Moving Forward

Michael, John, Tasha, Chris

I don't know what to say sometimes after you've had an experience over time that has really impacted your life. But about twelve weeks ago I started working for IHOP's Intro to IHOP internship as a core leader, which is basically a pastor/mentor/leader to twelve interns for twelve weeks. I go with them to class's on the operation, gifts, and fruit of the Holy Spirit, the Book of Revelation, Tools for the Prayer Room, etc. I help lead their small group, do twenty hours in the prayer room with them being a living example of a lifestyle of prayer and then all the talks we have as they process what the Lord is doing in them and with them.

The part that is striking me now that I've completed my first track of interns is how much the Lord worked in me as I intentionally set myself to facilitate growth in them, while also being open to learn from people under, peers, and superiors. I'd heard a message just before we started this track from a teacher here at IHOP about learning from those we lead and boy am I glad I listened. Its hard to explain the changes, but I'm more tender in my heart toward the Lord and people. As David said "Lord, Your gentleness has made me great."

Endings and Beginnings

Well here I am, its week 10 of 12 for this group of interns at Intro to IHOP internship, and I'm really sad to see this group move on to track 2. They've been a positively amazing group to get to help lead and facilitate growth in them. So they get done June.26 and then I start a fresh group of Track 1 interns July 7th. God, what do you think and feel about these people I love and those I will soon receive.

I had another one of those moments today in the prayer room where God really resets your vision for how operate again. We were praying for revival in America and I really became gripped with Paul's declaration in his letter to the church in Corinth that he didn't come to them in clever speech, methods, or programs, but in the power and wisdom of God. I found myself in need of earnest repenting because of how far I'd drifted into being so smart myself, rather than giving myself to operating in the wisdom and power of God. God is kind and gentle and is faithful to set me straight when I drift in my own smarts.

Home again Home again, Yay!

Guess what Izzy really did on vacation... Computers, CELL PHONES, and lots of SPAM!


T'was a dark and stormy night with howl of the winds at our back and the eire glow of wet street lights as we pulled into our driveway in Kansas City after 14 hours of driving. Its 01h00 and, besides a horribly strong cross wind (30 mph mostly) and a wonderful respite at the house of our delightful friends Aaron and Melissa Pennington, we had a most uneventful trip home. We crossed the great plains of Nebraska, following the Platte River most of the way across on I-80. My farm kid heart was made glad watching the fields grow and late plantings getting in the rich black soil across the midwest.

We are now home in storm torn Missouri, with Kansas City getting several local touchdowns with relatively minor damage and not to distant city of Joplin getting mostly destroyed. Besides the grass being really long from my absence our house is unscathed by all the storms.

The Lord is so kind to us. We lost our cat "Gus", to a heartless motorist, who didn't even slow down after the fact, a few weeks a

go. Our Friends the Pennington's gave us the last

kitten of their cat's most recent litter. When we arrived home in Kansas City, to our surprise, our friend Tikva, had also gotten us a kitten, as a surprise. And ironically the kittens look very much the same in color, only one is long hair

and the other is short hair; So instead of one cat we have two.

Adventures in the commercialized wilderness

Today we visited Royal Gorge in southwest Colorado Rockies. Its a canyon 1000 ft. deep that the Arkansas River runs through. A suspension bridge for tourist was built over it during the Great Depression and with additional surrounding dog & pony shows its quite the big event in the middle of almost nowhere of the Colorado wilderness. Add in many a RV sites what was once barely hospitable cattle ranching country is now thriving tourist attractions, weird how that works huh?
Now its one thing to cross over a bridge that's say 100 ft. over a river, that's high up, but 1,053 ft over the river with shear granite walls, that's scary to cross over on a wooden plank suspension bridge. Minus a few scares by my fearless son, the day went over quite well and now I think I need blood pressure medicine if I take Mikey near any more precipices, he just isn't scared of heights for nothing in addition to not being cautious about them can really scare a dad. But he's still so AWESOME. I love my boy.

Holiday in Colorado

So my most benevolent brother decided he would like to take us on a vacation to the mountains. So after weeks of planning and procrastinating we finally settled on Colorado Springs, CO for 3 days and Royal Gorge,CO for 4 days. We packed accordingly and set off for Colorado Thursday morning May the 19th.
Ten hours of driving later in a very well packed SUV (Not good gas mileage with transmission issues, but powerful, non the less) we arrived in Colorado Springs. Boy am I glad Israel opted for a cabin while we're here in Colorado Spring, because the rain decided to come a calling.
The next day, after awesome camp breakfast, SPAM, we were treated to a trip up to the top Pike's Peak (elevation 14,100 ft.) was breathtaking experience, coming to the top and seeing the wide world of God's creation in front of you. You're 200 miles into Colorado and your so high up you can see 5 other states besides Colorado (Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico).

We later that afternoon visited Garden of the gods, an amazing outcropping of red rock and other stone. Unfortunately we couldn't climb any of it because of park rules to protect the environment.

Today (Saturday May.21), we decided to try an hike halfway up Barr Trail. Barr Trail is the old fashion (on foot) way to get Pike's Peak summit. We only got about 4-5 miles up the trail, but also went up almost a mile in elevation, THIN AIR!!! Hearts pounding, muscles burning, gasping for breathe we graciously accepted defeat and descended the trail. It was SO BEAUTIFUL. Finally after way to long with blistered and bleeding feet (are we tenderfoots or what) we got back the trail and went to chick-fil-a to satisfy our ravenous hunger, which we did, yay! We now settle down to a quite evening of canned soup, corned beef hash (Izzy's favorite) and lots of water (still dry from hiking) before we pack up to head out to our next camp site tomorrow!

Return to the Blog

Oh my, its been way to long sing I did one of these. So whats happened the last year... Well most recently I switched from doing media ministry at IHOP-KC to Core Group Leading (pastoring) for IHOP's Intro to IHOP internship. Intro is 2 - three month tracks that focus on teaching and letting interns experience prayer, fasting, the Word, prophecy, healing, and deliverance. So in thefirst track for twelve weeks I have 10 amazing people, in my group, from around the world.

Addy from Mississippi

Joel from Florida

MaryGrace from Michigan

Edyta from Warsaw, Poland

Jessica from South Africa

Grace from California

Mike & Jane from Sydney, Australia

John from Upstate New York