quick post & prayer request

Hello, all! (speaking of 'hello', i have that song by Shonlock stuck in my head...who, by the way, i got to see in concert on Saturday! more on that later)

So sorry I haven't posted! I have been SO busy, but having so much fun! :) I'm kinda tired - haven't gotten enough sleep for the last, ah, several days - and I'm not sure that a decent blog post right now would be the greatest idea ever (i'm not completely functioning, i don't think..just enough to stay awake). :P Plus, I burned my tongue hours ago with hot (HOT) chocolate, and it still hurts. Still.

But I just wanted to check in and ask you guys girls people (tho my few readers are prob mostly girls) if you could be praying for my brother, Nicholas. He got hit in the head with a baseball bat earlier this afternoon, so my mom went to an after hours clinic or something with him. They're still gone, but she called to let me know that he's doing OK and that he got three stitches on the small yet deep cut on the outer edge of his eyebrow (a first among us kids! the stitches, i mean). Anyway, here's a pic of my little bro (at Busch Gardens):

isn't he cute?
{he's going to kill me for saying that}

So, yes, your prayers would be greatly appreciated! And, hey, if - when you read this, if you could just drop a quick note saying, "Praying for you, Nicholas!" or "You're the most adorable ahem, handsome thing ever," or something, I'm sure he'd love that. ;) (JK about the latter. He would also kill me for that. :) Anyone else have younger siblings they love to tease?? Gotta love 'em...they bring so much joy, do they not?)

Anyway...the water for the spaghetti is about to boil over (I can hear it...it's coming...). Noah's electronic chess thing is beeping constantly, and quite annoyingly (beep, beep...beep...beep, beep, beep). I'm tired. I'm hungry (*rumble, rumble, growl*...right on cue). I'm getting a headache from the beeping. And did I mention I'm tired?

....Don't you just love life? :D I sure do. How's your life?


**Update from 4/24 -- Nicholas is doing great and loving the attention from the stitches (thanks for the comment, Trinka!!). ;) I just took some pics of him (below).


And, hey, I know that y'all have time to say you'll pray for him! I mean, don't say it if you don't mean it, obviously, but I thought it'd be really great to surprise him with a whole list of people who are praying for him in a couple of days or so. :) A little help, please? Thanks, and love and blessings to you all!

sorry about the poor picture quality :P i just have to say, tho 

- i don't know, however, if you can tell too well in this picture - 

but our family all pretty much agrees that he got all the good genes -
my mom's beautiful, tanned skin tone as well as the gorgeous brown eyes,
long eyelashes, slim, athletic build, etc. :)
the hair here could use a little work...
;) not that he cares

...and the puppy face
(he's about to burst into laughter)
;D

IHOP and Intercession

Hey, all!  I'm 'in' (via the internet) the prayer room right now at IHOP (International House of Prayer) in Kansas City, Missouri...just wanted to share. ;) Also, soon, at 5pm (our time, EST; 4pm their time, CST), Misty Edwards will be leading the worship during the time of intercession!! Misty Edwards is an incredible artist in Christian music (and gifted in intercession); you have probably heard her song, "You Won't Relent" (also sung by Jesus Culture). Here's a link to a video on YouTube of her singing it live at IHOP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXspOqp6b6s

This week(end) at IHOP they're hosting something called onething, starting tomorrow and ending Saturday. You can look at the details here.

So, as much I would absolutely love to be there, I can't, so I'll settle for in the internet. I already know that the Holy Spirit can work very powerfully in even what we do and watch and listen to on the internet...like watching live services at my church and being part of a community of Christ-following teen girls led by an amazing Christian author on her blog and all that good stuff. ;)

I've been learning a lot about intercession...I got a book called Possessing the Gates of the Enemy, by Cindy Jacobs, for Christmas, recommended by some of our friends, and here is what Mrs. Jacobs says on pages 57-58 at the beginning of Chapter 5 (no, I'm not there yet, but I was skimming through the book when I first got it and this stuck with me; words in brackets are mine):

There has been some controversy today about the ministry of intercession. Some say that there is no such thing as the gift of intercession - that God calls the whole Body to be intercessors. Others who feel a special call of God upon their lives to intercede are confused and say, "Where is my place in the Body if there is no gift of intercession? I know that I have a unique drawing from the Lord to stand in the gap [Ezekiel 22:30]. I spend hours every day alone with God praying for the nations of the world, my church, my own country and its leader."

Which side is right? They both are. From the viewpoint of ministry we are all to pray and intercede like Jesus, our example. From the viewpoint of giftedness a vast number of people are also called specifically to be intercessors. The difference is that one level of intercession is the responsibility of every Christian, and the other is a gift that God bestows and is part of the biblical ministry of helps. Some who receive the gift of intercession receive a future gifting to become prayer leaders. God uses them not only to intercede but to teach others the secrets of intercession.

Then she goes on to explain how she has experienced these things in her life. Three things I really like about Mrs. Jacobs is how honest she is, how personal she is, and how humble she is. It has been a joy so far reading this book.

Anyway, I totally agree with what she said about the responsibility of everyone who follows Christ to intercede in prayer, but that also there are people who are especially burdened for intercession. Some do it through music, there is often prophetic intercession, and some simply pray, connecting with their Lord Jesus Christ.

Also, she quoted Dick Eastman from his book Love on Its Knees at the beginning of this chapter:

An intercessor is a man or woman - or child - who fights on behalf of others. As such, intercession is the activity that identifies us most with Christ. To be an intercessor is to be like Jesus because that is what Jesus is like. He ever lives to intercede.

I don't know if I agree so much with the part where he says that intercession is "the activity that identifies us most with Christ", but I certainly and strongly agree with everything else.

So. These are just some things to ponder. I find them all very inspiring and teaching (that isn't the grammatically correct word to use in this instance, is it? ah, well - you get what I mean...geez, I'm such a perfectionist), and I pray that I will continue to learn exactly how exactly Christ is calling me to serve Him.

Glory be to God in the highest!!!


~Nicole