joywestDec 16, 20212 minGiving PresenceBy Joy West With a crunchy and creamy bite of a pastel de nata (custard tart) dusted with cinnamon lingering on my tastebuds, I take a...
joywestSep 29, 20212 min"Where are you when you're not with me?"By Joy West A few weeks ago at the gym as I was in the locker room changing into my street clothes after my workout, God spoke to me...
joywestMay 6, 20212 minAfter the StormBy Joy West Wild winds drove the relentless rain chaotically in all directions. Balcony plants fell over, dumping a muddy mess of potting...
joywestApr 22, 20212 minHabitual PathwaysBy Joy West Hidden beneath the surface of the brackish waters of the Tagus estuary’s high tide exists what some call a habit. Murky...
joywestApr 8, 20212 minOnly One ThingBy Joy West If you were granted only one wish or desire, what would it be? Health, riches, fame, relationships, power, happiness? Would...
joywestMar 23, 20213 min5 Things the Pandemic Didn't Take Away from MeBy Joy West When my husband and I were dating, we enjoyed going to the lake and skipping rocks — and still do. We would search for small,...
joywestMar 9, 20212 minHope: deferred or deployed?By Joy West The last twelve months have delivered multiple disappointments as governments have mandated lengthy stay-at-home...
joywestFeb 23, 20212 minUnkind WordsBy Joy West The other day I wrote an email to a dear friend and inserted a phrase that I thought might be a little humorous. I hesitated,...
joywestFeb 9, 20212 minThe Invited IntruderI slowly opened the door and Fear’s dark form cast an ominous shadow over my heart. As the darkness began to creep over the threshold...
joywestJan 28, 20211 minNose Up or Nose Down?By Joy West Here in Portugal, we are once again “settling” into a possibly very long government-mandated confinement, and pastoring LIFE...