Author Archives: joyocala

Last week I shared the memories that I have about my mother’s faith teachings.  I also sent the blog to all my sisters and brothers and my family.  In return, my sister Francine, the keeper of historical documents, sent me … Continue reading →

Today is the Festival of St. Barnabas, Apostle. Few churches will have a service–covid-19 or not. Barnabas seems to be rather neglected among Lutherans. I can only find six Lutheran churches named after Barnabas as opposed to the dozens named … Continue reading →

            I’ve been reading a lot during this pandemic, and I just finished reading The Triumph of Christianity:  How a Forbidden Religion Swept the World by Bart Ehrman.  It’s about the rise of Christianity from Pentecost to the end of … Continue reading →

 Some of you reading this may be out traveling or thinking of going this summer to beat the Florida heat and humidity. Maybe you will visit national parks or forests. These times we are in seem perfectly suited to get … Continue reading →

Do you remember your Confirmation Day?  I do.  I can picture our white dresses, palm branches and white Easter lilies.  I remember our somber elderly pastor, robed in black, placing his hand upon us and reading the Confirmation verse which … Continue reading →

Some of us are old enough to remember a Pepsodent toothpaste commercial jingle, “You’ll wonder where the yellow went, when you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.” I was chuckling to myself when the jingle popped into my mind as I watched … Continue reading →

Adapted from a blog by our late friend, Terry.Originally posted on June 15, 2016. “This is the day that through Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.” These are the words from a song our youth … Continue reading →

June 8th will be the seventh anniversary of my mother’s death.  She left this world quietly and peacefully just as she had lived her long faith-filled life.  My mother once told me that she could not discuss theological concepts with … Continue reading →

One of the best retreats I was ever on was held at Holy Name Monastery. We had delicious, healthy meals to eat and comfortable, air conditioned rooms to sleep in. Over a two-day period we spent about 2½ hours in … Continue reading →

            Paulette and I spent the last six months of 1995 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  It’s a blue-collar town with lots of ethnic neighborhoods, and we had a good time exploring the city and eating in a lot of ethnic restaurants.  … Continue reading →