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.