My Kid Has a Band

Here's a poster/album cover concept he came up with.
Someone named JENNIFER JAMES will most likely appreciate this the most!

Our Story: Part Two

The next few years were a swirl of us really learning about who God is, and finding out that there was so much more to Him than we had experienced! This was the first time that we actually became involved in Worship ministry at our church. Over the next few years John began playing guitar at church, co-leading some, and we led a really great college aged small group at our house! We walked through much healing in our lives and were receiving downloads of revelation from the Holy Spirit. It was a good season.

I was a stay at home mom by that time. Nick had entered Kindergarten. Taylor sobbed and sobbed the first day of school. I spent time helping at his school and playing with my little ones at home.

It was when I was pregnant with Isabelle that we received the first prophecy that had the word "Forerunner" and "Pioneer" in it. We didn't even realize what this meant, but it made us curious for sure. It was also during this season of multiple trips back and forth to Toronto to conferences, that we first heard any teaching by Mike Bickle. We never actually heard him speak there, but we began listening to teaching tapes. (Yes, tapes folks! We're old!)

In 2000, we met a couple that was pioneering a school of ministry for young adults, raising them up in all the values that were burning in our hearts. They asked us to come on board to help. And we went. We moved to Evansville, Indiana only to have this school close before it even started- our hearts took the hit hard. For many reasons we remained in Indiana for a year after this. It was one of the most difficult seasons of our lives. John worked third shift cleaning buildings. I found a part time job at a pre-school that I wouldn't even take my own children too. The only blessing was that we were only a few minutes from the home and church of one of our previous pastors and dear friends! AND we were only a few hours from Indianapolis where the rest of the Loux family was living.

John was able to work on an album in the studio with Derek and Heather during this time. A great time for him!

AND John made his first trip to Kansas City to IHOP (which was then in the trailer).

We survived the year and moved back to PA. John got his old job back. We moved home tired and a bit shell shocked from all that the year entailed.

Bella

By the way Bella, the movie is playing in Kansas City!

I'm Not Supermom, It's All Pretend!

In order for my kids to get a free 100% on a quiz, and because I didn't want to look like a lame mom, I whipped up some "Fried Biscuits" tonight for their "bring something in from China, India, or Africa food tasting party in history class"...... A website I found told me that if I fried up some biscuits in hot oil and sprinkles powdered sugar on them that it was a "near replica" of an Indian dessert. It sounded easy and somewhat fun. It was... they don't taste too bad either!





Oh, I should mention that the earlier part of my day involved. Leading the first service for our Children's Equipping Center, attending the second service, running to Sam's club to grab something easy for lunch, giving two spelling tests, going to our small group....... and THEN whipping up these tasty delights!

I'm So Stinkin' Proud of My Kid

I'm invoking my parental rights and totally bragging on my son. Nick (age 15) is creative beyond what I ever was at his age! I'm so wowed by all that God is doing in his life, and blessed that I actually get to be part of it! I'm hanging on for the ride as I get ready to watch him grow into the man God created him to be!

Here's some of his recent photography.

Self Portraits of a Truly Awesome Kid!!!!!

Our Story: Part One (Please someone think of something clever for me to call these posts!)

Some of you have been wanting "the rest of the story". Who are we, why are we here?
So in my attempt to fill you in here it goes!

John and I met in '89 and married in '90. It was a speedy quick romance; and a "we were made for each other, let's get married" love story. Boy meets girl with big earrings, finds out who she is, and is tricked into calling her and asking her out by some pesky friend of the younger brother. Girls says yes. Boy and girl date several times, decide that they want to date forever, and set a date. We love Jesus, but have no idea how much he loves us.

Fast forward 2 years, we have our double blessing Nicholas, after loosing our first child to miscarriage. We are so young, and so in love with our little boy. We hit our first few bumps in marriage, and do our best to work through them, still loving each other. We still love Jesus and still have no clue how much He loves us!

Fast forward 3 1/2 years, we now live is Columbus Georgia. I am teaching art at a middle school and John is selling guitars at a music store. Surprise!!! Baby #2 on the way! Pregnancy test taken "at church" of all places and delivered to daddy on a slice of pizza that he did not eat! Our very own Baby Taylor arrives!

Fast forward 7 months, and we loose our nephew Josiah (Derek and Renee's son) to complications due to Spina Bifida. Heart break for the whole family. Walking my then 4 year old son through the loss of his dearest friend and best buddy was one of the hardest challenges I have faced as a mother. Shortly after, we move back to PA, mostly broken, needing healing in many areas of our lives, and longing for something more!

Fast forward to January 1998. I am expecting Isabelle, any day now! John heads to Toronto to a "Pastors and Leaders Conference." His heart is impacted like never before, and he receives a revelation of the Father's Love. He returns home a changed man! We welcome Isabelle into the world on January 24th, just a few days after he returns home.

Thus begins our adventure of learning that the Father LOVES us, He really loves us! And I am still an eager student of HIS LOVE!

Adoption Story

For those of you new to the blog and wanting to know more about our adoption story, you can check out post in Jan, Feb, and March of 2007 for a run down on Elia's adoption!

I'm Having A Bad Hair Day

Just thought you'd all like to know!
So if you do actually SEE me today, please don't PRETEND that my hair looks good, cause it does not!

Fortunately my day is so busy that hopefully I won't even give my hair another thought!
1. Take 2 kids to school.
2. Take 2 kid to the dentist.
3. Take that one kid to school late.
4. Take remaining child and head to the prayer room.
5. Eat lunch on the fly, if I remember to eat lunch.
6. Go to school and teach three art classes.
7. Come home and pretend that I know what we're having for dinner!
8. Read a few more chapters of RED (Ted Dekker) to my family.
9. Go to bed.

Cuteness as It's Best!!!

It doesn't get much cuter than this!



Unless of course it's this! Elia demonstrating her new talent, "zurbling" (the blowing of ones lips to create a fun vibrating sound- juicy slobber adds to the affect!)

Who ever said...

Who ever said that being a good mom meant being at home all the time, playing on the floor with the baby, doing laundry in a timely fashion, having all the nooks and crannies free of dust balls?

I’ve found myself in a odd place of analyzing my role as mom these days. I have a baby again (my oldest three are 15, 11, and 9), and part of me has begun to compare my self to the kind of mom I was when our first three children were little. My life looks much differently now. The things that occupy my days are very, very different.

I sat in the prayer room the other day wondering, should I just be at home playing with Elia on the living room floor, arranging play dates, and staying on top of the housework? However, as I contemplated these things, I was struck by the reality that though my life looks much differently now, and although Elia’s playroom most morning is the floor of the prayer room, I really do love being a mom here at IHOP. I don't intend to paint a rosey picture becuase it is rarely easy. There are many challenges involved with being a mom here at IHOP, but I'll leave that for another post.

I don't think that I even have a clear understanding of the full impact of what I am doing most days, but I think that perhaps it is something big- something beyond what I can understand right now. I think that perhaps having this tiny girl raised in the house of prayer may be the most important thing that I do in this life. She’s so at home here.

Even as I write, she is sitting on the floor playing with her little Bible activity book and singing her heart out, bouncing up and down to the music as the room is praying for Zimbabwe. Her little voice gets louder with the swell of prayer and worship in the room. She responds to the music with a little bounce and wavy arms.

She has been in this prayer room about 12 hours a week since she was just a few weeks old. She is often carried around by intercessors that I know pray for her and sing over her as they hold her. She is being immersed in the spirit of prayer. This is her NORMAL… she knows nothing else.

I'm watching Psalm 8:2 take place every day of my life, as praise (strength) that was "ordained" to come from Elia's mouth comes forth to silence the enemy.

So if you see Elia in the prayer room, and if you hear her, know that she is impacting the heavenlies with the sound of her voice. I don't take that lightly!

Prime Numbers

Numbers that are only divisible by 1.
I can give you the first 100 prime numbers, just because I'm not totally ignorant.

But explain to me why I need to know this?
Is there anyone out there that uses this knowledge on a regular basis?

I'm almost 40 and I've never once needed to recall the definition of a PRIME NUMBER unless I was helping one of my lovely children with their homework.

Sometimes it's hard to answer the question, "Why do I need to know this in real life?"

Bling Bling

Those of you that know me will know that there are very few days when I am without jewelry of one kind or the other. I'm a huge necklace and earring girl. Have been for a very long time.

Most people with pierced ears have those nice tiny little pin point holes, but mine have been stretched a bit over the years. This is in part due to the fact that in the late 80's early 90's, I wore extremely large earrings. I think until John knew my name, he referred to me as "the girl with the earrings" to someone to find out who I was! I had quite a collection. A collection that if I still had, would probably be back in style.

The other reason that my earring holes are stretched would be due to that fact that those large earrings where often times objects of play for my three oldest children!

Elia has now hit the "must grab, must put in mouth" stage of her childhood, and once again my jewelry has become an object of fascination and appears to be much more fun to teeth on that the "teething toys" created for that purpose.

A friend mentioned this to me in passing the other day and I had to check it out. Teething Bling! Go figure!

Snot, Prime Factors, Prepositions, and The House of Burgesses

That's a quick summary of my day folks, gotta run.

Oh, wait throw a little dirty laundry (make that a lot!) and the ancient civilizatation of Mohenjo-daro

The Day We Met Jennifer James

Most aptly described by non-other-than Jennifer James herself!

IHOP blogger meets IHOP blogger and family!
A lovely lady and a wonderful evening!

New Camera!!!

Here's the latest photo of my beauties! I'm so grateful for my new camera. I'm still trying to work my way through figuring out its various functions.

So, friend Shelley, I figures out how to turn the flash off! Yippee!!! So this morning I was able to attempt to capture my four lovely children in the our sunlit living room!

Glasses for Taylor and Isabelle

This is mostly for out of town family who might not have noticed the spectacles on the "teachers" faces in my previous post!

The Apple of His Eye

Elia was in need of some new jammies, and as I buzzed through Target I quickly grabbed a two-pack and headed on my way. I was sort of aware of the color and thought they might have cherries or something on them. It was not until I got home that I really saw that one pair (pictured here) was laden with apples and the other had a single apple on the front and boasted the words, "Hand Picked with Love."

So Elia wears her now-prophetic jammies, reminding me every time I see them that He loved her so much that He picked her, plucked her up and planted her in our lives. I am so overwhelmed that His love is so grand! She truly is the apple of His eye!

This Is How I Spent My Night

The two big boys (Daddy and Nick) were out tonight leading worship for some event somewhere that I can't remember, so the little ones and I pulled out the Scrabble board! They do pretty well until the end, and then I end up playing all three hands!

All in all two pretty awesome kids that I get to call MINE!

Really It was Just Formula!

Guitar Lessons

They say it's never too early to start! Isabelle decided to give Elia her first lesson the other day!

Zoe and Elia

Elia loves having Zoe play around her play seat! Zoe took off cruising at one point and Elia cried until she came back! BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!

The Guest Speakers Rocked the House!

Isabelle did an overview of the days of creation and impressed us all with her stunning ability to communicate. She did a great job and was well prepared!

Taylor talked about God's original plan for creation, the fall of Satan, how Satan has twisted God's original plan, but how God plans to return to redeem his creation and defeat the enemy once and for all! Taylor's notes were truly impressive!

Bravo my fine children!!!! Teachers at heart!

My Very Own Guest Speakers!

Taylor and Isabelle are speaking in CEC this morning! Their friend Grayson Bohlender has been hosting a CREATION CONFERENCE the past two Sunday mornings. Taylor and Isabelle are on the docket this morning!

More to come! Off we go!

Adoption Crisis in Guatemala

Kimmie, a blog friend of mine, who is in the process of adopting from Guatemala alerted me to the following:
"As I write this tears are streaming down my face, our adoption agency, All God's Children International, has announced they will not be issuing any referrals out of Guatemala, as of next week. Guatemalan President Oscar Berger plans to suspend all inter-country adoptions with American families.
My heart breaks for the 5,000 known children who are in need of families to adopt them, the government does NOT have the means to provide for these kids.
I have no idea what this means for my family, we have filled out paperwork twice now, paid twice and have waited twice-I know that God does have a plan, what it is right now I haven't a clue. Please pray for us, as a mom that has had 14 years of infertility and has had 10 years of waiting for a baby again...please hold me up in prayer. My heart is broken."


Click HERE for the link to this petition.

The Birthday Boy

This is John's Birthday week.... Week? Yes, week... some years ago, he made the announcement that his birthday should be celebrated more like Hanukkah. He argued that one day is not enough of a celebration.... It wasn't until a year later that the rest of us piped in and decided that if Daddy gets a week long birthday then so do we all! And thus the family tradition began.

So seven days means seven presents... most of them small mind you, but it's fun never the less.

Here's Elia Jane presenting her gift to daddy a framed photo of daddy kissing her newborn face!

A Family Affair

For those of you not familiar with the origins of Mrs Beasley! She was a doll featured on the TV SHOW "A Family Affair."

I Used to Have One of These

Now I have one of these!




Anyone else remember Mrs. Beasley, or am I just old... I suppose admitting that she was my favorite doll is just asking for punishment. Oh, well!

John's Birthday is Around the Bend....

and there was apparently a bit of email banter between Randy B. and John last night... old age bashing, jokes about pudding, that kind of thing.... the word BLOG RETALIATION was uttered at one point.
Boys, boys, boys!

Isabelle's Impersonation of Misty Edwards!

Again thanks to the lovely, Shelley Paulson, our very very favorite photographer!

Do you Recognize This Beauty?

Our dear friend Shelley Paulson captured these shots at a family get together a while back!
THANKS SHELLEY!