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, Creativity, Family, Gratitude, Growing, mindfulness, Personal, Uncategorized

The Power Of Allowing!

1 Comment

Do you ever find yourself trying to make things happen? I have lived my human experience long enough to to realize that this is a great recipe for disaster and frustration. So often, I have tried to organize my life and get it on the track as I think it should be, only to get smacked up side the head with something out of left field that I could have never expected or anticipated.

The universe is an amazing creation and it did not happen by accident. It was created by the Master with a plan, purpose and design to help and facilitate our growth and connection. The universe does not need our help, it just needs us to get out of it’s way and let it do it’s thing. I don’t need to see the big picture or have all the answers. I just need to learn to live moment by moment for the moment that it is.

I am a creator, but I don’t have to create the moments, they have already been created for me. The purpose of the moment is not for me to create the moment, but to create the blessings to be enjoyed in the moment. My task is to live the moment, enjoy the moment, grow and become in the moment. I do not have to create the path, just enjoy traveling upon it.

I was created by love and for love. Moments offer me the opportunity to allow love to flow. It comes to me and if I am doing it right, then I allow it to flow through me to others. There is no struggle of push or pull, just a simple enjoyment of all that is. All things that matter grow from love and love causes all the things that I need to find me and become a part of my life.

Love is the magnetic force that pulls me to my purpose and it is love that brings into my life everything I need to become all I was created to be. Love enables me to repel the negative and attract the positive, so that I expereince the fulfillment I was created for.

Stop trying to make something happen and simply allow what is happening to do whatever it is that it is supposed to be doing. This is how we stay out of the way and how the Spirit guides and grows us into the love, joy and peace, we were created for.

Blogroll, Growing, love, Personal, Uncategorized

PURPOSE!

What is your purpose? I mean, if you stop and think about it, you must realize that we are not placed here by accident, but on purpose and for a purpose. Each of us are a part of a grand plan to share and spread the life changing love of our super natural Creator. God invites us to join into partnership with Him in this eternal work, giving us purpose which is our purpose.

God didn’t need us, but chose to create and design us in such a way that we would need God and God would need us. His love for us, enables us to be His hands and feet in the human experience. This means that through us the love of God can travel from one place to another and can touch and feel and be felt through the service and sacrifice of our reaching out to make life better for those around us.

Love is good, but it’s not enough. Real love is followed up with action which speaks louder than words. Real love is characterized by a willing heart, open mind and submitted body. Real love manifests itself by bringing light, which illuminates and chases away the darkness. God does for us, so that He may do through us, which is all part of the purpose which is the purpose.

Be grateful for your purpose, allow God’s Spirit of love to flow to and through your life freely, so that your ordinary life might be used in extraordinary ways to reflect God’s love, bring healing to the hopeless and experience the fulfillment that comes from accomplishing your created purpose. It really is simple, just do what you were created to do and enjoy it…

Blogroll, Creativity, Family, Fellowship, Friendship, Gratitude, Growing, love, mindfulness, Ministry, Personal, Uncategorized

Love Is A Wonderful Thing!

Who remembers Michael Bolten? He used to sing a song called “Love Is A Wonderful Thing!” He said: “Love is a wonderful thing, make you. smile through the pouring rain. Turn your world into one sweet dream. Take your heart and make it sing. Love is a wonderful thing…”

There are all kinds of things we call love in this world, but I’m talking about the real deal. The one thing that really matters is love, real love, love that flows from our Creator, to us and through us to one another. Once you have ever experienced it, then you know what real is, because God is love and love is the will of God, because it is who and what He is.

In the spiritual dimension of my living, love is the thing that makes everything else make sense. It’s the thing that helps everything else fall into place and fit together. In the physical realm of life, I often miss out on love, because my physical senses tend to cloud my view by being more focused on ego – who I am, what I do or what I think others think of me. This causes me to get lost in the mental part of life by getting me confused and dazed by the constant barrage of thoughts that crowd and fight for space in my head.

This is why it is necessary for us to slow down, still ourselves and find some solitude, so we can get back to the beat of our heart and hear what really matters. The truth is: God is love and God, who is love created you in love for love. LOVE is what it’s all about! Receive it, Return it and Share it with everyone in everyway you can and your life will take on new meaning and purpose, Which will fuel your spirit to feed your mind with the right thoughts, which will energize your body to all it was created for…

Love is real, recognize it for all that it is and all it has the power to accomplish in your life and living. Commit to opening your spirit, mind and body to receive it and share it, so that it creates a powerful flow for the stuff of God to move to and through your life in miraculous ways.

You are a channel for the supernatural! No matter what you ever find yourself going through, God’s love is powerful enough to see you through. With God’s love you are a miracle worker and can face and overcome any situation that life throws your way. You see, love is a wonderful thing!