Author Archives: joyocala

This could be another instance of how the English language can be so complicated. So many antonyms, synonyms, spellings that get “confuzzled” (that’s an Amy word). Sometimes the only way to have peace of mind is to give someone a … Continue reading →

August 26 is the birthday of Mother Teresa.  It’s a good time to give thought to this holy woman of God. Mother Teresa was the founder of the Order of the Missionaries of Charity, a Roman Catholic congregation of women … Continue reading →

I was 8 years old when my family got our first car. Before the old gray Chevy, walking was the mode of transportation and Sundays were the best.  We walked to church as a family and after church, sometimes we stopped … Continue reading →

Silence is golden.  We have the right to remain so.  We are advised to do this to our fears. We are cautioned to observe it, or else! Libraries, sanctuaries, school halls all call for it most of the time. Silence. … Continue reading →

Several years ago, I listened to a sermon delivered by Pastor Lisette Baxter at St. Andrew’s Church in Colchester, VT.  Pastor Lisette’s message is based on Matthew’s Gospel about the slave who was forgiven much and didn’t get the message.  … Continue reading →

I think it was Patty and Violet in a 1950s Peanuts cartoon. They were planning a party and making a list of people not to invite which they found much more fun than actually inviting people. Kids–what can you do with them? … Continue reading →

Early one 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 →

Our church has a “Super Sale” every year in the fall. Out come everyone’s “trash and treasure,” “white elephants,” jewelry, and books. The women get the fellowship hall and the men, of course, get the garage. All the power tools, … Continue reading →

In 1877 a baby boy was born in County Cork, Ireland. In the impoverished harbor village of Crosshaven, he was orphaned at a very young age. Education would be a luxury for such a lad, so he attended school (erratically) … Continue reading →

I love learning and admittedly, I loved school. I definitely was not super “studious,” nor obsessed with being the top achiever, but I did love to learn new things.  I was also not shy and therefore, social…thus the not always studious … Continue reading →