SPEAKING JOYFULLY
15 More Ways to Enjoy Christmas in July
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The spirit of Christmas, the truth of Christmas, and the joy of Christmas can be experienced every day. Last year, the post I wrote called 12 Ways to Celebrate Christmas in July caught the attention of many and still continues to...
Stuck In Between?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Stuck in between? Sounds like a mammogram, right? Uncomfortable. Painful. Worrisome. Rarely are “in-betweens” in life satisfying. In fact, they’re often emotional minefields we can’t wait to escape. Right now, some of us are...
Snake Encounter Stirs Watchful Walking
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com While walking on a peaceful trail this week, I came close to stepping on a snake. A poisonous one. That unexpected sighting brought me to a full stop! Only a few steps further…and I would have inadvertently put my foot right on its...
5 Ways to Hold On to Peace in Challenging Times
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Peace. We search for it in our lives. We want it in our families and friendships. We hope for it in our country and in our world. But what exactly is abiding peace in our own lives and how can we have it even in the midst of...
Where is Peace?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Where do we find peace? In a place? A passion? A purpose? Think back to a time when the sense of peace seemed strong. What comes to mind? Hiking in the woods surrounded by soaring trees as light peeks through? Walking in a garden...
Blasted by Poison
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Blasted by Poison The blast hit me right in the face. My head jerked back. The mixture of water and fertilizer chemicals spewed all over my face and hair. Stunned, it took me a few seconds to realize what had happened. Somehow the...
Move Beyond the Walls
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The question is not if we can move beyond the walls to pursue worthwhile endeavors at this time, the question is will we? Hidden in rooms behind a bookcase – for two years – Anne Frank wrote the renowned diary that has impacted...
Two Things We Can Control
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Can we just admit it? Control is something we crave. Yet, even in the “normal” world, most of what we have or encounter in our own lives is beyond our control. Genetics. Jobs. Health. Talent. The lives of children or...
Who Are You Looking For?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Could that really be a single white flower growing amidst the trees in our backyard? Sitting on our small back deck a few days ago, I wondered if what I saw was real. My husband, Charlie, went out to check. “Come see,” he shouted,...
Passages that Lead to Hope and Encouragement
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com In this topsy-turvy time when things are so unsettled, where can we find hope? How can we be encouraged? What can we count on? Recently, I asked women in the Bible study I attend to share a verse that encourages them in uncertain,...