Chris Hubbard

As part of my work, I have to run a little utility (dsimporta for those at work) to import some data.  It was really never meant to be used very much so it is just a windows application, but I use it quite often.  I am a keyboard user and over time had optimized my usage of this application to a well worn series of keystrokes.

I finally got tired of doing this and remembered that I had ran across AutoIt a while ago.  It is a scripting environment that can automate Windows GUI and other general scripting with a BASIC-like language.  You can package everything (including the runtime) into a small executable.  I tried this with my 7 line script and it generated a 252K executable.

Here is my script:

Run(“dsimporta.exe”, “c:\i3\ic\server”)
WinWaitActive(“Import DS Test”)
Send(“{TAB}{ENTER}”)
WinWaitActive(“Open”)
Send(“provision.dsi!o”)
WinWaitActive(“Import DS Test”)
Send(“{TAB}Common{TAB}CustomerSite{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{SPACE}{TAB}{SPACE}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{TAB}{SPACE}{TAB}{SPACE}”)

While reading blogs before going to bed, on stackoverflow.com I found ‘What’s your favorite "programmer" cartoons‘ which has some great programmer humor.  Don’t bother Michelle because you won’t get any of it, but I love you anyway! 01101!

This week I have been listening to John MacArthur preach on Jesus’ second coming from Revelation 22:6-12.  In verse 9, the apostle John starts to worship the angel due to being overwhelmed by what he was learning.  He could have had a hard time distinguishing between the messenger and the one who sent him.  The angel tells him to get and up and he says, "Worship God!"

In the middle of this discussion on this text of scripture, John MacArthur gives some practical help on what worship actually is from Psalm 26.  You can read it all in the transcript, but here is a brief outline:

Four characteristics of a true worshiper

1. Trust in God (v1)
2. Preoccupation with God’s loving kindness–overwhelmed with God’s grace–not worried about anything since His grace is sufficient (v3)
3. Walking in truth–not living in sin (v3)
4. Isn’t involved with evil doers (v4)

Five ingredients of worship

1. Thanksgiving (v7)
2. Praise–Tell of all Thy wondrous works (v7)
3. Love of His presence (v8)
4. Trust (vv9-11)
5. Commitment (v12)

This was a reminder of what being a true worshiper is.  Do I really worship God with my whole heart?  Something to think about as I prepare for worshiping tomorrow with Body of Christ on the Lord’s Day.

Over the past month, I have had a few bouts of insomnia.  Here I am again at almost 3 am and I can’t get to sleep.  I am trying to decide whether to blame the knee surgery which makes it slightly uncomfortable to sleep, the not-so-great movie that I decided to watch with my sister, or the fact that I stopped drinking caffeinated drinks.

Three years ago, I tore my ACL playing indoor soccer.  No, I am not some hyperactive sports nut who was finally injured after thousands of hours of pushing my body to the limit.  It was a fluke that someone asked me to go.  I had been playing a little bit of outdoor soccer over the summer so I decided I try it out.  I was in for five minutes and my foot stuck in the astroturf as I was making a turn and you could hear the pop of my ACL across the field.  Fast forward a few years and this was the year to get it fixed.  This year we opted for the high-deductible insurance.  With the birth of our fourth child, we hit the yearly deductible in January so any other medical procedures are covered at 100%.

So what does that have to do with Insomnia?  That is what I am trying to find out!  Is it being uncomfortable that is keeping me from sleeping?  I don’t think so or it would be more nights than what it has been.  It could have been the movie we watched tonight.

My sister is staying with us and she started a new job this week.  She will be working nights (6:30pm – 5:00am) and needed to start adjusting her sleep schedule.  I was starting the second half of the Colts game when she came home and wanted to know if I wanted to watch something with her.  I like to watch movies occasionally and don’t get the chance that much with having four kids.  I really should have gone to bed, but instead watched an action move (and woke up Michelle twice with the volume too high, sorry love).  When I tried to get to bed, I had scenes from the movie going through my head so I tried to combat it with something else.  Unfortunately, I chose a song from church this morning that took over and was much worse to dislodge. 

So here I am.  Looking at blogs and typing this one trying to get some closure to the night before I have to get up in two hours.  I may try sacking out on the couch (that helped last time). 

But what about the caffeine option?  Well, I gave up drinking caffeinated drinks regularly a couple of months ago.  I would regularly have two or three cans a day of Cherry Zero, Diet Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi, or something like that.  I could have several late at night and never have a problem sleeping.  I have wondered if the change in my body chemistry has now made me susceptible to insomnia.

I have always secretly admired people who could function on only a few hours sleep.  I always wanted to be able to have the time to read that stack of books that I have or work on the pet project that I never seem to find time to work on.  I guess the question is how well I will function in the…next few hours.

Who is Jesus? from College Park Church on Vimeo.