Author Archives: joyocala

I see myself as a small leaf floating on a brook.  The size of the brook doesn’t matter, nor the length of its path; just the fact that the leaf has no control over the natural happenings that occur on … Continue reading →

Today commemorates Elizabeth of Hungary (1207-1231). She was the daughter of King Andrew II and Queen Gertrude of Hungary. At the age of 14 she was married to Ludwig IV, Landgrave of Thuringia. She came under the influence of Franciscan … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving is a long holiday tradition in our nation.  Poems have been written and songs composed.  Looking through some of these I came upon a poem first published on November 26, 1857.  The author, Hanford Lennox Gordon, wrote these words … Continue reading →

Today I am passing on something old and borrowed, to help when you are feeling blue. We’ve done the quarantine, isolation, and strict social distancing. It was harder than ever to find happiness. But true, inner happiness has little to … Continue reading →

In this beautiful hymn we ask God to make us a channel.   What are we saying?  A channel can be defined as a passageway, a path or means for communication.  In this prayer we ask to be transformed, so that … Continue reading →

        Growing up in small town, America, our town had a community pool.  For me, that is where each summer day was spent.  I would ride my bike there, change into my bathing suit and swim, play with friends and bask in the … Continue reading →

Last week I wrote about the instability and heartache in our world and how we can do our own small part to make it better by being kind to each other.  I will once again address that topic, but with … Continue reading →

I had a frog visitor last night. I was glad that I had turned on the light before I entered the room, or I might have had a heart attack as I stepped on it. How did it get there?        … Continue reading →

I wasn’t given much instruction about prayer when I was in seminary. It was generally assumed that we knew all we needed to know about prayer. It took years for me to discover what a mistake that was. I began … Continue reading →

As we give thanks this November, we ask God to help us remember: the hungry, the homeless, the suffering. And as we remember, let’s be stirred to act, to help. The unconditional love which God bestows on us is ours … Continue reading →