Where's Ken?

        You're probably wondering what happened to me and why I haven't written anything for almost two weeks. I promise that I will return to my regularly scheduled programming soon, but I wanted to tell you a bit about where I was last week and what I experienced.

"The Supernatural Thread in Methodism" by Dr. Frank H. Billman

Newly Revised Edition now available from Amazon

        I first learned of "The Supernatural Thread in Methodism" while listening to a lecture by Dr. Billman. In his lecture, he spoke about early Methodist history and the supernatural events experienced by Methodist believers.

My Charismatic Quest

"Soria Moria Slott" by Theodor Kittelsen  - Image from Wikipedia

       In my last post, I told you about my heartwarming experience. Because of this experience, I was able to realize other Holy Spirit moments in my life. Unlike those previous experiences, this time I had an insatiable hunger to know more. I made a connection between the Charismatic and my own Methodist tradition. And the first stage of my quest was to learn about my "family tree".

Devotion on Psalm 1:1-3

Intro: Today's devotion looks at joy and how we root ourselves in the source of all joy, God.

My Heart Strangely Warmed

        In the fall of 2016, my wife asked me to attend a parenting conference at her church. She seemed to think this would help us with our rambunctious 9-year old granddaughter. I said yes to make my wife happy. But, as you can guess, I really didn't want to go.

"Building a Discipling Culture" by Mike Breen

Available from Amazon (an affiliate link)

       My pastor first asked me to read Mike Breen's "Building a Discipling Culture" back in the summer of 2016. I read the first two or three chapters and then put the book on my nightstand, not to be picked up again for almost a year. It wasn't that I found the book uninteresting, I just had a lot of other "reading" on my plate, and this book was a lower priority for me.

Them Wesley Boys

John (left) and Charles Wesley - Images from Wikipedia

        Four years separate these brothers in age, yet age couldn't keep them apart in their ministry. John, the elder, already a college professor at Oxford and an Anglican Priest when his younger brother, Charles, started at university. Charles, an eager young Christian, formed a prayer and study group known as the "Holy Club". John soon joined the "Holy Club", and this band of brothers was mockingly called, "Methodists", because of their methodical means of prayer, study, and action. However, it would be something far more than their devoted acts of piety that would make them early leaders in a spiritual explosion later known as "The Great Awakening".

Devotion on Romans 8:14-17

Intro: Today's devotion looks at a passage from Paul's letter to the Romans. An introduction to being children of God.

Trouble in River City!

Image from  Wikipedia

        Remember the movie "The Music Man"? Remember how the main character, Howard Hill comes into town and gets folks riled up about their kids playing pool? Remember how he uses this technique to scare up sales for his phony band instrument business? Do we do that same kind of thing today? Do we listen to half-truths or even full-on lies and in the end, miss something really important?

"The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel

Available from Amazon (an Affiliate Link)

       I first read "The Case for Christ" during my coming home period, yet in retrospect, I should have read it during my desert wandering, it might have brought me "home" sooner. I tend to be a scientific, logical, rational, left-brained person, probably more so than I should. If something doesn't make sense to me on an intellectual level, I rarely allow it to reach my emotional or heart level.

Coming Home

Image from Wikipedia

       As I began my return from the desert I focused on finding and attending a church. If you remember from my first post in this series, I had managed to equate "knowing Jesus" with "going to church". At this point, let me be clear, "knowing Jesus" really meant "knowing about Jesus", not knowing Him personally.

Devotion on Proverbs 3:5-6

        Before I move on to today's post, I'd like to explain what SOAP is and why I am using it.

        SOAP stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer and is a journaling technique that starts with scripture.

        I have wanted to try this method for a while and now I am experimenting with it as a way of writing my devotions.

        Give this technique a try in your own devotion time and let me know how it works out for you.
~~Ken

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Curious About My International Readers

Image from Wikipedia

        I seem to have readers from outside of the United States. So, if you read my blog, and you do not currently reside in the United States, please [This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.]!

My Desert Wandering (part 2)

Image from Wikipedia

        (Continued from last week…)

        When I flunked out of college the first time (yes, there was more than once), I moved back home, got a part-time job, went to community college and went back to church. Strangely, my life seemed to turn around. I was organized. I was successful in my studies. AND I was "going to church.” After one semester and a summer away from UT, they permitted me to return. This time I didn't live on campus. I had a job lined up working full-time for the Texas National Guard. And, I buckled down with my studies. I even returned to ROTC, thinking it would be helpful for my future career as an army officer.

My Desert Wandering (part 1)

Image from Wikipedia

        In my last post, I told you about my beginnings - how I was born into a Christian home, baptized and raised in the church, and active as a child and youth in the church. When I left home for college, I drifted away from the church. Once I turned my back on the church, then what?

My Beginning

Image from Wikipedia

        Do you remember the 1979 film "The Jerk" starring Steve Martin as Navin Johnson? The movie starts with Navin, a homeless man in an alleyway, telling the audience:

"Huh? I am not a bum, I'm a jerk. I once had wealth, power,
and the love of a beautiful woman. Now I only have two things. My
friends and... uh... my thermos. Huh? My story? O.k. It was never
for easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the
days sitting on the porch with my family singing and dancing,
down in Mississippi."
From <http://www.awesomefilm.com/script/jerksc.html>

In Everything, Give Thanks

[<2 min read]

Image from Wikipedia

        Being thankful, for me, is the easiest of the three instructions. However, remembering to always give thanks is the trick. Just tonight, as I sat down to eat, with a lot on my mind, I had the first fork of food on my lips when I realized I hadn't given thanks - for my day, for my food, for anything.

Pray Without Ceasing

[<2 min read]

Image - Albrecht Dürer's Praying Hands from Wikipedia

        What does Paul mean, "pray without ceasing" in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB? At first, I found this a difficult concept to wrap my head around. I thought that if I was in constant prayer, I wouldn't have time to read a book, watch television or go to the movies. But upon further reflection and study, I'm not sure that's what Paul meant.

Rejoice Always

[4 min read]

Image from Wikipedia

        

        In this post, I want to discuss Paul's first instruction from 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NASB - rejoice always. At first glance, this command seems easy enough. But if you don't understand what it means to rejoice - or to be joyful - you might think that Paul is telling us to stand around like grinning idiots. (But in light of recent news, would that even be so bad?) I still remember Bobby McFerrin's song, "Don't Worry, Be Happy". Man, did I get sick of listening to that song. But when you did (and I know you're humming it under your breath ;-) ), you couldn't help but smile a little bit.

Knowing God's Will

[<2 min read]

Image from okclipart.com

         Do you know God's will?

         Has anyone ever suggested that you seek "the will of God"?
         What does it mean to understand God's will?

Reflection on an Interesting Week

[6 min read]

     My friends, let me catch you up on what a great week last week was. This is a long post so you might want to get your comfies on, grab a cup of coffee or bucket of popcorn and sit back and enjoy.

Welcome Home!

Welcome to my home!

        This is a chronicle of my spiritual journey that started... well let's just say it started a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.