TWISTER!

There's nothing like a tornado to create a family bonding moment.  The whole fam is cuddling in the basement listening to the weather reporters repeat (with high drama) the warnings and instructions on where you should take cover.  John Loux is out with his new truck chasing the tornado.  Randy is laughing so hard he is crying while he twitters away.  

New report "Funnel cloud at 119th and State Line".  Boy, that's getting close.  

Ma, I hope yer in yer basement!

The Bug Light Gathering

When we came home from DC, someone had changed the light bulb in our front porch light to one of those ugly, yellow bug lights that are supposed to not attract moths. At first, I thought, how atrocious looking! The dim, yellow light was depressing. But after a few nights of not catching a bugs in my teeth on my way in the front door, I have decided it's not so bad after all. The other light, however bright and cheery, always drew those stinking bugs!

We are all like bugs in a sense. We love the light and we love gathering together where there is bright, cheerful light. Tonight, some amazing friends threw open their doors and turned the bright lights on for all of us bugs to gather. Sean and Danie always know how to throw a party. The cool thing is, they never see it as a special occasion, they just think it's normal life. Kind of like turning on the porch light at night - it's just something you do.

There were quite a variety of lovely insects around the table tonight -- musicians, nannies, pregnant mothers, adopted babies, writers, chefs, teachers, visiting Southern Californians. We ate grass-fed-organic beef burgers with sauteed onions and famous Henry-style guacamole. People ate, talked, sat on the floor or crashed on the sofa while the roar of laughing children could be heard on every level of the house. I saw friends that I adore, but just don't intersect with very often. It was loads of fun. One guest I must mention by name is Jason - who is single and very much wanting to not be. I proposed the idea of establishing a website called "E-12 Harmony", a kind of matchmaking service for end times messengers. On second thought, maybe that idea is ahead of it's time.

Yep, it was fun hanging out with the bugs tonight, all those with like hearts running after the light together. Thanks to the Henry's for making their house a home for crazy beetles like us!

Omega Remix....coming to a DVD near you

We hosted the Omega team meeting at our dining room table this morning. Hot chocolate chip cookies and fresh brewed Starbucks helped get the creative juices flowing. In the spirit of leaking only enough information to produce intrigue, let's just say the new Omega package will be more Ken Burns and less EGS. I am way looking forward to working on this project!

Don't look for this one by Christmas though. The initial project went from an idea over dinner with Mike to production and on the shelves in the bookstore in 3 months. We are going to need a little more time on this one. The Lord has sent some ingenious folks to help this time around. Brent Steeno, Phil and Jackie McLeod and Adam Sugah Beets McArthur are sitting at the table and the energy on this remix is akin to a small nuclear reactor. I love it. We will be assembling a small content and production army over the next several months to pull this off. The last team was Randy, me and....uh....well that's kind of it. Jackson came up with the name "Omega" and we bribed Adam and Taryn to help us put papers in binders during the Night Watch before OneThing. Luis Cataldo showed up at the book table and helped us assemble a few more packets as we were selling out. Yeah, things are definitely going upscale.

Have I mentioned how excited I am about this project? I think it may blow The History Channel out of the water. Of course, it's the story of the ages......why should it do anything less?

How 'bout that Sarah?

There was no better place to be tonight than watching the RNC on the big screen with TheCall team and Lou Engle in his Pappa chair, rocking back and forth, yelling out the occasional, "It's a Civil War this year!"

Huckabee had us all cheering with his story about the desks. The Governor of Hawaii had us worried for a few minutes, but pulled it off in the end. I thought Guiliani was going to spit flames at the crowd talking about fighting terrorism. And then the Woman of the Year stole the show......

Sarah Palin, Hockey Mom of 5 from Alaska who just happened to run for the PTA and ended up in the Governor's Mansion where she quickly put the luxury jet on eBay and fired the personal chef. This is my kind of woman. She is the perfect mix of spunk and style. She also seems to live by her convictions. Staunchly pro-LIFE, Gov. Palin gave birth to a son with Down's Syndrome in April. Having hidden her pregnancy for nearly seven months, surely it would've been easy to hide an abortion. Her critics would say this child is an inconvenience, one that would be better off if he were just "taken care of quietly". Those who stand with her for LIFE cheered as this little one was lovingly held in front of the nation tonight as his mother spoke about her perfectly beautiful baby boy.

Surely it would've also been more convenient for her 17 year old daughter to "take care of her problem". Certainly better for the Governor's conservative political career, as well as for the future of this bright young woman. Yet, Sarah Palin has remarkably stood by her daughter and encouraged LIFE.

Early on in the speech, she likened herself to Harry S. Truman. Somehow, I wonder if this was prophetic.

John McCain is a smart man. Did he really know she was the trump card or was he risking it all on a hunch? I mean, he had only met the woman once before he nominated her as his running mate. Either way, he did the right thing. Sarah Palin on the ticket has injected a fervor into this campaign that won't soon be forgotten.

I think maybe her name should be Deborah......I am praying that the nation wins and God gives favor to a woman, NOT to a man named Barak.

19 Years (a day late)

Yesterday we celebrated our 19th anniversary.  Thelma told me today that I don't look old enough to be married 19 years.  (Thanks, Thelma!) Of course, I didn't mention that I got married when I was 12.

Actually I was of legal age and right mind when I said "YES" to the adventure of spending my life with this man.  And I assure you, it has been nothing short of adventure!!!  We started out in Gas City, Kansas living on a gravel road with cows, leading a youth group of 5.  We successfully pastored it to 3 before leaving Kansas to move in with his parents on the farm and slept for 3 months in a 3/4 bed.  That is not a typo.  A 3/4 bed is a like a twin bed that went to college, but didn't quite graduate into full-size.  Needless to say, we cuddled a bunch. 

We have lived in 17 different houses (if you include the farm, the Ladd's cabin, the Bosley's guest room and the trailer on top of the gravel pit) and driven more weird cars than I can possibly remember.  I look back on some of those early years and realize we lived below the poverty level, but I don't ever remember feeling poor.  In fact, I have always felt rich having my best friend at my side, knowing we could get through anything together.

Randy has always been able to make me laugh.  Even when I didn't want to laugh.  When we first got married, he wasn't entirely tuned into the fact that I was more a night watcher and not so much a morning person.  He would get up so stinking cheerful and had a little song he would sing to wake me up.  We have affectionately named this "The Good Morning Song".  It would so annoy me and I would just want to kick, scream and go back to sleep.  But somehow I would always end up laughing......that's kind of been the story of our life together. (Not the kicking and screaming -- the laughing part.)

19 years seems like a long, long time.  How come it seems like we just started this adventure? I guess because I know there is so much in front of us and I love the thought of dreaming together, jumping off a few more cliffs and, of course, the laughter that will certainly follow.

In the spirit of my friend Tracie (who also got married on 7/7), here are a few factoids about our wedding day, just for the fun of it.  

1. Yes, it is true, I was aghast that Randy would even consider wearing cowboy boots to our formal rehearsal dinner.  Where did he grow up?  

2.  Randy's blessed little dad spent the whole day of the wedding filling 350 balloons with helium for the reception.  People let balloons fly instead of throwing rice. Don't stone me; I wasn't environmentally aware back then.

3.  I wore a mermaid dress.  And my hair was very, very poofy. So was Randy's.  

4.  I bought my earrings the day of the wedding at Tri-County Mall.  What was I thinking?

5.  Randy sang me the song, "Find Us Faithful".  I still get all choked up when I hear it.  

6.  We had a commissioning service at the end and our bridal party laid hands on us and prayed for us to be sent into the ministry.  

7.  In typical A/G fashion, there was no dancing at our reception.  You will be glad to know that we have now been set free. 

Next year, expect an invitation to a huge party celebrating our 20th.  I am all about parties, dancing and laughter.  Most of all I am all about my wonderful husband!  I love you Randy James Bohlender and look forward with great expectation to our many adventures ahead, even if you do sing me the Good Morning Song, give me lines and make me sleep on the monster side.  

Don't faint....

...but, yes, I am actually posting.  After a two month unintentional blogging sabbatical, I am back.  Kind of.  I am the kind of person that blogs in my mind ten times a day, but somehow I never get to the computer to blurt it all out.  Hmmm.....that might not be so bad either.

"Found Money"

I am not sure this is what Bob Jones had in mind when he prophesied this phrase, but it seems that we have "found money" in unusual places this week. I am reminded of an incident that happened when we decided to say "yes" to this missionary lifestyle 5 years ago this spring.

One particularly windy day, we pulled into our driveway and noticed that there was something sticking to our garage door. As we got closer, we realized it was dollar bills being blown against the door. Randy got out, grabbed the money and headed inside with all of us eagerly following. There had been four dollar bills on the garage door and he promptly lined the boys up and said, "The Lord has given us provision today and I want you to remember this". He handed each of them $1 and stuck one in his own pocket. He went back outside and in the same exact place, there was now a $10 bill being blown against the garage door. He grabbed that one and brought it inside and we were all jumping up and down at the outrageousness of God. I opened the front door and there in the landscaping lay several more dollar bills scattered throughout the mulch. As we collected all the "found money", we knew that it was a sign from God that He would always be our Source and would bring in provision even by the wind.

Recently, we have been in a season of financial need due to unexpected medical and dental bills. As a family we have been reading the story of George Mueller's minstry to the orphans and our faith has been stirred again to ask in faith for all of our needs. It has come down to "D-DAY" and our kids are asking, "Did we get the money we asked for?" I just have to smile and tell them, "Not in the way we thought, but we kind of found money."

Allow me to elaborate.......today was Zion's early birthday party. (Don't ask - that's for another post). Randy and I wanted to bless him with a fun birthday gift, but had a very small budget. Before Jackson's scheduled dental appointment this morning, we went to a few garage sales (a favorite family pasttime). Lo and behold, at the first stop, we found a jewel. The $100+ Playmobil Castle that Zion has wanted was sitting there with a $10 price tag. SOLD! It was now time to go to get Jackson's crown put on -- he had a root canal a few weeks ago and needed to get it all finished so he can get the long awaited braces! We knew this was going to be costly. And we did not have the money going into the office, so I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do. For whatever reason (maybe because I had to wait over an hour in the office, or because Jackson is simply so charming), when I went to check out, the receptionist looked puzzled and said, "That will be $46".
I must've looked stunned when I responded, "How much?"
She said, "Let me go check with him."
I saw her talk to the dentist and came back and told me, "Uh, you don't owe anything today. You are ready to go."
I asked, "What? Really?"
"Yes, that's what I have been told. Have a great day."

Well alrighty then. I certainly will.

Now, the money never passed through my hands, but I felt like the Lord just gave us over a thousand dollars today. Free dental work. An amazing birthday gift for a tenth of the cost. And best yet, no taxes!!

"Found money". What a great concept!

Angels Watching Over Us

We had just had the conversation, "We really need to get a copy of the Suburban key". Alas, that is now at the top of the weekend To Do list!

It was that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach that I encountered -- you know the one, like you have just done something incredibly dumb and would do anything to turn back time if only for 3 seconds. I had performed my routine: open driver's side door, open passenger side door, secure diaper bag at base of car seat, lock doors with automatic lock, shut driver's side door, and, yikes, my arm hit the passenger side door which closed with a thunk. That thunk changed my day.

The diaper bag, which was now securely inside the car, held my only set of car keys. Worse than that, Zoe was still fastened in her car seat. Arg! How could I have let this happen? I called our helpful emergency personnel at "911". The nice lady assured me help was on the way. 4 minutes passed. 5 minutes. 8. 10. I don't watch alot of tv, but somewhere on some police show I was almost positive that I learned that the response time for a baby left in a hot car should be way below 10 minutes.
I called back, "Uh, I ordered help? It's been 10 minutes....."
"Maam, I have an I-33 en route".
Well, of course.
"Uh, does that mean another minute or two".
"Maam, it means they are on their way."

15 minutes. 20. Dialed again. 9-11. I was put on hold with an automated answering system that said all their operators were busy, but please hold and do not hang up. OK. My options were limited, other than asking Mr. Henry's Cooking Class to use their meat cleavers to break the window. 45 seconds.

"Hello, Kansas City Emergency"
"Yeah, I called twice about my baby girl being locked inside my car"
"What address did you give?"
"106th and Wornall - rear parking lot"
"Well, Maam, there's nothing they can do to help you anyway. They can't carry tools like that."
What the????
"So what am I supposed to do?"
"I would call a tow truck"
"I am in the middle of a parking lot with my baby locked in a hot car, I can't call a tow truck!"
"Well, I would call a friend who can get you the number of a tow truck"
"That's why I called YOU 25 minutes ago!!! Thank you EMERGENCY!"

I was about to blow my stack until the amazing policewoman pulled up and took over. She told me that she was so long in coming because 911 did not tell her it was a Code 1 (whatever that means). She called in the big guns -- fire trucks and paramedics.

They came with sirens and the whole sha-bang. The crazy thing was, the firemen couldn't unlock my doors either. They could only break the window. Arg! again. I could've done that with alot less drama! As the firemen were gently attempting to shatter the rear window, a random tow truck speeds into the parking lot, the guy hops out, runs to the truck and begins to work feverishly work at unlocking the door. I lost it -- now I was crying. I said, "Who called you?" He told me that no one called him, but sometimes he listens to the police radio. Whoa.

It was seconds before I pulled a hot, sweaty, crying Zoe out of her carseat and the paramedics surrounded her to make sure she wasn't overheated. She cuddled one of the guys attending to her and got a Teddy Bear out of the deal. The wild thing was, by the time we got done in the ambulance, the tow truck guy was gone. I asked the other moms in the parking lot if he asked to be paid and they said, no, he just collected his tools and left.

Amazing. No shattered window and a man with tools just in time. I think God might have sent a tow truck angel. Either way, I am very thankful!

And Zoe is just fine -- although she hasn't let me out of her sight today! (Which has been fine with me!)

More revival news

We got in line super early today - 4 pm - in hopes that we would get a good seat. This would be Telma's last night here, at least for awhile. We also knew that Paul Cain would be sharing, so we wondered if that wouldn't draw the curiosity seekers.

It is me, Jackson, Grayson, Telma, Mercy and Laura. I am definitely the old one in the bunch, but I love hanging with these guys. They keep me on my toes and keep me young! It was another powerful night here in Lakeland, and again very different from every other since we've been here. What I think I loved the most was the conversation on the way home.

It was the consensus among the group that "this" isn't quite "that" and "that" would have to include a whole bunch more young people. I will have to admit that this revival crowd borders on the geriatric (myself included) and in looking around the stadium tonight, my heart was pained that it wasn't full of teenagers. Someone in the car said, "They kept singing, 'We are the generation who will stand and fight....' but my generation wasn't even there". It was also interesting to hear that these kids are looking for more sober, fear of the Lord and less laughter and rolling around "drunk". Funny -- it's my generation that is rolling around laughing and these kids are crying out for holy fear.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for the laughter, joy and refreshing that is released by the Spirit of God. We will need that in the days to come. But I am very aware of that which will capture the heart of this next generation. I loved listening to them process tonight. They loved the healings. They even loved the laughter. What they are waiting for is the raw power of God to empower THEM to preach the gospel, cast out demons and raise the dead. They want holy fear to descend upon their frame and ruin them for anything less than the glory of God covering the earth. They don't want to watch it happen on a stage, they want to feel it and do it.

Jesus....come. Baptize us with fire inside. Let us do the stuff.

Revival?

I know I have dropped off the blogging grid for awhile -- sick kids, Tilly, DC, it's been wild. And now I find myself in Lakeland, Florida where all I have to say is something is UP. I can't say "this is that" which was prophesied, but it's at least a taste to make us hungry for what is coming.

We have been here since Thursday. We spontaneously changed our return tickets from DC to come down here and see firsthand what was happening. Our friend, Kelsey Hays, was dramatically healed last week here in these meetings, which have gone from a 700-seat church to an 8,000-seat auditorium to a stadium with capacity for 11,000.

The first night I think I was too tired to feel anything. The words kept coming from the platform, "Ooooo, do you feel that? Do you feel that?" And I had to admit, nope, I feel absolutely nothing. In fact, I don't like the music and it's cold in here. What got me though, was the little children who have been healed. Kids don't lie. The desperation and the faith that is evident here is off the charts.

Friday night it went to the stadium. Paul Cain's vision? I guess that remains to be seen. You could feel the anticipation in the air. The seats filled up and there were people overflowing on the hills outside the stadium. No one got out of a wheelchair -- at least no one who was bound to it. Our friend, Telma still had a bent spine. Grayson still had a sore throat. But when we left at 1:00 am after Todd Bentley laid hands on every single person in the stadium, I felt we would never be the same. No one in our group manifested by shaking or yelling "HO" or falling down (although we did get pushed). No one had a vision or saw angels. But we are ruined for nothing less than the glory of God blanketing the earth and empowering His people. The day is coming for sure and we have renewed hope to press on.

Last night was completely different than the others. I had waves of weeping come over me. I looked back at Mercy and Laura a few times to see them crying too. The holy power of God was hovering over that place. A bunch of people came forward to be set free from drugs and other addictions -- many gave their lives to Jesus. Demons manifested, came out and grown men who had struggled for years were set free.

Toward the end, something erupted in the crowd - a loud roar - and I looked down to see a little boy who was bent in every limb taking steps on the baseball field. This child had cerebral palsy and had been in a wheelchair. His words were precious, 'This is a dream come true". He didn't run, he was still bent, but something measurable happened in his body. It's like a small taste of what is coming -- the great end time revival that will sustain the people of God through the most severe crisis of human history.

Is "this" the beginning of "that"? Not sure. I don't know what "this" is, but I am just glad I am here. Randy and I have always said that if Azusa Street was happening in our day, we would do whatever we had to to get there. God made a way, and here we are. I am leaving with a holy hunger and faith rising in my spirit. At the end of the day, it's a win win.

Why I am going to do what I am going to do....

.....no I didn't forget. I just got surrounded by puke and snot and the moans and groans of sick kids. I haven't felt so hot myself.

I will get to this - I promise. Really.

A little hint. Capitol. Court. Prayer. Summer. Lots and lots of kids. Destiny. Dreams.

It's coming. Watch for it. Tell everyone you know. It's a window of time.

What a Day!

I have just washed my hands and applied super-duper-germ-killing-goop to my hands for the 100th time today, boiled a little boys toothbrush (because you never can be too careful), given out the appropriate doses of codeine elixir (might grab some myself!), wiped a nose too stuffy to be blown and picked up all the tissues wadded on the floor from the days' use. The only thing left to do is to place buckets in strategic places next to the beds in case anyone pukes in the night. Ahhhhh.....all in a days' work.

It started as a normal Tuesday, except it was anything but normal. I was awakened by Grayson's groaning, complaining he couldn't breath well. I took him back to the doc who took one look at him and announced, "I'm stumped as to a diagnosis, but he looks sick enough to be hospitalized". Yes, those were his exact words. Grayson promptly burst into tears as I asked for the next steps. We found ourselves driving to Children's Mercy in Gramma's new Volvo (easier to park than the beastly Suburban) and I explained to him that Thelma got to order ice cream whenever she wanted and could watch movies any time day or night when she stayed in the hospital. That's all he needed for a buy in. We checked ourselves into the ER and waited.....and waited....and waited. A guy nurse came in and taught Grayson how to "cough up the biggest loogy you can" for the flu test (so much for all those manners we have been teaching!) and told him how it was by far the grossest and coolest one he had seen that day (what's a mom to do??). Apparently Gray didn't make the cut for an overnight stay, much to his dismay, and we came home loaded with drugs that will help his pain and give him rest.

We walked into the house to the sound of Zion crying his head off -- kid #3 got it. Less than an hour later he barfed up lunch onto the dining table. I guess the Pepto didn't work so well. Randy was so great as he cleaned up all the "big stuff". Jackson was comatose in bed, still in jammies and feeling like his head "was in another universe". Again, exact words.

It is 10:55. I am attempting to get to sleep before midnight. That would be luxurious. Tomorrow is a new day and maybe this was all a bad dream.....but I will still wake up and boil toothbrushes and wipe the doorhandles down with Lysol just to be safe.

** Thanks to Therese Engle and Ann Cone -- what would we do without extra mothers???

For Zion's Sake

Zion Bohlender is sitting here, chowing down leftovers of Gramma's homemade Chicken Noodle Soup and listening to the IHOP webstream. They are praying for Israel and the chorus went something like this....

"For Zion's sake, do not keep silent......for Zion's sake don't hold your peace"

Cute little son is heard singing along between bites, 'FOR ZION', 'FOR ZION', 'FOR ZION'.

What a funny little kid -- he thinks the webstream is just for him!

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Today, Tuesday, February 26th (Jackson's 15th birthday by the way!), STARBUCKS will be closing ALL its stores for 3 hours beginning at 5:30 pm local time. I know this will affect the IHOP community greatly, so I wanted to be the first to let you know an offer an alternative.....



Yes, folks, it's true. According to foxnews.com, Starbucks will be re-training their baristas in the passion of making your favorite espresso beverage. They are doing this because they are concerned about you, the customer (and their falling stock).

If you are in the Kansas City area, don't worry -- Dunn Brothers will remain open (and still roasting their own beans to perfection). A little further of a drive, you can check out The Roasterie, also serving fresh roasted. In fact, after trying these, you may never go back to The 'Bucks after all!

Just for fun, what's your favorite coffee dive and drink?

20th High School Reunion

Class of 1988 -- big hair, blue eyeliner and stonewashed jeans. My kids crack up at all my high school pictures, kind of like I did when I looked at my mom's yearbook, circa 1967.

This summer is my 20th year reunion. I have been having a blast looking through all the profiles on Facebook from all the folks I haven't seen in 20 years. Some I wouldn't recognize and some look amazingly the same as when I saw them last (minus the big hair).

My Lakota friends found me on Facebook, even with my name being listed as Kelsey. (apparently the WPP didn't work for me.) I have had a blast looking at all the photos and profiles, reading the journeys of so many I thought I may never see again. Marivi Tordil, loving God and living in Columbus, OH -- Jen Pifer, working for CNN in Atlanta -- Barbie Nicol, mom of 4 in Florida -- Greg Holder, still in Cincy and enjoying baby #1.

Cincinnati Christian HS (where I transferred my junior year) is also planning a 20th celebration, but with other classes invited too. I ran into Aaron Bates at TheCall SOI last month and he filled me in. My CCHS buddies haven't discovered Facebook yet (except Tim Sweeten -- he always was a step ahead!), but I look forward to hearing where they have all ended up. We got to see Faith (Shelton) Wooton a couple months ago when we did a Call rally for their church in Oklahoma. She and her husband Darryl are pastors there in Bartlesville -- we actually went to college with them too, but had lost touch over the years. There are too many that I have lost contact with. I am just glad we have the millennium to catch up!

I love connecting with the past, not because I would ever go back (thank God I never have to do high school again!), but because there is a certain joy in surveying where I have been and where God has brought me. Plus it's just plain fun to catch up with friends who knew me way back when.

Look for some high school memories in coming days -- and if you happen to be one of those from the good ole' class of '88, chime in. Would love to hear your stories too!

Sundays at the Bohlenders

We have a few traditions in our house. One that may be news to you is that Randy sleeps on the "monster side" of the bed and I sleep on the "bug side". It doesn't matter that we have moved umpteen times, 'bug' and 'monster' are kind of like 'north' and 'south' - they are directional and never change.

Another tradition is weekends at the breakfast bar. I get up, make the batter for homemade pancakes (just call me Aunt Jemima) and Randy is the Griddle Man. It never changes, except for last week when I declared myself the Griddle Girl. He doesn't allow that very often, but I had a hankerin' to flip the flapjacks.

This morning, we were true to Bohlender Tradition - I whipped up the the batter, Randy provided expert flipping, Zoe got the first cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, Grayson had a stack of 4, Zion had his "tower" (several pancakes of differing sizes, stacked up and decorated with the topping of the day), Jackson only had one because of his separators (ouch! ask him about it!) and I waited till the end to enjoy 4, 5, uh maybe even 6!! They are so incredibly yummy! Randy ate and sipped java in between flips. We did what we normally do, talk, laugh, wrestle, eat.

This is from a past weekend......but it is representative of where you will find the Bohlender tribe on any given weekend morning:

Adoption Friends

Last night we got to meet Amy and Malcolm Young for the first time since we were connected with them on our adoption journey in May 2006. We enjoyed our favorite (cheap) Asian dive and realized that dinner didn't offer nearly enough time to hear their story, so we moseyed over to Borders to hang a little while longer. The Youngs are probably going to make "The List" (a secret scroll of people who we know, love and would choose to spend time with again and again). They are fun, sincere, love Jesus and read the whole Bible (inside joke, but not really). The Loux's are already on The List and therefore qualified for after dinner coffee and conversation, although they probably would've opted for a hot toddy and a fuzzy blanket. The poor dears were way sick and I was shocked they made it through the night. Neither of us wanted to miss out though, as it felt like a divine moment. Tracie was right -- I am sure we will look back on 2/22 and say, "Remember the night.....". Ha, 2/22. It's a Lou moment!

Randy and I had the honor of sharing our adoption story this morning at the adoption seminar hosted by Christian Adoption Consultants. Amy and Malcolm have recently hired Tracie Loux as consultant here in the Kansas City area and today was their first seminar here in the area. I suppose there were about 40-50 searching souls who came out to hear more about adoption. It was a wonderful morning -- I choke up every time I hear the stories; they never get old. It makes me think how often God must smile at the stories even though He knew them from the beginning of time.

It was fun to see so many IHOP friends at the seminar. Some were there to support those who will adopt, some wanted information to get started in the process; all were touched and few had dry eyes by the end of the presentation. The Spirit of the Lord was present and you could just feel His heart as the pictures of all the babies that had been placed were displayed. Looking at Elia and Zoe, I wondered how many more God has planned to rescue and set in the house of prayer?

Amy and Malcolm left after being introduced to Chipotle. (Isn't it just plain wrong that they live in a Metro city and have never had Barbacoa??) I have a feeling they will be back soon. Who knows what is ahead, but it feels bigger than a burrito. God is in this connection and we are grateful for our new friends!

Why I Do What I Do

Now here's a post that could actually necessitate a table of contents. If I added one, it might look like this:

Chapter One Joy in the Mundane - things that can only be done by me

Chapter Two The Secret Place - things that no one will ever see

Chapter Three Pioneering - things that no one else wants to do

Chapter Four The Spotlight - things that other people think they want to do

.......and so on. You get the picture.

There are some things in life we do because we want to eat, live indoors and wear clothing that doesn't smell (i.e. grocery shopping, cleaning the bathroom and endless laundry). These things don't seem noble, but done with an attitude of excellence they all count as mega points in the internship of God. I don't want to take too much time on this category - I've pondered the majesty of the mundane before and will certainly do so again, but I am thinking different thoughts tonight.

There are other things that we do or don't do because we just know it's right. Period. These things don't always seem grand at the time, but God sees the depths of our motivation and He smiles. As important as these hidden acts are, these are not my focus tonight either.

The focus of many of my thoughts lately has been the reasons why I engage in the activity of "Chapters 3 and 4". I have asked myself, why do I do this? I mean, I could just concentrate on being faithful in the first two chapters and I would find life abundantly. Is it because of the fame and the travel? Yeah, the glamor of trying to feed a screaming baby on a 3 hour flight across the country? Or cleaning up the barf in the x-ray bin after son #2 pukes his guts out going through security? Maybe it's the smoky hotel rooms and continental breakfast bars. And for the record, let me just say it is entirely creepy when people walk up to me in another city and know my name simply from reading this blog......"Uh, you don't know me, but I know all about you!" No.....I didn't sign up for those reasons.

First of all, our involvement with The Call has been since the original trumpet blast in 2000 to come to Washington DC for a day of revolutionary fasting and prayer. We closed down our church and told everyone to go to The Mall for the day. Since then, it has become our life. We do it because we believe this is the only way forward for our nation and ultimately for the planet. Solemn assemblies aren't just a good idea, they are the prescription for a people in crisis. It isn't mostly about 12 hours of rockin' good bands. The Call isn't a Christian Woodstock. It's a desperate plea and a mercy cry as we stand on "that piece of real estate called 'the gap'" (thank you Matt Lockett! Brilliant language!) and believe we serve a God who relents from sending calamity.

We have also poured our lives into the start up of The Daniel Academy this past year. I remember looking at all the websites that gave instructions for private schools and they gave an 18 month start up plan. The problem was, we only had 7 months. When in doubt, shoot from the hip. And duck. We did. Why? The same reason we have given ourselves to The Call.

It's all about the next generation and gaining an inheritance in the end, not even mostly for ourselves, but for Jesus. Don't get me wrong, I am in it for the reward too. Jesus knew we needed motivation and He actually desires for us to gain a prize at the end of the day . It's His joy to give it. I have seen Narnia and I am going for a crown like Lucy's and the spot in the temple that I never have to leave. But I truly am coming to the point in my life (thank God!) where I know that I know that it's not all about me anymore. I am a generational link -- like in the Telephone Game -- I don't want to be the person that screws up the message. I want my kids to know Him and I want to have done all that I can to create for them a place where the Word of the Lord can "run swiftly".

So even though I have a lot of options in life right now, none of them remotely compare to the joy set before me; the hope of His Glory is the energy that keeps me going. We are super busy, more than we have ever been in our lives, I don't get enough sleep and rarely have time to myself. But I know that we are partnering with the God of the Universe during a time in history like never before. These are MY times. I want to be a good link for the times that are coming for my kids. And I want to leave a legacy that paves the way for His presence on the earth.

I want every moment to count - for now and for eternity. That is the reason I do what I do.

Give me a minute.....

Never fear, the series will continue, but I must get my beauty rest. After prayer leading, baby leading and teenager leading, I am a bit tired tonight. I started the day with Psalm 45 (which rocked, even if we did ramble a bit) and ended the day counseling my 14 year old through his attempt at a business plan. Now I have to go get my homemade paper out of the oven and slaughter the hens for tomorrow's dinner. Good night.

Why I Did What I Did

As a child, I was confident, determined and rather intense. I was the child who really believed I could do anything I wanted to do. When I was 12, I decided that I would become a doctor by the time I graduated high school. I went to the library and checked out a stack of medical books. I studied the charts and the terms and the location of organs I had never heard of. I was to be the first self-studied, teen physician. In Junior High, I met with the principal to introduce my plan for helping the poor in our school. There were two girls that needed clothes and food and it was imperative that we do something to affect their future. At 14, I was sure I was headed to USC to change the face of Hollywood. I had won a trip to the Star City and got to meet a bunch of directors, actors and university faculty. I told them all to look for me in 4 years. At 17, my dream was to be the first woman Chaplain to the US Senate. I carried Richard Halverson's prayer book with me and recited his governmental prayers.

I went off to Bible college and got my MRS degree in the first year. We got married and lived on a gravel road in Gas City, Kansas pastoring a youth group of 5 with no future in sight, I wondered how on earth I ended up there. On a gravel road of all places?? Wasn't I made to change the world for crying out loud? I vividly remember driving around curve on the main road toward the church, pondering the meaning of my life and I heard a voice on the inside say, "INTERCESSOR". I had heard the word before, and vaguely knew it was related to prayer, but had no idea what it meant. I wouldn't have even a clue for many more years.

As we houseparented at a boys home on the tundra of western North Dakota, we learned more about the leadership and authority of God than ever in our lives. At age 19 and 22, we were parents to 8 fatherless teenage boys. I cooked for them, helped them with homework, washed their underwear, bought their Christmas presents and took them to church. At the time, it seemed so far away from what God had "called" us to be. If only we knew then..........

Youth pastoring 7 more years, planting a church that died, flourishing in mega-church ministry, starting a seedlet house of prayer, joining the prayer movement as an occupation -- and in the midst bringing into the world four of the most brilliant lives ever known to this earth.

I did what I did because of the little voice inside that directed us, sometimes not quite sure we were doing the right thing. But here we are, and I am filled with a fiery confidence that the Lord has led us with precision and we are exactly where we are supposed to be.

So why all those crazy twists and seeming turns? Why have I wondered all these years, "Who am I? Where are the dreams?" It's all part of the journey I suppose. I liken it to being in Breckenridge this summer, up on the mountain that Bob had led us on, wondering where the heck we were going. It seemed like we had taken a wrong turn and it was taking forever to get to the top. Once on the top, I stared down at the beauty of where we had been. I could see the path, the most direct one, steering away from dangerous cliffs, and it had led us to this marvelous place.

I am not at the top yet, but I look down and for the first time in my life, I am realizing the brilliance of God in making me who I am. He actually LIKED me when I was an intense, radical, annoying kid! He knew that's what it would take to get me here -- and to where I am going. He knew that I would be the one who would say "yes" to the crazy, spontaneous stuff. He knew I would fight for the underdog and believe we could win. He knew I would not know the word "impossible". He likes that about me. And I am finding (finally!) that I like that about me too.

I did what I did because He made me who He made me and His leadership is like fine gold over m life. Now and forever. Kansas City or the moon. He really likes me. And I like that!