Moving On

It's been a while since I've written here. Life has been happening the past few months. I have decided to start fresh, so I'm moving this blog over to Wordpress. If you have enjoyed what you have read here, I invite you to go over to fredshope.com and check it out. I've enjoyed writing on here and I am grateful for those of you who have read my musings over the years. Thank you.

Weekend Wanderings

For some, this is the week we pause to give thanks for all of the blessings God has given us. Others commemorate the time by eating too much, and then watching football or battling the crowds at all the stores. Some have a hard time coming up with things to be thankful for. It can be the beginning of a hard season for some. If you know someone who is struggling this time of year, try to spend some time with them and let them know that someone does care about them.

Here are the links:

Excellent article from Bruce Hillman.
Yelling at God? Yes.
Some good news.
Speaking of the caravan.
Officials are trying to figure out a way to stop this.

What we have in common.
Thoughtful piece by Wesley Hill.
This looks like a good idea.
Interesting article.
The problem with being perfect.

Not so sure about this.
Long, interesting, and a bit disturbing article.
Good post from Karl Vaters.
Good post from Bob Edwards.
Trading brunch for the Eucharist.

The thing with feathers.
Helpful thing to know.
There is a difference.
Good question.
A Thanksgiving prayer.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

It has been a rough week in parts of the country. The hatred and vitriol that has marked the country the past couple of years has gotten worse in the months leading up to the midterm elections. The worst dialogue and actions are being carried out by a minority of folks on either side. I pray that enough people wake up to the damage that is being done and refuse to listen to those that would further divide us.

On to the good stuff:

Screen dangers.
Sinners and saints.
Don't be a Stepford Wife.
Satire? Maybe.
Good post on Halloween.

A warning.
Classic iMonk post on Reformation Day.
This is unfortunate.
Have you ever seen anything like this?
Most people go up the inside of a skyscraper. Not this guy.

You know, we really are a rather unimpressive bunch.
Best nature photos.
Interesting take.
Lessons learned.
Funny post.

A bit of history.
Reflections on Eugene Peterson.
Good post from Karl Vaters.
Good post from Bob Edwards.
Linchpin of our faith.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

It has been a bit chilly here in the sunny South this past week. The political ads are getting more numerous and nastier. It's rare these days when a candidate gives you positive reasons why you should vote for them rather than negative reasons why the other candidate is evil. I don't know how the elections are going to turn out, but no matter what happens, my calling as a follower of Jesus doesn't change.

On to the real reason you are here. The links:

Happy happy?
Are you haunted?
Here is a very touching article.
We need more of this.
This is a problem.

Leaving Facebook.
Good article from Michelle Van Loon.
A vanishing occupation.
Sad news.
This could be a problem.

Evidently, it might not be an insurmountable problem.
Here is one place where the right and left are coming together, sort of.
Humblebrags.
Is the neighborhood the answer?
Good things from the grave.

Failing the grieving.
Five terms to stop misusing.
Passing of a hero.
Hidden messages.
Taking love for granted.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

This is the time of year that sports fans have a number of games to choose from. There is professional and college football, baseball, and pro basketball. College basketball teams have begun to practice for the upcoming season. This year's official political campaign season mercifully ends in about a month, although it doesn't seem, that it really never ends these days.

On to the good stuff:

Serious article from McSweeney's.
Don't forget eternity.
Good post from Donavon Riley.
The dad joke.
This is a good story.

Lawnmower? Really?
Amy Hollingsworth remembers Mr. Rogers.
Sarah Condon on reconciliation.
This is interesting.
Free range kids.

A bit of a look back.
I think this is going a bit too far.
Be careful taking those selfies.
This is what happens when birds over indulge.
Little did they know.

What your snack says about you.
Thinking bigger.
Another approach to politics.
Less is more.
Good post by Fred Smith.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

Here in our little corner of the sunny South, we survived Hurricane Florence. We were just south of the circulation of the bands of high wind and rain, so we escaped. The folks to the east of us had a rough time and now face even more flooding as the water from upstream comes back down already swollen rivers as it returns to the sea. Please pray for the people in the eastern part of the Carolinas, and help if you are able.

On to the links:

Remembering Johnny Cash.
Drawing lines.
Hurricane prep.
Two lies.
Watch out for those houseplants.

Good question.
This is an amazing story.
A dangerous place to be.
Good article from Mark Galli.
Thought provoking post from Keith Giles.

Awkward album covers.
This is interesting.
She wrote the book, and then evidently lived it.
Backpacks.
Amazing photo, with a cool story.

A poem.
Good post.
Remembering a streak.
Called or not called?

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

It's a long weekend here in the sunny South, and I hope it is for you all as well. College football has kicked off the season, and the pros are getting ready to begin theirs. Political campaign signs are popping up like weeds, and we will soon be bombarded by media ads telling us why the other candidate is the scum of the earth.

On to better things:

Good post from Donavon Riley.
You don't have to be good at everything.
I wouldn't mess with this guy.
Now you know.
Back to school buying guide.

Good post from Steve Brown.
New book!
Taking things for granted.
Good question.
A Christian band?

What is worth fighting for?
Disappointed?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Good post for Labor Day.
Having joy.

Good post from Fred Smith.
Someone celebrity pastors need to meet.
Bob Edwards has a good one.
Shhh.
Shame.

Have a blessed week!

Acts 27: On a Cruise With the Apostle Paul

In our gathering last Sunday, I had the privilege of speaking on Acts 27. You can listen to it here.

Weekend Wanderings

As you can tell, this month has been a busy one, so I haven't had the chance to do much wanderings through the interwebs. I don't know if it's going to get a whole lot slower heading in to Fall, but I have some time this weekend to wander a bit, so here is some of the best out there.

Early Yelp reviews.
So, evidently there is a new shape.
Finally, realistic self-help books.
An excellent, must-read article.
Another good post.

This must have taken a while to put together.
This is interesting.
In case you you are something other than a "helicopter parent."
Good post from Bob Edwards.
So much work.

Prosperity without happiness.
Steve Brown on grace.
Confession of a prodigal.
Good post from Jake Luhrs.
The wheel of justice.

Alan Bevere on evangelism.
Karl Vaters asks a good question.
A review of Rumors of Rain. Looks good.
Joe Puentes on eating.
Friendship.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

Summer is winding down here in the sunny South. It's actually been a bit cooler here than normal. Football season is gearing up, and the major league baseball playoffs are getting closer. The silly season is upon us again, as politicians start pandering, er I mean jockeying for our votes.

On to the important stuff:

Grace never expires.
In case you're thinking about deleting Facebook.
Slow learner.
Summer and eternity.
Good question.

Watch out for those extremist groups!
Interesting article.
The smell of rain.
Good article.
Good post from Bob Edwards. 

G-L-O-R-I-A.
More than you ever knew about water.
A warning about warnings.
Good post from Sammy Rhodes.
Identity politics.

The boat in the backyard.
Karl Vaters asks better questions.
Jesus' questions.
Ties that bind.
Believing in the prosperity gospel.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

It's been a while since the last weekend links post. The past few weekends have been extremely busy and there just hasn't been time to write. I'll get the post out this week and next, and take a week off because we'll be out in Seattle visiting our children and grandchildren.

Enjoy some of the good stuff out there:

Excellent post from Kelsi Kembara.
Encouraging post from Steve Brown.
In some ways the medieval peasant had it better.
For the coffee lovers.
Flying spiders!

Good post from Ted Gossard.
Funny post.
Good article on reading.
Good question.
You just never know.

Evidently this is a trend.
Top photos.
Are you a perfectionist? Read this.
The last one.
Another funny post.

Bob Edwards on the healing touch.
Ladder theology.
Mystically tone-deaf.
Good post from Karl Vaters.
The museum of me.

Have a blessed week!

38 Years and Counting

On this date thirty eight years ago, Jan and I were married. We have been through a lot in that time, most of it good, some it challenging, and some of it flat out bad. We have reared two children, and are grateful that they have grown into responsible adults. We have buried our parents and become the "older generation." We have become grandparents. Not once, not twice, but three times in the past thirteen months.

We have lived in five homes in three different cities, moving from the bustle of the Washington, DC area to the more blue collar Cincinnati, Ohio suburbs, to the small, yet growing town of Rock Hill, South Carolina. We have each taught in four different schools. Jan is currently tutoring part time, and I am working as an assistant in a law office. We have spent most of our working years traveling together to the same place, and had the blessing of having our son and daughter in the same schools with us for a good bit of the time. Jan has stuck with me through the times I was without work, when we often wondered how we were going to make it and when I seriously doubted my self-worth. There were times when her belief in me was what kept me going.

I am grateful for a wife who has been a constant in my life. There has never been a time when I doubted her love for me. She has been a support and a blessing to me throughout the years. She is one of the people God has used to mold me into who I am. I am thankful for the privilege of being her husband, her companion, her love. I consider myself most blessed man on earth.

As we enter this new stage of our journey, being grandparents, and dealing with getting a bit older, I am glad to have such a wonderful woman to travel with. Jan, I love you so much more than yesterday, and so much less than tomorrow. Happy Anniversary.

Acts 23

Acts 23 is an interesting account of some of the things the Apostle Paul went through. I had the opportunity to teach from this portion of Scripture this past Sunday. You can take a listen here.

Weekend Wanderings

Welcome to July! It's hot here in the sunny South, as it is in much of the country. For the soccer fans out there, the World Cup has been interesting this year. Some of the traditional powerhouses have been eliminated, and there are teams no one expected in the knockout round.

Here is the good stuff:

You've been doing this all wrong.
The meekness of God.
Living free.
A history of pizza.
World's smallest desert.

Funny article.
Sand cats. Really.
Love. Or lack thereof.
Revolutionary message.
Ugly dogs.

Fear and options.
Are you hangry?
Don't be a jerk.
Bob Edwards on worry.
Lisa Dye om her big life.

Provocative post from Benjamin L. Corey.
Good post from Andy Gill.
Good ideas for church leaders.
Dan Jepsen has a good one.
Another look from Chaplain Mike.

Have a blessed week!

Father

All of us have fathers. My father was a good man. Not perfect, but good. There never was a time when I didn't know he loved me. He was a good provider and role model. I learned a great deal from him, although not as much as I could, or should, have. He was the kind of father that makes me proud to be his son.

Many folks don't have a father like that. It is heartbreaking to hear those who had fathers who were absent. Some of their fathers died while they were young, others were absent because of work or simply lack of interest. More heartbreaking are the stories of the fathers who were abusive, who treated their children in ways that no one should be treated.

Our picture of God is often colored by our experience with our earthly fathers. Some of us see God as Abba, as the loving Father who cares perfectly for his children. To us, he is Papa, Daddy. Others unfortunately, have a hard time seeing God as their Father. Their image of God is that of a King who is hard, who is demanding, who is always asking more and more of us. That saddens me, because I believe the picture we have of God has a great deal to do with how free we are able to live as his children.

I once heard someone say something which I  believe will help those who struggle with the idea of God as Father. If you have trouble with that, try to imagine the perfect father, with all of the best attributes and no bad qualities. Imagine a father who always makes good and loving decisions, and who always does what is best for his children. Then, take that image and magnify it beyond comprehension. Do that and you have God.

Even the best of earthly fathers are imperfect. My father had his flaws, and I definitely have mine. But our heavenly Father, our Abba, has no flaws. He is absolutely perfect. He is everything anyone would want in a father, and more. We can't begin to imagine such a perfect father. But we can accept that he is and trust him to be exactly what we need.

Cry out to Abba. Let his furious love wash over you and let him wrap you in his arms. Crawl up in his lap and rest in his perfect care.

Weekend Wanderings

This weekend we celebrate Father's Day. It's a joyous day for some, while it is a day of sadness or even bitterness to others.I hope it is a day of joy for you. It's the beginning of election season, as most states have had their primaries and it's time for the real mud-slinging to begin. I'm pretty much to the point where the primaries of both major parties result in me knowing who I am not going to vote for in the fall.

That's my political statement for the month. On to the real reason why you're here:

Father's Day meditation.
Who's your Father?
Check out the iMonk Saturday Monks Brunch Father's Day edition.
Thoughtful article from Emily Hunter McGowin.
Interview with David Brooks.

I think I'll pass on this.
Funny photos.
Something for the soccer fans.
High school yearbook quotes.
Remember the marshmallow test?

For those who really like to eat. A lot.
You have to be careful around those things.
So, this was art?
You also have to be careful around these things.
Good question.

Good post from Fred Smith.
Mr. Rogers, revolutionary.
Good post from Bob Edwards.
Mike Glenn writes about a myth.
Good interview.

Have a blessed week!

Acts 19

This weekend I had the privilege of teaching about the Apostle Paul's time in Ephesus from Acts 19. You can find the recording here.

Weekend Wanderings

It's Memorial Day weekend. In the midst of all the fun stuff that happens this weekend, let us not forget those who gave their lives in the service of their country.

On to the good stuff:

Good post from Bob Edwards.
Thoughtful post from Joel Kurz.
This would be cool to see.
I wonder if you can get this at your local pub.
This is a good thing.

Perhaps the fault is really not in our stars.
This is kind of sad.
Baptized with fire.
Including the excluded.
This is kind of funny.

Funny post from Babylon Bee.
Invasion of the giant worms!
I think this is a good thing.
Good post from Mike Glenn.
Superstar Christianity.

Ain't too proud.
Correcting a mistake.
Interesting article.
Funny from McSweeney's
I want to go here.

Have a blessed week!

Weekend Wanderings

After some really warm days here in the sunny South, the temperatures have been just a bit above normal with a fair amount of rain. The professional basketball season has come down to the last four teams. It could be interesting to see who comes out on top. On a totally unrelated note, we now have a new granddaughter to add to the two grandsons. Of course they are the cutest little ones you could ever see.

Anyway, here is the good stuff:

Evidently, these people were a bit odd.
France at the end of World War I.
Interesting article.
Steve Brown on prayer.
Turns out eggs are okay after all.

Interesting.
Good question.
Story of the Rainbow Man.
It looks like propaganda has been around awhile.
Good article from Peter Wehner.

Out of the shadows.
Stanley Hauerwas.
Good article from Geoff Holsclaw.
Good article from Karl Vaters.
Mike Glenn on forgiveness.

Allergy myths.
Darn! I really wanted to take my spider with me on my trip this summer,
You have to time it right to visit this place.
For those of us who have been around awhile.
This is good.

Have a blessed week!

Weeknd Wanderings

The days are getting longer and warmer here in the sunny South. We had dinner out on the back porch for the first time this year. We are awaiting the arrival of our first granddaughter. She is expected to make her arrival in the next couple of weeks.

On to the good stuff:

Good post from Nick Lannon.
Reading Paul with a southern drawl.
I don't think so.
Can you trust anything anymore?
Puns. Just because.

Good photos.
Feeling pretty?
Church of Holy Saturday.
This is intriguing.
Dangerous grace.

Mowing the lawn.
The first of two good posts from Karl Vaters.
Second post.
Good post from Fred Smith.
So evidently, this is happening.

Since it is still Easter season, here is a good post.
Good question from Chris Williams.
Yeah, don't do this.
For your next Cinco de Mayo party.
Some people won't let you just enjoy a movie.

Gave a blessed week!