Hello!

Not really a long post. I just wanted to give an update on my trip to Paris this October. It had been 22 years the last time I was in Paris. My memory of it was a blur (I was 17 at the time). It was wonderful seeing Paris and the surrounding area. The city is great; the food is wonderful; and the pace of life is something to admire. I am looking forward to seeing it again (hopefully not another 22 years from now).

– Nick

When I think of the phrase “be strong and courageous,” it can come off as something cliché or something you hear off of a bad war movie. But what strikes me about this saying is that it is not a feeling statement. It’s not like it is saying to be happy or hopeful. It is a behavior statement.

We are told to move forward regardless of how we think or feel. Be Strong! Be Courageous! No matter what the outcome will be; however, we can be confident that regardless of what happens, the Lord our God will be with us wherever we go.

When reading scripture, there is a reoccurring theme with people: Old habits die hard. Even when God delivers us from our sins, habits, and difficulties, we are quick to return to our old ways.

Easier said than done. It really is a difficult thing to do; however, there is a method to help us on this life-long journey: Love God, Seek His guidance, and chase justice. While we may struggle with old habits, these methods will guide us back.

It has been a reoccurring theme for me lately to think about what God desires from me. When reading scripture, there can seem to be a lot required in order to please the All-Mighty. But maybe the answer is a lot easier than what we are thinking.

We often think that we can earn our way to heaven; but the reality is that it is freely given to us. We have Jesus’s resurrection as proof. All God wants from us is to seek justice through love of God and our fellow human beings.

In my study of scripture, the 10 Commandments or 10 Words are set in such a way as to be a universal framework for how we navigate life in the Kingdom of God, or, the Promise Land. When viewed as positive words, the Ten Words turn into Ten Values: God, Reason, Respect, Rest, Family, Life, Loyalty, Work, Truth, and Contentment.

These Ten Values are not “check-the-box-then-go-to-heaven” instructions. It first starts with our sincere need to have a covenantal relationship with God in his kingdom. They are roadmaps as we navigate the Wilderness to help us reach the Promise Land.