Happy anniversary!

Happy 7th anniversary IHOP-KC! IHOP has now officially been going 24/7 for 7 years now. I feel that we are here at a strategic time in the heart and plan of God. Dale (Internship director) told us that from the beginning.. that the entire staff felt the excitement and anticipation during this season, and that God calling us to KC for such a time as this was no accident. He told us that on day one, but I didn't feel it, didn't connect to it. I'm a stranger in this strange land. I wasn't around when it started. I don't have a history with this place and the people here. I don't understand how far they've come and what they've endured. I look, see polished musicians and a well organized system and want that for St. Louis, but I have no idea the journey and process that's gone into it. But for these past few days, I've laughed harder than I have in a long time. I've entered into the celebration and the community. I've connected with the stories of the early days.

I've also realized that familiar hope blazing hot inside me again. Someday, I want to joke in front of hundreds of people about the way Nate used to go back and forth from the stage as a worship leader to the sound booth in IHOP St. Louis. I'd close my eyes in worship, and when I'd open them again, Nate was gone. I'd look back, there he was doing sound. I'd close my eyes again, and then he'd be on stage. Someday I want to tell about those humble beginnings, and I long to say that the fire on the alter in St. Louis has not gone out for 7 years. It's got to happen. St. Louis has prophetic history too. It's got to happen. That longing comes and it wanes. I yearn and then I doubt and then I believe and then I wonder. But seriously: is it the heart of God to have night and day worship in St. Louis. With out a doubt. And He will make a way. Hearing more of IHOP-KC's history over the past few days has cemented that in a way for me. We are no different than they were. We just named it "IHOP" sooner than they did. It will happen.

These past three days have been feast days. We've celebrated as a community with food, a whole lot of laughter, and many stories. Our schedules have been crazy, and because of such I'm longing for some more time in the prayer room. But it's been so good. I am so thankful to be here. I keep saying that, but I don't want to stop. I want gratitude to be in my heart daily. I don't want to take this opportunity for granted. We get to be here. We get to soak. We get to learn. Yesterday we opened Christology class by spontaneous singing and singing in the Spirit. We actually didn't open anything. God just broke in. Took over completely for an hour. Wrecked Alan's teaching plans. Wrecked our expectations of the syllabus. Wrecked everything. It was amazing. People started singing random hymns and songs, completely acapella. Sweet, sweet stuff. The more He feeds me the more I hunger. We pondered the incarnation today. Alan says "we're going to cover the divinity and the humanity of Christ today". I think yeah right. We won't get through all of that. We do, but not in the way I thought. There was no philosophical reasoning about it. He gave us no answers. He just asked questions. What was it like for Mary to look at her son, who was the Son of God, and see that He had her cheekbones? The Bible says Jesus grew in wisdom. So He wasn't born with full wisdom. He grew in it, fully human while fully God. What was that like? It's amazing to think about!

I just want to thank everyone who is making this opportunity a reality for us. Through prayer and finances, you are making a huge difference in our lives. And even though we're not leading anything right now, the seeds that are being planted WILL bear fruit in our ministry in the years to come. We need to be grounded here before we can go forward. It is so crucial. So thank you, thank you, thank you! May God richly pay you back! :)