http://efreedb.com/blog/markh The weblog of Mark Hopper Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:51:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en      I recently interviewed some people at our church.  I asked them to share their thoughts to this simple question, “Who did God use to bring you to Himself’?  In other words, “Who was the person who invited you to church or told you about God”?      I enjoyed the variety ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2010/03/08/people-make-a-difference/      My family and I love to go to the baseball games at Angel stadium in the summer.  It is relaxing and a fun way to spend an evening together.       As you know, every game begins with the singing of our national anthem.  I never get tired of hearing those ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2010/01/18/stand-by-me/      The December 31, 2009 edition of USA Today listed 10 memorable moments from the past decade.  Each one they listed had become well known through YouTube or other internet outlets.       One of the stories was about a women’s college softball game where players came to the aid of an ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2010/01/08/lending-a-helping-hand/      Our family has a number of Christmas traditions that developed over the years.  One of the things we did each year when our children were young was take them to a neighborhood in our community that was decorated with Christmas lights.  Almost every home was decked out with thousands ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2009/12/04/getting-into-the-christmas-spirit/      You have probably noticed that I enjoy some of the Country Western songs on the radio.  I like them because I can understand most of the words and many of them tell memorable stories.       I heard one recently that has been around for a couple of years.  The title ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2009/11/25/i-saw-god-today/      If you have been listening to the news lately, you probably heard that the state of California has another budget crisis.  The news channel reported this week that the state will have a $6 Billion deficit for this fiscal year and a projected $14 Billion deficit for the next ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2009/11/20/what-a-mess/      I was talking recently with a friend who was born in New Zealand.  I was surprised when he reminded me that they don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in his home country!       We forget that Thanksgiving is a holiday unique to our country.  Its roots go back to the Pilgrims in the ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2009/11/13/giving-thanks/        There is a Coutry Western song on the radio that I like.  I don't remember the singer or the exact title, but the theme that is repeated through the song are the words, "This is my town".       The lyrics talk about the different things that make "My Town" special.  ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2009/11/09/this-is-my-town/      As part of the Premarital Counseling program at our church, we require couples to take a personality profile.  It is a battery of 180 questions that helps reveal nine different aspects of their temperament and personality.       We translate their responses into a numerical score and then plot the results ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2009/11/03/learning-to-love/      It has been quite a journey cheering for the Angels this year.  There have been highs and lows.  There have been times when they could do nothing wrong and every batter in their starting lineup was batting over 300!  Then, there were other times when they could do nothing ... http://efreedb.com/blog/markh/2009/10/23/how-about-those-angels/