On January 2, much of the nation watched as Damar Hamlin suffered cardiac arrest during the Bills vs. Bengals football game. Trainers and EMS personnel worked feverishly to revive him; administering CPR for 20 minutes to a 24-year-old man who moments before was racing down the field. While the medical professionals saved Damar’s life, millions …
Walk Forward For many, a new year means resolutions. Promises of changes to be made, habits to be broken, behaviors to be embraced. But I look at New Years a little differently. I don’t make resolutions; instead I spend a little time reflecting on the past year and think about my hopes for the new …
Becoming a Christian is easy. We simply have to confess our sins, seek forgiveness, and accept the gift of salvation won for us by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. One of the reasons so many people struggle with becoming a Christian is that it seems too easy. There must be something we have to do …
I love the Christmas season. I love the decorations, the lights, gift giving, and spending time with friends and family. And the cookies are an added bonus. I may have a little problem with Christmas trees. Well, perhaps it’s a significant problem. You see, I love Christmas trees of all sizes and shapes. I have …
Thanksgiving is behind us. Although there are still some leftovers lurking in my refrigerator. We’ve heard a lot of messages this season about being grateful; they flood tv commercials, church sermons, memes, and social media posts. And I agree, we have much to be grateful for because even in our darkest hours and lowest valleys, …
I like to think of myself as a participatory worshipper. I’m the one who can’t stand still during worship. Slow song? I’m swaying. Faster tempo? I’m clapping or bouncing my knees – I’m working up to jumping in place. Often, my hands are raised in various positions as I honor my Lord. Maybe it’s my …
As I write this blog, it is election day. If you are at all like me, one of the biggest benefits of election day is that the nasty, divisive ads will finally be off the television. Your phone will stop ringing with recorded messages from candidates. And your mailbox will be free from glossy flyers …
Poor Thanksgiving. It is the forgotten holiday. Even retail skips over it. You get “fall decorations” and Halloween costumes and candy. The only people who remember Thanksgiving are the grocery stores who finally empty their shelves of jellied cranberry sauce. And before Halloween is over, the stores have converted their shelves from candy corn to …
If you have visited my website, simplyjoy.online, you know the first line on the welcome page is, “I don’t believe in coincidences and I don’t believe you landed on this page by accident.” I say that because I have come to believe – no, I’ve come to know – that God’s hand is in every …
It’s here! Autumn is in full bloom, and I am in my happy place. The porch is adorned with corn stalks and mums, and I even bought pumpkin spice creamer. The temperatures are cooler, lending themselves to family time around the fire pit. The tell-tale sign of autumn is the brilliant change of leaves from …