Author Archives: joyocala

I spent the whole week wondering what to write for this week’s blog. I gave up last night and went to bed. In the middle of the night, a soft thought entered my head. It sounded like a wise person … Continue reading →

One of my congregations tried hiring teen-age boys to clean the sanctuary and fellowship hall each week. None of them lasted six months. They complained to me that it was boring. Every Saturday they had to do the same thing. … Continue reading →

Behind my Grampa’s house was an old shed. On the floor were pots – piles of terra cotta clay pots in all sizes. They were mostly old, dirty, and crusted with a layer of white mineral salts. Some had chips; … Continue reading →

We here at Joy Lutheran in Ocala are in close proximity to Gainesville – home of the University of Florida with its sports mascot – the Gators. We are also in close proximity to alligators. With exploding development encroaching on … Continue reading →

It’s a special birthday today for our family.  My hubby and one of our granddaughters both arrived on the 24th of June.  As she celebrates the joy of being 19, he will watch his calendar turn over to 84.  Her … Continue reading →

Tra-la-la…skipping through the sunshine of the good life…”Oh, thank you Lord!” for all that I can do and my thanks are genuine and heartfelt. Horrific accident, injuries, death of family members, pending surgeries, earthquake, World epidemic, betrayals, war, financial loss, … Continue reading →

I text my daughter every night before I go to bed.  Usually, it begins with the statement, “I am tired” or “I am weary” and then the litany of the tasks I did that day to make me feel this … Continue reading →

I should have been writing my weekly blog.  However, on my way to my “office” (located in a little shed in the very little yard), I noticed that my even littler garden needed water-badly.  How could this be?  It’s been … Continue reading →

For more than a decade of my life, the third Thursday of June had a special significance. It was marking day, a day when we didn’t go to school so the teachers could put our final grades on our report … Continue reading →

My sister-in-law recently told me about seeing a large flock of drunken robins. What first caught her eye were a large number of them unsteadily walking around in random directions. Others were perched on limbs leaning at odd angles and … Continue reading →