AP: Long awaited pictures!!! #4 The Dance Toe

Mallory and I are so excited!!! Last week it was back to dance after a long 9 months off. We knew we were going to be very sore and out of shape, but with a little hard work, and maybe blood/sweat/tears, we would be back in no time. For some reason it did not occur to me to order new pointe shoes until the week dance started back. So not only did I have to endure aching muscles and out-of-shape exhaustion, but I also had to dance on dead, I mean WAY dead, pointe shoes. So here is a picture of my toe...

That is my toe....lovely isn't it?

Sorry, that one is kinda blurry....

Standing on black marley floor my toenail blends in with the floor...

Comparison between the two toes...

For those of you that can take the details.....it was a lot purpler a few days ago (I just invented that word). Then a couple of days ago I saw what looked like air bubbles so I squeezed it and out came blood, water, liquid pus. It was disgusting! I almost wanted to cut my own toe off!!! I could stick something underneath the nail because it is not connected anymore. The toenail now is a pure white (cause its not connected) It still leaks out blood and liquid pus when I dance into my tights and shoes. Disgusting!!!!!! So now it is disconnected by the nail bed but still connected down at the tip...in other words.....VERY painful on pointe!!! On pointe? Well, being a dancer...I must dance on! I have continued to dance on it and hope that it will fall off soon. Most people would say that this pain and ugliness is not worth it. But when I see professional dancers, to me it is very much worth it! I'll take more pictures if it falls off! :)

Ps. We love our teachers and the students at our new dance studio! God has blessed us tremendously!

AP: Long awaited pictures #3The KC Royals

For Labor Day we were given free tickets to go see our first Royals game! It was so much fun and we had a fantastic time! Because the Royals stole a base everyone who was at the game was able to go to a local Sonic, show your game ticket, and recieve a free medium slushi. We planned to go...but we forgot. :) We were also able to recieve a free Chick-fil-A sandwhich because they were doing a special for Labor Day. Overall we had a fantastic day!

Outside the stadium....

Entrance to the stadium...

Go ROYALS!!!

The stadium....we had awesome seats! Thank you Mr. Jim!

In action shot....I tried to catch the pitcher in action

and this was the clearest shot.

Water fountain display after homerun!!

We got to see two homeruns!

The Royals win!!!

They won their first game of the season when we went

and have since won 5 games...all because we went to see them play! :)

Yea Royals!!!!

Another view of the stadium...

And more Royals game pictures with us in them to come later...

(they are on my mom's memory chip....I don't have access to that :)

AP: Long awaited pictures!!! #2-BD trip to the Plaza

I took Mallory to the Plaza in downtown Kansas City for her way belated birthday gift! We had a great time just hanging out, talking, laughing, goofing off, and just being sisters.

I like this picture! We look so cute!

She is so pretty! Happy Birthday Mallory!

Road kill!

A lake nearby......

Rocks crossing a narrow part of the lake....

And yes.....we did walk across! :)

Fun jumps!

Smile!

Cool pic I thought you might like to see....

And the dancer of me comes out!

Are you surprised???

If I had a facebook...I would use this as a profile pic...

Good job Mallory! Maybe you should become a photographer...

Some ducks we saw swimming in the lake...

I almost felt like National Geographic, but still a good photo.

Mallory had to save me because I almost fell in... :)

Beautiful once again!

Our gangsta pose...

Rasberry Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake!

Happy Birthday Mallory!

A gorgeous hanging flower basket down at the Plaza.

They have tons of these.

And of course...the Cheesecake Factory!

AP: Long awaited pictures #1-The Arch

Here are some of those long awaited pictures!!!

The Gateway to the West on our trip back from visiting GA in the summer......

These pictures almost look like post cards!

I think this was one of the first times that I have either been awake, it was light outside, or I wasn't in a bus so I could get descent pictures of this monument I have passed numerous times.

I like how the sun shines on the arch and it reflects on the water!

This one almost looks fake...like out of a book! It was such a pretty day!

And we got to see a beautiful sunset!!!

I am still amazed everytime I look at these pictures!

God is absolutely amazing!

This one almost looks like a calender page.

I like this one too!

This is kinda how I picture Jesus coming back!

I just love the purple clouds! Purple is my favorite! :)

Join Us Live for IHOP-KC 10 Year Anniversary Celebration!!

Just click on the link below during broadcast times. Remember all times are Central Time.

http://www.ihop.org/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=1000055256

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A great revival is coming to the Church worldwide, and it will change the understanding and expression of Christianity in one generation. The Lord is raising up a generation of young adults with a foundation of intimacy with Jesus and love for others—a foundation that produces dedication to works of justice, missions, and outreach as they embrace God’s plans for the end times. These forerunners will declare the coming of the Lord in the power of the Holy Spirit.This December, approximately 15,000 young adults will gather at IHOP–KC's Onething Conference to worship, pray, and hear messages that will equip them to answer the call of abandonment to Jesus. Come December 28–31 and join thousands of others with like heart and like mind to pursue the call to one thing.

MP: Random

mp writes:

Hey ya'll, my life was really busy last week because I finally started dance back. So I am sorry that I did not get around to blogging. I am so happy that I am able to start dancing again. Can you believe that it has been eight plus months since I last had a dance class? Wow, that is such a long time to me and it is still strange to think that it has been that long. In case I don't get around to my weekly blog this Friday, sorry ahead of time. This would be because of the ten year anniversary of the International House of Prayer going twenty four seven.
Can you imagine what it will be like to hang out with Jesus for the rest of our days in eternity? I imagine that we will be able to ask Him as many questions as we want face to face with Him. I think that it will be so cool to be able to see His face as He is explaining things to me instead of just hearing His voice which is still way cool. I encourage you that just one day for at least five minutes just ask God one question and then listen for God's voice. Then if you want you can discern it and search the Bible to see if it is true. I love doing that.
For a school update, I only have a chapter and a little more than a half before I am done memorizing the book of James. After I finish with James I will start Revelation. I am so excited to be doing that!!!!! Because by studing eschatology (pertaining to the end times) that is one of the ways that we will know what will what will happen. God has given us His plan for a purpose. Just think that God loves us so much that he gave his children a map of what will happen. I also feel that God is telling me that I am going to be a MAP for his kingdom. Huh is not that cool that those are my initials??? I love ya'll
Love always,
Mallory

JP: Celebrate

Starting Thursday, The International House of Prayer - Kansas City will be celebrating its 10 year anniversary of night and day prayer, 24 hours a day/7 days a week. There will be 4 days of celebration and reminiscing followed by a big blow out picnic on Sunday. We will be celebrating not only where God has taken us over these 10 years, but what He is doing currently through IHOP-KC, and how He will use small IHOP-KC in His grand scheme of things in the future.

This celebration caused me to reflect on how we respond to God's blessings in our lives. Do we ever look back and give thanks from what He has delivered us and how He has blessed us? What about in the small things in our lives? The Apostle Luke tells us about the time that Jesus instructed 10 lepers to go show themselves to the priests. While on their way, all 10 were healed. Sadly, only one came back to thank Jesus. All throughout the Old Testament the Israelites would build monuments to commemorate times when God had touched them and blessed their lives. Often times it was just a pile of rocks. But the fact is that they took the time out of their busy lives to turn and remember the peaks and valleys that He had walked through with them and what He had done for them.

Do we ever return to the "scene of the crime" and say thank you? Or, are we like the other nine lepers and just go on our merry way with our get out of jail free card tucked in our pocket, forgotten, until needed again?

AP: Striving for Truth

I find my heart longing today, lonely, hungry for something authentic. Something is awakening in the depths, stirred in this season by an unknown hand, an unseen Helper. My heart can bearly stand the thought of another unique teaching or keen insight from another anointed vessel. My heart yearns for truth. I am aching only for Jesus, wanting Him and Him alone, undone by the piercing depths of His heart, His life, and His love.

---Allen Hood

Love y'all!
Ashton

JP: Juncle Jeff

Well, I did it again. I'm an uncle. Trace Alexander Gabriel, Jr., was born Friday morning. It seems that the more nieces and nephews I have the easier it gets for me. I now have 11 in Georgia and 6 in Missouri (Kaeo, Kayala, Kalai, and Kai Skeele, Olivia Prior, and Macy Wilson). Thankfully all of these children take after their beautiful Momas. Face it guys, we married way over our heads. The birth of my newest nephew reminds me of why we love them so much. I think God lets us view our children through the same lens as he sees us. In the world's eyes we may look red, wrinkly, and not so clean at first glance, but to God we're absolutely beautiful. Kathryn, you done good!!!

JP: On his toes

Congratulations goes out to Mark Chapman as the winner of our "find the typo in our newsletter" contest. Mark's sharp eye allowed him to be the first to spot where we slyly hide our error. His time - just over 33 hours! For those of you not as gifted as Mark (of which our crack editorial staff can claim to be), we live in Grandview not Garndview.

For his troubles Mark has won free room and board for his family at the Price Bed and Breakfast in lovely Grandview on the shores (almost) of beautiful Longview Lake. While here, they will be able relax on the back patio drinking coffee and eating fresh pears from our 4 tree orchard while simultaneously fishing in our goldfish pond and taking in the wildlife (squirrels, rabbits, deer, doves, and hummingbirds) in our backyard. Congratulations Mark!!

MP: GUESS WHAT........

MP writes:

Hey y'all,
I am so excited right now because my little cousin was born early this morning! This will be my my 11th cousin!!!!!!!!! It is so exciting Also, it is my youngest uncle and his wife's first baby. Sssssooooo I am proud to say that Uncle Trace and Aunt Kathryn are the new proud parents of Trace Alexander Gabriel Jr. And yes, it is a beautiful baby boy ( I have seen pics thanks to his grandfather:)!!!!!!!!!! (Thank you Papa!) I am sure that my mom will post pictures of him soon. I can not believe that there is another cousin in my family.

I had my jazz auditions this past Tuesday and I think that they went extremely well. Because of Labor Day, instead of starting dance on Monday we are starting dance on Tuesday. I hope that I will not be too sore by the end of the week since I have not really danced since the end of 2008.
I just want you to know that I am so happy for you Aunt Kathryn and Uncle Trace.
I love ya'll so much!!!!!
Love always,
Mallory

JP: Talk Radio

I love talk radio. I love to hear other people’s insight into what’s going on in the world. But often, the conversation can really become negative and depressing. So, I made a conscience decision that if I was going to continue listening to talk radio as I worked around the yard or drove around Grandview and its suburbs, it needed to have a more positive spin. I found this AM Christian station recently that provides some sound teachings as well as news from a biblical world perspective. It’s always good to see how God is moving on the hearts of teachers around the world.

More often than not, it has an Atlanta flavor to it. It seems that God is keeping my heart connected to Georgia as most of what I hear comes from Charles Stanley at First Baptist Atlanta, Michael Youssef at Church of the Apostles, or Johnny Hunt at First Baptist Woodstock. These men are not about tickling your ears. They are calling us to get off the bench and get in the game. We are allowing the enemy to take ground as we turn our head and sit passively by because “we don’t have the giftings to do anything about it. I’m not as holy or “good” enough. God can’t use me”.

This morning I heard Tony Evans finish a teaching on this same subject. He reminisced about how Superman was his favorite TV show while he was growing up. Clark Kent was a bumbling idiot who couldn’t do anything right. His co-workers at the Daily Planet didn’t like or respect him. In essence he was a spaz, dweeb, dork – take your pick. The bad guys would be wreaking havoc in Metropolis until someone cried out “Where’s Superman?” Then Clark would take off his glasses, loosen his tie and begin looking for a telephone booth or closet. He would emerge in his red and blue jumpsuit showing bulging muscles and Superman ensignia that were hidden under a normal drab exterior.

Then, Superman would go flying across the sky, arrive at the scene, catch a few bullets with his bare hands, bend gun barrels, capture criminals, and change everything. Why? Because he stopped hiding under his old clothes and allowed who he really was to come out.

Now it’s time for Christians to step into God’s phone booth or closet. We need to take off our Clark Kent clothing of timid living and talking. God is calling us to put on our spiritual Superman suits and allow His glory to show forth from you. He wants us to boldly emerge from that booth or closet, step back into the world, and “be faster than speeding sin, more powerful than public unrighteousness, and able to leap evil in a single bound”.

JP: It's Official

Well, it finally happened. I knew that I was bearing down on it, but it became a reality last Thursday night. I'M OLD!! It seems that IHOP has an intramural basketball league that is open to students, instructors, and staff members. One of my friends from home group asked me if I wanted to play because I looked like I had "game". Since Matt is among the elderly here at IHOP (mid 30's), I figured "sure, why not?" My thinking was that as long as I didn't have a heart attack by mid-season that my respiratory endurance would catch up and I would be fine. Well, my plan never got off the ground. It seems that when Matt informed the team captain that I was 46, he said that I was too old! Some of my t-shirts have scored more points than Junior. At first, I took it in stride and thought that it was a sign from God to preserve my life. But not Kristian. To say that she was put out is an understatement. If it is up to her, I'll be on a strict training regiment and prepare to go the route of free agent and come back to haunt that pre-school captain. Or maybe I'll just buy a rocker for the front porch.