Author: James Hogan

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I am overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord
and of his faithfulness to his chosen ones.
There is truly no One greater than He who
provides so richly for his children and
puts His hand of protection upon
all those who seek His face.

How great is His lovingkindness!
Higher than the heavens and
wider than the east is from the west
is the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Oh, I am so undeservedly blessed
by the love of our most Holy Father.

Truly…those words are from my heart because today I’ve felt a flood of emotions. While I’m quite excited(!!) to be coming back to Florida soon, I’ve realized how much I’ve been blessed this summer. I remember getting ready to come to Texas and having no idea what this summer would be like. And indeed, I was a little nervous coming to Houston and not knowing anyone at all. I wondered if I’d be able to find a good church and good friends. But really, why did I doubt?? Where was my faith?? Because God is a good Father, He has blessed me so much more than I could have thought or imagined. He has given me a good church(Bethel w000t!)in which to worship and be blessed by the preaching of the Word. He has given me friends whom I could both encourage and be encouraged by. He has given me people who have welcomed me into their homes and ministered to me every Sunday. He has given me so much.

This was my last Sunday at church and I don’t really get emotional that often, but I felt that way today. Knowing it would be a long time(if even in this life) that I saw all of these people again…I think if I were the crying sort, I would have cried. I’m just so thankful to the God who despite all my wickedness and sinfulness and rebellion…who chooses to bless me as a beloved son. I am indeed blessed. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!!

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Just had a lovely breakfast of bacon and coffee. Mmm, nothing better!! I love lazy Saturday mornings, even if my work schedule has trained my body well enough that I can’t sleep past 8:30! I had a great morning relaxing and reading the Word while I enjoyed breakfast(by the way…Galatians is pretty awesome!! Freedom in Christ forevah!!) Now I think I’ll take a walk and maybe stop by Target or Best Buy…it’s pretty awesome that they’re only a five minute walk away!(Of course, I do have to cross under a major freeway and all…but shh, that’s a secret)

I still can’t believe I only have two more weeks of work left…and then it’s back to Florida! While this summer has been pretty sweet, I am looking forward to coming back to my family and all my friends and getting ready for my SENIOR YEAR at UF!! Whoa, that’s just craziness. I’ve realized that four years ago(as I started this livejournal), I was getting ready to start my senior year at Gaither. How I have changed…mostly for the better, I do believe!

But before it gets too hot outside(hmm, may be too late for that), I’m off for my mid-morning walk! From Houston…signing off. Go forth and conquer!

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I walk down the shadowed road
and look for something
What it is I do not know
something.

I listen to my pounding heart
and wait for something
What it is I do not know
something.

I gaze up at the evil sky
and cry for something
What it is I do not know
something.

My mind is torn
My strength is gone
My heart is rent
My soul is lost.

What now can I do?
Where now can I fly?
How now can I cry?
When now can I die?
Why?

Slowly slowly spinning
this wounded world waits to
suck my lifeblood from me.
Waits to kill me. Help me!

And then the darkness closes over
And then my eyes begin to dull
And then my wits begin to leave me
And then I see a flash of light!

Heaven’s Grace and heaven’s Light!
He will take me from this fight!
My own struggles worked for naught
Yet by his blood I am now bought!

I once looked up and felt only soul’s deepest pain
I now look up and see the Lamb who has been slain!
I once looked up to see the very darkest night
I now look up and see with most heavenly sight!

I once was lost in the depths of despair
I once used my will to kick against the rod
I now look up and see heaven opened
and the Son of Man at the right hand of God!

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Wow, today has been a LONG day! I actually woke up today around 4:45(AM!!). Ridiculous, huh? It was because my sunday school class at my church(Bethel) was helping put a garage sale on. Anyway, I was pretty tired when I first woke up, but after my shower and some awesome bacon and coffee, I was raring to go. Well, mostly! The garage sale was lots of fun, partly because it’s always fun to help someone else out and partly because it was fun hanging out with the people here…whom I’m finally getting to know now, so it’s good times! A lot of the time, when nothing was happening with the sale, I would just be talking to one person or another…and I really enjoyed that. It’s been a while since I’ve had Christian fellowship like that. After the sale was over, I was pretty exhausted but Sibi(my co-intern) and I had planned to go to “The Galleria”, a huge mall here in Houston. I was wondering how big a mall could be, but this mall definitely was the biggest mall I’ve ever been in. It had 3 levels and multiple huge buildings…and an ice skating rink in the middle of the food court. Yeah, pretty awesome. It was so fun walking through the mall and exploring all the stores and having no idea where anything was and seeing so many people!!! And I actually “shopped” at the mall…i.e., I bought clothes there, which I never do, so I was a little shocked at myself. After some harrowing moments trying to get back to our hotel, finally got back here and now I am ready to crash. Been doing laundry and just took a shower and I am ready for a good night’s sleep!!! Hope everyone is having great times wherever you are…and I am going, going, gone. G’night, all!

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Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

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Today has been a sweeeeet day. Got up nice and early around 9(hey, that’s early for a Saturday!) and walked to Wal-Mart to pick up some creamer and sugar. Then got back to my place and made a breakfast of awesomeness!! Fried up some bacon and made some gooood coffee out of the beans Shari, Deanna and Amy gave me. I love bacon and I love coffee. And bacon and coffee together? Amazing.

The rest of the day was spent relaxin’ and chilling here…and enjoying not having to work for a day. Even though work did go awesome this week! I’m really starting to enjoy it. And right now, I just finished some dishes as I wait for my pork chops to finish baking. That’s right – pork chops. I fried up pork chops, potatoes and green beans and now they’re all baking and I can’t wait to eat it…since it’s one of my favorite meals! That’s the one fun thing about living by myself; I’m learning how to make all my most favorite meals!

Wow, this week has been great…good times at work, good times today making great food, and good times coming up tomorrow as I get ready for church. God is indeed an awesome God!!

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Update from Houston!! Don’t have a lot of time, because I want to go to bed soon..(At 10pm? Shocking!!!) I have work tomorrow, but thought I’d like to give everyone a brief update on how I’ve been doing! Houston is still pretty sweet, even though I must admit, I haven’t *quite* finished exploring it yet! Actually, I’ve mostly been working…it’s definitely different, having an 8-5 job! It’s not bad but I have to say, it’s not as easy and straightforward as school either!! Anyway, today was pretty awesome because I got to finally go to church today…went to a cool church called Bethel Independent Presbyterian…I enjoyed it much there and was happy to meet some people there. Looking forward to some good times hanging out with them!

And then this afternoon I just relaxed, talking to my family, talking to Rob G as he made his way back to Tally after Lindsay and Nick’s wedding in Gainesville(which I most sadly missed…)…and then watching the U.S. Open where Tiger made a sweet 15-ft birdie putt to force a playoff tomorrow. Awesomeness. And I was wearing my new red polo today(which I love because it’s bright…and red…and just plain awesome) and I thought it was cool because Tiger always wears his red polo on Sunday…so yeah, Tiger was matching me.

After the golf game, I made a hamburger and fries and relaxed a little more watching a couple of my favorite scenes from “What about Bob?” Sundays are awesome! So good to worship and rest! And now I must get my sleep.

Hope you enjoyed this brief update! From Houston…over and out.

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I have an announcement to make: James is now in Houston!!

And in case any of you wonder WHY I’m in Houston right now(even though you should know, because I’ve written it here before), it’s because my internship starts this week!! Orientation starts on Wednesday, but since I got here last night(on a completely unremarkable flight, which is a GOOD thing) I have a couple days to just chill in Houston! Before my real work begins…

Anyways, don’t worry – even though I don’t have anything to do, I’ve still not been just lying around in bed all day. I got up around 8 or so this morning to get the continental breakfast downstairs(which was quite good, so I was happy!) After breakfast, I relaxed for a while in my room, talking to various people via phone and internet. As the day went on, I realized I really didn’t want to spend my whole day in the hotel room, so I decided I was going to find a park. And play disc golf. And it would be awesome.

Thus begins the Great Disc Golf Adventure of today! I looked up the locations of several parks and found one that was right down the road from my hotel. Now, since it was “right down the road”, I thought I could get there quickly. Let me tell you something though…6.5 miles takes longer to walk than you think. As I set out on my adventure, I felt like a hobbit…walking down an unknown road…with the sun beating down on me…and dangers at every corner. But the analogy breaks down because I don’t think the hobbits carried Gatorade. And I don’t have hairy feet. Anyway, let me continue. As I got to about the halfway point of my journey, I stopped at Burger King for lunch(Hmmm, I don’t think Middle Earth had BKs, either…). After lunch, slightly refreshed and fighting the temptation to take a nap, I kept walking. And walking. Finally, I got to the intersection that I knew the park was at!! I saw a park off to my left, so I went towards it victoriously..only to find there was no disc golf course. Quite disheartened, I walked across the street to see if there was another park…and then in the distance, I saw the glint of the sun on the chains of a basket. Victory was mine!!!

The only problem with walking so far is that by the time I was at the park, I was a bit weary, so I rested for a while before I tried out my sweet new Star-Orc disc Rob had given me. The disc was up to the challenge. I however, was not in my top form. Still, it was great fun trying out a new disc golf course! As I finished the course, I realized a terrible truth. I had come a long way to play. And now I would have to go back that same way. As I walked(and walked and walked) back to my hotel, I felt even more like a hobbit. But if before I was setting off on a journey in the peace of the Shire, now I felt like I was Frodo trudging up the slopes of Mt. Doom, my legs leaden and my spirit weakening. Thankfully, I had something Frodo did not. The Bus. I rode the bus a couple miles before it turned off, but I had never so much appreciated a bus before. And I have never had a dollar so well spent.

As I finally approached my hotel, it was with a weary exultation! I collapsed on my bed and rested for a while before taking a shower(hot showers are AWESOME) and eventually grabbing dinner at McDonalds…

And thus ends the Great Disc Golf Adventure! I have to say, I have a much increased admiration for marathon runners…Walking 11 miles or so tired me out…I can’t imagine running a marathon. Well, at least not now in my current state of fitness.

And now, I am still tired. Well, at least my legs are. So I must call it a day. G’night all!!! And hope you didn’t mind reading this long(AGAIN) post. I really should try to shorten my writing…ah well. Farewell!