Author Archives: joyocala

Today was my first piano lesson. Well, my first intentional piano lesson. I had a smattering of it in the Navy, to the great amusement of my classmates who dubbed me “Mittens”. We do have a piano at home, which … Continue reading →

I’m feeling sentimental this week. You see, tomorrow marks a special day in our family. Our first-born son arrived on Sunday, August the 14th in 1966. It was still the wee hours of the morning when I woke my hubby … Continue reading →

Eeks, egads — the white roots are showing. A female, still interested in coloring my hair, it is time to make that appointment and cover that gray hair. My dear mother’s hair started turning gray at nineteen years of age. … Continue reading →

I do not know the source of this sweet prayer aid. I do know that it is always with me and has served me well at random moments. Thumb This is your strongest finger. Give thanks for all the strong … Continue reading →

We had been promised rain – for weeks. It hadn’t come. Lawns are brown and crispy. Flowers are limp and lifeless. The lake level is dropping drastically. Saturday morning dawned sunny and bright. The temperature was hot. The atmosphere was … Continue reading →

I might have been asleep when we discussed it in Hebrew class, but I don’t remember learning what the word manna means.    I know it is the food gathered and eaten by the ancient Israelites during the exodus.    … Continue reading →

Early yesterday morning I saw a perfect rainbow. The colors were vibrant, and its huge arc was completely visible from pot of gold to pot of gold. What made it unique was that it appeared against a perfectly blue cloudless … Continue reading →

Sometimes our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ gets portrayed in “2-D”. For all the beautiful paintings and artwork that has been created to depict Jesus, they all fail to measure up somehow. The only possible exception, at least for me … Continue reading →

God’s timing is God’s timing. Ours is not. As I write this, the truth of God’s immaculate timing has struck home, again! On the very morning that I write this, I awoke with much on my mind. Questions unanswered. Future … Continue reading →

Growing up wasn’t always easy. Mom and Dad wanted what was best for me, and that included following the strict rules of our church. We could not eat meat on Friday. We always fasted for three hours before receiving communion. … Continue reading →