All posts by mjharvell

Welcome, friend—I’m glad you’ve pulled up a chair on the front porch of my little corner of the internet. My name is Michael Joe Harvell, and I live my life with one simple mission: to glorify God, encourage people, and leave this world a little better than I found it. I’m a husband, father, pastor, writer, Jeep enthusiast, and front-porch thinker who believes that life is best lived on purpose. I serve as pastor of Eureka Baptist Church in Anderson, South Carolina, where I get the joy of preaching, teaching, and walking with people through the ups and downs of everyday life. Over the years, I’ve discovered that faith isn’t just about Sunday mornings—it’s about living every single day in the presence and power of God. I’m also an author. My books—including The Grace Exchange: How Forgiven People Forgive People and The Word Works—grow out of the sermons, stories, and lessons I’ve learned on this journey. I write in a style that’s conversational, a little front-porch-rocking-chair, and full of stories, quotes, and Scripture that point us back to the goodness of God’s Word. When I’m not writing or preaching, you might find me sitting outside with my Bible and journal, cruising the backroads in my Jeep Gladiator, or sharing a meal and some laughs with the good folks God has put in my life. I love helping people find peace in their spirit, strength in their body, and encouragement in their soul. This blog is simply an extension of that mission. Here you’ll find devotions, encouragement, reflections, and practical insights for living a life of purpose, peace, and joy. So grab a cup of coffee, pull up a rocking chair, and stay awhile—I’d be honored to walk this road of faith with you.
Blogroll, Friendship, Growing, love, mindfulness, Personal, Uncategorized

If You’re Happy And You Know It!

When I was a little boy, we used to sing an activity song called: “If You’re Happy And You Know It…” We would sing the lyrics and follow them up with the action of clapping our hands, stomping our feet and shouting hop-ray… Here are the lyrics:

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands (clap clap)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands. (clap clap)

If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet (stomp stomp)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, stomp your feet. (stomp stomp)

If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, shout “Hurray!” (hoo-ray!)

If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)
If you’re happy and you know it, then your face will surely show it
If you’re happy and you know it, do all three. (clap-clap, stomp-stomp, hoo-ray!)

When we are little kids, happiness seems so much easier. Happiness is easy, we just have to make up our mind to choose happiness over everything else. Emotions are up and then there down, much like a roller coaster. Circumstances change from good to bad and then back again. We experience it all, but always with the ability to choose our response.

What really matters is the eternal spiritual reality of love. It is unchanging and offers a solid foundation for building a life that matters, a life that can withstand whatever the world chooses to throw its way.

You have the power! Use it to choose eternal, spiritual thoughts of love. Move beyond what your physical senses are telling you and listen to the message found in between the beats of your heart. Accept life as it is and live in the security that everything has a purpose. Remember that love overcomes fear and light chases away darkness, this is your super power.

You have a choice – choose happiness by surrendering to Spirit and overcome the emotions that attempt to ensnare you and keep you from your created purpose. If your happy and you know it, clap your hands, stomp you feet and shout hoo-ray…

Blogroll, Creativity, Friendship, Gratitude, Growing, mindfulness, Personal, Suffering, Uncategorized

Movin’ On Up!

When I was younger, there was a show called “The Jefferson’s”. It was about George and Wheezie Jefferson and their dry cleaning business which after a lot of sacrifice and hard work finally took off and provided them a life that allowed them to “Move On Up,” The theme song was a catchy tune with the following lyrics:

“Fish don’t fry in the kitchen;
Beans don’t burn on the grill.
Took a whole lotta tryin’
Just to get up that hill.
Now we’re up in the big leagues
Gettin’ our turn at bat.
As long as we live, it’s you and me baby
There ain’t nothin wrong with that.

Well we’re movin on up,
To the east side.
To a deluxe apartment in the sky.
Movin on up
To the east side.
We finally got a piece of the pie.”

Movin’ On Up is what we were all created for!

Who are you? What are you going to be when you grow up? Where do you see yourself in the future? All variations of the same question and all almost impossible to truly answer, because we are continually becoming. Life tends to build to moments and moments to renewal and renewal to becoming something totally different.

At this moment, you are a reflection of what you’ve done or not done, where you’ve been or not been and everything experienced and missed has contributed to who, what and where you are right now in this moment. The truly beautiful thing is that in this moment you are ready to head into your next moment and you can be, do and experience whatever you want, if you will just make the decision.

Someone said that we are always one decision away from a totally different life. What I can pretty much assure you is that you were created for so much more than what you are allowing yourself to experience and while life has been building to this moment, this moment is not the end, but the beginning.

This moment is your opportunity to advance, to level up to grow into all that you have been created for. Everything you have been through good and bad, every feeling of up and dow, all the mountain tops and valley experiences have worked together to bring you to this time and place, so that you might go to the next great place of your creating.

God allows us to go low, so that He might take us high. God allows us to wander in the valley, so we might appreciate the breathtaking views from the mountaintops. God allows us to struggle, battle and fight, so that we might develop the strength, wisdom and stamina to go somewhere we’ve never been before.

It’s time to realize and believe once and for all: “What didn’t kill me, has made me stronger!” And the purpose of it all is to help get me to a new, better and more amazing place of living. Enjoy this new day, this new place and all the new blessings that come with it. You are amazing, you are blessed and you are movin’ on up…