Author Archives: joyocala

I went to buy a light bulb yesterday. It was a near-stress experience. As I looked down the long aisle, I was overwhelmed with confusion. It’s impossible to buy a normal light bulb anymore. It’s all super-duper lumens and halogens … Continue reading →

As I was reading The Word in Season’s devotional on Transfiguration Sunday, I was transported to a vivid childhood memory. It was the summer of 7th grade and I was attending my first year at 4-H camp. The cost at … Continue reading →

I leaned online that some people want no mention of sin at funerals. That’s difficult because the beautiful commendation has the line, “Acknowledge we humbly beseech you, a sheep of your own fold, a lamb of your own flock, a … Continue reading →

I taught math for forty-two years, but I was `invited’ to give my last lecture in 1978 when I had only been teaching for six years. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Each year the College Union invited a … Continue reading →

BEGINNING with a disclaimer: I can only imagine what it feels like to try to quit smoking. I have never lit up. Not even once to try it. It is one of the most insidious, harmful, addicting habits. For that … Continue reading →

It was the night before Ash Wednesday. It was time for Fastnacht! Our Connecticut congregation gathered each year for a traditional German feast. Knockwurst, bratwurst, sauerkraut – and much more, all prepared by the men of the church. Yes, Fastnacht … Continue reading →

Hopefully, those reading know the title of today’s blog is meant with a smirk and humor. There are so many books available in bookstores and libraries to explain many subjects. Online internet resources seem endless, covering limitless topics. If you … Continue reading →

I seem to be getting cross-eyed . . . Let me explain the symptoms. I peer out my window to a world that is just being lit by the early morning sun. The intersections of the windowpanes remind me that … Continue reading →

Or maybe the Procrastinating Gardener. Yep, that’s me. I really do love to plant and tend and watch plants grow and mature. But often, I buy the plants and seeds and they sit for weeks without getting into the soil. … Continue reading →

Oh, For the Wings of a Dove Felix Mendelssohn used parts of Psalm 55 for his anthem “Hear My Prayer.” My favorite section is the soprano solo: “O for the wings, for the wings of a dove! Far away, far … Continue reading →