Passionate Joy: Building a Wealth of Joy in a World Starved for Love

By Dr. James Evans McReynolds

Passionate Joy connects the psychological and spiritual understanding of our least discussed human emotion. This book reflects the dawn of a revolutionary approach to living. Norman Vincent Peale anointed Jim McReynolds as minister of joy to the world. The most important characteristic of a minister of joy is humility. This book teaches people the purpose of our lives is to create an atmosphere for joy and miracles to happen. Life is difficult. Building a wealth of joy enables us to know happiness. Readers will enter the joy of the Lord as they reflect upon their own joy.

This book can be used as a text for study groups. Questions for reflections are included at the end of each chapter. This book was envisioned during studies at Vanderbilt University and the University of Oxford in England. The material has been shared during a lifetime of weekend retreats, conferences, and seminars for churches, schools, workplaces, and community groups.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Jan 26, 2006
• ISBN: 9780595828586

Dr. James Evans McReynolds

Jim McReynolds is a writer, preacher, teacher, and counselor. He finds joy as pastor of a small church, the First Christian Church of Weeping Water, Nebraska. He and his wife Laurel are available to groups for retreats and special meetings. Laurel is a registered nurse and gifted musician. Contact them at 404 North 4th Street, Elmwood NE 68349, or email [e-mail]

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Copyright © 2006 by James E. McReynolds

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Contents

Other Books by

Dr. James E. McReynolds

Introduction

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Notes About the Author

Other Books by

Dr. James E. McReynolds

A Baptist History

A Church of Joy: History of Washington Chapel United Methodist Church

Acts: A Bible Study Workbook

Adjusting Your Attitude: The Book of Numbers

Advent Devotionals 1997

Advent Devotionals 1996

Advent Worship With the Faith Church Family

A Good Marriage Begins With Me

A Guide to Preaching: Lay Leadership Training

A King and a Pair of Queens: The Story of Esther

A Living Lesson on Forgiveness: Philemon

A Love Your Children Can Share Forever

American Vignettes: A Collection of Footnotes to History

America’s Number One Drug Problem

A New Attitude

A Night With People of the Cross

An Ounce of Prevention: A Church-Based Program of Drug Abuse Prevention

A Treasury of Modern Poets

Alcoholics Are God’s Children Too

Anointed Soul, Spiritual Rocks

Apprentice Shepherds for a Modern Age

A Psychology of Wellness

Arrows in Your Quiver

A Vision Quest for Maturing in Christ

A Visionquesting Tool for Understanding Ourselves

Baptism: Truth or Tradition

Because My Love Holds No Strings

Bible in Pocket, Gun in Hand

Black Preaching: Burden of a People

Blue Ridge Mountain Faith: Blueberries, Midnight Blue, Bluegrass, and Bluestreaks

Bread for the Visionquest

Breaking the Code of the Apocalypse: Revelation

Bridging the GAP: Faith and Doctrine: Bridges to Guilt, Anger, and Prayer

Building a Wealth of Joy in a World Starved for Love: Sermons

Caught Between the Bookends of Easter and Eternity

Celebrating Life With Jesus’ Parables

Celebrating the Coming of Christ

Celebration and Order: A Guide to Worship

Children and Divorce: What Parents Need to Know

Children and the Enigma of Anger

Children in My Heart

Chosen Children

Christmas Classics

Christmas in the Meadows

Christ’s Work for the Life of the Church: Ephesians 1-3

Christ Will See You Through

Chronic Joy: Preaching at Saint Matthew Church

Church Discipline and Christian Love

College Faith: College and University Preaching

Colors of Faith

Communion: The Memory and the Magic Complete Healing Under the McReyscope Contagious Zeal for God’s House: I and II Chronicles Count It All Joy

Creating an Atmosphere for Intercessory Prayer in a Christ Centered Church Curriculum Guidance Toward Visionquests for Joy Daily Almanac: Who Did It When in Church History Dancing to Our Polar Star

Dancing With Bipolar Bears: Living in Joy Despite Illness

Dancing With the Christmas Spirit

Daring Discipleship

David: A Man After God’s Own Heart

Day by Day Guidance Toward Joyous Spirituality Design for Personal Spiritual Visionquest Deuteronomy: The Law That Delivers Difficult Children

Discovering the Church as a Disciplinary Force for Joy Divorce on Trial

Dramatic Feelings During Holy Days

Elijah

Elisha

Encountering the Eternal: The Letters of John Encyclopedia of Southern Baptists: Volume III Enrichment: A New Blueprint for Marriage Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Angels Experiencing Easter

Ezekiel: Visionquests of the Restoration of Israel

Faithfulness in the Church Before the Lord’s Return: I and II Thessalonians Faith Journeys When You Are at Wit’s End Faith Makes a Difference

Families and History of Sullivan County, Tennessee, 1779-1992 Fellows Yearbook 2000 Fighting for the Faith: Jude Final Visionquests

Flames, Lions, Visions, and Dreams: The Challenge of Daniel

Gaining God’s Grace in Galatians

Genesis of the Grace of God

Getting Angry Makes Me Mad

Getting Up and Going Again

Getting Up Getting You Down

God, Moses, and the Deep Blue Sea

God’s Evangelism: How to Share Your Faith Without Being Offensive God’s Journalism God’s Joy

God’s Jurisprudence: Law, Ethics, and Justice God’s Ministry

God’s Pattern for Successful Mothers

God’s Psychiatry and Mental Health

God’s Therapy: Healing the World’s Deficit Disorders

God’s Vision for the Masculine Life

Golden Nuggets: A Comprehensive Guide to Interpreting Every Verse in the Bible

Good News of Mega Joy Great Is Thy Faithfulness: Lamentations Guidance for Youth for Making It on Your Own Guilt: When Your Conscience Says You’re Bad Healing the Body and the Soul

Healing the Family Circle: Therapeutic Approaches to Excellence in Living Healing the Soul of the Church Through Prayer and Spiritual Formation Heart Warmers Hell

Holy Happenings Highlights: A Children’s Easter Book Homosexuality and the Bible Hope for Depression

How to Be a Disciple of Jesus: The Book of Hebrews How You Can Be a Joyful Christian Without Being Perfect Human Growth and Development: Adolescence Human Growth and Development: Early Childhood Human Growth and Development: Marriage Human Growth and Development: Middle Years Human Growth and Development: Years of Loss Hundred Days of Love In Grief’s Lonely Hours In His Spirit: 365 Devotions for Every Day Inspirations: Prayers for Hearth and Home Interpretation of Dreams on the Spiritual Journey Irresistible Grace: Healing Grace for a Lifetime Isaiah: Trusting God in Turbulent, Troubled Times It’s Hard to Say Goodbye James: Faith That Works

James McReynolds’ Dictionary of Illustrations and Outlines Jeremiah: The Reluctant Prophet

Jesus and the People: Proclaiming the Kingdom of God (Matthew 11-20) Jesus Christ Is Lord

Jesus Sets Us Free: A Parish Religious Education Series

Jonah: God’s Global Reach

Joseph Under the McReyscope

Joshua: The Lord Is Salvation

Joy Beyond Survival: A New Spirituality

Joy Beyond the Walls of This World

Joy in the Mourning: Preaching Joy at a Funeral

Judges: People Seeking Independence From God

Keeping Our Resolutions

Keeping the Home Fires Burning

King of the Jews, King of Glory (Matthew 21-28)

Learning to Live Drug Free

Let All the People: Visionquests From the Children’s Sermon Box

Liturgical Preaching

Living in Love

Living With Olympic Faith

Looking Through a Father’s Soul

Love for the First Conflicted Church at Corinth: I Corinthians

Love That Lasts a Lifetime

Love Is the Bottom Line

Love: A Cornerstone of Faith

Luke: A Spiritual Commentary

Making Relaxation Work for You

Making Sense Out of Adolescence

Meditations on the Miracles of Christ

Microscope Under the Shepherd’s Psalm

Ministries in the Meadows

Moses Under the McReyscope

Mountains Beyond Mountains

Mysterious Secrets in Grandpa’s Weeping Desk

Negative Shadows: The Most Discussed Human Emotions Nehemiah Under the McReyscope New Testament History: Acts

Our Dear and Glorious Physician: Exposition of the Gospel of Luke

Our Great Salvation

Our Savior’s Strength for Sorrow

Panning for Gold in Rural Virginia Pulpits

Parliamentary Law: Visionquesting in Order

Pastoral Counseling With the Alcoholic

Pastoral Psychotherapy and Process Theology

Passages Through Death

Personal Bible Study Notebook

Philippians: A Letter of Jesus and Joy

Prayer and Our Spiritual Progress

Prayer Journal

Prayers for the Psycho-Spiritual Counseling

Prayers From the Heart

Pray for the Persecuted Church

Preaching From the Prayer of Jabez, I Chronicles 4:9-10

Preaching the Word: A Theological Perspective

Presbyterian New Members Class

Presbyterian Preaching: Shenandoah Sermons

Prescription for Today: Meditations for the Sick

Proverbs and Refreshing Relationships

Provision or Penalty, Blessing or Judgment

Psalms in Reflection

Psychology of Love: The Real Stuff

Public Petitions: Powerful Positive Prayer

Quest for Guidance When the Bible Doesn’t Say

Quest for Joy: Life Beyond Pleasure and Profit

Refreshing Relationships

Remember Your Redeemer: Sermons From a Student Pastor Rendering to Caesar: A Biblical Perspective on Government Resisting Our Resentments

Resurrection Joy: The Laughter of God

Revealing the Riches of the Revelation

Revelation of John: The Lamb Wins

Rock-a-Bye Baby: Understanding Family Stress

Ruth Under the McReyscope

Sermons on the Ten Commandments

Sermons to Create a Christ Centered Church

Sermons to the Church on Evangelism and Christian Witness

Setting Our Minds on the Spirit

Seven Parables of the Savior

Seventh and Eighth Century Minor Prophets: Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Obadiah

Sexual Attraction and Moral Choices: The Story of Ruth Sexual Intimacy: Song of Solomon Sexually Abused Children in Foster Care Simple Spirituality

Some Practical Care and Guidance When Death Comes

Songs of Feelings and Faith: The Psalms Outlined

Soul Healing Ministry of the Christian Church

Soul in the Workplace: Visionquest of Excellence

Soul Mating: A Premarital Marriage and Relationship Manual

Soul Songs: Finding Treasure in the Psalms

Spiritual Autobiography

Spiritual Gifts

Spiritual Maturity: Rejoicing Through the Book of James Spiritual Paths to Happiness Spirituality or Spirit?

Spiritual Paintings: The Poetic Soul of James McReynolds Spiritual Values and Personal Health

Spiritual Visionquests International: Devotions to Enable Your Joy

Spreading Joy Despite Personal Challenges

Stand Firm in Your Faith Even If Your Friends Are Turkeys

Standing in the Need of Prayer: Christians in Prison

Strength for Facing Anything

Suffering and God’s Presence

Sustaining Faith in Love

Take Up Thy Cross: A Lenten Devotional

Taking Responsibility for Your Own Wellness

Teaching the Ephesians and Us How to Live

Teach Me How to Live: Olympic Year Christian Poetry

The Bottle in the Bible

The Gift of Prayer

The Journey Into Christmas: A Quest for Joy

The Joy of Managing Your Anger

The Languages of Love

The Road Less Traveled to Joy

The Symbolism of Our Faith

To Earth With Joy

To Everything a Season

Transactional Analysis in Therapeutic Counseling True Grace: I and II Peter

Two Become One: Bible Studies on Marriage and Family

The Acts of the Apostles, Volume I

The Acts of the Apostles, Volume II

The Acts of the Apostles, Volume III

The Acts of the Apostles, Volume IV

The Best Way to Love Your Family

The Biblical Speed Bump: Leviticus

The Changing Face of Methodism: A Confirmation Study The Church’s Life as the Work of Christ: Ephesians 4-6 The D.A.T.E. Manual: School Based Substance Abuse Prevention The Desert Sounds of Spirituality (Psalms 50-90) The Drama of Deliverance

The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Philippians

The Essence of Evangelism

The Filling of Empty Vacuums

The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy to the World

The Good News of All God’s People

The Gospel of God’s Grace: Romans

The Gospel of Joy According to Luke

The Gospel of Mark the Evangelist

The Integrity of the New Covenant: II Corinthians

The Intensity of Joy

The Journey of the Human Soul

The Joy of Finding the Changeless God in Our Changing Society

The Joy of Knowing God

The Joy of the Lord Is My Strength: Nehemiah

The Many Faces of Adolescent Depression

The McReynolds’ Family: Who’s Who in America

The Ministry of the Church

The Peer Counselor’s Pocket Book

The Person and Work of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

The Power of Love in the Healthy Family

The Promised King: The Gospel According to Matthew

The Pursuit of Happiness: Philippians

The Recovery of God’s House

The Return of Judah: Joel, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi

The Road Best Traveled Is Without Anger

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Churches

The Scent of Joy

The Story of Joseph

The Teacher and His Students (Matthew 5-10)

The Ten Commandments: Guidelines to Joy

The Theological Mystery of the Anabaptists

The Visionary Teaching of Jesus Arranged by Subjects

The Waters Run Deep

The Whispering if My Heart: Prayer Poems

The World Mission of the Church in the Acts of the Apostles

The World of Youth Management

Thorny Roses: Sexuality and Spirituality

To Rome With Love

To Saint Luke Church With Joy: A Study of Philippians

To Tie the Knot or Not

Tough Faith for Tough Times

Under God—A New Birth of Freedom

Unheralded Heroes of Hebrew History: Amos, Hosea, Micah, Jonah

Unity and Division: A History of the Kings of Israel

Unwrapping Your Spiritual Gifts

Ventures in Worship

Visionquest for Christian Service

Vision Questing to Be Surprised by Life

Vision Questing to Let God Bless You

Visionquest of Joy: The Least Discussed Human Emotion

Ways of Men/The Way of God: Sermons on Easter Joy

We Are the Church Together and Together We Grow

Welcome to the Next Level

What I’ve Learned About Alcohol

What I’ve Learned About Drugs

What’s Wrong With American Families

When All the Colors in the Crayon Box Are Gray

When Heaven and Earth Meet

When Religion Hurts

Why Are You Weeping? Worship Materials for Funerals

Why I Love the Church

Why Your Family Works That Way

Wisdom, Knowledge, Joy, and the Myth of Success: Ecclesiastes

Working Prayer Into the Rhythms of Life

You Can Quit Alcohol

You’re Somebody Special

Your Secret Life With Jesus

Contact Visionquests for Joy for author speaking engagements:

Dr. James McReynolds

404 North 4th Street

ELMWOOD NE 68349-6022

Phone [phone]

E-mail [e-mail]

This book is affectionately dedicated to

Ethan Sean Coffin

May Ethan always have his radiant smile. And if he ever loses it for a time, may he and we know that a joy will fall from heaven to bring it back.

—Grandpapa Jim

Introduction

This book is lovingly dedicated to my grandson Ethan. Ethan holds a continuous smile with his searching blue eyes. He finds joy in everything he does. Whenever I find myself living in a valley time, I know I am recovering when I get my smile back.

I completed the initial writing of this book in the summer of 2005. Then, the hard drive on my computer fizzled out. I lost five years of work including my book on joy.

My Recovery, Inc. support group helped me see this trauma as a triviality in life. I endorsed myself for making the effort to get a new hard drive. I came into his world with nothing and I’ll go out with the same. I bore the discomfort of starting over. John Killinger, my mentor and friend, said the next attempt would be fresh and better. Linda Coffin, my daughter, had saved some of the outline and early writing. God might have wanted something in this final version that will tap into your joy instinct.

My title, Passionate Joy, comes out of my life. During a School of Practical Christianity session, Norman Vincent Peale, the famous positive thinking pastor, anointed me as minister of joy to the world.

Writing this book has brought me closer to God. Advertisements of things that are supposed to bring us joy and any earthly achievements cannot compare to being aware of joys in life. Jane Pauley thinks of joy as the things falling out of heaven theory. I know Ethan and Linda came from heaven. I see it in their eyes and their warm smiles.

Finding the joy of eternal union with God including perfect beauty and majesty demonstrates to me that the good things in this life are simply a dress rehearsal for the next. Death is a curtain call as jouissance is a French word for exceeding joy, or passionate joy.

Joy comes from the same Latin word as rejoicing. In my world with all the love God has shown to me and my family, I have known this exceeding joy. I know that in my wife Laurel Ann and through friends and family, I have known a harbinger of the most intense and perfect joy of heaven.

When Linda, my daughter, was born, I could not contain the love and the joy I felt and still do. Along the hills and valleys, the rocky and tumultuous paths, which I have described in an earlier book, Dancing With Bipolar Bears: Living in Joy Despite Illness, my family and I often used humor to lighten the struggles. Our joy in the face of worldly obstacles is living proof of the promises of God that our sorrow will be turned into laughter. Passionate joy is the opposite of depression.

My paraphrase of John 16:22 reads, So you are now in the valleys of anguish! But I will see you again, and your hearts will hold jouissance, and no one will take your joy away." We lack passion and so we lack joy.

Joy is proof that God lives in us. Still Christians hunger for love and become depressed, stressed out, and sad. Examples of faithful yet human saints can bring us closer to God who is all joy. I have learned from them. My old friend John Claypool called us fellow strugglers.

God’s abundance is unlimited. We can drink from the inexhaustible source of joy, and when we do, we’ll know perfect peace.

Practical Application:

Before you begin reading, take out a piece of paper. Draw a line horizontally across the middle of the page. At the extreme left side write on the line birth. Then write at five year intervals the hills and valleys of your life to date. Write hills in the upper space and write a word or two to indicate your valleys in the lower space.

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Joy and Our Life Purpose

The Secret of joy in work is contained in one word: excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it.

—Pearl S. Buck

Building a wealth of joy in a world starved for love is our life purpose. In rich nations such as the United States of America, little is known about joy. Joy is the least discussed human emotion.

Surveys reveal that in the years of American research, there have been more than 50,000 professional papers written on depression, and less than 50 on joy or happiness.

Psychotherapists integrate most any topic or theory into new theories of psychotherapy, but we are in total darkness about the qualities that make life most worth living.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama and a therapist, Howard Cutler, wrote a book titled The Art of Happiness in 1998. Millions read it. Tenzin Gyatso (the current Dalai Lama) assured us that the purpose of life is to seek joy and the motion of life is toward

Reviews for Passionate Joy

[Jim McReynolds · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Best book on joy by the Minister of Joy to the World by Dr. James McReynolds.