Author Archives: joyocala

This is a recent message I received from a Facebook friend.  I thought it was cute and ended with a wonderful message for all of us. The author is unknown. When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, “What … Continue reading →

Fanny Crosby’s hymn “Saved by Grace” is one of over 8,000 hymns which she wrote under her name and numerous pen names. She was blind from infancy yet lived a long and active life as a preacher, teacher, lobbyist, wife … Continue reading →

As Reformation Day approaches (October 31), I think about what it might have been like to know Martin Luther personally. One of my ancestors, Jakob Heerbrand, was a student of Luther’s from 1538–43, but my family didn’t even realize he … Continue reading →

I keep a little saying taped onto my desk area. It reads: “My child, You worry too much.I’ve got this. Remember?Love, God” I recall finding that online one day and thinking, that’s for me! It just felt like God wrote … Continue reading →

 Three “takes” on this: 1. The Old Testament (past). Well, of course! May I assume that you, dear blog reader, have heard the Exodus story in the Bible? God led the Israelites out of Pharaoh’s brickyard of oppression on a … Continue reading →

Barn swallows build their nests from twigs, leaves and mud.  Apparently they are happy with their little dwelling place because about half return to the same site the following year.  After inspecting the nest and making any repairs, they seem … Continue reading →

        Asaph is credited with writing the 82nd Psalm. Eugene Peterson’s version of the Bible, The Message records the psalm like this: God calls the judges into his courtroom,he puts all the judges in the dock. 2-4 “Enough! You’ve corrupted justice long enough,you’ve let the … Continue reading →

In Luke 18:1-8, we meet the Persistent Widow. A beleaguered woman whose unending pleas to the worldly, not God-fearing judge finally convinces him to give her justice. Her example teaches the value of constant intercession to the Lord as a … Continue reading →

I watched the funeral and committal for Queen Elizabeth last month. It completed a cycle for me, because I watched much of her coronation on black and white TV when I was four. I found them to be very beautiful … Continue reading →

 The pomegranate is an unusual, but beautiful, fruit. Once the outer skin is peeled off, a mass of reddish gelatin encased seeds is revealed. Recently sales have gone up, because health food enthusiasts praise the pomegranate for its benefits; both … Continue reading →