Daniel Dessinger

Category: personal

  • Changing What You Listen to Could Change Your Life

    I came across this blog post today via Twitter. It so closely mirrored the heart of what I wrote yesterday that I had to give you a taste here. JBMavrich writes of how he spent his daily commute to and from work (read his entire post here):

    I turned my sights to music, revisiting albums of my youth. I once again found no life in the secular music that I had so many times before sworn off. I was singing and declaring words of death, or at least nonsense, over and over. I found that this, much like my attempt at listening to the news, was bleeding me slowly.

    I know this feeling. Life is passing you by and you’re not making as much progress or growing as much as you think you should. Your mind feels murky and “full”. You wish you had more faith, but you are overwhelmed and engulfed by whatever Media you are tuned into.

    But something miraculous happens when we carve out emotional and mental space for the Lord. Our minds are quieted and calm. We have far fewer sparkly, shiny, barking advertising things floating around in our minds, looking for a place to settle. There is room for the Lord to speak, and room to listen.

    In short, changing what I fed my spirit has shown dramatic and swift results. My prayer life has increased; my intimacy with the Lord has grown; my revelation and discernment have developed; my heart has tenderized. I have even increased in visions and dreams. I say this not in pride, but to encourage you that these results are only the beginning and possible for us all.

    And that’s point of all of this, after all. Intimacy with the Father. Experiencing His love and acceptance. Finding the capacity to believe His Word.

    *A special shout out to @jbmavrich for writing and tweeting this encouraging post.

  • My Grandfather’s Sermon Audio Now Online

    It’s been a long, drawn out process that I’m not at liberty to discuss with you yet, but I’ve finally managed to start posting my grandfather’s sermons in the form of a podcast.

    As a healing evangelist, Lennard Darbee traveled the States and the world, preaching and teaching from his heart. I’m blessed to have the tapes from his radio broadcast, Rays of Faith. I’m converting them from cassette to digital one sermon at a time and posting them on LennardDarbee.com.

    Stop by and check them out. His tone whe preaching was a turnoff to me in the beginning. But now I cherish it in all its historical accuracy.

    There are several hundred 15 minute sermons to go. My goal is to post one each week.

  • My First Impression of the Motorola CLIQ

    It’s officially Day 2 of owning my Motorola CLIQ, but since I just got my data package activated this afternoon, I consider this Day 1. I have some realistic observations of the CLIQ, both pro and con. But I promise to be fair. No buyer’s ecstasy or Apple hatred clouding my judgment. I’m not a hyped up fanboy like some (not mentioning any names, but it starts with an “r” and end with a “jensen“).

    Here are my initial thoughts:

    The Look

    Love it. Absolutely love the look of this phone. I got the white case as opposed to the titanium/grey (though the backing is still grey).

    The Feel

    Solid construction. Not at all flimsy. Feels nice and sturdy. Physical keys are a little awkward in that there’s no spacing between them. They are beveled to make each key distinguishable, but the T-Mobile Sidekick is still by far the best mobile keyboard ever made.

    To turn the “screen saver” mode on or off, you have to click this button that runs along the side of the device (or the top if in landscape typing mode). My finger keeps trying to press a button a centimeter above the actual button, so I keep forcing myself to look and press the ACTUAL button. Not entirely sure what this means, but it stood out.

    The Music

    Adding music was a breeze, once I figured out that I need to pull down the status bar to tell the phone to switch from charge mode to download music mode. I ONLY use a Macbook for personal use, but dragging and dropping music files from within my laptop to the phone’s storage was easy as pie (and quick too).

    Motoblur

    This is the real question in my mind. I’m still a n00b at this point, so we’ll see how I adapt to the setup. Here’s the breakdown: The first thing I see on my home screen is the latest status update from my friends. Mine is set up to combine Twitter and Facebook, so I get everything there. BUT, seeing as how I’m friends with 200+ people on Facebook and I’m following 200+ on Twitter, the chances of me glancing down and seeing an update I really care about are less than stellar.

    However, I can tap that latest status update and up pops a page with the same update and a button to favorite or reply. I can click the title bar above that page and the view changes to a vertical list of tweets and facebook updates in chronological order. I’m basically getting a Twhirl kind of singular column view.

    Problem: nowhere in this setup do I see the option to view replies. I mean, half of my glancing at Twitter is to see if I’ve missed a reply. How did they miss this important function? I’m looking and looking, but for the life of me I can’t find a page that shows replies only.

    What we have here…. is failure….to communicate.

    This means I need a Twitter app. And I know nothing of Androidy Twitter apps, so I’ll probably end up downloading a dozen of them and testing them all to see which I like best.

    I’ll still use the Motoblur for reviewing the conversation as it goes on, but it could really only be my one-stop-shop for social media conversations if it A) added a reply page or B) I reduce my friend number to less than 50 per site. And even then, I would probably STILL miss replies when I’m away from my phone for long periods of time (yes, I DO put it down for hours at a time).

    The Initial Verdict:

    • T-Mobile gets a C- for making me wait 24 hrs to have a functioning data package.
    • Motorola’s online features get an A- for a superior phone and social media experience with only one real lack – the reply column.
    • Motorola CLIQ the phone gets an A- for everything being stellar except speakerphone quality. With the volume very loud, the speaker starts to sound like it’s over capacity.
    • Video recording image quality is excellent for a phone, but sound quality left me disappointed.
    • The keyboard gets a B+ (for comparison, Blackberrys get a D, G1 gets a D, and Sidekick ID/2/3 gets an A).
    • Downloading apps (B+) is easy peesy but doesn’t seem to tell me more than how many stars an app has received.
    • The 2GB micro SD card is sorely lacking in space, so I’ll be buying a 16GB card this weekend.

    That wraps it up for this mini-review.

    What did I miss? Ask and I’ll tell.

  • First Lennard Darbee Podcast Now Available

    For those of you who have been asking for it, it’s finally here. I posted the very first Lennard Darbee: Rays of Faith podcast yesterday. You can check it out at LennardDarbee.com.

    The goal is post one podcast per week, and also provide a transcription of the podcast for those who don’t have time to listen to the whole 11-15 minute session each time.

    Your feedback is appreciated. Please leave a comment and discuss points you want to expound upon or disagree with. When you comment on something said, please note the exact time when it was said during the podcast so our other listeners can tune in to hear what you are addressing.

    Example: “At 3:19, Lennard said XYZ. I’m not sure I agree with him….”

    Thanks and God bless.

    – Daniel

  • Thought of the Day: Friday October 23, 2009

    If it’s the glory of God to conceal a matter, and the glory of kings to search out a matter, whose glory is it to blog a matter?

  • My Life’s Purpose Seems Impossible to Reach – How Do I Get There?

    It’s important to know your purpose in life. In fact, I would venture to say there are only a couple things more important. I’m a thinker. Some would say an overthinker. But I consider ideas and questions from many angles. Nine times out of ten, I’m not satisfied with the status quo answer. I see gaps. I see flaws. I see possibilities.

    “They” say that we each attract like-minded people. If that’s true (and I think it is), then I hope some of you are really out there. At the very least, I hope I make a profound difference in one person’s life other than my own by writing in this blog.

    I’m going to tell you how I am reaching my purpose. You ready for it? Here goes:

    One small choice at a time.

    Wait! Don’t leave! I know you’d like something more profound sounding, but this is the truth and if you get ahold of this truth, you will be on the path.

    Here’s the deal:

    At 17, I was a depressed, anti-social smoker with no hope for a future. I literally told people that I hoped to die at age 25 so I wouldn’t have to bear the lame adult years of being a pathetic domesticated and emasculated male. Just before 19, I cried out to Jesus in my greatest moment of trouble and He delivered me. I was born again, completely clueless about what it meant to live as a believer or as an adult. But my vision began to change.

    Within two years, I was deep in depression again. I had no mentors, no one pouring truth into my life and holding me accountable for my thoughts, beliefs, or actions. I was wading through life without a guide, and I couldn’t believe God REALLY loved me enough to help. Everything I did was reactionary. I had no idea what I was aiming at. I had no long-term goals. I had no vision. What’s worse, I had dozens of prophetic words spoken over me that seemed to just bounce off me like BBs.

    My point is, I don’t live in that mess anymore. You don’t have to either. I want to encourage you. This is a lifelong process, but I can tell you that my life has grown qualitatively better EVERY SINGLE YEAR. There is no time of my life I would rather be in than right now.

    My Goal

    It’s a burden on my heart to impart some of my story to you because I’ve had so many friends who are still drifting along without a sense of purpose or destiny. I listened to their aspirations and dreams back when we were 16, 18, 21. But some of those friends got stuck along the way and haven’t made much progress towards the life that God intended, and that will ultimately fulfill them the most while they walk this earth.

    That is my heart. If you are discouraged, or have lost your way, I want to encourage you by the Spirit of God. So I will be writing some of my story in the coming days to share with you what I have done to overcome some MAJOR hurdles in my life.

    I want to know you. I want to bless you. Spend five minutes with me. You’ll see how human I am. But we’re all JUST human. That’s it. There are no superheroes. There are no elevated people, like super apostles of the faith.

    I want to bless you, and I hope you’ll share some feedback with me. Remember, comments are currency in the blogosphere. If you want to thank someone for writing content that matters, write a comment on one of their posts and tell them. Ask questions. Give alternative opinions. BLOGS ARE SUPPOSED TO START CONVERSATIONS.

    With that said, I hope you’ll come back and visit and talk to me about YOUR story.

    Stay tuned for more of my story.

    As always, you can contact me privately here.

  • Your Commands Are My Delight

    141 Though I am lowly and despised,
    I do not forget your precepts.

    142 Your righteousness is everlasting
    and your law is true.

    143 Trouble and distress have come upon me,
    but your commands are my delight.

    144 Your statutes are forever right;
    give me understanding that I may live.

    – Psalm 119

    What revelation must the Psalmist have in order to tell another Person that the Person’s commands are his delight? How much do you have to love someone to delight in the commands they give you?

  • Is It Possible To Think Too Much?

    When I was 19, I was new to the faith and growing through a nine month discipleship training school at church. I was prone to anxiety attacks and nearly debilitating fear of failure. I second guessed everything and never felt satisfied about ANY explanation. So I journaled and journaled and journaled, desperately seeking an opportunity to express my fears and concerns without being turned away by my peers or authority figures.

    I’ll never forget the day when I spilled my guts to the discipleship director. Every concern I shared was extremely important to me. He looked at me with all seriousness and said, “Daniel, you think too much.”

    I what?!?!?! How exactly does a person think too much? This one statement sent me into fits of confusion. How is it humanly possible to think too much? Doesn’t that just mean everyone else thinks too little?

    I should have gone and talked with him further to get him to explain what he meant. Instead, I just simmered in “nobody understands me” for a few years. If my mentor couldn’t understand me, I had little hope that someone else would.

    That isolation cost me a lot of growth. A lot of productivity. I still question whether it was necessary. Perhaps the soul searching phase was absolutely necessary. But MAYBE I could have moved past it with the right relationships and advice. Guess hindsight’s not always so 20/20.

    Some 13 years later, I think I finally understand what he MEANT to say. A lot of my thoughts are anxiety driven noise, based on the fear of forgetting, of falling behind on projects, of disappointing my boss or my wife, etc. So much noise that can be quieted. I suppose I would actually think “less” in some respect if I were at peace. That’s always true after a good workout. The endorphins are pumping and I’m just simply satisfied with not thinking. It’s one of the only times in life that is true. The only other would be after a carthartic breakdown. The calm after that storm is very serene as well.

    What do YOU think?

  • Action Movies I’ve Seen

    This will be a very boring post, so move on to the next. No, really. I’m just using this as an ongoing list of the action movies I’ve seen, so I can keep tabs. It’s an ongoing list, so I’ll keep adding to it as I recall the names of films.

    Action Films

    V for Vendetta

    The Musketeer

    Gladiator

    The Last Samurai

    The Siege

    Under Siege

    Black Hawk Down

    Tears of the Sun

    Predator

    Commando

    Rambo

    Ranbo 2

    Rambo 3

    X-Men

    X-Men 2

    X-Men 3

    Terminator

    T2: Judgment Day

    Terminator 3

    Terminator Salvation

    G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

    Transformers

    Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

    Troy

    Die Hard

    Die Hard 2

    Die Hard With a Vengeance

    Die Hard 4

    Tombstone

    Matrix

    Matrix Reloaded

    Matrix Revolution

    Sixth Day

    Tango & Cash

    Big Trouble in Little China

    The Taking of Pelham 123

    Angels and Demons

    James Bond: The Living Daylights

    James Bond: Casino Royale

    Star Trek

    X-Men Origins: Wolverine

    Fast and Furious

    2 Fast 2 Furious

    Watchmen

    10,000 BC

    Independence Day

    Stargate

  • What Do YOU Want to Be When You Grow Up

    “Danny, what do YOU want to be when you grow up?”

    That question always puzzled me as a boy. What do I want to be? How the heck should I know? I have to BE something? What for? Why didn’t I get that memo? And am I REALLY going to grow up and be an adult like you?

    People’s expressions taught me that it wasn’t okay to not have an answer to this most important question. I, of course, did NOT have an answer, so I made one up. The two answers I used most often were “I want to be a basketball player” or “I want to be a pastor.”

    Nice combo, eh? The basketball player part is obvious. Basketball is fun. I was okay at it. I had dreams of being better. People did it for a living and no one asked THEM what else they wanted to be. So that was as good an answer as any. But the pastor thing? I have no idea where that came from. Seriously. I didn’t actually WANT to be a pastor. I didn’t much care for the pastor we had, and he was my only pastoral role model.

    So there’s a mystery for you. Why did I say I wanted to be something I didn’t actually want to be? Why not a policeman, fireman, astronaut, doctor, or something “normal”?

    You got me. I have no clue. But that’s what I chose.

    Here I am. 32 years old. Still asking myself this question. What DO I want to be? What is deepest, truest passion? What is it that would most fulfill me in my life?

    If I had to guess, I’d say that the reason I didn’t have any aspirations as a child was because I had never heard of or imagined the purpose God has for me. It’s hard to say you’re going to be a nuclear physicist when you’ve never heard of even an ordinary physicist, right?

    Right. And I’d never heard of a prophetic person, or prophecy in any context until much later (and even then, the only context was of end-times prophecy which I don’t worry too much about). So it’s ironic that I chose to tell people I wanted to be a pastor, because that was the only member of the fivefold ministry I’d heard of at that stage in my life.

    Sadly, I STILL don’t know what a full-time prophetic ministry looks like. I see John Paul Jackson, but he’s into these international prophetic training schools. That’s great, and much needed, but I don’t want to leave my wife and family every few days to travel the world. I also see Rick Joyner, but I’m honestly not sure what he does. He’s written very popular books, of course, but I guess he sort of runs a church, like a pastor. I’m not into being a pastor. I know that’s not my particular set of giftings or interests.

    Somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind, I have an idea of what church SHOULD be, and it incorporates all members of the fivefold ministry: Apostles, Prophets, Pastors, Evangelists, and Teachers. I’ve never seen a model of this in the real world, but I think it makes perfectly logical sense that the fivefold ministers should be actively working together to train and grow the Body of Christ. What a concept! A pastor, a prophet, an evangelist, and a teacher all working together! Does that ever happen?

    Since most churches are built upon a pastor/teacher’s charisma, insight, or gifting, it’s rare to see church leaders share the spotlight or the power. They’ll call it whatever they like, but they’re really running a corporation as the CEO.

    Back to my original dilemma. I actually know what I’m called to. But I don’t know what it looks like. And I don’t have the faintest idea how it generates income without being oogly (i.e. creepy and dangerous). I’m ready to make a move. I’m ready for transition. But I don’t yet see what I’d be transitioning into.