I returned to my office recently and found a magazine sitting on my desk opened to an article about a man who had lost his 20-year-old son. Our son was 19 when we lost him. There were a number of statements I highlighted. But, the man's closing words said this: "What we've found hardest are … Continue reading The Holidays and the Empty Chair
Jordan
The Deconstruction of the Christian Faith
Preface The topic about which I'm writing is actually nothing new, certainly not unique to modern times. Jesus, himself, told his disciples two millennia ago, "I have told you these things so that you won’t abandon your faith." I try to always document and cite quotes. Some quotes used here were gathered almost nine years … Continue reading The Deconstruction of the Christian Faith
How the Sun led me back to the Son
This is the highest resolution image of the Sun ever taken. That tiny dot in the upper right is Earth. There’s 93 million miles between the sun and that tiny dot. The light we see from the sun is eight minutes old. The sun is a star, not a planet. A ball of hot plasma, … Continue reading How the Sun led me back to the Son
When We Hurt, God Hurts
Been beat up? Beat down? Talked about? Exhausted? Powerful biblical truth ahead: “For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] … Continue reading When We Hurt, God Hurts
How I Survived the Worst Day of my Life – one more thing…
For brevity, I did not include the following in How I Survived the Worst Day of my Life. But, I believe it bears sharing because it provides greater theological context to how I - and my family - survived. As I was listening to the voice of Jesus that day assuring me of his presence and … Continue reading How I Survived the Worst Day of my Life – one more thing…
How I Survived the Worst Day of My Life
In 2014, a year after my son took his life, a regional magazine asked me if I would consider writing about that experience. The online link to that article is no longer available, so I've included the text below. Of note, a gentleman in a local retail store stopped me and asked, "Are you Nick … Continue reading How I Survived the Worst Day of My Life
The Depression Epidemic
What follows is a slightly revised edition of a blog I posted in September of 2013, four months after my 19 year old son, Jordan, took his life. nw As of this week, there were still a few things at my office that had been "undisturbed" since my son took his life on May … Continue reading The Depression Epidemic
Why Atheism Failed Me – Pt 1 of 3
All I am doing is to ask people to face the facts—to understand the questions which Christianity claims to answer. And they are very terrifying facts. I wish it was possible to say something more agreeable. But I must say what I think true. C. S. Lewis; Mere Christianity For some, atheism works. For … Continue reading Why Atheism Failed Me – Pt 1 of 3
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
Don’t Be Afraid: answering a great question about the loss of a child During the summer of 2019, I gave my presentation on suicide awareness & intervention at the YWCA here in Lubbock. About 30 teens attended. What a precious group! One girl raised her hand toward the end of the talk and asked, “Can … Continue reading Don’t Be Afraid to Ask
What to Say to a Person Considering Suicide
Here's the scenario... You have good reason to believe (or, at least, strongly suspect) a friend or loved one is considering taking their own life. First of all, should you say anything? YES. Always err on the side of caution. If you're wrong, you've lost nothing. But, if you're right - you've just might have … Continue reading What to Say to a Person Considering Suicide