Well VBS 2009 is history for the Northshore. We next move the Operation Space VBS to the Ninth Ward. Here are the preliminary numbers for Northshore VBS. 227 children enrolled and 104 adult leaders. For a grand total of 331 Cadets and Captains. What a week. I took a few pictures to share.

   I am not participating in the Recession. I am living in the FOG. (Favor Of God) He is my source and His Kingdom never experiences an economic downturn. He always has more than enough. I know that many of you are hurting financially and your business may be suffering. But God is able to turn every setback into a victory. Keep your heart focused on His kingdom and not on this world. Our destiny does not rest on Wall Street or Pennsylvania Avenue. Our economy is built on the promises of God. Keep the Faith.

    ‘And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.’ Luke 2:52 NIV

   Tomorrow, Journey will send the first team of the Summer to the Nations. Pastor Shawn and a group of our finest catch a plane for Germany in the morning. They will be serving our missionary friends there and ministering to college students for the next 10 days. They will be followed in quick succession by the Youth team to the Navajo’s, the Adult team to the Navajo’s, the Brazil team then heads down the Amazon and finally we will be leading a Pastor’s Conference in India. What a summer.4 Nations. 3 Continents. 2 Hemispheres. 1 Purpose. We will show the Love of God in practical ways everywhere we go.
   We have a great opportunity to serve the American Indians in New Mexico, bring clean water to the Tribes along the Amazon, reach out to College students in Europe and Help the Poor in India. Wow. I’m so proud of each team. Rachel and I will be praying for each of you this summer. You all continue to amaze us.
   Journey’s Mission’s Pastors Shawn and Dominique Glendenning have done an incredible job leading this ministry. Thanks. We love you all and we love this church.

   Journey kicks off a new series this weekend based on the Bestseller, ‘The Shack’. We will be studying from the Word how to live through the worst days of your life. There is hope even when everything looks so grim around you. Tragedy is a part of the human experience and each believer CAN overcome it. Part 1 of ‘The Shack, Where Tragedy meets Eternity’ rolls this weekend at Journey. Saturday 6PM. Sunday 9 & 11AM on the Northshore and Sunday 11AM in the Ninth ward.

   The Summer of Service is in action all this month and every Saturday in July. Eight weeks that will change lives. Tomorrow, the Journey team will be in the Ninth Ward. We will be serving the neighbors around our Campus on 1300 Alvar Street in New Orleans. We’ll be cutting grass and doing other acts of service to bless unsuspecting residents. Great way to show the love of God to other people. In July, Summer of Service lands on the Northshore.
   You can still join the fun. Sign up this weekend on either campus and at any Experience. I love this church.

What a great surprise to come home to at Journey. The state highway crews are repaving the road leading to our church. North Dixie Ranch Road is looking good. For all of you who have weathered the potholes for the last 15 months relief is here. Rachel and I drove down Dixie Ranch today to enjoy the smooth new surface. I must say it was a nice welcome home present. I love this church.

We are taking a vacation. For the next few weeks my entire family will be hiking in the Smokies. It’s going to be tough but I’m also leaving my Blackberry behind too. I will catch up on my blog, Facebook and Twitter when vacation is done. Be back soon….gotta watch for them bears.

    BDiM is in full motion right now. There are loads of people celebrating Memorial Day with us. During all three weekend Experiences we honored the Military , especially the ones who paid the ultimate price. God Bless America. And here’s a special salute for all of you who have family members serving their country right now. Much love to you all.
  Welcome summertime and vacation season. May the Lord bless and keep you is my prayer.
  

   This weekend at Journey is going to be AWESOME. We are celebrating Memorial Day by honoring the Armed Forces. A special tribute will be held during each weekend Experience. Immediately following the 11AM Experience we will kick off the Family Picnic. It’s going to be a fun weekend. This is also ‘Send Off’ time for our outreach teams. Teams from Journey will be traveling this summer to serve the Navajo Indians, and the nations of Jamaica, Germany, Brazil and India.
    Big Day in May indeed.

The media is going nuts about the ‘discovery’ of the missing link that they say proves evolution is true. That is a bold claim to make based on such flimsy evidence. The fossil looks a great deal like a lemur. And it DOES NOT show a transitional species between ape and man. It is about the size of a racoon and looks nothing like a human. For a scientific explanation that will expose this deceitful claim follow this link to www.answersingenesis.com then click on the article about the ‘Missing Link’. This claim by the evolutionist is a bold attempt to confuse the facts. We are on to their tricks. Read the article at answersingenesis.