Author: James Hogan

Five Dozen Eggs

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Brief entry this morning. It is Thursday…and like most Thursdays of late, it is extremely busy with work meetings and then community group tonight, so I’m already breathing in deep in preparation for the plunge. But shall I complain? Not I, I say – especially not while I have hot black coffee steaming away in front of me, honey fragrance strong. For sure though, I can say that although I didn’t really get good sleep last night(because I went to bed far too late!), I much enjoyed the evening…went to Miller Outdoor Theatre, where a beautiful night was had watching the classic Disney movie – Beauty and the Beast. My second-fav Disney movie, I’ve always said, even though I haven’t seen it in oh so many years…but it held up and did most certainly not disappoint! The artistry was stunningly gorgeous(the rich colours! the landscapes!) and the music was just as good as I’d remembered…love it so. I remembered one of the reasons I loved it so much…Belle is a book-lover and her scene when she is shown the grand library…so much happiness!! A quality movie all around, I say. And of course – to watch it with good friends makes it all the more fun…there with John, Emily, Erica, Meagan, Amanda and others…so yes, it was a most fun midweek activity. God is good, for blessing me with such dear friends. Truly.

And now I suppose I should prepare myself for the frenetic day ahead. Peace, my friends. Peace and love.

Surfside

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I have so much I could write about…but so little time…hence, I shall log my latest read(already a few days late on this!):

25. The Works of John Owen, Vol 3: The Holy Spirit by John Owen. And there you go. After more than a year(not exactly sure when I started it, but I think it was in 2017??), with gaps where I took time to read other theological works…I have finished Vol 3 of Owen’s Works. What a masterpiece of a book. I’m not sure how often I’ve written of Owen here, so I guess I should be brief. This book was all about the Holy Spirit and His work (mostly in our lives as Christians – but not exclusively!). Apparently this volume was not big enough to contain all of Owen’s thoughts on the Spirit though…as Volume 4 is called “The Work of the Spirit”! But this book was very encouraging to my soul. I very much hesitate to recommend Owen, as he’s a difficult read at the best of times, and most would probably not get much out of it. I tend to read so quickly though, that when reading many books, I miss out on the truth within because I’m just reading so fast! With Owen though…because of his dense and obtuse writing style, I’m forced to read slower and analyse carefully what he’s saying…and so in a weird way, I am more greatly benefited by his Puritan language than I am by more modern authors(like a Keller or a Piper…both of whom for some reason I’m not really either edified or moved by as much…). But reading Owen’s words on the Spirit of God – and how He indeed actively works in our lives and how this knowledge should drive us to holiness and dependence on God for all things…indeed humbling and thrilling all at the same time. I’m rambling a bit, I know, so I shall close. But one of my takeaways from this hefty tome is the beauty and sheer necessity of our holiness as Christians. When we sin before God, we show God that we despise Him and His words. Is that what we want? As we know that we are sons and daughters of God…as we know that we are a temple of the Holy Spirit…our driving passion should be to honour our Lord God in every word we speak and every step we take. Be holy, as our Father in heaven is holy. We are God’s children, fellow heirs with Christ Himself. Meditate today on what it means to truly abide in Christ. Remain at peace in the love of God, which burns brighter and hotter and more beautifully than anything we can even begin to imagine.

A somewhat Odd phenomenon In this Early morning

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So very quickly I write!! Just wanted to comment briefly on some words I read this morning in 1 Samuel 2. Sobering words, but God’s Word nonetheless. Was reading about the sons of Eli, who were…not nice men. As is made abundantly clear. The text describes some of their sins against God, against the people who brought sacrifices, and against women. I shall not go into all that here. But we do see these lines, “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the Lord.” And again a few verses later, “Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord”. Chilling words. Now eventually their father Eli heard about his sons’ reputation. Why he didn’t already know about their wicked behaviour and terrible sins, I know not. I don’t think Eli can be held up as a model father, that is for sure. But we see that he learned through various rumors and reports about what his sons were up to and we see that he (finally!!) talked to his sons and chastised them and made it clear that what they were doing was “evil” and that they were sinning “against the Lord”. But what does the text say next? “But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the Lord desired to put them to death.” Right then. This is a hard verse to understand…could not the Lord show mercy and give them a chance to repent? But it seems clear that their hearts were hardened and God had judged them for their sins and now despite the warning of their father…they could not hear nor could they repent, nor desired they to repent – because God’s judgment was incoming and could not be turned away. These are fearsome words. At the end of the day, we do not understand all of God’s ways, but we must rest in His sovereignty and His goodness. God is just in all His ways, so do we all confess. So do I confess.

And so what can we learn from these words? Firstly, to sin against the Lord and to disobey His commands is most grievous indeed and worthy of all judgment, worthy of eternal horror and death. Do not take lightly the commands of God. Holiness is greatly prized by God, for God is holy and He desires that we all be holy before Him. Secondly, be warned that to reject God and His commands is a very serious thing, for as you reject God, so shall God reject you. Thirdly and finally – I must end on a note of hope, so the hope that I offer is that because we are all utterly wicked apart from God, so does God offer a pure and perfect sacrifice of His only Son, who can make us right before God. Only through Jesus can we find peace with God. And peace with God…there is nothing greater than that. Flee to Christ this day. Before it is too late and before the words of this passage could be applied to you – “for the Lord desired to put them to death”. Flee to Christ, cry out for your salvation. For God is truly merciful and compassionate and desires that you would come to Him. And God does most surely offer you rest for your souls.

Skinny Love

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My muse burns but yet the words are dammed. Weeping, my heart sings in joy, in sorrow, in love.

And so…like so many times before, I flee to previous writings and remember the goodness of my God!!!

…and yes, so this is an excuse to run a word cloud on my poetry throughout the years. 2004-2018, inclusive of a few short stories as well. Clearly I need to stop using the word ‘now’. I’m so impatient, what can I say??

Oh my friends – be at peace this night. My heart prays for you.

Over the Hills and Far Away

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And so a Monday begins (once again) and the week begins (yet again) and though the work will be hectic and I will surely get stressed at certain points…that is no matter. The moonless sky slowly lightens and the promise of deepest night’s deepest wish is sublimely fulfilled by the glory of the dawn. And so does my heart burn as I ponder the beauty of the Lord and all His promises to me. I am unworthy yet I am loved. May I meditate on the truth and love of God this day. A song is in my heart. Remember – always – that no matter the darkness that surrounds, the light is greater still.

The Dying Light of 6 O’Clock

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Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him for His mighty deeds;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

Remember this. Forever and always.

Praise the Lord, oh my soul.

Black Lab

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Hello friends!! I have been having a nice reading time here on the couch in my room…sipping tea and reading some Owen. Finished the current chapter and realised I have only one chapter to go – 10 pages more and Owens Vol. III shall be conquered! Milestone, y’all.

Anyways upon finishing that chapter, I also realised that I am quite far behind in logging my reading….I have a pile of books that I’ve read recently that I have not chronicled here. Tragedy. I shan’t take too long to describe my thoughts, but I do want the record to show that I have read the following…

18. The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. Still making my way through Narnia. And Silver Chair is simply marvelous. It never used to be my favourite(and it still might not be), but each time I read it, I like it more. The adventures of Jill & Eustace & Puddleglum…and their battle against the serpent. So many classic moments.

19. Young Miles by Lois McMaster Bujold. Another Bujold omnibus, so I technically could count this as 3(The Warrior’s Apprentice, The Mountains of Mourning & The Vor Game). But no – I shall count it as one. Anyways, after reading about the magnificent Cordelia, I moved on to the next book in the chronology and finally met the infamous Miles Vorkosigan. This book was a delight…although I must confess, need to take a break from Miles for a bit. Just like the characters in this book, can only take so much Miles at one time!!

20. A World Lost by Wendell Berry. I really cannot describe this one. I forget if I’ve talked about Wendell Berry here, but his books are truly some of my favourites. Harkening back to a simpler time. Describing the beauties of the Kentucky countryside…yet also acknowledging the true hurts and loss that reside in each and every person. Few writers touch my emotions as deeply as Berry does. This book was rather short, but no less beautiful for that.

21. Timescape by Gregory Benford. I don’t really know how to describe this one. It was recommended as one of the classic sci-fi novels, it was a delight when reading…as much as I don’t know if I can unhesitatingly recommend this one. It was a fantastic – yet dark and depressing – novel involving characters from both the ’60s and the ’90s…and this book was written in 1980!! Obviously it was fascinating to read about the author’s predictions for the “far future” 1998!! And it was just as interesting reading about his description of academia in the 1963…which was a time the author has lived in(and I have not!), so I feel as if I learned a lot about that time period. Still, the characters themselves sort of depressed me. Despite the fun time-twisting science bits, the characters cynical and immoral nature…was not the most fun to read about. Alas. So will probably not read this one again.

22. Death’s End by Cixin Liu. Another epic sci-fi novel which I shall probably not read again!! This is the third book in a trilogy by Liu…and as much as I admire Liu’s prose and his grand and sweeping tale of life, the universe and…everything(truly, this book fits that phrase better than most), the book’s worldview(er…universe-view?) was quite depressing. Truly – without God, all is dull and all are lost. And this book reflected that truly. I shall write no more about it now, as it’s making me sad thinking about it.

23. Persian Fire by Tom Holland. Finally a book I can recommend!! This book was simply amazing. Robbie recommended it to me…and yup, I need to read more of his recommendations. It’s a historical narrative about the Greco-Persian Wars of the fifth century BC…and if that doesn’t whet your interest, then you’re hopeless. Seriously though – I do love history, so I guess this is right up my alley, but even so…it was incredibly interesting. The author started by giving the history of the Persian Empire(I had no idea of most of it – reading about their conquests was riveting), then gave the history of the Athens & Sparta city-states…then slowly moved the pieces in place for the beginning of the Greco-Persian Wars. We obviously don’t know all the details(as the author stated upfront – there is much disagreement on the finer points, especially as the primary sources are all on the Greek side…and even those are limited!)…but what we do know make a wondrous account. As much as the history of the battles and political wranglings is incredibly interesting, one of my main takeaways is that all the people involved in this were…actual people. People who laughed, cried, had great passions and emotions…and most definitely were not as noble and/or savage as some of the popular conceptions. And even the great heroes in these wars…they may have had great moments, great battles, great years…but did that mean their lives were set from then on? Not necessarily. Some of the heroes on the Greek side…ended up eventually getting cast out of their cities and years later going and living with the Persian court. From praise and adulation to ostracism…pride indeed proceeds a fall. Anyway – this book was great. Very much recommended. I can’t wait to read Holland’s next book that is currently sitting on my coffee table…Rubicon. Guess what it’s about.

24. Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley. Alright. I’m not sure if this book technically counts…since it is…sort of a comic book?? But whatever, I shall count it! And I am partly shamed, as I really don’t read comic books!! But when I was in Denver with Robbie and exploring book stores…I saw this and couldn’t help but pick it up. Mostly because I love Edgar Wright’s movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. Neither the book nor the movie are always entirely appropriate…so I can’t whole-heartedly recommend this. The characters and dialogue are quite well written though…I do love some classic high school drama!! Also, I now realise why the movie is so good. Pretty much all of its best lines are ripped wholesale from this book!! There are apparently 6 volumes of Scott Pilgrim’s adventures…not quite sure if I’ll pick up all the rest yet. But I did enjoy this one. (What that says of me, I shall let you decide on your own!!)

Right – so that was far too much of me talking about books. I am very relieved that I’ve finally logged all these books though. I can now go back to my current reads – Owen & my Hungarian novel…which you will have to find out about at a later date….because I have written too many words now and I want to go back to my tea…and pondering life and how much my God has blessed me abundantly in all things. He really, really has blessed me oh so much more than I deserve, y’all.

Peace and love.

A Note of Grace

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Good morning, friends!! I only have a bare few minutes to write…really not even that long, though I did want to say a few words. I read (amongst other things) in Luke 19 today and it’s a glorious chapter with so much I could talk about…from Jesus talking about his going away and not returning for a long time, and how we are to use what He has given us in the meantime, not just sit around waiting for Him…and then scarily enough(this is definitely not the Jesus of popular culture) he talks about those people who did not want Him to reign over them. What happens with those people? This is a democracy right, and if they don’t want Jesus, then fair enough, yup? We all get to choose our own destinies!! Not quite. At the end of that parable, the returning King calls for those who did not want Him to rule to be brought to Him and slain in His presence. Well. Alright then. And then more sobering words, with Jesus arriving at Jerusalem and weeping at their soon-coming judgment because they had missed their visitation – rejected their King. But as sad as these words are – we are comforted by the fact that Jesus will come again…and we shall truly say – “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord”. Oh how I long for that day. But since I have no time and I really can’t talk about all these words, just going to mention my favourite verse in this chapter, the very last one. It is talking about how Jesus is preaching daily in the temple and the religious leaders were trying to destroy him, yet they couldn’t. Here I’ll quote verse 19 in its entirety – “…and they could not find anything that they might do, for all the people were hanging on to every word He said.” That is beautiful enough in and of itself – imagine the scene, people just soaking in the words of Jesus, eyes enraptured, hearts afire. But I glanced over at the footnote as I read and noted that those last few words are literally in the Greek, “…for all the people were hanging on to Him, listening.” Do we have that kind of attitude towards Jesus? Do we have such a desire to know Him more that we could be described as “hanging on to Him, listening”? Each and every day – how do we approach our Lord? I pray that this day we all might burn with passion to be closer, closer to Jesus. Read the Word of God and be in awe at the Light of His Truth. Listen, listen, my friends – to our glorious Lord. Do not miss His visitation – for He has truly offered Himself to all those who cry out to Him. What glory. What beauty. What love. Embrace Jesus and what He has done – for us. Hold on to Jesus and listen. He calls to you. Listen. Listen.

Cannon in E

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I forgot how epic and beautiful the 1812 Overture is. Listening to Bernstein’s performance of this now…so wonderful. It is absolutely fantastic music to completely wake me up and inspire me for the day. Mm wondrous music, how grateful am I to God for thee. And…on that note, I really should start “work” even though this first hour of work is comfortably at my dining table since I’m going to a meeting at Transocean at 9. So right now enjoying drinking honey-sweetened coffee from my Pascal’s mug as I prepare for another glorious day our God has made. Peace and love, y’all.

All Things New

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Happy Tuesday, friends!! A couple words here as I sip on my coffee before my day gets started in earnest. Firstly – after writing my poem last week(entry previous), I really am quite in a writing mood of late…so don’t be surprised if I post more random writings here and there. That is the hope and goal! Secondly…had a fun time yesterday at Bingo Night at Karbach with various friends. Good times, even though it was a Monday which is most assuredly not a normal going out night!! Still, much fun was had, much fish and chips was consumed, Peter won the grand prize(a snazzy cooler!) and many good conversations were had. This must become a thing, I so declare. Thirdly…I wasn’t sure if I was going to write about this or not, but I’ve been reminiscing lately – thinking on the fact that three years ago(way back in 2015!) was the summer of Kat. Not sure if I actually wrote about her here in plain terms…veiled allusions most likely. Nonetheless, was thinking about that summer of conversation and friendship we had(indeed – I just looked it up now – and it was actually July 24th, 2015 that was the day I flew up to Maryland to see her!!)…and pondering on the sun-soaked memories and dazzling wonder of those days…and though obviously nothing came from that, to my sorrow, I yet think on what God has given me and I cannot help but rejoice evermore, ever still. Forever and always, remember the love of the Lord. Remember that we are forgiven – everything. I remember that I am a child of God.