For Such A Time As This - Part I

How Did We Wind Up At IHOP?

That's usually one of the first questions that people ask each other around here. Everyone has their own story of how they came to IHOP - some (like us) gave up a 'regular' life to move to Kansas City to serve as full-time Intercessory Missionaries. Others come regularly for a season of refreshing, to sit before the Lord in the Prayer Room, or for equipping to start their own house of prayer. No matter what the context of the question, the answer is usually 'God.' The truth is that God has a calling and purpose for everyone's life, and ours has lead us to be a part of the worldwide prayer movement known as IHOP. Is it really about us? Maybe partially, but the real reason for us to be here in this season is our kids. We're preparing these little ones (and not so little ones) to battle for their generation on the front lines of the prayer movement. Everything about their lives right now is training. They are all being equipped in worship, prayer, and knowledge of the Word.

So Who Are We?

I'm sure we can all look back at our lives and see the hand of God guiding us before we ever knew Him. For both John and I, music was a big part of our childhood. John's Grandma used to say that she used to rock his stroller back and forth while she sang hymns. He started playing piano at age 4. He was classically trained and played all through college. He has the rare gift of perfect pitch. (Ask him to sing a note and see for yourself - it's extremely annoying!) In grade school he picked up the trombone and was equally skilled on it. In high school he played in bands mimicking the sounds of Chicago, Tower of Power and John's personal favorites, KC and the Sunshine Band. (You should have seen his perm!) He dropped out of college where he was majoring in Music Education to follow his heart and travel the top-40 circuit around the upper midwest.

I was playing piano at a young age also. In 6th grade I was accompanying the choir and continued to do that through High School. I was a strange child who loved to harmonize with the vacuum cleaner. I would run to the piano to see what note it was and pick a part to hum along. It was a well used skill, as I still love to harmonize. Theatre became my passion in High School. I was in every production Lakeville High School did, either on stage or behind the scenes. I've continued to direct and be involved in productions in various ways over the years. Sorry, I can't find any embarrassing pictures of myself.

How Did We Meet?

Back in the mid 1980's (I know, we're dating ourselves here...), John was in a band playing full-time in and around Minneapolis...while delivering singing telegrams on the side. Ah, the glamorous life of a musician! I was driving for Federal Express. In the summer of 1987, both of us decided to pursue a career in broadcasting. We met at Brown Institute in Minneapolis and the sparks flew! (...at least that's the way John remembers it.) I took a job as a traffic reporter right out of school and then moved to Eau Claire, WI to work for America's Value Network, a home shopping network that no longer exits. I did a variety of things while there, voiceovers, production, editing, and weather announcing. John took a job as the morning DJ at KHAS radio in Hastings, NE. The distance for dating was too far so I relocated and took a job at KHAS-TV as a reporter/anchor. I also did a lot of freelance voiceover work for a local ad agency. This is where we found the Lord, or should I say, the Lord found us. My producer was a Christian and went out of his way to talk about Jesus with me and my live-in boyfriend, John. After finding a Bible John had received from his brother and hidden away,- I was saved one night reading verses on salvation. I didn't even know what salvation was, but suspected I needed it. The conviction that living together was wrong was hitting me strong, John didn't think much of it. That was until we invited our Evangelical Free Pastor, Ken Aune, over and he asked us why we had different last names. He strongly suggested we either get married that weekend or live apart until we do. John moved out and after 2 years of dating we were married in August of 1989. Just a few months later John took a job in Door County WI at a radio station. That is where we became involved in worship. Worship teams were a new thing and the church we were going to was brave in starting one. John played piano and I sang. Our first son, Zach, was born there. He is officially a cheesehead. Right before Zach was born the radio station John worked for went under. He tried to get a job at a Christian station but it just never worked out. A job became available at Lakeland Broadcasting in Willmar, MN. That where he worked for 16 years working his way up from announcer to operations manager.

During our time in Willmar we grew a burden for prayer and for our community. Just a few months after we moved to Willmar we met a young lad named Tracy Paulson. John joined with Tracy and some others in a band called Fineline for Youth with a Christ. The name Fineline came from a movie quote "there's a fineline between clever and stupid." (If you can name that movie, morepower to you. I didn't want to name it. It IS stupid.) Soon after, Tracy was burdened for worship and thought we should start a worship band to lead worship for the community. So that's what we did in a band called FreshFire. We lead worship for churches in the area as well as events for the community. Our biggest event every year was the Sonshine Festival where we lead worship late at night after the mainstage band was finished. Tracy has some great video of this.

To be continued...............................