SPEAKING JOYFULLY
Hurting Inside
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com People everywhere are hurting. Wearied by the demands of everyday life. Saddened by the loss of a loved one. Burdened by the destructive choices of a family member. Worried about paying the bills or feeding the family. Injured by the...
Messing Up What Was Lent
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Being lent something hasn’t always worked out well for me – or the one who loaned it. The smell permeating my house made it difficult to breathe. In less than 30 minutes, about 35-40 people were due to arrive at our house for an...
Words Presidents Spoke on God’s Power, Protection and Provision
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com On this Presidents Day, let’s look back at how some past Presidents chose to incorporate God in their messages. These selected quotes from U.S. Presidents share some of their references about the Bible, God’s supremacy, and justice. ...
14 Ways to Heart Happy
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Boost your heart-happy quotient! Stimulate the senses or serve others to make the heart happy! God designed our sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing not only for necessity, but also for delight! And, He knows the value in...
Drop Dirty Laundry for Wellness
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The pile of emotional and mental items we carry with us over the years weakens our wellness. Think of hauling a giant tub of dirty laundry around day after day. 30 lbs. of laundry can look like this….6 pairs of jeans, 4 button-down...
Four-Step Focus on Fitness
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com I left part of myself behind in 2020. Literally. 35 pounds of me. Turns out that hauling around 30 extra pounds is like carrying 40 boxes of butter or 9 bags of sugar, or … one Islandic sheepdog. What I really wonder is how many fast...
The Journey
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com When we make the journey in life less about what we want and more about the people on the path, the encounters and experiences grow our hearts. Surprised, humbled and delighted when “The Journey” won first place in the short story...
Most Read Messages of Encouragement in 2020
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com As 2020 with all its challenges and changes comes to a close, a new year is ready to unfold with its own trials and triumphs. Hopefully in the midst of this past year, you’ve been able to draw strength and hope from God’s presence...
Great Things Come to Those Who Believe
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com “Great things come to those who believe.” Yes, they do! But not in the way the world would have us see “great things” such as fame or fortune; finding the “perfect” job, spouse or house; or enjoying the ultimate vacation or holiday....
Decorating Hearts and Homes for Christmas
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com As I pulled out the carved nativity set found last Christmas Eve in a sidewalk shop in Cartagena, Colombia, I recalled the woman who sold it to me and the hug of understanding we shared. Whimsical wooden, hand-painted ornaments on...