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Joy Marker

Joy Marker is a hope*writer reflecting on both the ordinary everyday moments of life, as well as unexpected and difficult journeys that we sometimes are called to travel. After an unexpected diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis, she felt called to share her writing with others. Believing that while we can not always choose our circumstances we can always choose how we live them out. She writes to encourage others in their journey to live this one beautiful life we have been given well. You can find Joy writing at https://randomreflection.com and on Instagram @joy.marker.
  • May 26, 2020

Summer wasn’t meant to be this way….

So Now What? It is the beginning of our first week of summer vacation. As the excitement of no more school assignments wears off we are once again faced with current reality. How are we going to do Summer Vacation in the middle of a Pandemic? At this moment we should be camping in Colorado….

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  • By: Joy Marker
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  • The Roads We Travel
  • May 21, 2020

The Hard Goodbye

My classroom sits empty, stuck in time as if it’s still March 5th, 2020. We said our goodbyes, headed off to enjoy Spring Break, never to return this school year. Quickly home office spaces we’re set up. New technologies were learned and we took on our new reality. Virtual Learning. This virtual learning has not…

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  • The Roads We Travel
  • May 18, 2020

“I’ve arrived”, Not.

There is no “I’ve arrived ” destination were life all of a sudden becomes easy. Most of us come to a place where we realize we are on a life journey, ever-changing.

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joy.marker

✍️Writing hope-filled words of reflection.
🌅 Cultivating beauty in every season.

Yesterday, my guys completed a hike that it's esti Yesterday, my guys completed a hike that it's estimated less than 1% of the Grand Canyon's 6 million annual visitors complete. 

They Hiked Rim to Rim in one day across the Grand Canyon. 

And because of current trail closures they had to take what many consider to be the most difficult route, from South Kaibab to North Kaibab. 

The total elevation change between the North and South Rims, going down and back up, is around 10,710 feet. 

Climbing up the North Rim from Canyon Floor, is roughly equivalent to climbing 585 flights of stairs.

Temperatures fluctuate dramatically. Yesterday started in the 40's at the top of the South Rim, was approximately 110 degrees in the canyon and finished in the low 70's at the top of the North Rim.

The guys tracked 23 Miles Rim to Rim and approximately 49,000 steps each.

While we weren't able to track them as well as we'd hoped, we we're able to get updates reassuring us they were ok. 

But, I'm not gonna lie, watching them decent in the darkness and waiting for them to return was emotional. My heart was in that Canyon for what felt like an eternity.

It took a ton of preparation and planning on Andrew's part ahead of time, the trip was far from easy, emotionally or physically. Their watches recommended a recovery time of 91 hours after the days exertion.  

And, this wife and momma heart, grateful to have this challenge completed, is beaming with pride. 

Congratulations Andrew, Ben and Josh accomplishing this incredible challenge.

"It’s not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves." 
- Sir Edmund Hillary

#summeradventures #grandcanyon #rimtorim
@a.t.marker @ben_marker
Tonight our Preschool Crew signed off for the 2024 Tonight our Preschool Crew signed off for the 2024/25 school year. 

Every year I fall in love with a new group of kids. I know that eventually they will forget my name, but I pray they never forget how very much they were loved at preschool. 

As I say goodbye to those moving on, I pray they remember that no matter their age they have the power to change the world. 

May they move forward as confident learners and caring friends. May they never lose their beautiful imaginations and treasure hunting skills. May they always remember to enjoy the journey and capture all the moments along the way. 

So grateful for the amazing team I get to work with. We're taking a short break to recharge and enjoy our families but we'll be back.

Goodbye 2024/25 school year.

Hello Summer!

#preschoollife
It has been a whirlwind of a week, a crazy season. It has been a whirlwind of a week, a crazy season. 

From walking the Halls of his Elementary School, one last time, to graduation parties and recognitions, bringing him to the Main Event. 

High School Graduation!

Endings are hard, transitions bring challenges, even when these endings and transitions are good things, things we celebrate. 

So we grieve a little, say our goodbyes to the season past—at the same time, holding hope and anticipation for the beautiful stories that now have the opportunity to be written.

@ben_marker , we are so proud of you. We celebrate and remember the beautiful stories of this chapter now ended. And we are so excited for the new opportunities that await you. 

We can't wait to read the next chapter in your story. 

Congratulations to the class of 2025!

#randomreflection #classof2025 #highschoolgrad
Happy Birthday to my best friend, my soulmate, my Happy Birthday to my best friend, my soulmate, my platemate. The outdoor enthusiast, bike-riding, marathon-running, guitar-playing, spontaneous and playful adventurer.

You remind me to be flexible in my planning and capture the moments when they come. You inspire my passion for taking the scenic route and enjoying the journey, helping me to release my obsession with the destination. You continue to teach me the art of play.

You are our music, our safe space, our welcome home. You are why we will always make time to play, no matter our age. 

I am forever grateful for you, and how well you love and care for your family.

#randomreflection #birthdays #celebration #family
“Sometimes we are so busy looking up and looking “Sometimes we are so busy looking up and looking forward, trying to figure out the next moves in our lives - or looking backward at all the places we have been - that we don’t look down and figure out where we actually are.”

Bob Goff
UnDistracted

#randomquote #lookingup #lookingdown #grounding
My road to motherhood was not a direct or easy pat My road to motherhood was not a direct or easy path. So every year on this day, I find myself sensitive to both the celebration and the potential grief carried.

For many years, Mother's Day was a stark reminder of a title I did not carry. Eventually, I was blessed with the title of mom, a gift I do not take for granted. 

Not everyone holds the same experience of this day.

For some, this day will not be a celebration but a reminder of what is missing.  It may be a reminder that they carry heartache in a relationship with their mother.  It may be a reminder of loss, the loss of a child, the loss of a mother or mother figure, the loss of a life they expected to have as a mom. 

On this Mother's Day, let's celebrate the women in our lives.  Let's recognize all those who serve in mom roles, by giving birth, or by filling a space where a mom is needed.  Let's celebrate the beauty and the hard things of motherhood. 

Let's also make space to acknowledge those who grieve this day, remembering to let them know that we see them and that we love them. 

Thank you, @nancytromsness, for being a mom that I can look up to and go to for encouragement and advice.  Thank you, Marilyn,  for loving me as your own, and for giving me the best gift of your son.  Thank you to all the women in my life who have stepped into roles of mentor moms, supportive moms, and mom friends. 

Friends, whatever this Mother's Day brings for you, I pray you find encouragement.  I pray that you feel seen and known as a mom or as one who carries grief around this day.  You are so very loved.

#randomreflection #mothersday #mothers #women #motherhood #community

Photo credit Amy Garvin
Our oldest son is graduating from high school this Our oldest son is graduating from high school this month. And over and over, the question in some form has come up, 

"What are you going to do?"

Sometimes a job is just a job because we need to earn a living. There is not always a great passion behind what we do for income. But, no matter what, we still take who we are with us into that space. 

"What's your plan?" 
I'm fifty-one, and I'm still figuring out my plan.

I don't know about you, but my career path was not a straight line to where I am now. People have asked me how I went from managing adults in a corporate world to teaching tiny humans. They appear to be dramatically different jobs.  But they aren't really.....

When I look back, at the core of every job I've ever held, there has been an opportunity for me to see people, big or small, exactly where they are and help them move further along in their journey. How I do the job might look different, but who I am is at the core of every job I choose to do. 

Sometimes a job is just a job because we need to earn a living. There is not always a great passion behind what we do for income. But, no matter, we still take who we are with us into that space. 

And, I can't help but wonder, if perhaps, the better question to place in our young people's minds is,

"Who do you want to be?"
"What kind of person are you becoming?"

Because when you know the type of person you want to be, to become, to grow into, the life you build will naturally evolve from that place. 

#randomreflection #becoming #plantingseeds #wonder #randommusings
A song by Jim Reeves begins with the line, “This A song by Jim Reeves begins with the line, “This world is not my home, I’m just passing through.” And while I understand the sentiment, I want to shout “no,” let’s not just pass through.  Let’s grow some deep roots.  

In her poem “When Death Comes,” Mary Oliver says, “I don’t want to end up simply having visited this world.” And I find myself nodding my head, saying, “yes,” let’s be placemakers and plant some beautiful things and watch them grow.

Suppose I see myself as only passing through, a visitor in this world, then I am less likely to take the time to invest in making this world better.  I am less invested in creating beautiful things that inspire and transform hearts.  Always a visitor, my roots remain shallow; they do not grow deep and strong.  And without strong roots, I am easily uprooted and relocated, never standing firm.  

Where we are right now may not be our forever home, it may be only temporary housing, but let’s always call it home.   Regardless of where we live or how long we live there,  may we desire to grow strong roots and plant beautiful things.  May we always leave a place better for having lived there.

Let’s not be visitors in this world.  Let’s instead be placemakers.

#randomreflection #seasons #strongroots #slowgrowth #ordinarylife #beautifulthings #placemakers #seedplanter
Hundreds of pictures were taken last night in an a Hundreds of pictures were taken last night in an attempt to capture this one moment in time. 

Senior Prom.

Friendships formed at the beginning of childhood are still woven into these moments now. And as we capture the now moments a flood of memories of times gone by overwhelm our momma's hearts.

These are the final days before our seniors are launched into the world. 

This is the countdown to the ending of this chapter, and the beginning of a new chapter waiting to be written.

These moments and all the ordinary everyday moments, we do not take for granted. These are memories we will soon hold dear.

#classof2025 #seniorprom #seniorsunday 
@ben_marker
This is your friendly reminder: - to release expe This is your friendly reminder:

- to release expectations for what you believe should be and embrace the reality of what is.

- slowing down does not equal giving up or coming to a complete stop.

- stillness is as much a mindset as a physical posture.

- while you plant and tend with care, growth will happen in its own time and way.

- rest is neither lazy nor passive, and being well-rested while physically active is possible.

- community and solitude are best when practiced in rhythm, one with the other.

- for every yes, there is a no, and it is wise to consider both in our decision-making.

- It is perfectly okay to change course; life is not meant to be stagnant.

- limitations can serve as guideposts instead of obstacles to overcome.

#randomreflection #seasons #spring #lifelonglearner #community #solitute #slowgrowth #tending #planting #rhythms #bestyes #rest #stillness #listening #limitations
I live in Kansas. There is always wind blowing i I live in Kansas. 

There is always wind blowing in Kansas, or at least it feels that way. 

In Winter, the wind is generally unwelcome; it brings a bitter cold that cuts through and chills you down to your core.

In Summer, the wind is a welcome friend as it breaks through and cools you from the intense heat.

In Spring and Autumn, the wind dances in the in-between. 

Depending on the season, the wind can carry us forward or toss us relentlessly about, but it will always come. 

Yet, we do not wish to be tossed about by the ever-present and sometimes relentless winds.

With every season, we learn to adapt, anchor, or adjust our sail to what the wind blows our way. We set our sails to avoid being blown off course every time the wind changes. 

"The same wind blows on us all; the winds of disaster, opportunity, and change. Therefore, it is not the blowing of the wind, but the setting of the sails that will determine our direction in life."
John Rohn

#randomquote #randomreflection #seasons #spring #windsblow
This is 51.  In my youth I thought my 50's would This is 51. 

In my youth I thought my 50's would be different. 
Honestly, I thought I'd be old. 

But now I'm here, in this decade, 
old is not how I would describe myself.

Perhaps, I'd say, I'm more settled, more relaxed, 
less driven to prove, to accomplish. 

I'm definitely still learning, still growing, still becoming. 

This is 51 and I can tell you, age is simply a number. How old you are is less about numbers and more about mindset. 

#birthdayramblings #fifties #happybirthdaytome
It's Earth Day, and I'm feeling nostalgic. So, I It's Earth Day, and I'm feeling nostalgic.

So, I thought we would revisit that time when teaching meant making videos for my preschool friends as we were staying safe at home. 

This earth is our home. Tending and caring for it matters. 
Don't forget to Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

#earthday #reduce #reuse #recycle #flashback2020 #preschoolscience #preschoollife
My Beloved I know you have become weary and feel My Beloved

I know you have become weary and feel the weight of all that is not right in this world on your shoulders.

Instead of dwelling on confusion and anxiety, present your concerns to God in prayer. Be thankful, hold gratitude. Let your mind dwell on trustworthy, lovely, and good things. 

Bring all your anxiety and fear to God, leave them with Him, and trust Him, for He cares deeply about you.

Hold your hands open, and let go of what is not yours to carry. You will not be able to explain your peace, for it is God's peace given to you. 

(Isaiah 26:3, Matthew 11:28, John 14:27, Philippians 4:6-9, 1 Peter 5:7)

#randomreflection #peace #weary #anxiety #gratitiude
Flashback to Easter 2012. @ben_marker #seniorsu Flashback to Easter 2012.
 @ben_marker 

#seniorsunday #classof2025 
#spring #easter
I fell in love with preschoolers when my boys were I fell in love with preschoolers when my boys were in that stage. I say I became a preschool teacher because my boys refused to stay that age.

In that season a walk was an adventure, a story to be told. A rock, a stick, a leaf was a treasure to be discovered. 

Tiny Humans remind us to pay attention, to hold onto wonder and imagination.

If you are struggling to remember all that is good and beautiful in this world, might I suggest going on an adventure with a child.
It's Easter week, a season that reminds us of hope It's Easter week, a season that reminds us of hope, renewal, and new life. 

Yet everywhere we turn, the news is difficult to digest, and the stories told grieve our hearts. 

So, we hold our grief, unanswered questions, doubts, and fears while searching for ways to hold hope without discounting today's harsh realities.

In our pause, we remember that Easter's story of hope came to us through thorns and mockery and was transfixed with nails.

"He who hung the earth upon the waters is hung upon the Cross 
He who is King of the angels is arrayed in a crown of thorns.
He who wraps the Heavens in clouds is wrapped in the purple of mockery.
He who in Jordan set Adam free receives blows upon His face.
The Bridegroom of the Church is transfixed with nails.
The Son of the Virgin is pierced with a spear.
We venerate Thy Passion, O Christ.
Show us also Thy glorious Resurrection."
(Matins of Holy and Great Friday)

Friday's story was filled with grief, despair, uncertainty, and chaos. 

But then Sunday came, reminding us there was more to the story yet to be told.

And we remember that the Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in us. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he gives life to our mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within us. (Romans 8:11)

Easter week stories hold a co-mingling of celebration, grief, and more celebration.

So, Friends, let's not let Friday's grief-ridden stories cause us to forget that Sunday always comes. That hope is always there, waiting to be found. 

And remember, it's ok to hold two opposites together. 

Grief and Hope can co-exist.

#randomreflection #easter #spring #hope #newlife  #grief
Consider this your friendly reminder not to judge Consider this your friendly reminder not to judge today by your accomplishments. 

Be fully present with whatever today brings, scattering beautiful seeds along the path you walk.

As Robert Louis Stephenson said, 
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”

#randomquote #throughouttheseasons #spring #scatterbeautifulseeds
Happy National Sibling Day, Pamela Quann and Lisa Happy National Sibling Day, Pamela Quann and Lisa Smyth.

Maybe this summer, we'll have a chance for an updated sister picture. Or, we can just go with these old ones because we really haven't aged at all. 😉

#nationalsiblingsday
Instead of one word for all year, I have been pick Instead of one word for all year, I have been picking a word to ponder each month. And for April, I picked Cheerful.

I'll be honest. I picked the word cheerful this month because, well, I am struggling to feel noticeably happy, optimistic, joyful, lighthearted, and uplifting.

Cheerful may not be the word we use to describe how we feel these days. But perhaps a cheerful disposition is precisely what we need.

"A cheerful disposition is good for your health; gloom and doom leave you bone-tired." 
Proverbs 17:22 (MSG)

While it's not as simple as telling ourselves to turn our frowns upside down, it is possible to cultivate a cheerful disposition, regardless of circumstance.

Let's take a deep breath, whisper a prayer, hold our hands open, and be mindful of the beauty in our ordinary days.

Let's focus on holding gratitude, counting our blessings, and while not ignoring what is difficult, choosing to look for the good, the helpers.

Let's surround ourselves with hope-filled words, encouraging friends, and practice radical joy.

Let's cultivate a cheerful disposition as if our lives depend on it. Not because we deny the reality of our war-torn world but as an act of rebellion, a refusal to let darkness win.

#randomrefection #throughouttheseasons #spring #wordtoponder #cheerful
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