SPEAKING JOYFULLY
16 Christmas in July Activities
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Christmas in July is often promoted in marketing campaigns, but we can make it fun and meaningful too. For Christians, the celebration of what – and Who - Christmas is about has never been restricted to December; it’s a heart...
13 Fourth of July Facts, Fun and Freedom Offerings
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com We don’t have to limit our celebration to the Fourth of July! Celebrate freedom the entire weekend – and forever! Lest we think differing opinions are new to our nation, it is interesting to note that our nation's Founding Fathers...
Engaging the Core – Water Noodle Wisdom
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com “Stand on the noodle with both feet. Do not hold on to anything around you.” The instructor called out those directions to all of us gathered in the pool for water aerobics. I well remember when I first heard those instructions years...
In the Driver’s Seat
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The dog was in the driver’s seat. Behind the steering wheel, her furry face turned from the right to the left. Instead of looking forward most of the time, she kept glancing out the side window which had been powered down partway....
Memorial Day is More
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Memorial Day is meant to be MORE. More than barbecues and backyard gatherings. More than baseball and burgers. More than discounts or a day off. Memorial Day is MORE... much MORE. When we really contemplate its meaning, we see lives...
Damaged but Growing Again
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Damaged doesn't have to mean defunct. The once lively and flourishing leaves of the hydrangeas now hung brown and brittle. Just days before, I had been rejoicing in the healthy, lush leaves and the multitude of tiny buds all over,...
Love Seen in 25 Flower Bouquets
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Over the past year, my husband surprised and delighted me with more than 25 flower bouquets. As I think back over that time, many of the actions he took reminded me of how God demonstrates His love for us and His presence with us....
5 Helps when Mother’s Day Hurts
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Wherever I looked it seemed as if people had a mother with them. Young children giggled as they held hands with their moms; college-aged daughters and their middle-aged moms talked and shopped together; elderly women shuffled slowly...
Trusting God’s Faithfulness
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com I trusted they would be there. The ocean blue as far as I could see. The white-capped waves breaking on the beach. The sun rising above the water as it signaled a new day. It had been well over a year since I had seen the ocean,...
Unexpected Difficulties and Delights
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The unexpected - when bad - can deliver a punch that hits hard, bruising our lives. A 2 a.m. call awakens the mom and dad of a college-aged daughter to inform them of a serious accident. The sole provider for four young children gets...