Blessed

How I could have landed in this place is beyond me! It's way, way, way too good! I'm way, way, way too blessed! Thank you, Lord!

Another good quote

"Father, when I get stabbed in the back, don't let anything but the blood of Jesus come out."

Quote from a book I'm reading

I'm reading a very good book I'd recommend to everyone! However, it comes with a warning...your world will be rocked.

The book is "Epicenter" by Joel Rosenberg. The following is a powerful quote which I think is relevant as we watch the news these days.

"Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told friends he believes the end of the world is only a few years away. He has also said that he believes the way to hasten the arrival of the Islamic messiah is to unleash an apocalyptic holy war against Christians and Jews. Thus, he has vowed to annihilate the U.S. and Israel and is feverishly preparing his military to accomplish just that."

If this is not disturbing to blog readers, it should be. Read the book.

Two days before take-off

No, I'm not traveling anywhere, thankfully, actually. I'm loving settling in to my home and life in the U.S.

But it's two days before take-off...before I start an intensive internship here at the International House of Prayer. It's called Intro to IHOP and will be three months long, 6 days a week of classes, time in the prayer room and service. I'm REALLY looking forward to it. I woke up this morning very excited about starting on Monday because I need some structure in my life. :-)

It does mean that I will have to wake up earlier, like 4:45, to get to the gym earlier, so I can keep my workout schedule...which means early to bed!

So, off to bed now. :-)

A big event in DC on Friday

50,000 muslims are slated to converge on the steps of the capitol in Washington, DC to pray tomorrow from 4-7 p.m. EST. At the very bottom of the webpage set up for this event it reads:

OUR TIME HAS COME

As I have spent time this week pondering and praying about this gathering, I am convinced that for me, the best response is prayer; however, my prayer is to the one who declared, and I believe is, the Way, the Truth, and the Life...Jesus Christ.

So, I too will pray tomorrow, that Jesus Christ be glorified and lifted up as the Son of the Living God, the Savior, Redeemer, Lover of all Mankind, Lord of Lords and King of Kings, the Alpha and the Omega, the only way to the Father, the Messiah, Yeshua, the one whose death tore the veil and whose resurrection makes it possible for every single person on this earth to have eternal LIFE! He is the living God, the amazing giver of love, grace, mercy, truth and life. He is not a cause, nor is He a religion. His heart's desire is that every single person on this planet come into a living, loving relationship with Himself! (John 17)

Father, forgive us, for we have strayed from this Truth. We repent, plead the blood of Jesus over us, our nation, and our sins, and ask that YOU, Lord Jesus, be lifted up today, tomorrow and every day after that in the glory and honor You are due! Amen and amen!

Working out

I am loving the YMCA here in Missouri! It's small, a great mixture of people show up on the days I work out, and the pool...while small...is much warmer than the one in Szeged, so it is a JOY to jump in and do laps!

You may ask, "Why this sudden working out so diligently?" Well, my father has invited me and my brothers to go helicopter skiing in Canada in January! That's not just a walk in the park type of skiing! We're talking the helicopter flies you to the top of a mountain and drops you off (with a guide of course), but there ain't no lodge half way down and this is serious powder skiing on serious mountains. Therefore, we've gotta be in shape!

My 79 year old father is going to the gym 3 times a week, as is my younger brother, who has never worked out in his life up to now, and I too am hitting the gym 3 days a week. Today, as I was doing my stomach crunches, I got to thinking about having a goal, like this ski trip, and how we need goals in life. Not just goals in the natural, but in the spiritual as well. Those goals are not more programs or Bible studies or events...those goals were set up by God Himself:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law rests on these two commands." (Jesus)

Enough said....

Oh, on an unrelated note, I have figured out who the Milwaukee blog reader is...and I have only one thing to say: I forgive you and I bless you in Jesus' name!

Milwaukee....

Wow, now I have two different blog readers from Milwaukee viewing my blog...two different ISP users....wondering if I am being 'watched' by some watch-dog group. OOOOO, am I THAT important? ha ha ha!!!!

The boys....

This is one of Simon and Toby's favorite places in the house! :)


A true lounger!

"If I'm near mom, I'm ok!"

"If I've got my small space, I'm great!"

I think they are loving life!

What a weekend!

Worship on Saturday evening!

And there were hundreds in the overflow room too!

To employ an old cliche: "I'm on cloud nine!" No, I'm not in love...well, with Jesus, yes...and I'm still waiting for that wonderful man to step into my life...but I'm on cloud nine for another reason.

The International House of Prayer, http://www.ihop.org/, just celebrated 10 years of 24/7 night and day prayer and worship! It was a 4-day celebration during which Mike Bickle, the founder, shared the prophetic journey/foundation of IHOP. (By the way, you can get all the notes and audio, with video to come, at the above website!

If I ever doubted that God exists, I don't now and cannot! If I ever doubted that God speaks to His people today, I don't now and never will! If I ever doubted that God LOVES humanity and wants to see everyone come into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, I don't, can't and won't ever doubt again! If I ever doubted that God has led me here to Kansas City for this season, I don't anymore!

One of the things I 'love' the most about this weekend is the launching of the 24/7 "ministries of justice" to 'match' the 24/7 "prayer and worship" ministry! Departments with leadership in place for everything from crisis response to helping women in crisis pregnancies, to ministering to orphans and widows, to ministering in the inner city, and the list goes on! ALL of it bathed in prayer and worship...as is biblical and as it should be done!

I've met more people in the last four days who have said, "I just know God has called me here to Kansas City...I don't quite know why, but I know I'm supposed to be here!" which is pretty much my story as well! God is on the move and there is no greater time than now in this nation for believers to rise up in prayer, worship and works that glorify Jesus!

Bless ALL of you who are making it possible for me to be here!

Milwaukee, Wisconsin.....HELLO????

Ok, I've decided that anyone who checks a blog 27 times in 6 days is odd...if not down right strange.

Whatever floats your boat, Milwaukee! Hope you are being encouraged!

Very good article on IHOP's 10-year anniversary

Click the title to my blog to read a very good article about the 10-year celebration of IHOP here in Kansas City! Those of you who know me will understand a bit more why I believe the Lord called me here for this season!

Celebration time at IHOP

This weekend, the celebration is happening!

IHOP, that's International House of Prayer, is celebrating 10-years of 24/7 prayer and worship.

Events are happening over the course of the next 4 days...tonight was the opening night when Mike Bickle, founder, started giving the history of IHOP and the prophetic journey. I love that he is also, like me, from a Presbyterian background, and is now full-on walking in the Spirit!

I know they are streaming it at www.ihop.org but you may have to be signed up to get the streaming.

I finally learned tonight what the acronym IHOP stands for:

I- Intercession
H - Holiness
O - Offerings
P - Prophetic

Stay tuned.....

Update on Milwaukee reader.....

My Milwaukee, Wisconsin reader has checked in to my blog 21 times in 5 days. That's twenty-one times in five days.

Who are you Milwaukee? I'm so curious to know who is so curious about my blog? Please identify yourself!

No-touch car wash

Today I went looking for a car wash. (I was feeling too lazy to wash my car at home). So, I pulled in to a gas station and they had a "no touch" car wash. 'Cool' I thought. Well, I learned my lesson.

No touch....no clean....yep, not clean AT ALL. Way too many dollars later, I'm left with having to wash my car myself.

Yep, I got a spiritual truth from this experience....no touch....no grow....no change. If we want to grow in our relationships with God, we have to "touch" Him, not physically, but in the Spirit. We can go through the motions, read the Bible, go to prayer meetings, attend Bible studies, even attend church and sing in the choir and serve in the community; and we can remain untouched, unchanged.

It's only when we 'touch' the Lord in the spirit realm that we can grow and change. Easier said than done because it's not about more spiritual, Christian activity. In fact, it could be about getting quiet and sitting before the Lord in quietness and listening to His voice. Ask God how He wants to show Himself to you, to touch you so that you can grow and change! He loves you; He'll tell you!

Could this be part of the reason why.....

.....some Americans are overweight?

My family and I ordered this dessert in Colorado when I was there last month. Between 5 of us, we had a very difficult time finishing it.

I can only imagine one person trying to eat this entire piece of Mud Pie....which is amazingly tasty, by the way. :-)

Thanks, MJ, for the pictures

Here I am outside my new home!

Here's the car and house....

These are friends of Mary Jill's...Luana, Mary Jill, Deb and me...outside of IHOP. Now they are my friends too! :-)

I borrowed a couple of pictures from my friend, Mary Jill!

Miscellaneous

In yesterday's post, I noted that I have a "blog-stalker" from Milwaukee, WI. Now, I do need to show a bit of grace because I do check my friends blogs almost daily, and if I'm online more than once a day, I may even check them twice. However, I'm not sure I'm as consumed with checking blogs as Milwaukee.

Since Sunday, Milwaukee has checked my blog 10 times; since the beginning of the month, 46 times. Once again, Milwaukee, please identify yourself!

Enough said about 'blog-stalkers'. :-)

It's a fabulous morning here and I am loving the fall-like weather! The highway in the distance sounds a bit like a river...sort of....and the chirping of the crickets and calls of the birds remind me of the peacefulness of this place.

Another culture-shock I took note of last evening is free refills of drinks at restaurants! I love it! Yet another one is how LATE stores/shops are open. My friend Linda and I went into a Barnes and Noble bookstore at 8:30 p.m.! Most of the shops in that mall area were open til 9 or 10 p.m. I noted to Linda that most shops in Hungary would be closed by 6 at the latest.

That's enough today for my misc. blog. :-) Hope you enjoy it, Milwaukee! :-)

To my reader in Milwaukee, Wisconsin...

I've got a blog tracker...and on it recently, I've noticed I have a blog reader in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This reader checks my blog a lot...I mean A LOT! So far 24 visits in the last two days....this seems a bit odd to me unless this person is going back through the years and reading my past blogs, which could be the case. Over the course of September, this person checked over 42 times. Hmmm, can we say possible 'stalker'?

So, today, I want to dedicate this blog to my Milwaukee, Wisconsin reader. I am not sure what you are finding to be so interesting about my blog. I'd love it if you would identify yourself...leave a comment or something...letting me know who you are! I can't imagine who could be SO interested in me, but you obviously are.

So, this blog today is dedicated to you...I've been to your city...many years ago. I know all about saying things with a long "a" at the end...."how are you, a?" "Where are you going, a?" Etc.

I do want to make this a blog worth reading, so here comes....I'm actually quite impressed with Milwaukee reader and I believe there is a spiritual truth to be gleaned. Milwaukee obviously wants to know what my blog holds...do we have that same zeal and perseverance for the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we check in mulitple times per day and a plethora of times per week with our heavenly Father to know what is on His heart and mind...to hear what He is saying?

Milwaukee, you have a good habit here if you can turn it heaven-ward toward someone who REALLY loves you, cares about your life, your time, your actions, your heart and wants to hear from you as often as you are checking in with this blog. Milwaukee, the Lord will fulfill you much more than my blog will, that's for sure...be blessed today and seek His face with even more zeal and vigor than you are seeking my blog! Amen and amen!

Check out this website

Hey blog readers. The director of this ministry spoke at church this morning. Check out the website:

www.criout.com

More cat pictures

Simon, not quite sure it's safe to come outside!

Toby, at home already in the backyard!

Toby loving the sofa!

Simon loving the floor!

No, I'm not a cat freak, but I'm hoping my former neighbor in Hungary, Kati, might be looking at my blog and seeing that "the boys" are just fine here in the U.S. (Someone there want to call Kati and ask her to check out my blog, please? Thanks!)

So, here they are.....I think, actually, they are missing Kati...both have been pretty subdued the last couple of days. How can one know what is going on inside a cat's brain? Sometimes people are like that....they get really quiet, or don't respond at all.....

Recently, I emailed a friend of mine and asked a question. No response...none...it's been a couple of weeks now. What IS going on in her head? Did I upset her with the question? I didn't think it was an intrusive or offensive question. I have no clue what is going on inside her head...no communication...

.....thus, I come to my spiritual application...hee heehee....regular blog readers know I love to do this, but guess what, I typically do NOT plan these application parts...they are dropped in my heart as I write. Go God!

....So, if we are not communicating with God, how can we know what He is thinking? What He desires? What is His heart? Obviously, the Bible is our first line of communication....then prayer....quieting our hearts and minds and bodies to sit and listen to the voice of the one who is Spirit and Truth!

I wish my cats could tell me what they are thinking and feeling. I wish this friend would respond to my email...yell at me, rebuke me, say SOMETHING! I know many people who wish God would speak as well. Well, I'm here to tell you, HE IS SPEAKING! He is screaming...in a good way that is.....in soooooooooo many clear ways. The question is, are we listening? You see, my cats are speaking too...if I know them, I know their "language"; my friend is speaking too: loudly and clearly she is saying something by NOT saying anything. It does NOT take a brain surgeon to figure that one out. And what about God? Look around....He has spoken, is speaking and will speak....the question remains, are we willing to listen to what He has to say?