When I was a young girl growing up in Iowa in the 1960’s my family attended a Baptist Church. One Sunday morning, I was handed a Power for Living pamphlet. On the back page of the pamphlet was a column entitled, “I’ve Been Thinking” by Joyce Landorf. I remember reading the column on my way home from church and saying to myself, YES—that is what I want to do someday!
In 2015 Joyce Landorf passed away in Tulsa, Oklahoma without knowing she left a legacy behind in me—because that YES never left me. When I was asked to write blogposts for Phoenix Seminary’s Wisdom from the Word weekly e-mails in June of 2016, I said YES!
Blogposts for Phoenix Seminary require a limit of 250-350 words. The challenge of driving home a point with a brief number of words is the part of the process of writing that I adore most. To think I can sit at my beautiful desk in my comfortable home and write something that will engage and stimulate my peers “out there” brings me deep fulfillment.
My goal these days is to continue to emulate the style of Joyce Landorf. *It was said of Joyce that her subject matter, like a composite of her life, was funny, witty, thought-provoking, inspirational, sometimes slightly irreverent, candidly personal, reality-based, and drawn from the joy as well as the pain of her life.
These qualities along with her unique ability to massage words off the printed page—propelled her into relating to her readers in a powerful manner. They wondered how she knew so much about them—and felt relief and pleasure at knowing they were not alone. In my opinion, I do not believe a finer compliment exists for a writer.
Years ago, I said YES to a dream modeled and nurtured by Joyce Landorf. She reached into my life through her writing—setting in motion events that brought me here today to this place of fulfillment contained in my early YES. How about you? Are you my legacy?
*Comments provided by Balcony Publishing, Georgetown, TX.