Tag Archive - personal

Merry Christmas Eve!

December 24, 2010 in freefriday, personal with 0 Comments

Isaiah 9:6

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Merry Christmas to all, from the Henni family.

I hope you’re having a blessed and wonderful Christmas Eve, and hope you enjoy the Christmas weekend.

For the Free Friday question over the weekend, two questions:

What was your favorite present that you received this year?

What was the best present that you gave this year?

Merry Christmas!

in Christ,

Isaiah and Sara

foxfire

December 23, 2010 in personal, tech support thursday with 4 Comments

Tech Support Thursday strikes again.  Today I’m starting a special “TST” definitions post.  What I’ll do is go over the correct definition for what a caller has said, what the caller thought the word meant, and what word they were going for.  I’ve experienced many of these throughout my life, and most of the are completely understandable and easy to recognize.

Actual definition:

foxfire |ˈfäksˌfīr|  noun

the phosphorescent light emitted by certain fungi on decaying timber.

Caller Definition:

foxfire |ˈfäksˌfīr| noun

The web thingy that you told me to install because it was better than Internet Explorer

Example: “Browser?  Oh, I use the foxfire.”

What the caller meant:

Firefox |fīrˌˈfäks| noun

A complete free, open-source web browser from the Mozilla Foundation.  www.getfirefox.com

I must’ve heard “my foxfire isn’t working,” or “the foxfire says work offline,” 20 times over two years of tech support.  Gladly, this is one of the easiest mistakes to understand, and then to correct.  People generally stopped calling it FoxFire after the first call.  Next’s week definition, however, is another story.

What verbal mixups have you heard in the computer world?

in Christ,

Isaiah

attention paid

December 22, 2010 in nehemiah with 1 Comment

Nehemiah 8:1-3

[1] And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded Israel. [2] So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. [3] And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

Ezra read the law, to all the people who could understand, from early morning until midday.  Even taking into account some breaks for explanation, you have roughly 3 hours of Ezra reading the law.  How many hours do you sit in church before you get antsy?

The people of Israel sat through hours of reading, all the people who could understand, and listened to what God had for them.  It says, “the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.” This includes Leviticus… I have trouble listening to a sermon chock full of illustrations, jokes, and good application.

What application can we take out of this?

1) I’m terrible at paying attention.

2) If you’re listening with attentive ears, God will move as he needs to in your life, whether to convict or encourage.

In 2001, I went on a missions trip to Haiti.  I remember many things clearly from the trip, but one of the most vivid memories comes from the times we were able to spend in their churches.  Their services didn’t stop after an hour… it was just getting started.  These people who had nothing, in relation to my physical possessions, were singing and dancing and praising God with joy that I could barely even understand.

This was not a time where they criticized the song choices or the style… they sang and praised God with all they had and all they were.  After an hour of singing, the message began, which started with our pastor, so ended rather quickly, but continued with another man who then talked for another hour.  Yet there was little fidgeting, mostly by me, and everyone paid attention.

I look back and wonder what God could do with just one church in the US that worshipped that way…

Maybe we, honestly including myself, should learn to pay better attention to what God has for us… even when the sermon “goes long,” or we “just can’t get into the songs.”

How are you at paying attention to what God has for you?

in Christ,

Isaiah

on falling down, literally

December 21, 2010 in nehemiah with 0 Comments

Yesterday I fell.

I don’t mean spiritually, or metaphorically, I mean literally.  Our neighborhood was covered in what I thought was the left over moisture from a thick rain… but it actually was black ice.  I took one step outside, then time slowed down… and in one of those out of body moments, I see myself, like a cartoon, parallel to the ground and flying through the air, only to land halfway down the steps right in the middle of my back.

It hurt.

Today I’m looking back at the experience, with only slight soreness, and am thinking about what I didn’t do, not what I did.  I mean, I know I fell… but this morning I realized I wasn’t thankful.

I know that sounds weird.

I realized I didn’t stop and say, “Thanks that it wasn’t worse, Lord,” or “Thank you for keeping me safe,” or “Thanks for the moisture.”  I actually thought that the rain and ice was stupid, because this is December after all, and where is the snow!  I wouldn’t have fallen if it was snow!

I think I have to go through something like this every month or so… because I forget.

I forget that God cares about me.

I forget that God loves me, that he cares for me, and does, on occasion, protect me.  I forget to be thankful for his love.  I forget that He’s a loving father, who laughed when I fell, not because I was hurt, but because He knew that I was okay.

The rest of Nehemiah 7 is a counting of those who came back from the exile, a literal list of people by clans.  It was God who put this on Nehemiah’s heart, so it must be important that these people are named and numbered here.

This morning I realized that this list exists because God cares for each of us…

Now if only the next lesson I learn doesn’t have to involve falling down the steps, or in some other way hurting myself, I’d be on the right track…

in Christ,

Isaiah

delegate

December 20, 2010 in nehemiah with 0 Comments

Nehemiah 1:1-4

[1] Now when the wall had been built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers, the singers, and the Levites had been appointed, [2] I gave my brother Hanani and Hananiah the governor of the castle charge over Jerusalem, for he was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many. [3] And I said to them, “Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun is hot. And while they are still standing guard, let them shut and bar the doors. Appoint guards from among the inhabitants of Jerusalem, some at their guard posts and some in front of their own homes.” [4] The city was wide and large, but the people within it were few, and no houses had been rebuilt.

Nehemiah and the people of Israel have just finished an amazing feat.  They built the wall around Jerusalem in just 52 days.  He then begins to feel God is calling him to do another work, which we’ll see soon is to put together a list of the exiles who have returned to Israel.

He doesn’t try to do both things though, he delegates.

Sometimes God calls leaders to do many different things at different times, and sometimes we misunderstand what he’s saying and try to do it all for ourselves.  God wants us to involve other people in ministry, but often we don’t.

And what happens when we don’t involve other people?  We burn out, we get frustrated… and sometimes we just quit.

When instead, we could’ve delegated, allowing other people to help us in ministry.  Now, I’m not saying that we should give it all to someone who can’t handle it… notice that Nehemiah gave it to a man who “was a more faithful and God-fearing man than many.”

I think many times ministers and Christian leaders burn out because we try to do it all.  We feel that God has called us to do this, and, of course, “no one could do it as well as me.” Then, as we begin to tire, we feel like no one wants to help in the ministry… because we haven’t allowed anyone to.

Nehemiah followed God’s leading, and appointed (delegated) someone to take over, who he knew he could trust, someone he knew feared the Lord.  He didn’t delegate to just anyone, but delegated to one who wanted to follow God’s leading…

When you’re feeling burned out – a) figure out what you can delegate, and find someone who is faithful to help you do that… and b) give it to God…

Sometimes you’ll feel like you can’t do it, that you’ll never be able to finish what you’ve started.  I know that the Israelites felt that way when they were halfway through building the wall, so, just like Nehemiah said to them: “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome!”

Delegate and remember God, your loving Father, will help… and so will many people who are itching to get some ministry experience…

in Christ,

Isaiah

what’s your favorite dessert

December 17, 2010 in freefriday, personal with 4 Comments

Free Friday time.  We’re having a celebration/going away party for Becky today.  She is leaving SCC to intern at a Christian school, so we’re celebrating as Christians do, by eating!  We’re eating cupcakes and donuts, which got me to thinking about my favorite dessert, so I thought I’d ask this question:

What’s your favorite dessert?

Mine would have to be Pumpkin Cheesecake.  I could eat lasagna and pumpkin cheesecake every meal, every day for the rest of my life.

How about you?

in Christ,

Isaiah

nehemiah 6 recap

December 15, 2010 in nehemiah with 0 Comments

If you’ve been following my blog since I restarted writing on November 15th, you’ll have noticed that we’ve been going through Nehemiah.  When I started in chapter 6, I had no idea I’d keep writing in Nehemiah, restarting in the first chapter, so it made complete sense for me to start in chapter 6.

Now, it has become confusing haha.  Since we had chapter 5 yesterday and would skip to Chapter 7 today, I thought instead I’d just have a recap of the posts from Chapter 6.  Without repeating these, you’d think I hated chapter 6, or would just be missing context… and everyone knows context is king. Below you’ll find a link and a summary of each post.

A man such as I – Nehemiah 6:10-13

Sometimes we have our own Shemaiah, our own false prophets who say, “You cannot do this, let us come together and hide.”  or “You should just quit, its not working.” or “Are you kidding?  You can’t do that, you’re just ____.” And we listen… Let go of those comments, let go of those criticisms and remember WHOSE you are.  Remember WHO has called you.

Isaiah-sized Dreams – Nehemiah 6:15-16

Are my dreams so small that they can appear to have been finished by people? or Are my dreams so big that it becomes obvious to everyone who sees it, that God must have been with the project?

Be on the lookout for a new Tech Support Thursdays tomorrow.

Thanks,

Isaiah

generous

December 14, 2010 in nehemiah with 0 Comments

Nehemiah 5:14-16

[14] Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year to the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food allowance of the governor. [15] The former governors who were before me laid heavy burdens on the people and took from them for their daily ration forty shekels of silver. Even their servants lorded it over the people. But I did not do so, because of the fear of God. [16] I also persevered in the work on this wall, and we acquired no land, and all my servants were gathered there for the work.

Generous.  I’m not referring to the portions of food that we eat, myself included.  Each time I restart counting calories I’m amazed by the amount of food that I can consume in a day, never thinking about how insanely overfed I am, we are, here in America.  It convicts, me, especially when we start reading Nehemiah 5.

Some of the Israelites are literally starving, having sold their land, goods and even sometimes themselves in order to pay for grain.  Even worse, each generation becomes more enslaved because those who could help, now can’t, because they are indebted as well.  The nobles are not doing right by their fellow man, not following God’s command.

Nehemiah becomes the governor and is supposed to exact a certain amount of food every day from his people.  He technically wouldn’t be wronging in requiring this of the people, nor would the people think anything of it, as all others have done it in the past… but he doesn’t.  He does not eat the food allowance of the governor, but rather from his own stock, his own wealth, he feeds himself and 150 other Jews. (v17)

Nehemiah wasn’t just generous with his wealth, he also gave of his time.  He, himself, worked on the wall, toiled alongside his fellow Jews.  He didn’t just stop at giving money or food, he gave of himself.

And I think that’s where we usually stop.  We’re happy to give money to help someone far away, but much less willing to go to another country ourselves.

We’re glad to give food and help someone in need, as long as it doesn’t take up too much of our time.

We give, but not ourselves.  We donate wealth, but not our time.

Let’s change that.  Let us, you and I, become generous not just with money or food… but with our time, serving, relating, sharing, enjoying one another’s company.

Let’s give of ourselves, not of our money, so that we can then HAVE the money to help those truly in need.

in Christ,

Isaiah

be prepared

December 13, 2010 in nehemiah with 0 Comments

Nehemiah 4:15-17

[15] When our enemies heard that it was known to us and that God had frustrated their plan, we all returned to the wall, each to his work. [16] From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail. And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah, [17] who were building on the wall. Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other.

Nehemiah and the Israelites are rebuilding the wall, and God has frustrated the plans of their opposition.  I love that wording – God had frustrated their plans.  Notice that it wasn’t Nehemiah, or the people, that frustrated the plans of their enemies, it was God.

If you let God deal with your enemies, it seems to go better than if you try.

Now they start back into the work, but this time are preparing for a fight.  Those who are working literally have a sword in one hand and are using the other to work.  Notice that they still had guards protecting the walls, yet even the workers carried a sword while they worked.  Workers or Protecters, they were all ready for a fight.

I think that sometimes we go into life unprepared for a fight.  We don’t carry around our sword (the Bible), ready.  We don’t have scriptures memorized to fight temptation.  We don’t have enough knowledge to answer those who question why we have the hope that we have.

We’re defenseless.

Be prepared is not just the motto of the Boy Scout, it should be the motto of every believer.

What can you do to be more prepared today?

What can you to do to carry your sword while you work?

in Christ,

Isaiah

Tech Support Thursdays #1

December 9, 2010 in personal, tech support thursday with 6 Comments

I decided to tell you a few funny stories that happened during my two years doing phone tech support.  These posts are going to be called Tech Support Thursdays, and for no rhyme or reason, today will be the first.  I’ll try to do this once a month, as I remember.

“My TV is broken”

Me – “*ISP Name*, my name is Isaiah, how may I help you?”

Caller – “My TV is broken.”

Me – [pause] “Um, this is *ISP*, not your tv company.”

Caller – “It has to do with the High-Speed.”

Me – “Alright, what seems to be the problem?”

Caller – “My TV isn’t showing anything.”

Me – “Do you mean your computer monitor?”

Caller – “No, the TV with the highspeed.”

Me – “So your monitor…”

Caller – [interrupting] “TV”

Me – “Ok, your TV, whatever, does it have a light on it?”

Caller – “Yes, it has an orange light.”

Me – “Ok, what I want you to do is press the button on the monitor  - sorry, TV, and then press the button on your computer – um, the big box underneath your monitor, er, TV.”

Caller – [sighing] “Ok.” [presses both buttons, and I hear the computer fan kick on.]

Me – “Alright, can you press the button on the ‘TV’ now?”

Caller – [surprised] “It works!  How did you do that?”

Me – “I believe that your computer was turned off.”

Caller – “Well who would do that?”

Me – “Uh, I’m not sure, but it was turned off.”

Caller – “Well, I’m going to get to the bottom of this.”

Me – “You do that.”

Let me know if you want to read more of these.

in Christ,

Isaiah

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