Hot
Jul 31, 2006 Uncategorized
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Why?
Jul 30, 2006 Uncategorized
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Oops…I forgot I said I would start with pictures.
I took this one in the Super 8 pool room.
What do you supposed happened that made this sign necessary?
Someone catch their Speedo on the diving board?
Bucklava
Jul 30, 2006 Uncategorized
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My friend Ken got a computer from the church he works for.
It was the wrong kind, so he amended the outside.
It reminded me of the words of Jesus:
Matthew 23:27
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all uncleanness.
There’s a sermon here somewhere.
Worship Leader
Jul 30, 2006 Uncategorized
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Yes, indeed, this was the conference worship leader.
Need I say more?
Overall Good
Jul 30, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Swell
//ITUNES: Good People from the album “In Between Dreams” by Jack Johnson
OK, I’m tired of typing.
Suffice it to say, it was a good conference. I am pysched to get back into local ministry, though. It always works this way.
I am so excited for this entire fall at Riverview. I think we are entering a new and exciting phase and I can’t wait to see what God does. This week, while God was working on my life, it just made me more and more excited to be a part of his plans.
Here we go.
Quiet
Jul 30, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Alone, but OK
//ITUNES: Times Like These by Jack Johnson
I tried to spend time alone during this conference, so I could pray and reflect. But it took awhile to get alone.
Monday - Car accident, 7 hours late to conference, missed Opening Session
Tuesday - Catch up on prep I was planning on doing Monday
Wednesday - Finally got alone
So, I turned my phone off, grabbed my bible and decided to spend 8 hours alone.
God ran me through the ringer.
The long and short of it was that by the time 7:15 rolled around and I had to leave for the conference, I was beat up. I felt totally unqualified to do ministry. But, I had to go.
So I hopped in the car and powered up my trusty iPod. The first song to kick in was Dan’s “Where are you?” In case you don’t know it, it goes:
Hear our prayer we are the weak
We are like those who lack strength
Where are you? Where are you oh, my God?
Where are you? Where are you oh, my God?Here the prayers of our troubled souls
We are the bruised we are the battered
Where are you?
Yup, that’s how I felt. Ironically, the next song was this one, also by Dan:
You are the God that moves
You are the God that sees
Jevoveh Jireh
You supply all our needsYou are here, you are here with us
You are here, you are here with usI love your ways, and I will praise your name
Your mercy is as deep as your justice
I love your ways, and I will praise your name forever, forever
I love how God just steps in and works on our lives just the way we need him to.
Then, that night I hung out with Ken, who spoke so well into my life. He is with a church out in New Jersey and is a super smart guy with a passion for “normal” biblical interpretation. I appreciate so much and God used him big time that night.
So, the next day, I was ready to go again.
I headed in and found out tons of people had been impacted greatly the night before. Apparently, God had to run me through a ringer so I could give the right message that night.
Car Accident
Jul 30, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Good
//ITUNES: No Other Way from the album “In Between Dreams” by Jack Johnson
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You’ve already seen this picture, but I figured I’d repost it since I am going to talk about the accident.
It was so weird. I am driving along I-75, minding my own business when a wheelbarrow falls out of a truck ahead of me. I slammed on my breaks the same time the girl in front of me did. Unfortunately, her brakes were better.
It took 7 hours for me to get a new rental car. I spent that time in a towing yard in the middle of a soybean field in Findlay. I must admit, though, that the people at the towing company were awesome. It was a family owned business and they treated me well.
The kicker (not the only one) was that I had just passed an exit that I was going to take so I could grab lunch. But since I hate McDonald’s and it was the only fast food place, I kept going on.
I ate 7 hours later.
Arg.
Anyhoo, most of the people I talked to at the rental car company were cool (with only one exception, which I will assume was a fluke). They took care of me, just kinda slow. Really slow. What are you going to do?
Tonight I return my second rental back to them. Hopefully that will go smoothly.
Back
Jul 30, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Good, Actually
//ITUNES: Banana Pancakes from the album “In Between Dreams” by Jack Johnson
Ironic song playing in my iTunes right now. Here are the lyrics that starts the song out:
Can’t you see it’s just raining?
There ain’t no need to go outside
It is raining right now and no one’s going outside. That’s a problem, since I am having an Open House for my house today. And here I sit all alone again.
It’s weird because I just got back from the conference, where I spent more time alone than I have in a long time.
I don’t like being alone, but I’m a little used to it right now.
Anyhoo, as you can tell my blogging sabbatical is over. I have lots to write about, but I’m sure you won’t want to read it all. So, I am going to span my thoughts over several posts to you can skip the ones you don’t care about.
First, I’m gonna start with some pictures from the trip.
My Day
Jul 24, 2006 Uncategorized
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I am texting this from the lobby of a towing company where I have spent the day. And, yes, that is a rental car. Long story short: a guy two cars ahead of me lost a wheelbarrow which caused me to hit someone. And guess who got a ticket? Thats right! Me. And I am still hours away from where I am supposed to speak tonight. Please keep praying for me!
Blogging Sabbatical
Jul 23, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Good
//NOISE: Kids
I very well may be without internet this week. Weird for me, but good I suppose.
I plan on using this time as a blogging sabbatical. Instead of blogging and reading blogs, I plan on:
* Teaching (I am going to be at a conference)
* Praying
* Studying the book of Titus
* Tweaking Riverview’s facility expansion plan and fall strategy
So, here’s where you come in. Please pray for me this week. And if you happen to think of it, shoot me a note (assuming I can still receive IMs) to let me know you are praying for me and what you are specifically praying for. The address to IM me is: prayer@noelheikkinen.com.
Thanks and I will post thoughts on how the week was in a week or so!
Kite
Jul 23, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Getting There
//NOISE: Ethan eating strawberries
I really appreciate Kite’s perspective. He visited Central America for the last month or so and posted his thoughts on his site. To make it easy for you, I slapped it up on YouTube. Hopefully he won’t care.
Technorati Tags: centralamerica
Quote of the Day
Jul 22, 2006 Quotes
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“When I’m an adult, I will always say ‘yes.’” - Lindsey Thompson
Elephantastic
Jul 22, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Dang it…I used my mood in the title
//ITUNES: Gone Daddy Gone from the album “St. Elsewhere” by Gnarls Barkley
(Thanks to ysmarko for this link)
July 3, 2006 (UPI) - A young man was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from college. While he was walking through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air.
The elephant seemed distressed so the man approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant’s foot. There was a large thorn deeply embedded in the bottom of the foot.
As carefully and as gently as he could he worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot. The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather stern look on its face, stared at him. For a good ten minutes the man stood frozen–thinking of nothing else but being trampled.
Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned and walked away.
The man never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty years later the man was walking through the zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walked over to where they were standing at the rail. The large bull elephant stared at him and lifted it’s front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times, all the while staring at the man. The man couldn’t help wondering if this was the same elephant.
After a while it trumpeted loudly; then it continued to stare at him.
The man summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in wonder.
Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of the man’s legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him.
Probably wasn’t the same elephant.
Giving Up Hope
Jul 21, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Sad…so sad
//ITUNES: The Lady In Red by Chris de Burgh
Apparently Dan has given up the uphill battle to make his son masculine. Of his own accord, he posted this pic on his blog:
Even Jaden’s grandma told me last weekend:
“When I need to be cheered up, I go to your site to look at pictures of Jaden in girl’s clothes.”
For more photographic evidence, check out: this page or this page or this page or this page or this page.
I will say in his defense that I have a bit of a shoe fetish myself and those are fabulous shoes.
And also, in his defense, he has always been a fan of beer, as well:
Times, they are a Changin’
Jul 21, 2006 Uncategorized
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11 years ago, Grace and I drove over the mountains with one teenager from our church to HSLT in Myrtle Beach. Since then, we have gone every year…
Until this year.
And every year, the teens from our church drove down in the classic 15 passenger vans. Not anymore. Now they have these pimped out rides.
They are also not going to Myrtle Beach, but to Minneapolis to serve with a group called Mission to the City with our sister church there.
Changes, changes, changes.
Bike Evolution
Jul 20, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Great
//NOISE: Kids
Jesse got a new bike,
Therefore Ethan got Jesse’s old bike,
And Coley got Ethan’s old bike:
It’s the circle of life.
Dirty Face
Jul 20, 2006 Uncategorized
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Old Coach Mike
Jul 20, 2006 Uncategorized
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Mike turned 4o today and he doesnt look a day over 39. (Although technically he is)
Inbox
Jul 19, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Happy as Pie
//ITUNES: The Boogie Monster from the album “St. Elsewhere” by Gnarls Barkley
Guess how many messages I have in my Inbox?
0
That has never happened. I repeat, never.
Kid’s Ministry Stuff
Jul 19, 2006 Uncategorized
//MOOD: Great
//ITUNES: Go-Go Gadget Gospel from the album “St. Elsewhere” by Gnarls Barkley
I continue to be surprised by the kid’s ministry at our church. I have to admit, I don’t understand it.
Now that my daughter is getting older, she is transitioning into the weird upper elementary / middle school style of doing things. Lots of crazy games, etc.
Now, you have to understand my history here. I suck (with a capital “SUCK”) at Middle School type of ministry. In the 3 years I did it, I grew the ministry at a church from 25 to 12.
Anyhoo…I digress. I was skeptical the day my daughter came home looking like this from church:
Drenched. From head to toe.
That night as she was going to bed, she prayed:
“Jesus, thank you that you fill me with living water.”
Wow. Super-soakers worked.
That same night, my Ethan (my five year old) prayed:
“Please help me to be patient instead of angry.”
Wow.
Not to mention the fact that because of the memorization deal they are doing at church, all my kids are excited about memorization. In fact, yesterday Emma told me that they are memorizing a verse a night before going to sleep.
