Jesse Joyner, PhD

Author: Jesse

  • Friday Trivia

    Since I’m in the Quad Cities, here’s a little local trivia: Name the Quad Cities area radio announcer who went on to bigger and better things in life, like leading the free world.

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  • Top 5 Games for Summer Camp

    I travel to a lot of summer camps around the country each year. I have seen with my own eyes what games kids are drawn to the most throughout their given week of camp. And they are the same games no matter where you go. Kids are kids! Here are the 5 games that I…

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  • Children and Animals in Eternity

    I am intrigued with the fascination that children have with animals. Is it because many domestic animals are more approachable and manageable (size-wise) for children? Is it because the animals are fuzzy and furry? Are there a variety of factors? Regardless, I think we all have a little kid in us when we interact with…

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  • The Impossible Paper Cut

    I asked a group of elementary schoolers if they thought I could cut a hole in a regular 8.5″x11″ piece of computer paper large enough to fit 6 kids through it at the same time. We were able to do it with no problem! Are you also skeptical? Here’s how you do it…… Step 1:…

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  • Friday Trivia

    I love trivia. I especially love random trivia that blows your mind. Here is something I recently learned that will blow your mind. Do you know the answer? Name a species of bird (that most of you have probably heard of before) that was one of the most abundant animals in North America (numbered in…

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  • How to Handle a Woman – Camelot the Musical

    In honor of Valentine’s Day, here is some helpful sage advice for all us guys out there. You’re welcome.

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  • Immortality on Earth

    There is a fascinating example in science of an “eternal” living animal: the Turritopsis nutricula. It is a tiny jellyfish-like creature that reverts to a juvenile after maturing to older life stages (an so on and so forth). It is a cell development process called transdifferentiation (say that ten times fast). It tops any list…

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  • Less is More

    When I was in Port-au-Prince, Haiti last month, I had the privilege of visiting a children’s home/orphanage of about 30 kids between the ages of 10-17. My host, Scott, asked if I would be willing to teach the kids how to juggle. I was happy to do so. The only problem is that I did…

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  • No Chainsaw Juggling on a Plane

    As both a chainsaw juggler and a frequent flier on Delta, I took notice when Delta’s newest safety video showed a placard disallowing chainsaw juggling. I love it! Watch the video and notice the sign at the 1:33 mark:

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  • The Uncle Charlie Only144 Sale

    Buy over $1500 of Uncle Charlie’s music and other resources for only $97. The first one hundred buyers get a free “Live Show” DVD of my juggling act.  Click on the image to get to the sale.

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  • Five Things You Should Know About Haiti

    Haiti is on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (shared with the Dominican Republic) in between the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico. I had the chance to visit two weekends ago and perform my juggling show six times in three days for children at various events (a school, some orphanages, and a church). My hosts…

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  • The Top 10 Travel Search Websites

    I travel a lot for my work and for recreation with my family.  I love the thrill of searching for and finding great travel deals – whether it be a flight, hotel stay, car rental, cruise, or some other fun getaway. Here at my 10 favorite sites for searching for and finding the best deals…

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  • The Easiest Large Group Game Ever

    This is probably the easiest large group game ever invented.  If you can think of an easier one, please let me know in the comments. Heads or Tails! This game of heads or tails involves EVERYONE in your large group.  It is actually better the larger the group gets.  There is an elimination factor to…

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  • This Is Why I Love My Job

    Every so often I hear feedback from people who see my show.  And over the years, I’ve heard the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It’s amazing, though, just how powerful some stories can be in inspiring you to continue doing the job/ministry/vocation you do.  This is one of those letters….. I recently got this…

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  • The Flight 93 National Memorial

    I drove to a show in Pittsburgh yesterday. Instead of taking the Pennsylvania Turnpike across PA (which is narrow, congested, and expensive), I opted to take the parallel four and two-lane state route 30 (a little mountainous, but otherwise clear of traffic and free). While driving on Route 30, I passed a sign that said,…

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  • Top 5 Posts of 2012

    These are my top 5 posts from 2012 – based on number of hits to each post.  I had no idea my top post would be about Facebook’s little favicon, but apparently I struck a chord with the curious computer geeks out there.  Next were some resources for Children’s Ministry, including my top ten songs…

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  • When Children Grieve: From Bethlehem to Newtown

    On a mild autumn morning twelve years ago, I found myself in front of a primary school class full of grieving children.  I was their entertainment for the day – a juggler from halfway across the world, doing whatever I could to bring a little joy to their lives. The children were Palestinian kids from…

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  • The Problem with Santa

    I have a problem with Santa.  I’m not hostile towards the jolly fellow.  He’s actually a really nice guy.  But I still have a really big problem with him. Santa is a legalist. He makes a list.  He checks it twice.  He finds out who is naughty or nice.  And then he rewards the good…

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  • How to Win at Heads or Tails

    I can teach you a secret to winning at heads or tails – every single time.  You can flip the coin a thousand times and call the heads or tails to your friends before you all look at the coin.  And this is all using a real quarter. There are a few conditions: This works…

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  • Now Showing

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  • My Take: Dumb Ways to Die

    This catchy and artsy music video will either make you laugh or make you a little creeped out, depending on your sense of humor.  I thought it was hilarious, especially the character who “sold both kidneys on the internet.” Would you believe that this is a public service announcement from the rail Metro in Melbourne,…

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  • Free Photo Editing Resource

    If you’re like me, then you know enough about photo editing to use basic programs like iPhoto but other big programs like Photoshop scare the begeebees out of you.  You see, I want the versatility that Photoshop provides with the ease of use that iPhoto provides.  Plus, I don’t need 98% of the bells and…

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  • Risking My Life for Food

    Join me this Wednesday night at the Robinson Theater in Richmond, VA (2903 Q St, Richmond, VA 23223) from 7pm to 8pm as I do my first indoor performance of the chainsaw juggling act.  This is a comedy juggling show for all ages. Admission is one canned or non-perishable food OR $1.  All the food…

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  • How to Save Three Dollars

    So you want to learn how to juggle but you don’t quite have the budget to go out and buy $5 balls, $7 rings, and $30 clubs. I have the answer for you. You could just use anything currently lying around the house, like balled-up socks, tomatoes, or kittens.  But if you use socks, you…

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  • Everyone’s a Kid

    I believe in eternity – that God created us to be in communion with Him forever. From a temporal perspective, our lifespans on earth are essentially a blip compared to eternal life. So humans on earth are all kids. We are simply growing up here on this earth until we die. Kids are full of…

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Popular Posts

  • “Holy Fools”: Exploring the Journey of Calling for Christian Variety Performers
    “Holy Fools”: Exploring the Journey of Calling for Christian Variety Performers

    I am happy to announce that my PhD dissertation has been published to ProQuest, an academic database for published research. I have made the dissertation open source, which means anyone anywhere can access the full content free of charge. Here is the full dissertation: https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/holy-fools-exploring-journey-calling-christian/docview/2622316783/se-2 Please share far and wide. I am very much excited…

  • The Easiest Large Group Game Ever
    The Easiest Large Group Game Ever

    This is probably the easiest large group game ever invented.  If you can think of an easier one, please let me know in the comments. Heads or Tails! This game of heads or tails involves EVERYONE in your large group.  It is actually better the larger the group gets.  There is an elimination factor to…

  • Merry Christmas from the Joyners!
    Merry Christmas from the Joyners!

    Greetings from our family in Richmond, Virginia! We are thankful for you, our friends and family. We are also thankful to the Lord for His gift of the love to us all this season. This past year has been a roller coaster of experiences and emotions, specifically regarding our spunky little Annie, who is now…

  • Book Release! Incredibly Bad Dad Jokes
    Book Release! Incredibly Bad Dad Jokes

    I have been writing down my original Dad jokes for several years now, but recently they dramatically increased. While the past five months of my life have been the toughest for me as a Dad (with Annie’s medical crisis), the Dad jokes actually came out in full force during this season. You see, in my…

  • A Children’s Ministry Poem
    A Children’s Ministry Poem

    From the mouths of children come questions galore about heaven and angels and Satan and more. They speak what their hearts say without holding back, so the wonder of God is something they never lack. Oh God, who are you? Who inspires the minds of little ones many, so that they may find this Jesus…