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.
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Sacred Spaces And Reflection Places…

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The Not So Secret Secret!

One of my favorite ways to begin the day is outside. And I always try to begin my day with some time spent in meditation and prayer. This combination of some quiet time out in nature allows me to do the inside work that is so important to helping me not totally cave in or explode completely apart. It is often a fine line and time in meditation, contemplation, prayer and reflection is a vital part of my daily process that allows me to keep on keeping on, even and especially when I don’t want to.

This morning I headed out to one of my special spots that I call my prayer rock. On my way, I decided that in this new year, I wanted to use my physical copy of the scriptures during this time, rather than my electronic device. I love my iPhone and am very blessed with my iPad. They help me to research, write and share in incredible and amazing ways. They are tools which make tasks quick, efficient and a lot easier. I just thought it would be nice in the new year to go “old school” and actually hold “THE BOOK”, flip the pages, look up the scriptures and feel it as I allow it to fill me with His presence and power.

Now, I’m not looking to get into a debate about which is better, because I think that our Creator is more than capable of communication through whatever and however He chooses. This is just about me, what I like and taking some steps back to something very familiar, healing and encouraging to me. To each his own and my Grandaddy taught me: “There is more than one way to skin a cat!”, but that is another blog for another time.

One Of My Prayer And Meditation Rocks

The important a thing to grasp here is that we: 1.) Take Some Time To Do The Inward Work Of Thinking and Thanking. 2.) Discover & Utilize Special Places Of Peace, Relection And Meditation. 3.) Embrace What Is Special To You And Keep It Special. Below are three ideas with some of what works for me:

TAKE SOME TIME TO DO THE INWARD WORK OF THINKING AND THANKING! You can do this anytime you want, but I want to encourage you to take time everyday to: 1.) Spend a little time in the inspirational and encouraging scriptures found in our Bibles. God’s Word is powerful and once it is taken inside of our mind and life, it begins a work that stays with us for all eternity. I try to write at least one verse or passage in my journal everyday that I am considering and thinking through… 2.) Think about all you have to be grateful for and express that gratitude in some “out loud” way. I do this by saying “THANK YOU”, writing at least three things I am thankful for in my journal everyday and practicing a gratitude meditation where I just basically take time to speak thank your out loud for many of my blessings by making them.

Special Place Not To Far From Home!

DISCOVER AND UTILIZE SPECIAL PLACES OF PEACE, REFLECTION AND MEDITATION! I have places inside and outside. I have places at home and away from home. I am discovering new places all the time. Everyone needs a place to escape to. It may be a special room in your house. It may be somewhere in the backyard. It could be a special chair on your porch. It can be a bench in the park, a blanket on the ground or even the quietness of just sitting in your car. Just find you a place and use it as a sacred space for you to spend time with your SPIRIT to find peace as you reflect and meditate on what really matters.

EMBRACE WHAT IS SPECIAL TO YOU AND KEEP IT SPECIAL! This is one of the big secrets: Once you have figured out what, how, where, who and when is special and sacred, then make sure to protect it and utilize it. We have such wonderful, amazing and supernatural tools that our Creator has put at our disposal, but we often leave the tools in the box, the books on the shelf, the ink in the pin and the pages in the journal… Make sure that you use it, so you don’t lose it!

Scripture!

It really is the simple things that have the potential to have the biggest impact on our lives and living, so I encourage you to invest a little time to rediscover the simple things that are so special to you and you know what? I bet, you’ll be glad you did!

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Positive Social Media!

“If You Can’t Say Something Nice…”

Social Media is a place for me to share my life with family and friends. I enjoy letting folks know about my everyday human challenges and what they are teaching me.

I am grateful for my blessings, especially getting to cook, feed and share fellowship with those that I love. I love our great big crazy family that is all over the place, but always right at home whenever we are together.

I do my best to stay out of politics, although I can assure you that I most definitely have an opinion, but I learned a long time ago that it’s not worth arguing over.

I don’t air my dirty laundry, frustrations or disappointments in others, because let’s face it – there is already enough negativity in the world and if I’ve got a problem with you, that’s worth my time, then it’s worth a face to face conversation and it really isn’t anyone else’s business.

I love taking pictures and letting others get a glimpse of some of the things that intrigue, excite and challenge me. My new wrinkles, an adventure with one of our dogs, another nature discovery, what I am getting ready to eat or just something that caught my eye are all fair game to be captured in a photograph.

I’m not anything special, just a middle aged guy, who is learning that I still have so much to learn and my best learning, seems to have occurred through my shared experiences with others. I decided a number of years ago that if I can’t keep it positive on social media, then it would be time to get off, which is why through the years, there has been a break here or there, but I usually find my way back and have managed for the most part to keep it fun, encouraging and hopefully challenging.

Thank you to each of you that are a part of my social media tribe. I love seeing your life and learning from your posts. I hope that 2020 will be an amazing year of blessing and growth for all of us and that social media will do her part to help us along the way…

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Out With The Old And In With The New!

The new year is here and started, so how is it going so far? I always have the best of plans, the neatest ideas and the grandest of goals, but some where along the way to getting started, something happens and before I know it, I’m distracted and what looked so amazing and cool on paper, well, there is just not enough time to figure out how to manifest it all.

Most people now a days don’t even fool with making resolutions, setting goals or making a plan, because after so many years of disappointment, self frustration and mindless conversations in the mirror – we eventually say: “Enough is enough!” “It is what it is!” and any other good catch phrase we can use to justify inaction and a continuation of the same ole same ole.

It may be that you have already hit that spot or it may be, you just decided to avoid it all together, but before you throw the baby out with the bath water, take just a moment, while we are still in the dawn of this new year to think for just a moment about taking a few simple steps that will make a big difference in getting your life heading in a direction of blessing fulfillment and success.

They used to say: A New Year – It’s Out WIth The Old And In With The New! I think that is a pretty good idea and even though, it is winter time and not spring maybe a little spring cleaning is not such a bad idea??? We all have some things we need to get rid of and I am pretty sure that most of us can find a few things that we need to grab hold of as well, so jump into the three steps below and make a mini plan to get your new year headed in a positive direction of blessing…

1. OUT WITH THE OLD! I want you to think about three things you need to get rid of? It may be an attitude, some junk in your garage, or clothes you’ve outgrown in your closet. Seriously take a few moments to create a “PURGE” List. You can make this list as long as you want and I would encourage you to think and add to the list until it becomes a challenge.

Now with this PURGE LIST in hand, look through the list and identify the three things that you need to get rid of the most. The three things that would free up some room in your space, mind and life… Now make a plan to get rid of these three things. If it’s physical stuff – sell it, donate it, bless someone with it or trash it! If it’s mental stuff – do what you have to do – cry it out, write a letter, have a conversation, get honest with yourself and kick the negativity out of your life. If it’s spiritual stuff, then get real, get right and get free…

Now that you have freed up a little space in your life, go ahead and make a plan to do this same process again next month. That’s right – put it on your schedule and make it a priority. It’s amazing what these little steps will add up to in a year, if you will simply follow through.

2. IN WITH THE NEW! Now I want you to think about three things you need in your life and living? You may need a certain kind of positive attitude, a productive habit, meaningful connection or spiritual discipline. Take a few moments to make a list of “BLESSINGS” that you would like to see come into your life. Again, you can make this list as long as you would like and I would simply encourage you to keep listing until it becomes a real challenge to come up with meaningful items to add.

Now Divide this list into three areas: 1.) Physical, 2.) Mental/Emotional and 3.) Spiritual. Pretty much everything you’ve listed should fall into one of those areas. Now pick one new blessing from each of those areas to invite into your life during this first month of the year. I want you to think about these three positive blessings everyday. In the morning ask yourself: “What can I do today to make these blessings a reality in my life? And in the evening when you lay your head down to go to sleep, I want to challenge you to think about all the opportunities – those seized and those missed, you had to make these blessings a reality.

I believe if you do this as I have challenged, that by the end of this first month of the year, you will see some amazing progress and experience some incredible blessings. Go ahead and schedule time at the beginning of next month to add to this list and stay true to the process of adding and you will be amazed to see the Spirit at work in supernatural ways.

3. THIS LIFE IS GOD’S GIFT TO YOU AND WHAT YOU DO WITH THIS LIFE IS YOUR GIFT TO GOD! With all of my heart, I really do believe it’s true. We are spiritual beings getting to expereince a human life and this is such an amazing and incredible gift. I challenge you to join me in enjoying and growing in every moment of it. Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your journey and thank you for being a part of mine. God Bless & Grow On!