Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. -Joshua 1:8
God works in mysterious ways. It was mid-November 2004 and I was attending a seminar at Billy Graham’s conference center, The Cove, in North Carolina. Led by his daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, the topic for the weekend was “Filling Up to Overflow,” and I was doing just that. It was there that I first heard the Lord speak to me regarding what is currently known as Joyshop. He was asking me to offer something back to the church, specifically my passion for His Word. Was I equipped to do such a thing?
Before I left the conference I had an opportunity to speak to Mrs. Lotz regarding the word God had laid on my heart. “I’m going to hold a workshop at my church,” I told her. “I want to share the simple ways that I’ve learned about the Lord through His Word, and I’m going to follow the concepts you’ve laid out in this conference.” This was a moment of accountability for me. I just told Anne Graham Lotz about my plans, and I was not about to lie to Billy Graham’s daughter!
With the support of my pastors and my church, I was able to advertise my first workshop in the church bulletin. Would anyone actually sign up? To my surprise, 80 people attended that first training, and what I shared was received with great enthusiasm. The hunger for God’s Word was so evident that I knew I had to do it again. The next day I wrote in my journal, “Lord, give me guidance. Lead me. The harvest is ripe, and I’m available and ready to go.” That year I did 24 workshops with over 1000 people attending.
Today, JoyShop has become more than I ever could have dreamed God would make it. He has faithfully led us to the place where we are today, and continues to impassion my heart for influencing the church to SEEK HIM FIRST.
Don’t wait another day to know the LIFE and the JOY that comes through Jesus Christ! Consistently make your time alone with God the first thing you do every day. Dig deeply into the letters He has left for you in His Word, and see how radically it will affect your life.