Its a, a, a, demon?!

Some people who check out my blog might want to stop right here, and read something else. It is always amazing to me people actually READ this at all!


Yesterday as we left onething, I began to have this weird yawning thing. It isnt a real yawn. It was like a series of shallow yawns that seem unproductive. Danielle commented on it, and I was kind of thinking it was odd. This was coupled with the fact that her father just died of what we bet is congestive heart failure, and I, for some odd reason, was having the weirdest little twinge in my chest since Saturday night!

I was fairly confident the thing in my chest was actually just being sore from working out, as it wasnt that strong, was more sore than anything, and very small and localized, but just throw a little fear in there....

Anyhow, I had also commented to Danielle on Saturday that I was feeling rather at odds with what I was seeing. I typically have to steward my eyes a little, as I tend to be a very visual person, and I also receive revelation via "seeing". But I also need to be careful, as that same factor makes me oddly vulnerable to women who carry any kind of seductive element. So I simply understand that, and dont engage it.

My mind has been getting stuck on songs and sounds and phrases lately. I will get things just stuck in there, or I will hear certain things over and over again that arent something I want to think about or remember. This is another sign I am dealing with something that is personal, and specific rather than internal and general.

Anyhow, as we left onething, I began to yawn, and then I began to feel rather..... oppressed. I dont know how to describe it, but if you have ever had it, you would know. My head was a little foggy. I could physically feel tension moving up and around my back and my neck. After the 10th yawn, I said "This feels like deliverance". That it typically the way I have gone through it in the past. Most of the time it is that jaw stretching, deep, cracking kind of yawn that almost leaves me dizzy! This time, I couldnt seem to get anything out.

Within about 10 minutes, it became clear to me that God was taking something out of me, and I needed to get into it and push. Deliverance often involves the Will of the individual. At the same time, I am racking my brain trying to figure out what, if anything, I had done to engage something dark. I honestly couldnt figure anything out. At this point, if I cannot determine any place in my own life I actually invited oppression into my life, I have to determine it is either an current assignment, or something way back. Either one is possible, espeically as I have been reading lots of things about this lately, and especially Derek Princes stuff.

As we get on the 435, a voice in my head says "You are going to want to pull over". Im thinking "Great, if I need to pull over, what the heck is going ot happen!?". I have had a LOT of dealing with this kind of thing years and years ago, and I simply wont tolerate them. I have cast these things out of me on the freeway before! But I knew it wouldnt hurt.

I came up on 103rd Street. I figured that was a good Psalm, and I wanted this thing out. We pulled over, I claimed that whole Psalm, especially


Ps 103:1-5
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
(NIV)

And then Danielle and I prayed. It took a long time! We actually had someone drive up to us (in a red truck), and stop and ask us if we needed help. I didnt see them, as I was too busy yelling "God didnt bring me this far so I could live the rest of my life with some stupid demon, GET OUT". Danielle just waved and told them "Were fine thanks". Then they turned around and left.
Anyhow, we finally got deliverance. Im not afraid to talk about this, and Im not ashamed. God has delivered me from SO MANY THINGS. It is one of the best things He does for me. And I am not in any willful activities (AMAZINGLY!!!!!) that would allow for that to be welcome in my life. There has been so much deep change over the years, that this is actually not common any longer. But there is the reality that we contend with this more than we think.

The more I engage my calling. The more I receive from God. The more I seek to bless and love. The more the enemy wants a piece of me back. I have been both a willful participant, and a victim of things demonic in my life, and I hate all of it. And as I go along my life in my little Kansas City/IHOP bubble, I forget that there is also a proactive agent against me. It isnt just always my flesh or my weak/broken soul. I have an old accquaintance that seeks my life. Just as Ruach Adonai seeks out my life, so does a very real, very evil person.

I am more motivated now. I have felt over the last few weeks that I need to, and am getting, ready to contend with things like this again. It is odd for me, because the last 3-4 years hasnt been full of that. But as God keeps restoring vision and focus to my life, I am finding old tools and things He gave me, and they still fit my hands. As I remember how to swing them, and use them, life is coming back into parts of me that have been fallow on purpose.

This might all sound odd if someone reads it. I dont claim not to be odd. But Im excited. If for no other reason than God delivered me YET AGAIN from something. He LOVES ME THAT MUCH. He wont stop.

A Sad Announcement

We were woken up at 4:30 am yesterday to hear that Danielles father, David Wheeler, was having a problem. At that point we assumed something healthwise, but didnt understand. An hour later we got another call informing us that he was dead.

This was obviously a shock. We are very sad, and trying to piece together the things that have happened, as well as the things that will occur now. And as we do this, around the edges is this grief that wants to come out.

We could all see that Dave was having a hard time at Christmas. And the consensus was thankfully he was starting insurance from a new job Jan 1, and should be going to the Dr to start checking this. Dave had at least one heart attack I am aware of 20 years ago. In hindsight, Im betting he had several more.

I think the thing that has hit me the most is this is the 3rd time I have experienced this same process. My grandmother was having a little bit of trouble 12 years ago on Mothers day. We realized something was wrong, but didnt know what, or how serious. She died within a week. My Grandfather seemed to be having a little bit of trouble a few years back during Easter I think, and died suddenly within a day or 2. Last year, my wifes grandfather was having trouble all of a sudden,a nd then they foud out he had cancer, and died within a few months. My fathers mother was going downhill for a while, and my Dad (Im positive on a divine whisper) decided to go and see her again, got there just in time for her death. Now Dave.

I dont know if I have learned something, or see something, but here is what I believe now.

1. Everytime someone dies, you feel that kick in your butt to do something to take care of yourself better.

2. You commit to connect even more with people.

3. You realize signs in hindsight that you assure yourself you wont ignore again, but you do.

4. You try and process things, and remember, but it drifts into the past.

In several of those cases above, it was a shock. there was something going on, but there is always something going on, and everyone seems to get over it, except for the ONE TIME they dont. In the other cases, NO ONE regrets the extra effort of being there even though it is sad and difficult.

Dave Wheeler was a really neat guy. He was someone you had to sit and wait for the golden pieces that would come out, because on the outside, he tended to be a little aloof or quiet. But if you waited, you would hear some of the funniest things. It was Daves idiosyncrasies that were the best part. The guy smoked, drank a pot of coffee, and ate whatever he wanted. Didnt excercise etc... and the rattle and cough he had was an indicator to me that he was about as unhealthy as he could be, and still be a live. That was part of his little quirks. He was a headstrong guy, with a lot more IQ than I would guess people realized if they didnt listen to him.

He also brought me some venison to try, when he found out I never had tried any. And a bottle of "spring water". Turns out, he probably meant "still water", and when you talk North Carolina and "still water" it is what started NASCAR (i.e. moonshine). It was my favorite gift of the whole thing! It was such a pleasure trying something like this, and enjoying it while feeling special that he brought it for me.

Dave LOVED Charlotte, Ava, Leah, and Patrick. Patrick was as much Daves son as anyones (I think having 3 girls does that to you). Ava was doted on, and I have heard stories of Leah saying "Pop, I wanna go in the boat", and him dropping just about everything and getting her out in the water.

I now look at myself, after gaining 30 pounds since July, with a heart condition etc... at my age, having a new baby coming etc... and keep asking God for the Grace to enjoy food, but get healthy at the same time. I want to know I have done all that I can to be strong and healthy for my kids, and the calling on my life. I struggle with that daily. And it is clear I am not supposed to live in fear, but it is hard not to make a bigger deal out of something when someone isnt doing well physically.

You just never know. It should motivate us to do what we are already commanded to do, Love Each Other. Serve Each Other. Greet Each Other With a Holy Kiss. Submit to One Another. Seek to Bless and Not Curse. All of these things make sense when you get the crap knocked out of you as someone irrevocably leaves. I cannot do a thing to change this situation.

Im pissed off, because I barely got to know him. My girls and I had high hopes of someday learning how to fish with him. Im sad my wife lost her father, my daughter wont know her Grandfather. Im wrecked my Mother in Law has lost her Father, and her husband within 6 months of each other. Im mad that I didnt recognize the problem, and take him right there to a hospital (even though he probably wouldnt let us). Those are all my little griefs. But Grief is often rooted in Love and Affection. At least this Grief is. I am sad, because so many people lost something wonderful. It is a blessing to have had the wonderful at all.

Over the river and through the woods

I heard you can get to IHOP by going down to the end of our street, and walking through the woods. Danielle and I went for it, and it was an adventure.

The first issue is, our neighborhood seems to be the last (if ever) set of streets to be plowed or salted. This meant that as we walked up and down hills, we were mostly on ice, or packed snow. This was a drag, and hard to do. Add pregnancy, and a dog who is SO excited to be on a walk, and we had quite a work out.


Then we found the woods. We started walking down these little trails, and there was lots of snow, as it doesnt melt down there under all the trees etc... We let Zebulun off his leash, and he became the worlds happiest dog. He was in the woods, running around, showing us everything. You can tell that he is a hunting dog, and comes from a family of dogs that is meant to be outside running around.


There is our fearless Zeb leading the way. It is hard to describe his behavior, only he would dart all around, then look back to make sure we were there. Then he would race off again, and find something to investigate. Thats my pregnant babe trudging up hill. We ended up going up quite a long hill at the end, and found ourselves in someones backyard!


We came across a car! Someone drove this thing down this hill, and left it. It is old enough that all the rubber and seats and such is decayed. We didnt find any bodies (we dont look for those things) or money (we look for those things)


My lovely wife made it the whole way. I am now convinced I NEED my motorcycle here to help me with this. Had I lived in this house as a kid, I would have been on my bicycle, and in these trees all the time. I dont know how much trouble I would have gotten into, as opposed to the trouble I did anyway, but man would it have been fun!

Movies are fun

I always wanted to try and give a picture of our house and the snow. This is the best I can get. Some people have already gone up and down the street, but it shows our pretty street, and the snow.

Just after this, Danie left. She backed out the driveway, and she made a mistake, she started turning to point her nose up the street. Once you do that, if you are unsuccessful, you are stuck, and up for another adventure like I had earlier. She slid, the wheels spun, but thanks to her years of experience, and subtlety (and lack of brash, unrestrained personality) she made it. but barely. Today is going to be fun watching the people slide.

Why we love Christina

We love Christina!! It is hard to explain, but it is like a combination of all sorts of things you would love, coming to live at your house. She has been gone for too long, and is coming back today. She will get no rest, Im sure of it.

right before she left, she was getting sick, so we made some carrot juice, and ground up a few small cloves of garlic. She went for it, and it was really funny. I didnt capture the actual deep shudder that happened, but this still gets kind of the fun of it.

Shade of things to come

Christmas Part 2

Off to Cincinnati. North, East, then unfortunately West for about 20 minutes. Missed a turn off, and toured Indianapolis for a bit. We went to a mall that poses as a church and watched an awesome production called "Awaited". It was truly touching. The music was fantastic, and the concept and story was very well done. I cried through most of it, and found it difficult to not sob.



I caught up on some reading. Im finding myself reading books I have read a long time ago. I didnt remember this one until I read it that day. I fell asleep, and Danie tried to catch a picture of me. Eating Sausage and Cheese balls, fudge, and
Pringles is catching up with me.

Within the first 5 minutes of waking up, I made Ava cry (she looked at me from across the hall). I seem to be keeping up my current habit of scaring children.





This is Chuckles. She is the newest Norwood baby that any of us seem to care about (I might be wrong about that, but you have to ask Danielle). She is probably the most easy going baby I have seen since her older sister, which is hard to imagine. This kids gets shipped all over the room any time she is awake. Sometimes, we make a lot of noise just to wake her up so we can go in and get her.


she simple turned around, and like a mack truck, beeped and backed up until she found IsraelsThis is a picture of Israel and Chuckles. You wills ee throughout the whole process most pictures of Israel include at least one kid. Israel has always been a baby magnet. Kids love her, and it makes perfect sense to any of us that know her. She usually has one kid on one hip or more. I hear that as soon as Ava saw her, lap, and then sat down. Compare that with my experience!


I found all the girls on the bed playing with babies and kids as soon as I left it. The girls basically need a ride to go somewhere, so I drive them, and then they wait for me to leave so they can have fun playing together. I tried to get the camera in time, but Angela and Leah were in there too, but scooted out right before I came for evidence.
Poor Ava! She has been invaded. It took her a day or so to catch up with us. She has now decided she isnt sure about all of us, however she is confident we will in fact leave at some point, so therefore she can enjoy us. She is benevolent with her favor, and holds court from either her high chair, or a specifically chose lap.








And of course presents. My kids made out like bandits, and so did I! Danielle navigated the maze of who does what and buys for whom. Thats (L-R) Israel, Maria, Judah, Angela, Ava, and Leah.

Tomorrow there is something like 70+ people on the Egbers side (Mom Wheeler) coming to somewhere. All I know is I brought my IHOP approved ear plugs, an appetite, an attitude, and my fish oil so I can remember everyone.

Christmas all week long

We started at our house (which in itself is truly a gift). Grandma and Grandpa Henry sent us a big box with lots of stuff








Then we had a fun gift where Grandma Henry got the girls matching tops, notice Huckleberry's laid out over the belly. Looks like it should fit, but we dont know if the big girls will outgrow theirs before Huck gets here!

God forbid we ever get a pool table

My Dad bought a pool table. And it looks like this. All his wifes craft stuff is on it. I might have that to look forward to!

Snow Day Part Deux

Our hill that gave me fits in the car is also great for sledding. Neighbors, Dads, snow. I found out as I was about to get the hose and turn the street into a semi vertical ice rink that I could go to jail, so I relented.

As well, Israel did some shoveling of the driveway! She did a good job!

Snow Day

An interesting thing happenned. It actually really snowed. Not just the little flurries we had before Thanksgiving, but a good decent snow, for a whole day or 2.


Everythin was great, except it was a Saturday. and I guess snowplows dont run then, or the salt trucks, etc... So after 4-5 hours of driving up and down our street, we had about 3/4" of ice, covered by a little snow. This is the view up our street.


As Iw as coming home with Judah, right about where that silver car is on the right, I realized I was not going to be able to stop completely. That was a problem, because I needed to make the turn into here (Imagin you are standing in the road, and turn to your right to see our driveway):

I thought having 20 feet would help, but as my tires turned to the left, and nothing happenned, I realized I had a problem (Now turn to the right again):


I made it down to the corner, and turned around. At that point I made it about half way up the hile, and something even worse happenned. Dorothy, The Dodge Caravan, couldnt go up the hill! Now I am in an even worse position. I am facing uphill, but I cannot go anywhere. MY car is beginning to slide backwards, and getting crooked. Behind me is a parked car.

I tell Judah, "Hop out of the car" but as I do, she opens the car door, and the van starts moving! I scream "Get back in the car, Stay in the car". I now realize Im in pretty bad shape. I am at a 45 degree angle, facing uphill, with a parked car behind me. I put the van in park, and it seems to hold!

I get out, and I push the back of the van sideways trying to get it stright. I think it might have moved a little, because all of a sudden it is sliding. At this point, Im not in the car that is crooked facing uphill that cannot stop completely, but my daughter is! As the car door hit my shins (I got hit with my own car) I hopped in. At that point, I realized I simple had to go for it. I had to use momentum, and hope I got some traction somewhere. I actually got totally sideways, and was able to turn around completely before I hit the car. I pulled the car over to the side of the road (It is in front of that Bronco).

At that point, adrenaline and God only knows what else released, and I felt a lot better. Until I heard these words:

"Daddy, you said a bad word back there"....

Odd thoughts

This picture is from 7-6-06. Theres my kids, and Danie came out to KC, along with Jason coming with us. We were visiting, Danie was visiting from somewhere else. We had no idea all the things that were going to occur in the next 18 months.


Now we live here. And Fridays are "Deep Clean" days where the girls really help get the monster house.




We have a dog, in OUR OWN backyard, and he loves the snow.


It just always neat to stop and think about it, and be overwhelmed.

The View around my House

I am a blessed man. That is obvious.

However, no one ever comes up to me and says "We looked at you, and realize how blessed you are...". They look at my life, and then they say it. They look at the people in it, the character of them, and the grace and then they say "WOW, such a burden!!!!"


This is the view from my front door last night. It might not look to you like much, until you realize the context. I like using italics today. Anyhow... There are 5 girls there.

1. Danielle, who has become the worlds best homemaker already, while juggling a job with a disorganization, gestating a baby, helping me try to raise 2 awesome girls, and living a life of creative arts.

2. Israel "Beba" Henry, who is in the pre-teen experience of her life, making friends, being crazy, laughing, and texting like mad.

3. Judah "Boomer" Henry, who is the master of media, and has more ideas than a think tank on red bull.

4. Christina "Chrissy" Ortega, who has become the house pastor helping us learn the roots of our faith, a big sister to the girls, and a best friend to Danie all the while working, praying, and cultivating a spiritual life in a house full of coming and going. See her blog for Hanukkah video.

5. Huckleberry Henry, who is fermenting like mad, kicking, rolling, and making her mommy a little nervous that this might be the last of any sense of consistency she will ever have until the physical return of Christ.

Im not really sure what they are all doing, except for viewing pictures Christina took. The point is, they are like a private flash mob. At any point, they can suddenly, intuitively gather together, around a common and seemingly random object, and next thing I know I walk into a meeting of girls, on the kitchen floor, talking up a storm, with lots of words like "Cute", "Awesome", "AHHHHHH!", "Darling" etc.... and then just as quick, they disperse into the house and act as if nothing ever happened.

My job in this house is rather minimal. Im getting some chores assigned by the boss. I get to enjoy the kids, make food, show up at Hebrew Celebrations, and work in "The Dungeon". As the token male, they all recognize me with some sort of patronizing, benevolent attention, but Zeb and I know who really runs the ship, and we are just glad we are on it.

We know where our blessings come from, and how much we have. All you have to do is come over to my house, and walk in. You will see something like this almost every day. That is a blessing. To see "my girls" all abuzz, being silly, learning, being themselves, enjoying each other. I am blessed. I am blasted blessed.

Tragedy at the Henrys!!!!!!!!!!!

Zeb caught and killed his BUDDY!!!! It is awful/ I was working int he basement, and all I heard was the squeak squeak squeak of Buddy Love. Zeb loves his buddy (or so we thought). His favorite thing is to hold his buddy, roll over on his back, and squeak his buddy over and over. He walks around with it in his mouth, he even tries to share his buddy-joy with others.

I realized after a certain point, there was no buddy squeak. I thought nothing of it. Until I turned the corner......



Note the squeaker-heart torn out, and brutally left there for all to see. It took me 3 hours of inner healing prayer to get this image out of my head.



Im not even sure Cesar, The Dog Whisperer could help! I just dont know what to do. We are seriously thinking of walking him to Shiloh, and letting him run wild. We hope the ducks and birds will satisfy this monsterous cruel heart, or that maybe he can find a cast iron buddy.

Winter everywhere

Had our first ice storm. Over hte last week, I have learned how to slide through intersect...ummm drive in winter conditions. We had snow, then it melted a little. Then we had ice. Then we had an ice storm last night that is essentially rain when its freezing. This means everything is covered by sheets of ice.

It wasnt as bad here as they feared, however, it sounds like it was horrible almost everywhere else. We have no power at my house this morning,a nd I am at my new office, Dunn Brothers. Hopefully this is just temporary, but the phone guy earlier this week scared the crud outta me when he said the last big ice storm they had the whole neighborhood had no power for 10 days, and only McDonalds was open, and it was 2 1/2 hours for a cheeseburger.

Other things are going well. The kids are doing great at The Daniel Academy. Christina Ortega moved in, and that is just the best thing. We have done Chanukah eveyr night, and we are learning a lot about the roots of our faith, even though it isnt a biblical feast/holiday.

Huckleberry is getting bigger all the time,a nd mommy is starting to feel it. Danie is the cutest pregger person, but I can tell it is starting to get real. Im not pregnant, but I look like it. I am also really busy all of a sudden, and we hope that is a good thing but it is changing our lifestyle a lto more than expected.

Its butt cold

This si when the decision to walk the dog becomes silly. And leaving him outside for too long is super silly....

Judah Lion

We went to California for Judahs 10th B-Day. As Beba says "It takes a long time to turn double digits!".

We stayed at GMa and GPas house using it a base of operations while we tried to see as many of her friends as possible.








GMa and GPa gave Judah a complex lego kit that is from Star Wars. All of us figured this would be something Judah would enjoy and give her something to do for the day. In 60 minutes she was finished. Therefore she is a Lego-Jedi.



She also got Heelies which she has wanted for years. The sad story is her mom bought them for her but made her wait until her B-Day to get them. The night before we left she got them and was so excited. However they were much too small and lots of tears happened with Danie and I almost joining in. Thankfully we got to Calif and found a store with them and she was off and heelin with GPa helping. You cannot hear her in this picture but she was talking so much I wasnt sure she could hellie and talk at the same time. My bad....


Dad and I had to bottle the wine and we got Judah involved. She turned into the best helper ever. My Dad called her an auto-optimizer because as she did things she would arrange her tasks in the most intuitively efficient way and ended up helping us a lot. Heck GPa even gave her 20 bucks for being so helpful. Her she is helping sanitize the wine bottles. Again she can do all this and carry on a good conversation. She is amazing.

I love my Judah Lion so much It has been great just me and her on the plane and hanging out here. I am so impressed by her and she is such a passionate excited vibrant person. Everything turns into an excuse for a party with Judah and anyone around her is always better off. So many prophetic words about her from different people talk about how she is made to be not boring because God s boring and these pictures of adventures and excitement. That is her. I think God gave her to us simply to show us how excited He is and how much He loves having fun I miss my Big , My Bigger (although it will soon be unclear who is taller Danie or Beba) and my micro , even my dog. I feel ready to go home.

This is the first time I have ever “visited” California. I was driving around and went on autopilot and actually headed back to our old house. Everything looks so familiar here that my mind went into auto but as I drove around it didnt feel familiar any longer. I know where everything is but it isnt where I live right now. I got to see a few good friends and enjoy them and when we left it was sad. But it is an odd feeling of knowing you are going back home when for 37 years you have lived where you are leaving.