Growing Closer to God

It’s been quite a while since I checked in with you!  The Greene family has moved and it has been a whirlwind.  If you have ever moved to a new state, you know what I am talking about.  Even if you have just moved down the street, you know how it feels to be displaced for a while.

When you move to a new place, everything is new.  You have to settle in to a new community.  You meet new friends and neighbors.  You begin a new chapter of your life.  There is a sense of adventure to moving, but there are also some pitfalls you can experience.  If you’re not careful, you can focus too much on the life you left behind.

I have been thinking a lot lately about how easy it is for us to live our lives looking back.  I wrote the below Joytime segment a few weeks ago when we were taking a bike ride.  Take a listen:

STOP LOOKING BACK!  Isn’t that just like us, though?  We have a tendency to keep our eyes and minds focused on what happened in our past instead of focusing on the life we are living right now.

Sometimes our past hold painful memories and we cannot forgive someone for what they did to us long ago.  Other times, we cannot forgive ourselves.  Sometimes our lives were so much better in the past than they are right now that it causes us to wish we could go back.  For whatever reason, we can get stuck.

Sometimes we cannot get over it and we miss what God has for us right now!

In the book of Philippians, we learn that the Christians are being exposed to false teachings and Paul reminds them about what it means to live for Christ.  Paul writes:

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,  I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

Paul encourages the Philippians to keep straining ahead towards righteousness.  He reminds them that there is a heavenly prize he is aiming for and that prize is absolutely worth pursuing.

You and I are here to fulfill our God-given calling.   He never promised us easy!

It is through the circumstances of your life that God is making you more like Himself!

My friend, you and I are not on a quest to be more comfortable or more content here on Earth.  We are on a quest for Christ!

So, stop looking back!

Press on with your eyes ahead!  God is not finished with you yet!!

So glad you stopped by today!

~Joy

In the summer of 2011, Bryan and I sold our dream house in NC and moved 600 miles to Jackson, TN.  God had called us to a new place and out of obedience to Him, we packed up and moved.  In March of 2012, my new friend Marcie called me telling me that her Daddy (Tom Mapes), who was a radio talk show host, needed a guest for his radio show the next morning.  His scheduled guest had the flu.  Marcie suggested to her Dad that I fill in as his guest.  She knew about my and Bryan’s move to Jackson, TN and she thought listeners would be encouraged by hearing our story.  Although I had never been on the radio before, I agreed to be on Tom’s show.  I shuffled some responsibilities around at work and showed up at the radio station with my Bible in hand.  I was ready to share my “God story.”

After the show, I needed to get back to Union University to teach my class so I quickly left and returned to work.  By the time my class was over, Tom had left me two voice mails asking me to call him.  When he and I talked, he asked me if I would be interested in doing a daily radio segment aimed at encouraging the women in West Tennessee.  He told me I had a great voice for radio.  I was shocked!  Me?  Radio?  Seriously?   The longer we talked the more excited I became.  He said we could find a sponsor, and I could record the daily segments ahead of time, as my schedule allowed.  He asked me to pray about it.  So I did.   As I prayed, I felt God urging me to pursue this path.  But how?  I did not know a thing about radio, or having a formalized ministry.  It scared me, but inside my spirit, God was whispering that this was His plan, so….I took steps of faith to begin this radio ministry.

I begin talking with some folks about this idea and wouldn’t you know it?  God had already been working behind the scenes.  We had just bought a house the month before and my new neighbor just “happened” to own his own web-hosting company.   He told me he would host my website for me, for free.  A young lady in my Sunday school class just “happened” to be a graphic artist.  She told me she would design my logo for me, for free.  A friend at Union also just “happened” to do photography on the side.  He told me he would take photos for my website, for free.

After much prayer, I finally settled on the name, Joytime Ministries and Tom and I approached Jon Ewing of The Woman’s Clinic of Jackson about sponsorship.  Jon heard the demo of Joytime and said it was just what he was looking for regarding sponsorship!  Ever since that day, The Woman’s Clinic has been the sponsor of Joytime.

Along with airing Joytime daily segments, The Dove also implemented a morning show with Tom called, “Morning Praise with Tom Mapes and the Sisters of Grace.”  From 9-11 a.m. Monday-Friday, Tom and a female co-host would play Christian music and encourage listeners through Bible teaching and personal testimonies.  I have been privileged to be the Friday Sister of Grace for over two years.   Each Friday, with my Bible and sweet tea in hand, Tom and I go on the air to share with our listeners.  We have had shows where we laughed until our stomachs ached.  We have also had shows where we cried so much that we needed to replace the tissue box.   Week after week, we have left the studio feeling encouraged as we sought to glorify God through radio.

Today was my last radio show with Tom.  My days as a Sister of Grace have come to an end.  As I close this chapter in my life, and my family moves to NC this summer, I am forever grateful for Tom Mapes and Grace Broadcasting.  From time to time, God sends special people into your life to sharpen you and make you better.  Tom is one of those people in my life.   He has been a cheerleader for Joytime Ministries from the beginning.  He has been a mentor and friend.  Thank you Tom and the great folks at Grace Broadcasting for believing in me!  What an amazing journey it has been!

-Joy

I was born in Chicago Illinois to a loving mother and father, our family grew with the addition of my brother Robert and my adopted sister, Tina. I had a caring family but I often felt misplace because my dad was closer to my baby brother and never really showed me much affection. I lacked any social life, had no real friends and was bullied on almost daily basis. I was never done any harm by my parents, but I do remember my dad violently beating and raping my mother. I became withdrawn and the bullying I suffered ultimately led my parents to place me in a facility for emotionally disturbed children at 12 years old. She then filed for divorce and a protection order.

My dad was  allowed to visit the house for two hours a day to run his business. It was suggested to my mom from one of my doctors that I be told that the monster that beat and raped her and the man who was incapable of showing me love was not my father. My mom contacted my real dad in California and we met a week later. He told me how much he missed me and how he regretted giving me away every day since then. He showed me the affection I had been longing for my entire life and we made plans to see each other again the following week.The next week came and when I saw my dad he was crying uncontrollably. He then held me and told me that my step father came home, murdered my mom, shot my sister and then turned the gun on himself.

My doctors felt like the move to California would be too much to soon, they sent me to another mental hospital and then to another one once I got to California I became withdrawn, quiet and an emotional wreck. I didn’t fit in and started doing drugs, drinking, fighting and isolating myself from everyone. I was heavy into the punk rock scene, pierced my face with safety pins and spiked my jet black hair a mile high. My drug use escalated, one day my younger brother accidentally drank a soda that I had put some LSD into and that was it, my dad had enough.He took the money I had inherited and placed me into a long term drug treatment program, I spent a year there and while there I cut off the jet black hair, removed the earrings and took off the makeup.I hit the gym hard and  lifted weights every day. My body transformed, I entered that program a 120 lb skinny kid, and when I left I was a 165 pound monster of a teenager. I started my freshman year of high school  and this once skinny, social outcast became popular, I had new friends and was suddenly noticed and desired by  girls. I spent my high school years at the top of  social cliques.

While in high school I started taking a kickboxing class and I loved it.  I went to the gym every day and fought whenever possible.Within six months I became the Amateur California State kickboxing champion.  During one of my fights I was noticed by the producer of Baywatch and they asked me to be on their show. The short lived fame really went to my head and my ego exploded, shortly after filming I met my first wife, Lisa .We married and had two beautiful daughters, I was doing fairly well and fantasized about more upcoming fame and fortune. My ego was out of control, I was conceited,self centered and cheated on her every chance I got. Ultimately, after years of unfaithfulness, she left me .When this happened..then I loved her ..then I needed her, I begged her not to leave. All my childhood hurt resurfaced, I experienced the emptiness of losing my mother and being abandoned all over again. I lost my mind began using drugs again,I took the cowards way out and  abandoned my  family.

I drove to Astoria, Oregon and took a job as a bartender at a strip club. It was there that I was introduced to the needle. The second I felt the drugs hit my heart, in that very moment, it was like Satan wrapped his arms around me, almost as if he was embracing me and saying,”I have you now, you belong to me” I spent the next four years of my life homeless. I robbed people, I became a thief and did unspeakable things to get  drugs. I was lost, broken and at my bottom. I had overdosed several times and only by the grace of God survived. One day while on my way into a shooting gallery a pastor stopped me, this young man was passing out packages of Starburst and with a rubber band was a piece of paper attached to the candy. That paper was a bible track, he told me he could help me and begged me to stay with him and get help but I couldn’t fight the desire to get high. I left, and again God stepped in and saw to it that I got arrested. I spent just enough time in jail to realize that this wasn’t what i wanted. I had abandoned my precious little girls…I hadn’t seen or spoke to them in years. I got out of jail and got into rehab, I found A.A and N.A meetings and stayed clean and sober.

I was disowned by my wife and daughters but embraced by my AA family and the recovery church I was attending. I know God was with me every time I overdosed, that he was there when I was homeless and that he put that pastor in my life. Life started to get good again, I was sober for years and had a great job traveling all over the country for a large roofing company. I finally had my daughters back in my life and I flew to see them every chance I had,and I gave all the credit to God and to the twelve step programs I attended. I met my wife Charlene while attending a meeting in Vancouver,Washington. We had a instant connection,we got married and started a family. I gave her everything I thought she wanted, money ,cars and a beautiful home when what she really wanted was her husband home.

After all that time, her unsuccessful pleads for me to quit that job and find one closer to home and a traumatic miscarriage..she felt that the pain we were enduring was too great , I was unable to comfort her and she left me. That hole I felt my entire life came back that void got bigger and bigger. I thought I had done everything right this time, I loved her with every ounce of me, I was faithful, I provided her with every material thing she asked for.  In my despair, and after seven years clean, I put that needle back into my arm to kill the pain and attempt to fill that hole. My wife and I went through an ugly, very public separation. I became lost and confused and on the verge of being strung out on drugs again. However, this relapse was short lived and I found myself in church on my knees crying out to God..”Why? Lord, help me! Don’t let me do this again, whatever you need of me I am willing to do. YOUR will be done.” God delivered me from my desire to hide behind that needle, that  obsession was gone. I attended church, I prayed often, and after a long separation my wife called me. “Can we talk? I miss you, I’ve been thinking about us”

I drove straight to where she was living and we began to talk , my wife agreed to let me take her on our first date since our separation. That night God showed up big! On that first date as my wife got into the car, our wedding song played on the radio and my wife lost it, tears ran down her face. Then towards the end of our date another song that was played at our wedding came on the radio. We both knew God was working in our relationship, he was speaking right to us.

He spoke to her and asked her to leave everything behind and to trust in him. She told me she wanted to leave and start a new life far away from Washington. We gave everything we had away and loaded up both our cars with our children and just a few personal belongings and drove from Washington to Milan, Tennessee. We didn’t even have a place to live yet so we stayed with my brother. I quit working for that roofing company because as soon as I transferred to their Tennessee office they wanted me to go to New Jersey for three months and  I wasn’t willing to leave my wife again. I took a lower paying job working with my brother and the Lord led us to Temple Baptist Church. While there I rose my hand during a alter call, I was a sinner on my way to hell I needed a personal relationship with Jesus and asked him into my heart. I felt this overwhelming euphoria ,the hole that I had felt throughout the trials in my life was suddenly gone! I had never felt more complete, I was no longer a sinner condemned to hell, I had been redeemed by the saving blood of Jesus Christ and on my way to a eternity with God. My wife and I jumped into service, we became willing to be used for his glory,we taught a Sunday school class and prayed together . We strive to raise our children in a Godly home.. We aren’t perfect, and we often fail, but we try to honor God with the way we live our lives. Thank you Lord for saving me.

I believe that God has performed an amazing act of grace in my life and it is my personal ministry to tell others about it. Through everything I can look back and see Gods mighty hand of grace applied at just the right time in my life. He sustained me for HIS purpose. It was only when I met Jesus that I truly felt loved and fulfilled. He has shown me how to forgive myself and others, he has taught me how to become a loving father and husband by his example. Now Christ Jesus is my joy !

Disappointed is defined as feeling sad, unhappy, or displeased because something was not as good as expected or because something you hoped for or expected did not happen.

Disappointment:  we have all been there.  Things do not always turn out the way we want them.  We feel rejected and hurt and we wonder what the future holds.

Just like you, I have faced disappointments over and over again in my life.  Here are a few things I have learned by walking through disappointment.

1.  Life is hard and unfair.

God showers us with His blessings and He gives us good things, but life is not a Hollywood movie.  God is clear in His word that life on earth will be difficult.  Some of the most esteemed people of the Bible lived the hardest lives.  We do not get a free pass from pain, tribulation or disappointment.  We cannot “earn” an easy life.  Sometimes…life hurts.

But—God is good all the time and He gives us what we need to endure the pain of this life.  When life hurts, we must lean on Him, trust Him and walk by faith.  He is our strength.  He is our shield.  He is near to the brokenhearted and His eye is on those who are crushed in spirit.  Allow your disappointments to drive you to the foot of the cross.

2.   We get ahead of God.

Sometimes disappointment comes because I have made my own plans and set my own dreams before seeking out God’s will for my life.  I get disappointed with an outcome because my plans and dreams were never aligned with God’s purpose in the first place.

But—when I get my life back in order by allowing God to lead me, He shows me His plan and I begin to see Him at work in my life.   He is the creator and I am the created.  The created cannot tell the creator what he/she was made to do and be on this earth.  I did not create myself.  It is His plan I need to seek after, not my own!  I must die to my own selfish flesh and submit to Him.

3.  Closed doors are important.

When we really want something to happen yet the door to that opportunity is closed, we feel disappointed and rejected.  We allow it to get us down and then the enemy can have a hay day with us as we wallow in self-pity.  We will knock on many doors of opportunity—not every door will open.

But—I have learned that a closed door is just as important as an open door because it is leading me towards God’s will for my life.  When a door closes, you and I should not sit around and dwell on it.  We cannot allow it to dampen our spirits.  Instead, we need to remember God is using that closed door to guide us to the next open door.

4.  Things take time.

Most of us like instant gratification, but God requires us to wait.  We do not like to wait.  Waiting is hard.

But– waiting is necessary.  Refinement, sanctification, and fulfilling one’s purpose in life are not quick processes.  We are on a journey to find our place in God’s story and that takes time.  A friend of mine once said, “God is rarely early, but He is never late.”  We need to have patience as we wait on God to move in our lives.

5. When He calls you to it—He will do it!

God will call you and me to do things that seem impossible.  When you and I are seeking after Him, He makes His calling clear.  Fulfilling your calling will take pain-staking effort on your part.

But— When He calls you, He will make it happen.  One of my favorite verses is 1 Thessalonians 5:24 which says “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”  This verse hangs on my refrigerator as encouragement for my journey in life.  You and I must stand firm on what we are called to do. We cannot be quitters just because we hit a road block from time to time.  There are times you will feel so defeated, you will want to quit….don’t quit!  Persevere and cling to His Word.  He will take you where He wants you to go…but He will test you along the way and He will force you out of your comfort zone.

6.  Get up and start again.

We get off course from time to time.  We lose our way.  We make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes are big.  We fall down.

But—nothing is too big for God to restore.  He can take our broken, messed-up lives and turn them into something beautiful…but we have to turn back to Him.  When you mess up and you are disappointed in yourself, get back up and with His grace….start again.

Life usually does not end up the way we planned, but as a child of God, we can trust Him during times of disappointment.  He really does have a plan for your life.  He really is working it all together for your good and His glory.

When disappointments come into your life, instead of asking Him “why?”….ask Him, “what’s next?”

Thanks for stopping by!

~Joy

We are people who are broken.  We have broken relationships, broken dreams, broken down bodies, broken down cars and the list goes on.  Life is not a fairy tale.  Life hurts.

Sometimes, our fellowship with God is broken too.  Most of us experience seasons when we feel extremely close to God.  We also experience season when we feel far from Him.  God desires for us to know Him and to enjoy fellowship with Him (Jeremiah 9:23-24).  He desires for us to walk closely with Him as we live out our faith (1 John 4:6).

When you and I feel far from God, we need to remember that our sins affect our fellowship with Him.  When we receive Christ as our Savior, we belong to Him and nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39), but sin inhibits our fellowship with God.  When I am caught up in sin, whether it is private or public, my heart is not focused on the things of God.  Instead, my heart is focused on myself and what feels good for me.

When our fellowship with God is broken, we need to repent, turn away from our sins and turn back to Him.

Take a look at a few verses we find related to repentance:

• “I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.”  Luke 15:7

• “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”  Romans 2:4

• “Because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” (Rom 2:5)

• “Should God then reward you on your terms, when you refuse to repent?”  Job 34:33a

• “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (2 Pet 3:9)

• “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:19

• “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  1 John 1:9

One Greek word used for repentance is metanoeo which means “to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge.”  Repentance means we see our sin.  We feel guilty for our sin.  We hate our sin.   Saying, “I’m sorry” and continuing to sin again and again is not true repentance.  True repentance is yielding to the work of the Holy Spirit by turning away from sin and returning to God.

If you feel far from God, I want you to know that there is a way to get back into a right fellowship with Him.  Here are some things we learn from scripture:

• Get alone with God  (Mark 1:35)
• Approach His throne with a humble heart (1 Peter 5:6)
• Listen for the Holy Spirit (John 10:27-28)
• Confess your sins to Him (including those private sins that no one else knows about) (1 John 1:9)
• Cry out to Him (Psalm 18:6)
• Make necessary changes and turn away from your sins (Acts 3:19)
• Turn back to God by seeking after Him with all of who you are (Deuteronomy 4:29)

God is faithful to forgive and He can restore!  Restoration is found down the road of repentance.

Thankful for you!

~Joy

I took this picture today of my kids with our two dogs, Sandy and Scooter.  Sandy is the bigger dog and if you look closely, you will see Scooter, our smaller dog.  They bring so much joy to our lives!  We have had Sandy since she was 6 weeks old and have noticed something different about her as she has gotten older.  She is a very unselfish dog.  When we feed our dogs, we fill up two bowls of food.  Every day, Sandy stands back and lets Scooter eat first.  Scooter runs from one bowl to the other and eats his fill.  Only after he is finished will Sandy go to eat.  It is the same way when we give them treats.  Scooter is like a mad-man on a mission.  He is jumping up going crazy, waiting to devour the treat, while Sandy stands back….waiting for Scooter to finish his treat.  Strange isn’t it?  It is not typical dog behavior.  I wonder what makes Sandy that way.  We certainly did not train her to be this way.

Yesterday morning as I was feeding Sandy and Scooter, once again, I watched Sandy stand back and wait for Scooter to eat.  I just shook my head in amazement of how Sandy is so unselfish.  As I watched her wait, some scripture came to my mind from Philippians 2:3 which says:

“Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves.”

Now it may seem a little silly to compare a dog’s actions to God’s Holy Word, but God reminded me of His Truth through Sandy.  Sandy’s unselfish demeanor is rare for a dog.  I think it is also rare for a human….even for a follower of Christ.

I am a person who is usually on a mission.  I dart into the grocery store to grab the necessary items and race out so I can get on to the next thing.  I am usually in a hurry.  I want to find the shortest line at the grocery store, and the best parking space.  I do not like to wait.  I have a timeline and I do not want to be slowed down.  What about you?

If we are honest, I think most of us like to be first!  We typically do not like to wait.  We greatly value our comfort and our time.  We strive to be unselfish people, but it does not come naturally.  We strive to put others first, but if we are honest, it is difficult for us to be this way.  There is a battle that rages inside of us….a battle between our flesh and our spirit.  Our flesh says “me, me, me” while our Spirit seeks after the things of God.

Each day, you and I are faced with choices to make.  Will we be selfless or will we be selfish?  Will we seek to satisfy our fleshly desires or will we seek after God?   Will we put the needs of our spouse above our own?  Will we take time to talk with a friend in need?  Will we go the extra mile for a stranger?

Following after Jesus requires me to die to myself each day.  Each day is a new opportunity for me to grow closer to Him and for me to allow Him to be Lord of my life.  Following after Christ requires humility and selflessness.  In my own human power, this is not possible, but with Jesus, it is!  It is only because of Jesus that I have any possible chance of being a selfless, humble person.  Because of His grace and His love HE can accomplish these things in my life and in yours.  Let us not be fooled into thinking we are “good” enough.  We are not!  It is God who fills us up with His Spirit and He transforms us.  Our job is to yield to Him by loving and obeying Him.   We must die to our own selfish desires and allow Christ to reign.

Remember my friend, God is always at work around us.  He is speaking to you and me and He is drawing us in to Himself.  We need to be watching for Him.  We need to pay close attention.  As He speaks to you and me, we need to have hearts ready to listen.  God will meet you and me right where we are and He often speaks through the most unlikely of things……like a sweet, unselfish dog.

May we die to ourselves and allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives!  May we live in such a way that others wonder what makes us that way.  May we be quick to say it is only because of Jesus!

Thanks for stopping by!

~Joy

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”  

~2 Corinthians 10:5

Maybe you’re like me and you remember the days when your television only had three channels and you had a big antenna on the roof of your house!  There was no such thing as a remote control so if you did not like what was on the TV, in order to change the channel, you had to get up and turn the knob.

You know, changing the channel is a great analogy we can use to help us keep our thoughts in line with God’s Word.  The world we live in sends messages to us wherever we go.  On billboards, television commercials, on the radio, in magazines…you get the idea.  We see women and men half-naked on the cover of magazines.  There are sexually provocative books flooding our bookstores.  Television shows of people committing adultery or living lives contrary to God’s Word run rampant, and the list goes on.  If we are not careful, we can begin to believe the lies the world tries to sell us and our minds can be filled up with garbage.  The music we listen to affects us because we learn the lyrics and we find ourselves singing them without even trying.  The books we read affect us because we imagine ourselves in the story which can lead to us feeling as if our life is subpar and ordinary.  The television shows we watch can sweep our minds away to desiring a more exciting life or feeling as if our spouse is not up to snuff.  Let us not be fooled….what goes into our minds affects us greatly.

My friend, you and I must pay close attention to the life of our mind and guard our thoughts.  We need to be careful what we allow to enter our minds and when evil, negative, ungodly thoughts begin to sneak into our minds, we must CHANGE THE CHANNEL.  We need to stop those negative thoughts and begin thinking thoughts that are in line with God’s Word.  Philippians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

I heard a Christian speaker say once, “We need to think about what we are thinking about.”  This is such a true statement.

I really like this quote:

“Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habit. Watch your habits; they become character. Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.”

Think about what you are thinking about my friend.  Take a good look at what you are filling you mind up with.  Pray and ask God to give you wisdom.  As His Spirit convicts you, be willing to make needed changes.

When you find yourself having negative, ungodly thoughts, change the channel to start thinking in line with God’s Word.   Fill up with Truth!

Grateful for you!

~Joy