All the Lonely People


I had a brief conversation with a friend recently that reminded me of how the Corona Virus pandemic is impacting the lives of so many people. When I asked my friend how the pandemic was effecting them, their reply was – I feel lonely.
 
Many experts agree that the pandemic has not only had a serious economic impact, but it has also had a serious emotional impact too. Many older people live alone. They may feel safe inside their home or apartment, but they may also feel isolated from friends and family.
 
Paul McCartney and the Beatles produced a song in 1966 with the title Eleanor Rigby. The lyrics include these words – 
  
       “All the lonely people, where do they all come from?
        All the lonely people, where do they all belong?”
 
I think there are many people who are feeling very lonely these days due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many widows, widowers and other single adults feel isolated and discouraged
 
There is a verse in the Bible that says, “Encourage one another and lift up one another” (First Thessalonians 5:11). Another passage says, “Religion that pleases God is to look after orphans and widows in their distress: (James 1:27).
 
Let me encourage you to keep an eye out for some lonely people around you this week. There may be widows, widowers or other single adults that feel very lonely and disconnected. Here are some ideas:
 
Call someone on your smart phone contact list today.
 
Schedule a weekly phone date with someone who lives alone.
 
Send a card this week to someone you know who feels lonely
 
Make some cookies and drop them off at a neighbor’s house.
 
You may not be able to help everyone, but you can encourage someone. Do something for someone who may be feeling lonely this week. You will be glad you did and they will too.”

You can read 365 more stories and articles – one for every day of the year – by the author in his book “Let Me Encourage You” by Mark Hopper. The pre-Christmas sale price is two books for only $30 plus postage. Purchase one for yourself and one to give as a gift to a friend. Order your copies at: markh@efreedb.org. You will be glad you did and your friend will too!

Learning to Drive

 
My father took my brother Steve and me out to the edge of town to teach us how to drive. Even though I was only 14 years old my father decided to take me too so I could learn along with my older brother.
 
Our father used his Volkswagen Beetle to teach us how to drive. It had a stick shift on the floor. It also had an extra pedal on the floor board next to the brake pedal. This second pedal was called the clutch. You had to push the clutch pedal down to the floor to disengage the engine so you could shift gears.
 
Today most cars have an automatic transmission and the engine changes gears automatically. A stick shift required the driver to use the clutch pedal and the gear shift stick to change gears and increase the speed of the car.  
 
Our dad selected a remote dirt road on the edge of Phoenix to be our training ground. There were no other cars in sight. He got out of the driver’s seat and moved to the passenger seat so my brother and I could take turns sitting in the driver’s seat.
 
Steve was older so he went first. Our father tried to explain how to depress the clutch, shift the car into first gear, then slowly release the clutch pedal and depress the gas pedal to get the car moving. It involved a lot of coordination. Initially our efforts weren’t very good. The car stuttered and stalled many times as we learned to coordinate the clutch and gas pedal. But we both got better the more we practiced.
 
Guess who got to teach our four teenagers when they were old enough to drive. I was once the student. Now I became the teacher. I selected the largest empty parking lot I could find on Saturday morning to teach each of our kids to drive. We had an automatic transmission so it was easier for them to learn. Later they learned to drive with a stick shift too. I wonder who will get to teach their children how to drive.
 
There is a verse in the Bible where the Apostle Paul encourages his young disciple Timothy to teach others the things Paul had taught him (Second Timothy 2:2). Every generation has the privilege and responsibility to teach the next one. Let me encourage you to share your skills and experiences with younger people. Teach them so that they can teach others. You will be glad you did and they will too!

For more stories by Mark Hopper you can purchase his book Let Me Encourage You with 365 stories and articles – one for every day of the year. The regular price is $20 but the Pre-Christmas Sale price is $30 for two plus $5 postage! Buy one for yourself and one to give as a gift to a friend. Contact the author at markh@efreedb.org. You will be glad you did!

Twins

My wife is an identical twin. Jeanne and her sister Joanne have the same birthday. Their names are spelled with only one letter different. Their social security numbers are only one number different. They look alike, laugh alike and have many other similarities.

When they were very young even their parents had trouble determining who was who. There are photos of the young twins where it is almost impossible to tell them apart. When they were in grade school they traded classes for a day and the teacher didn’t know it. They loved being twins in grade school and high school. Everyone remembers the twins. During most of their adult lives they continued to look alike. They recently celebrated their 70th birthday together.

Several years ago a family from our church was at the airport in St. Louis. As they were waiting for their flight, they saw my wife riding up a nearby escalator. But they noticed that the man she was with wasn’t me! Why was my wife with another man? One of them called her name – Hi Jeanne! She answered – I’m not Jeanne, I’m Joanne! Another family from our church was visiting some relatives in Chandler, Arizona. As they drove through the neighborhood one of their kids saw Jeanne. They stopped their car and hollered out the window – Hi Jeanne Hopper! But, it wasn’t Jeanne – it was her twin sister Joanne.

When Joanne visited our church many people greeted her thinking she was Jeanne. One child said – there are two Jeanne Hoppers!

Did you know there are twins mentioned in the Bible? Two brothers named Jacob and Esau were twins but they did not look alike. Jacob deceived their father and stole his brother’s birth right. (Genesis 27). One of the twelve disciples was also a twin. His name was Thomas (Hebrew) who was also called Didymus (Greek) – both words mean Twin (John 11:16). He is often referred to as Doubting Thomas because he refused to believe that Jesus rose from the dead until he could see, hear and touch Jesus himself (John 20:24-31). When Thomas finally saw Jesus alive he was convinced beyond all doubt.

I wonder if you believe that Jesus is alive. Or do you still have doubts and questions. Jesus’ own followers initially had questions and doubts too. Let me encourage you to examine the evidence for yourself. Read the words of those who saw him alive after his death on the cross in the final chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Read the eyewitness testimonies in the book of Acts. You will be glad you did and I will too!

Read 365 more stories and articles – one for every day of the year – in the author’s book – Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. The Christmas Sale price is two books for only $30 plus postage. Buy one for yourself and one for a friend or family member. Order your books now at Markh@efreedb.org

The Turkey Bowl

There are many different Bowl games at the end of the football season. College games include the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl, Orange Bowl and the Cotton Bowl. The championship game for professional football is the Super Bowl. Football players dream of finishing their season playing in one of these famous football games.

When I was in High School and college, our church had a flag football game on Thanksgiving morning. We called it the Turkey Bowl. We continued that tradition when I became the pastor of our church in Tucson. We moved the Turkey Bowl from Thanksgiving Day to Sunday afternoon when we continued the tradition at our church in California.

The original idea was for the younger men in the church to play a flag football game against the older men in the church. Usually the older guys could outplay the younger guys. But, as the years passed, the younger players got better and the older players got slower!

Over the years we made some changes to the Turkey Bowl. We invited women to play and we put older and younger players on both teams to make the game more evenly balanced.  

I always reminded players on both teams that the goal was not to win the game – the goal was to not get hurt! All of us had to go back to school or work the following week. So we emphasized that this was a friendly contest – try to not get hurt and try to not hurt others.

We did have a few injuries over the years. Many years ago when I was in college our pastor injured his knee and had to preach sitting on a stool for several months after the Turkey Bowl. One year in Tucson I broke two fingers and spent most of Thanksgiving Day in the hospital emergency room. I had to wait for a doctor to finish his dinner before he came to the hospital to help me.

The Apostle Paul used athletic terms to teach spiritual lessons. He said prayer was like wrestling (Colossians 4:12). He used the image of boxing to illustrate need for self-discipline (First Corinthians 9:26). He used the example of distance running to emphasize the need for endurance in the face of persecution (Hebrews 12:1). Living your life as a follower of Jesus is a lot like a long-distance race which requires endurance, self-discipline and a lot of prayer.

Let me encourage you to enjoy Thanksgiving with your family and friends. If you include a flag football game in your holiday activities, try to not get hurt and try to not hurt others. You will be glad you did and they will too!

Read 365 more stories and articles by Mark Hopper in his book – Let Me Encourage You. You can purchase two books for $30 plus postage. Order your books today at markh@efreedb.org.

A Butterball or a Rubber Ball

I love the Thanksgiving season. Pumpkin pies are back in stock at Costco and many stores have seasonal decorations. The weather is changing and many people are making plans to travel out of town to visit friends and relatives.

My wife works hard putting together our Thanksgiving dinner. She loves making many of the dishes that were part of her family’s dinner when she was growing up. These included mashed potatoes and gravy plus yams, turnips, red cabbage, green beans, cranberry salad and dinner rolls. Desserts included apple pie and pumpkin pie

The center piece of Thanksgiving dinner is the turkey. My wife defrosts it overnight and then prepares the stuffing in the morning. My job is to wash the turkey and help my wife fill the turkey with stuffing. Once the turkey is in the oven the house is filled with a fragrant aroma throughout the day.

Shopping for the right turkey can be a challenging responsibility. Since I am the one who usually buys the turkey, I watch the newspaper ads for coupons and the best price. Grocery stores often offer a turkey at a reduced price if you purchase $25 of other items. Seemed like a bargain to me. My wife also likes to cook a big turkey. I often look for one that is at least 22 pounds or more. The bigger the turkey – the more leftovers!

However, I learned an important lesson a few years ago. Instead of buying an expensive Butterball turkey, I bought one of the store-brand turkeys at a reduced price. After all the work and preparation we sat down to our annual Thanksgiving dinner. But, the turkey tasted like a rubber ball instead of a Butterball. It was tough and chewy. It was a huge disappointment.

I learned a valuable lesson. When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner don’t cut corners on the turkey. Buy the Butterball so you don’t end up eating a rubber ball. Let me encourage you to enjoy Thanksgiving with your family and friends this year. You may want to invite a neighbor or widow or a college student to enjoy the day with you too. They will be glad you did and you will too!

For 365 more stories and articles (one for each day of the year) by Mark Hopper you can purchase a copy of his book “Let Me Encourage You“. The Pre-Christmas Sale is still on – two books for $30 plus $5 postage. Order your books today at markh@efreedb.org.

Sneaky Snake

Recently I was taking some trash out the side door of our garage when something caught my eye. When I opened the door I saw a snake curled up by the threshold inside the garage. It looked like it was sleeping in the warm sunlight that was squeezing under the door. I’m thankful I didn’t step on it. After I opened the door, I stepped back to get a better look. I called my wife and asked her to take a look at our sleeping intruder. She wasn’t very happy to see that we had a snake in our garage. She wanted to know how I planned to get rid of it. I decided to change clothes, put on some socks and shoes, and get my work gloves and a flat shovel. But, when I returned to the garage the snake was gone! Where did he go? Did he crawl out the open door or was he still in the garage?

Gary Richmond is a popular speaker and author. Before he joined the pastoral staff of a large church in Fullerton, he worked at the LA Zoo. He has written several books including A View from the Zoo and The Divorce Decision. When he spoke at a Men’s Retreat at the Forest Home Conference Center he also led an optional nature hike in the surrounding woods. He told us about a large Pine Cone that was called the Widow Maker and about snakes that are native to southern California. He emphasized that snakes play an important role in the ecosystem and how they restrain the growth of the mice and rodent population. He urged us to respect them and not kill them.

My wife was reluctant to go out into the garage until she was sure the snake was gone. The washer and dryer are in the garage. We might never have any clean clothes again. What should I do? I decided to try to capture and relocate our snake and not kill him. But I wasn’t sure if we would ever find him again. However, the next afternoon I saw him again curled up inside the garage side door. I needed to act quickly. I grabbed my work gloves and the flat shovel and quietly opened the side door. I opened the lid of an empty trash can. I used the flat shovel to quickly scoop up the snake and toss it into the empty trash can. I closed the lid and rolled the trash can to an undeveloped area about two blocks from our house. I dumped the snake into the bushes. I’m sure he was happy to be free after that noisy bumpy ride and I was very happy to have the sneaky snake out of our garage. Success!

Snakes and other critters share our community with us. Let me encourage you to watch your step. Exercise restraint. Treat them with respect. They were here first. You will be glad you did and they will too!

You can read more articles by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You – 365 articles and stories – one for every day of the year. Special Pre-Christmas Sale – two books for only $30 plus postage. Order a book for yourself and as a gift for a friend at markh@efreedb.org.

Joe and Charlotte

Joe and Charlotte began to attend our church when I was the new pastor at Chapel in the Hills in Tucson many years ago. Although I had served on the staff of larger churches, this was the first time I was on my own after graduating from seminary.

I was pretty young to be leading a church. The church was small. A secretary came in one morning a week to print the Sunday bulletin. The church treasurer was a volunteer. Our attendance was small and our resources were limited.

Joe and Charlotte lived in the neighborhood and they actually attended a larger church across town. But they started coming to our Sunday evening services and to our mid-week Bible study. They were school teachers and loved kids. They had served with a ministry providing children’s Bible programs in rural areas of Arizona. And they rode a tandem-bike along the Mississippi River from Minnesota to New Orleans during two summer vacations!

They offered to lead our first summer Vacation Bible School to reach children in the community. I was so thankful to have the help of this remarkable couple. They came with ideas and experience that were invaluable. VBS was a success and we met a number of new families in our area.

There is a similar couple in the Bible. Their names were Priscilla and Aquila and they worked with the Apostle Paul on a number of occasions. Paul said that they had actually risked their lives to help him. Later they started a church in their home (Romans 16:3-5) and they provided solid Bible teaching to a budding evangelist named Apollos (Acts 18:26).

I believe God brings older, seasoned people into our lives to help us in our career or ministry. Let me encourage you to watch for an Aquila or Priscilla who is willing to help you grow and learn. And I hope you will use your knowledge and experience to be an Aquila or Priscilla to others. You will be glad you did and they will too!

You can read more stories and articles by Mark Hopper in his book Let Me Encourage You. It is filled with 365 stories – one for every day of the year. The regular price is $20 but we are offering a Pre-Christmas Special – two books for only $30 plus postage. You can purchase a book for yourself and give a gift to a friend by contacting the author at markh@efreedb.org.

On The Road Again

We took several long trips when our children were young. The first Road Trip was in 1977. Our son was almost three years old and our daughter was three months old. We drove our two-door Dodge Dart from Tucson to Denver for my grandmother’s 75th birthday. We packed our trunk and roof rack with a tent, lantern, Coleman Stove, sleeping bags, ice chest, suitcases and food. I think we looked like the Beverly Hillbillies. We slept in the tent at a number of camp grounds along the way. It was a great adventure but not easy feeding a three month old daughter in the middle of the night!

In 1982 we drove our Dodge passenger van with four young children from Tucson across the country to Washington, DC. I can still tell you most of the places we stopped along the way. We saw the Alamo, Gettysburg, the Liberty Bell and Mt. Rushmore. We spent one day in DC visiting the White House, the US Capitol and several memorials. We also saw horse and buggies going down the highway in Amish country in Pennsylvania. We spent time with friends in Texas, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Minnesota. We arrived in Colorado in time for my grandmother’s 80th birthday.

Our next road trip was from Tucson to North Dakota in 1985, when I was invited to be the speaker at a church camp called Trail Ride. People brought their tents, pop-up trailers and motor homes for this annual gathering. We rode horses and enjoyed camp fires and family games. Our stops included the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, Yellow Stone, the Grand Tetons, and Mt. Rushmore again.

Our last major road trip was in 1990. This time we drove from California to the east coast with four growing kids in our new Dodge Van. We visited family and friends along the way and spent an entire week visiting many sites in Washington, DC. We added Iowa, Nebraska and Nevada to our trip home.

I’m not sure that our children enjoyed these Road Trips as much as I did. I loved seeing so many historical sights across our great country. We did spend many days and many miles together.

We knew some friends who took one grandchild at a time on a summer road trip from Texas to Minnesota when they turned twelve. Let me encourage you to make a plan and make a memory with your children or grandchildren on a Road Trip this year. You will be glad you did and they will too.

You can read more stories and articles by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. It contains an encouraging story or article for every day of the year. The cost is only $20 plus postage and handling. Buy a copy for yourself and one for as a gift for a friend. Order your books at markh@efreedb.org. News flash – Our pre-Christmas sale is on now. Buy two books for only $30 plus postage for a limited time.

How Do We Know?

Often people ask – How do we know there is a God? How do we know if He is really involved in our lives today? There are some excellent examples in the Bible in the book of Ezra where the author wrote, “The hand of our God was on us” (7:28 / 8:18 / 8:22 / 8:31). I believe we still see His hand in our lives today.

One way we see God at work today is through answers to prayer. Ezra prayed that the King would allow the Jewish people to return home and the King granted his request (Ezra 7). I believe we have seen similar evidence of God working today. When our church sought permission to put up portable classrooms and expand our parking lot in the face of neighborhood opposition, we prayed and the city gave its approval.

Another way we still see God at work today is His protection. Ezra declined the King’s offer to provide an armed escort for their journey back to Israel. He believed God would protect them from robbers and enemies (Ezra 8). They arrived safely in Jerusalem without any loss of people or valuable possessions. I believe we experience God’s protection today in similar ways including potential injuries and illnesses.

A third way we see God at work is when He provides for our needs. Ezra was amazed by how the King and other leaders provided money and materials to help rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 6-7). My wife and I have seen many examples of how God has provided for our needs. One example was the time when an anonymous gift paid the remaining balance of the hospital bill when our son was born many years ago.

Another way we still see God at work is through changed people. He loves to transform people’s lives. God changed hearts of the Jewish exiles from fear to faith as they left the safety of Babylon and journeyed to uncertainty in Jerusalem (Ezra 8). God continues to transform people today. The life of Louis Zamperini is recorded in the book and movie – Unbroken. God changed him from a bitter, hardened POW and alcoholic to a forgiving, loving husband, father and pastor. I believe God is still transforming people today. Let me encourage you to read the book of Ezra in the Bible. See how God answered prayer, protected, provided and changed people’s lives. And watch for examples of how God is at work in your own life too. You will be glad you did!

You can read more stories and articles by Mark Hopper in his book Let Me Encourage You – 365 encouraging stories and articles – one for every day of the year. You can purchase a book for yourself or as a gift for a friend. The price is $25 and includes postage. Order your copy today at markh@efreedb.org.

The Translator

 
I had the opportunity to teach some classes through a Bible training program in Russia. I was paired with a pastor from the mid-west to teach a two-week course in Central Russia. We were assigned a young Russian translator to help us teach our class. He was a gifted young man who worked hard to take our words and lessons and make them clear to our students.
 
My partner and I shared a two bedroom apartment with our translator. I got my own room and the other teacher roomed with the translator. However, things did not go well. Our translator had a hard time going to bed as he arranged and re-arranged things in their room. He was slow getting ready in the morning and made us late to our class several times. My partner was frustrated and I think our translator was too.
 
Finally, we realized that our translator had some disabilities. He was very gifted but socially he lacked life skills with organization and interpersonal relationships. So we decided to make some changes. We agreed that I should share the bedroom with him. I usually fell asleep quickly and would not be bothered by him shuffling around rearranging things at bed time. We decided to walk to our class by ourselves and let him come at his own pace.
Things began to improve. Our translator continued to do a great job and he seemed more relaxed and comfortable. Later he accompanied me to western Russia to visit other Russian pastors and church friends.
 
At the end of the course, we asked our students to evaluate our efforts. Many shared encouraging words and thanked us for coming to Russia. But one man was more specific. He told me that his fellow students watched the way we treated our translator with kindness and patience. We did not realize our conduct spoke louder than our lessons. Jesus said, “People will know you are my followers when you love one another (John 14:35). Let me encourage you to treat others with kindness and compassion. You never know who may be watching!

For more articles by the author you can purchase his book – Let Me Encourage You – 365 stories and articles (one for every day of the year) by Mark Hopper. You can purchase a copy for yourself or as a gift for a friend at markh@efreedb.org – the cost is $25 and includes postage.