There is a sound called freedom… I’ve heard freedom’s song might ring in one’s spirit. At times, it will howl like the wind or whisper like a child. It can cast out fear when doubt
Read moreThe Sound of Freedom
Tag: Joann Claypoole
The Goodness and Love of my Father
When goodness and love fill a father’s gigantic heart… With Father’s Day approaching, childhood memories remind me how blessed I am to say I had a kind and generous dad. The goodness and love of
Read moreMy Mother’s Way
My mother’s way… or bust? “She had a way with food, gardens, and men.” Aunt Millie’s smile always widened as she told stories about my mother’s ways. I recalled many nostalgic stories while driving to
Read moreTurn The Page
Learning and page-turning… I remember when my husband and I played board games with our sons and how there were many routes to the Candy Land or Monopoly finish line. They all chose their individual
Read moreThe Way to Love
Along the narrow way I’ve often wondered about God’s idea of love and how the essence of the meaning might differ from my own. I mean, how can we love the Lord with all our
Read moreThe Mystery of Winter’s Wonder and the Beginning of all Things New (Part 2)
Winter’s wonder and days gone by… In the dead of winter, loved ones cheered for blessed new years—some singing their own version of Auld Lang Syne. The meaning remained powerful. Warm. Deep. It still reminds
Read moreThe Mystery of Winter’s Wonder and the Beginning of all Things New (Part 1)
In the beginning… God created the heavens and the earth. Maybe that’s why there’s something magical about the way winter’s first snowflakes swirl and dance with the wind before they touch the ground. I’ve wondered
Read moreHome For Christmas
Christmas 2020… Over the river and through the woods to NOBODY’S house we go—Huh? The holidays are here. That means everyone wants to go somewhere. Grandma and Grandpa’s tiny city apartment, Sissy’s country house, or
Read moreThe Mystery of the Great Fullness of the Holy Spirit
The mystery of what and who? There’s a mysterious, uneasy stirring deep within my soul these days. I search for clues—hunt for answers. Uncommon questions remain. One piques my brain: Is gratefulness and great fullness
Read moreThe Heart of Hope
February 1976. New York City. Most of my friends know the story of how a transplanted New Yorker became a southern girl—after twelve impressionable years living in one of the largest cites in the world.
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