SPEAKING JOYFULLY
Struggle to Bloom
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com I didn’t think anything would come from that plant and never really expected it to bloom. But, underneath, hope was there. In front of the rock, right outside our sunporch, more than 25 magnificent fuchsia tulips had blossomed. ...
God’s Guidance for Graduates and Us
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Graduates who don the cap and gown and clutch the hard-earned diploma, deserve to celebrate their accomplishments and experience the applause of family and friends. Yet for all the knowledge tucked away from professor lectures, books...
Mr. Potato Head Birthday and Body Parts
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Mr. Potato Head turns 70 this spring, and he’s still looking good and staying strong. Over the years, he and other Potato Head family and friends took up residence in homes around the world to be a part of the playtimes of millions...
Seeking Shelter in the Storm
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The rainstorm caught us by surprise. My friend and I were strolling along in the expansive tourist gardens enjoying our visit together when the rain started with sprinkles and rapidly moved into a downpour. We seemed to be at the...
Joy in the Brokenness
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The crashing noise caused me to rush out of the laundry room into the breakfast nook. My husband had already picked up the pieces and put them on the table. The heart-shaped, pottery “Joy” ornament lay broken into shards with a tiny...
Sew Beautiful In Spite Of The Mess
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com As a craft-challenged person who doesn’t sew, entering a fabric store is like visiting a foreign country where you don’t know the language everyone is speaking. But the helpful cashier who greeted me gave me clear directions to find...
12 Ways Fools and the Wise Differ
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com April Fools' Day is a day rife with practical jokes, pranks and misleading comments and tasks. While scholars may debate the origin, most agree that by the 18th century it had become an accepted tradition in Britain. Anyone who's...
5 Ways to Spruce Up Your Home this Spring
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Looking to spruce up your home this spring? As the weather gets warmer, we often look to do exterior work on our homes; but upon some closer examination, we may also discover some improvements to reinvigorate the interior…of our...
What’s Green Got to Do with Peace?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Around St. Patrick’s Day, the focus on green seems heightened, but green has been a dominant and vital indicator of God’s provision and peace since He used it prolifically in creation. Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing...
What Barbie Shows about New Life and the Creator
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com I found Malibu Barbie when going through boxes after my mom died. Wearing an aqua swimsuit and big bold sunglasses, Barbie's missing a small section of her long blonde hair that at some point I must have decided to trim. I have no...