The Integrated Life Newsletter

Saturday July 4th 2026, June 26th 2026

"Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

— 1 Corinthians 10:31

"Our Greatest Legacy is Not What We Accumulate, but the People Whose Lives Are Different Because We Believed in Them."

Why We Celebrate the Fourth of July

Remembering the Story That Changed the World

Do You Know the Difference Between Capitalism (Free Enterprise)

and Socialism and Communism?

Do Your Kids and Grandkids?

I Bet if You Ask Them, You May Be Surprised?

Please Ask them, Before it's Too Late.

I believe if you review and read through this you and others will be blessed big time but if you don't, do click on these two audio links below that are preserved in MP-3. It's a message that is timeless and you need to hear it and others do to.

The first Side is 25 Minutes The Second Side is 22 Minutes

Rich Devos- An American Success Story Who Stood for What's Most Important- Faith, Family, Freedom

Do You Know Why We Celebrate the Fourth Of July?

Do Your Kids and Grand Kids?

Ask Them. Ask Your Family and Friends too.

Go back up and Click on Rich Devos talking about Selling America

and Share it.

Why? Because Freedom is Never Free

If you ask many Americans today why we celebrate the Fourth of July, you may hear answers like "fireworks," "barbecues," "a day off work," or "summer vacation." While those traditions are enjoyable, they are not the reason this day exists.

Independence Day commemorates one of history's most remarkable moments.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. The American colonies declared that they were no longer subject to the British Crown and asserted that every person is endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Those words were revolutionary because they grounded human rights not in a king, a government, or a majority vote, but in the Creator Himself.

The Declaration was more than a political document. It was a statement about human dignity and moral responsibility. It declared that governments exist to secure the rights people already possess—not to grant them.

The men who signed the Declaration understood the risks. Many lost fortunes, homes, businesses, and family members. Some endured imprisonment. Others died during or after the Revolutionary War. Their pledge of "our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor" was not a slogan. It was a commitment they were willing to pay for personally.

The victory that followed did not create a perfect nation. America has always wrestled with injustice, disagreement, and human failure because every generation is made up of imperfect people. Yet the principles established in 1776 gave future generations a foundation from which to pursue a more just and free society.

Those principles inspired constitutional government, the protection of individual liberties, freedom of worship, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and the peaceful transfer of power. They also influenced democratic movements around the world.

For Christians, Independence Day offers another opportunity for reflection. The Bible teaches us to pray for those in authority, to pursue justice, to love our neighbors, and to remember that genuine freedom is found in Christ. Civic freedom and spiritual freedom are not identical, but many believers are grateful that the liberties protected in America have allowed churches, ministries, charities, schools, and missionaries to flourish.

Every generation inherits both privileges and responsibilities. Freedom cannot be preserved by history alone. It depends on citizens who are informed, engaged, and committed to serving others with integrity.

Perhaps the greatest way to honor the Fourth of July is to pass its meaning on. Tell your children and grandchildren why this day matters. Read the Declaration of Independence together. Visit a veterans memorial. Thank those who have served in our Armed Forces. Pray for our nation. Volunteer in your community. Vote thoughtfully. Treat people with dignity, even when you disagree.

Most of all, remember that the strength of a nation is ultimately reflected in the character of its people.

As we celebrate another Independence Day, may we renew our appreciation for those who came before us, recommit ourselves to the responsibilities of citizenship, and seek to leave the next generation a nation that is not only more prosperous, but also more compassionate, more courageous, and more faithful.

Freedom is a gift.

Stewardship is our response.

May God bless America and may each of us

do our part to be worthy of that blessing.



Selling America Again with Rich Devos

A Fourth of July Message

from Kenton

Every Fourth of July, millions of Americans gather with family and friends. We enjoy cookouts, parades, baseball games, picnics, fireworks, and time together.

All of those traditions are wonderful.

But this year I found myself asking a simple question.

Do we still remember why?

Years ago, one of my mentors, Rich DeVos, gave a speech that became famous across America called Selling America. His message wasn't that America was perfect. It was that America was worth believing in because it offered something unique in human history—the opportunity for ordinary people to dream, to work hard, to build a better life, and to help others do the same.

Rich loved America because he believed in people.

That lesson changed my life.

Nearly fifty years ago, Andrea and I began building a business that introduced us to thousands of families across this country. We met farmers, teachers, factory workers, business owners, ministers, military veterans, first responders, nurses, truck drivers, and entrepreneurs.

What amazed us most wasn't how different we were.

It was how much we were alike.

People everywhere wanted the same things.

They wanted meaningful work.

They wanted to provide for their families.

They wanted to leave the world better than they found it.

Most of all, they wanted someone to believe in them.

That is why I have come to believe something with all my heart:

Relationships Trump Everything.

Governments matter.

Economies matter.

Businesses matter.

Technology matters.

But none of those things can replace the power of one person believing in another.

America has always been strongest when we remembered that our freedom was never intended to make us merely successful. It was intended to give us the opportunity to become significant by serving others.

Our Founding Fathers pledged their "Lives, their Fortunes, and their sacred Honor" because they believed that liberty was a gift from God and that every individual is created with dignity, purpose, and unalienable rights.

That belief changed the world.

Today, we live in a time when it often seems easier to criticize America than to contribute to it.

We focus on what divides us more than what unites us.

We argue more than we listen.

We judge more than we encourage.

Yet I still believe America is filled with millions of good people quietly raising families, helping neighbors, building businesses, serving churches, volunteering in their communities, protecting our freedoms, and making life better for someone else.

They rarely make the evening news.

But they are America.

As followers of Christ, we're reminded that true freedom begins in the heart. Political liberty is a tremendous blessing, but spiritual freedom through Jesus Christ transforms lives for eternity. One of the greatest privileges we have as Americans is the freedom to live out our faith, love our neighbors, and serve without fear.

This Independence Day, perhaps the greatest way we can celebrate isn't simply by watching fireworks.

Perhaps it is by becoming the kind of people who make America worth celebrating.

Encourage someone.

Forgive someone.

Mentor a young person.

Serve your community.

Love your family well.

Thank a veteran.

Pray for our leaders.

Support your local church.

Believe in someone who has stopped believing in themselves.

That is how nations are strengthened.

That is how communities flourish.

That is how families endure.

That is how relationships change lives.

As I reflect on Rich DeVos and the countless men and women who invested in me over the years, I am deeply grateful. They taught me that leadership is not about accumulating influence—it is about giving it away. Success is not measured only by what we achieve but by the lives we help lift.

This Fourth of July, May we remember those who secured our freedom, honor those who continue to protect it, and dedicate ourselves to using that freedom wisely.

May God continue to bless America—not merely because of our history, but because of the character we choose to demonstrate today.

Happy Independence Day.

“I sincerity hope you will take some time and listen to the following speech that  Rich Devos first delivered in the 1960s, over 60 years ago.

It’s a message desperately needed today that forever will be timeless. to a generation of young people in Junior Achievement, It was unabashed tribute to the American free enterprise system.”

“This recording and so much more can be found at the Rich & Helen DeVos Foundation Website, and it is the sole property of the Foundation.

The link to the website is found below so you might be able to better understand the legacy that Rich and Helen Devos have left behind for all of us with their partnership with Jay and Betty VanAnled who are the Co-Founders of Amway Corporation in Ada, Michigan.

Here is a direct link to the Foundations website and below is a direct link on their website to the actual speech Rich delivered. “

When it was commemorated as an LP record, “Selling America” brought Rich’s message to a wider audience and secured his reputation as an in-demand speaker.  The recording received the Alexander Hamilton Award for Economic Education from the Freedoms Foundation.

“It’s time to remember where we came from or will lose the freedoms we have and probably will never get them back.”

May God bless you, your family, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.



Happy Fourth of July!

— Kenton D. Yohey

From The New Book Coming in October 2026

Relationships Trump Everything

Discovering What Matters Most

"People rarely remember what you achieved. They remember how you treated them. They remember whether you cared."

A personal note from me, Kenton, to you, if you are reading this:

The following excerpt is from Chapter Seven of a book I have been working on for the past four months about, you guessed it, my favorite subject: relationships.

Some of you may ask, as I have many times, “Why write a book?” Others might ask, “Have you ever written one before?” The answer is no—but we have lived a book, and so have you. Few of us, however, feel compelled to write it down.

Through Christian Community Connect, I have written, collected, and edited articles for our annual Connections Magazine and Business Directory since 2013.

Here is the truth: God told me to do it. I mean that with everything in me, including Him.

I mean that sincerely. When we believe the gospel of Jesus Christ—recognizing what sin is, why He came for us, and that He is the only way to the Father—we repent of our sin, ask for His forgiveness, and accept His free gift

of salvation. And yes, I was baptized too. I was saved just as you are when you ask Him. Then we are saved, or justified, and begin the lifelong process of sanctification until we live with Him in heaven forever.

Why do I say “including Him” inside of me?

I hope most of you already know this, but God, through Jesus and His Holy Spirit, promised to come and live within us when we are saved.

Acts 2:38, New International Version

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

This book is NOT about Kenton and Andre'a Yohey. It is about the lessons we have learned and the people who helped us understand that relationships truly do trump everything in our lives. Nothing is more important.

And hey, we already have three copies spoken for: I am buying one, Andre'a said she would buy one, and my close friend Jake will too! 

"People will forget what you said. They may even forget what you did. But they will never forget how you made them feel."

Although those words are often attributed to Maya Angelou, I cannot think of anyone they describe better than Rich DeVos.

There are people you admire because of what they accomplish. There are people you respect because of what they build. Then there are a very few people who leave a lasting impression because of who they are. For Andrea and me, Rich DeVos was one of those people.

A Journey That Began in 1977

Andrea and I have always loved the Amway business—not simply because of the income opportunity it provided, but because of the principles upon which it was founded. Faith. Family. Freedom. Integrity. Personal responsibility.

Helping others succeed. Those principles were not just printed in company literature. They were lived every day by the two men who founded Amway, Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel. When we began our business in 1977, we were only twenty-one and twenty years old. Like so many young couples, we hoped we could earn some additional income and perhaps build a better future for our family. God had something much bigger in mind. Looking back now, nearly fifty years later, the greatest blessing has never been the money. It has been the people. Some of the finest men and women we have ever known entered our lives because of this business. Many became lifelong friends. Some became mentors. A few became heroes. Rich DeVos was one of those heroes.

More Than a Successful Businessman.

History will remember Rich as the co-founder of Amway. Business leaders will remember him as one of America's greatest entrepreneurs. Sports fans will remember him as the owner of the Orlando Magic.

Communities will remember him as an extraordinary philanthropist whose generosity transformed Grand Rapids, Michigan, and countless charitable organizations.

But if you asked me what made Rich DeVos truly great, none of those accomplishments would be my first answer. The greatest thing about Rich DeVos was much simpler.

He cared. He genuinely cared about people. In today's world that sounds almost too simple. But it is incredibly rare. Rich cared about relationships because he cared about people. He believed every person mattered because every person was created in the image of God. That belief wasn't something he merely talked about. It shaped the way he lived.

The Gift of Being Present

Over the years, I had several opportunities to meet Rich and briefly talk with him.

One thing always amazed me.

Whenever Rich was talking with you, he made you feel like you were the only person in the room. It didn't matter whether there were hundreds or even thousands of people nearby. For those few moments, you had his complete attention. He wasn't looking over your shoulder to see who else had arrived. He wasn't searching the room for someone more important. He wasn't thinking about his next meeting. He was completely present.

Looking back, I don't believe that was a leadership technique. I believe that was simply who he was. For those few moments, you truly were the most important person in the world to him. Why? Because he cared. Not because he had to. Because he wanted to.

People always know the difference.

Leadership That Served Others

Rich understood something that many leaders never discover. Businesses are built by people. Organizations are built by relationships. Success is built on trust. Money is important. Businesses must earn a profit to survive. But Rich believed profits should be the result of serving people well—not the purpose for which people are used. Far too many organizations become consumed with numbers. Rich never forgot the names behind the numbers. He believed ordinary people, given encouragement, education, opportunity, and belief, could accomplish extraordinary things. That philosophy became the heartbeat of Amway. It wasn't simply about selling products. It was about helping people become better husbands and wives, better parents, better leaders, better citizens, and better servants. The products mattered. The people mattered more.

A Life That Made a Difference

Rich's accomplishments are remarkable. Together with his lifelong friend Jay Van Andel, he founded Amway in 1959 and helped build it into the world's largest direct selling company, operating in more than one hundred countries and territories.

He became one of America's most respected motivational speakers, inspiring hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs around the world.

His famous speech, Selling America, celebrated freedom, free enterprise, and the opportunities available to ordinary people willing to work hard and dream big.

That speech earned the prestigious Alexander Hamilton Award for Economic Education and remains one of the most inspiring presentations on the American free enterprise system ever delivered. Rich authored several outstanding books, including Believe!, Compassionate Capitalism, Hope From My Heart, Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People, and Simply Rich.

He and his beloved wife Helen gave generously through their family foundation, supporting Christian ministries, education, medical research, the arts, and countless community organizations. Their philanthropy touched lives around the world.

Yet I believe Rich himself would probably tell you that none of those accomplishments represented his greatest success. His greatest success was people.

What Rich Taught Me. Life has taught me that people generally fit into one of three categories. Some are takers. Some are traders. Some are givers. Rich DeVos was unquestionably a giver. He gave encouragement. He gave hope. He gave opportunity.

He gave his time. He gave his attention. He gave people confidence when they doubted themselves. And perhaps most importantly, he gave people belief. He believed in people long before many of them believed in themselves. I have often wondered how different our world would be if more leaders followed his example. Imagine businesses where people mattered more than profits.

Imagine communities where relationships were valued more than recognition.

Imagine families where encouragement replaced criticism. Imagine churches where everyone felt seen. Imagine a nation where we spent as much time building people as we do building opinions. That was the kind of world Rich hoped to create.

Relationships Trump Everything

As I have reflected on Rich's life over the years, one thought continues to come back to me. Rich DeVos did not become one of the world's most respected business leaders because he understood products better than everyone else. He became great because he understood people. He understood that businesses may begin with an idea.

But they grow because of relationships. That truth has shaped my own life. It has shaped my marriage. It has shaped our businesses. It has shaped our friendships.

And it has become the central message of this entire book. Relationships truly do trump everything.

Thank you, Rich,

Your life made a difference in ours.

And through the countless lives you influenced, your legacy will continue to make a difference for generations yet to come.