Sometimes I forget.......

I kinda forgot that I had a blog, it's true, I guess because my days have been filled with other thoughts.

The Summer interns left Monday, I really loved this track and I'm glad that all my interns are sticking around, for at least another 3 months. We have 120 interns arriving on Friday, basically double what we had this time. I know this is going to be a big growing curve for a lot of us, I'm excited and also feeling the weight of 120 young adults who the night watch are entrusted with for 3 months.

If I could sum up what I hope for these interns it would be that I want to win them over to the wisdom of going deep in prayer, the Word and fasting and I want them to become friends of Jesus. Really that is what is important, that they love the Lord with all their hearts, and Jesus the bridegroom, king and judge would find friends in these ones.

On a completely different note I meet Adi, Sommer's little girl for the first time today, I had been praying with Sommer throughout her pregnancy so it's amazing to meet the little one that I felt kick inside Sommer! She is the sweetest thing and I look forward to seeing this little girl grow into being a woman of grace and beauty

Why I am thankful for IHOP-KC

I can live out my dream to be before the Lord for hours at a time

My life is very simple and uncomplicated

I have teachers and leaders who care about me pursuing righteousness

I have friends who don't get offended if, when they ask me to hang out, I say no because I want to be in the place of prayer

I get to sing as much as I want

People care more about the Word of God then being "right"

We never stop worshiping Jesus

I'm reminded of the importance of living the Sermon on the Mount

Personal days

Well I did it, I have taken 5 personal days and including my Sabbath I have six "days off". That is pretty good for me because I do have a tendency to just keep going and going but I know the benefit of taking time out to reflect on the Lord's goodness, on where I am heading and how I think I need to get there.

People do lots of things when they are on vacation. I have to say it's strange for me this time because either I ski or I am by water, but there is no ocean in the background as I sleep. Oh well, I'm still getting outside and chilling out around rivers and lakes.

There is one thing that I think is important for us to do, actually two things. One, is to treat our vacation times as extended Sabbaths, as times to trust in the Lord for provisions and thank him for all that he has done. Secondly to take stock of where we are. Am I doing what I think God is calling me to, if not why? Am I fulfilling the goals I have made for this year or was I unrealistic? I think it's important to look at how we live our lives WITH THE LORD, not naval gazing but being honest in where we are in our walk of obedience. Look at our schedules what is working, what isn't and taking responsibility if change is needed.

So really look at what the vision is that the Lord has given us and am I being faithful with what I think he is saying. Because otherwise we can find ourselves just going and doing life and then realize we have no idea what we are doing because we never took the time out to think about, life just kinda happened.

I hope that makes sense.
Me

Hooray for me

Another little milestone in my year.

I have just finished outlining the New Testament, I have been doing this by re writing each verse in my own words, then summarizing the paragraph. And I've finished, I'm very excited especially since I'm about to go on a little break and it's nice to have things finished I can spend some time deciding what the next project is, though Jeremiah is going to get a lot of attention from me as I decided to focus on outlining the New Testament after I finished phase two of Jeremiah, so here I come Phase Three.

Yeah for me

Singing Theologians

One of the values of our "harp and bowl" model is that we want to be a "singing seminary" (seminary is bible school). I've been thinking more than usual about this. How do we become singing theologians? How do we go from people who get together and sing around a verse to people who go deep in the Word? the answer is obvious. We go deep in the Word ourselves. Spending "long and loving hours meditating on the Word of God". Because at the end of the day, it's the Word that transforms our hearts, it's the Word that is eternal, it is the Word of God hidden in our hearts that keeps us from sinning.

I want the Word written on my heart, and it costs something - time! But the fruit is so worth it, I know I feel the most alive when I am in the Word and the Holy Spirit is teaching me things.

I want every person on our team to be able to preach on whatever Psalm we are studying. I want us to have the Word rooted in our hearts and cleansing our minds, being washed with the water of His Word.

I really want the Word written on my heart.
Amen, let's stand.

It's been a while....

Two weeks in fact. Mainly because I have to confess that I do not schedule blogging so it only happens on my Sabbath or before I go to bed. Another contributing factor has been wondering if I have terribly much to say at this point in time, but I will do my best.

1) It is very hot in Kansas City (NZers I'm talking 35-40 degrees)
2) It will be hot when I go home in February, I don't have dates yet but I will probably be there for about a month
3) Loving people takes time, lots of time, an abundance of time and I'm thankful that God loves it and enjoys it when we love people.
4) I am getting better at learning where all the states are in the US thanks to a quiz site I found online.
5) Only 12 chapters left on the New Testament outline
6) I am taking a class "Preparing the Way of the Lord" which is about counseling and prayer ministry, I'm excited about it
7)The Lord is good and his mercy endures forever.

Wendy

Of maggots, chiggers and couches

I know how can these three things be in one entry? Answer: I have encountered adventures with all these three in the past week.

Maggots - well, this really isn't me, so much as my wonderful, kind, servant hearted flatmate Amanda. It was her turn to do the trash this week. And the trash had maggots. Yuk yuk yuk. I came home and saw the trash out a day early, then I came into the house with the kitchen smelling rather clorox like. Yes, Amanda cleaned all the maggots out. But then we had another problem. Earlier in the week I had cleaned up a bag of trash left outside that animals had gotten into (note: in New Zealand there are not any animals that would get into our trash, except sometimes my cat) it smelled real bad. So we decided the only solution was to go to wall mart and get a trash can at 7am. So we did and we got to see a whole set of people who get up at that time to go to work. Interesting crowd.

Chiggers - for my New Zealand readers. Chiggers are insects that bite you, but their bite itch WAY MORE than your average mozzie bite. I got about 28 chigger bites on my legs. Self control takes a whole meaning

Couches - today four wonderful male fitn interns came with their core leader to do the couch swap. Because our landlord is moving into our old house she wanted the couches from the house we live in now (she bought all the furniture for our house), so I asked Alan (the core leader) how he would feel about some male bonding over moving my couches, he said yes and the guys came round and did it in like 15 minutes with great attitudes. One of them seemed keen to do yard work too. I made cookies for them as payment, which they were going to have with their manly lots of meat bbq.

That's my story.
I like the people I live with
Wendy