim of “facial profiling.” The show is very funny. The family has a business making duck calls which has made them quite wealthy. The program has added to that with books, tshirts, etc.  The public seems to accept this usual group as “Christians” for a couple of reasons. First they aren’t obnoxious about their faith. I also believe that the general public has begun to think of Christians as a bit weird. This group certainly […]

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry Are you not much more valuable than they? 28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:12-21 NIV) We recognize that we need the power of God to do great things, but we aren’t doing them. Maybe it’s because we don’t realize that we, as Christians, need the power of God for the basics. Paul prayed for the Ephesians that they would be strengthened in their inner being so that Christ may dwell in their hearts. We take the indwelling Christ […]

Today is a day of mixed emotions for most. It’s the first day of school. I guess generally speaking Moms are happy, kids, not so much. But the emotions are more mixed than that. My Facebook is full of pictures of confused looking kids with teary eyed moms on their first day of school. We are excited about each new stage in the lives of our family but tearful that time is passing by so fast. I didn’t seem quite so old when I could say I had a great grand child, but now I have to say I have one that’s in “big school.” There is no doubt that the older you get the faster time flies. It’s moving for me at supersonic speed these days. With each passing day, we make memories and miss opportunities.  Today will hold new opportunities and challenges. For the kids facing school for the next nine months those challenges and opportunities may be obvious. But they also exist for the rest of us. How will the mom whose house is now strangely quiet during the day, utilize her freed up time? The beginning of school is a better time for resolutions than […]

Last night Nicky and I watched 42. It’s the story of Jackie Robinson, the first black to play major league baseball. Right after World War 2, many blacks who had fought to help defeat Germany, Italy and Japan, returned to a segregated United States. The movie producers did a good job of painting what the world was like in the late 1940s.  It was an eye opener for Nicky who grew up in a world where the “N” word isn’t often heard in polite society. It’s a good reminder to watch this kind of movie, especially in a day when many have trouble distinguishing between political differences and racism. We have much we can learn from the experiences of those who went through the civil rights battles. Some things work and some things don’t. As Christians we are learning what it’s like to be an unfavored class in America. We are learning what it means to be judged on what we believe or the color of our skin rather than what we do. Jackie Robinson proved that the proper response to racism is demonstrated competence, even greatness. It wasn’t enough to prove that he could play baseball with whites […]

During a movie I was watching last night one of the characters said, “Want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Life is like that. At 64, I am not at the place I planned to be at this age. Upon careful thought, it’s actually a better place.  It’s taken a lifetime to realize that God has a better plan. I guess life is too important to entrust to the young. We don’t have any idea what’s best for us when we are kids. It’s no surprise that God would one up our youthful plans. We don’t get a lot smarter as we age. As we grow older, we continue to have foolish plans and to make wrong turns and God continues to take us where we need to be.  Life becomes so much easier when we finally realize that we are not in control. We can experience joy and peace when we stop regretting that we are not where we planned to be and realize that we are where God wants us to be and that it’s a much better place.  It’s that wonderful place where we stop regretting the past and no longer worry about our […]

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” but by my Father in heaven. Matthew 16 One of the most often heard complaints from those who have left a church is that they were no longer being fed. There is much clamoring for more meat from those who believe that they have graduated from the “milk” of teaching. This comes from a misunderstanding that the Christian walk is primarily fact gathering. We don’t move from Christian grade school to graduate school by gaining more facts. We gain more Jesus. One of the first things a young child is taught, long before his diet moves from milk to meat, is to fed himself. This is kind of like the adage that it is better to teach a man to fish than to give him a fish. Sometimes we continue to “spoon feed” Christians long after they should be feeding themselves. Jesus didn’t come so we would know more […]

God didn’t have to make the world so complex. He could have left a lot of things out. These things are not essential or necessary, but God threw them in anyway:1. Hugs2. Smiles3. So many shades of green.4. So many varieties of flowers.5. So many types of birds.6. Four different seasons.7. Grandkids.8. So many different types of food.9. Memories.10. Acts of kindness.11. Forgiveness.12. Second chances.13. Weekends. It could have been some much simpler. What was He thinking? Be blessed. Nick