Living in the Gray I love walking in the fog. Being surrounded by mystery and mist is both calming and exhilarating. I also enjoy snuggling with our dogs, wearing my gray sweater, and drinking coffee from my gray mug. When it comes to living in the gray, I prefer clear answers to my questions. I don’t have to know today….
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Behind the Lies Copyright Joy DeKok, 2020 Prologue All the lovey-dovey moments of move-in day faded by the next morning. I woke up livid and stayed that way for six months. My main goal was to avoid all human contact. After years of living under Alan’s absolute rule, it wasn’t as hard as it sounds on a practical level….
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I was down by the pond, and one sturdy little plant stood out to me. My first thought was “Awkward.” Starring at it, I said to God, “Just like me, Lord.”
Wandering in the ditch beside one of our wildflower fields, this tiny puff of seeds caught my eye and snagged at my heart. Walking home, I thought about Grandma Joy and powder puffs. I smiled just before the tears fell. When I was little, I spent time with my grandparents in Worthington, MN. At her house, we had ordinary days…
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This massive tree grows beside the Cannon River. The city cared enough to protect the giant’s roots and keep it from falling into the river. I stood and pondered its braced roots, fascinated. When I turned to greet the people who passed me a few gave me a funny look – the one that says silently, “She’s odd.” I wanted…
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Uneasy Writer – My Writing Life Joy DeKok When the young oriole landed, she went right for the jelly confident in the moment. Then, something changed. She changed position, looked around, and waited. I looked at her, wondering what made her so uneasy. A few moments later, she left without returning to the jelly she’d enjoyed with wild abandon when…
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Garden Party ~ Gentle Moments With God Joy DeKok “Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy.” Psalm 96:11-12 (ESV) One morning this past week I stood in the first…
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The Goat in the Mirror This was one of Mama’s favorite pictures of me sitting on my great-grandma Pearl’s dresser. She saw her daughter. I have always seen a little girl who used to be me. Looking closer I see . . . The lace of a handkerchief peeking out from a drawer. And the time – 7:22 or so….
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The Power of Lilacs As I write this, the scent of lilacs whispers its way into my office. The bushes were planted a long time ago (in the 1970s) by the family who lived here before us. I am grateful. Their perfume sends a whirlwind of memories through my mind. Mama. Always her. She loved lilacs and gently passed that…
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Under His Wings ~ A Gentle Moment We drove along a familiar road when Jon asked me if I’d seen the Giant Canada Goose in the ditch. I’d missed her. He knew I wanted to see her and that it would be a blessing to me so, he turned around. When we parked on the side of the road, her…
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