The Nielsen Family Blog

Silly Things Chickens Do

2012-01-22T16:08:00.000-06:00

I'm going to start posting videos of the silly things our chickens do. It nature's entertainment. This activity is commonly known as the dust bath. We may have to put a fence around these gardens in the spring.

Nielsen Nuggets Christmas Letter

2011-12-22T13:17:00.001-06:00

Click to read our Christmas Newsletter

Good Word

2011-11-29T15:43:00.001-06:00

Source: img263.imageshack.us via Emily on Pinterest

Walking by Faith

2011-10-19T09:47:00.000-05:00

Link to read our complete Fall Newsletter

Way back when (mid-90's, maybe?), Freshfire, the praise and worship band Cheryl and I were a part of, were leading worship for a series of meetings at the Christian Ministry Center in Willmar. Each night, the speaker would have us play the song 'I Walk By Faith'. The lyrics are pretty simple - "I walk by faith, each step I take, I walk by faith, I put my trust in you". We'd play and sing and he'd have everybody else...walk. Walk to the left, walk to the right, stand up, sit down, fight, fight, fight. These meetings lasted nearly a month and every night we'd play 'I Walk by Faith', sometimes more than once! Not sure how many miles we'd walked by the time the meetings ended, but I was pretty sure I didn't ever want to play that song again. Lately tho', those lyrics have been playing in my head a lot. They come from 2 Cor. 5:7 - "For we walk by faith, not by sight." The NIV says we live by faith, The Message translates it this way - "It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going." I think that what God has been showing me these past few months is that, just like the song says, every step we take, whether it feels like it or not, is a step of faith, an opportunity to demonstrate our trust in Him.

It's that 'walk of faith' that's lead us to what we feel is the next chapter in the life of our family. One of the newer departments here at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City is the Children's Justice Initiative. CJI is dedicated to prayer for justice and local acts of service with the vision of helping orphans and the fatherless in their time of need. (See James 1:27) At a recent CJI meeting, Cheryl and I heard about a program called Safe Families for Children. Safe Families was started in Chicago a couple of years ago and is beginning to spread to other cities in the US, including Kansas City. Safe Families is an alternative to foster care that provides a loving sanctuary where parents can safely and voluntarily place their children in times of need. Safe Families partners with local churches and ministries (like IHOP-KC) and has grown to a network of over 1000 volunteer families that served as many as 1000 children and families lat year alone. It's often the last place a parent or family in crisis can go before they have to give up their children. (I really encourage you to check out the website - CBS News did a story on Safe Families that gives a great overview of the program. The video is posted on the site.) After praying and talking it over with the kids, we decided to sign up to become a Safe Family. We figured we'd fill out the application, have a home visit and an interview, then wait for the program to get established here in KC. Could be weeks or months, right? We forgot one thing - when you say 'Yes' to something the Lord has placed on your heart, He takes you up on it. Literally within days of filling out our application, we received a phone call from one of the leaders in CJI. They had learned of a young mother who was in crisis. She had given her life to the Lord and was trying to get herself cleaned up. She wanted to go into drug rehab, but needed a place for her 2 and 3yr old to stay while she got help. Would we consider taking these two into our home? After the initial shock wore off, we couldn't say anything by 'yes' - yes to providing love, stability and support to two of God's precious children while giving their mother the opportunity to get her life straightened out. 'Yes' to putting feet to our faith and being Jesus to this little boy and girl. All thing considered, it was a pretty easy 'yes.'

OK, that gets us caught up to where we are today. Right now, we're awaiting the arrival of just-turned-2 year old and his 3-year old sister. They could come as early as next week or it might be two weeks from now. Their mom is waiting to be accepted into a drug rehab program. We're planning on adding walls in our basement to make a bedroom for Josiah and trying to remember where we stashed the toys our own kids had outgrown. Speaking of our kids, they are super excited that we're doing this. They can't wait to welcome these little ones into the family.

I see so many scriptures that apply here, that help answer the question 'Why are you doing this?' Deuteronomy 10:18: "He (God) defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing." Psalm 10:14 - "But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless." Psalm 68:5 - "But you, God, see the trouble of the afflicted; you consider their grief and take it in hand. The victims commit themselves to you; you are the helper of the fatherless." Isaiah 1:17 - "Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow." Matthew 25:40 - "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me", and Matthew 22: 37-39 - "Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

Please pray for us - for our hearts to be open and sensitive to the needs of these children, for their mom to be strengthened in the love and grace of the Lord to kick her habit, for the material needs we're sure will come (diapers, clothes, etc.) and for the thousands of fatherless boys and girls who need a home. We'll keep you updated on where this journey leads.

Could This Be the End of the Road For the Buick

2011-08-25T17:28:00.000-05:00

The fall schedule has begun. I think it takes a good month for all the new changes to kick in gear on my internal calendar. My mind just sort of goes along with it. I'm kind of mellow that way. Let's just get it on paper so I can try to keep it all in sync. So I get a phonecall from Rachel on Tuesday. She's on her way home from her after school nanny job. In my mind I'm thinking Sarah has to be somewhere at 7, have to pick up other kids at other places, etc. "Mom, I'm driving down a busy street and parts of the car are falling off underneath. I don't know what they are". She pulls into a parking lot and John goes to rescue her. As you can see by the picture very large parts were falling off the bottom of the car....LIKE THE ENGINE! Oh, my word. Thankfully, she was not on the freeway when this happened. Did I mention it was my birthday on Tuesday? We never did have that family dinner. Maybe we can squeeze it in next week sometime.

Why Israel

2011-08-23T15:27:00.000-05:00

Now is the time to pay attention to Israel. Next month the UN is voting on an important issue. Watch and pray Church.

Are You Ready For Restitution or Restoration?

2011-07-21T14:50:00.000-05:00

I'll take either. I'm crying out like the widow to the judge, "Get justice for me from my adversary." I started reading a book about 5 yrs ago and recently picked it up again. Bob Sorge's Unrelenting Prayer. The dog-eared page I opened reads like this:

Restoration constitutes a return to the original condition. Your enemy has come against you to steal, to kill, and to destroy. He has taken from you what is rightfully yours as a child of the King. When you cry for justice, justice demands restoration of what is stolen. To satisfy justice, the judge says to your adversary, "You must return what you took. Totally and completely." Justice will be satisfied with nothing less than full restoration.

However, if the enemy has stolen from you, and then God has borne loooooooong with you, another element plays into the equation. Not only have you been without that thing, but now you've been without it for a looooong time. Now you qualify not only for restoration but also for restitution. Restitution involves punitive damages for losses sustained over time. In other words, if you've been ripped off by your adversary for many years, justice demands that you be compensated for more than the original loss; justice will not be satisfied until you are also compensated for the personal distress, inconvenience, and loss suffered due to the duration of the deprivation.

It happened with Joseph after his brothers threw him in a well and he was robbed of his freedom. He not only got his freedom restored but he got back much more and a high government seat. Job was robbed of his health, finances, and family. He got all that back, double the kids and finances. Elizabeth was robbed of the joy of having a baby, and she ends up giving birth to John the Baptist.

The devil wants you to believe that justice delayed means justice denied (so that you will lose heart and give up asking). But in fact, justice delayed means recompense compounded.

Proverbs 6:30-31-People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy himself when he is starving. Yet when he is found, he must restore sevenfold; he may have to give up all the substance of his house.

So that's the cry of my heart these days, "Get justice for me from my adversaries!" What's yours?

IHOP Featured In Ministry Today Magazine

2011-07-17T12:43:00.000-05:00

My House Shall Be Called...
Mike Bickle

Beyond programs and prayer meetings, the church today must embrace its role as an eternal house of intercession

The house of prayer in a city is not a church, not a prayer ministry and not the building in which they meet. The International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Mo., is only a “gas station”—we take a cup of gasoline and throw it on the prayer fires that burn in the real “house of prayer in Kansas City,” which is the entire body of Christ, made up of more than 1,000 congregations in our area.

The eternal destiny of all God’s people is to function as a house of prayer now and in the age to come. In one short statement, Jesus revealed this to us when He prophetically declared, “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matt. 21:13).

Isaiah also spoke this decree when he prophesied to Israel: “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (see Is. 56:7). When God calls us by a specific name, it indicates our character and how we are to function in the Holy Spirit.

What does it mean to be a house of prayer? It means that God speaks to us and moves our heart; then we speak those very words back to Him, moving His heart. This results in God’s resources—His power, money, wisdom, creative ideas, unity and favor in ministry—being released into the earthly realm. The foundational principle of prayer is that God speaks and moves our heart, and then we speak and move His heart. This is how God’s family will operate forever.

The Mystery and Majesty of Intercession

As we consider our identity as God’s house of prayer, I am struck by the mystery and the majesty of intercession. The mystery of intercession is in its simplicity: We just tell God what He tells us to tell Him. It is so easy that everyone can do it. The majesty of intercession is that Jesus Himself intercedes. Jesus lives forever to make intercession for His people (see Heb. 7:25); He rules the nations through intercession now and will do the same in the age to come (see Ps. 2:8). Jesus is fully God, yet He intercedes. What humility!

In Genesis 1 the Father’s plan was to bring order to earth. The Spirit hovered over the earth, yet the chaos and darkness remained: “The earth was without form, and void ... and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God [Jesus] said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light” (vv. 2-3).

When Jesus declared the word, “Let there be light,” the Spirit released light. The Spirit would not release the light until Jesus declared it. The darkness remained until Jesus “interceded” and spoke God’s word over the darkness to release the Spirit’s creative power.

All three members of the Godhead work together in creation. The Father’s plan was to create the heavens and earth. Jesus spoke those plans into being. Jesus operated in the foundational principle of intercession by speaking God’s word back to Him. Then the Holy Spirit released the power (see Gen. 1:3, 9,11,14-15,24,30).
Jesus expressed Himself as an “intercessory oracle,” as Creator, by speaking God’s word back to God: “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth” (see Ps. 33:6).

Just as Jesus created all that is by speaking the word to the Father, He now upholds—holds together—the created order by the word of His power (see Col. 1:17; Heb. 1:3). This is one form of intercession that Jesus will engage in forever.

Prayer Is Agreement

Agreement with God’s heart is foundational to prayer and spiritual warfare and is expressed in worship. For example, we may say to God, “You are worthy,” “You are good” or “Holy is the Lord.” In worship, we declare the truth of who God is and this leads to intimacy with Him. Intercession is agreement with what God promises to do. For example, we may say, “Lord, release Your power.” When we declare the truth of who God is in worship, our faith expands to agree with what He has promised to do—this is intercession. The Father has ordained that His “house” rule with Jesus through “intimacy-based intercession.” Intimacy speaks of how our heart connects with God. Intercession relates to releasing His resources.

So we see that God governs the universe in partnership with His people through intercession. He opens doors of blessing and closes doors of oppression in response to our prayers. The Lord gives His people a dynamic role in determining a measure of the quality of life that we experience as we respond to Him in prayer, obedience, faith and meekness. There are blessings that God chose to give, but only as His people rise up in the partnership of prayer. He requires that we ask because it causes us to interact with His heart (see James 4:2). This is an expression of His desire for intimate partnership with us.

God jealously protects His relationship with us by not releasing His resources until we speak to Him in prayer. He requires us to pray, for the very reason that He is jealous for relationship with us and is zealous to establish His goodness in our lives. God longs to release His grace and power, but actually waits until He hears the cry of His people in intercession (see Is. 30:18-19). God will not do our part, and we cannot do His part. If we don’t do our part, then God withholds some of the help and blessing He would have given us.

Justice

Jesus is the ultimate social reformer. He establishes justice to reform society. In Luke’s gospel, Jesus said, “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night?” (Luke 18:7, NASB). Jesus is the only social reformer in history who linked cultural transformation to night-and-day prayer.

Justice is exemplified by soul-winning, healing, revival, unity and the transformation of society. More than preventing wicked people from oppressing others, it includes empowering God’s people. Jesus knew that prayer would deal with the spiritual issues related to injustice and that prayer could change the spiritual atmosphere of a city or region.

Jesus continues in verse eight (ESV): “He will give justice to them speedily.” The only way justice can be fully manifested is if we deal with the demonic powers in the supernatural realm, moving angels and demons by our words (see Dan. 10:12-13). That is what Jesus’ question means in verse seven. The missions movement will not progress without night-and-day prayer.

Intercession and God’s Plan

Prayer has always been at the center of God’s purpose. Chapters four and five of the book of Revelation describe the worship order around God’s throne, where the four living creatures agree with Him in 24/7 worship and intercession (see Rev. 4:8).

Consider these examples:

Human history began in a prayer meeting in the Garden of Eden, as Adam walked with God each day in the cool of the morning (see Gen. 3:8).
Israel as a nation began at a prayer meeting at Mount Sinai right after they crossed the Red Sea, when God called them to be a kingdom of priests (see Ex. 19:6–20).
The first mandate God gave Israel was to build a worship sanctuary, a house of prayer, in the wilderness (see Ex. 25).
God’s purpose for His people to be a house of prayer is evident during the reigns of David and his son Solomon—Israel’s greatest hour in history. King David established night-and-day worship (see 1 Chr. 15-16), and financed more than 4,000 full-time paid musicians and singers (see 1 Chr. 23:5; 25:7). David commanded the kings and leaders in the generations after him to establish and maintain worship in the way that God had revealed to him (see 2 Chr. 29:25; 35:4,15; Ezra 3:10; Neh. 12:45).
Zerubbabel established full-time singers and musicians as commanded by David (see Ezra 3:10-11; Neh. 12:47).
Ezra and Nehemiah did the same (see Neh. 12:24, 45). Each time this order of worship was reintroduced in Israel, spiritual breakthrough, deliverance and military victory followed.
Jesus Himself began His public ministry in a prayer meeting in the wilderness (see Matt. 4) and ended it in a prayer meeting in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. 26).
The church began in a prayer meeting (Acts 1-2).
Natural history as we know it will end in the context of a global prayer movement. The conflict at the end of the age will be between two houses of prayer, two global worship movements. The Holy Spirit is raising up the most powerful worship movement in history (see Rev. 22:17; 5:8; 8:4; Luke 18:7-8; Is. 62:6-7; 24:14-16; 25:9; 26:8-9; 30:18-19; 42:10-13). It will totally defeat the Antichrist’s end-time, worldwide, false worship movement (see Rev. 13:8).
Before Jesus returns, the Spirit-anointed church across the nations, established in her bridal identity and functioning in intercession and worship, will cry out with the Spirit, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:17).

Jesus, Our Bridegroom God

Likewise, Jesus is longing for His bride. God’s ultimate purpose for His creation is to provide a family for Himself and a bride for His Son, a bride who will reign forever with Him as His eternal companion.

John heard the glorious announcement in heaven to rejoice because the marriage of the Lamb had come and because Jesus’ wife had made herself ready (see Rev. 19:7-9). Yes, natural history will end with a great wedding celebration. One of the guiding principles of the Father’s activity throughout all of history has been to prepare a bride for His worthy Son, to train a bride to rule the earth as Jesus’ eternal companion (see Rev. 3:21; 5:10).

As women are called to be sons of God, so men are called to be the bride of Christ. Both describe a position of great privilege before God for the redeemed. These privileges do not point to something that is intrinsically male or female; they transcend gender (see Gal. 3:28). As sons of God, we are in a position to experience God’s throne as heirs of His power. As the bride of Christ, we are in a position to experience God’s heart, His deep desire for us.

Men often struggle with the idea of being the bride of Christ because they wrongly conclude that it is a call to become less masculine. Experiencing the truth of the bride of Christ does not undermine a man’s masculinity, but rather strengthens it. God created us to be wholehearted lovers of God forever.

Some of the greatest men of God functioned in the spiritual reality that comes to fullness in being the bride of Christ. King David was Israel’s greatest warrior king, yet he was a worshipper, ravished by God’s desire for him and fascinated by His beauty (see Ps. 27:4).

John prophesied of a time when the Spirit and the bride would say, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (see Rev. 22:17,20). His prophecy describes the church, in unity with the Spirit, saying and doing what the Spirit is saying and doing. For the first time in history, the Spirit will emphasize the church’s spiritual identity as Jesus’ bride in every nation.

Notice that John does not say that the Spirit and the family will say, “Come!” nor the Spirit and the army, nor the kingdom, nor the body, nor the priesthood. It is the Spirit and the bride, in full unity, crying out for Jesus to return. We will rejoice forever in our spiritual identity as the body of Christ and the family of God.

Jesus is not coming back to a prayerless church but to a people enjoying mature bridal partnership with Him in intercession for the harvest. The church will not fail in the task of preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth; God’s people will complete the Great Commission, reaching all nations in the power of the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 24:14). When Jesus returns, He is coming to take His bride to Himself, a bride who will be on fire with passion for Him (see Rev. 22:17).
The church will see Jesus as her Bridegroom God. He is our Savior, but He is more than a savior. He is our Healer, but more than a healer. He is the Captain of the armies of heaven, but He is more than that. He is a bridegroom filled with desire for His people and He is longing for partnership with them.

Simply put, the revelation of Jesus as the Bridegroom is the revelation of Jesus’ burning desire for His people. As the bride of Christ, we are to walk in revelation of Jesus’ emotions for us, to understand and rejoice in His commitment to share His heart with us, and to respond with wholehearted love and obedience to His will as we enter into partnership with Him. (We refuse all sensual overtones to the bride of Christ message).

God reveals Himself in intimate relationship with His people throughout the Bible.

Hosea prophesied that God’s people would one day call the Messiah their “Husband,” no longer their “Taskmaster” (see Hos. 2:16).

Isaiah described God rejoicing over His people as a bridegroom rejoices over a bride (see Is. 62:4–5).

Jesus introduced Himself at the beginning of His ministry as a bridegroom (see Matt. 9:15). As a King, He reveals His great power; but as a bridegroom, He shows us His burning desire for His people.

John the Baptist spoke of Jesus as the bridegroom (see John 3:29).

Jesus ended His public ministry, declaring that the kingdom of God is like the Father arranging a wedding for His Son (see Matt. 22:2).

Even the New Jerusalem itself is called “the bride” (see Rev. 21:9-10), named for the very people for whom it is prepared and who will rule the earth from that great city (see Rev. 19:7; 21:2; 22:17). It is where the redeemed will experience a face-to-face, intimate relationship with Jesus as their Bridegroom God (see Rev. 22:4).

On that great day when we shall see Him face to face, the Lamb will take His bride to His Father’s home to be with Him forever. In this time of betrothal preceding the wedding of bride and Bridegroom, God intends that we should experience intimacy with His heart through prayer. As we grow in our knowledge and experience of the Father’s tender mercy and Jesus’ fiery desire for us, our prayer life is energized and transformed.

Burnout is a great problem today. Many fiery intercessors from the 1980s and 90s have lost the freshness of the oil of intercession. God wants to restore the “oil of intimacy” and yearns for us to know and experience Jesus as God the Bridegroom.

This is foundational for the church in her quest to fully function in her spiritual identity as a house of prayer (see Is. 56:7). And so, the Lord is restoring those who are burned out—He is energizing His beloved church with intimacy with Jesus, the Bridegroom God. Let us all hear what the Spirit is saying to the church, as we learn to cry, with a bride’s heart, “Come, Lord Jesus!”
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Mike Bickle is the director of the International House of Prayer Missions Base of Kansas City (IHOP-KC), an evangelical missions organization based on 24/7 prayer with worship and committed to evangelism, outreach to the poor and training missionaries. Mike is also the founder of International House of Prayer University and has authored 10 books.
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ACTIVE PRAYER

Now in its 12th year, IHOP-KC has expanded its vision to include 24/7 works of justice with the 24/7 prayers for justice already in place. Here are a few of the ministries and initiatives that now make up this growing missions hub:

Exodus Cry (prayer and fasting against human trafficking)

Luke18 Project (equips college students to establish “prayer furnaces” on all 2,600 college campuses in America)

Hannah’s Dream/Zoe Foundation (promotes and provides adoption services)

Hope City (inner-city prayer meetings, outreaches, community kitchen, etc.)

Forerunner Evangelism (reaches the lost through daily outreaches and larger annual outreaches)

Crisis Response International (mobilizes volunteer response to disasters)

Orphan Justice Center (cares for orphans and refugee minors)

Children’s Equipping Center (trains children, parents and leaders through camps, clinics and family prayer meetings)

African-American Forerunner Alliance (prayer and networking for leaders within the black community)

Women’s Life Center (provides homes and restoration programs for abuse victims, prostitutes, young unwed mothers, etc.)

Onething (equips young adults through conferences)

Joseph Company (trains marketplace leaders)

Israel Mandate (teaches and mobilizes intercessors worldwide for Israel)

Bound4Life KC (mobilizes prayer concerning the end of abortion)

Welcome to The Nielsen Farm

2011-06-27T13:46:00.000-05:00

Urban Farmers, that's what we have become. Our backyard is slowly being transformed into a farm. We started by cutting down a few trees to make room for the raised bed gardens. They're exploding. We're having to trellis the cucumbers, zucchinis, and melons to save space.

This is a season of experimenting with many things. We've learned that broccoli can have little green worms that blend right in and get eaten because they blended in so well. Our rain barrels are a work in progress. They are located on 2 back corners of the house. We would like to do more with them in the future.

Chicken Condo

The girls are enjoying their Chicken Condo. Charlotte has made friends with them as she rounds them up for us and makes sure they don't get into trouble when they are free ranging in the yard.

Lots of Fun in the Playhouse

Inside View

Yummy eggs will be coming from these nesting boxes before long. The chickens have been fun little pets to have around. They are entertaining, especially when the dog is involved.

Life Will Test You

2011-06-22T11:13:00.009-05:00

I'm sharing an article I read recently. Enjoy!

...God has come to test you... Exodus 20:20

Do you remember the tests you took in school? You passed or failed, but you couldn't avoid them. Life works that way too. When it comes to life's tests-you must prepare yourself in advance! Jesus said: '...a wise man...built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall...a foolish man...built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall' (Matthew 7:24-27 NKJV).

The first man built his house on rock because he knew it wasn't a question of 'if,' but 'when,' a storm will come. The second man built his house on sand because it was cheap and easy. When the storm came the first man's house stood and the second man's house fell. What's the point Jesus was making? Your talents, your resume and your reputation may get you to the top, but if you haven't built strong character you won't stay there long.

Furthermore, your beliefs may be sincere and line up with what other people around you think, but unless they're founded on God's Word they'll fail you when you need them most. Three times in the Bible we read, '...The just shall live by faith' (Romans 1:17 NKJV). When the tests of life come you've got to be able to rise up and say, 'I may not have all the answers, but I have proven God's character and track record and I'm trusting Him to do what He's promised in His Word!'

God told His people: '...the Lord your God led you...these forty years in the wilderness, to...test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not' (Deuteronomy 8:2 NKJV). The tests of life reveal how well you take instruction, what you've learned, and what you'll do in any given set of circumstances. What you've been taught is only theory, until it's been tested. And life will test you! Life will test you, but don't let it steal your song!

Do you remember your school days? When you were being tested the teacher was silent. The Bible says: '...Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him...When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and...He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night [just before the dawn] he went out to them, walking on the lake...They cried out, because they...were terrified. Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed' (Mark 6:45-51 NIV).

This story teaches that:

1) Being in the will of God requires you to go through storms. 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all' (Psalm 34:19KJV).

2) When you can't see Him, His eye is still on you. You are never out of His sight, His care or His reach.

3) He will never give you an assignment you can complete without His help, so don't try it alone.

4) If you let it, fear will cloud your thinking and keep you from recognizing Him when He comes to you.

5) First He will speak to you, then to the circumstances that threaten you. When He does, you'll experience supernatural peace.

6) When your boat is 'in the middle' of the storm, the best is yet to come!

7) The darkest hour is just before the dawn. Rejoice! The sun will shine again; God won't fail you.

-- Bob Gass

Project Chicken

2011-05-24T15:19:00.001-05:00

We've started a new project at the Nielsen home...raising chickens. Just a few, they are urban chicks. Josiah did the research on which breed to get. He was looking for good egg layers. He landed on Golden Comets and Cinnamon Queens, they're both Sex Links, which means they are bred to be able to pick out the girls from the boys. We just want the girls. We forewarned our neighbors we were getting chickens, one told us we better not get roosters. The horse farm behind us has roosters, it's just a myth that they are like an alarm clock. We hear them at all hours of the day or night.

Just a few days old.

We set them up in a large computer box we had in storage with all the things baby chicks need. Light, food, water, and lots of shredded paper to poop on. Guess what? Chicks turn into stinky chickens really fast. In just a few weeks their fluffiness has turned into feathers and the kids don't think they're as cute as they used to be. Now they need their own home to stink up.

All feathered.

We chose to go the recycled way and try to keep it friendly to the eyes. John came up with the idea of turning our children's playset into a coop with a run on the bottom. There was a lot of wood and other misc building supplies in our house when we moved in that we never got rid of. It's coming in handy now. In just a few days the girls will have their own home and soon we will be enjoying their chocolate brown eggs.

Being transformed into a city coop.

Before

April Fool's Flash Mob

2011-04-01T16:15:00.010-05:00

It's been a very interesting day. We woke up to the beauty of smiley faces on everything in the refrigerator. It's very nice. I thought I heard somebody in the kitchen at midnight.

John and I came home from running an errand and came home to some very interesting things. Sarah was on the front porch in a rocking chair with a construction hat and cones. I thought she was studying outside to get some sun. We were then escorted into the house where we discovered all the livingroom furniture in the kitchen and the kitchen table in the livingroom. Then came the flash mob. (We only have 7 kids, but that's a mob) They were coming through the windows, down the stairs, it was priceless. Oh, did I mention there is a Christmas tree in our shower?

(Videos on Facebook)

Message You Don't Want To Miss

2011-03-11T14:30:00.004-06:00

"No Pictures Please"

2011-02-18T07:28:00.003-06:00

At least that's what she kept telling me during the ring extraction. A video would have been such a good memory to have of the occasion. This is what happened....

Last night I was at the dance studio when I received a text from Rachel. She was wondering how to get a ring off her finger. After several suggestions nothing was working and I think she was panicking. When I got home I saw a very swollen finger and a ring that wouldn't even turn on her finger. She had been wearing it all day. Nothing was taking that ring off. She had tried lotion, butter, soap, Pam, soaking in ice water, Windex...and more. I looked online and saw that fire departments, EMT's, and emergency rooms all have a tool to cut off rings. At this point she was exhausted, frustrated, and just wanted that ring off her finger.

We called 911 and asked if we could drive to our closest fire station and have them cut it off we went. We were greeted by 2 firemen, one holding a large metal cutter. Just lightening the moment for her. She wouldn't let me take a video of the fascinating event. With the proper cutting tool they made 2 cuts and removed a section of the ring, it still wouldn't come off so each fireman took a pliers and pulled. SNAP, the ring is removed, one happy and slightly embarrassed 18 yr old.

Our New Year's Tradition

2010-12-31T17:30:00.003-06:00

This will be our 5th year of bringing in the new year celebrating at the Onething conference. You can join us live on the web. The last we heard there are 30, 000 registered to attend.

The Mazda Transformed Into A Hatchback

2010-12-20T22:13:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago on a Sunday morning John dropped Rachel off at work and was sitting at a red light when he looked up in his rear view mirror to see 2 headlights bearing down on him. The car hit him, sending him sailing through the intersection, and took off. Our car was hit so hard it bent the frame of the drivers seat, broke the back axle, and removed the trunk. Needless to say, it's a goner. We loved that car too. John is thankful he was not more severely hurt. He has a case of whiplash and back pain. The policeman who came to the scene could not believe the other car could have even taken off because of the damage done to our car.

After the car was towed we went into Rachel's workplace and found out a couple of employees had witnessed the accident. They told us which way the hit and run car had gone. In the meantime the policeman followed the trail of leaking fluids and found the car a couple blocks away behind a strip mall. He went to the owner's home and told us he thought it was a boyfriend of the owner who had been driving the vehicle. A few days later she reported it stolen.

This is not good news for us. We did not have collision on the car and because she reported the car stolen, we get nothing. The police are still investigating. Stink.

In Memory of Derek Loux

2010-12-09T13:50:00.002-06:00

Come To Onething 2010

2010-12-08T10:35:00.002-06:00

November Madness

2010-11-12T20:10:00.000-06:00

At least that's how it feels. John has spent the better part of this month in MN working for The Refuge. He is at the Christian Fair in St. Paul this weekend. Things are slowly coming along and we are bracing ourselves for what is ahead. We covet your prayers on this season more than ever. We are living in the in between...one foot in MO and the other in MN. That means lots of driving and me keeping the home running while homeschooling 5 kids, running 2 others to work and college. My taxi doesn't take many breaks.
As we take each step we are met with resistance from the enemy. I am convinced more and more that it's because the course set out in front of us is territory the enemy doesn't want to give up. The Lord is claiming the FM airways with a new sound. That's all I am going to say about that for now. It's going to take time, money, dedication, and lots of prayer.
In the meantime, keep praying for us. We need wisdom, revelation, strength, and endurance.

Do Hard Things

2010-10-06T11:41:00.004-05:00

John and I are in Duluth, MN right now getting some things accomplished at The Refuge radio station. Number one task......getting the station to run remotely. There are many hurdles to jump over and mountains to climb in this adventure. Sometimes it's difficult to tell if the enemy has set up roadblocks or if it's not supposed to proceed. So when things get hard do we stop and assume it's a no go or press on in faith.
John is reading the book "Do Hard Things" by Alex and Brett Harris to the kids during morning devotions lately. The very title of the book spurs me to press in. The book is about teens and the lack of expectations we put on them. The term teenager didn't come along until the 1920's. The teens in this book hold conferences, write books, and all kinds of innovative things. Why do I bring this up? We need a team of people to run this station, it can't be done by one person. The Refuge demographic is young adult and teens. So lets find a crew of young adults and teens who love Jesus, who are gifted in technology, who know what they want in a radio station and let them build it. We will steer the boat.
Lord, send your servants.

Adventure on the Interstate

2010-09-25T08:45:00.002-05:00

My nephew is getting married in MN this weekend. John is already in MN working this week so it was just me packing up the young ones and loading them up into the van. It seemed like a easy start to our trip....that is until about 50 minutes from home. One youngster says they have to go potty just as we're going past an exit, I'm in the left lane. I tell her wait for the next one. Then blinking lights coming at us on the shoulder in our lane and the interstate comes to a dead stop. I start calling people, because I don't have Internet on my phone, to see what they can find out. Being stopped on an interstate is a surreal event. People getting out to stretch, or talk to other motorists. They especially like talking to the truckers, they must have the info we all need. A lady changing her baby's diaper on the trunk of her car. Other motorists deciding they have to move so they go for the median and go the other direction. We saw several get stuck in the mud so decided that was not an option for us. By now 3 children and their Mom all have visions of the closest restroom. My brother calls and tells me its a chemical spill and traffic on the interstate it closed both ways. That would explain why no cars are coming from the north.
A little over 2 hours later we inched our way 3 miles to the next exit, which is where all the traffic was being diverted. As the exit became clear in our sites a Dodge Charger with 2 young men in it come barreling up the shoulder. A 18-wheeler 2 vehicles up decides he doesn't like this behavior and pulls his large vehicle into the shoulder as if to say, "Think again buddy". So these young gentlemen roll down their window and ask us if we will let them cut in front of us because his passenger has to pee. WHAT! My instantaneous, well thought out answer was, "You gotta be kidding me. So do my kids and half the people out here." Along with some other unsympathetic words. Then I was convicted....WWJD? I let the poor baby in.
Two 1/2 hours later we finally inch to the exit ramp where a nice patrolman was directing which car could go next. Even the diverted traffic was only moving at a snails pace. He struck up conversation with us and I asked him where the nearest restroom would be because my kids had to use it bad. He points to the hospital on the right and says ride the shoulder up. YES! Right past the 2 young men.
I think we were just too close to the evacuation scene when they shut the Interstate down and that's why it took so long to get us out of there. The traffic was being rerouted in several directions according to your needs. We needed gas so we went 13 miles to the east to wait in line with many other motorists doing the same.
We arrived at our destination 3 1/2 hours later than scheduled. My kids are troopers, hardly any complaining. They were treated to cones at DQ.

LifeLight Music Festival

2010-09-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

John is nearly in full swing at The Refuge. Last weekend he, along with Sarah, Hannah, and Audra Wilson, went to represent the station at LifeLight music festival in Sioux Falls, SD. (Not sure if the girls were that helpful, but they thoroughly enjoyed themselves) He will head up to MN in a couple of weeks to do some work and get ready for a Share-a-thon. We will all join him in Duluth for that event in early October. I say all of us but I'm sure Rachel and Zach won't be able to go due to their school and work schedules. There's much work to be done at this point for John. Besides raising funds for the station, they have to get all their translators up and running at full capacity, build relationships with communities, and a zillion other things.
We will keep things updated here, all prayers appreciated. It seems a bit overwhelming at times.

We have heard some feedback about our last newsletter, some thought it was too vague. That's because it is. We have no clear plan as far as when to move, if to move, or where to move to. We trust the Lord knows and when the time is right He will direct our path. When that time comes we don't think it will be difficult to sell our house. It's a great house in a prime location.

For now, we will try to carry out a somewhat normal schedule. It's crazy. This morning we had kids in 4 different directions all needing rides. I thought homeschooling was going to cut down on our busy schedule. In a few weeks it'll be running more smoothly, at least that's what I'm telling myself.

A New Chapter in our Story

2010-08-22T15:52:00.000-05:00

Four years ago this month we moved to Kansas City to be a part of the International House of Prayer. Little did we know what that would look like for our family - we were simply saying “Yes” to the Lord’s calling. We went through an intense 3-month internship called ‘Intro to IHOP’ and joined staff without taking a breath. Our first mission was to start the Media Apprenticeship, a 24/7 workforce of young camera operators, directors, and sound technicians who broadcast the Prayer Room on GODTV and the internet. For the last 4 years we’ve been active in ministry in many ways; leading worship as a family at the Children’s Equipping Center, shepherding our kids as they’ve grown in their giftings and talents, teaching at The Daniel Academy and Forerunner Music Academy, and spending countless hours interceding in the Prayer Room. Our hearts have been stirred by many different causes and areas of injustice where we, the church, need to stand in the gap. One thing that’s always been a part of our spiritual DNA is revival. We (the Church) need revival! We believe that these last 4 years have been training for what’s coming next.

{The Mission} Earlier this year, John was approached by The Refuge, a Christian radio station based in Duluth, MN with translators in 5 states. Their mission is “…to encourage, connect and equip this generation to live in radical relationship with God and each other.” The Refuge is in the process of turning back to its roots of evangelism and revival.

The station has faced many challenges in the last several years, leaving them with virtually no staff or resources. Needless to say, they need a revival too!

{The Vision} John has been asked to come on as General Manager and help them carry out that mission, and we’ve decided to say “Yes.” The station essentially needs to be rebuilt from the ground up with a new vision, new technology and a new team. We feel that John’s background in radio and the work the Lord has done in us these past 4 years has been preparing us for this challenge.We’re part of a community here at IHOP where there are many talented young people with understanding of technology, passion for the Lord and hearts of prayer. We’ve made many connections that we can share with the listeners of The Refuge.

{The Challenge} The station is struggling financially and cannot pay John a full salary this first year. We will need to raise about $35,000 to help meet our needs. If you’d like to help, make your checks out to ‘Refuge Radio’ and write “management support” in the memo. Please send your gifts to us here at our Grandview, MO address. All gifts are tax-deductible.

John is staying on part-time staff at IHOP so he can honor his commitment to teach piano at FMA for the fall semester. He’ll be commuting several times a month from Kansas City to the Refuge’s business office in Edina, MN.

{The Commission} We really need your prayers and support right now. We and the radio station have already experienced a great deal of spiritual warfare since we made this decision. Please keep us in your prayers. Specific requests:

Finances, for our family as well as The Refuge. Our goal is to raise the majority of the $35,000 we need within the next 3 months. We know there’s an element of risk in taking this position, but we’re leaning on His provision and faithfulness.
Housing in the twin cities area.
Wisdom for our transition as a family
Strategies for managing The Refuge.

Four years ago, our plan was to be in Kansas City until the Lord pointed us in a new direction. We believe that time has come and we’re excited to see where this next season takes us.

Some Things Are Just In Our DNA

2010-07-19T10:50:00.003-05:00

We are on the journey. Who said it was supposed to be an easy one? It's been a full blown through the valley, desert, and barren fields kind of journey. John recently wrote something that brought me back to a seed planted many years ago in my heart. It was about revival and how we labored for many years for revival in our community. We organized many community prayer and worship events and a March for Jesus. Though it's been dormant, that seed is still there. This is what God has planted in our DNA, revival. We have a part in it and need to carry it on.
It's been a season of trying to figure out where and if we fit into the IHOP world. No big announcements here - it's just good to access where you're at once in awhile. There is a strange process that takes place when people come to be a part of this community. Of course we all want to be on staff and be a 'somebody'. It's human nature to want to 'belong'. All the while God is whispering, "Find your identity in me, beloved."(I'm just thinking out loud here) Mike Bickle has been talking a lot lately on keeping the plumb line at IHOP which in turn causes us to search for our calling. Is it to be on fulltime staff in the prayer room? Or is it something else that goes hand in hand with the prayer movement? We love IHOP and night & day prayer.
One thing is for sure, it's not easy to raise a family our size relying on gifts alone. Scratch that, it seems nearly impossible. There have to be more sources of income. Maybe some remarkable saints can make this happen but for us it has not worked, therefore leaving us in poverty, survival mode. I'll be honest, it's hard to keep my eyes off the circumstances and put them on the eternal. I'm working on it, because this I know.......we live for the eternal, not this earth. Excuse me while I peel my eyelids off my navel. (Too much caffeine this morning)
Getting back to DNA revival. There is much coming up with YWAM and their Impact World Tour coming to Kansas City. There was a YWAM IWT that went through Willmar in the early 90's that helped shape our DNA for revival. Prayer is a big part of any move of God, but is it our only role? We believe we have a part to play in it , we just aren't exactly sure of what that looks like. Stay tuned for more......and please pray for us as we journey through this valley.

A Mooving Evening on the Town

2010-07-10T10:12:00.007-05:00

This is dance camp week at Dramatic Truth. Rachel and Sarah have been dancing from sun up to sun down. John has been leading worship for their evening sessions and I have played shuttle driver during the days getting the dancers from site to site. Last night we had a free night so we took the girls on an udderly delightful tour of Kansas City. Chick-fil-a had their annual "dress up like a cow and get free food" event. We were all in black and white with spots, tails, and ears.

We have 4 dancers staying with us. We only had to twist a couple of arms to get them to dress up.

After our bovine meal at Chick-fil-a we drove over to The Country Club Plaza to show our visitors Kansas Cities finest dining and shopping. We should have planned in advance because nobody wanted to get out of the van to walk around dressed like a cow. Loose Park was our next destination, John talked us into getting out. Most of us took our spots and tails off but one of our visitors, Alanah, went out in full cow. Sophie is posing with her, little ham. It was a night to remember.

Gathering the Chicks

2010-06-04T10:05:00.002-05:00

The last 3 years have been busy beyond belief with the children's schooling. We are in a very different season with John looking for work and what to do with the kids for next year. With 2 graduated homeschooling 5 doesn't seem so daunting. I have an overwhelming feeling of gathering my chicks in this season and enjoying them. My desire is to do an American History study from Winter Promise over the summer as a family. There are lots of activities the entire family enjoys in these studies. We just need the funding to buy the curriculum. We have done a couple of there studies in the past, Middle Ages and Children Around the World, and have developed many memories from the books and activities. These are very on the history and reading, two of our favorite things. Not kidding.

Monthly Budget

2010-06-04T10:03:00.001-05:00

In reference to our latest email newsletter, for those interested we would be happy to share a monthly budget of our finances upon request.

Congratulations to Our Little Lamb

2010-05-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

Rachel, which means little lamb, graduated from The Daniel Academy on Saturday. We were very touched by the ceremony. She has a lot of dreams and accomplishments to fulfill and the determination to conquer them all.

As part of the ceremony we were able to speak over her words of encouragement and love.

This was her idea.

Bad picture but good friends!

We worked long hours on the party prep. These are the cupcakes..... and then there was the fruit bouquet.

Now I know why they are so expensive to order. It was very colorful and beautiful just like Rachel.

Friends and Fun

The Tramp Has Gone South

2010-05-05T07:58:00.004-05:00

When we moved into our house the previous owners left many things behind. One thing was an old trampoline. The kids have enjoyed many hours of jumping, twisting, and flipping on it. Today it lived its last moment as the frame bent and fell. These pictures were taken the other night. I don't know what setting they had the camera on, but the pictures are cool.

"God Brought Me Here To Kill Me"

2010-04-26T16:22:00.000-05:00

Those were John’s words after recently finding out that his position for IHOP radio was being eliminated. Somehow this latest development brings with it a new freedom, a renewed sense of adventure. Sure, lots of questions come to mind - ‘What are we doing?’ ‘Did we make a mistake?’ ‘God, what are you teaching us through all of this?’ ‘Does this mean an end to full-time ministry?’ John’s tried looking for work, but it seems that every direction we turn there are more questions than answers.

In the midst of this, someone suggested that John look for an old message entitled "Dying to Live in Kansas City”. The message was given on New Year's Eve 1998, the year before night and day prayer began at IHOP-KC. Towards the end of the article Mike Sullivant sums up Paul Cains comments:

"If you came to Kansas City to live, then you are going to die. But if you came to die, then you're going to live. God is requiring every one of us as we come here, even with prophetic promises like Abraham had with Isaac, He is calling us to lay them on the altar and allow them to die because the seed that God gives us, prophetically, never looks like the plant when it grows up. The seed has to die. It changes form and many of us have agendas and expectations that we come with and God is calling us to lay them, once again, on the altar. He is enforcing Genesis 22. He is enforcing this principle.
Paul said that we are going to lose our life and I wrote this down as I heard him say that, "You are going to lose your life one way or another. Will you lose you life well?" That is the question; will we lose our life well? Will we do it nobly? Will it have to be forced on us or will we just voluntarily lay our lives down? We need courage in order to do that. We need spiritual courage and that's one of the ministries that we can give to one another in the body. We can encourage one another. We can put courage into one another to lay down our life. We can model it and speak about it and challenge one another in the Holy Spirit. There is going to be a very, very practical outworking of this dying to self."

This is a good word for us right now. How does one lose their life well? It's not easy. It's a painful process. We’re feeling the pain of being stuck in circumstances but with a mindset of living this life to store up treasures in heaven. This life is but a vapor – it’s not our final destination.
We’re also very aware that the enemy does not want us to walk in our calling. We have been under a full blown assault for way too long but have not stood against it. We've lain down and let the enemy fill our thoughts with negativity and lies causing us to feel inadequate, unequipped, and quite frankly, like complete failures. Enough of that!
For now we’re keeping our gaze upward and not focusing on our circumstances. God is sovereign, He is faithful to His promises and we love His leadership – even when we, in our humanity, don’t completely understand it. We’re entering into a new season. It’s a good one full of life!

"Where Will I Find What I Seek"

2010-04-24T17:00:00.009-05:00

Hannah, Chloe, and Sarah were in a drama for The Daniel Academy today. It was written and directed by Faith Wiles. She's their very talented drama teacher. The play was made up of several scenes through the present time all the way back to the early church, every scene ending in the question "Where will I find what I seek?" Of course, they find the answer in the end. Chloe playing a pioneer child.
Incorporated between the scenes were dances. That's Hannah in the middle and Sarah on her face in front.
I will put a video on facebook of the dancers.

New Look, Check It Out

2010-03-26T09:48:00.000-05:00

To Blog or Not To Blog

2010-03-15T17:58:00.003-05:00

The answer is....BLOG, of course. With Facebook and other social networking the intrigue of blogging seems to have lost it's fire. Fellow Bloggers, let's carry on. My desire is to blog, it's my lack of time that keeps me on Facebook and off my blog. It's Spring Break this week and I have time so here we go.

UPDATE

I have been really busy since January with my Yearbook Class at The Daniel Academy. It's been a bit of a challenge teaching in an atmosphere where there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. It's a good thing, just not what we are used to. It started in November with the IHOPU Awakening. The first week of the outpouring students would be breaking into prayer during class, lunch, it was sweet. We had great discussions about what was happening and we would end class times with extended times of student lead prayer. Then about a month ago things ramped up a bit. The morning assemblies at school turned into all day prayer meetings. On the day this started I walked into school at noon to bring Josiah to Bible class. The minute I walked through the front door of the school I felt it. The air was thick and filled with the presence of the Holy Spirit. The students were worshiping, praying, crying, you name it, they were doing it. I applaud the school leaders for handling this with such wisdom and respect. They didn't stifle it or shy away from it, they lead the students in this move of God with the fear of the Lord. We experienced different waves of the Spirit through the years but this is intense. All kinds of questions arise in this environment. It messes up your schedule. It changes how you do life. We've actually have to tell our kids we are not going to the service tonight so we can sleep. I guess it's up to every family as to how they handle their time. For us it's been a balance of keeping up with school work and choosing which nights we will go to awakening services. We are so thankful for the webstream so we can at least watch on the nights we aren't there.

Getting back to teaching. The final deadline for the completion of the yearbook was last Friday. It was an extremely stressful month. Even in an outpouring life goes on, tasks have to be completed. Laundry needs to be done, meals need to be prepared, houses need to be cleaned. I think He's teaching us how to live naturally in the super natural. It's a good thing.

This Winter Seems to Never End

2010-02-05T12:59:00.004-06:00

At least it's pretty!

Important Message from Bound4Life

2010-01-15T09:05:00.000-06:00

Our Hearts are Grieving

2009-12-24T10:06:00.004-06:00

Early yesterday morning John received a text from an unknown number to pray for Derek Loux as he had been in a serious car accident. Only a short time later we received news that he had passed away. Our hearts were in shock all day as we went through our already scheduled birthday parties and other activities. Waking up today I feel no different. It seems so unfair and unjust. Like something irreplaceable has been stolen. Derek played a part in us coming to Kansas City in 2006. We visited in the early spring of 2006 to talk about the Forerunner Music School that was being formed at the time. During that conversation Derek shared 3 reasons they made the move to IHOP, we had to laugh to ourselves because they were the same things in our heart and what he shared was just confirmation that we were to make the move. I don't know that we ever shared that with him.

IHOP releases this statement yesterday-

Dear IHOP–KC family,
Derek Loux, who has been such an important part of our IHOP–KC family for many years, is now in the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Early this morning as he was traveling home from Colorado, Derek was killed in an automobile accident when his car hit a patch of black ice. Derek had been in Colorado to receive more extensive training in how to minister to victims of human trafficking,
For years, this precious man of God has faithfully served his Lord and our missions base in so many areas, including helping pioneer the Forerunner Music Academy where he served as director. Derek was part of the IHOP-KC senior leadership team, a worship leader in the house of prayer, and a frequent IHOP–KC conference speaker. He has recorded professionally as a musician, singer, and songwriter, including his albums Paper Religion and Fragrant Burning. Before joining IHOP–KC he served as the director of IHOP-Indianapolis for four years.
Derek’s life passion was adopting and restoring orphans; he pioneered the vision of the Orphan Justice Center—a haven of restoration for rescued orphans. OJC recently become an official part of IHOP–KC. His tireless voice for the weak and voiceless indelibly marked us all. How we will miss him.
Renee and the children will need so very much love and support, not only in these first weeks, but for many years. In the immediate, Pamela Stead will spearhead all practical care for the family. Please contact her (pamelastead@ihop.org) if you would like to be involved in practical helps. We ask you to please give the Loux family (immediate and extended) privacy to grieve, and only go to the home if invited. There will be many ways to give—meals, childcare, home care, finances. More details will follow soon on how you can give to this precious family. We will also let you know the memorial plans.
We do not grieve as those who have no hope, but oh how we grieve. For Renee, for children who have lost their earthly father, and for our family who has lost a marvelous comrade. Until that Day when He dries every tear . . . we mourn with the Loux family.

The IHOP–KC Leadership Team

Please support their dream and vision for adoption by visiting http://www.josiahfund.org/.

God Bless the Loux family, we love you.

Nielsen Nuggets Christmas Newsletter

2009-12-13T20:18:00.020-06:00

December has always been a busy month for us with 4 birthdays to celebrate, plus all the added benefits of the holiday season. If Christmas parties, concerts, end of the year projects, school finals, shopping, baking and decorating weren't enough, we're also experiencing a really sweet outpouring of the Holy Spirit at The International House of Prayer. CBN did a story on it, Zach can be seen towards the end. I can't believe I'm actually telling my kids, "No, you can not go to the service every night."

You will be receiving a photo Christmas card from us with a magnetic strip on the back so you can hang it on your refrigerator as a reminder to pray for us. If you do not get one but wish to be on our mailing list, please email us.

Yearly Wrap Up

John is currently using his radio experience by working on the ihopworship.fm project for IHOP. This will be an internet radio station due to launch the 1st of the year focusing on music from IHOP. It's a great idea and long overdue. He is also building a Simply Music business. This is a new method of teaching piano that is growing in popularity with homeschoolers. He hopes to have 30+ students very soon. John and the kids also lead worship once a month in the Children's Equipping Center at IHOP. Starting in January he will also teach a keyboard theory class to 1st year students at The Forerunner Music Academy.
On occasion I'm able to step out of my office, the laundry room, to teach a couple of classes at The Daniel Academy. TDA is a parent partnership where the kids go to school 3 days a week and get their homework for the other days. It's somewhere between homeschooling and private school. The Personal Finance class is my favorite, we use the Dave Ramsey course for high school students. I am truly a Dave Ramsey nerd. The other one is the Yearbook class. Last year we put together a really nice looking yearbook, this year is going to be even better. I think if I had to make a career change right now it would be in computer graphics or design of some sort. Zach is still attending Forerunner Music Academy. He's had the opportunity to play with several different worship teams at IHOP. He's also in a band that has written a song for a documentary on human trafficking being put together by a well-known person. (More on that in the future. It's still in the works.) Rachel is graduating from The Daniel Academy this year. She will start a nearby Junior College next year and is looking to get into their fashion design program. After a couple of years her dream is to go to New York's FIT or a fashion school in Chicago. It's easy to see her talent in her drawings. She's also a gifted writer with quite an imagination. She likes to strike a pose often.

Sarah is enjoying high school in The Daniel Academy. She sang a beautiful solo in the Christmas concert. (She won't let me post the video) Sarah has also continued dancing at Dramatic Truth along with her sister's Rachel, Hannah, and Chloe. Someday she wants to dance in the company and to teach dance. She's off to a great start. She's also pretty handy with the camera.

Hannah simply amazed us all with her recent solo in the Christmas concert. Not only was it extremely high but it was in Latin. Hannah is in 7th grade at TDA. She would rather dance, sing, and act her way through school than pick up a book. Definitely a Davidic anointing on this one. She's also a big help in the kitchen always whipping up a new recipe. In this case, it's cow cookies.Josiah is in the 6th grade at TDA. He continues to WOW us with his growing knowledge and brains. Next year he wants to be homeschooled so he can study the things he wants to and do a more difficult math. He already has his plan for the future to be in the army and then an author who writes war stories. Sounds like a plan.

Chloe is a 3rd grader attending TDA. She's interested in dancing, singing, and crafts. She has recently started sewing up anything that is in need of repair.....stuffed animals, socks, just about anything.

Sophie has learned how to read. It's a big deal because she has known all the phonics and special sounds for almost 2 years but hasn't shown any interest in actually reading. Last fall before school started she announced to us that she didn't want to read, she didn't see the point in it. After all, there are 6 older siblings to do it for her. They convinced her life is way more fun when you can read for yourself. A short time later it all clicked and now she reads nonstop for hours at a time. And then there's Charlotte, the newest addition to our family. After much training on how to trust people she is becoming a happy, well adjusted dog. We got her from a local pet shelter when she was 9 months old so we don't know much about her puppy life. We think she's a Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix. She's super smart and very aware of her surroundings. There's not a squirrel in the yard she's not aware of. She's proved to be a wonderful deterrent to rabbits trying to sneak into our garden and a good watchdog as she barks at anybody who would dare to come near our home. Doesn't she look ferocious?

Look What Santa Brought

2009-12-02T21:01:00.002-06:00

Charlotte has found a new place to sleep, under the Christmas Tree!

IHOPU Student Awakening in Kansas City

2009-11-21T19:43:00.002-06:00

(click to watch Live)
On November 11, during a 9:00am class of first-year students, led by Allen Hood and Wes Hall at International House of Prayer University (IHOPU), the Spirit moved in their midst with physical healings, deliverance, and a spirit of joy. That class, on November 11, continued for more than 15 hours. The word spread quickly, and nearly 2,000 people spontaneously gathered in the auditorium from all over the Kansas City area, as deliverance and physical healings increased. The meeting continued well past midnight. Recognizing that the Spirit was moving, the leadership of IHOPU canceled all classes for the next few days so that we could gather to receive all that the Spirit wanted to do. We recognize that the Holy Spirit is awakening our students and many others. In each of these meetings, many people are being set free from addictions, shame, depression, demonic activity, and every sort of emotional pain. We are also witnessing an increase of physical healings, as God is touching and restoring bodies inside the building, as well as healing people watching via the webstream. Moreover, we greatly rejoice as we are seeing lost souls being added to the kingdom of God during these meetings. We are receiving many testimonies and reports that this move of the Spirit is spreading to other churches and prayer rooms that are joining with us each night via the webstream. It all began on November 4, on the last day of the monthly Global Bridegroom Fast at the International House of Prayer of Kansas City (IHOP–KC). A move of the Holy Spirit began to stir during the student chapel at IHOPU, as students testified about receiving deliverance from self-hatred, shame, and depression. Students began to experience supernatural joy at the revelation of God's love for them. A powerful spirit of joy rested on many the next day at the IHOPU student-led 6:00am prayer meeting, and the Spirit continued to move throughout the week in our classes and during the faculty meetings. What started during our IHOPU student chapel on November 4 is continuing today. Visitors are coming in from many places, with some driving over 1,000 miles overnight to participate in these meetings. Consequently, on November 12, we moved the Prayer Room to our Forerunner School of Ministry sanctuary from 6:00pm to midnight each night, to accommodate more people. We will continue these nightly meetings as the Holy Spirit leads us. We earnestly pray that this awakening will continue, as our nation is in desperate need of another great awakening in this hour. Throughout history, college and university campuses in our nation have been an epicenter and a catalyst for spiritual awakening. Since the 1700s, our nation has witnessed multiple moves of the Holy Spirit that have touched and awakened students on college campuses, including Princeton University, Yale University, Asbury College, Wheaton College, and more than a dozen other college campuses. These spiritual awakenings often progressed beyond the campuses and resulted in a great number of souls being added to the kingdom of God. History also attests to a strong correlation between spiritual awakening and missionary movements. We pray that this spiritual awakening that is touching IHOPU and the rest of our IHOP–KC Missions Base will break out all over our nation in different cities.
TestimoniesWe have been receiving many testimonies by email about how the IHOPU Student Awakening has been touching other college campuses, churches, and houses of prayer. If you have testimonies that you would like to share with us about how this move of the Spirit has touched you, click here.Read below how the IHOPU Student Awakening has touched students at Wheaton College and Asbury CollegeHoly Spirit move at Wheaton College:In the dorm tonight at Wheaton College, we were watching the webstream the heat of the love of God filled the room. Prayer like never before releasing His Spirit of intercession upon us. His kindness led to repentance to experience breakthrough that has never occurred before! First time ever being thrown by the Holy Spirit!Holy Spirit move at Asbury College:A group of us at Asbury met to watch the live webstream. Over 30 students were present. God poured out His Spirit in such amazing ways. The Spirit filled people on campus used to be quiet, almost embarrassed. God has removed that spirit of meekness and replaced it with one of power. We’ve broken out of the Asbury House of Prayer. Tonight there’s singing and rejoicing in the streets. One person was healed of life-long blood clots, another of knee pain and another of a stomach virus. There’s so much more. I can’t even begin to describe it all in words.

International House of Prayer, 3535 E. Red Bridge Road, Kansas City, MO 64137

I Am Thankful For....

2009-11-14T14:24:00.005-06:00

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it's time to take a moment and think about all the things we're grateful for. Several years ago John did a study with the kids on family nights about the 7 ways to worship God. (No, it's not just an old Carmen song.) Here are just 2 of those Hebrew words and their meanings.

YADAH - - Hebrew Verb
MEANING: To throw; to give thanks, laud or praise; to confess something about God; to confess one's own sin.

TOWDAH - - Hebrew Noun
MEANING: Confession, praise, thanksgiving; giving of praise to God; thanksgiving in songs of worship; thanks choir or procession; thank-offering, sacrifice of thanksgiving; confession

Take a moment and think about the things you are thankful for. Big things and little things. I am thankful for.....

modern day plumbing.
cars that work.
friends who stick with you, no matter what.
coffee
a God who's love for me is so strong that I can not escape it or hide from it.

Now it's your turn. What are you thankful for?

Hello New Bathroom

2009-11-14T14:08:00.002-06:00

The after pictures.Anyone miss the duckies?

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

2009-10-27T20:06:00.004-05:00

This is a FREE conference and we have plenty of room at the Nielsen Inn. This isn't just for teens and young adults, families attend of all ages. Make your reservations soon!

Facebook is Jammed, So I'll Leave my Thoughts Here

2009-10-09T07:59:00.002-05:00

I think I ought to win the Nobel Peace Prize for breaking up sibling rivelry scuttles in my home. These are your future world leaders and I'm bringing peace to your world.

Say Good-Bye Duckies

2009-09-23T11:08:00.005-05:00

Good-Bye Duckies, Good-Bye mold. For those of you that have visited us, you know we have tons of little duckies in our upstairs bathroom. They have been laid to rest. Due to a mold issue we are remodeling the bathroom. For now all 9 of us are using 1 bathroom. Talk about scheduling issues. We start showers at 5 am. This too shall pass. We are thankful we have running water.

The only thing we're saving is the bathtub. Everything else is gone, including the ceiling. More pictures to come!

New Season

2009-09-23T10:23:00.006-05:00

It's the beginning of a new season in the Nielsen household. With every season brings a huge shift in the daily schedule. I'll save you the boring details of showing you our hairy schedule. Needless to say I've had to make some major shifts so the day's activities can run smoothly. I'm quitting my pt job at Dream Dinners. When the school emails and asks why your kids aren't doing their homework, it's time to make a change. I'm also considering relinquishing being on IHOP staff. My schedule revolves around everybody else in my house and I'm having so much trouble keeping prayer room hours and feeling guilty about it. I'd rather go when I can and not have the pressure of having to be in there looming over me. It's a delicate balance being a mother and wanting to serve. I'd love to be in the prayer room for many hours a day, but it's just not my season.

John has a few new things happening. He is teaching piano pt at the Forerunner music Academy. He's also training to be an Instructor for Simply Music. It's a way of teaching piano in a completely different way. Students learn to play music before they learn the notes. It's becoming very popular. The plan is to rent studio space and be able to teach group lessons. He also is in the midst of a new project at IHOP that has to do with his 19 years experience in radio. Yeah!

Zach is a 2nd year student at FMA. He plays on Marcus Meier's team in the prayer room several times a week. Check out the schedule and watch him live on the webstream. They will be leading worship this Sunday at FCF.

Rachel is starting her senior year at The Daniel Academy. She will graduate this year and then go to a community college next year. She is interested in fashion design. She's also got a gift in the area of writing. She has a job working for our neighbor who runs a travel company from her home. She enjoys it.

All the kids are attending The Daniel Academy this year. Parents are required to volunteer or help in some way. I am teaching 2 classes in the High School; Personal Finance and Yearbook.

All the girls, except for Sophie, are dancing again. They have all moved up into more challenging levels this year. That means they are required to take more classes and dance more hours a week. They are serious about it. Sophie decided it was enough to go to school. She's in 1st grade.

That's it for now. Pray for us as we navigate through this new season.

How I Spent My Birthday

2009-08-23T19:20:00.007-05:00

We took advantage of the beautiful day and took a trip to the Deanna Rose Farm. Since it's geared towards small children, the oldest 4 opted to stay home and do the dishes. Our kids have been there before but it was a new experience for John and I. It's a really nice place, there's animals to look at, pet, and feed.

Tractors to ride, ponies to ride, and yummies to eat. Best of all it's free.Guess who....Josiah doing the bunny ears again!

The reality hit me while watching young couples with strollers, chasing toddlers, that we are finally way out of that stage of life. And I don't miss it. I loved it while we were doing it, but we are now the parents of young adults and teens. My little guys aren't parented the same as when my oldest were their age. When our oldest kids were little we hovered over them and were so protective, I must have been a nervous wreck. So sorry kids. I'm still like a mother bear, don't be messing with my cubs, but we are so much more relaxed. For example, this horrible picture. I would have made them stay behind these flowers until they were all smiling like angels. Truth is...the sun was in their eyes and my camera battery was dead. I managed to eek this one more picture before it crashed. Thanks for the great day!

Peaceful Haven in Door County or Narnia

2009-08-07T21:17:00.008-05:00

We stayed with a couple in Door County who let us take over their peaceful haven in the woods. When we pulled into the driveway Zach said, "We're in Narnia". It was truly amazing and what's even more amazing is the couple, Jack and Gail Haag, who built the entire place themselves, inside and out. They were very humble, generous, and made us feel so welcome. The kids were able to feed the deer, chipmunks, and Koi fish. Gail has trained the animals to eat right out of her hands.Chloe did it. Jack and Gail did all the landscaping of the ponds, building of the bridges, gardens with much detail. Jack has a knack for wood carving and building things. Gail has an eye for color and design. It was a real treat to enjoy the beauty of what their hands had made.

These are just a few of the birdhouses Jack has built. And Swingset.And the Church that's really a shed.We took advantage of the beautiful patio overlooking the pond and did our practice outside. Gail and Sarah. Jack was helping a Habitat for Humanity project that morning.

A headboard Jack carved. It would be impossible to show every detail of the work they have put into this house and the land, but we were entirely blessed by every minute of our stay there.

That was Then.....This is Now

2009-08-07T20:46:00.005-05:00

Little did we know after honeymooning in Door County 20 years ago we would get the opportunity to move there a few short months later. That was then.....This is now.

We celebrated our 20 year Anniversary where we honeymooned. How fun is that? Our house hostess made this cake for us. She is a woman of many talents. More about that later.

While living in Sturgeon Bay we made good friends, Cory and Darla Dahl. Cory has pastored the First Baptist Church for 21 years, wow.

We ended up having our first babies together. The day they checked out of the hospital we checked in....to the same room. That was then...

We made our babies suffer through countless first time parents photo sessions. They were propped up as neither one could sit yet. At 6 months the fun didn't stop. I think she got his hair in that sitting.

They allowed us to do a simulated baby sitting 18 years later. This is now....

They're still cuties.

Door County ....... Part 4

2009-08-07T20:28:00.004-05:00

Cave Point Park Our kind of park. Go climb and get dirty.

Dream big.....

Rod and Laurie, keep your eyes peeled. You never know where you might find a greeting.

Cleaning the sand out of the toes.

Door County ....... Part 3

2009-08-07T20:15:00.003-05:00

Cana Island Lighthouse

A close up of the lens.

View from the top.

Door County ....... Part 2

2009-08-07T20:00:00.002-05:00

Let's Go Shopping......

They Match

I managed this shop for a few months while I was pregnant with Zach....the smell of chocolate made me sick. I can't imagine that happening now. The store owner's employee policy was to try one of everything so you could tell the customers how good it was. I couldn't take advantage of that policy at the time.

Our little Chipmunk

Some of Our Favorite Things To Do In Door County..Part 1...

2009-08-07T19:11:00.008-05:00

Walk the Harbor in Sturgeon Bay.

Check out these ships.... That building in the background is what Zach is calling the coolest Applebee's ever. John and I agree.....we will never get tired of the sight of the Harbor in Sturgeon Bay.Sarah and Sophie

Leave me alone, I'm eating Chocolate.

Another Great Thing To Do ....Let's Go Cherry Picking

Chloe is a brave girl.

Eating as you pick?

Yum!

Zach's Birth Place

2009-08-07T13:37:00.003-05:00

Zach was born in Door County, WI 18 1/2 years ago. This is the house we lived in at the time. It was a four-plex, we were on the top left just a view blocks from church and the Bay. Our first night there we were treated to a "Door County Meal" by the Wilson family. We were served delicious dried cherries, cherry butter, cherry juice, and Wisconsin cheese curds.

The children taught a card game to Drew and Drake. Collin is a cutie. These pictures were shot in their beautiful field of wild flowers.

First Stop.....Rochester, MN

2009-08-07T13:03:00.005-05:00

Our good friends Pastor Todd and Sharon Olson shepherd the flock at Calvary Evangelical Free Church in Rochester, MN. They allowed our family to lead worship for all 3 of their Sunday Services.

Zach and Rachel singing together. I'm so proud of them. There's nothing like sibling harmony.

Practicing in the hotel room the night before.

Hotel pool fun.

Hannah walks on water! Freaky.

We had a great time.....but then hit the road to destination #2.

Road Trip

2009-08-07T12:53:00.003-05:00

On our way to Rochester, MN and Door County, WI. Poor Chloe.
Running off a little energy at a wayside rest area in Iowa.

On the Road Again

2009-07-31T21:07:00.002-05:00

We're packing up and heading to Rochester, MN then to Door County, WI. Door County is where Zach was born over 18 years ago. We will be ministering in both these cities as a family. Pray for a smooth ride, our house/dog sitter as she cares for our fearful, anxious dog, unity in the family as we minister together.

I Have the Evidence

2009-06-30T14:52:00.002-05:00

From time to time I will find my camera with pictures on it that I didn't take. Do they not know that I can tell who's been playing with my camera.....

BTW-Hannah makes awesome cookies, she's cute too.

Here's another culprit ...or two!

All American Pastime

2009-06-30T14:15:00.007-05:00

Just for fun we took the family to a Twins/Royals game last night. Except for Rachel who was working at ATC. Tickets on weeknights are only $5 in the upper deck. The Twins didn't do so well but it was fun to see so many MN fans at the ballpark. We even ran into some old acquaintances that work for R & J tours. They were on a week long trip following the Twins from Milwaukee, St. Louis, and then KC. Check out this scoreboard. It's massive. When the Royals hit a home run the top of the crown shoots off fireworks. It looked cool but not when it's the other team. Now is it just us or do we attract dead rodents and other animals? We all smelled something really funky. I mentioned to John that it smelled an awful lot like the dead mouse in our van a couple of weeks ago. It took until the 3rd inning to discover a dead bird stuck in the back of Sophie's seat. Ewww! Shortly after John told the usher, a gloved man came to the rescue and took it away. He then handed John a coupon for free concessions. Yeah for that.

Taurus Bites the Dust

2009-06-25T13:02:00.003-05:00

She said enough is enough. We've been driving for months with all kind of things going wrong. The 'check engine light' has been on for 2 years. The radio didn't work for 3 years but then suddenly started working a couple of months ago. All the knobs for the heat/air were stripped and we used a pliers to change them. Recently the passengers side power window quit working, in the down position. It didn't have heat until about December when we had the heater core replaced. Then it started over heating. A mechanic told us there was a bad head gasket and it would cost more than the car was worth to replace it. So.....we did what any frugal, Dave Ramsey loving, missionaries would do. We filled the radiator with water/antifreeze (often) and kept on driving.

Last night Zach was on his way to a meeting and as he was headed down the freeway the engine seized up. He coasted over 1 mile to get off the freeway and onto a shoulder. The car is toast. We got a lot of use out of it, there were 175,000 miles on it. About an hour ago we met a tow truck out by the broken down vessel. He took a quick look at it, handed us some dough, hooked it up, and away she goes to a salvage lot.

Summer Camps Have Started

2009-06-15T13:29:00.003-05:00

Summer brings a whole new world to IHOP. The place is overtaken by young people of all ages from now until August. There are 2 Signs & Wonders Camps for 6-12 yr olds. We just dropped off 2 of our girls. The following week the teens pour in for Awakening Teen Camp. In between ATC are 2 Fascinate Conferences.

These camps and conferences are live changing. It's not too late to sign up.

Will You Consider Partnering With Us

2009-06-03T11:37:00.014-05:00

We love being at the International House of Prayer in Kansas City. It's been an adventure for our entire family, an adventure of faith, hope, and much more.

This video explains IHOP and the vision for prayer. Never before has there been a need for worldwide revival like now. Our hearts are not only to pray but to see young men and women raised up in the knowledge of God's Word and being equipped in it. That includes our own 7 kids.

Things we love about IHOP-

Prayer set to music. The prayer room has 12 - 2 hour prayer meetings every day. That's right, it never stops. The worship goes on 24/7 at IHOP and it has since 1999.
We also enjoy the relationship IHOP has with so many other ministries including YWAM. Many ministries have linked arms with IHOP for prayer and training.
Our children are developing a tender heart for other Nations.
They are also developing their musical and artistic skills, not for entertainment reasons, but for reasons bigger than we are know.

We have designated times when we serve in the prayer room but at home the webstream is running much of the time and no one ever complains. That's a testimony in itself. We feel privileged and honored to be a part of this ministry for such a time as this.

We are responsible for raising our own funds as Intercessory Missionaries at IHOP-KC. Not only do we have a large monthly budget to fulfill the needs of a large family. We have some auto and housing repairs that are requiring attention.

Our upstairs main bathroom has mold in the walls and grows an occasional mushroom. Not a pretty sight. When we first moved in we replaced this same spot of sheet rock and trim. A year later it has returned. There must be a deeper problem which means it needs to be gutted and redone....estimated cost of over $3,000.
The garage doors are both broken and need to be replaced, tracks and all....estimated cost of $1,200.
Our '97 Taurus has a cracked head gasket....estimated repairs are way more than the car is worth. Replacement vehicle.....between $10,000-$15,000.

Due to years of settling there is a negative grade in the backyard causing a cracked wall in the basement. We aren't sure of everything that would need to be done to correct this but for sure the rotted deck would need to come off, some earth moved to make a positive grade, then a new deck built. We 're not sure how bad the wall is in the basement, an expert will need to look at it.

If you would be interested in helping us with any of these special needs or partnering with us on a regular basis we would love to hear from you. Please contact us by email for more details or just use the Paypal button on our blog.

Evening at the Fire Pit

2009-05-29T07:51:00.007-05:00

After the ballet on Sunday we enjoyed a meal out with John's parents and then finished off the night with roasting marshmallows in the fire pit. Sarah likes them burnt to a crisp.Oops, Rachel doesn't like them burnt.Chloe is getting full.Zach doesn't like his picture taken while eating.Charlotte got a leftover bone, she was one happy dog.

Sarah likes the artsy shots.

We Did It

2009-05-26T08:24:00.007-05:00

We made it through the weekend. Saturday we were at the theatre from 10 to 10 for the girl's ballet. The girls didn't mind, they loved every minute of their involvement. Our only catastrophe was Sophie's ballet shoes got misplaced or mistakenly taken home by someone else. We found a pair that weren't hers and were not claimed but the toe was blown out from the little girls playing on a carpeted floor all day. Another little girl had her toe blow out also and her husband went and bought a new pair. So we had Sophie wear a good shoe from each set, the only problem.....they were each a different size.

"First Born From the Dead" was spectacular. It was filled with drama, good music, good choreography, great story line. It was the story of Christ starting in heaven before the throne of God.Hannah is on the floor with the scarf on the right, she's part of the Emerald Rainbow around the throne.

Sarah is an angel.Hannah is leading this group.Sarah is a tree in the garden of Gethsemane.

Rachel is on the right side.Rachel listening to Jesus.

There are rumors of an encore performance of this show. It was so amazing and powerful. All the girls did a wonderful job. We're so proud of them.

Jump Through Hoops

2009-05-19T13:53:00.001-05:00

What happens when smart kids meet smart dogs. They teach them tricks.

Charlotte Bambi

2009-05-19T13:27:00.003-05:00

We think Charlotte should have been named Bambi. She resembles a fawn.

Square Foot Garden Is Coming Up

2009-05-19T13:17:00.004-05:00

So far so good. The beans have a little something eating the leaves. The rabbits have not bothered us, thanks to the Starbucks coffee grounds.

Next Weekend is the Big Event

2009-05-18T13:23:00.004-05:00

I will be sure to have pictures and video of this event. All 5 of our girls dance in this production for Dramatic Truth. I am so excited to see this on stage. The production is in 2 parts. Part 1 is the life of Christ, that's the part our kids are in. It's done to contemporary Christan music, much of it is from IHOP. The choreography is very well done. Part 2, Sleeping Beauty (The Bride of Christ) is done by the Dramatic Truth Dance Company. I can't wait to see this. More to come.......

My Intentions Are There....But....

2009-05-17T10:27:00.002-05:00

I really want to blog more but......I never seem to get there. I also have a hang up thinking about what you want to know. Does anybody really care about the mundane life of an intercessor? Let me ask you, do you want to know more about family life or what's going on spiritually in our hearts and at IHOP, or both. Tell me what's important to you.
Next, leave comments. How else will I know what your opinion is, and you ARE important to us.

May Updates

2009-05-11T09:51:00.003-05:00

Life has been more than full lately. Here are a couple of quick updates:

Charlotte is adjusting well to our family. She's been a real sweet addition to our home. We've checked out many Dog Whisperer videos from the library. She's 'in training' and at times has a few too many trainers. She's smart and has learned many tricks. She still doesn't get the run of the house. She's confined to the kitchen and livingroom. But she sleeps in a crate in Josiah's room and stays there when we're gone as well. She seems to have separation anxiety though. If anybody has suggestions on that, we'd appreciate it.
We had 10 visitors from MN last weekend. We knew 2 of them from Willmar. They had a great weekend just enjoying the prayer room.
Homeschool is wrapping up. The Daniel Academy ends in 2 weeks,and FMA ended last week for Zach. Anybody have a job for an 18 yr old? He needs $ for school and his own wheels.
"First born from the Dead" will be the weekend of May 23rd and 24th. This is the Spring Performance for Dramatic Truth where all 5 of our girls dance. It is choreographed by Hannah and Sarah York, phenomenal stuff. The music, message, dance, all of it is outstanding. I highly recommend it to all IHOPers.
I have sewn 20 costumes for the performance to help pay for dance fees. I'm finished, yippee!
John has taken a temporary part time job with the Census Bureau to help make ends meet. Giving is way down. It's been a hard season financially.
Zach returned last week from a short missions trip to Peoria with IHOPU. He had an awesome time playing on worship teams as they did a weekend of ministry for a large church there. They also prayed for people needed healing and saw God move in many ways.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR YOU TO CHECK OUT:

Signs and Wonders Camp June 15–19 (ages 8–12) Signs and Wonders Day Camp July 16–18 (ages 6–12)

Our summer camps for children are a combination of Bible teaching, worship, prayer, camp fires, swimming, hiking, and lots of fun. We aim to train children as young forerunners who live in wholehearted devotion to God; to encourage them to develop a love for the Word of God; to operate in the power of the Holy Spirit; to love, respect, obey and honor their parents; and to prepare them for leadership in the kingdom of God.

Awakening Teen Camp

June Session: June 20–July 5

Includes Fascinate '09, July 2–4July Leadership Intensive: July 6–13

July Session: July 18–August 2Includes Fascinate '09, July 30–August 1

August Leadership Intensive: August 3–10Awakening Teen Camp (ATC) is a summer ministry aimed at believers in their teenage years. Every year young people ages 12–18 come to Kansas City to give part of their summer to experiencing God in a focused and often life-changing way.

At the end of each camp session we host week-long leadership intensives specifically for students desiring to be trained as singers, musicians, intercessors and leaders.

Fascinate '09

July 2–4 & July 30–August 1 A national high school conference connecting teenagers to the prayer movement: calling young believers to consecrate their hearts and stand strong for Jesus in devotion and service.

Israel Mandate Conference

June 5–7 We are often told to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, but what is the will of God concerning His covenant people today? Come and hear Asher Intrater and Dan Juster, Messianic leaders from Israel, and Mike Bickle teach on God’s end-time purposes for Israel.

Luke18 Project: Summer Leadership Program

June 16–July 14Luke18 Project's Summer Leadership Program is designed for college students and campus ministry leaders who are currently involved in a prayer ministry or are interested in planting a prayer furnace on their college campus.

Joseph Company: Practical Prayer Intensive

June 25–27This three-day Joseph Company retreat will give practical equipping in developing and walking out an enjoyable, vital, powerful, intimate relationship with God in the midst of busy, everyday life.

IHOP–KC Commission

June Events Internationals Welcome
Cultivating Forerunner Worship An intercessory worship seminar June 1–6 This annual seminar is open to all experienced worship leaders, singers and musicians. It includes biblical teaching on worship, training in the harp and bowl model of prayer and worship, and hands-on breakout sessions for guitar, keyboard and voice, under the direction of Forerunner Music Academy instructors.
One-month track Intercession June 3–26 This one-month program is part of our ongoing Commission program for people of all ages—families and singles—to come for a focused season of spiritual impartation. This month’s teaching focuses on intercession, and incorporates the ten-day track on cultivating a prophetic spirit.
Ten-day track Cultivating a Prophetic Spirit June 3–12 Come and spend ten days at IHOP–KC: receive daily teaching on intercession and the prophetic, enjoy personal ministry, and spend time in the prayer room.

Welcome to the Family, Charlotte

2009-04-25T19:24:00.003-05:00

After months of considering getting a dog, we finally took the plunge. It helped that Wayside Waifs was having a adoptathon and the pets were half price. She's a Beagle/Terrier and 10 months old. So she won't get much bigger. That's a good thing because Sophie tries to ride large dogs. So far she's been adjusting beautifully. We are crate training her but otherwise when she's totally house broken she will have lots of freedom. We're not sure of her habits yet, she doesn't seem to have to go potty very often. She's very fearful of the leash too. If she doesn't want to go where she's being lead she just lies down. The only time she's barked is when the horses are by the back fence. She mainly loves napping on the livingroom floor. Her name...well, everybody in our house has an 'H' in their name so the kids gave her a name with an "H". John wants to call her Charlie. Huh?Do dogs know what pointing is?

In Honor of Earth Day

2009-04-22T15:15:00.005-05:00

God's creation in our yard.

We have 2 of these Redbud trees in our frontyard. They have such a brilliant color and unusual buds that grow all over the tree.

Grandpa's Hosta's from MN are coming in and looking really nice.
We're trying a new type of gardening this year called "Square Foot Gardening".
We can see our neighbor's pond until these trees get their leaves. The best part of the day.....it's pushing 80 degrees.

If I Could Do It Over Again...

2009-03-29T21:28:00.005-05:00

I would choose a new picture. Our family is featured in the Children's Equipping Center's Spring Newsletter. I emailed them a picture awhile ago but I guess I didn't look at it very closely. The Newsletter came out today and while in church the older kids started laughing when they saw our picture. Look at what Josiah is doing. I almost wet my pants when I saw it.

Where did all the Flowers Go?

2009-03-29T14:13:00.000-05:00

Josiah Celebrates 10 Years

2009-03-23T10:31:00.002-05:00

The Boy King turned 10 yesterday. Next week he will have a party. It will be the first birthday party he's ever had.

Getting Back 2, Losing 1 More

2009-03-20T11:41:00.002-05:00

Rachel and Sarah are on their way back from New Orleans. They will get home around 5 or 6 in the morning tomorrow. We've missed them but it sounds like they're having a glorious time. Except for the 20+ hours spent on the bus there and back.

Zach left this morning to Evansville, IN with Derek Loux. They needed an electric guitar player, so off he went. That's all we know.

Visit to Minnesota

2009-03-17T16:54:00.007-05:00

Most of our trips to Minnesota are jammed packed with visits and appointments to do ministry and fundraising. This trip was simply about visiting my Dad. He was diagnosed last fall with stage 4 Prostate cancer. Earlier this winter it took a turn for the worse causing much pain. He and his wife, Barb, cut short their time in AZ and headed back to Minnesota where he will have radiation treatment. Keep him in your prayers.

Some on-the-road pictures.

Sophie lost another tooth... in the car.

Two less passengers means more room for the rest.

Building a fort at Grandma Nielsen's.

Coming back into Kansas City-rays of hope.

Chuck, Dara, and Grandma Micki, we waved at your exit.

Treasures From the Couch Cushions

2009-03-17T16:51:00.001-05:00

See anything that belongs to you?

Girls in New Orleans

2009-03-16T11:29:00.002-05:00

The girls made it to New Orleans. We've talked with them everyday since they left. Thank you for cellphones. It's been a very good experience for them. This email was sent to us from the leader of the group. Sorry the pictures aren't attached.

From: Crisis Response International
Well after a 20 hour bus ride we finally got here but God started moving way before we arrived.Just as we were driving out of Missouri, it started to snow and the roads iced up. So Zac Dinsmore grabbed his guitar and as soon as we just starting singing, the presence of God came in so strong but sweet. We were singing 'Shine your light, let the whole world see' and 'Shine Lord Shine, the light of your face' The snow started to stop and the road conditions improved...right then Sean yelled that we just passed into Arkansas and the billboard said, 'Welcome to Arkansas, Shine!' Some claimed that while in worship they felt a presence of the Lord that they never really felt before. Our first taste of the Lord's harvest was when we stopped at a gas station. We had just practiced getting words of knowledge on the bus and as we were pumping the gas the Lord had indicated He wanted to speak to this girl getting gas as well. God wanted her to know that he saw her crisis. She then for the first time heard that she could have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe because Jesus made the way for her on the cross. She gladly invited him in.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to give away shoes to everyone in the neighborhood to many people that were needy. There were absolutely amazing testimonies of deliverance, healing, and just people opening up to receive prayer.

Break out session!!
Our whole team would testify that there is no way that we can express what happened in our midst this morning. So here are some pictures to show you what it was like and what was happening. Sean told our leaders this morning that we were going to do a fire tunnel. As the leaders went up, Christina Caulder started feeling the Holy Spirit's fire upon her. Then all the other leaders started feeling it. We started going through the fire tunnel as the leaders laid hands on us and imparted the power of the Holy Spirit. Some of us had been drunk in the Holy Spirit before and some hadn't but every single one of us got wrecked! At times all you could do was scream or just cry. A little later the spirit indicated that some on the team were struggling with lies from the enemy. It didn't matter if they were inhibitions or fears and each one as they were set free began to jump on their lies with shouts of joy. A few curious folks came in and received ministry but after the meeting went over 3 and half hours it spilled into the street. We ended up cooking hundreds of pounds of chicken out on the sidewalk and the music and ministry now 5 hours later still hasn't stopped.

One testimony came from a man who showed up at the building where we were giving out the shoes drunk.He came in and a couple people started to pray for him. Immediately he sobered up and the presence of the Lord fell upon him like fire. He left with his spirit revived. A couple hours later he came back because he had a burden for his sister and that she might get healed. She had just gotten surgery and was bedridden. Several people gathered around him to pray for him and his sister. During that time Mr. Bryson felt the spirit of the Lord telling him the story of the Centurion spoken of in Luke 7. Mr Bryson was able to pray that chapter over Ernest and his sister so that, just as the Centurion had faith for his servant to be healed even without Jesus' physical presence, she might be healed by faith. Later Ernest started sharing his heart about his life story to a couple of our guys. He spoke of his alcohol addiction and how the Lord had set him free earlier that same day. He also spoke of how his wife and mother had died and how he nearly committed suicide. He told us that the only reason he did not give up on life was because he had felt that the Lord had a purpose for him. His speaking was anointed and well articulated, even though he had been familiar with the Spirit of the Lord for only a few hours. Our whole team felt as if this one man's testimony was worth the entire journey.

Quick Update

2009-02-23T10:18:00.002-06:00

Our current life in bullet points:

Rachel and Sarah are raising funds to go on a missions trip during springbreak to New Orleans with Crisis Response International.
We are no longer in the media department at IHOP. We are waiting on the Lord for our next assignment. Waiting is not as easy as it sounds.
We are spending more hours in the Global Prayer Room praying for world revival and for the return of Jesus to the earth.
Zach is leading 2 sets a week in the Justice Prayer Room and will soon be playing on a couple of sets a week in the Global Prayer Room.
John and I are doing pre-marital counseling with a young couple getting married soon.
I got a very part time job. Besides providing a little extra income it's good mental therapy.
John and the kids are leading worship for the Children's Equipping Center once a month.
John is helping the kids at The Daniel Academy to build worship teams.
I'm also teaching a Yearbook class at The Daniel Academy.
The girls are gearing up for another ballet in May. I will be working on costumes to help pay the way for our girls to dance.

That's a very abbreviated version of our life.

On This Day 14 Years Ago

2009-02-12T14:11:00.005-06:00

That's right, on this day 14 years ago Sarah was born on the morning of her due date. How often does that happen? She hasn't changed from that habit, she still likes to be on time. It was a Sunday morning and she was born bright and early around 5am. John still could have lead worship that morning but opted to bring the other kids in to see their baby sister. :) Just 2 weeks earlier she was facing the wrong way on the womb and we had to have her turned. Being the obedient child that she is, she stayed put. Her birthday meal was lunch at IHOP, that would be the International House of Pancakes not prayer. That's her creation.....an Ice Cream Kit Kat Cake.

This One's For You, Mom

2009-02-05T14:51:00.004-06:00

Subtitle-"What is that stuff on your countertop?"

This was my Mom's response to our Kefir culture, amoung other things, fermenting in my kitchen. I first read about the benefits of Kefir years ago in a Above Rubies Magazine. I've been curious ever since but never checked into it. About a year ago I was picking up Rachel at a friend's house and the parents told me about all the things they were culturing. Kefir was one of them and he offered me grains to get started. I was thrilled. Now I'm culturing Kefir, Kombucha tea, and fermented vegtables. Kefir is by far the easiest and healthiest thing to start with. Here's just a few health benefits....

they manufacture B-vitamins, such as biotin, niacin(B3),pyridoxine(B6) and folic acid by providing the enzyme lactase they enhance, and indeed allow, the digestion of milk based foods, and the vital calcium which they contain, for people who cannot otherwise digest milk.

they predigest the protein of cultured milk (yoghurt, kefir) thus enhancing protein digestion and absorption.

they can act as watchdogs by keeping an eye on, and effectively controlling, the spread of undesirable micro-organisms (by altering the acidity of the region they inhabit and/or producing specific anti-biotic substances, as well as by depriving rival unfriendly bacteria of their nutrients). The antibiotics some of the friendly bacteria produce are effective against many harmful bacteria, viruses and fungi. Not the least of the potentially harmful yeasts controlled by some lactobacilli is Candida albicans, now implicated in many health problems in people who are malnourished or whose immune systems are depleted. Food poisoning and many bowl and urinary tract infections (diarrhea, cystitis etc.) can be prevented and treated using high bacterial cultures.

they can help considerably to enhance bowel function. Where bowel bacteria are absent, the function of peristalsis is impaired, and the amount of time it takes for food to pass completely through the system is much increased.

they can help to control high cholesterol levels, thereby affording us protection from the cardiovascular damage which excessive levels of this nonetheless important substance can create.

they sometimes act to relieve the symptoms of anxiety.

they have been shown to control facial acne in 80% of adolescents with this problem.

they play a vital role in the development of a healthy digestive tract in babies.

they play a role in protecting against the negative effects of radiation and toxic pollutants, enhancing immune function.

It's been said that Kefir grains may have been used by shepherds in the bible in their wineskins and made with goatmilk. Not sure how this could be proved but it's an interesting concept.

We make ours with raw milk from the farm. I haven't used it for anything but smoothies. It's not a good day unless we've all had our Kefir smoothie. My favorite flavor is coconut pineapple. We mix it up with peaches, strawberries and mixed berries and always a banana to take away any sour taste.

Happy Kefir drinkers.

The Kefir grains multiply very quickly so we end up either sharing them or throwing them away. So if any of my Minnesota friends want some, we're planning a trip in early May. I would be happy to share them with you. How much do you want, Mom?

Look Mom, We Have No Teeth

2009-02-05T14:45:00.002-06:00

Everybody Needs One Of These

2009-02-02T11:28:00.004-06:00

Chloe is the resident scrubber in the house. She loves scrubbing dishes and other pots and pans. For weeks she has been asking to scrub the stove top burner trays. It was a dream come true for her when they are dirty enough to clean. That bottle in the background is Kombucha tea, not beer. We took a vow over 20 years ago to not drink alcohol and haven't since. I'll write more about the tea later. You might want to try it yourself.

NBC Rejects Pro-Life Super Bowl Ad Educating Viewers on Obama and Abortion

2009-01-30T16:54:00.002-06:00

The Video I previously posted is the Ad NBC is refusing to air. The Media's love affair with Barack Obama continues.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- NBC is coming under fire from pro-life advocates for rejecting a television commercial a pro-life group hoped to run during the Super Bowl. The ad shows a beautiful picture of an unborn child during an ultrasound and asks what would happen if President Barack Obama had been a victim of abortion.

The commercial, a popular one in recent weeks within the pro-life movement, is sponsored by the pro-life Catholic group Fidelis and its CatholicVote web site.

After several days of negotiations, an NBC representative in Chicago told the group late yesterday that NBC and the NFL are not interested in advertisements involving "political advocacy or issues."

Brian Burch, president of the pro-life group, told LifeNews.com he is upset that NBC officials rejected what he calls a uplifting and positive pro-life ad.

"There is nothing objectionable in this positive, life-affirming advertisement. We show a beautiful ultrasound, something NBC's parent company GE has done for years," Burch said.

"We congratulate Barack Obama on becoming the first African-American President. And we simply ask people to imagine the potential of every human life," he told LifeNews.com.

Burch said NBC told Fidelis that they do not allow political or issue advocacy advertisements.

I Find This Video Very Provoking

2009-01-28T21:46:00.000-06:00

Rest

2009-01-21T14:21:00.002-06:00

"Rest. Rest. Rest in God's love.
The only work you are required now to do
is to give your most intense attention to
His still, small voice."

Madame Jeanne Guyon

Here We Go Around the World Again

2009-01-18T14:25:00.006-06:00

Once again we are traveling around the world in our homeschool study, Children Around The World. This week we found ourselves in Alaska eating Bannock, a fried bread. The meal wasn't much, so we had clam chowder. Hey Alaskans eat clam chowder, don't they? The best part was playing the Inuit games.....Leg Wrestling, Knee Walking, Owl Hop, and Toe Jump.

Dad explaining the games.

Sophie and Chloe doing the Seal Crawl.

Hannah getting ready to do the knee jump. I posted a couple of videos on Facebook so you can see the graceful beauty of these games. Just click on the picture to play.

Give Me Feedback

2009-01-17T14:57:00.002-06:00

Let me know what you think of our new look. I enjoy having a different look to our blog every now and then and being able to change it up. I don't know if others have had much success, but it's really difficult to change templates with fancy fun designs and not loose all your widgets. So I'm just going with a new background. Maybe I should have been a graphics designer. If only I had a little more time.

Leading On

2009-01-11T10:47:00.004-06:00

This morning our family lead worship in the Children's Equipping Center at the early service. This will be a part of our regular routine in this next season. Focusing more on prayer and worship and making it a family thing. For those that knew us before we came to IHOP, praise and worship was a huge part of our lives. Since we've been here we haven't done much of it....how does that happen....anyways, it's back in our view now.

The kids know how to move at 8:30 am. (BTW, my camera is back. Not sure of the quality of the pictures yet. I need to play with it some more.)

Look at Me, I'm 6

2009-01-07T19:17:00.003-06:00

She's been telling people for months that she is 5 1/2 years old. Now Sophie can say she's a 6 year old. What a day she planned for us. It started with waffles, but she didn't want homemade, she wanted the kind that go in the toaster.

We played Snorta. It holds her attention for just the right amount of time. Then it's off to the next thing. That next thing was watching Horton Hears A Who.

She chose a spaghetti dinner and made name place cards for us. Somehow Sophie and Chloe got the most important seats at the table. ;)

Rachel made the princess rose cake last night. It must have been late for all of us because we didn't notice anything odd about it until today when we took it out. Can you see anything strange?

One More Week

2009-01-05T19:41:00.003-06:00

Just one more week before school starts. Zach will head back over to Forerunner Music Academy, Rachel & Sarah will go back to The Daniel Academy, (Zach thinks it's funny he's still pictured on their website, it's such a great picture though) and the little squirts are home with me. I'm really enjoying them and I'm looking forward to getting back to school. They've had a little too much time on their hands.
Both John and I will teach a class at The Daniel Academy. He'll be teaching 5th and 6th graders a Trailblazers class, I believe it's a reading history based program. I'll be teaching a yearbook class to high schoolers 2 times a week. I've been very busy this past week trying to find a publisher that meets all of our needs. I didn't know there were so many options out there. And these kids are creative, I can't wait to see what they come up with at the end of the year. It'll be good.

John has 1 more week left heading up the Media Apprenticeship. There are many mixed emotions about leaving this position. It just feels like the right time. We want to devote more time to praying together as a family. At IHOP there are different staff designations:

Full-time staff :
24 hours/week of scheduled prayer room time
24 hours/week of service and team-building time combined
Part-time Staff
12 hours/week of scheduled Prayer Room time
12 hours/week of service and team-building time combined
Operations Staff
12 hours/week of scheduled Prayer Room time
36 hours/week of service and team-building time combined

We were Operations staff and haven't decided yet what our next designation will be. This will be a financial shift for us as well. We were receiving a work scholarship for our time. If you are interested in supporting us, please contact us. (At this time we are not supported by any churches or organizations, only individuals. Any help is greatly appreciated.)

John is scheduled to lead worship once a month for the Children's Equipping Center as well as the Malachi Prayer Room. There may be other worship opportunities coming up also.

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T22:14:00.002-06:00

The Onething conference finished up last night sometime around 12:30am. The kids and I came home and had a bite to eat, by 2am they were all in bed. John worked until 4am downtown at the convention center loading up all the equipment that was brought from IHOP to broadcast the conference on GOD TV and the IHOP webstream. The conference left me saying yes again to the Lord and signing up for being a Intercessory Missionary once again. It hasn't been the easiest thing we've ever done but the rewards are going to be tremendous.
John had an unfortunate incident at the conference. His laptop was stolen from the media trailer backstage. They thought the area was secured but someone knew the building well enough and security found his empty KWLM/Vikings bag in the trash in a men's bathroom on a lower level . The Lord giveth and Lord taketh away. He received that laptop as a gift in May and it had been a real blessing.
There have been so many happenings like this in the last year, it's not even funny. My camera locked up in early December while taking pictures of the girl's ballet. I'm taking it to a shop tomorrow to see if they can tell me what's wrong with it. It's a Canon G7 and it's been the best camera we're ever had.
It's a new year with it's new adventures. Hang on tight....we'll see what's in store.

We Party 'Til The House Comes Down

2008-12-24T20:36:00.002-06:00

Or at least the lights come down. No joking! We had an Open House today for a whole bunch of friends. We were just starting to gather around the piano for some Christmas Caroling when what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a light fixture dangling by it's wires in the kitchen. (There was some jumping going on in the bedroom above it) After some new holes were drilled by the men, the light was rehung and the party continued like nothing had happened. We're a wild bunch.
BTW- for those of you who saw our Christmas Letter about The Nielsen Mouse that lives in our house.....he is no longer. You get my drift.

Chloe Christina is 8 Today

2008-12-23T20:36:00.004-06:00

Chloe had her 8th birthday today. I will never forget the night she was born. We had her at home with a midwife. After 5 births before her that were all fairly easy we figured let's try the homebirth thing. We had a great midwife and the pregnancy was one of my easiest. She was about 10 days overdue and I felt like she was never coming, no twinges, nothing. I went to bed that night and had a dream I was in labor. Sure enough I woke up about 3am with contractions. John figured he'd better call the midwife, she lived in the country and it was about -24 degrees outside. (A typical Minnesota winter) She said she'd come right away and just sleep on the couch since the weather was so cold. By the time she got there my water had broke and the contractions were coming on very strong. Chloe was born around 4am. It was the quickest labor from start to finish that we had ever had. It was the least amount of weight I had ever gained during a pregnancy but one of the biggest babies at 9lbs 4oz. She's a sweety!

Chloe wanted a Heath Fudge Cake for her celebration. We improvised and it turned out pretty good.

We also made some homemade ice cream and found out what happens when you fill the container too far and freeze it. Looks pretty cool.

Hannah's 12th Birthday- Let's Party!

2008-12-23T09:09:00.003-06:00

Hannah celebrated her birthday in style with a birthday party for 10 friends. They decorated cookies, played games, went outside (for about 2 minutes), ate homemade pizza, drank hot cocoa, picked up Skittles with chopsticks, and exchanged white elephant gifts.

Mystery Of Christmas, The Nutcracker

2008-12-20T19:53:00.006-06:00

This was the second year our kids were involved in The Mystery of Christmas. It is a Christian version of The Nutcracker. The other night we watched The Nutcracker on PBS and I was struck at what a wonderful job Dramatic Truth has done in just tweaking the story a little and making it about Jesus. The music is the same, the dancing is excellent, and the message is fabulous. I'm very impressed.

Sarah played the role of Clara, she worked hard and has a wonderful stage presence.

Rachel and John played parents and danced together. They were one of the most animated couples on the stage.

Josiah, Chloe, and Hannah all played boys in the party scene. Hannah also danced in a Russian dance in the 2nd Act but my camera locked up and I couldn't get anymore pictures.

Sophie was in the American Dance as a little cowgirl. She was on the stage for literally 30 seconds and she stole the show.Sarah dancing with the Holy Spirit. Then dancing with demons.Angels leading her and the shepherds to the baby Jesus.

Update

2008-12-19T10:21:00.003-06:00

Just a quick update on the van.....It's now fixed. Thanks to you, our faithful supporters, we had enough to fix both cars. We shopped around to get the best deal and were happy with the service they gave us.
Now the car.....we've been driving it for months now thinking it needed a new heater core. We brought it to a new little shop in the area and found out the problem was a water pump and clogged hoses. This was also a much cheaper job and now it has heat. Hooray!

We Do Have Sleds

2008-12-09T19:04:00.005-06:00

You would think being from Minnesota we would know how to sled. Moments after this picture was taken Josiah's head collided with the hanging saucer swing. Lots of blood poured out of his eyebrow but thankfully no stitches were needed. Do you think concealer will cover up those wounds while he's on stage for the "Mystery of Christmas"?

Our Crazy Life

2008-12-08T11:49:00.002-06:00

First of all, the van is fixed. Hip Hip Hooray!

Our week is filled with birthdays and rehearsals for The Mystery of Christmas. It's going to be a special show. I will definitely have pictures of this. It's a family affair with only Zach and myself not in the show.

The Donkey is Hurting

2008-11-30T18:35:00.002-06:00

People hauler, donkey, urban assault vehicle, toaster...it's been called many things. But the Nielsen van is in need of a new fuel pump and a few other miner things. We had it towed to a mechanic closer to home that's less expensive and it should be repaired soon. In the meantime, we (not all of us, because we would not fit) are driving our Taurus which has no heater core. Thankfully, we don't drive too far and it's not that cold.