Spreading joy and encouraging others is a passion as well. I love reminding people that they ARE making a difference with a simple $10 donation, that they are making a change within their community when they volunteer their time and that they will see a difference by doing what they can – right where they are.

So………

Why am I not spreading the word about Spreading Joy?  Why am I not setting up meetings to encourage people and show them just how easy it is to make a difference without breaking the bank?  Why am I not trying to get my foot in the door of local corporations and churches?

Simple!  My passion for giving is hindering my passion for Spreading JOY.  I don’t have a “gift” to leave these people, I don’t have anything “physical” to leave them and I let that stop me from giving them what I can offer….and that is joy, encouragement and ideas for making a difference with little to no resources.

A friend of mine, Harry Tucker, and I were discussing passion.  He told me that passion could be a curse.  I kind of chuckled and thought there is no way.  Being passionate about something would help to get it done.  I asked him to explain how that could be and he said

Passion is a curse when many people are afraid of it.  It is a curse when it is bursting to produce results but is surrounded by apathy and indifference.  If not expressed outwards, it can turn inwards.

Little did I know that I would soon be living that statement…Passion is a curse.

Another friend of mine, Richard Mayhan has developed a site called Mercy Junction. One Roof – Countless Resources.  He is using this site to list all of the local places in his community that act as a resource for the needy. He includes things like food pantries, shelters, community dinners as well as National Hot-lines and other resources for those that are in need of assistance.  Brilliant idea!  He put hours upon hours of work into it.  Soon afterwards, he had an opportunity to share Mercy Junction with a group of men and did an amazing job. The reason I mention this is that as I was reading how the meeting went, it dawned on me that he went, presented his ideas and passion for helping others without so much as a business card to leave them  AND it was amazing!!  (I wasn’t there, but I’ve heard him speak – so I’m SURE it was fantabulous!)

I’ve told you all of that to tell you this….

I’ve decided that in this year, I am going to set up meetings to present Spreading Joy Corporation to various organizations in my area.  I’m going to offer encouragement to any church, civic group and ladies groups that will allow me to do so.  (If you’d like to discuss how I can encourage your group, please email me.)  I will start doing what I can, with what I have – right where I am; EVEN if I do not have anything to “leave with them.”  I am going to work on emailing various corporations and seeing if they will partner with me and help me make a difference and try and personally contribute more to Spreading Joy each month financially to aid in this.

I am not going to let NOT having anything to give stop me anymore.

I will remind people that “There’s no joy like Spreading Joy.”

I’m going to do what I can, where I am, with what I have and NOT feel guilty.  I am spreading joy and I am making a difference.

I’m going to help others in FINDING JOY as best as I can! How can I help you?  (click the finding joy link and see…)

{{HUGS}} yall

What is YOUR passion?  Has it been a tool to help push you into what you love or has it been a curse?  Is it bursting to see results and you just don’t know which direction to go?  Tell me….what are you doing with YOUR passion?

PS – you can follow Harry Tucker on twitter as @harrytucker and Richard Mayhan on twitter as @mcProdigal

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So, let’s get to it…shall we?

This week’s reading schedule:

• Day 85 Hebrews 1:1 – James 3:12
• Day 86 James 3:13 – 3 John 14
• Day 87 Jude 1 – Revelation 17:18
• Day 88 Revelation 18:1 – Revelation 22:21

From Children’s Letters to God:

Dear God, who draws the lines around the countries? – Nan

Dear God, I bet it is hard for you to love all the people in the world. There are only four people in my family and I could never do it. – James

Dear God, we read that Thomas Edison invented light. But in Sunday School, we learned that you did it. So I guess he stole the idea from you. – Donna

Dear God, I didn’t think that orange went with purple until I saw the sunset on Thursday. That was cool. – Eugene

Dear God, thank you for the baby brother, but what I prayed for was a puppy. – Joyce

Are you getting out of the reading what you expected?  If so, what are  you getting out of it? If not, what had you hoped for and what are you getting instead?

Digging in:

1. After Stephen is stoned, the church is persecuted and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria (Acts 8;1). Is there any upside to this tragedy? What are other examples from your New Testament reading where adversity leads to comparable consequences?

Do you feel that your reading has more thoroughly equipped you for your service for the Lord?

Books you’ll encounter this week:

Hebrews – In this letter to the Hebrews, Christ is explained against the backdrop of the Old Testament. The author of this letter is unknown.

James - James is a half-brother of Jesus. His message here is to submit to God in humility. This book is a call to action, with James asserting a person is justified by what he does and not faith alone.

1 Peter – The apostle Peter writes on being holy, submitting to others and living for God.

2 Peter – Peter reminds Christians that he writes as a witness of Christ’s life and he encourages all to actively develop a number of Christian qualities as byproducts of our faith.

1 John – Echoing Peter, the apostle John proclaims that he writes as one who witnessed Christ’s life.  John encourages readers to walk in the light, love one another and fear not, because perfect love drives out fear.

2 John- The Spostle tells readers to love one another, but to be wary of those who do not bring the teaching of Christ.

3 John- John encourages his friend Gaius to walk in truth and protect himself from evil.

Jude – A half brother of Jesus, Jude calls on believers to build themselves p and persevere in the faith.  (I love verse 22 KJV And of some have compassion, making a difference – compassion, nothing like it.)

Revelation – The Apostle John’s apocalyptic vision is a fantastic end to an extraordinary journey through the Bible. Like the rest of the Bible, reading Revelation once is a good start, but further reading and study are necessary to begin grasping its complex and layered message.

WOW – whahoooo… celebrating the completion of our journey.  I have a  few final things:

How did this impact your life?

Will you recommend that others do it?

If you haven’t finished reading yet, do you plan on finishing?

Is there something you are chaning in your life as a result of reading all of the Bible?

What is next for you?  Do you have questions for further study?  Take a moment and jot down some things that are next for you.  Also, you’ll find “Next Steps” suggestions at www.biblein90days.org  check them out.

Click here to Listen to the Bible as you read it.

This Weeks Study Guide: Week 13: John There is good stuff here, don’t pass this by!

Here is the audio lesson . (You’ll need to log in!)

Please listen the lessons. I have the dvd’s but can’t post them here…copyright rules. We can discuss what you heard here as well. Listen while you cook, clean or are just taking time to enjoy this journey. I hope you’ll take advantage of this free resource. Listen towards the end of the 7 day time frame, as THIS would be what we would be watching/discussing if we were to be meeting weekly.

If you are seeing this for the first time, we started on June 1st, but you can start right now, just go to Session 1 and begin. Here is the main information page as well.

LASTLY -

As of this writing, I’m not going to finish in 90 days.  But I will finish, as I do not give up so easily.  I have notes scribbled all over the place and will go back and get them together and place them in the comment section of each of the sessions. 

I will also be reading the study guides and commenting on them as well – so check back often – especially the comment section and see if there has been anything new added.

Thank you for joining me on this wonderful journey throught the Bible.  I hope your heart has been touched by it.  I hope you’ll start again, as each time you journey through the Bible – the journey is different.  That is the coolest thing of all.  You get something wonderfully different each time you read. 

{{HUGS}} yall

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There is no denying that I dream lofty dreams of giving big.  With the help of many awesome people from my twitterverse and a foundation with a huge heart for others, Spreading Joy Corporation was able to distribute 300 backpacks filled with some basic school supplies.  Did that come close to the goal of 1000 backpacks? No, not even close.  Am I discouraged? NO….far from it actually.  I’m encouraged in the fact that we were able to help 300 children start the first day of school with their head held high and their heart full of hope that this school year would be an amazing one!

These backpacks went to a few local churches that ministers to neighborhood children, to Amy’s House – a battered women’s shelter and a school received some as well.

I’ve received a couple of Thank You’s and want to share them with you here.

This letter is being sent to you to express the appreciation for all the book bags and school supplies you donated to our children in the church for their back to school supplies.  The book bags were extremely nice, and the assortment of school supplies inside them were wonderful.  This will be a great help to the children who would not have had the privilege to purchase these items for themselves.

Dr. Jerry Taylor Pastor

Putting it ALL together!

I teach at Mt. Pleasant Elementary School in Mt. Pleasant, NC.  I received bookbags filled with school supplies from your organization last week.  I can’t thank you enough for your kindness and generosity.  You have made starting back to school more exciting for our students.  There is nothing like a new bookbag and supplies.  I am sure you will be blessed  many times for the kindness you have shown towards others.  Keep spreading your “joy” to those in need.

Thanks again,

Susan Airheart
First Grade Teacher/MPES

Basic supplies included in EACH Bag!

I also had the wonderful honor of hand delivering some of the backpacks to some neighboring homes down the road from where I live.  The smiles and thank you’s can not be expressed in words.  I didn’t tell them who I was, nor how they can thank me, as I believe giving in “secret” is such an awesome thing to do.  My heart was flooded with unbelievable joy as I walked back to my car, smiled and went on to the next road.  Events like this is why my heart screams “There is NO joy like Spreading JOY!”

I’d like to thank Fred’s for giving me such a great price on the backpacks! The district manager even went to his local stores and gathered them for me so that I could easily pick them up from my local store in Lincolnton, NC.

I’d like to thank New Grace Baptist Church for the use of their fellowship hall to spread everything out and organized the backpacks, as I would have never had enough room in my tiny home.

There is no way this could have been accomplished with out the hard work of so many wonderful people.  My family Steve, Todd, Megan and My Mom and Step Father and of course my great little sister, Angie and her children.  Friends that have huge hearts for others – Kevin and Sonia Neal and their daughter Kayla.  Ms. Phyllis, Myra and Vern- Thank you as I could not have done this without you!

Vern & My Step Dad, supervising the project (Ohhhh they are going to shoot me for this!)

We had a lot of fun as well as our challenges.  But when you are trying to make a difference, look for those challenges and work past them.  Don’t let them discourage you or stop you.  The day we were putting the backpacks together, Todd was rear-ended as he was trying to bring items to the fellowship hall.  Much of the unloading had been done by the time I got there and I felt really bad, but we worked through the issues, had fun doing it and our hearts soared because YOU made this possible for 300 wonderful Children!

If you gave towards this project – Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a Spreading JOY hero that is completely in the background.  These children can’t thank you, but know that the difference you have made will have limitless possibilities in their future.

If your heart was crying out to give and you couldn’t afford to financially, but you used your voice to help spread the word of our project, I THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart too, as your voice was heard and you made a difference using what you had!  I know for certain that there were people who gave because someone used their voice to spread the word.

Here are 2 videos from the day that we assembled the backpacks.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoyed putting this project together.

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This week’s reading schedule:

• Day 78 Acts 6:8 – Acts 16:37
• Day 79 Acts 16:38 – Acts 28:16
• Day 80 Acts 28:17 – Romans 14:23
• Day 81 Romans 15:1  – 1 Corinthians 14:40
• Day 82 1 Corinthians 15:1 – Galatians 3:25
• Day 83 Galatians 3:26 – Colossians 4:18
• Day 84 1 Thessalonians 1:1 – Philemon vs 25

Faith is a funny thing.  For many of us, it can seem like it changes a lot.  One minute our faith seems unsakable and we feel 100 % certain about God, Christ or the Holy Spirit.  But, if we are completely honest withourselves, many of us will admit that every once in a while there’s this lingering question mark in the back of our minds. 

As  we read the Gospels, faith is a core issue that gets a lot of attention.  In the Gospel accounts we meet various people who could be plotted in a wide range on the Faith-O-Meter.  (The Meter being – Perfect Faith; Big Faith; Middle Faith; Little Faith; No Faith)

1.  Based on Matthew 14:25-31 & Matthew 26:69-75, where do you think Peter should be plotted on the Faith Meter?

2.  Can you think of some individuals in the Gospels who deomnstrated greater faith than Peter? Who were they? Where should they be plotted on the Faith meter?

3. Has Peter’s faith changed by the time he addresses a crowd of Jews in Acts 2:22-24?  If so, Why? Where would you place Peter on the Faith Meter now?

4.  In general, what happens to the faith of the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection?

5.  What does Matthew 9;29-30 suggest about the benefits of Faith? Does one’s degree of faith seem to be important?

6.  Discuss Matthew 17:19-20. What does it tell you about faith.

7.  What does Matthew 13:58 tell us about the consequesnce of a lack of faith during Jesus’ ministry? What does this suggest about the relationship between faith and God’s use of his power to, say, move mountains.

8.  Where would you place YOUR faith on this faith meter?

9.  How would you apply Jesus’s statements in Matthew 21:21-22 to the “mountains” in your life? Based on your reading to date, is there a qualification to the promise in verse 22? If so, what is it? how do you or could you apply this in your everyday living?

10.  For a moment, try to imagine setting aside all of your doubts and limitations.  What would you do if you had perfect faith?

Books you’ll encounter this week:

Romans – The first of Paul’s Epistles, this is a letter from the apostle Paul to the early church in Rome. In it, he covers several foundational themes such as faith, life in the Spirit and God’s acceptance.

1 Corinthians – Paul appeals to the church in Corinth to avoid division by following Christ rather than competing disciples. He then describes what it means to be followers of Christ and encourages people to give themselves always to the work of the Lord.

2 Corinthians – In a second letter to the church at Corinth, probably written within a year of 1 Corinthians, Paul is replying to an evidently chilly reception by the Corinthians to his previous letter.

Galatians – In this letter to the church in Galatia, Paul establishes his authority before warning the Galatian to accept no other gospel than the gospel of Christ.

Ephesians – Writing to the church in Ephesus, Paul focuses on unity in Christ and living as children of God.

Philippians - Paul core message to the church in Philippi is to imitate Christ’s humility.

Colossians - Paul writes to the church in Colosse regarding rules for holy living.

1 Thessalonians – Following a positive report from Timothy about the church of the Thessalonians, Paul writes to encourage them to continue strong in their faith.

2 Thessalonians – Writing soon after the first letter, Paul reiterates that the Thessalonians should stand firm and not be alarmed by false prophecies.

1 Timothy – Paul writes to his protege Timothy to instruct him in his leadership while in Ephesus.

2 Timothy – Paul encourages Timothy to preach the Word, since all Scripture is God-Breathed and prepares Christians to be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Titus – Writing to another young disciple, Paul gives him qualifications for ordaining church elders and instructions on what must be taught to a variety of groups.

Philemon – In this brief letter to his friend Philemon, Paul asks him to free his slave Onesimus and charge anything Onesimus owes Philemon to Paul.

Click here to Listen to the Bible as you read it.

This Weeks Study Guide. Week 12: Paul There is good stuff here, don’t pass this by!

Here is the audio lesson . (You’ll need to log in!)

Please listen the lessons. I have the dvd’s but can’t post them here…copyright rules. We can discuss what you heard here as well. Listen while you cook, clean or are just taking time to enjoy this journey. I hope you’ll take advantage of this free resource. Listen towards the end of the 7 day time frame, as THIS would be what we would be watching/discussing if we were to be meeting weekly.

If you are seeing this for the first time, we started on June 1st, but you can start right now, just go to Session 1 and begin. Here is the main information page as well.

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This week’s reading schedule:

• Day 71 Matthew 26:57 – Mark 9:13
• Day 72 Mark 9:14 – Luke 1:80
• Day 73 Luke 2:1 – Luke 9:62
• Day 74 Luke 10:1 – luke 20:19
• Day 75 Luke 20:20 – John 5:47
• Day 76 John 6:1 – John 15:17
• Day 77 John 15:18 – Acts 6:7

 Before we move completely out of the Old Testament, let’s consider some “Minor” Prophets. 

In the next 5 statements, there are 5 errors.  Can you list and correct them?

1. God instructs Obadiah to marry Gomer, a woman God knows will be unfaithful.
2. Jonah is upset when he’s swallowed by a big fish, but afterward he still doesn’t carry out God’s directive to prophesy to the Ninevites.
3. The book of Habakkuk has nothing in common with the book of Job.
4. Haggai 1:5-11 suggests that God doesn’t react to the actioins of people.
5. Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament contained many warnings.  Have there been friends or loved ones in your life that have warn you about things but you’ve ignored it?  Was there any possibility that this was God’s way of getting your attention? 

In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches about giving in secret.  Have you given in secret during the past year?  Spend a moment silently considering something you might secretly give in the near future.

Books you’ll encounter this week:

Mark – The shortest of the four Gospels, Mark focuses on the ministry of Christ, beginning with his baptism by John the Baptist and ending with his resurrection.

Luke – Luke was a Gentile physician who traveled as a missionary with the Apostle Paul.  He also wrote the book of Acts.  In this Gospel, Luke provides “an orderly account” of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus, highlighting Jesus relationship with many different kinds of people and emphasizing that Jesus came for all people, not just the Jews.

John - Harkening back to Genesis, the book of John Asserts, “In the Beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the Word was God” John portrays Jesus as the Son of God.

Acts – Written by Luke, Acts describes the coming of the Holy Spirit, the forming and persecution of the early church, the conversion and ministry of Paul, and the miraculous spread of Christianity. 

Click here to Listen to the Bible as you read it.

This Weeks Study Guide. Week 11: Jesus There is good stuff here, don’t pass this by!

Here is the audio lesson . (You’ll need to log in!)

Please listen the lessons. I have the dvd’s but can’t post them here…copyright rules. We can discuss what you heard here as well. Listen while you cook, clean or are just taking time to enjoy this journey. I hope you’ll take advantage of this free resource. Listen towards the end of the 7 day time frame, as THIS would be what we would be watching/discussing if we were to be meeting weekly.

If you are seeing this for the first time, we started on June 1st, but you can start right now, just go to Session 1 and begin. Here is the main information page as well.

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This week’s reading schedule:

• Day 64 Daniel 9:1 – Hosea 13:6
• Day 65 Hosea 13:7 – Amos 9:10
• Day 66 Amos 9:11 – Nahum 3:19
• Day 67 Habakkuk 1:1 – Zechariah 10:12
• Day 68 Zechariah 11:1 – Matthew 4:25
• Day 69 Matthew 5:1 – Matthew 15:39
• Day 70 Matthew 16:1 – Matthew 26:56

 If we were doing this in person as a discussion group, we would pick one of the following and do a presentation on it.  I will list them for you with the HOPES that you’ll choose one and dive in, learing more and hiding more of God’s word in your heart.  Enjoy!

Isaiah

1. What periods are described in Isaiah and who was the original audience?
2. Describe God’s call of Isaiah (ch 6). Note that the seraph/seraphim are angels. Their name translates roughly as “burning ones.” Consider this for your presentation.
3. The following passages are often called the Servant Songs. What do they tell us?
   • 42:1-4
   • 49:1-6
   • 50:4-9
   • 52:13-53:12  (Isaiah 53:4-5 is a particularly good sommary.)
4. Does 55: 8-9 describe holiness? What is being communicated by these verses?
5. What is the main theme or message of the book of Isaiah?

Jeremiah:

1. What period is described in Jeremiah, and who was the original audience?
2. Jeremiah is sometimes called the “weeping prophet.”  How does 9:1 illustrate this description?
3. See 18:1-11 for an important and particularly poignant image.  Consider this for your visual presentation.
4. What did the kings think of Jeremiah’s warnings (36:20-26)
5. What does 31:33 tell us?
6. Does 29:11-14 sugest that there is any hope?
7. What is a major theme of the book of Jeremiah

Exekiel:

1. What period is described in Ezekiel and who was the original audience?
2. The book of Ezekiel is known for the strange visions described in it.  Consider the following for your visual presentation:
   • The glory of God (chapter 1)
   • The watchman (3:16-21)
   • The valley of dry bones (37:1-14)
   • Cherubim (10:9-14)
3. Describe the prophecy of the new heart (36:26). What does it mean?
4. What is a major theme of the book of Ezekiel?

Daniel:

1. What period is described in Daniel and who was the original audience?
2. Vegetarians no doubt are excited about Daniel’s refusal  oeat the Babylonian diet.  Do you think there’s any chance he was just trying to eat kosher (1:1-18)? What else might his refusal to eat from the king’s table represent?
3. Many popular sayings have their origin in the Bible. Two originate in Daniel.  Describe these scenes and their significance and consider them for your visual presentation:
   • Feet of clay (ch2)
   • The handwriting on the wall (ch5)
4. Daniel includes two important instances in which complete faith is demonstrated.  Describe them and consider for your visual presentation.
   • Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and the fiery furnace (3:8-30)
   • Daniel in the den of lions (6:6-28)
5. What does Daniel 2:20-21 tellus about God’s presence in the world?
6. What is a major theme of the book of Daniel?

WHEWW…that is a lot to think about.  But I hope you’ll consider digging deeper and choosing at least one to learn more about.

Click here to Listen to the Bible as you read it.

This Weeks Study Guide. Week 10: Haggai There is good stuff here, don’t pass this by!

Here is the audio lesson . (You’ll need to log in!)

Please listen the lessons. I have the dvd’s but can’t post them here…copyright rules. We can discuss what you heard here as well. Listen while you cook, clean or are just taking time to enjoy this journey. I hope you’ll take advantage of this free resource. Listen towards the end of the 7 day time frame, as THIS would be what we would be watching/discussing if we were to be meeting weekly.

If you are seeing this for the first time, we started on June 1st, but you can start right now, just go to Session 1 and begin. Here is the main information page as well.

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This weeks reading schedule:

• Day 57 Jeremiah 33:23 – Jeremiah 47:7
• Day 58 Jeremiah 48:1 – Lamentations 1:22
• Day 59 Lamentations 2:1 – Ezekiel 12:20
• Day 60 Ezekiel 12:21 – Ezekiel 23:39
• Day 61 Ezekiel 23:39 – Ezekiel 35:15
• Day 62 Ezekiel 36:1 – Ezekiel 47:12
• Day 63 Ezekiel 47:13 – Daniel 8:27

Biblical prophecy is not just about predicting future events.  Much of it serves a distinctly different purpose.  It provides an inspired perspective on current events.  Keep this in mind and as you think about the following 2 questions.

1.  Use a word or brief phrase to capture Jeremiah’s description of godly people in the following verses:

• 7:23
• 9:24
• 22:16
• 24:7
• 29:11

Do you agree with this list? What would you add or subtract from it?

2.  What attributes of God are found in the following passages from Jeremiah?

• 27:4-6
• 31:1-4
• 31: 34b
• 32:40

Add in 2 other attributes of God not described in the passages above. 

Isaiah  58 describes “fsting”.  Many Christians have never fasted.  Have you ever fasted? If so, what was it like? What kind of fast did you do? If not, would you consider fasting?  Is the sacrifice worth the effort?

Books you’ll encounter this week:

Lamentations: Poetic laments concerning the destruction of Jerusalem.

Ezekiel: Initial prophecies warn of fall of Jerusalem. After the fall, he offers oracles of hope.

Daniel: Daniel and his 3 friends are exemplary representatives of God while in exile in Babylon. While there Daniel pens a number of long-range prophecies.

Are you behind in your reading? If so, keep moving.  The main thing is to finish.  It doesn’t matter how long it takes you, just keep reading, enjoying, learning and soaking up God’s wonderful word.

Click here to Listen to the Bible as you read it.

This Weeks Study Guide. Week 9: Daniel There is good stuff here, don’t pass this by!

Here is the audio lesson . (You’ll need to log in!)

Please listen the lessons. I have the dvd’s but can’t post them here…copyright rules. We can discuss what you heard here as well. Listen while you cook, clean or are just taking time to enjoy this journey. I hope you’ll take advantage of this free resource. Listen towards the end of the 7 day time frame, as THIS would be what we would be watching/discussing if we were to be meeting weekly.

If you are seeing this for the first time, we started on June 1st, but you can start right now, just go to Session 1 and begin. Here is the main information page as well.

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