Secular Music in Church Joy here and I have always separated secular and spiritual things in my mind. I’ve never thought there could be something that could be both. My church has been mixing in some secular songs lately and it has started to frustrating me. I voiced this to some close friends and we started processing how God can still use secular music to speak to us. My friend Jeff even shared how God…

Can I Be Mad at God?This is the question I have been asking myself a lot lately. Joy here, and the idea of being angry with God is one that I do not know what to do with. Our God is perfect, so what happens when we are angry with Him? So much change has happened in my life over the last year and when I could not process the hardship I was going through,…

Why is it so hard to take our own advice? Joy here and this hit me last night when I was sharing advice with my younger brother. He is 17 and desperately wants to get his drivers license! He said, “Joy, if I can’t get my license I’ll just die!” He has failed the test twice already! In his mind he will never pass the test and his life is over! I tried to share…

I just read this great article from Jim Daly on The Christian Post talking about how, as believers we need to get passed the mentality that the only way to serve God completely is to go into the ministry. Serving God isn’t a race where those in full-time ministry get a head start or run faster towards some eternal reward. TobyMac or Chris Tomlin aren’t “working harder or doing better” at being more Christian than…

Gossip Is a Spiritual IssueIt has always seemed like gossip is a small sin, one that doesn’t really count. THAT IS NOT TRUE. Joy here and I have always struggled with gossip. It’s so easy to fall into the habit of saying things about people that you would never say to their face. As a Christian woman, I should be building others up and encouraging them. This world is hard enough on all of us,…

Joy here! I fulfilled a lifelong dream this weekend by actually SWIMMING WITH DOLPHINS! I have had that at the top of my bucket list for years! It happened in the wild while I was at the beach with some friends! After showing Carlos this photo, he says this doesn’t count as actually “swimming with dolphins!” I’m in the water and so is the dolphin!!What do you think? Can I check this off my bucket…