The Journey

HOWDY! I'm Ty Walker (Most people call my both names so you may as well) I'm a Youth Ministry (which pretty much means I'm studying to be a Youth Pastor) major at Nyack College in New York. If you don't know me....Hello new friend! If you do know me, HELLO old friend! Most of you who know me know that I've attempted this blogging thing before...you also know that I've failed quite miserably. In the past 2 years I've had 2 blogs....Both of which I posted less than 10 posts...one I posted less than 5. I'd like for this blog to actually take off. I'm starting this blog for a number of reasons, and if I've intrigued you enough, keep reading

I was born a Pastor's kid (PK). From the second I took a breath in this world I was almost destined to hear something about Jesus. I accepted Christ with my mom in the kitchen in my house in Pittsburgh. The rest as they say is history. From then I was actively involved in Sunday School and the mid-week programs (we called them clubs but I think that it was actually the Pioneer thing...right? Thats what the CMA uses? Right?) I also began Bible Quizzing (Competition where participants memorize portions of the bible and give answers for points...I was never good I just went for the social part of it...it was awesome.) After I graduated 5th grade I moved on the Jr. High Youth Group. There I was introduced a whole new world where being a Christian was not only cool, but fun. I found myself immersed in a culture free flowing with Mountain Dew and where Worship music had electric guitars and lights. Being at a retreat was one of the best things in the world. I got to meet and hang out with other little Christians like myself, drink myself into a caffeine coma (oxymoron you ask? your a moron), and actually feel what it was like to be in the presence of God. Then I'd go back home and just get back into the routine. School during the week, Youth Group Wednesdays, Youth Group Sunday School on Sundays. Through out this I went on a couple of short term Summer trips. We went to a conference in Chicago one year. Another year I was able to go to a service camp down in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Both were pretty awesome. In High School I was a part of two Youth Groups (we moved after my Freshman year). Towards the end of my Sophomore year I started to think about what I wanted to do with my life. Previously the professions that were in the running were Stage Actor, Youth Pastor and Missionary. Stage Actor wasn't going to work because I get nervous and psych myself out before auditions and chicken out. Youth Pastor seemed easy enough, I mean all Youth Pastors do is hang out with students and video games and drink Mountain Dew right? (I've since found that this logic of thinking was so far wrong it's not even funny). Missions was something that I always thought was on my heart. There's a story that I came up to my dad after he got done leading worship at a family camp and told him I though God was calling our family to Africa....I was 6. The next place I wanted to be a Missionary was to China because at the time the didn't allow Christians and I wanted to defy laws. None of these professions seemed terribly appealing to me. Going into full time Ministry would make me like my dad and I wanted none of that, so I chose the furthest thing from it....THE ARTS! I decided to be a FIlmmaker. It didn't hurt that I wasn't too shabby at it. In College (I ended up at Nyack College. A small Christian College just outside of NYC) I noticed something...people at Christian Colleges come in all different walks with Christ. Some are brand new, some are seasoned vets, some have a relationship with him and others don't at all. I somehow got roped in with a group that was full of people with GREAT relationships with Him. People who understood his Love and Grace and who had SO MUCH FRIGGIN' FAITH! It blew me a way. I began to look at my own walk and towards the end of the year it dawned on me. I'd known who Jesus was my entire life. I accepted him as my Lord and Savior. I believed that he died on the cross to save me from my sins and that because of that I would see him in paradise. But despite all of that, I didn't really KNOW him. I didn't have a real relationship with him. I didn't try and find out what he was saying to me through his word, I didn't really know how he lived his life on earth, and because of that small fact I didn't know how I was suppose to be living....I realized I was a lukewarm Christian. I had fire insurance instead of both fire and cardiac insurance (If you get that joke COMMENT!) Everything I knew had been taught to me, thus my theology was really the theology of 18 years of Sunday School teachers and Youth Leaders. I was a Cookie Cutter Christian. I had all the answers to all the Bible stories, and could use the Bible to answer anything..but I didn't know what it really meant because I was just spewing off stuff I was taught not stuff I was learned. Information taught is not always information learned

SO thats the reason for the blog. I'm going to dive into the Bible (I got a new one I'm stoked) starting with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) and go from there. I'm going to start following Jesus' life and write out what it means to me. I may also just start writing thoughts that come out...give my own rendition of what I think sermons are in written form. I'll use the terms "we, we're, all etc" a lot...deal with it. I really hope you enjoy my journey on becoming Re-Christian'd