Posts by Ben Hogan
On Our Way Home
When you wake up in the morning, you never really know what the day will hold. We are so accustomed to making plans and schedules and having every day of our week mapped out like we know exactly what the days ahead will bring. Then, without warning, any heads-up, and any prior notice, your day can change in the blink of an eye. This happened to me not too long ago. I woke up like it was any other Monday.…
For Such A Time As This
Have you ever wondered where God was? Life has so many disappointments and trials that sometimes it feels like He is nowhere to be found. Nothing is more disheartening than feeling like you are doing everything you can for the Lord, and all you get is heartache and adversity in return. When we feel like this, it is easy to think He does not care about what we are going through, or worse, some even question if there is a…
Keep the Charge!
Nothing is more frustrating than a cell phone that will not keep its charge. As phones get older, the battery becomes more and more unable to maintain the power they once could. We all know the amazing feeling of that brand new phone and how it holds its charge forever. Not too long after, though, the phone is dead every couple of hours. What once was an innovative, advanced, top-of-the-line cell phone has now been rendered useless because of its…
There’s a Lot of That Going Around Lately . . .
An onslaught of runny noses, head congestion, sore throats, and even the flu is on a rampage this year as winter approaches. This time of year, our sick lists and prayer lists grow more and more in length. It is almost always met unanimously with the colloquial phrase, “Yeah… there’s a lot of that going around lately.” You’ll hear this phrase in church foyers and doctors’ offices everywhere. A phrase like this is not to diminish the individual’s situation in…
Are You a Pilot Fish?
When I was a kid, if anything was going to get me to turn the channel from Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon—it was Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. Whoever the executives were at Discovery knew what they were doing when they invented Shark Week. Here is an entire week solely dedicated to these animals which are as mysterious as they are frightening. Each show would approach different components or angles as they educated viewers on the king of the ocean.…
Christianity Is Not a Buffet
When you have growing children whose appetites can best be compared to a Shop-Vac… sometimes your safest bet is heading to the local buffet for dinner. A Buffet is one of the only ways you can ensure every kid will be able to find SOMETHING they like. What a crazy notion a buffet is to a child. Here is a place where I don’t have to eat anything gross; I can pick and choose whatever I desire. I can go…
Stop the Gossip!
“Psssst… hey, come here! You won’t believe what I just heard about ______. Can you believe they _________? What do you think _____ will think about that?” Have you ever been reeled into a conversation like this? I am fairly confident everyone reading this has been enticed at one point or another by sentences like these. Isn’t it hard to resist the allure of some good old-fashioned GOSSIP? We may not realize it at the time, but almost every conversation…
I Am Tired
Nothing will make you feel more helpless, overwhelmed, and at your wits-end than being tired. Fatigue comes in many forms and comes from all manners of life. According to the most recent data, more than 70 percent of the American workforce reports they are physically tired while at work. Tiredness can be much more than physical, though. How often are you mentally, emotionally, socially, or spiritually tired? The truth is… if we were asked, most of us would admit we…
THERE IS STILL A PLACE FOR YOU!
Growing up on the farm, I was given what might be considered now an old-school way of life. Too many times to count, we would finish a hard day’s work and know that Mama had something special waiting for us to eat for dinner. Often, we would not be able to complete a job we had started, but we knew we better get home cause Mama would have supper on the table waiting. One of the best feelings…
Your Religion is Worthless… IF
Citizens of the United States of America are protected and granted their rights by our governing document, The U.S. Constitution. At the end of the Constitution, there is a list of amended rights known as “The Bill of Rights.” These rights are at the bedrock and foundation of what it means to be an American. These rights are primarily responsible for making America a unique land of freedom, equality, and liberty. Americans fight for, defend, and hold these rights…
Bee-lieve It Or Not…
The time has come. Our dreaded nemesis has arrived once again and has surrounded every crevice of our lives. Heads are aching, noses are congesting, eyes are watering, throats are itching, and allergies are raging. The enemy yellow residue refuses to subside and cruelly taunts car owners everywhere. Pollen has officially invaded, and regardless of the amount of rainfall, it will not be denied. Every year we have a couple of months of misery where pollen calls the…
Keep the Charge!
Nothing is more frustrating than a cell phone that will not keep its charge. As phones get older, the battery becomes more and more unable to maintain the power they once could. We all know the amazing feeling of that brand new phone and how it holds its charge forever. Not too long after, though, the phone is dead every couple of hours. What once was an innovative, advanced, top-of-the-line cell phone has now been rendered useless because of…