SPEAKING JOYFULLY
Cleaning Up the Stain
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The stain was there, and nothing seemed close enough or strong enough to fix it. When I spotted that swath of blue paint covering the top of my foot, I knew I had done something wrong. But let’s back up a little. For the first time...
The King, the Coronation and the One who Reigns
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The world’s abuzz with the upcoming Coronation of the King of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth areas. Who will attend? Who won’t attend? Where will certain people stand? What if there was this much press attention and...
9 Verses to Celebrate the Creator of Earth
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Earth (or a derivative form) is mentioned 729 times in the Bible, more than love (686); good (610); and life (565). The word water? You’ll find it in Scripture 617 times. Fire (or a derivative) shows up 364. Earth Day began April...
18 Ways to Love Our Neighbor without Spending Money
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com To truly love our neighbor isn’t about gifts or money, it’s about compassion shared, time extended, the you-matter-to-me moments that demonstrate care. It's a matter of our heart. Sometimes showing love for our neighbor means holding...
Chopped Trees and Calvary
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com My heart sank. I’d been expecting it because of the signs I had seen, but nothing prepared me for what I saw. Hundreds of tall trees had been chopped down a few blocks from me. What will rise up is difficult to envision, and it’s...
Parade of Delight
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com A parade shows up at our place each spring. Like marching musicians playing a variety of woodwind instruments, birds swoop from tree to tree singing their various songs. The cacophony of their varied calls somehow transforms from...
13 Timeless Passages to Welcome 3-23-23 Palindrome
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Every day comes with wonder, but some dates such as 3-23-23 arrive with a twist - as palindromes. When a date is the same whether we read it backward or forward, it’s known as a palindrome. March 2023 boasts 11 palindromic dates;...
The Stone with Power
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Yes, I kissed the Blarney Stone. Not because I believed that stone would do anything (which I don’t) and not because I believed it has any special power (which it doesn’t) but because I wanted to experience it for myself. To see this...
Four Women with Meaningful Impact
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The words and lives of many women throughout time have pointed others to the love of God, and the peace and joy found by trusting and walking with Him. Like water flowing in a forest stream shaping the banks and the rocks, feeding...
Forbidden Seeds and Secure Passage
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The seeds situation reveals another reason I wouldn’t be comfortable as a criminal. My heart was pounding. I could feel the heat racing to my face as my blood pressure escalated. I realized my mistake shortly before I reached the...