POSITIVELY JOY: Healing Hearts After Divorce

The new season starts Sept. 28! In the meantime, I thought I'd share this Bible verse with you from Zephaniah. God has ALL the power! We don't have to do anything!

Positively Joy was born of the pandemic, but our need to find happiness and learn how to choose joy will long outlast this worldwide disease. Keep an eye on this channel! We're gearing up for season 2 and creating some new media and trailers!

  As I got settled in my seat in church on Sunday, I looked around and more than 1/3 of people were not wearing masks. Now lest you think this is going to be a rant against people who don't wear masks it is not. In episode 31, I want to explore when a community that previously seemed pretty cohesive starts to seem separate.

The voice of God. Audibly hearing his voice. Isn’t that what we seek when we pray? We ask for something and we think, “wouldn’t it be nice if God just said, ‘Sure, I can get that for you,’ or ‘I’m make it happen right away.” But he doesn’t. That’s not how God works, and if I’m honest, sometimes that frustrates me. How about you? But wait. I didn’t say God didn’t have a voice. He does. The Bible sa...

Blogger and speaker Karen Friday's father left her family when she was a child. When he returned, he told her God didn't exist. Despite that, she and her twin sister both found God at 16, and from then she prayed her father would find the Lord. She figures she prayed 5,000 times for him. At age 32, she received a message: Her father had gotten saved. Karen preaches of God's faithfulness and to alw...

Welcome, all new listeners to Positively Joy!  We've had some new folks join us, so I thought I'd take a few moments in episode 28 to explain exactly what we are trying to do here at the podcast. Please subscribe here or text PJOY to 22828 to get our exclusive subscriber newsletter. Subscribers also will get more information on our giveaway! 

  This is one of my favorite episodes of 2020. It didn't make the top 20 in downloads and I'd say it's underrated. I hope you enjoy listening to my conversation with Methodist Elder and historian Wendy Meyer unpacking Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical "Hamilton" and looking at the many references to God and the Bible. We look at four songs in particular: "Wait For It," "Say No to This," "One Last Time"...

  The note and box of cookies I gave my neighbor yielded more than I could ever have hoped. But that's not why I did it. More than a year later, John 15:11 holds the key. Episode 26 proves it's all about receiving the joy in Him that will remain in us.   Captions: Her gift in return was a promise that God remains faithful always. Listen to find out what this gift was.

  In episode 25, we talk to Sherry Williams of Charlotte, N.C., who finds joy out of making all kinds of things out of paper. On her YouTube channel, Posh Paper Lady, she can teach you how to as well.  Thousands of fans come to Sherry's channel every day to watch her make "stinkin' cute" projects, and have a good time. But papercrafting isn't frivolous. It can be practical and even contribute  to...

  Episode 24 is all about trusting God and finding joy in family memories. First, I'm delving into the book of Isaiah and learning about God's promises. Then later, listen to me and my sister, Karen Walker, as we pick greens and tell funny stories about our parents when we were young. Photo of my mother, Virginia Walker, when she was in her 20s.

Shanna Noel is the founder of the Bible journaling company, Illustrated Faith. Shanna talks all about what Bible journaling is and how we can grow closer to God through this relatively new art form. She has grown her company in 5 short years and has tens of thousands of fans through social media. Like this episode? Sign up here for news and updates about Positively  Joy! Shanna's ability to help C...

The guys are back! In part 2 of this conversation with comic experts Anthony Brown (below right) and Kade Poulson, we explore Scripture and Bible characters to get at the root of Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) and his religious traditions. Why does he hurt people but refrain from killing? Does he pray to God? And do we see religion depicted in other comics? Also, breaking news about the Infinite Dan...

  Join my conversation in episode 21 with comic book experts Anthony Brown and Kade Poulson all about Daredevil and his religious crisis. He believes in God, but doubts himself. Is he good? Or is he truly the devil of Hell's Kitchen? The Netflix show is just the latest incarnation of this character, which has been featured in comics for years. 

In part three of the Joy of Hair Week, we talk to a bold woman who revealed a special decision on social media. After battling with the hair thinning disorder alopecia, writing consultant Linda Jones made the decision to go bald. The reaction was swift and positive on social media, but that's not why she did it. Linda says wanted to inspire other women suffering from hair issues to go bald when th...

On episode 19 of the Positively Joy Podcast: Carla Hinton, Faith editor of The Oklahoman, recently wore a mask while attempting to interview someone for a story. The person challenged her faith, asking her to remove her mask, and whether she believed God would protect her from Coronavirus. Carla talks about the encounter, and what scripture she stands on.

In part two of the Joy of Hair Week, we talk to the the always fashion-forward Michael Quintanilla If you want someone who finds joy through their hair, it's Michael. Cool, trendy and always passionate about style, he enjoys looking good, but also helping others feel good about themselves! Michael discusses his hair, going gray and why it all matters.  

  It's our Joy of Hair Week! Today in Episode 16 of the Positively Joy podcast, Linda Lockhart discusses her reasons for cutting off her long dreadlocks and embracing the joy of a short, worry-free style.  Subscribe and don't miss parts 2 and 3 in the Joy of Hair Week:  Michael Quintanilla on going gray, and Linda Jones on shaving her beautiful head.

Episode 15: In a special episode of Positively Joy: Journalism student Jessie Smith tells why the death of George Floyd affected him so deeply. They both are black men, and motherless. Smith's essay, "Like a Motherless Child: The Memory of George Floyd," can be found on Medium . Editor's note: This conversation references difficult topics and uses language about racial injustice. However, it's imp...

Episode 14: Valerie Vaughn is a photographer, but she also has a mission to infuse empowerment into everything she creates. Listen to our conversation on how she does this, and why she prays before every session. To read the story I wrote about her project for Upworthy, click here .

Episode 13: How does an Episcopalian bishop deal with self-isolation in a quarantine? He makes funny videos, of course. That's what Bishop Jose McLoughlin does, anyway. Listen to my conversation with the bishop about making people laugh during stressful times.     rj9v7SeeY79ZY57Y7zPI

In Episode 12, therapist and life coach Marcus Cade Jr. of Happiness Decoded 101 teaches people how to activate their joy. Through personal tragedy, he learned  the four pillars of harmony and happiness!

In Episode 12, therapist and life coach Marcus Cade Jr. of Happiness Decoded 101 teaches people how to activate their joy. Through personal tragedy, he learned  the four pillars of harmony and happiness!

In Episode 11, listen to part two of my conversation with author Crescent Dragonwagon and her husband, Mark Graff on hosting a story time for children's stories on Facebook, and why sharing stories is important.

In episode 10, author Crescent Dragonwagon, yes, that's her name, and her husband, Mark Graff started reading children's books on Facebook Live during Covid-19. Her mother, Charlotte Zolotow, was an accomplished writer and brought joy to many children, as did Crescent herself. In part one of our conversation, the couple talks about why they started the story time.

This is episode 9, and part two of my conversation with Asst. Pastor Mashaun D. Simon. We finish talking about the Facebook Compliment Challenge but also delve into how social media can serve as a positive in a season of negativity.