SPEAKING JOYFULLY
What Readers Were Seeking and Finding This Year-Speaking Joyfully
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com Now’s the time of year when Top 10 lists, 2021 Recaps, and the Year’s Favorites show up! And, this Speaking Joyfully is also sharing what readers were seeking - and finding - in...
Best Gifts for a Lifetime (and More!)
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com “What was your favorite gift?" or "Which were the best gifts you received?” Those are questions I often ask as conversation starters during the holiday season. Answers range from dolls to electronics, along with the unusual and...
31 Ways to Boost Holiday Spirit
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The number of things to do for the holidays can stack up higher than the boxes under the tree and stretch longer than a shopping list. Even when progress is made, so many things STILL need to be done. Presents to buy. Places to go....
Thanksgiving – Serving Up Gratitude
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com They were conversations long forgotten. Words spoken that left my mouth and mind many years ago. By God’s grace and through His power, the words had implanted in others in such a way that impacted them for good. I gathered that fall...
Veterans – Do We Know Their Stories?
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com As far as I know, I’d never heard his name before, or maybe I'd forgotten it. That’s not so unusual. The stories of many of the nation’s veterans who served to protect and defend our freedoms aren’t remembered except to those closest...
Pumpkin Pie and the Promised Land
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com If you plan on baking or eating a pumpkin pie this fall, you might be interested to know the original is thought to be far different from today’s recipes. The pie was in the pumpkin! It’s believed the Pilgrims did bake “pumpkin pie”...
Giant Pumpkin Trek Delivers Life Lessons
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com I thought 787 pounds was huge. As it turns out, the world record-holder as of October 2021 weighs 2,702.8 pounds. Grown by Stefano Cutrupi in the Italian region of Tuscany, that award-winning gourd (and squash) secured that title...
7 Strategies to Move Forward in Life – Top-Level Perspective
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The view was much different from up high. Recently, a good friend asked my husband and me to join her and her husband in their football suite. While we do have season tickets, ours are closer to the field in the regular stands....
Hearts Hit by Hail
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com The sky darkened and hail began to rain down on our home, clattering against the roof and deck. The unexpected storm caused pebbles of ice to puncture the perfectly formed heart-shaped leaves in my garden. I was shocked to see the...
Steps to Find Strength in the Storms of Life
©Joy Dunlap https://joydunlap.com When the storms of life slam into us like lightning, and the roar in our minds takes on thunderous levels, it can be difficult to find strength. My first experience in a wave pool was something I’d looked forward to for weeks, then I...