SPEAKING JOYFULLY
My Father’s World and Words
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com “This is My Father’s World” plays in my mind especially around Father’s Day. As a youth, I remember joining my voice with others in our church congregation as the organist and pianist played the familiar tune found in our hymnals. To...
Flag Day, Fascinating Facts, and Freedom
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Flag Day falls on June 14 between Memorial Day and Independence Day. Being sandwiched in between two prominent holidays, the celebration of the flag’s birthday doesn’t get much attention, but some towns hold parades, and people are...
Prayer Garden Path-finders
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com I thought I knew the way to the prayer garden. But when we got to the fork in the road – actually there were three possible options – I wasn’t as confident. Since it had been more than a year since I’d been to the prayer garden, I...
Memorial Day – 22 Ways to Enjoy and Pay Tribute
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Memorial Day weekend is full of experiences that embrace life – family picnics and pool times; backyard barbecues and baseball; blockbuster movies and countless retail sales! We gather for good times and good food. And, I have no...
May Blessings that are Good Forever
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com May is a time bright with promise when flowers bloom, graduates cheer and couples marry. According to a survey by The Knot®, May ties for third with September at 11 percent each of this year’s planned weddings. Interestingly, May 21...
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...