SPEAKING JOYFULLY
Valentine’s – Romance, Religion – and the Military?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com In first grade, I drew a Valentine for a soldier in Vietnam in connection with a newspaper contest. I don’t remember the details other than I was one of the winners and that my handcrafted Valentine had a plane on it. Hey, a lot of...
Step Back from the Kingdom?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com People have been taking a “step back” from the original royal family since Adam and Eve did so in the garden. All the world’s abuzz with chatter about Meghan and Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who, as you surely know,...
Nurture Impacts Nature
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Nurture renewed what was nearly dead, bringing it back to thriving, growing and blossoming. A year ago, in January after the holidays, our once beautiful poinsettia had turned into barren spires jutting out of the dirt like spindly...
30+ Ways to Give from the Heart
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Give thanks. Give time. Give truth. Give peace. Give hope. Give help. Give a smile. Give a hug. Give a hand. Give kindness. Give comfort. Give compassion. Give to someone you know. Give to someone you don’t know. Give to those...
Confrontation in the Checkout Line
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com In the self-checkout line at Target, I began to get antsy and frustrated at the woman in line ahead of me digging through her gigantic purse trying to find who knows what. One of the many checkout kiosks seemed to be open. Couldn’t...
What Masks Do We Wear?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Adults wear masks too, and not just as Halloween costumes. When children trick-or-treat at my house, I enjoy seeing what costumes they’re wearing. What persona are they taking on? An action hero? A cuddly animal? A popular TV or...
Life’s Obstacle Course Lesson
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com In a recent episode of the reality show “Survivor,” contestants had to navigate an obstacle course while blindfolded. A caller who sat up high could see the entire course that participants had to get through in order to guide them to...
Heart Full of Brokenness
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The heart-shaped mass caused me to abruptly stop my brisk beach walk. Earlier, God and I had been having a chat. Well, I was talking and confessing and asking for forgiveness for the way I’d handled a situation even though I’d felt...
Stop Stumble from Turning Tumble
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com When we’re unsteady, stumble or slide, what we reach for matters. A recent trip to the salon reminded me of that. Normally I choose to get a relaxing pedicure on one day and the painful torture of leg waxing on another. However,...
Pull Courage out of DisCOURAGEment
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com When we’re in the midst of discouragement, what helps us summon the courage within us? In our minds and in the world, the clamor of chaos, worry and concern roar. Headlines blare. Conversations flare. Terrorist threats. Suicide...