<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[UsedToGoToChurch]]></title><description><![CDATA[UsedToGoToChurch]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 09 Aug 2026 09:00:18 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Behind the Scenes]]></title><description><![CDATA[Do you ever have those moments of reflection which sometimes slip into a deep black hole of wonder that exceeds any smidgen of chance to comprehend?  Like this morning when I was about to begin reading C.S. Lewis’ “A Grief Observed.”  Before I started reading, I found myself staring out the living room window and thus began about two minutes of going to that place of uncertain contemplation questioning how did we get here?  I’m looking out the window taking in the paved streets with gas and...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/behind-the-scenes</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a395faa106e96afab5e81cd</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2026 16:18:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_6d33746833724951392d77~mv2_d_3459_2607_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Do You Have a Faith?]]></title><description><![CDATA[The title of my book, “Used to Go to Church,” is based on my experience in the field as a first responder chaplain having been dispatched hundreds of times over a span of more than twenty-five years into the realm of people’s worst nightmares.  Those nightmares include the sudden loss of a loved one be it due to a cardiac arrest, accident, suicide, overdose or even homicide.  At some point, after being with the grieving loved ones I will ask, “Do you have a faith?”  I ask because if they do...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/do-you-have-a-faith</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d7dc5c4e4fe2e3f72a9075</guid><pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 17:11:13 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_29f59263310449359ccc2bd03541fd7a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Death Valley OMG]]></title><description><![CDATA[Until this last weekend, even though I was born and raised in Southern California, I had never visited Death Valley.  I’ve been close.   A bunch of us family friends camped and rode dirt bikes in the Mohave Desert annually after Christmas for a week for thirteen years.  That’s close I’d say.  Maybe an hour away from the actual Death Valley National Monument boundary.  My wife and I loaded the KTM 1190 Super Adventure motorcycle into the back of the truck and headed off to Ridgecrest, Ca on a...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/death-valley-omg</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b83087ea38c468abdc2ec2</guid><pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:41:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_431e193b5b1e4a259c0b222f2b23b245~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Castaways]]></title><description><![CDATA[Since we moved last summer, we decided not to subscribe to cable television thinking we should watch less TV and perhaps we might use that time for better purposes.  So far so good me thinks.  I watch very little news, almost none on television.  We do though have internet and subscribe to a few online media channels.  Like some of you I’ve piggy backed on some family subscriptions where we can watch movies on occasion and catch some sporting events now and then.  When I do go to turn on our...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/castaways</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69aef09c0c1a368a2fa402b4</guid><pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:14:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_414e5035527a3459366c63~mv2_d_5464_3640_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[OMG! ]]></title><description><![CDATA[OMG!  The Biltmore Estate! Ever heard of it or know anything about it?  Located in Asheville, North Carolina and built around 1896 by George Vanderbilt?  It’s the largest private home in the United States with 250 rooms! It sits on 8,000 acres of Blue Ridge hills with its opulent Gilded Age luxury which includes artwork from Monet and Renoir, a bowling alley and an indoor swimming pool.  My wife and I spent 8 hours at the estate and on the grounds last week after attending her company’s...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/__omg</link><guid isPermaLink="false">694979fac37cef16f1e58a4e</guid><pubDate>Mon, 22 Dec 2025 17:18:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_bb1583b93db640db8af270ed5f3cc3c5~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Only Plan]]></title><description><![CDATA[How could God let that happen?  I’ve been asked that questions numbers of times over the years as a first responder chaplain on scene standing with family members in the aftermath of a sudden death.  The mother of the son who overdosed, “How could God allow that to happen?”  The father who found his daughter after she hung herself, “What kind of God would allow my little girl to do such a thing?”  The mother of two precious little girls whose estranged husband murdered them and then took his...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/the-only-plan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">692dc2a5bdf3aa73171075c9</guid><pubDate>Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:40:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_25c82090b0b24498803e022a5344f98b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[COINCIDENTAL WISDOM]]></title><description><![CDATA[I'm back. And "Oh, my back!" Yeah, the old back has been put to the test the past month as we made a big move to relocate from Nor Cal...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/coincidental-wisdom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">688b828045ab709d6d050fbf</guid><pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2025 14:54:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_4131757731416751306b6b~mv2_d_3024_4032_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Will He Go To Heaven?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Heaven and Earth “Will he go to heaven?”  She looked me in the eye and asked me that question shortly after I arrived on scene.  Thirty...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/will-he-go-to-heaven</link><guid isPermaLink="false">67c9ca8dc37098064bf73622</guid><pubDate>Thu, 06 Mar 2025 16:26:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_5e49f918697a488f9d903f8f6ab376de~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Life: A Paradox of Hardness and Wonder]]></title><description><![CDATA[Life is hard and wonderful at the same time. It is a complex tapestry woven with threads of joy, sorrow, triumph, and defeat. From the...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/life-a-paradox-of-hardness-and-wonder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">679ba48ec8dd6412297bc9f8</guid><pubDate>Thu, 30 Jan 2025 16:16:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_216d7ad5d48647a58c78b425beacecc5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Knowing]]></title><description><![CDATA[“God, I don’t know.  What do I know?  I know what I’ve learned about You. A lot. All my life. But what do I know? I do know what I see,...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/knowing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">677ea96bdde65476dbfc20ff</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Jan 2025 16:43:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_456b784f2d534655396b63~mv2_d_3276_4096_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hello God]]></title><description><![CDATA[As many of you know already, this happens all the time.  Like earlier this week.  I’m called to a home where a death has occurred.   A...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/hello-god</link><guid isPermaLink="false">675327c9d59652328a52446c</guid><pubDate>Fri, 06 Dec 2024 16:40:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_29a0ffeada41440f9d80fab33b3db58b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[JESUS SAVES]]></title><description><![CDATA[You may or may not be familiar with the large iconic neon Jesus Saves sign atop the landmark building in downtown Los Angeles (see...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/jesus-saves</link><guid isPermaLink="false">671bc5486cf7bc1f5debd468</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:29:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_de2f6ce8523e453a920bcbb66e216d44~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_867,h_683,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Very Subtle]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you are like me, having grown up in church hearing incredible bible stories of God’s amazing feats of power you may have developed a...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/very-subtle</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66d87f6fb2f84b0ec3b9bf2e</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Sep 2024 15:51:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_6bf42dd812a745f8a4c9ddad38704ca2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Freeeeeedom!]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you ever watched the movie Braveheart, you’ll never forget the ending scene where William Wallace (played by Mel you know who !)...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/freeeeeedom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66b77fff59ba4d1c0284b478</guid><pubDate>Sat, 10 Aug 2024 15:02:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_aff9d9e87d454641ac9e56ce9f16c7fb~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Miracle? ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I knew it.  The paramedics knew it.  The doctors and nurses knew it.  The only one who didn’t know it was the father of the nine-year-old...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/a-miracle</link><guid isPermaLink="false">669a93298d7234d6132d458b</guid><pubDate>Fri, 19 Jul 2024 17:13:08 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_1755410ac1874b61b61fc7b78f405de2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[It Changes You]]></title><description><![CDATA[It changes you.  Hundreds and hundreds of times.  I can’t really count how many times over the past 25 years I’ve stood in the space...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/it-changes-you</link><guid isPermaLink="false">664cc933ff01a8b197386322</guid><pubDate>Tue, 21 May 2024 16:24:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_2f0860beb88548f7a4bcc4ded4b912d7~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Is It Fair To Ask?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Someone I love is going through a very difficult time.  We all know someone.  It may be ourselves.   We want to pray for God to do...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/is-it-fair-to-ask</link><guid isPermaLink="false">663e3614eaa332987a9b7c7d</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 May 2024 15:01:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_1aefc5f6581d4bb9acbb95360ec9ab09~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[                                 Bedtime Mysteries ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Nothing comes from nothing.  There must be something before nothing.   Or Someone? Bedtime is often when I face the mysteries of faith. ...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/bedtime-mysteries</link><guid isPermaLink="false">66292467d97476d85db6a073</guid><pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2024 15:31:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_17f47ced73b8491f97853e917b382d1f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Can You Imagine?]]></title><description><![CDATA[Can you imagine this? Let’s have some fun today.  Maybe you’ve had this wonder which entered your contemplative mind some time in your...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/can-you-imagine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">660d99cb718acf6728c1dc37</guid><pubDate>Wed, 03 Apr 2024 18:11:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_b569a3cf0a814f1ab341567b7cc3a398~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[LET'S GO EAT!!]]></title><description><![CDATA[I went to see Lyle Lovett in concert the other night.  He was playing here in town just a few miles from home.  The first time Heidi and...]]></description><link>https://www.usedtogotochurch.com/post/let-s-go-eat</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65fb0642df7c87c0dd750804</guid><pubDate>Wed, 20 Mar 2024 16:01:58 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/546344_93c74fb234a74e848f05285937baa1c8~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_275,h_183,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Nick Vleisides</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>