There are few things in this world that can compare to the story of a person who has been changed by the power of GOD. When flawed humanity encounters the Flawless Creator amazing things happen. He can rescue the shipwrecked and turn tragedy into triumph. We closed the message today with more cardboard testimonies. Members of Journey tell their stories with marksalot and cardboard. Side one is their story before Christ . Side two is their story after. There’s nothing like a changed life.  You can watch the video at www.youtube.com/journeyfellowship It’s called Cardboard Testimonies 2.
        Part 1 is from last weekend, July 12-13, 2008. Watch that one too.

  The hot summer sun, the afternoon thunderstorms and daylight savings time create a unique time of the year in South Louisiana. This time of year always brings me back to the summers of my childhood. I remember counting how many days we had left on vacation from school. It seemed like a sweet freedom that would last forever. Just think 3 months off from the cares of the world.
   My dad would take my brothers and I to swim at the Tickfaw River. It was cold and deep and dangerous. That’s where I learned how to swim and a little about who I was. Some mornings mom would take us to pick blackberries down old country roads. We would park the car and walk into the woods and pick bowlfuls of those sweet berries. Blackberries grew in the wild on briar bushes, so we always came home with a few scratches to show off. Mom would then bake the most delicious Blackberry Cobbler.
   My brothers and I would play for hours outside. No video games, no computers, we were left mostly to our imagination. We invented a space ship under the canopy of the overgrowth in the woods near our house. We battled aliens, explored planets and still made it home in time for supper.
   Supper. That’s what we used to call the evening meal in the country. Sounds kind of funny now but that’s what we called it. Mom cooked a full meal from scratch everyday. My dad came home most everyday at 4.30 PM and ’supper’ would be ready and waiting. We would all sit down and eat together but I couldn’t wait to get back outside. I think if I could go back and eat one of those meals again I wouldn’t be in such a hurry.
    So, I think I will relax and enjoy the rhythm of this summer day. I’m a dad now and we are creating a new generation of childhood memories for our kids. I’m going to taste every minute. Enjoy the noise. Live.
    Take another swim in the Tickfaw. Pick another bowl of blackberries. Battle aliens. Eat supper. Ahh sweet Summertime.

    This weekend we are continuing the ‘Inside Out’ series. In part 3 we will teach from 2 Corinthians 5.17.  All things become NEW. I am a new creation. And so is everyone who has been born again.
   Also you’ll see two dozen more Cardboard Testimonies at the conclusion of the message. Sometimes we forget that EVERYONE has an amazing story. These cardboard testimonies reminds us of that.
   God is working thru His people to redeem the world. It’s a beautiful thing, redemption. And it’s never more evident than when others tell their story. I think maybe redemption is when our story connects to His story. It’s truly amazing how the Lord can take our Mess and turn it into a Message. It’s a message of hope and second chances from the Inside Out…..

   We are doing a series this month called ‘Inside Out’. It’s about living in the Kingdom of God. That NEW LIFE thing. In part two today our Northshore Campus Pastor, Ken Maat brought a message illustrated with 30 people from our congregation telling their stories on cardboard signs. It was so amazing…I’ve never seen such a display of emotion by so many people at one time. We cried, laughed,cheered and clapped in thunderous approval as people we know bared their soul on the stage. They told their story. Each one was a work of art, told in the medium of cardboard and marks alot. On side one of the cardboard was their life before Christ. Side two was their life now. The only way to appreciate it is to see it. So if you missed it live, you can see it now on You Tube. Go to www.youtube.com/journeyfellowship Then select ‘Cardboard Testimony’. It’s eight minutes long and worth every second. And for the middle of summer all three of the weekend experiences were well attended. Here’s a few pics from Journey for the weekend of July12 and 13, 2008.

   Hey Journey family,
  There is a cool video on the AG website about OUR CHURCH . Dr. Wood interviewed me while he was here in March dedicating our new campus. It’s a two parter. Part 1 was filmed at the Northshore campus and Part 2 was filmed at the Ninth Ward campus. It was a real honor to spend the entire day with George Wood on March 16th. He has that rare combination of humility and authority. Dr. Wood leads the worldwide fellowship of the Assemblies of God and it’s an honor to be his friend. To view the videos go to www.ag.org then select ‘Media’, from that box select ‘Video’, then ‘Conversations with Dr. Wood’. Our video will be in that list.

  Bryan Bilac and the congregation of Lakeshore church are building a new campus on the Northshore. Bryan and Jeni are an amazing young couple who pastor this great church. The construction of the new facility on Brewster Road is progressing nicely. Bryan and Jeni are the kind of young leaders that keep our movement alive and growing.  I’m proud of the awesome work that Lakeshore is doing in our community and I love the incredible staff
 (among them are Austin, Chet and Glen) that is making the vision come alive. www.lakeshorechurch.info

   I always enjoy it when missionaries attend our weekend Experiences. This past one, Luke and Sandy Walters were with us. They lead a missions organization called MAPS 1040. They focus primarily on the unreached people groups in the Eastern Hemisphere. Luke and I have been friends for almost 10 years. He founded his ministry around the same time we started Journey. He was one of our first missionaries. Plus he is a Louisiana boy and we have alot in common. Luke had the good sense to marry a Loranger girl. Sandy is from Loranger, LA. which is near my birth city of Amite City, LA. Their ministry takes them from Sri Lanka to Vietnam and even into India. The Lord is doing amazing things in Luke’s ministry and I’m happy to be connected to them.

   This weekend in part 2 of our series INSIDE OUT, we will present a message called “Cardboard Testimony”. It’s shaping up to be a great one. Our theme will be how much change happens to people who have an EXPERIENCE with God.  That person literally becomes a New Creation. A new person. And the story is told with real people and real life change. It is amazing how much one life can help another one. These stories will amaze you. I was moved to tears and my faith was strengthened just seeing these Cardboard Testimonies.

   This past weekend we hosted our first ever Fourth of July celebration at Journey. Thanks to James River Assembly in Ozark, MO for the naming rights.(Actually we just hijacked the name “I Love America” from them.) Our first annual I Love America was a huge hit. It was our biggest event so far at the new campus. We took a few pictures to share with you here…

   We launched our new web site www.journeyfellowshipchurch.com in May 2008. It came with a new BLOG host too. And a new BLOG writer. I have had a terrible time adjusting to both. So, I have switched back to my original site and blog writer. LOVE them both.  As we speak, Jason is writing new code to redirect all of my blog traffic to dougmcallister.com. Or as I now call it….CLASSIC. If Coke can do it why not me. Let the ice cold refreshing web log flow.