Fun ski days in Colorado!

Here is my 80 year old father...he's still got it!


Riding up the lift! Dad, Roger and Arden!


Dad and Arden!

My nephew Zack, tearing up the slopes!


Zack and Arden! Fun day!

I had a blast the past two days skiing at Breckenridge, CO, the first day with my nephew Zack and today with my dad and brother! Good preparation for Canada!

CLICK HERE to see video on Hungarian inventions

So many people are not aware of all the famous Hungarians who invented things we simply take for granted, like the ball point pen. Also, did you know the Model T was invented by a Hungarian?

Click on my blog title above to go directly to the U-tube video. Or cut and paste the one below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0wkokaybWA&feature=player_embedded

SNOW

Um, this is along the side of the house...where the girl who lives in my basement is supposed to walk to get to her door. Um, that may not be happening!


I figured two tracks is enough to get the car out...but after that, the road????

Ah, drifting snow!

A path for the postal person....or me out the front door... :-)

We've had blizzard like conditions most of today....here are some pix of my shoveling skills.

Christmas Day in the Prayer Room

This is Nathan Panke's worship team. They found these gaudy Christmas sweaters in the lost and found....was really funny!


What a special day! I walked everywhere, through the snow and wind, and I got to spend a few hours in the prayer room! Can't think of a more special place to be, except maybe being with family! (That's coming in a couple of days, not to worry!)

Crazy, fun pictures from the past couple of days!

Charlie, Arden and Mark on the last day of Intro! These are wonderful young men of God who love Jesus with all their hearts!


Can you see the kitty in this picture? :-) Yes, that is one of Toby's favorite places...gotta learn to make my bed more quickly in the morning!

I love this cool pic! This is looking through my storm door on my front door! Christmas morning!


Scott Adams and his cool specs!


Ha ha ha!

God has truly blessed me with fun people, places, and kitties! :-)

This is what I awakened to on Christmas Morn!

My Christmas tree....and the snow out the window!


If the wind wasn't blowing, I think we'd have about 4 inches on the ground.

Toby really doesn't want to go outside! :-)

I came home and shoveled the front deck off....a lot of good THAT did, huh? :-)


This is how far I could get my front storm door open this morning! :-)
A WHITE CHRISTMAS!

Christmas Eve '09

Josie

Nathanel and Riley

Jonathan, Sarah and Gabe in an intense game of Dominos!

Riley, Scott and Marcie...concentration is the key!

I LOVE this precious, dear friend of mine! God VERY miraculously put our paths back together one year ago! Marcie and I taught together with ESI in Hungary in 1992 and got to know each other back then, but as time and distance would have it, we drifted apart and lived our separate lives! Marcie got married and has kids (natural and adopted) and has lived in Kansas City and been a part of the International House of Prayer for the past 6 years! The story of our getting reconnected is nothing short of miraculous, and I praise God for business cards! :-) This sweet, godly, prophetic friend is a treasure beyond words as is her family!


Plan A for Christmas Eve got postponed due to hostess illness, so Plan B kicked into gear, and what a FUN Christmas Eve a group of us had at Scott and Marcie Adams' home!

Eating GREAT food, opening gifts and playing games (my favorite Catch Phrase and my second favorite, Dominos) and great fellowship were on the agenda!

It's pretty amazing to feel so very loved by so very many in a place I've only lived 6 months.

Do I miss being with family ON Christmas? Well, maybe a little bit, but on the 28th, I'm flying to Colorado where my entire family is gathering for a late Christmas together and the celebration of my brother Kevin's wedding on New Year's Eve! So, it's all good! Anyway, today, Christmas Day, I am going to venture out in this blizzard on foot to feed a friend's kitties and walk over to the prayer room and spend most of the day with my heavenly Daddy! So, all in all, I am getting the best of ALL worlds this Christmas season...time with new friends, time with family, and time with my Father in Heaven! (The only heart-ache is missing my friends in Hungary!)

Click here to read about the loss of Derek Loux

We here in Kansas City have lost a friend, leader, father and husband. Derek Loux was in a tragic car accident on his way home from a training in Colorado when they hit black ice, the car flipped and Derek suffered fatal injuries. Please, please pray for the family...wife Renee and 10 children.

Read the blog below:

http://randybohlender.wordpress.com/

O Lord, we do not understand your ways, but we stand on the Truth of Your Word.

The Rock Church in Kansas City

My friends Paul Czaszewicz, Linda Valen and Janet Johns.

Linda and Janet.

Ministry time after the message.

My dear friend, Linda Valen!

My friend, Linda Valen, and I visited an amazing "inner-city" church in north-east Kansas City this past Sunday! Sweet worship, great message, excellent fellowship, in a church that is making a huge difference in the community.

Be blessed by this article and video - Click HERE

Take 6 minutes to watch this video and read the article! This has been my life for the past 6 weeks! :-)

http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2009/December/Awakening-Sweeps-over-Intl-House-of-Prayer-/

INTRO is over....and now, new beginnings!

Laughter
Mark just gave his life to Jesus at the beginning of Intro...here he is giving his testimony! He's like my little brother...or my son! :-)

Praying on the mic!

Joyce, from Colorado...in glorious worship!

Ginny and Peter, served in Ukraine for 17 years as missionaries!

Lots of mixed emotions today...12 weeks simply FLEW by, and I'm not even sure how to feel about saying "so long" to this intensive course called Introduction to IHOP. Thankfully, many people are sticking around, but others are returning home, going overseas, or going elsewhere.

Many told me that I would make friends for life in Intro...very true! And this particular Intro was VERY different than ANY other because of the outbreak of the Holy Spirit during week #7! Lives have been radically transformed by the God of the universe...and now we're being "sent out" to share that love, joy, peace, life, and hope with all those God brings across our paths!

I need time to process...

The Donkey

Many of you have probably already heard this, but I thought it appropriate, with an added personal touch, for this time of year! Merry CHRISTMAS everyone!

"The Donkey"

A little donkey came home one day to his mother really excited about the days' events! He was so overwhelmed with joy and even feeling a bit proud. "Mom! You won't believe what happened today! I was just sitting around doing nothing when these two men came to get me and led me out of the city. Then, I came back in the city carrying my load and ALL the people in the city were lining the streets and cheering for me and waving palm branches for me and laying their coats and cloaks down at my feet! They were so excited to see me and welcome me into the city! It was the greatest feeling in the world, mom!"

The momma donkey looked at her little boy and said, "Oh sweetie, they weren't cheering for you; they were cheering and waving branches for the one you carried! But you, my dear, faithfully carried that One!"

Ah, may each of us be faithful carriers of the anointed One, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords...Jesus!

And for my own addition: That same King was carried into Nazareth on the back of a donkey, to the shouts of no one. He first came in quietness, then to the shouts of many, and will return again at the trumpet blast from heaven itself!

Blast from the NU past!

A little over a week ago, I got "friended" on Facebook by this guy named Paul! I was wondering, "do I know this guy?" Then he sent me a note about seeing my update in the Northwestern magazine...and it clicked: It's Czaz!!!!!

It turns out Paul Czaszewicz is in Kansas City! So, we had the blessing today of meeting again for the first time in 24 years!!!!! The Lord is sooooooooo good and it was soooooooooo much fun to catch up on the past 24 years as well as enjoy an evening at a service here at IHOP! Thanks for friending me, Czaz!!!!

Arnots and Johnsons in Kansas City

John Arnot

Bill Johnson

Beni Johnson
Carol Arnot
Lou Engle, Bill Johnson, Beni Johnson, John Arnot and Mike Bickle.

What a blessing to have fathers and mothers in the faith here to teach us how to steward this move of the Holy Spirit! Thank you, Lord, for your grace and mercy!

Fun times at IHOP

Some people won't "get this"...others will....

Christmas Lights with mom and dad

This is the arch-way through which everyone drives to go through the Christmas Park.




Everything was super elaborate!

The see-saw was actually moving! :-)


Below is mom and dad in downtown Kansas City with the Plaza lights ablaze!


Mom and dad came for Thanksgiving, which was a total blessing and a lot of fun. One evening, we decided to go see this very special "Christmas in the Park" light display that everyone here raves about. It's not far from where I live, but once you arrive, get ready to WAIT IN LINE! Wow, we waited in a line of cars for 1 1/2 hours before even getting to the park entrance! However, as you can see from the above pictures, it was worth the wait. I should have taken video because most of these displays were actually "moving lights".

Kansas City does a beautiful job down-town too of decorating the Plaza buildings with Christmas lights. Mom and dad and I enjoyed a fantastic dinner out at Houston's restaurant and a stroll and drive around downtown and the surrounding "wealthy" neighborhoods to see the Christmas lights.

Then, of course, dad helped me...rather did it all himself....put up some outside lights on my house! (Pictures of those to come)

Now, if I could just find some time to do some shopping for Christmas. Yikes!

New laptop!

Did you know it took between 10 and 15 minutes for my old laptop to boot up and start running?

Did you know that in the last 3 weeks, as I would be typing on my old laptop, it would freeze and then lose half of the sentence, thus forcing me to retype everything about ever 3 seconds or so?

Did you know my old laptop was about 8 years old?

Did you know that each time I went to shut down, it would find some error and then would have to be forceably shut down?

So, all that said, my dear bud here, Mark, did all the research and went with me during the Thanksgiving break and helped me to buy a new laptop!!! AND, because of a mix-up in advertising at a shop here, they gave us a brand new one for the price of the refurbished model! It was a good black Friday for me! So, I now have a new laptop and I am LOVING IT!

Merry early Christmas to me! :-)