MP: My Birthday

MP writes:

Hey,
Guess what? I will be in Georgia for my birthday! (Also a weird but cool fact about this blog entry is that I am writing in the font called Georgia.) I am so excited to see you guys when we are in GA. Also I am happy to say that I have learned several different cords on the guitar as well as the fact that while I have been here God has given me several songs so that I can be a song writer. One of my favorite things to do here at IHOP is to sing songs or little phrases to Jesus.
Christ's forever,
Mallory

KP: Home of Mark Twain (update #4 of 4)

KP Writes:

After riding the riverboat we toured the town to see Mark Twain's house, Becky Thatcher's house, Lover's Leap, Widow Douglas' house and lighthouse... It was fun to have the literature we grew up on come to life.

Later we went back to the hotel for some relaxing fun! (Sometimes it really pays to be the photographer instead of the one being photographed.)


Two clowns!! Boy do those two have fun together.


Thank you Grandma and Papa. We will always treasure the memories!!

Love,
Kristian

KP: Leaving for Hannibal, MO (update #3 of 4)

KP Writes:


On Monday we all packed up and headed out early for Hannibal, Missouri, about 3.5 hours northeast of Kansas City. Jack and Doe planned a trip for us all to go to Hannibal to ride the Mark Twain Riverboat and tour the town where Mark Twain lived. The riverboat tour was on a portion of the Mississippi River between Missouri and Illinois. Yes, it was the end of May, but this is Missouri and jackets were definitely on the agenda!! Some braved the wind and cool for the entire time, but the two smart ladies went inside the cabin and enjoyed the view through the windows.




Thank you Grandma and Papa! We had a great time and learned a lot... (like if jumping from lover's leap, make sure a train is coming!! Ha/Ha)



We love you!!
Kristian, for all the Prices

KP: Papa and the Girls (update #2 of 4)

KP Writes:

All I can say is that these are three peas in a pod!!!!

KP: House Update

KP Writes:

Well, it looks like we have a contract on a house! We are very excited and hopefully will close mid-June. I cannot wait to fill you in on all the details.....
Kristian
P.S. And yes, this house has already had the sewer lines roto-rootered this spring!!

KP: Grandma and Papa Visit (update #1 of 4)

KP Writes:

Last week Jeff's parents were able to come up for a visit. We had a great time and enjoyed just being able to be together! They got to experience some of our life here by joining in on the home group we host for the current Intro class; by going to our home group for dinner, fellowship, worship, and prayer; by going to one of the girls prayer room sets and seeing Ashton play keys and Mallory sing; by going to both the Global Prayer Room for a Misty Edwards devotional set and the Justice Prayer Room for one of Tamice's sets. They were able to meet some of our new friends and some of our fellow Intro class graduates. We also got to take them to our church here in KC.

In this picture we are at the City Market. I will try and post several entries over the next couple of days to give you a taste of some of our time together.

Kristian

JP: Roosters

So, when is the former chicken plucker gonna write about chickens?!?! Finally, after 5 months God talked chicken to me. Roosters to be exact, and it wasn't pretty. Let's take a look at roosters. Biblically and from the world's viewpoint, what do roosters symbolize? They strut around secure and confident in themselves. I remember seeing the "escapees" in the plant yard totally oblivious to the reality that soon awaited them. Roosters are a great representation of pride. I believe that God put them on the Earth to remind us of the 'roosterness' that exists inside all of us. Each of us because of our position, job title, financial standing, social upbringing, and even ministry can have a tendency to get 'roostery'.

We all know Peter's story. Remember how after the Last Supper when Jesus and the Disciples went to the Mount of Olives, Jesus told them that they would all deny that they knew Him before the night ended. Good ol' Peter crows "Nope, not me. Everyone else may, but I will never fall away." Then Jesus drops a bombshell on him, "before a cock crows, you will deny Me three times." The rooster in Peter rose up and declared he would die before he denied Jesus. The rest is history as they say.

One of the worship leaders at IHOP (Luke Wood) wrote a song called You Pour Out Mercy. It contains the following lyrics:

"All men's empty promises lie broken at Your feet,
but You have never broken one.
You open up Your heart time and time and time again.
You give beauty for ashes and garments of praise.
You give infinite mercy to those who fear Your name."

The good news is that even when our pride or anything else causes us to stumble in our walk with the Lord, God is waiting to bring restoration to us. After the resurrection, Jesus asked Peter the same question ("do you love Me") three times to break shame off of him from his three denials. When God asks us a question it is not because He needs information from us. He knows all. Jesus wanted Peter to discover the truth about his own heart. Out of His mercy, He wants to give us beauty (restoration) in exchange for the worthless, unbecoming former, and destructive aspects (ashes) in our lives. The question is, are we willing to trade? It's up to us.

KP: House Update

KP Writes:

Well, now it is your turn to pray for us. We have just come from making an offer on a house in Grandview. (Grandview is to Kansas City as Kennesaw is to Acworth) We should know something by 3pm Friday! Pray for favor!! I will update you as I know something.

Kristian

KP Writes:

Well, you have heard it said that a picture is worth a million words. But there are no words for the plumbing issues we have experienced in the last month. What you see depicted here is NOTHING!! Just a minor case of Super-Dad to the rescue. (except for the fact that he almost gave up his 'cape of honor' due to the odoriferous nature of the job)

Anyway, the house that we live in is 40+ years old and our neighborhood has an abundance of large old trees with extensive root systems. Those roots grow into your plumbing lines (don't ask me how, I just pay the plumbers and say thank you). Apparently you have to have your lines snaked and rotor-rooted with the large agar jaws each spring. Being that I have never lived anywhere but Georgia, I didn't have the inside scoop. So in April I noticed the water that was supposed to drain out of my washing machine, into that pipe in the back, and down under the concrete floor to nicely disappear forever, was instead coming out of the top of the pipe, running down the wall and under my washing machine, across the laundry room floor to the drain in the middle of the room. Sounds like it might have a happy ending...not so fast! Remember that the whole reason that the water didn't leave the house to start with is the roots in the lines, so the floor drain also is obstructed. When I came down to change over the laundry I proceeded to splash directly into the soapy pond on the floor which was creeping under the door out into the garage. That is the same garage that we refer to as our storage unit. (Since we are only in this house for the term of our 6 mo lease we left most of our 'stuff' in boxes in the garage). The Lord was so good, as nothing was damaged by the water. (the water only reached cooler, yard tools, that type of thing).

The plumber came to my rescue and fixed my problem. So I thought....until last week. What we didn't know was that he only tended to the lines below the house, not the ones that exit the house, travel to the main line that drains into the city sewer lines. Now there is a word I haven't yet mentioned, sewer. Hum, do any particular aromas come to mind? Let me help you.

Last week we were cleaning the house in preparation for the Inro home group, that we host every Wednesday, to come over for their cell meeting. We had just finished thoroughly cleaning every bathroom, the kitchen and mopping all the floors. All that wonderful water.....Jeff went to the basement to get some extra folding chairs and SPLASH!! Do you remember that floor drain in the laundry room? It seems that it is also a secret escape route for water that is blocked by tree roots! This time the water creeped further into the garage and was not as sparing as the week before. Also, this was not nice, clean soap water. YUCK! The home group was due to arrive in 45 minutes and needless to say no one was going to be able to run any water or flush any toilets! So, A1 Plumbing was called yet again. He arrived about the same time as the first of the home group members. This time it was necessary to remove all the boxes from about 1/5 of the left side of the garage because he had to snake/roto rooter starting at the main sewer exit line out of the house, under the driveway, and to the junction of the city's line. Did I mention the severe thunderstorm? Yes, at the same time as the plumber and home group arrived so did the 'act of God'. (We got about 2.5 inches of rain on the already saturated ground in about 2 hours.) Left with no other options, we had to move about 40 boxes into Mallory's room. Needless to say, we had many hands to make the human work chain. The real 'work' began after the plumbing was done. Jeff had an opportunity to sit and talk with the plumber, who was a believer but was really struggling. This divine appointment lasted for about an hour and ended with an incredible time of prayer. Oh, did I mention the rain stopped just as the they began to talk so that they could sit outside in the cool...

Next day, same story...I suggested to Jeff that he 'monitor' the floor drain in the basement the following morning, just to make sure....as the 3 of us girls took our showers. Guess who we got to call? Yes, the landlord and the plumber. By 3pm, we were back in business again after having them both come to the house.

Since then, our plumbing has been operating properly. The basement and laundry room have been cleaned and disinfected. The boxes have been returned to their 'storage unit'. I asked the Lord what exactly I could learn from this episode. (I surely didn't want to miss the opportunity to learn and have to go through a repeat trial to get the lesson!!) All I can say is , "Dig deep. Get to the root of the issue. Otherwise, a lot of stinky stuff will surface!!"

Love ya,
Kristian

KP: True Security

KP writes:

True Security

I was reading an online devotional today written by Derek Prince and was struck by the simple truth of Psalm 5:12, "For surely, O LORD, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield." NIV

God's Word is true; all of it, all the time, forever. So based on this scripture, God blesses the righteous. A lot of things today that we used to count on, we have found no longer absolutely sure. Many places that we have looked for security and certainty have failed us and let us down. Political systems, financial systems, legal systems, health care systems, education systems, religious systems, and even relationships seem to be crumbling today. But there remains one thing still sure in life. God blesses the righteous.

The psalmist goes on to say, “You surround them (the righteous) with your favor as with a shield.” God’s favor is toward the righteous and when we walk in His righteousness His favor is like a shield,or a protection around us. His favor shields us against the blows of life. It shields us against the pressures. It shields us against forces that are too strong for us. It shields us from harm and danger and evil.

What a blessing to walk in the favor of the Lord, to know His presence, to know His favor around about us as a shield. Remember, there’s one thing sure; God blesses the righteous.

Kristian

JP - Dandelions

I now know why the Midwest is called America's Breadbasket. Wow, can things grow here and fast! In particular, I have found that this area is perfect for growing dandelions. I have been amazed at their resilience and ability to grow. No matter how I have attacked them, they still return to full growth within 2 days. I've tried mowing them, weed-eating them, and even using them to practice my golf swing, all to no avail. It appears as though I will have to breakdown and invest in chemicals to rid the yard of them.

As I mowed the yard this week, the Lord began to speak to me about the dandelions that we all have in our lives. These are the strongholds that we've allowed the enemy to plant inside of us. They start out much like the dandelions do in a yard - attractive and pleasing to the eye. We are hesitant to remove them because in a way they bring joy. There is something inside us that resists removing them. Much like the dandelion, they can grow and morph into something else. Still, they are relatively attractive and to an extent now fun to play with. However, as we give into the desire to interact with the dandelions in our lives, they often blow apart and create a larger problem.

What we don't see in their growth process is that dandelions put down deep roots and won't be easily removed. And once established they multiply quickly. The dandelions in our lives are the footholds that we allow the enemy to set up in our hearts in order to distract us from God. Ephesians 4:27 warns us not to give the devil any foothold. These are the things that we attempt to derive pleasure from rather than seeking pleasure through our intimacy with the Lord. In and of themselves, they aren't necessarily bad things. But if we allow them to hinder our plans and cause us to lose honor, time, money and relationships, then that's where the problem lies. If we allow them to continue to exist, they will eventually choke out the good growth in our lives.

So, how do we combat the dandelions in our lives. We need to attack the problem. James 4:7 Resist the devil and he will flee from you. We have to go on the offensive. It will take re-examining our lives. Where do you spend your time? Matthew 6 tells us that where your treasure is there will your heart be, also. It will take "sacrificing" some of the temporal joys in our lives. Some tough weeding will need to be done. It will require investment of time in prayer and in the Word. However, just picking up the bag of weed and feed at Home Depot won't fix the problem. You must take ownership and apply it before it will have an effect on the dandelions.

What's your yard look like? Is it time to go kill some weeds?

~Jeff

MP: Thoughts From Esther

MP writes:

Hey y'all, It is so much fun to be able to say that and people don't go" y'all, that is so funny". Okay so back to my train of thought. My favorite teaching, if I have to limit it to one, is the one that we have heard on Esther. When you get it into the depth of it you realize that it is the story line of us and Jesus. Did you know that we were part of a story? Okay, I know that most of us know the story of Esther, but if you don't there is a kind king and a queen and the king gets rid of the queen. Then the king starts looking for a beautiful maiden in all the cities of his vast kingdom. That's when he finds her in the one of his cities. So she and some others go through beauty treatments that last a year, under the supervision of Hegai, to be made beautiful although she was already very gorgeous. Then the king chose her (Esther) to be his queen. After that Haman, an evil man, got the king to agree to kill all the Jews. So Esther had to plead on the behalf of her people. She made it to where they would be able to fight back. Haman got hung for doing such an evil thing. All ten of his sons died on the day that they tried to kill the Jews and failed. Then the king gave Esther all the authority that Haman had had. She in turn gave it to her cousin Mordecai who had raised her. After thirteen years her miraculous reign came to an end.That is when the king was murdered in his bed. Then she and Mordecai were never heard from again. So in this passage of the Bible Mordecai is like God the Father, King Ahasuesus is like King Jesus, Hegai is like the Holy Spirit( or your mentor), and Haman is like Satan fffffffffffffffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuulllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll of evil. I encourage you to read Esther with this perspective in mind or not:) I also love the book of Esther because it is a love story not just a fun story. I hope that you will learn something from this.

Love always, Mallory:):):):):)

MULTIPLE POST EXPANATION #1-8

KRISTIAN WRITES:

Hey everyone. I posted 8 different entries all today covering some of the happenings over the last 4 weeks. (not counting this post which is my 'cover page')

Be sure to check them out all the way down from 8-----> 1. You will probably have to go to a second page. There are lots of pictures as you requested.

I'd love to see your comments.

Love ya,
Kristian

TRAIN RIDE (Multiple Post #8)

KRISTIAN WRITES:

Papa arranged a trip on an Amtrak train that left from Kansas City, MO, and went to Sedalia, MO. It was about a 2 hour trip. Jeff, Dick and the girls rode the train while Moma and I drove the van to pick them up on the other end. Don't worry, Mom and I grabbed some coffee and had a great time, talking all the way!! This is Union Station in Kansas City. It is a beautiful, old building. It reminded me a lot of the train stations in Washington DC and New York.
Ashton, Mallory, Jeff and their train.


All Aboard!! Yes, they really do say that and they blow the horn!!


Trains are great fun for kids of all ages! (Even Dads and Papas.)


Tuffy, don't look!! Dick ordered! No, in his defense, they ONLY had Pepsi products and he didn't know until after he had ordered. I promise we HAVE NOT moved away and been 'brainwashed' into drinking Pepsi!!!


Moma and Dick took us by to see some of the historic hotels where they stayed on their vacation in the fall of '08. During that trip they had biked 300 miles across MO on the Katy Trail. Ashton and Mallory look quite comfortable don't they?


I guess it wouldn't be proper to tell you that the girls were posing for these pictures in the ladies room. It was just too pretty not to capture!!


More pictures in the powder room. Don't worry the three of us were the only ones in there...no one outside the Price fam.


Last one, I promise. But isn't she beautiful??


Ashton and Mallory obliging Moma for yet another picture, this time at the Katy Depot in Sedalia, MO, where the bike trail comes in. (This was a depot for trains many years ago.)


I don't even know what to say here! Many things come to mind, but I think I will leave it at that.


No, there aren't any trains running on these tracks anymore.


Ham and Ham Jr. posing for the camera in Sedalia, MO, where the Katy Trail (bike trail) comes into town.


The ladies are patiently waiting on Papa to return with our drinks during our visit to Starbucks. YUM!


Yes, I (Kristian) was there too! I am usually just on the other end of the camera.


I love you so much Papa!! Thank you and Nana for coming to see us. We had a great time!!!! We cannot wait until Summer Camp to see you again!!

Abundantly blessed!
Kristian

VACATION DAYS WITH DICK AND JUDY (Multiple Post #7)

KRISTIAN WRITES:

Mallory in the lead with Jeff close behind early in the 28 mile bike ride on the Praire Spirit Trail in KS.
I cannot express how much I enjoyed the time just talking and being with my moma!

A farm in the heartland of America.

'NOTHIN' ! I have only seen two other places of so much 'nothin': the Grand Canyon, and the desert in CA. Let me clarify that I do not mean 'nothin' in a negative sense. The peace and quiet is unbelievable. It is most relaxing to hear so many birds and the gentle breezes stirring the prairie grasses.



The bike trail that we rode was the Prairie Spirit Trail. We got on the trail in Ottawa, Kansas, which is about an hour west of KC, MO. It was a small pebble surface but was built on an old rail line so it was fairly flat and straight.

I didn't know there even were towns this small. That is a picture of the post office. Having lived my entire life in the metro Atlanta area (except for my college years) I guess I was in the dark.


Yes. That is City Hall. (But they do have street lights in this town.)

The weather was beautiful! It was about 80, sunny and not breezy at all. We all got the farmer tan/burn on our arms, not to mention the shorts-knee cap thigh tan!! Now that May is here, we can be almost certain winter is over. We won't get carried away though and put up our jackets!

We rode for 28 miles and the beauty around us was never ending! Romans 1:20 became more real to me than ever. "For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse."


Lunch never tasted so good! This bike trail had very nice picnic and restroom facilities. It also had many benches and maps of the trail with 'You are Here'...(ie: in the middle of nowhere!!)
Wow, look!! We are coming up on another thriving metropolis.


Girl talk. It is priceless between sisters and friends. The girls have grown even closer in their relationship with each other over the last several months. Yes, they have their sister moments but their love for each other is precious.


"Come after me [as disciples--letting Me be your Guide], follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men!"


A picnic lunch on the Missouri River. There are nice parks everywhere in the midwest. It was a bit breezy (as usual) but the sun was warm!
We went to this amazing seed, plant, and spice store in downtown KC. This place was founded in 1880 and was a real adventure. I think Dick and I could have stayed there for hours.
Dick bought several unusual varieties of tomato plants and herbs. He was in gardeners heaven! I am not sure Moma was as thrilled about the purchases. You must remember that Moma and Dick arrived in a small Honda Accord. They brought their two bicycles and bike rack, which are stored INSIDE the car for the long trip to/from MO to reduce wind drag and increase gas mileage. So thinking ahead to the return trip, Moma was seeing those small plants as a packing delimma.
No worries with joyful Miss Mallory!!!!
Waiting on the 200 pounds of birdseed Dick purchased to be brought out to the car!! Now I wonder who is going to hold that all 800 miles back to Marietta? (Moma, don't forget the large shredder Dick bought for the church the other day at the Bargain Factory!)

One day during Moma and Dick's visit we went to downtown Kansas City to explore the City Market. Being a weekday we could look around without the crowds typically found on the weekend. We got some great deals on fresh fruits/vegetables...not really a surprise considering who I was shopping with!! We also found many international shops just in case we ever decide to buy ethnic foods. (Notice all the downtown traffic .....and on a weekday!!!)



Mallory in an International Shop.



Mallory and HER Papa in the open air market.


Fresh spices anyone?

Are you tired yet??

Love,
Kristian