Author Archives: joyocala

Long time show host Alex Trebek died in early November 2020.  He had announced his stage 4 pancreatic cancer diagnosis in the Spring of 2019 with the intention that he was going to beat this horrible condition and survive.  He … Continue reading →

One of my seminary professors once referred to the book of Revelation as “a nutty book that provides a playground for nutty people.” It certainly is a strange book. One verse that always startles me is 8:1 “When the Lamb … Continue reading →

Originally posted on February 22, 2017 by our late friend, Terry. In these turbulent times this “peace” is as essential as ever. I grew up in Minnesota about a half mile from the Mississippi river.  I loved to go down … Continue reading →

 The disciples were endowed by their Creator with all the basic elements needed to carry forth God’s mission. Common sense (although when it came to Peter, sometimes you wonder!), faith, a good reputation (dubious with Matthew, the tax collector), and … Continue reading →

You’ve been wandering in a wilderness for forty years.   No motorhomes here, you’ve been on foot.   You started out as a child; now you’re fifty years old.  You’ve known nothing but barren land.  Your grandparents died in that wilderness, maybe … Continue reading →

Do your thoughts ever gallop through your mind to the point that you interject, “hold your horses?”  Does the busy-ness of thinking and doing sometime seem like too much? Though it is so very important in life to do your chores, … Continue reading →

I wrote a blog several months ago in which I mentioned I have never been a fan of the dark.  It always seems like things feel worse in the darkness whether it is fear, sadness, or loneliness. We recently experienced … Continue reading →

Honestly, I never thought that I would be among those folks who made a point of watching Wheel of Fortune after dinner.  It was a favorite activity of my Mom and Dad in their later years.  I remember laughing about … Continue reading →

“S rozhdyestvom Hristovym!” which means “Congratulations on the birth of Christ!” in Russian. Today is Christmas among the Russian and some other Eastern Orthodox Christians. How come today? Well, it all started back in 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII fixed … Continue reading →

Ah, today is the 12th day of Christmas, better known as the celebration of Epiphany.  It’s a strange word, especially to those not familiar with a liturgical calendar.   In everyday usage, having an epiphany means a sudden moment of insight.  … Continue reading →