Sometimes you have to get out of your comfort zone! Joy here, and tonight I’m going to a new small group for the first time. I can’t even tell you how nervous I am! Small groups are important and I am so ready to be in one that will give great community and help me grow in my faith. However, most small groups are in people’s homes and going to a strangers house is just… … Continue reading →

What’s In a Name?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the meaning of a name. In the Bible, God used names to describe who someone would be and to define them. Even in choosing names today, parents often look at the meaning of a name when they choose the right one for their child.  Since my name is Joy it’s pretty easy to figure out what my name means. My parents gave me that name after they had just… … Continue reading →

5 Things Christians Should Stop Saying

5 Things Christians Should Stop SayingYeah, Im guilty as charged with a few of these. #2 for sure.  How often do we just say, “Im praying for you” as a blanket statement to let someone know we care, but only in a passing, surface level way? I know I have. Its taken me some time to get passed the habit of saying something just to make someone feel good. Now, I try my best that… … Continue reading →

Joy here and yes…that is me at my high school graduation. It was years and years ago, but it was still an amazing day!Remember that feeling that you were suddenly entering the “real” world? Graduation day is really the first day of the rest of your life. I thought I knew it all, but I knew very little. My best friend works with high school seniors and asked me to write down advice that I… … Continue reading →

God showed up in some pink earrings today…Joy here and I’ve need to get a blood test for almost 6 years now and I’ve been putting it off! I hate needles. Ok.That’s an understatement. If anyone even speaks of needles I get a little nauseous. I know, I know. I’m a big baby!So I finally decided it was time to go get my blood checked out and suck it up like an adult.  You know… … Continue reading →

My Personal Prayer Warrior!Have you ever had someone who prayed for you deeply, but what they were praying ABOUT concerned you? Joy here, and my sweet grandma is one of the most faithful prayer warriors that I know! Now that she is a widow she believes God has left her on this earth to pray for her family! This is all wonderful! I am truly blessed to have a prayer warrior on my side who… … Continue reading →

Christianity is a Crutch for the Weak

Christianity is a Crutch for the WeakI often hear unbelievers make the statement that Christianity is a crutch. It’s a statement intended to insult believers—to imply that only a weak person needs religion. And, in our culture, it’s a statement that hits its mark more often than not because our culture despises weakness. We don’t want to be seen as weak. We want to be perceived as strong. … Continue reading →

She made my weekend…

Over the weekend I had a chance to meet a WAY-FM listener named Cynthia. She made my weekend. Cynthia is battling cancer right now and the fight she shows in the face of such mounting circumstances is inspiring. Her faith, her hope, her strength she is getting from Jesus and she is NOT letting go of that anchor in her life. How she does it is beyond me. There are times in my life where… … Continue reading →

When your past feels like a perfect pair of jeans…

Ever ask yourself, “Why, knowing I have been made new, been redeemed, been transformed…why do I still pick up the crap from my past?” I have asked that question a lot lately.  For me its always been a comfort thing. “Old Me” just feels more comfortable. When you think about it, it makes sense. The old self was one that we all wallowed in for YEARS and became comfortable with. Like that perfect pair of… … Continue reading →

Heaven is For Real!So many people are getting frustrated with the new spiritual movies that are  hitting theaters, saying that they miss the mark Biblically. I have not seen them all so I can’t speak for them, but I did just see the new movie “Heaven is For Real.” It is based on the true story of a little boy named Colton who claims that he visited heaven during a near death experience. The movie… … Continue reading →