Author Archives: joyocala

We are deeply into a global pandemic. Consumed, obsessed, we wonder when it will end. How do we quantify “the long haul”? Weeks, or months yet? What of Easter? Maybe we should stick to our Lenten discipline. Ponder how God … Continue reading →

How often I have slid down the slippery slope of pride.  It’s so easy.   In our thinking we lift ourselves up, by putting others down. “I” would never say a thing like . . . “I” would never be as … Continue reading →

Ah, the teacher in me has said those words many times in my career. I set up procedures for my students to follow (different from rules because rules have consequences).  Procedures are just “steps” to make learning and my classroom operate … Continue reading →

With this blog we welcome a new writer to our team . . . Fog always made me melancholy, even from my earliest memories.  As a small child I knew I felt sad when it was foggy but of course … Continue reading →

I am sure that the regular reader of Joy’s blogs has noticed that music is often the central theme of our writings.  This glorious gift is truly awesome.  It moves us closer to our loving God in mysterious and wondrous … Continue reading →

I was mailing a book to a friend, and the postal clerk asked me, “Is there anything inside the package that is liquid, fragile, perishable, or potentially hazardous?” I thought for a moment and replied, “Only if they read it.” … Continue reading →

Paulette and I spent the first two years (fifty years ago) of our marriage in Madison, Wisconsin, while I was a student at the University of Wisconsin.  It was a wonderful town with lots of low-cost activities, and we greatly … Continue reading →

How about an amusing collection to counteract all the panic, the “gloom and doom” of the surreal situation we’re in? May love and laughter be yours today, dear blog readers! Scenes from a 6th grade history test – Ancient Egypt … Continue reading →

Perhaps you, like me, are beginning a period of “self isolation.”  News of the coronavirus surrounds us.  The contagiousness of this virus is etched in our minds, whether from TV, newspapers, Facebook or other social media.  And, we are wise … Continue reading →

Are you a baseball fan?  A triple play is quite exciting and if you are lucky, it may happen a few times in a season for your favorite team.  Bing.  Bang.  Boom, three outs and the inning is over. WOW!  The wild cheering will vibrate … Continue reading →