Tag: life

It is written

James HoganLeave a comment

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

James HoganLeave a comment

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

James HoganLeave a comment

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

James HoganLeave a comment

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.

Dreaming in Htown

James HoganLeave a comment

So a hot shower is pretty much the best thing ever. *Especially* after a 10+ hour plane trip. Ahh, may I never take such luxuries for granted!!

And yes, I am back in Houston at the moment, why do you ask?? Sitting here looking outside my 15th floor hotel room at I-10 gracefully(if you can call concrete pillars and ten lane highways “graceful”) sweeping under Beltway 8. And it’s good to be back, even if it is only briefly. I can’t believe I’ve been gone eight months! What!!?!

And now I’m sleepy…and while it may be not-yet-six here in Houston, it is definitely midnight in Scotland. And I’m feeling it. But Alex will be here soon to pick me up for dinner and I shall be rejuvenated by sweet fellowship and lovely conversation…

Maybe I shall take a ten minute nap now. Yes. That sounds good.

Truth, justice, and the American way

James HoganLeave a comment

About to start work this fine(and by fine, I mean BEAUTIFUL) Aberdeen day, but just wanted to post briefly(since I don’t have time for anything else!). Have a rather nasty headache this morning(ughhh, the side effects of the Fall…I’m blaming you, serpent!! …I mean…) but I did rather enjoy my four-day weekend. Royal wedding + stupendous Saturday/Sunday + bank holiday = Awesomeness!! Rounded off beautifully by seeing Steven again last night after his holiday back in Germany and knocking out three episodes of the Unit(along with frozen pizza goodness, of course!). And this week is about to get interesting, as work is crazy busy(hello Transocean project!)…AND I’m about to travel to Houston next week for job interviews. Pray for me. Oh I need wisdom!!

And since it’s now time for work, one more note…almost ten years after the events of 9/11/2001…Osama Bin Laden was found and killed this past weekend by an American spec-ops team. I’d like to write a bit more on my thoughts on this, but for now, I praise the Lord. I rejoice that our God is sovereign over all things and I exult in His righteous judgment. Our justice may be blind, but His is all-seeing and ever-knowing and always righteous. Our justice may be flawed and incomplete and marred by our own desires for revenge, but His is perfect and complete, coming from the only One who can claim vengeance. And so while I weep for sorrow at the wanton rebellion of this world and the righteous wrath past due, I say something that is never easy for me, as a sinful man, to say: “I rejoice in the justice of the Lord our God!!!”

Unbound

James HoganLeave a comment

So I’m sitting here in Starbucks after some lovely reading and getting some work done(royal wedding today, so day off today!! Congratulations, new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, William and Kate! Even though I don’t know you…I hope you are exceedingly blessed as you start your new life together!) and I thought it might be a good time to write a long update/poem/something insightful…but it is just too beautiful outside. The sky is unprecedentedly blue and sun is blazing gloriously bright and the streets outside colorfully beckon and I just cannot stay inside any longer.

Sweet Friday afternoon walk coming right up!

Smoking Beauty

James HoganLeave a comment

Roast chicken and potatoes(oh yeah, and a pan of stuffing!) is in the oven and dinner is less than thirty minutes away. But will I let that stop me from attempting to update y’all on the awesomeness of the last few weeks? No, I will not! So no messing around and no tangents and no randomness from me today…I will just let my fingers fly in correspondence with my increasing hunger.

Anyways, I have several updates, seeing as I haven’t written in quite some time.

Update Number One: Yes, I am back in Scotland now.

Update Number Two: Yes, I was in Florida last week due to some visa complications.

Update Number Three: Wait…wasn’t I supposed to be in Oklahoma City by this time? This is true, but due to some business needs here in Aberdeen, turns out I’ll be here through the end of July!! Actually, I almost ended up in Singapore, but Cameron figured it’d be easier to keep me here. And no, I don’t know where I’ll be following my time in Scotland. I’ll keep you posted.

Update Number Four: Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our awesome and most holy God blesses me ever more abundantly than I could ever ask or imagine. Oh wait, that’s not an update. That’s always true!!

And now that the bullet point updates are out of the way, I’ll expound a bit on my Great Florida Visa Renewal Trip of 2011!! Cameron knew that my visa was going to run out…but somehow I still found out on Monday(yes, TWO weeks ago) that I’d need to be back in Florida for a biometrics appointment and visa submittal to the British Consulate in the States. So two days later I found myself on a flight back to Florida!!

I told my parents I was coming…but pretty much no one else(bar a few of you Scotland people!). So my parents picked me up Wednesday night at Tampa International and I walked in the house to the shock of Laura and Katharyn. Their faces were a sight to behold…following the reunions, enjoyed some of mom’s spaghetti and enjoyed being with my family even more…

Thursday, I didn’t get to sleep in, nope. It turned out we were planting grass at the church, so my dad took me along to help him lay down the hay on top of the grass to protect it while it germinated. I ended up getting a sunburn my first day back in Florida. Yep, I got skillz. That night, rested with the family a bit…and the following day after a pancake breakfast, up to Gainesville I drove! And why did I go to Gville? Well it just happened that Friday the 15th is Maryanne’s birthday, and I just could not pass up the opportunity to give her a happy birthday surprise! I haven’t been in Gville since Rob and Laurie’s wedding December 2009, so it was so weird making the Tampa-Gville drive and then driving through the oh-so-familiar streets. Took me about an hour to find parking near campus(yep, no change there)…finally I gave up looking for legitimate parking and parked at McDonald’s near the corner of 13th and University Ave. I bought an iced coffee there…so fair enough, right?

I then walked onto campus grounds…feeling the oft-trod paths under my feet and exhilarating in my return – it wasn’t even that hot(yet). So I let the breeze caress my face while I slowly proceeded towards Turlington. Maryanne was supposedly(according to my informants – thanks Mom!) eating lunch at Subway with a friend, so I ended up near there. I really wanted to call her and pull a Bourne(“Maryanne, you look tired. Get some rest.”) but because she’s a good friend, she kept eating lunch with her friend Sarah, not answering her phone! After attempting to call her phone about 12 times, I walked towards the Subway…about 10 feet away, she looked through the door and saw me…yeah, her face was priceless. “What are you DOING here???” We laughed and hugged and it was SO GOOD to see her again!!! Happy 20th, Maryanne!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sarah then graciously left so we could have some time together, so me and Maryanne grabbed some Subway and ate out on the Plaza and caught up(a little!) She finally had to go, so I left her and went to get my car and go meet…RobG!!! I had called him the night before, so we’d set up a meeting at the CSC. I drove over there and found him inside at our old study corner…and it was amazing. It felt like I’d seen him 15 minutes ago…not 15 months. He bought me a java chip chiller and we talked and talked and talked…obviously I can’t really recount that here, but know it was epic. Oh God has poured out grace on him and Laurie exceedingly…and well, I just can’t express how blessed I feel knowing him and having him as a friend. Laurie came down eventually and so got to talk with her some too!! Eventually, Rob had to leave(for an overnight youth trip), and so then I dashed to the Hub to see Chris real quick! He just might have been a bit shocked to see me, but we got a few minutes together before he had to close down work. I went back to the CSC and Laurie and I made our way to my next stop…Dan and Betsy’s!!! I had also called them the night before, and they’d assured me I’d always have a place at their house. So me and Laurie drove over(on the way, Laurie called Mary…who upon hearing I was in town decided to join us at Dan and Betsy’s for dinner!).

Arrived at Dan and Betsy’s…Dan opened the door, and oh it was good to see my brother and friend again. We then decided to walk down to the store for some supplies for dinner(walking is always better than driving, no??) and on the way, ran into Betsy driving home(who was listening to Absolution in my honor – yep, she knows me!) Me and Dan walked to the store and back, talking and enjoying each other’s presence all the while…

And hm, now it’s time for me to take my dinner out. Apparently I don’t type fast enough!! But, I will let it cook a little longer while I try to finish up. Operative word: try. I’ll speed this up a bit!!

So me and Dan and Betsy and Laurie and Mary enjoyed dinner together…and we stayed up past twelve talking…about pretty much everything, from deep matters to light. We had fifteen months to catch up on!! And so I found out what they’ve been up to(a lot) and they got the low down on my life(yep, a lot!) And most of all…I just rejoice in the LORD that I have friends and family such as them that any time I see them…I can bask in their fellowship and love them and be loved. Oh good times. Again, words cannot express.

And I just checked the oven and the stuffing is slightly burnt, eek!!! I think the inside parts will still be good, but I am a tad bit annoyed. Burning food is most definitely not my favorite thing. Anyways, while the food cools…I’ll just finish up with my Gville trip…Saturday morning was spent disc golfing with George and Laura Lebo(with Dan’s Beast disc…which he gave to me afterwards. I love that disc!!). For some reason, even though I haven’t played disc golf in ages, I played better than was my custom. Weird? But I’ll take it. Also got to hear a lot about what George and Laura have been up to…

Soon enough, dropped the Lebos off and then stopped by at Dan and Betsy’s to change my shirt. Oh Florida. Then back to campus to pick up Maryanne!!! We had decided we must have more time together, so we gleefully Starbucks-ed, browsed book stores…and finally finished off our time at Five Guys. Which is THREE MINUTES WALK from Stoneridge. WHY was it never there when I actually lived there? Well, maybe that’s a good thing. Anyways, my sister Maryanne is indeed so dear…I love her so!!

Finally, finally, I drove back to Tampa. And the next few days would take a while to describe, but be assured that they were just as sweet as my Gville trip. Spent oh-so-delicious times with mom, dad, Laura, Katharyn…and above all, soaking in the grace of the Almighty. I wasn’t quite sure why the Lord wanted me back in Florida for a week, but I was determined to make the most of it. It felt like a gift of the Father, indeed.

And now, it really is dinner time. This was not a short update. Oops?

Dance in the beauty of this glorious world, y’all…dance and laugh and sing. And glory in our God!!!!