Hey Ya’ll, I was doin’ me some readin’ and I come across an intro to a famous religious fellow.  His name were John Wesley.            I think that’s the way I would talk if no one picked on me, The Redneck Preacher. Or the uneducated pastor…any way... “John was one of nineteen children born to Sam and Susan Wesley.  His father was an Anglican clergyman and his mother was devoted to both God and her children.  John attended Christ church college at oxford, was ordained an Anglican minister, and was made a fellow of Lincoln College. (whatever that means)  While he was at Oxford, he and a group of friends banded together to encourage one another to live a holy life.  Their methodical approach to holiness led others at the college to refer to them as ‘Methodists’”
           Wow its like a rest of the story.  I like Methodist folks much better now.  We can learn from this, we should as Hebrews says “Hebrews 10:24 (NIV)  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. A spur is that round spiky-type thing on the heal of a redneck cowboy boot.  We are to encourage each …like a cowboy “encourages” his horse to giddy yup.
 Love you all
Hope to see you Sunday.
 Devin

A grandma takes her grandson to the beach.  She puts a little sun hat on him,

gives him a pail and a shovel.  Then she lies down and falls asleep.

She wakes to find the beach deserted but sees the kid being drug out to sea

with the tide.  She is beside herself with grief.  She cries out. "someone save this child"

The kid goes down for the third time, and she looks up to heaven and says

"Oh Creator of the universe, please save my child and I will turn to the righteous path"

Sure enough the boy is deposited on the shore.  She runs up, puts her head

on his chest and finds the boy breathing.  She looks around...gets a scowl on her face.

She points her finger to heaven..."But he had on a hat" she says.

Isn't that just like us to see the negative in a wonderful, miraculous situation?

Take a moment to thank God for the good things.

Hey we are gonna do a thing called "Chairs" on Sunday and you should all come.

Love ya.

The Journey, 9:54 every Sunday. 

Hey you-ins!
That’s my bestest redneck greeting.
Back in March, Chris & I went to see Battle Los Angeles
in the movie theater. It was awesome.  What?  I love  
a good shoot the bad alien-type movie.
We were in Minneapolis and the seats behind us were rumble seats
so every time something blew up the seats would move a bit.
You get the full experience –well, we had 1/2 the experience
and still had a good time.

Anyway, it was a pretty clean movie so when it appeared on Netflix
a few weeks ago I was excited to see it again, this time with my son Jacob.
Well 2 nights ago we sat down with snacks in hand ready to be entertained.
The Movie started and it seemed a bit cheesier in my living room.  In fact, I questioned
if it was the same movie.  Well maybe Chris and I missed this part, I thought.
After about 7 minutes, I thought I was losing my mind.  This couldn’t be the real movie
It was horrible.  It was about shooting the bad aliens but that’s all it had in common.
Both were made in released 2011...what happened?
After some research I found the bad one was called "Battle of Los Angeles"
and the real deal was "Battle Los Angeles"

Unreal, I had been duped by a fraud.

This happens in our "God life" too.  We think we are getting the real deal but sometimes it’s a fraud.
Everything I believe should be tested with the truth of the Bible.
Jesus warned us of false teachers
Shux, I have looked back at some of the stuff I taught 10 years ago and I don't think it was all true.
Even what "Pastor" Devin says should be tested with the truth.
With this being our lives, and the Bible being what we should base our lives on
we can't afford to get it wrong.

Hey thanks, hope to see you all on Sunday!

The Journey, still 9:54 AM

Hey you guys!

How are you? We do care here at The Journey.

Often I just write random thoughts but neglect to ask...How are you?

Please respond.

I am doing ok. Just ok you say?...Yea, just ok.

Not bad, not great, but ok.

I have had to work a few really long days here and there as many of you have to.

Summer often brings that. If it’s not at your work at home.

Anyway, I was feeling a little blah.

I am not saying wahoo miracle cure for the blaas but I read this

and it brought back some inspiration for me.

Do more than exist: live

Do more than touch: feel

Do more than look: observe

Do more than read: absorb

Do more than hear: listen

Do more than listen: understand

Do more than think: reflect

Do more than just talk: say something

I don't know, I liked it.

We start a new series this Sunday (9:54)

called Re-Create

bring friends, this is just a 2 part series and its relevant to all.

Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and my all time favorite, Coco Puffs.

I totally love drinking the chocolate milk when the cereal is gone.

Oh yes I love my breakfast cereal.

This would not be so bad if it was just cereal, but I love food.

Before bed I really like dessert: Ice Cream with chocolate syrup and peanuts.

This is a problem, I am putting way too much junk in my body.

This of course produces less than desirable results.

Is this true in other areas of life?

Are there things that we take in that actually harm us?

The results are not immediate, just like the Coco Puffs, but there are still results.  

It’s pretty hard to be who I wanna be when this is what I put in my body.

We will talk about this and some other stuff this Sunday as we close the TV Land series

With “Sanford & Son.”

Love ya-See You all Sunday at 9:54

            -Devin

Hope you are having a great summer!

I know at our house schedules are weird altering life events.

I am just glad they are not life altering events.

There is a difference. Altering life is just a change in routine

-I don't get up as early because the kids don't go to school :)

-The kids spend a week at camp so my wife and I went on 2 dates:)   :)

-The kids are home and therefore need to be monitored :(

These are altering life.

Life altering on the other hand:

-Cancer or a death in the family :(

-Winning the lottery :)

-Crashing your car after being all hopped up on Jellies and losing your big toe :(

-Trusting Jesus with your life :)

Those are life altering

Thanks for putting up with my random thoughts

hope to see you all on Sunday!!

Love ya-

    Devin

Hey everybody!

As you know we are searching for a youth/children's ministry person at The Journey.

Gina has moved on leaving a void here at Journey Kids.

Today I wrote 7 letters of rejection to potential candidates, not a big fan of rejection.

I really hate being on either end of rejection.

I remember 25ish years ago I took a girl on a date, it was winter, she wore mittens.

When we got to the movies I kinda expected her to take the mittens off.

Nope.  When I reached over to hold her hand I instead held a mitten...rejection.

OK maybe she was just cold, maybe she didn't really reject me.

The night drew to an end and I said good night and leaned in for a little kiss.

She turned away and I had to kiss her cheek.  Rejection.

It’s part of life I guess.  We even subconsciously judge people and reject them.

I am really thankful that God judges us but accepts us, no rejection there.

In fact God desires a relationship with everyone no matter how ugly the past is.

Matthew 18:12-14 (NLT) 
    "If a shepherd has one hundred sheep, and one wanders away and is lost, what will he do?

Won't he leave the ninety-nine others and go out into the hills to search for the lost one?

[13] And if he finds it, he will surely rejoice over it more than over the

ninety-nine that didn't wander away! [14] In the same way, it is not my heavenly

Father's will that even one of these little ones should perish.
 

That's the opposite of rejection.

See you all on Sunday @ 9:54

Please don't reject me,   LOL

-Devin