Tag: Faith

Let Me Encourage You Again

A New Book by Mark Hopper

I Love Your Book

One conversation I enjoyed after attending the first Portrait Church service was with a woman I had never met before. She waited patiently while I talked with a few friends and then introduced herself. She told me she had read my book and was excited to meet me in person. I felt like a celebrity but she didn’t ask for my autograph.

She explained someone had given her a copy of my book and she had faithfully read one story a day over the past few months. She said she loved my book. She felt like she already knew me because many of the stories in the book were about my family.

This stranger also expressed her condolences over the death of my wife Jeanne. She had read about my wife’s journey with cancer and offered some kind words. She felt she knew her because of the number of stories in the book about Jeanne’s life and our family.

When I told this woman I had published a second book she wanted to know how she could get a copy. I asked her which book her friend had given to her. Was it the book with the white cover (Let Me Encourage You) or the second book with my picture on the cover (Let Me Encourage You More)? She said it was the book with the white cover.

I also told my new friend I was working on volume three (this book). I hoped the new book would be ready for the Christmas season.

It is very humbling when someone says the like my book and very encouraging when they give a copy to a friend of family member. The purpose of the stories in these books is to encourage people and to motivate them to do something in light of what they read. Most stories end with a challenge like “do something today” or “send a card this week” to help and encourage others.

The Apostle Paul wrote several personal letters which are included in the Bible. He wrote letters to Timothy, Titus and Philemon. His purpose was to instruct and encourage these men in the work God had given them. Let me encourage you to send a card or write an email to encourage someone this week. And if you are really feeling generous why not send them a copy of one of my books. They will be glad you did and I will too. Write to me at markh@efreedb.org if you need one.

You can read 365 more stories by Mark Hopper in his new book, Let Me Encourage You Again. Order you copy today. The cost is $25 for one book or only $40 for two plus $5 for shipping. Purchase one for yourself and one to give to a friend or family member. Order yours today at markh@efreedb.org.

Pray for your Kids & Grandkids


 
University of Arizona baseball Coach Jerry Kendal shared a wonderful story at a Men’s Conference I attended in Prescott, Arizona. When Jerry was a young boy he burst into his grandfather’s bedroom while Jerry was playing hide and seek with his siblings. He was startled to find his grandfather kneeling by his bed in prayer. When Jerry tried to apologize his grandfather told him to not worry – he said he was just praying for Jerry.   
 
I’m sure that every parent and grandparent prays for their children and grandchildren. I always prayed for their health and safety.  And I prayed for their faith, their friends and their future.
 
I prayed that they would have a vibrant personal faith in Christ. Each generation must decide for themselves if they will become followers of Jesus. Parents and grandparents can sow the seeds of faith in the next generation but each child and grandchild must decide for themselves who they will follow. The Old Testament leader Joshua said he and his family chose to follow the Lord (Joshua 24:15).
 
Friends are a vital part of a child’s development. This is true for young children and teenagers, too. Friends have a large influence in a child’s development. Teenagers are impacted by peer pressure too. Friends also provide encouragement and reassurance during those formative teenage years. Friends can draw your children closer to God or steer them away from Him. I prayed for good friends with a common faith.
 
I also prayed for their future. I prayed God would help them in their studies and guide them in their choice of careers. I also prayed they would find a spouse who shared their faith and values.
 
Author Tim Kimmel wrote a book titled – Extreme Grandparenting. In his book he emphasized how important grandparents are in the lives of their grandchildren. One of the most important things they can do is to pray for their children and grandchildren. The Apostle Paul instructed older men and women to live lives that younger generations would follow (Titus 2:2-4). I’m sure this included prayer. Let me encourage you to pray for your children and grandchildren every day. Pray for their faith, friends and future. Pray for their health and safety too. You will be glad you did and they will too.

You can read 365 more stories by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. The cost is only $20 plus $5 shipping. Order your copy at markh@efreedb.org.

Fresh Oranges

I was reminded again this week of how much I enjoy the fresh oranges from the tree in our back yard. My wife and I grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona in the 1960’s. There were miles and miles of orange groves in Scottsdale in those days. Now most of them have been replaced by suburban home developments. The home my wife grew up in was built on a half-acre lot where the home builder removed only a small number of citrus trees to make room for their new house.
 
There were orange groves next to my elementary school and on the perimeter of our Little League baseball field. There were orange groves on both sides of Lafayette Boulevard which paralleled one of the large irrigation canals that threaded its way through Scottsdale. I vividly remember the fragrant aroma from the blossoms of the Orange, Grapefruit and Tangerine trees in the springtime in Scottsdale.
 
The growth of the citrus went pretty much unnoticed during the hot summer months. The fruit on the trees continued to grow with the help of the abundant irrigation water from both the local canals and water pumped from the underground aquafer.   
 
The same is true for the Naval Orange tree in our back yard. I love the smell in the spring from the tiny blossoms as an army of bees spreads pollen from flower to flower.  From that small beginning the oranges grew in our warm California sunshine. In October and November the oranges began to change color. By the end of December our tree was filled with over 100 brightly colored oranges.
 
In early January, I walked out to the backyard and picked my first orange. It is one of my favorite moments of the year. I was not disappointed. It was juicy and delicious. And there were a lot more where that one came from. A beautiful healthy orange tree in our backyard.
 
There is a verse in the Bible that says my orange tree is visible proof of a loving God. It says, “God provided evidence of His existence and His kindness by giving us rain and crops in their season. He provides us with plenty of food and fills our hearts with joy” (Acts 14:17).
 
Let me encourage you to pause and smell the orange blossoms in the spring. And, enjoy the wonderful taste of fresh oranges in the winter. I hope you will give thanks to God for the tasty fruit He provides for you to enjoy!

You can read 365 more stories (one for every day of the year) by the author in his book “Let Me Encourage You” by Mark Hopper. You can purchase one book for $20 or two books for only $30 (plus $5 postage). Order your books today at markh@efreedb.org.

Ready for Takeoff

I believe we still see God working in our world today when He provides for our needs, answers our prayers, changes our lives and protects us from harm. The Bible records some specific examples in the book of Ezra in chapters 7-8 and I think we still see Him doing this today.

We had a memorable experience getting off the ground flying from Los Angeles to Maui. Our seats were near one of the bulk heads in the economy section so a flight attendant was sitting in a jump seat facing us. As we settled in for takeoff one of the flight attendants reviewed the safety features of the aircraft. When we turned on to the main runway the pilot announced that we were cleared for takeoff.  

At LAX planes usually take off to the west over the ocean. We could feel the plane picking up speed as it raced down the runway. Suddenly the plane began to shake violently and shudder to a stop near the end of the runway. A few more seconds and we would have been swimming in Santa Monica Bay.

I looked at the flight attendant sitting in the jump seat facing us and could see she was alarmed. I asked her how often this had happened in her career. Her reply was brief – never. In all the years she had flown she had never experienced the plane aborting takeoff as it raced down the runway.

The pilot came on the intercom and explained that the computer sensed that we did not have enough speed to take off and it shut down the engines before it was too late. One of the two engines did not have the required amount of power to get us off the ground. The pilot was reassuring. He told us that we would be towed to a remote part of the airport so they could test the engines. While we sat on the plane they tested one engine and then tested the other. The pilot told us that one of the engines was underperforming and we needed to go back to the gate and wait for another plane to take us to Maui.

The next flight did not have room for all of us so they offered a $1000 voucher for a future flight, a hotel room and meals for people who were willing to wait for a flight the next day. My wife and I volunteered. We believe that God protected us and the other passengers and crew from serious harm or death. We were thankful to be alive and glad to receive the travel vouchers too. It was a takeoff we still remember to this day! Let me encourage you to watch for examples of God working in your life each day. You will be glad you did and He will too.

You can read 365 more stories by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper. You can purchase two books for only $30 plus postage ($5). Order a copy for yourself and one to give to a friend this holiday season. They will be glad you did and you will too! Order your books at markh@efreedb.org.

Pinocchio


We met Bob and Margie Jones at church when we came to California in the late 1980’s. They lived in Fullerton and graciously invited our kids to use their swimming pool. Bob was retired by the time we met him but he had a fascinating career. He was a puppeteer. He created the kind of puppets that were controlled by strings above the puppet stage. They were called Marionettes. Bob directed plays and actually created and designed many of the puppets himself.
 
Eventually Bob was hired by Walt Disney in the 1930’s to create puppets for a variety of projects. Bob’s most famous creation was Pinocchio. He told me it was challenging to work with Walt Disney. Mr. Disney was very demanding and had specific ideas of what the characters and puppets should look like. Bob said it took a lot of work to shape and design the puppet that became the model for the movie. His family still has some of the original Pinocchio puppets.
 
After World War Two Bob left the entertainment industry and launched his own manufacturing company.  After he retired Bob took the time to write up some of his memories of working with Walt Disney. One time he took me with him to drop off some articles at the Disney archives and he gave me a personal tour of their animation studios in Burbank.
 
Earthquakes were a new experience for us when we moved to California. We would try to guess how strong an earthquake was. Since Bob was an engineer he learned to calculate the strength of an earthquake by the movement of the water in his swimming pool. The stronger the quake – the stronger the waves in the pool. He said when the Whittier Narrows earthquake struck in 1987 (a year before we arrived) water was actually thrown out of the swimming pool and splashed on to the side of their house. He knew it was a very strong earthquake!
Bob was also a Christian. He shared with me that it took him a while to believe in Jesus. Engineers like to figure things out for themselves. They want measurable proof that can be calculated and understood. Believing in Jesus does include reliable evidence and eyewitness accounts. But it also requires faith. Jesus said to one of his disciples named Thomas, “You believe because you have seen me – blessed are those who have not seen me and yet believe in me” (John 20:29). You may not have an engineering background. And you may find it difficult to believe in someone you have never seen. Let me encourage you to examine the evidence yourself. Read about the life, death and resurrection of Jesus in the Bible. I hope you will come to the same conclusion that my friend Bob Jones did and put your faith in Jesus. He would be glad you did and I would too!

You can read more stories and articles by the author in his book Let Me Encourage You. The book includes a story for every day of the year – 365 articles and stories. You can order a copy of Mark’s book at markh@efreedb.org. The price is $20 plus postage.

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