Headed for Minnesota

We are on our way to Minnesota to celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday. They live in the northern part of the state. We're going to do a crazy drive in the wee morning hours Saturday, visit with friends in Willmar, and sleep in our empty house on borrowed air mattresses. It should be an adventure. Sunday morning we will visit E. Free and speak to a Sunday School class. It will be good to see our church family that we miss so much. Then it will be off to see family at the birthday party. Sunday night we'll go to John's parents in Minneapolis to spend the night before we head back to KC.
It has been a good week of classes and prayer room time. On Thursday mornings we have family time in the prayer room. It starts out with all the families in the Intro program meeting together to get assignments to do in the prayer room. Our assignment was to stand on the LifeLine. This is a line taped to the floor in the front of the prayer room where people stand and pray to end abortion in our country. It was very meaningful to have our large family stand there and pray for life. Thursday morning prayer times are my favorite. It really touches my heart to see so many children engaging in prayer and worshiping from their hearts.
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7 Year Celebration

We have just wrapped up the 7 year celebration at IHOP. It was 3 days of activities for the family celebrating 7 years of 24/7 nonstop prayer and worship. Sunday there was a picnic and games in a large park. There must have been over 5,000 people there. Zach played softball, the rest of us played with the children in the blowup toys and games. Monday and Tuesday evening we moved to the IHOP parking lot and listened to stories of getting starting 7 years ago, skits, and history. Then there was more food, music, and Hebrew dancing. The coffee shop opened the doors and gave away free drinks until everything was gone or until the employees tired out, not sure which happened first. We left about 10 pm each night, the party carried on until midnight. There's much excitement in the air about what the next 7 years will bring.
We are enjoying our time. All the kids now have groups of friends they hang out with. It was nice to have this celebration time when they could take off with their friends and didn't cling to us. Today it's back to class and our regular schedule.

Prayer Conference

We just wrapped up our first conference. The conference was focused on prayer. As students we participate in volunteering at conferences and services. John and Zach parked cars and I worked 2 shifts in the Children's Equipping Center. All the kids were enrolled in the CEC where they were taught about prayer and Harp & Bowl worship. They also participated in worship dance. The last night of the conference all the children came in during the worship and danced. It was very moving to see them not performing but worshiping from their hearts.
One thing I took away from the experience is that I have to be a lover of Jesus first and foremost before an intercessor. Let's get honest, prayer can be boring. It can just be going through the motions sometimes, just saying the right words. The only thing that can sustain a constant movement of prayer in my life is keeping that intimate relationship with Jesus. In Isaiah 62 it talks about setting watchmen on the walls but before that God is rejoicing over us and delighting in us. I don't just want to know about God, I want to KNOW HIM and be known by Him. Praise God! He's so worthy!