Joy Phenix's Blog

“The impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.” – Annie Dillard For nine months, roughly corresponding to the school year, I mentor a group a women who [...]

I’ve rewritten this opening paragraph half a dozen times, each time feeling that I should start this post with a GIANT disclaimer.  I love my mom. I love my mother-in-law. I love being a mom.  I love the work that moms do, and I am a HUGE believer that their work and their position in [...]

One Sunday afternoon, my seven year-old son was building Legos at the kitchen table with his back to me. I was cooking dinner, minding my own business, and then it happened. Out of the silence, he asked a question… “Mom, is f**k a word?” he mumbled. (insert record scratch sound) “Excuse me?” I said as [...]

In order for something to become clean, something else must become dirty. (from Imbesi’s Conservation of Filth Law) There isn’t much in my world that needs cleaning more than my heart.  I can be shockingly self-centered and demanding; I am proud and rebellious in ways that I can’t even describe.  Much of the time, I [...]

I grew up with both a brother and a sister whom I admired with every fiber of my being, and, out of that admiration, I subjected them to every possible annoyance a little sister could bring to the party.  I feel like I stumbled my way through our relationship, particularly in the grade school years. [...]

Have you ever heard this saying? “A man’s wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” This ancient Proverb is one that I find more than a little challenging. I don’t know about you, but I’m not good at overlooking offenses.  I’ve never been a terribly patient person, and I [...]

After heading to the pro draft this year out of Baylor and winning the Heisman in the process, Robert Griffin III was just signed by Adidas… The video reminds that good and “lucky” things come to those who work hard. ” Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”  Seneca Share on Facebook

I’m no organizational expert…in fact, I only get really opinionated about organization if it’s something that I use.   If you have serious organizational dilemmas, I highly recommend hiring an expert, like my friend Lindsey, to help you through the process.  Ultimately you have to figure out what’s best for you and to find a system [...]

This fall I overheard one of my all-time favorite exchanges between my son (J) and daughter (E).  Here’s how it went: J:  I don’t know how I’m ever going to walk from the bus to the first grade hall.  It’s sooooo far! E: Don’t you know that if you ever have to walk really, Really, [...]

2012 travel kicks into high gear for me this week.  This year I’m determined to have a calm attitude while getting from point A to point B by remembering this one, basic fact: I’m not the center of the universe. I know, intellectually,  that the sun doesn’t circle around me, but sometimes my attitude says [...]