"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." --Leo Tolstoy Anna KareninaJohn <>&...
Tuesday, 30 July 2013
Monday, 29 July 2013
It was a really good weekend!Other than the initial drive of about eight hours in various states of rainy weather, it was a grand weekend of seeing the whole family! We got things started with a casual get together on Friday night.One of the newest members to join our group is expecting the first great-grandchild in the Jerry and Leticia family. Naturally, somebody came up with the idea of a surprise baby shower! After eating sandwiches, chips, fruit...
Saturday, 27 July 2013
Blogging on the road this morning...I'm enjoying coffee and oatmeal in the hotel breakfast area as the kids sleep in for a while. Today is the Hill Family reunion.We all arrived in central Illinois yesterday and had a great evening together. Today's outdoor gathering looks like we will be blessed with sunny skies and temps in the mid 70s!Only Chris is missing from the gathering as she has to deal with one of those jobs that is a 24/7 kind of deal.Dad, Mom, six kids with their spouses/significant others, seventeen grandkids from 35yrs down to 8,...
Thursday, 25 July 2013
In the Blogosphere, we say Happy Blogoversary!It was seven years ago that Out of My Hat made its first post! This is my 857th post.Over the past seven years I've had my streaks of writing and not writing. I've posted rants of things that drive me crazy and shared things that I hold dear. I've written things that are funny and things that I find interesting. I've told my readers about me and the things that are important to me and written posts just as an exercise in writing.The most incredible thing that I've found through writing Out of My Hat,...
Monday, 22 July 2013
Recently I have read several articles that are about a study that shows a decline in conservative Christianity and a rise in the Christian Left. Here is one. I think that there is a blending of definitions that creates a great misunderstanding between the difference in conservative politics and conservative Christianity. I am a conservative Christian. I believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and that no one comes to the Father except through Him. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God; that it is in his death, burial and resurrection...
Saturday, 20 July 2013
It's Saturday morning and I figured that I should throw something out there. Writing this morning is a bit of an exercise in forced writing since I don't necessarily feel like writing or have anything that I want to write about. It's as good excuse as any to continue to sit on the deck and finish another cup of coffee before getting around to doing anything meaningful.Another work week has come to an end and I find myself thinking more and more about retirement--still working out the fiscal numbers to make that work without handing over a...
Friday, 12 July 2013
I will be busy for the rest of the summer!It has been a little while since I updated the Coming Events section of the right-hand column. Mostly because I really haven't had anything to update about. Although, I've done a few things, none of them really had to do with preaching or magic, but it does appear that the rest of the summer will be pretty busy.When it's been several weeks (or months) since I've done a magic show, it does take a little bit of time to work on the old effects and get ready for another performance. When it's been a little...
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Tonight I'm wondering just how often a younger, more arrogant John managed to look like a real jerk by offering an opinion that was neither requested nor welcome on a subject that he knew little about. I see that happening fairly often--in the work place, at social gatherings, even church groups. It seems that some people always feel the need to appear to have some special insight about matters that don't concern them and they are completely ignorant about.Is it just something about youth and immaturity that causes us to want to appear to...
A recent political conversation has me wondering...Given the number of conservative GOP governors that were once very much against ObamaCare but now embrace it because of the money it brings to their states and their states' economies;And given the number of times the Republican controlled House has voted to repeal it, knowing that it will never pass in the Democratic controlled Senate;What would happen if just enough Democratic senators voted in favor of repeal that it would take every Republican senator's vote to pass?Would it pass?Or what if...
Saturday, 6 July 2013
Dictionary.com defines an enigma as: a person of puzzling or contradictory character.And conundrum as: anything that puzzles.I've been called both of these in the past. While I understand that I fit into few boxes, I find it interesting that so many of us still try to put people into a nice, neat, descriptive box. I say us because I am also sometimes guilty of making broad assumptions based on little information about a person.I can sort of understand...
Thursday, 4 July 2013
I suppose that I should be posting something about today being the day that we (in the US) celebrate the anniversary of our independence. Since I'm certain that there will be numerous patriotic post to read about that, I'll take a little different patriotic path.Several weeks ago, my dad made his way to Washington DC as a part of the Greater Peoria Honor Flight that pays tribute to those that have worn the uniform and served our great country. A part of the tribute is a mail call that allows for family and friends to write letters that are presented...
Tuesday, 2 July 2013
As is often the case in ministry, the ones that are serving are also richly blessed. This was true for me (and those that were with me) on our recent trip into the coal mining area around Harlan County KY.One of those unexpected blessings came from getting to know the members of my own church family a little bit better. Even though I knew them as members of my church, I really only knew them in that context. Travelling, dining and working with them allowed me to get to know them as the people that they are and not just as the one that sits a few...
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