Author Archives: joyocala

A woman and I were talking a while ago about singing in church. She said she used to sing along, but she thought her singing voice wasn’t very good, so she began either singing very softly, or not at all, … Continue reading →

 Home is where the heart of the season is. For me, it is in this, my favorite season of the church year – Advent. Anticipating what’s to come. My favorite hymns that always make my eyes get misty and my … Continue reading →

Today’s date looks familiar to me.  It is my mom’s birthday.  Born in 1910, she grew up in a world so different from mine. It has been 33 years since she passed on to her heavenly reward.  I have a … Continue reading →

Let the season begin!  The title of this blog is written in Latin meaning, Arrival of the Lord. Advent, in many Christian denominations, is recognized as the four Sundays leading up to Christmas.  Great anticipation during this season is sometimes displayed with Advent … Continue reading →

As I write this blog, Thanksgiving Day is coming to an end for another year.  We are blessed to be visiting our daughter and son-in-law this holiday. What a lovely day it was here in Vermont with snow covering the … Continue reading →

My dear sweet, departed father-in-law often substituted worry for love. He would tell us how much he worried about our oldest son, rather than calling him and telling him how much he cared for and prayed for him. Or ask … Continue reading →

They taught us about the first Thanksgiving in elementary school. You know the story of how in the fall of 1621 a group of Wampanoag joined the English people who settled at what’s today Plymouth, Massachusetts, to celebrate the harvest. … Continue reading →

“Now thank we all our God, with heart and hands and voices,Who wondrous things has done, in Whom this world rejoices;Who from our mothers’ arms has blessed us on our wayWith countless gifts of love, and still is ours today.” … Continue reading →

What a wonderful world this is! We live in interesting times. Technology, and communication are laden with mind-boggling advancement.  Think for a moment about shopping. Easy to do right now; “’tis the season…”  Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday – … Continue reading →

Such choices we have!  Will it be the apple pie or the pumpkin this year?  Will it be the mashed potatoes or the sweet potato casserole (or perhaps both)?   Will we invite someone to dinner or are we already part … Continue reading →