Snip, snip

From about the middle of my senior year in high school until last week (about 5 years), I worked on growing out my hair.  Mainly because I was tired of short hair, and I knew that if I ever was to get married, I would want to be able to wear my hair "up."  But on December 19th, after my last day at work, I cut off 13 inches.  Enjoy the after and before pictures, since that's the order they loaded on the blog page.  :)  

And actually, Logan cut his hair today too...so that top picture isn't even "current."  

DH

So Long Day Break...

On the 18th of this month I closed a meaningful chapter in my life. I worked at Day Break Coffee Roasters for 4 1/2 years. Leaving was mixed with a lot of heaviness, and gleeful anticipation for the years to come. A few days before my last day, one of my beloved customer/friends brought me this cake. 

Thank you Dr. Lewis Held for your consistency in always brightening my day. There are too many people who I have got to know very well that I will miss greatly. 

LRH

Scarred for Life!

Merry Christmas from the Heinrichs!

Maybe this kid knows something we don't.

An easy opportunity to comment.

We haven't made our blog public knowledge quite yet (except to a special few). And if you are one of those special few, we would like to know about it. Comment to this post with your name and the title of your favorite book.

LRH

To Richmond and Beyond...

As most of you know, Daryl-Ann and I are pursuing overseas mission work. It has been a somewhat long road in getting to where we are today, but he has kept our hearts and eyes fixed on, what we feel, our purpose is. We went through a thorough process to go with a mission board that we think will be a good fit for what it is we are going to try and do. We went to an interview in July and were officially accepted in September. We are not completely sure what our job is going to be quite yet, but what we do know is we will be living in East Asia and be functioning primarily as language students for at least the first year. We will keep you posted any developments that occur. 

The next step for us will be going to a two month orientation in Richmond, VA. We will leave for Richmond on January 23, 2009. To our excitement our supervisor (the man who leads the team we are going to work for) is going to be on furlough in Richmond the same time we are going to be there and we will be able to travel with his family back to East Asia. We have already reserved our international tickets and will be leaving the states officially on April 14.

Daryl-Ann and I greatly appreciate and desperately need your prayers as this will be a huge transition for us. We trust that as we leave our friends, family, and the land we know that Christ will supply everything we need to live a fruitful, joy-filled life. That which we loose in this life Jesus will fill up on our behalf, if not in this life then in the life to come. Please join us in this task and never cease to pray for us. Not only us, but all those God will raise up to take his glorious message to the world. Partner with us by joining this cause by esteeming Jesus as more valuable than anything on earth and living in a way that demonstrates Christ love to all mankind.  

More to come...

LRH

Texas Tech, BA

I officially completed undergrad.... I don't think it will hit me until I next semester when I don't have to go back to class. Oh well, whats done is done.

Thanks to all those who supported me through the past 18 years of my life. I could not have made it here without your love and support.

LRH

Spiritual Depression

You might think by the title of this post that I was about to open up the depths of my heart and tell you about my deepest struggles, well hate to disappoint you, but I am not (at least in this post).

Spiritual Depression is a book by the late Dr. Martyn Llyod-Jones that I have been reading lately. Every time I go into it I am struck with how well this man handles the subject of spiritual depression. I have mentioned him before in this blog, but again even though he is dead he still speaks. I am deeply encouraged by a few things:

1. Spiritual depression often comes from not knowing who we are apart from Christ (sinners in desperate need of something outside us to bring healing).

2. Spiritual depression often comes from not understanding the work of the Christ in the Gospel and not being able to apply it to our miserable condition. 

3. A life that sees itself in Christ's work will be, without exception, a life that produces Christian joy in the midst of any trial. We will see that the only thing that matters in the world (being reconciled to God) is ours in Christ, and that is a joyous place to be. 

I have been encouraged to know myself more deeply and know the Gospel more fully. Both of which, I believe, only come with lots of contemplation and assistance from the Holy Spirit.

See yourself for what you are and find healing in Christ. 

Fall

I think that fall has to be the absolute greatest season of the year.  How I love the cool weather, red leaves, and listening to more Andrew Peterson.  

--da

Watch this...Wow

This is really amazing. Well worth 10 min. of your time.

Astronomy Video

LRH

Deuteronomy 6:11-12

'and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord'

Have you ever been hungry before? Not the kind of hungry that you experience between meals, but the kind of hunger that doesn't know where your next meal is coming from? 

I know I have never experienced this hunger, so what are some ways that we as people who are 'full' can 'take care lest we forget the Lord'?

Isn't it interesting that our tendency as people is to forget the Lord when we are 'full'? Or to say it a different way, that our tendency as people is to forget the Lord when things are going well for us? Why is this?

Thoughts?

LRH

DG National Conference 2008!

Daryl-Ann and myself along with our close friend Nick Langford just returned from an enriching trip to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Why did we go there you may ask? We went there because John Piper's ministry, Desiring God, puts on two conferences a year and since we are trying to leave the country it seemed like this would be our last chance for a while to go. I thank God for Gospel-centered, Christ-exalting teachers. If it wasn't for the grace of God working through a few of these faithful spiritual giants I would still be living a Logan-centered, self-righteous life. 

The conference theme this year was The Power of Words and the Wonder of God, and we explored the power of the tongue and how the action of speaking related directly to the God who speaks. The conference was opened with a tremendous exposition of James 3:1-12, followed by sermons on the place that singing has in our lives, how sharp or how biting our words should be for the glory of God, the place of telling stories as a mechanism of communicating truth, a sermon on taming the tongue as a battle existing in the heart, and finally what is the place of eloquence in our sharing of the Gospel with all mankind. 

Full video and audio are available for free for those of you who are interested. 

I especially recommend to you the talks done by Ferguson (rich), Driscoll (hilarious and profound), Tripp (convicting), and Piper (insightful and provocative).

Below are some of the limited photos we took while we were there.

The botanical photos were pictures we took at our three hour visit to The Minnesota University Landscape Arboretum. Sorry we didn't take many pictures. We had good intentions!

LRH

I would like to point out that I think I would make an excellent administrative assistant.  I know no one cares.........

However.....would someone please tell me what the CC: in email is used for??  

--da

Change

Let's just face it, I'm not at all...ever...really excited about change.  It usually scares me.  Even if what is changing is something that I have wanted (like getting married) or worked towards (like finishing school), I am still prone to be apprehensive about the change.  

I like structure and routines, maybe a little too much.  Wearing the same thing to work every day is almost nice, and my routine of checking the alarm 3 times before allowing myself to go to sleep is the norm.  (Doesn't every one do that, though?)  I plan menus for dinner for the whole week, and like for my clothes to be organized in the closet by long/short sleeve, pants, jeans, dress shirts, etc.  

Life is comfortable when I pretty much know what to expect.  So when something big comes along, or even something small if I'm totally not expecting it, I flip out and put on the brakes.  My immediate reaction is "No, the old way is fine/just as good," or "Do I really have to do this?".   

And you can tell me all day long that change is good, inevitable, causes growth....And although this may be true, for someone like me, even though I may know it is true, I really won't believe you.  And I won't like change just because you tell me it is okay.  But this is what I was reminded of today.

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace,

Because he trusts in You. 

Trust in the Lord forever,

For in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.  (Isaiah 26:3-4)

God will not change.  He is an everlasting Rock.  That's refreshing for someone who doesn't like change.  

--da

If your free October 17-18, you should consider going to this:

Job: When the Righteous Suffer

Hope to see you there.

LRH

The Evolution of Morality?

Upon discussing evolution with a co-worker this question came up:

Evolution is suppose to make organisms more suited for their environment over a period of time. Wouldn't you think that human morality would do the same?

Good preaching...

I commend to you Dr. Martyn Llyod-Jones. He is considered by many to be the best preacher in the 20th century. Half of one of his sermons is made available every week. He preached in England during the 50s - 70s. I have found his insight into the culture of his day to be still extremely relevant into understanding the culture of my day. Enjoy!

Click here:

Llyod-Jones Sermons

LRH

ahhh....Sweet Direction

Daryl-Ann and I got our letter of acceptance from the mission board we desire to serve overseas with (sigh of relief). As of now our exact date of departure from the LBK will be January 28th, 2009 with a field arrival date around the first of April. Please keep us in your thoughts as we make the most of these last few months in our homeland. We are stoked!

LRH

the real me

I think I am safe to say that all Christian people are thankful to God for saving them from destructive sins of the past that they were indeed bound to. And rightly so, it is all of grace that we gain victory from our sinful habits, and God must be praised for it. 

I think it is less often to see a person thankful to God for keeping them from sins that they have never committed, which is also of grace. Within ourselves we all posses the faculties to commit great evils, but thanks to God's sovereign hand he has kept us from such. I need to remind myself to stop and think for a moment what kind of person I would be if God were to leave me completely to myself. If I do not see myself in that moment as such a miserable wretch then I probably do not know myself as I really am, a debauched sinner in desperate need of a Saviour. 

LRH

Time at Work...

I have had the opportunity to have many great conversations with a few of my co-workers, and I have learned so much about the Christian life, and how 'being a Christian' should effect us. Most of our conversations have consisted around the idea of suffering and its effect on our soul. The most profound thing I was struck with today is that Christian life is not merely about what we do and do not do. It is completely what we believe and what we don't believe. What we believe about the Gospel, the nature of God, and the Holy Spirit's work in the world determines how we respond not only to specific situations, but how we live our life. For example, if I have no biblical backing in my heart and head on why suffering and evil exists in the world, then when I am encountered by suffering and evil I will respond no differently than a person who does not know God. Or if I do not know God's revealed desire for the lost peoples of the earth (or my neighbor) then there is no way that I will be rightly motivated to go to the hard places and pay the high cost that is required for people to be brought into God's family. Is that not what Jesus did for me? He paid the highest price for my salvation. If I really believed this I should be willing to bear the cost with him and go. 

Said concisely, being grounded in the revealed heart of God in all things governs my thoughts, actions, and the responses I have to any kind of situation. 

I know what I am saying is nothing new, in fact I think God just opened up to me a verse I have read a hundred times in a real practical way.

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect" (Rom 12:2, ESV).

Always learning and re-learning,

LRH

typical irony

For those of you who don't know, I work here in Lubbock at Carillon Senior LifeCare Community.  (You may have seen me on tv...)  I actually work in the food and beverage dept., which I said I would NEVER do.  It is enjoyable, sometimes stressful, but what job isn't?

Anyways, all of that to set the background.  I had to run to the kitchen to look for something in the walk-in this morning, and I totally slipped in a puddle of grease (yes, I did say puddle and grease) and wiped out.  No injuries, though.

Ironically, there was a "safety" meeting this afternoon...where we learned all about how to not slip in the kitchen.  

--dh

By the way, I agree whole heartedly with Logan's previous post about the Lewis book.  It was incredible.  

Our Lewis Hook

Over the years I have heard countless people speak of their appreciation for C.S. Lewis. I have  spent time in many of his books and have had the hardest time seeing what the big deal was. I could tell the claims he was making were powerful and truthful, but I was not gripped by them as most others seemed to be. Honestly I think he is in another intellectual class altogether and I cannot reach that high. Nevertheless, I decided to try again, this time with a book that I picked up at Barnes and Noble called Till We have Faces: A Myth Retold. 

I must say that this was one of the most gripping books I have ever read, and most profound. It was Lewis' last piece of fiction and he considered it his greatest. I read it in a few short days (very unusual for me), and enjoyed every minute of it.

I am not going to go into what it is about or even the focus of the book. I highly recommend it for anyone who loves good fiction that aims at stirring your affections, and may have a hard time appreciating the works of Lewis.  The moment I was finished with it I gave to it Daryl-Ann and she finished it in half the time I finished it (which is normal), and we were able to have good conversation and mutually appreciate the man, C. S. Lewis.

LRH

Encouragement from an 'Ordinary' Gospel Centered Life

Over the past few days I have been reading a book by Don Carson titled Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson. The book is aimed at highlighting the faithful diligence of an 'ordinary' pastor in the midst of much hardship and daily 'ordinary' life.

One story that proved really relevant for Daryl-Ann and I concerning the ministry we are pursuing was the story of Don asking his father why so many ministers left their region in French speaking Canada and went to other areas where, seemingly, God was moving.

To give a historical context:

The Carsons were serving in Quebec, a predominantly French speaking province. Missionaries were displaced from the French speaking colonies in the Congo in Africa and thought it a wise move to go to Quebec to continue their French-directed work. None of the missionaries lasted for more than six months.

The rest I quote in full.

So I (Don) asked Dad why none of them had the courage and stamina to stick it out.

Always the meekest of men, Dad replied mildly, "Don, you have to understand that they have been used to serving in a part of the world where they have seen much blessing. They are used to considerable crowds, they have built clinics and hospitals, they have seen many people converted and helped to train pastors to teach them. Then they arrive here and find everything to be interminably slow. How are they likely to read this, except to conclude that they must have misunderstood their call to Quebec since no fruit seems to be forthcoming?"

"So," I replied, "why don't you go to some part of the world where there would be much fruit instead of staying here and produce so little?"

Until then the conversation had been casual. Now he wheeled on me and said rather curtly, "I stay because I believe God has many people in this place"-- referring , of course, to the encouragement God gave to Paul in Corinth (Acts 18:10).

What a ballast to a weary Christian who daily proclaims the gospel and prays earnestly that the hearers would be brought to faith in Christ.

Keep laboring and praying. I have people here, and they will come to know me.

Sorry for the long post. I hope you found it worthwhile.

LRH

And Now A Word From Daryl-Ann...

Well, Logan wants us to have a blog.  It's a great idea.... especially for those who have cute kids to write funny stories about and post pictures of, those with deep insight or humorous comments to make, or someone who just really wants to keep you posted on all the ins and outs of daily life.  Pretty much, that's not us, uh, me.  (Sorry Logan, you have great insight.)

What you need to know is that I once kept a blog.  I was young and stupid, and wrote all about all kinds of emotions and things I was going through.  And then I wised up and realized I really didn't want to post my thoughts and feelings for all to see, and really, I didn't have all that much to contribute to the blog world anyways.

However, this will be a great way for you to keep in touch w/ what's going on in our lives....most of you reading this already know that we hope to be moving overseas fairly soon, and so this is a most efficient way to catch a glimpse of our daily lives.  I really foresee Logan writing more here, but you may hear from me every so often.

And just to let you know, we just got back from conference today.  Overall, we were really encouraged.....by the people we got to meet and fellowship with, by hearing what God is doing all around the world, by the fact that our interviews went well, etc.  I know that the time we potentially have here in the states is short, and I hope we spend it well--loving on the people who are dear to us and doing all things for the glory of our Lord.  

Well, the dryer just buzzed....that's my cue.  

Love,

--dh

A Promise fulfilled...

Here is one more picture of beauty we in west Texas don't see too often. 

I finally took some pictures of the place we are staying for interviews. It is also the place where Missionaries are trained and come home for furlough. I have more to come. Enjoy!

This is DA being sleepy pants on the floor in the library.

A barn and silo... I have no idea for what.

Here is a picture of the ILC. The place where we stay and learn.

I was probably a little too excited when I saw this Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum).

And Again...

The Difficulty of Blogging

Well, it has been three days since I began this blog and I have found that writing in it is much harder than I expected it to be. Maybe it is showing me that I am not as interesting as I would like to think I am. Or maybe I just feel like if I am going to write something for others to see it needs to be some spectacular observation, perhaps some hilarious story, or a deep truth. I hope to be able to include all kinds of situations that the Lord puts us in, both big and small. 

Today at interview conference we spend most of the day listening to different regional speakers advocating for their side of the world. It was long and for the most part interesting. We were matched up with a two other couples for group interviews and at first I was slightly apprehensive because all our group members seemed very different from one another. It was cool to see how our love for Christ brought us together as couples and we have enjoyed many hours discussing what the Lord has placed on our hearts regarding the nations. I am convinced that through the Gospel any social barrier can be crossed, and it is because of those 'barriers' (if they should even be called that) that the body can thrive even though it seems to be so different.

I have taken a few pictures, but they are just of Daryl-Ann laying on the floor acting tired. I will try to do better and take more.

LRH

Richmond, Richmond, Richmond

DA and I have made it safely to Richmond Virginia and are having a personal day before Conference begins. For those of you who have no idea where we are and why we are here. We are in Richmond for an Interview conference for international ministry. We have met many nice people (most over 45 years old!) who are going through the same process as us. 

Richmond is beautiful, and hot/humid! We are glad to be here and encouraged to see how the Lord is dealing with his people. 

LRH

The Blog Roll

In order to keep the beloved (friends and family) updated on the goings out and the comings in of our life we decided to start a blog. Pass on the news to anyone who asks how we are doing. We hope to make you laugh, cry, and rejoice while we all experience the richness of life.

LRH