Author Archives: joyocala

  We’re standing on the threshold of a new year. We wish we could see the best path through the coming months. We hope we will make the correct decisions. We want to avoid the pitfalls of our human frailty. … Continue reading →

Just what was the star in the East? The old charts and wisdom and folklore only take us so far with any certainty. Why? Because we don’t know precisely when Jesus was born.  December 25th? Highly suspect. It was Emperor … Continue reading →

I don’t think you’ll see the moon in the sky tonight.  It’s in the phase called “New Moon.”  If the sky is clear, it will be darker than usual, the stars may appear brighter.   Wait until tomorrow night and you’ll … Continue reading →

Personally, I have had dogs my whole life. Our last dog, Geoffrey, was a small, Italian Greyhound, who was handsome, smart and uniquely special to us! From some random airborne dog virus, that had, at that time, been in 20+ … Continue reading →

What will 2025 bring for us?  The possibilities of what the future might bring are countless and we in fact can’t predict with much accuracy what the events will be.   When speaking of the future, Spanish-speaking people often use the … Continue reading →

Today is St. Stephen’s day. Stephen was one of the first seven deacons appointed by the apostles and the first Christian to be martyred for his faith. I’m not sure how the day of his commemoration ended up smack in … Continue reading →

In 1986, Debbie and I made our first move as a married couple – to Guam. It was to be my second Navy duty station. It was pre-described to us as a “poor man’s Hawaii”. It was truly as beautiful … Continue reading →

Those of us who have lived in Florida for at least a year have been rudely acquainted with flying and crawling things we wish God had not created. Gnats, mosquitoes, roaches. They make themselves known via our necks, ankles, pretty … Continue reading →

What a glorious Christmas song:  “O Holy Night the stars are brightly shining!”  There we are on the darkened hillside with the shepherds.  Only the stars light up the clear night sky.  The music builds and our voices go higher to … Continue reading →

The time has come!   Merry Christmas everyone!   I’d like to share a poem with you this morning.  The author is unknown, but the message is beautiful. If You Look for Me at Christmas If you look for me at Christmas,you … Continue reading →