Joy Junction Blog

2023 December #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) There are times when some of our guests open up and share their story the moment they arrive. But, for the most part, it usually takes them a few days to feel comfortable enough to talk about why they have become homeless. For such a sensitive subject matter, it may … Read More

2023 November #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Your phone rings. You answer it to find that someone is asking for your help. You own a pickup, so when someone needs assistance with their move, naturally, you are one of the first people they call. You shop at the same store as your elderly neighbor, so when it’s … Read More

2023 November #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Where is your “happy place?” Do you have a familiar location you like to go to in order to feel a deep peace? Do you go somewhere quiet to escape life’s hectic demands? Is it your easy chair in your home, or a camping site by a beautiful river, or … Read More

2023 October #2By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) As a person goes through their teenage years and begins to plan out and dream about their ideas for their future as an adult, it’s hard for us to imagine that they would “dream” of becoming homeless. It’s most likely not anyone’s plan or goal to become someone who is homeless … Read More

2023 October #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) When things are going smoothly in our lives, it’s easy to be thankful. During those times, we probably wear a smile on our face for no particular reason, and we may even nod greetings to strangers we pass in the grocery store. Life is good. But, when tragedy or trauma or … Read More

2023 September #2By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you noticed a slight change in the scenery around you? The foliage is beginning to take on a different look in some areas. As it does every year, it is getting ready to make some drastic changes. When we see pops of red, orange, and yellow color beginning to show … Read More

2023 September #1By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you noticed that the summer months have flown by? The autumn season is fast approaching. During each season, whether it’s hot or cold, we consistently have families and individuals who have fallen on hard times enter our campus for help. Some have lost their jobs. Some have lost their mates. … Read More

2023 August #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you ever been abruptly separated from someone you were close to? A child? A parent? A spouse? A friend? They were there, and then, suddenly, they were gone… Do you remember the fright you felt? That sharp pain of panic might have filled your heart so quickly, and in … Read More

2023 July #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Most people have experienced something deeply hurtful or painful in a relationship – within a family or friend circle, a job setting, or any other kind of circumstance. Sometimes, that type of traumatic event marks the brain and heart so deeply, it affects every other thing in their lives. It’s … Read More

2023 June #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Have you ever experienced a really bad sunburn? The damaged skin is so very sensitive to anything that touches it; you feel uncomfortable no matter what position you are in. It’s hard to wear even the lightest clothes because the pressure of the fabric on the skin is painful. What … Read More

2023 June #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Sometimes, being homeless does not mean a person is an addict or seen as unkept. Sometimes, homelessness simply means an individual or family no longer has a place to call their own. Because of unexpected circumstances, like suddenly losing a job or experiencing the pain of having a spouse walk … Read More

2023 May #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) There are so many different paths for people to take in this world. Some paths bring surprisingly wonderful and unexpected results…while other paths direct a person toward shocking and devastating ends. Most of us do not plan for our lives to turn down “dark alley” pathways. From the first moment … Read More

2023 April #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) As you were growing up, did you come from a family who knew that each person in your social group would most likely get a new dress or shirt and tie when Easter rolled around every year? Did you color or dye boiled eggs and participate in an Easter egg … Read More

2023 April #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) The majority of us have some kind of “vice” or “shortcoming” that we have a hard time letting go of:   eating too much dessert, take-out, or junk food, staying up too late to finish a movie or a book on a work/school night,  shopping until the bags are too … Read More

2023 March #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Imagine a scenario where a person is dependent on someone else for everything they need in this life. It would most likely be fairly easy for that person’s heart to become increasingly attached to the one who is providing, day after day, as every need is being met. They have … Read More

2023 February #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) For every piece of property and every human body, we (each of us) have the responsibility of making wise choices throughout the years to keep them in good working condition. When debris blows into our yard, we clean it up. When our bodies get dirty, we clean them up. Clearing … Read More

2023 January #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) It appears that the number of homeless people in our city is growing. Do you ever wonder why? When you see the many homeless people standing on the street medians or huddled up in a corner or making a home out of a large cardboard box, do you ever think … Read More

2022 December #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Can you believe it? Another year has come and gone… At this year-end time, some of us may take a moment and look back over the last year…and realize that there have been many changes in different areas for the majority of us. Whether it has to do with family, … Read More

2022 December #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) The Christmas season is here again. We can smell it in the air as the aroma of spices like cinnamon and peppermint (to name a few) announce that people are cooking up something delicious or creating some kind of special beverage. We can see it in the holiday decorations that … Read More

2022 November #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) Think about it… The sun has gone down. It’s dark. You are alone. You are huddled in a corner you call “home” with all your belongings close by. You are wearing your coat, zipped up as far as it will go, and have a blanket wrapped around you. You hold … Read More

2022 November #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) There are many holidays during the span of a year’s time. Some are more prominent than others. But, most people do recognize the Thanksgiving holiday and try to celebrate one way or another. Then, again, there are some who flat do not care what holiday is being celebrated and choose … Read More

2022 October #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) It has been heard many times throughout the state of New Mexico that if you do not like the weather, wait five minutes, and it will change. That seems to be so true. However, there are times when we wish the change would come a little quicker – like when … Read More

2022 October #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) When someone gives you a gift, do you send a hand-written thank you note or card to them? In years past, people would get out a special piece of pressed paper, a jar of ink, and a calligraphy pen to respond to the gift giver with beautifully written penmanship, expressing … Read More

2022 September #2 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) We seem to hear a lot of griping and complaining about pretty much everything these days. The constant robocalls on our phone… Who’s running for the next election… The crazy drivers around us… The price of groceries… The price of gas… On and on, there always seems to be something … Read More

2022 September #1 By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) So, you’re driving down the street and you see that the traffic light ahead is yellow, getting ready to turn red. You put your foot on the brake and then notice that there is a homeless person standing on the median – right at the location you will need to … Read More

2022 August By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) As we celebrate our 36th anniversary, we’d like to thank each of you for being a partner with us as we strive to care for hundreds of people each day throughout the year. It has been our pleasure to provide as much assistance as possible for those who walk through our … Read More

Many of you know that the founder of Joy Junction, Dr. Jeremy Reynalds, was homeless at one point in his life. As we commemorate his legacy of working with the homeless, I’d like to share how it all began. England-born Jeremy came to the United States to share the Gospel in 1978 and became a citizen. He worked, married, and … Read More

Can you recall times when you really needed to focus, but there were so many distractions, you simply couldn’t? The baby is crying… The older child is demanding attention… The dishwasher needs to be emptied, and the sink is full of dirty dishes… The washing machine is stuck on the rinse cycle for the third time this month… The car … Read More

It’s one of those days… It’s downright HOT. The sun is beaming down, your eyes are squinting because of the bright light, the air is so dry when you breathe, you feel it to the bottom of your lungs, and your mouth is sticking together because there’s no moisture in it. That’s what it feels like to be parched. It … Read More

2022 May By a Joy Junction Staff Member (JBF) This world is full of so much heartache. It seems that no matter where we go, there is evidence of it. Heartache shows itself in many different ways. But, one way is when the mental health of a person is affected. Did you know that the month of May is recognized … Read More