It's Like Coming Home

THE FARM (Isn't it cute!)

My friend Janice and I went to Kansas City, Missouri on a road trip to attend the International House of Prayer and another church there, as well as to have a little fun. On our way, we stopped just outside Colby, Kansas to stay overnight with some very dear people I know, visit a little, and be on our way.

In my youth I was in a home for homeless & "throw-away" teens called The Lighthouse for Girls. Marvin & Topper were the directors of the home. The home is no longer there, but Marvin & Topper are still there, doing Kingdom business from a little farm. After I put my stuff down, I held Topper and said "it feels like home." She said "well, y'are home". Melted my heart! (I can still hear the Kansas twang in her beautiful voice now as I think back.) It was late, so Topper was off to bed, and told us she needed to be up at 5:30 to bottle feed the calves. I gasped "I wanna help!" She said "no, you don't, you need to sleep in, it's awfully early." I could hardly sleep that night waiting to hear the shuffling of early morning feet...finally I heard her up and jumped out of bed ready to feed calves if I had to do it in my jammies! She told me to go back to bed, they would go out at 7:30. I was too excited to sleep though, I was dressed and ready in seconds. I miss the "chores" of farm life. It's like really living...I don't know how else to explain it. Here's some pics of the little guys we fed. They were taken with my cell phone, so they aren't that great, but the calves are just adorable!

Below are the cows about a year after bottle feeding. It's so cute, M&T said they don't ever have to herd the cattle, they just call and the cows follow. They were debating coming up so we could pet them, but they eventually did...and I was licked by their cat-like tongues...gross, but so cool! And their horses...ohhhhh...so beautiful!

Our stop in Kansas was probably the highlight of my trip. I'm not far from M&T, but sadly I don't often visit. Strange how that is, considering how much I love my people and how fun their place is.

So M&T always load me up with books & devotionals & study material every time I am there...they crack me up. They loaded Janice up too. Well, on our way to Kansas City, MO, I was reading one of the books they gave us out loud. :) We were so into the book that neither one of us realized that so much time had passed until we heard the clunk of the engine just OUTSIDE Topeka...haa haa. We were out of gas. My carpanion was a bit stressed out, but I was having a great time on the side of the highway, and I knew help was on the way...and it was, we were rescued in about 30 minutes. Things never seem to go as planned, but when away from the regular stresses of every day life, to me, it's all adventure. :D

My adventure didn't end there. IHOP is such an amazing place of 24/7 prayer and worship. I wrote down many of the words to the music that was being sung as if it was the Lord singing it to me. I could have stayed there for hours on end, and the next time I go alone, I certainly will. One thing I know now more than ever, His hand was over us everywhere we went, and in everything that was sung & spoken over me during the time I was there. He was thinking of me (Psalm 139:17) and at this very moment I am so aware of it! He just never ceases to amaze me, and I pray that some day I will amaze Him right back.