Tag Archives: spiritual development

Blogroll, Creativity, Gratitude, journey, Personal, Uncategorized

20 Random Facts About Me!

1. People think I’m an extrovert, but I am most likely a mixture of extrovert and introvert. I can be the life of the party or sit in the corner watching everyone else. Sometimes I can actually be very shy!

2. I am adopted by my Dad – he married my Mom, because I was part of the package! I always think it’s funny when people tell me I look like my Dad, because I do not have his dna, although I have always had all of his love and acceptance.

3. I love collecting and have in my life time had many different collections – comic books, star wars figures, knieves and antiques just to name a few…

4. I love the outdoors – almost anything outdoors is a treat to me…

5. My very first job was at a bank before I was a teenager. (I watered their grass!)

6. In High School I was voted “Most School Spirit” along with the Cheerleading Captain Kelly Burgess!

7. My current comfort binge show on Netflix is Supernatural.

8. Two of the most meaningful relationships in my life have been with my “PA” on my Dad’s side and my “Granny” on my Mom’s side.

9. I was across the street neighbors with Cher, Bruce Willis and Demi Moore in NYC for one week back in the early 90’s.

10. I currently have 3 tattoos – an eagle on my wrist, the word “blessed’ on the side of my hand and the “lion and lamb” on my upper arm.

11. I love just about any kind of food, but my regular goto food is BBQ, Mexican, Japanese, pretty much any meat and three w/ corn bread and I will flat out hurt myself on cube steak with rice and gravy!

12. I would really like to travel one day and I love going pretty much anywhere, because I have found that there are very interesting things all around us, even in our back yards…

13. I like pretty much all genres of music and usually listen to whatever I’m in the mood for, but grew up on classic country… (Hank, Waylon, Willie, Haggard and Jones = you get the picture???

14. My favorite word is probably “GRATITUDE”, because so much of our lives can be set right if we will begin to practice an attitude of gratitude.

15. I don’t really have any superstitions, but I still lick my finger and draw an x on the corner of the windshield anytime a black cat runs across the road in front of me.

16. I used to have bad migranes and terrible stomach aches, but outgrew them thankfully. I will still get a headache if a bad weather front is coming through, but other wise I stay pretty healthy.

17. My favorite animal was my horse Ceasar. My time with my horse and riding my 08 Harley Davidson Heritage Motorcycle got me through some hard times in life.

18. A favorite movie I could watch over and over is Tombstone!

19. My favorite color is blue, with purple coming in a close second.

20. My favorite candy bar goes back and forth between Snickers and Milky Way, but I also love Butterfinger, Resses Cup, Babe Ruth, Moon Pies – well pretty much anything sweet!

Blogroll, Growing, life, Personal, Uncategorized

Hello, My Name Is…

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Hello, My Name is Michael Joe Harvell and I decided to try something a little different on my blog this month. I am going to try to write everyday, using pre planned prompts for the month. That means that everyday, I will try to come to this page and write about whatever my prompt is prompting me to write about.

Today, I want to introduce myself and tell you a little about me. I am pretty much an ordinary guy. I get up most mornings around 5 AM and get ready for my day. I like to begin my day with a cup of coffee, outside in a rocking chair, where I will spend a few moments reading Scripture, meditating and then walking around the yard enjoying a little prayer conversation with my Creator.

I am a husband of a beautiful wife, who is a K-5 Teacher, a father to two beautiful and successful daughters. One who is working, pregnant and and about to bless us with our first grandchild. The other who is still in high school and liviing her best life. I am a son of very special parents, who are a blessing and sometimes a challenge. I am a brother to my favorite sister, who has blessed me with two incredible nephews, who I consider my own. I am a friend to anyone who is willing to open their life to me and I do my best to be an open book and sometimes I am probably more open than I need to be.

I am a Minister, so I spend part of my day studying and preparing messages to encourage folks in their spiritual journy. I am a teacher, so I spend part of my day at school working with high school students trying to help them succeed toward the goal of graduating and earning their high school diploma. I am a Master Coach, so I spend time communicating with clients trying to encourage them and keep them accountable to their goals. And I am a Mentor, so I work hard on myself to try to succeed myself so I can be someone worth looking to for advice and counsel.

I have made more than my fair share of mistakes in this life, and I thank God that His grace is more than sufficient. One of the greatest lessons I have learned and try to teach in life is that if we learn from our mistakes, they were an education, but if we fail to learn, they were a waste.

I believe that God is love and that we are created in His image, which means that as we receive His love, we are to return it to Him and one of the best ways we can do that is by loving one another.

At this age and stage of my life, I consider myself very blessed and I am grateful for all that life has allowed me to experience…

Blogroll, Discipleship, responsibility, spiritual enlightenment, Uncategorized

The Living Word!

People who know me, know that I begin most of my days outside early in the morning. After I get up and get ready, I make a cup of coffee and head outside to spend a few moments getting myself focused and headed in the right direction.

One of the first things I do once I get outside is take a few moments to read some scripture and then take a little time to just to think through it, how it applies to my life, what it means to me and in what ways it can make my life better? The Word is powerful and almost always has something to give me in that moment.

Hebrews 4:12 For the Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two edged sword, even penetrating as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

The Bible is not just a book, it is a book that is alive and active. It is sharper than a two edged sword, cutting in both directions, teaching us from our past and preparing us for our future. It penetrates, divides and judges the thoughts and intentions of the heart. It reveals what the real deal is and helps us to build from a place of strength, rather than weakness.

After I spend some time with the Word, I then take a few moments to do a little walk and talk, which is just basically walking and talking with God about what I just read and the day that is getting ready to unfold before me. This really makes a difference and my day just doesn’t seem right if I miss it. How do you like to begin your day?