The Son

I reading this book about Antarctica earlier today. I wasn't actually reading it... I was looking at the pictures. I confess. But what struck me most, other than the indescribably beautiful ice figures and deep blue glaciers, was the sun. I find it amazing, that anywhere on the planet, every single human being can appreciate the warmth and beauty of the sun. Even (especially) in frigid Antarctica.

A few summers ago my parents brought my sister and I along on a cruise to Bermuda for their 25th anniversary. The cruise was nice. The food was fancy. But the best part of the entire cruise, at least for me, was standing on a railing on the top deck watching the sun set over the open waters of the mid Atlantic. I have never seen a more beautiful sunset. And the thing that I loved most about it, was, I wasn't the only person being captivated by it. There were probably about 20 other people, mostly lovers, but a few elderly people, just standing there, being hit by the radiance of the sun. But it wasn't the sun that had taken a hold of my heart. It was The Son.

I know that there is something in every human being that longs for something more that what we can see. I know this because I have felt it. There is something inside us that wants to escape to some other reality... some fairytale that we grew up believing. But then we actually do grow up and the world convinces us that fairly tales are not real. And we lose that wonder of a place that is better than the one we are trapped in. That day on the mid Atlantic was no different than right now, and my neighbors are no different than the ones on the cruise. Deep within us, we all desire for something more.

C.S Lewis said "If we find ourselves with a desire that this world cannot satisfy... maybe we were made for another world".

Maybe we should let our selves be captivated by the true Son. After all, His light will shine forever, and He will never set.



from a warm home in New England,

JN

Everything we see is a Miracle

It is funny how you can have your mind set on one thing and then all of a sudden, your plans are changed by what would seem to be an a coincidental accident. Life's interruptions are God's opportunities.

Yesterday around 2 in the afternoon, the 5 of us were walking around New Philly handing out fliers for a Christmas Caroling event sponsored by a local church. I went with Ben. Correy, Link, and Mikey went down to the mall. Ben and I walked down to the local coffee shop and I had to stop at the bank which was right next door. As a came out of the bank, I see Ben standing with this tall, unkempt black guy. I was like "huh, I wonder if this guy wants to hand out fliers with us or something." I introduced myself to the man. He said his name was Joel.

He then went on to tell me something I was completely not expecting... that he had just been released from the County Jail and needed a ride back to Columbus by 7 the next morning or there would be a warrant out for his arrest. I then thought to myself "I dont think we are going to be handing out anymore fliers."

So Ben and I took Joel back to the house. As we were walking, Joel began to tell me how he is from Columbus and he was visiting his girl about a half hour from New Philly. Some stuff happened, the girl says some stuff, and Joel lands up in County Jail for a night. He gets released this morning, goes to a homeless shelter to eat and then is told that he has to find a way back to Columbus by 7 am the next day or he will be arrested again. No officers or judicial workers would give this guy a ride to the place they demanded he be! It really sucked for him, and he was in a really rough spot.

So we get to the house, give him some coffee and cake, and tell Don and Travis what is going on. Joel is freaking out. We call the homeless shelter to see if they can do anything about it. Nothing. So then, immediately, Lincoln is like "you guys can take my jeep." I love Lincoln's heart. I looked over at Joel and he looks like he is feeling guilty that he is making us take him back to Columbus. Then Correy looks directly at Joel, and says "Joel. You are getting home. These two gentlemen right here are going to drive you. Don't worry. We are taking care of it. You are getting back to Columbus.

Man, I love the Body of Christ. I love Correy's boldness. That is something I am really learning. To be bold. Correy speaks his mind. And he doesn't care. I really appreciate that about him. Anyway, so Joel was really relieved.

Ben and I ended up taking Joel back to Columbus. It was about a 2 hour drive, but it was worth every moment. Ben and I drove an ex-convict back to Columbus. 3 years ago, I honestly would have never believed you if you told me that I would drive an ex-convict 100 miles in order to help him not go to jail again.

It is amazing how Christ will transform your life. Ben and I felt so much joy in helping this man out. I feel like God has all these opportunities for us all the time, but we just are not willing, or not listening. Ben was listening and willing.

Joel was a miracle. As we heard more of his story, I realized that everything about life is a miracle. I will never forget what this man said to me. He looked at me and said "Man, i have been through some rough (explicative), but what has kept me alive is God." Joel went on to tell us how he has been wanting to change, and how he wants to know God with his heart, not just believe in Him in his head.



The Divine has intervened in human affairs, and has not only intervened, but cares about human affairs enough to become that which He has created in order to ransom those He loves. Joel made me realize that even more yesterday.


The rolling hills of Ohio were never more beautiful on that cold, December night. As we drove off into the sunset, I could not help but smile and know deep within me at God is good. This thing that we are all apart of, following Jesus...... it...is....so...real.

True Blessings in this Christmas season,

JN

Old Friends and New Ones

The trip to Chicago is coming to an close. I will write a blog about it when I get home.

I dunno. Today, I caught up with one of my close friends from back home. It was really good. We joked around and talked about each others lives for a while. Then we started talking about how good it will be one day when we are at each others weddings, and what an indescribable day it will be. So I am in Chiago now, with a bunch of new friends. I just think it is so awesome how God puts people in your life that you grow up with, you come to love as brothers and sisters, and then one day you graduate high school and begin the next chapter of your life and those friends become the "old friends" and all of a sudden you are surrounded with "new friends". Now I don't really like either of those terms, but today, I reconnected with an "old friend". After we finished talking, I went outside to the frigid city air. It was 25 degrees out and I didn't have a coat, but it didn't matter. I looked up at the sky and just thanked God for the people He has put in my life, old and new.

I really love those moments. And I love how whoever is reading this can appreciate what I am talking about because it is a thing that all humans expereince. What amazes me is that every day I am away from my old friends, I appreciate them more. The memories we made together are that much more special.

So I don't really have a point to this blog. I just want you to appreciate the people God has put in your life, and realize how good God is.

That all,


from the windy city,

JN

Lights over Pittsburgh

Its been a while since I have written a blog. I went home for the first time in 6 weeks for Thanksgiving last week. Ate lots of food. Caught up with some old friends. It was a good week of rest.

I flew home last monday. It was the first time I had ever flown alone. I love traveling. It is probably my favorite thing to do. After I leave Ohio, I am going to spend some serious time traveling around the country. And then Europe and eventually to Israel. Anyway...my flight took off around 4:30, so it was already dark. I got a window seat (the best seat on an airplane), and stared out as we took off. I have flown a lot over the years, but every taking off is always a rush. I love that feeling when you get sucked back into your seat. The guy next to you is grasping hand rests as hard has he can because he thinks he is going to die. I love it. I feel like a little kid when I am in an airplane. So I am looking out the window, and I see Pittsburgh so clearly lit up. There is this expanse of lights covering all the land as far as I can see. I started just thanking God for life. It was one of those moments i was just simply enjoying the fact that I am alive. So as I am looking down at the lights below, I am wondering how many people there are down there. Maybe 2 million. I dunno for sure. I could look it up. Anyway, I am thinking how amazing it is that God is listening to my prayer and knows my heart, and at the same time, knows everything about each individual that is scattered among the lights over Pittsburgh, 10,000 feet below me. In Psalm 139, the psalmist says

"O LORD, you have searched me
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb."

It just blew me away that night, that God not only knows every person in the city of Pittsburgh, but every person who has ever lived on planet Earth. I looked down at those lights, and tried to think what it would look like if there was a light for every person on Earth. I couldn't imagine it. There were probably close to 1 million lights that night. And they covered as far as I could see. I can not imagine looking down and seeing 6 billion and knowing each one individually, better than each person knows himself. Just think. God knows me better than I know my self. And so many times I am afraid of the future. Sometimes I fear that I won't know what job to pursue, or when I will get married, or if for some reason i won't have kids, and whether or not the Earth is going decide to stop spinning around the sun and the planet will hurl itself into space and we will all die. But I read the Psalms, and it is so clear that God knows what He is doing. God is so big that He knows the deepest desires of my heart, He knows what I need to live, and He knows how to keep the planets orbiting the sun, because He is the Creator and He has been sustaining the universe perfectly since the beginning of time.


So now I am back at the ministry house in New Philly. We leave for a service trip to Chicago tomorrow morning. We are going to be doing some work projects and handing out sandwiches to the homeless, as well as seeing the city. I am going to get to bed. It is late. God is good.


JN

2012

Last night I saw the movie 2012 with some of the guys. Like most end of the world movies, it was great entertainment, but not much more. I mean, there was this one scene that just killed me. John Cusak is in Yellowstone National Park on the top of a mountain as the caldera is erupting. (If you didn't know, Yellowstone is a dormant volcano, and has been dormant for about 600,000 years. According to scientists, over the last few million years, the supervolcano has erupted 3 times, in period of about 600,000 to 700,000 years. So, it is due.) So Cusak, who is in the middle of this supervolcano eruption, gets into a camper and starts driving. His daughter is sitting behind him and looks in the rear view mirror and seeing something similar to the mushroom cloud from Nagasaki rising behind them. Of course, the Cusak is like "everything is going to be fine." So, John Cusak, in a camper, starts driving down a mountain as the blast from the eruption of the Caldera of the Yellowstone Supervolcano is chasing them. They make it out of course.

Anyway, the movie was filled with scenes like that. They were totally awesome, but predictable. It would have been more realistic if everyone died. But then there wouldn't have been a movie, so I guess I will just have to live with Hollywood overdramatizing everything.

So, this movie got me thinking. It starts off in 2009, as a typical day around the world. People are going to work. Kids are playing. The surfer dudes in California are surfing. Everything is normal. But in three years, the entire planet basically blows itself up.

As the movie is over, everyone leaves the theater. I go to the bathroom because that is what I do after movies. Teenagers are hanging out in the mall waiting for their parents to pick them up. All is well in New Philadelphia, Ohio as well as the rest of the country. So I am thinking, after seeing a movie like 2012, does anyone appreciate the fact that they are alive. I mean think about it. Think about how many things in the universe have to be so perfect just for life to exist. And on top of that, how many things in science have to remain perfect for life to continue to exist... For 6,000 years.

The Earth has stayed in orbit. The moon hasn't decided to fly off into outer space. No asteroids have devastated our planet because of our magnetic field. We have a magnetic field to protect us from solar flares and asteroids! Have you ever thought about that? Just like in Star Wars, our planet has a force field around it! That is sweet. Trees and plants take in what we exhale, and give off what we inhale. Because of gravity we can walk around without flying off into space. And this fact just baffles me. All molecules are held together by an intermolecular force. If that force was any different, then everything in existence would break apart and nothing would be in solid form. Our bodies would essentially fly off into space in trillions of microscopic pieces.

So I am thinking about these things and I am like, Wow, God really has to have everything under control for us to live. And I read verses like Isaiah 40:12 and Isaiah 42:5, which say


"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, or with the breadth of his hand marked off the heavens? Who has held the dust of the earth in a basket, or weighed the mountains on the scales and the hills in a balance?"


and


"This is what God the LORD says— he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it"

It is absolutely incredible that we can even take our next breath. Countless miracles need to happen every second in order for us to live. This is just astounding. And the crazy thing is, we keep on living, but rarely take any time to marvel at the fact that we exist. Look at your hand. Look at how perfectly it is designed. How you can control each finger and move it to pick up stuff.

I have heard a lot of people say things like "I wonder what is going to happen in 2012." I have said that. But when I think about it, I should be thanking God every day that we are still here. And we have been here, hurling through space around a massive ball of fire on this big hunk of molten rock for at least 6,000 years. And every day I wake up, and see the sun rise in the east, and I think, "How much longer is this thing going to go on?" How much longer will we be able to live on this planet without chaos happening? I don't know the answer to that question. But I do know that with every passing day, the Return of the King draws nearer. And my spirit roars inside of me whenever I think about the Day. Until then, we will all keep living. Keep existing. Keep loving.

It may be in 2012. It may be tomorrow. It may be some other time. But King is coming.

"He who testifies to these things says, "Surely, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen." Revelation 22:20-21


JN

Meditate on the Goodness of God

I was sitting in a coffee shop today and Travis said something to me that really hit me where i was at. Recently, my mind has been going about 1 million miles an hour. I feel like I am always thinking about the spiritual realm, and dwelling on it. For example, I was at the gym today, and I was thinking about how Satan attacks me and what I can do to defend it. I know realizing where Satan attacks us is vital if we are going to fight against Him through the Word. But I was working out. The gym isn't a place where I want to be contemplating the depths of spiritual warfare. At the gym, I want to get a good workout. That's it. My mind can't handle anything else.

This type of thing happens to me once in a while. It especially happens when I am surrounded by godliness and really growing in my love for Jesus. Sometimes, I can't sleep at night because I am consumed by thoughts that...well.... let me just say they aren't healthly or good right before I go to bed. So, I told Travis this, and he looked at me and said something so simple, but so true. "Meditate on the goodness of God." I was like, "wow. Okay, I can do that.... yeah..." It was the most comforting thing I heard all day. So I ask, what does meditating on the goodness of God look like? For me, it means thinking about the cross. I think about my past, all the times that I have been prideful and rebelled against God, and how through that, He 'demonstrates His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us'. Romans 5:8

I think about that verse and I am like "holy crap!". I am amazed that the King of the Universe loves me and shows his love for me through the most brutal, painful, death ever invented... crucifiction. Did you know that they had to create a word to describe the painfulness of cruxifiction. Excruciating. Yeah... when i found that out I was like... 'wow'

And then I start to think about the physical blessings God has given me. A godly loving family, food, clothing, more possesions than i ever need, people in my life who love me and accept me for who I am, talents, dreams, feelings, the sky, the mountains, the ability to travel to Colorado with my family this summer, being here in Ohio.... I could go on and on.

I think John Piper said it best. "God is glorified when we are the most satisfied on Him". As I meditate on the goodness of God, I am most satisfied, and He is glorified.

I feel such a peace right now. Travis and Don are in their litte office as I am typing this. They are just enjoying each others company... something that always puts a smile on my face whenever I observe them. It makes me think of my best friend who is at Greenville College now, and how much I want to see him. And it makes me know that God is God. He is so good. All the time.

So, smell the flowers today, drink the company, and meditate on the goodness of God. And he will fill you with the peace that trancends all understanding as you trust in Him.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." - Philippians 4:8-9


;)


JN

morning

As I stepped downstairs this morning, I was surprisingly overjoyed to see that frost had covered our lawn like a blanket. It was relatively early, about 7 o'clock, the house was still asleep... except for me. I love those moments. I love them because they are the only time during the day that I can be alone with my Lord. There is something about the morning that is so soothing and tranquil. In our living room, there is a picture of a sunrise coming over these emerald green hills. On it there is apart of Psalm 5, which says;

"In the morning, O Lord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectations".

I love that image. I think of myself waking up to the dawn, somewhere in the Rocky Mountains. The sky would bleed orange and red, and I would just sit there, being in a state of captivation by my Maker. I'd have a dog too. He'd be running through the little meadow beneath the mountain. I would watch him from a distance. His name would be Jonah and he would be a Golden Retriever. Just me, Jonah, and Jesus.
I get so excited just thinking about that. I daydream about moments like those a lot.

But, Ohio will have to do. It was a beautiful morning. Jesus was present in our living room, and on our porch. And that is all I need.

JN