A shield and bulwark

James HoganLeave a comment

So enjoying a gloriously bright Saturday morning! Sipping on my coffee and crunching on my bacon and reading truth. Can it get much better? I submit that it cannot!!

And while I’m a bit sleepy today(a nap this afternoon is definitely called for)…it was so worth it to have amazing times chilling with Anna and Steven last night…another random shopping adventure, another late night dinner, another movie, another sweet time driving down Union St. together…soaking in sweet music in the beauty of the night. They’re soon to go away back to Hungary and Germany, respectively. And this makes me sad. And I try not to think about it.

Moving away from that…today going to Tineke’s 21st birthday tea(apparently me and Graham are going to be practically the only males there. Hm.) and then will try and catch the women’s Wimbledon final. Seriously, I’m so psyched for these finals today and tomorrow. Both of my favorite players are playing…I think for the first time ever!! Maria Sharapova(versus Kvitova) and Nadal(versus Djokovic). Epic. Can’t wait for today’s match – go Maria!!!

But enough tennis.

Now, I want to get back to reading.

Waterfalls

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And here again we have a quick before-work update! Sitting here on this sunny Thursday morning, preparing for another day of oil-equipment-remanufacture-awesomeness(really, remind me to write a post someday explaining my job in great detail. Or not) as I enjoy my coffee and revel in the beauty of a new morning!

And I just realized this is my 365th post on livejournal. Only took me some seven years to get here!! It is sort of odd, because all the friends I started out with on livejournal are mostly gone. What does that mean that I’m still writing away, hm?

Oh and I was bemoaning my short commute today…at this rate, I’ll never get to finish the final song on the newest Rhapsody of Fire album(“From Chaos to Eternity” – epic title, neh?). Of course, the final song is some nineteen minutes long. Oh well, maybe there will be enough traffic tomorrow morning so that I can hear the whole song in one drive.

And enough randomness for the morning?

Time to work!

Oh by the way, the book of Matthew is awesome. Been enjoying it incredibly so lately. You all should read it. Right now.

It is written

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Quick thought while I’m making dinner.

Just reading Matthew 21…what does Jesus do as soon as he is acclaimed the King? Does he bask in the adulation of the crowds? No, he goes straight to the temple and drives the money-changers and merchants from the house of God,

“It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

Tragic. Heartbreaking. The house of worship of the living God had been desecrated by the greed of men. And just makes me think of what Jesus would say of much of the ‘Christian’ world today. Are we so wrapped up in the world of Christianity that we forget we live in a world of fallen people? Are we more excited about momentary worldly gain than we are about being indwelt by the Holy Spirit? Are we satisfied more by the praise of our peers than by the praise of our God? Would we forget the words of Paul that Christ did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped? If Christ could so do, then how could we not lay aside our pride and be servants of all?

How could we place the temporal above the eternal?

How could we place the temporal pleasures of this world above the eternal souls of men?

How could we place the temporal riches of this world above the eternal Christ?

Worship the King.

Loveliness, iced

James HoganLeave a comment

So guess where I am (again) on this Sunday afternoon? Yeah, back at Starbucks. Don’t say anything. And right now it’s a bit wet outside so I’m grateful to be dry and warm inside. Anyways, this past week has been crazy busy(nope, not gonna detail it all here, but just trust me on this: work’s been mental!) Anyways, I feel guilty for not keeping you all up to date, but you should be used to my sporadic updates anyway. As I’ve really said a lot of nothing so far, here goes a brief run-down of my last few days…

Actually, I take that back. First just briefly mentioning that I was back in Florida a few weeks ago(actually two weeks ago I was sitting in church in Tampa!!) for the amazing and most awesome celebration of Laura’s graduation! Gaither has seen four of Hogans come…and now we’re gone. It would take FAR too long to describe all we did that week…but let it be said that it was a time of joy and gladness. And that I may have been a bit sad to leave again, knowing I probably won’t be back with the fam until Christmas. Whoa.

Oh and I just realized Starbucks closes in a few minutes. Speed writing time!

But yeah, past few days have been sweet. Hanging with Steven and Anna on Thursday night(watching Bourne Ultimatum, which Steven had never seen!!). So watching some Jason Bourne domination plus delicious tacos is never a bad combination. Friday…well, quite intense work day. That is all that will be said about that. And Friday night, good times with Steven and Anna once again!! And Saturday…hm, can you guess who I hung out with? Well, yes. I guess I’m not very hard to figure out. I was at Starbucks and then Steven came and hung out with me for a while and then Anna came in to, so we spent a most lovely afternoon relaxing here and enjoying the goodness of the LORD!!! I have pretty amazing friends, gotta say. And it makes me quite sad to think that they’ll be away(to Germany and Hungary) in a matter of weeks…

And now, Starbucks is really almost closing. Gotta run. And I just may get wet. No!!! Oh well, I like the rain.

On this lovely Sunday afternoon…peace!

Tigers of the night

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Quick random update!

In Starbucks relaxing on this rainy(and slightly chilly!) Saturday afternoon enjoying my peppermint mocha and now chilling with Steven who just walked in! So no more time to write, but maybe someday soon I’ll write again about all this awesomeness that has been occurring lately…

Rock on, y’all.

Dust and ashes

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So it’s about 9:30pm here in Scotland(and yes, still light outside! The height of summer is rapidly approaching and darkness is rarely to be found. Love it!) and I’m currently being sort of weird. I decided that I was hungry so now making a random snack of grilled cheese and tomato soup. Sounds good, yeah? You know you want some.

And I’ll probably regret this tomorrow morning, bemoaning my lack of sleep as I start another work week. Nah. I’m hungry.

Also..God is awesome. I am much less so.

The end.

Prepare your mind for action

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So this morning is going to be interesting. Month-end shipments are upon us here at Cameron Aberdeen and everyone that knows how to close out invoices and ship equipment is either on holiday or in Houston on business…leaving the rest of us running around maniacally and me attempting to ensure everything that should be shipped out is shipped out. Cut-off for the end of the month is today at noon, so at 12:01 today, sighs will be heard all around.

O love the LORD, all you his godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
and fully recompenses the proud doer.
Be strong and let your heart take courage,
all you who hope in the LORD.
-Psalm 31:23-24

And now, boys and girls…it’s go time.

24

James HoganLeave a comment

So this will be a short update, for two reasons – firstly, it’s a Saturday morning, which means it’s bacon and coffee and reading time!! And secondly, because it is just gorgeous outside, and so I just can’t spend too much time inside today!! And also, I am not quite in a writing mood, but I wanted to write at least a little bit following my 24th birthday the other day!! And yes, I am now 24. What!! It is a bit odd to think that three years ago, I turned 21 as I finished up my junior year at UF, looking forward to my internship with Cameron… And now, just three years later, I’ve graduated, spent a year in Houston, and now almost a year in Scotland. Um, did I expect this? Yeah, I can safely respond ‘No’ to that. Indeed, man does plan his ways but the Lord directs his steps!! How true that is! And so I’ve lived twenty-four years of my life, and I can’t but praise God for every second of those years! King of kings and Lord of lords, He cares for me. God of the universe, He holds me tight. Messiah of this fallen world, He loves me! And so, I love Him!!!

And as my thoughts attempt to run away with themselves, I will end this before my ebullience rises to new heights.

But briefly – yes, even celebrating my birthday in Scotland(first time in a foreign country!), I had a simply magnificent day…from celebrating in the office with a double-chocolate cake(courtesy of the awesomeness of Mark Neish) to walking up to church in the gloriously sunlit and breezy afternoon to basking in the wonders of the mercies of God at bible study to chilling with dearest Steven and Anna as we watched PotC4(complete with ANOTHER chocolate cake…yeah, my friends know me too well!!) to strolling along Union Street with them and thanking my Father for friends such as them to walking home and talking to Mom and Laura and Maryanne and loving hearing their voices even as they are millions of miles away…yes, I am supremely blessed.

Life Eternal

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For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived,
enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life
in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

But when the kindess of God our Saviour appeared,
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness,
but according to His mercy,
by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.

-Titus 3:3-7