Author Archives: joyocala

There is something about this time of year when the daylight hours are noticeably shorter that moves me to sing evening hymns. One of my favorites is “The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended.”It’s much more commonly sung in England … Continue reading →

It starts with a simple, basic disagreement. Next, add a half a tablespoon of stubbornness. Pour in a quarter cup of self-righteousness. A half-cup of ego. Aggressive words, accusations, stereotypes – all of these, you add to taste. Before you … Continue reading →

It’s been a week – since the election, since I had to try to come up with words for a blog post.  A week is but a time blip for God. We study history, and still come up with mystery. … Continue reading →

‘Tis the month of Thanksgiving.   It’s time that we’re all reminded of the gratitude we owe to our Lord.  Yes, not just at Thanksgiving, but all year long.  But it doesn’t hurt to have an extra reminder. Maybe you will … Continue reading →

The disciples were told to go and teach others what they had seen, heard and learned from Jesus.  James 1:19-21 “Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle … Continue reading →

I remember seeing these words in an edition of The Lutheran a few years ago and I have thought about them many times since then. They embody what God wants of us and how He leads us to do His … Continue reading →

This week’s reading from Revelation gave me a fresh look into this last book of the Bible. Maybe it is because of the political unrest that we are experiencing in our wonderful country or the tragic conflicts that are happening … Continue reading →

Today commemorates Ludwig Nommensen (1834-1918) a Danish-German Lutheran missionary to Indonesia. In a round about way, he’s partly the reason became a Lutheran pastor. He enrolled at the Rhenish Missionary Society seminary at Wuppertal-Barmen in 1857. He was sent as … Continue reading →

Matthew 17:20-21 quotes Jesus as saying, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”  … Continue reading →

Election Day. There have been so many early voters – myself included – and mail-in votes that today will be just another of those days; that is until we anxiously try to stay up in hopes of knowing who POTUS … Continue reading →