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.
You are special, don’t allow anyone to tell you any different! God created you as you and that makes you very special. God not only created you, but He also gifted you! God has given each of His special creations – special gifts! You have a special gift from God!
The Scriptures teach us to “Kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you.” 2 Timothy 1:6 What does this tell me? It tells me that I have a gift in me that God has given to me and I need to “kindle afresh” (fan into flame, stir up, readjust the embers) that gift, so that I can do the thing that God has given me to do and be the special creation that God has created me to be!
You have a gift in you that God has given you! Adjust the embers, stir up, fan into flame and kindle afresh this amazing gift and do what God created you to do. As you do, you will accomplish great things and discover the joy of being one of God’s special creations!
Like A Ship! Someone said that being a real believer is like being a ship that God wants to send out to sea to sail wherever the wind might carry us! Often times when the strong winds of adversity blow into my life, I don’t like them and I begin to have a “woe is me” complex. The thing that I have to keep reminding myself of is that wind (adversity, hard times, frustrations) is not a bad thing, it is a good thing that is going to blow me into a new and better direction, if I will let it.
Learn This! The important principle to learn here is: Don’t fight against the wind, instead learn to harness the power of the wind and you will discover that it will take you to places that you could never get to on your own. I like to think of the wind as the Holy Spirit, when I pull up my anchor and adjust my sails – He takes me through the tough spots and into amazing places of blessing.
Ask God! Next time you find yourself going through a difficult time because the winds of adversity are blowing into and through your life, just take a moment to pray to God and ask Him to help you to pull up the anchor and set the sails and then get ready to enjoy the ride of a life time!
“Courage is a gift of God that is given to each of us! Our problem is our failure to use what God has given!”
Another Amazing Gift! In my quiet time this morning, the Holy Spirit hit me with this thought! God has given amazing gifts to all of His creation. One of the amazing gifts that He has given to you and me is the gift of courage. The dictionary says that courage is strength in the face of pain or grief. Courage is the thing that allows you to take one more step in the right direction. Courage is the thing that motivates you to go on when everything and everyone else tells you to stop. Courage is the thing that takes you to amazing and incredible places.
Sad Reality vs. Happy Outcomes! Without courage, we would never go anywhere and never accomplish anything of real and true significance, but with courage we attempt to accomplish the impossible and often succeed and learn valuable lessons, even when we fail.
How To Grow Your Courage! How do we activate and live in the power of this great gift that God has given to us? It actually is very simple! Courage is activated by our faith! We need to continually remind ourselves that God is Who He says He is and He is faithful! This simple reminder will allow Him to do great things in and through our lives. Have faith in God, trust in Him, watch your courage grow and begin to go places and experience things that you only dreamed of before!
Michael Joe Harvell 