Author Archives: joyocala

I have been thinking about fishermen this week. Every day and every night, I have watched the fishing trawlers glide soundlessly back and forth searching for their catch. No matter the state of the ocean or the weather temperature, these … Continue reading →

We slept with the windows wide open in the summer with hopes of catching a cool breeze. Most of the time only noise came in, sometimes the distant horn from a Chicago and Northwestern train. In the winter the windows … Continue reading →

Did you ever wonder if God was speaking to you, and, if so, wonder what was He saying? I have. I heard a statement over fifty years ago that at times has been like a verbal earworm. On one level … Continue reading →

By Henri Nouwen “Life without self-reflection leads to losing your way. The quiet place not only helps us to develop a sense of our own separateness and identity; it also helps us to identify and to deal with the issues … Continue reading →

As I wrote these thoughts, we were about to step into a new year, 2023.  The crystal ball was about to descend in Times Square and cheers to the new year were about to ring out.  Often, we greet the … Continue reading →

Are there those among us, including myself, who often “slip” in our prayer life?  Have our pleas and concerns poured out as if we believe our Heavenly Father is Santa, jotting down our wish list of “things” we want to have?  Or … Continue reading →

I recently read this excerpt from a newspaper article and it hit home for me as I occasionally tend to be a “could have”, “would have”, “should have” kind of person.  Here is what Bryan Golden wrote: When driving in … Continue reading →

I have written several blogs about the creatures that I meet when I travel to different parts of the country. In Vermont, I have ducks, fish, otters, fox, deer, racoons, skunks, ants and spiders to mention a few. Oh, and … Continue reading →

OK, I confess I didn’t know anything about the mysterious Henry of Uppsala before I started to write this. His story is so entwined with legends that it is hard to know what’s what about him.  He seems to have … Continue reading →

My daughter recently sent me some pictures of my 17 month old grandson Isaiah playing in the snow. I noticed that in all of the pictures he didn’t have any mittens on. Like any responsible grandparent, I asked my daughter … Continue reading →