Author Archives: joyocala

I’ve always liked the Breton’s Fisherman’s Prayer, and there have been a number of times in my life when I’ve felt the need to pray it. There are several versions and proposed sources for the prayer, but they contain the … Continue reading →

My childhood was spent near the Gulf. I have been back often. It feels like home at times. On other occasions, not so much. Like Ocala is becoming now, it is so overdeveloped that it’s hard to find the serenity … Continue reading →

“Our nation owes a debt to its fallen heroes that we can never fully repay.”  Barack Obama Barack Obama’s words continue to ring true.  As each year passes, we have more “fallen heroes” who have died in the service of … Continue reading →

Remember stackable alphabet blocks? I don’t remember having them as a toddler, but probably we did have them. (I remember Lincoln logs, haha).  Definitely, I had ABC blocks for my boys. We also, always read to our boys, so learning their … Continue reading →

When I was growing up, I was terrified of the dark. I should be more specific. It wasn’t the dark so much, but what might be in it. It was the unknown…what I might encounter in that darkness. It didn’t … Continue reading →

For a very important date. No time to say Hello, Goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m late!” (Alice in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll as spoken by the White Rabbitt as he runs down a hole into which Alice follows.)  Ever … Continue reading →

The Preacher riding his circuit came upon a member of his flock who had not been to church for several years. The man argued that he had heard it all before and knew it better than most preachers. “Do you … Continue reading →

Yes, Lord!  These words come so easily in times of joy. We celebrate the birth of a new child; yes, Lord – this is a preciousl moment.  We pause to gaze at a particularly beautiful sunset – once again, yes … Continue reading →

I believe it’s possible to be both. It does not have to be an oxymoron. Here at JOY!, we crafted a vision to be “a spiritual community sharing Christ in a challenging world”. This is what the “nones” and the … Continue reading →

She sat at the curb in the early morning, perched on a small suitcase. Packed and ready to go, she waited. She was my daughter and she was only five. Her Grammy had invited her to visit for a few … Continue reading →