What a honor for me that you would take a moment and visit this simple site. Just in case you don't know me, here's a little info to give some  insight. The "jchart3" comes from my name, Joel C Hart, III. (Don't you think 'jchart3' sounds a little less aristocratic?) I was born in the state of Arkansas but grew up all over as an Army "brat." By the time I graduated high school I had attended over 20 different schools. Mobility, meeting people and entertaining with my accent was commonplace. My travels and life experiences along the way fueled my passion for writing and meeting new people. My love for writing started with a daily journal in my 4th grade class near Anchorage, Alaska. That experience and urging by my teacher, Mr. Kruse, along with my discovery of The Hardy Boys (thank you Franklin W. Dixon) about the same time seemed to seal the deal.  After graduation in Missouri, it was only three years later that I married the love of my life, Stephanie. Nineteen plus years, three children and twelve addresses later she's still standing with me. She and God get all the credit for that. My experiences traveling, growing up, being married and experiencing fatherhood has fueled my writing in "A Journal of the Journey." These are mostly life lesson short stories.My career has spanned 11 years with Wal-Mart stores in MO, UT, Canada, back to UT and WA. For almost 15 years (post Wal-Mart) I've managed financial institutions and provided financial insight to consumers, small business owners, married couples, school classrooms and church organizations. My passion for stewardship has attributed to my writing on "Money Talks and Business Builders." These are practical, understandable, easily applicable ideas, principles and experiences. At the age of 16, I preached my first "sermon" to a kind, patient congregation in Missouri. My two pages of notes lasted all of six minutes. Much less than when rehearsed in the mirror! From 16-38 (and still from time to time) I and my wife have been privileged to work with teenagers in ministry. During these years we've been honored to help plant four churches in three states. We've served in every role from janitor to teacher to youth leader to pastoral assistant to pastor to overseer. These roles have carried us from MO to UT to WA to AR to Italy and still other places to come. (Seems all that military travel was good training.) These experiences have helped us realize that the people of greatest value are the ones we are privileged to have influence with during varying seasons of their life. This value of influence is the motivator and the constant check point of the writing you'll find in "First -- God's Kingdom." Click around the site. Get in touch with me (See the "Contact jchart3" button up there on the left? - Just click it.) I'd love to hear from you. Thank you for taking the time to visit. I'm honored that you would do so. From time to time, I'll reference books I've read, products I've used and tools that have helped me. When these items are marked with an asterisk * you should know that Joel Hart, that's me, the author of jchart3.com and it's connected blogs, is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. |