Saturday, August 30, 2014

Dear God,

We do not need look far to find your living presence alive in the world.  This morning I went to the farmers market.  I arrived a few minutes early so I simply stood and gazed at the tables of local farmers' goods. What an array of color!  Red, yellow, green, orange, and so much more!  As together they counted down aloud to time to start, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, and then rang the bell wishing one another good morning, I could see you in the faces of those who take your seed, cultivate and water it, and then harvest crops of delicious goodness.  I was happy to take home peaches, lettuce, and radishes!

A few minutes later I decided to treat myself to a white chocolate mocha and a veggie omelet sandwich.  On my way to the cafe, I saw a couple come out just before I walked in.  Smiling and laughing together, I thought it such a beautiful scene that I commented to them that they had beautiful smiles.  Without a beat, the man said to me, "We like to share them with others."

After giving the server my order, I waited in line and spoke with a dad and his little boy.  I asked him what he had ordered.  Very shy he told me he got a cookie so I asked if I could guess what it was.  For the next few minutes we talked and I told the little guy to enjoy his cookie and chocolate milk.  They bid me goodbye when the got their order.

Deciding in the store to take my food home to eat, I walked out and two elementary aged-boys came over to me asking if I would buy a ticket to a car wash to help them buy uniforms for their soccer team.  I asked a them a couple of fun questions and then handed them a $20 bill as I said, "I don't need a car wash so I will just give you this to help with the uniforms."  Two other kids and a dad walked over getting so excited about the money but it was their smiles that really touched my heart.

As I walked back to my car, the man and the little boy were driving out of their parking spot.  They waved and smiled at me as they pulled out.  As I got into my own car I thought of all the smiles I had seen at the market, on the street, and in the coffee shop.  I realized I had witnessed you in so many places and I smiled right back.

Thank you,
Wondrous God,
for unexpected blessings.
Thank you
for reminding me
we can
find you anywhere.
Make us expectant,
willing to look
and see
and find.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 29, 2014

Dearest God,

Deep loneliness can cause us to live in despair.  It can motivate us to reach out in so many unhealthy and negative ways.  Or it can present us the opportunity to meet you on a new level of faith.  The choice seems to be up to us.  You do not strong arm us to do what you think best; you just give us options.

I'm not quite sure how loneliness begins.  Perhaps it develops slowly as we rely upon others to feed and nurture us, taking away the responsibility we have to determine the ebb and flow of our own joy, hope, and peace.  Maybe it feeds on low self esteem or self pity.  Suddenly, we find ourselves in pockets of sadness that do not seem to go away.  If left untreated a soul can wither and die.

There is a greater choice, one that lifts us to a high place with One who never deserts or abandons us, One whose love is not temperamental or temporary but rather whose love flows like a never-ending fountain.  When we step into that sacred space we are welcomed not with a flourish of trumpets and horns but rather on a gentle breeze, warm, loving, and oh so, comforting.  Depending on how long we tarry and recognize the gift and the gifter, we are filled up to capacity, even to overflowing because such as this is always meant to be shared.

When I face my own loneliness, I trust in you giving thanks for mercy that meets all of us when we turn toward your face.  Why would we turn in any other direction?

Gentle God,
please help us
see the light
of your face
as we
look out
from our darkness.
Teach us
the truth
that loneliness
can not kill
the spirit
of one
who turns
toward you.
Let your peace
reside deep
within us.
Give us lips
to praise
and give thanks
for this
most awesome gift.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Dear God,

Each day you hold out your cup of living water and a plate of fine bread.  You invite us to eat early in the morning even before we begin our day.  "Eat and drink," you say, "be full of me."  Filled with the food and drink of heaven, you ask us to let you lead us through our day.  In so doing all day long we see the sights of heaven, hear the call of eternity's joy, and touch the beauty of the holy sacred.  At bedtime we count the divine treasure that has been ours.

When we open ourselves to you, O Lord, you feed us.  You give us drink for our thirsty souls.  You guide us toward the sacred path given to those who want to walk with you, to make the pilgrim journey of faith.  You bless us with insight, signs of your presence, and an expectancy that comes with faith.  We discover once again that we are yours, children of the Living God.

Thank you
for faith
that reveals truths
we miss
when we fail
to walk intentionally
with you.
Thank you
for human delight
when we
find you
beside us.
Thank you
for your presence
that teaches,
guides, loves,
challenges, corrects,
and helps us.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Dearest God,

You gave us Lucy eight years ago today.  A girl with a very soft heart, a promising ball player, great in school, a good friend, and a sweetie pie, Lucy speaks often about you as she prays with her family daily for all the children in the world.  She models your loving compassion as she takes on projects to help others in her school.

When I think about Lucy, I think about you because she thinks like you.  Her heart always skips a beat when she sees someone in need.  She brainstorms ways she can help, then she recruits others to assist her in the cause.  She is full of mercy.

Make us
like you,
O Lord;
teach us
to have
caring hearts.
Show us
the way
to help
one another.
Thank you
for Lucy.
Thank you
for blessing us
with her love.

Always, Andrea

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Dear God,

Dead ends are not really dead ends at all when we trust you to lead us.  When we feel ourselves trapped by hopeless situations, all we need do is cry out to you.  When we hand you our despair and sit at your feet, we have the opportunity to draw close, to feel the most real peace possible.  With peace comes joy because divine love has a way of transforming our insides even if our situation remains the same.

I have known thirst and fullness.  I have known hopelessness and hope.  I have known chaos and peace.  What I know for sure is you are the bridge between thirst and fullness, between hopelessness and hope, and between chaos and peace.  Dead ends always lead us to our own transformation when we take your outstretched hand.

Thank you
for possibilities
that change
our dead end
into something else.
You are God;
there is none
like you.

Love, Andrea

Monday, August 25, 2014

Dear God,

Even the most closed-off soul opens when we gather to sing your song.  Sometimes we come together with weary and worn bodies and minds.  Some of us harbor resentment and bitterness.  There are those whose hearts have been hardened by life events.  We come together with our humanity in our hands.  We want the power of your spirit to soften our hearts and feed us the food of heaven.

When we open our mouths to sing or at least open our ears to hear your song, we discover hope awaiting us.  We find love in the lyrics, melodies, and harmonies.  We drink in your mercy like dry, thirsty souls in a barren desert.  We suddenly begin to breathe again filling our lungs with the fresh air of your presence.  Before long we feel alive again because faith has buoyed us up.  There is nothing more powerful than eternity's song to revive the human spirit.

Sing it over again,
dear God,
sing us
the song
of faith.
When we
are low,
cause our faces
to look up.
Show us
the way
to the well
of living water.
Inspire us
to drink
so we
may be full
of grace
once again.
Thank you
for caring
for your own.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 24, 2014

Dear God,

As I drove to worship this morning, you brought to mind the "tender shoots of faith."  You inspired me to think of those who planted and watered the seeds of faith in me.  You brought the faces of people whose faith cultivated faith in me.  I smiled as I pulled into the church parking lot recognizing the fact that I participate in church because I have the privilege of worshipping with others whose own roots developed like my own.  I have the joy of nurturing faith in others.

I am thankful for all those persons you brought into my life, Gracious and Caring God, all those who invested in my faith.  I am grateful for their love and challenge, for their grace and invitation, and for their mercy, kindness, and support.  I am filled with gratitude for the many ways you have touched my life through others who knew the great benefits of faith and wanted to bless me with gifts from on high.  Every parcel of faith in me has a name attached to it.  What would I be without them?

Holy God,
full of gifts
for your children,
thank you
for forging
a faith
in me.
Thank you
for your church
that always stirs
my soul
in one way
or another.
Thank you
not only
for the call
to faith
but also
the challenge
to sow,
water,
and tend
to the faith
in others.
What blessing
you are!

Love, Andrea

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Dear God,

The air is giving itself away.  Fall is not far behind.  The season of summer is near an end.  Your hand is moving allowing creation's story to be told once again.

What greater story of your creation is there than the changing of the seasons?  You point the way to change and transformation.  In weeks the flowers will quiet their new blossoms. In Autumn the plants will die back allowing their roots time to nurture themselves.  Winter will be a season of beautiful silence.

Always in late summer you remind us that we too need to respond to your call for change.  You ask us to surrender whatever we need no longer carry.  You guide us to reconsider our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors.  You want us to shed worries and burdens and let go of our anxieties.  You teach us to trust you when the landscape of our soul changes and we move into the season of quiet silence, such a wondrous time when we can breathe in the air of your spirit while we lovingly tend to the roots of our faith.

Thank you,
Gracious God,
for moving us
with your
spirit breeze.
Teach us
to trust you wholly
with our lives
so we like
the plants,
flowers, and trees
will listen
and obey
your call.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 22, 2014

My dearest God,

Some say your church is filled with hypocrites, people who do not live up to the standard of faith.  They are probably right; there is not a flawless person among us.  Yet, you live in our midst teaching, cajoling, helping, guiding, challenging, and loving us.  The difference is those who gather as the church know they are flawed and that you are the author of our faith.  It is to you we pray because we have made friends with you.  No, you have made friends with us.  We know one another on a personal basis.

Tonight we gathered for a dessert theater.  Some among us performed talented acts, singing, dancing, storytelling, and telling jokes.  We laughed like crazy.  But there was one man, a beloved man who sang a simple song remembering his wife of 55 years, a generous woman of faith who died just weeks ago.  He sang because he knew he was in good company, people who loved him and his wife, and people who appreciated, respected, and saluted his own devout faith.  He never wept as he sang, his eyes sparkling as he remembered Judy "in his dreams" but we did because we recognized how powerful faith is to help us do things we thought impossible.

Indeed we are
a broken people,
O Lord,
but you
are the glue
that binds us together.
You call us friends
and we are.
We are glad
to be
in your company
as family members.
We thank you
for your generosity
helping us
with our faith,
making us
a better people
because we
willingly belong
to you.
Teach us
your will
and your way,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Dear God,

So often we fail to see through spirit eyes.  We simply view life on the surface.  We neglect to look deeper to gaze upon your living presence.

I knew she was coming to visit.  A sister who battles with mental illness comes yearly to visit her family.  When she stood to sing, I only heard the melodic sound of heaven.  I was astounded.

The lesson I learned from you is this:  Always look deeper to find what more there is!  When we only look at life from the surface, we miss the real treasure that lay beneath that thin layer.

Every day you challenge us to take a deeper look around us.  You cry out to us:  "Look!  Look!  Look for more!"  When we explore a little, we discover intricate designs of your creative spirit.  We notice possibilities which lead to hope.  We hear your voice whispering new truths.  As all this comes to pass, we feel an upsurge of joy, heaven's joy that warms our soul, opens our eyes, and gives us a new song to sing.

When Barbara opened her mouth to sing at church, all I could hear was your song!

Teach me
to dig deep
into the soil
of your grace.
Open my eyes
to see
what you see.
Open my ears
to hear
what you hear.
Open my mouth
to express
my joyous thanksgiving.
Thank you,
Wondrous God,
for the gift
of life lessons.

Love always, Andrea

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Dear God,

Forty years ago you brought a challenge to me.  You asked me to invite you into my home and my heart for three days.  During that time I would imagine you present as a guest.  I was to be aware of what was said and done with you sitting in the same room.  I remember going to the front door early one morning, opening it, and inviting you in.

What an eye opener!  Those three days taught me valuable lessons as I considered what shows were on my television, how I treated my family, how often I prayed, what my attitudes were, and the ways I lived or did not live out my faith.  I realized my love and devotion to you diminished when I chose less than your will for my life.  I found my patience was often thin. At times I was unforgiving and did not operate from love.  I learned a lot about myself those three days and what it would mean to live every day with your living presence.

Today I still waffle between your will and my own.  I often fail to function in the light of your presence. My patience still falls short.  However, one thing positive I can say from that experience forty years ago.  I do see the blessings around me.  When I awaken to a dark morning and notice the first light of day, I acknowledge it as your gift.  Throughout the day even until I return to my bed, I know your presence is all around me.  I know your gifts and I celebrate them.

Thank you,
Gracious and Giving God,
for insights
that come
from faith.
Thank you
for blessings
that point
to you.
Thank you
for hope
that arises
when we
acknowledge your
living presence
every day.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Dearest God,

Thank you for your leading, guiding power.  You give us perspective as we consider the meaning of daily life.  As we lean to you in faith, our hearts, minds, and souls are opened to greater dimensions of value, love, hope, peace, and joy.

Yesterday I looked back on a painful situation that still holds some power over my husband and me.  The sadness that came still lives within us.  We don't really dwell on the problem but our hearts are still weighted down.

I confess this to you because I realize when I spoke of it yesterday, I simply talked about the injustice.  What I failed to reflect upon are the lessons that can be learned in the midst of difficulties and where and how you may be calling us to a new level of faith.  It is so easy to stay in our muck but what is the use?  The more time we spend looking back, the less time we have to look forward.  As we consider our state of being and the next steps you want us to take to be faithful citizens of your kingdom family, I pray you will open our eyes to what we have and not on what we do not have. I also pray you will stretch us to consider your plan for our lives and not just ideas we may come up with about where to put down the roots of our faith.  I pray you will move us along the path leading right where you want us.

Thank you,
Caring God,
for valuable
life lessons.
Thank you
for your challenge
that causes us
to rethink
and reevaluate
our lives.
Teach us again
how to listen
and follow.
Thank you
for your mercy
that reaches us
from head
to toe.

Love, Andrea

Monday, August 18, 2014

Dear God,

Seven years ago today our grandson was born.  Premature and in trouble we thought for days he might not make it.  He struggled for breath and we struggled in prayer for his life.  We received the miracle we prayed for.

It was a time when we were on our knees pleading for your help.  We watched over his NICU bed and we spoke love to little Rylan.  We told him you were with him and that he did not need to be afraid.

As you know, dear God, Rylan is a rambunctious, caring, and funny little boy.  He does well in school.  He has no defects whatsoever.

That time of uncertainty caused us all to reevaluate the strength of our faith.  We had to rely on you to help us all especially his mommy and daddy.  We were faithful in prayer because we were helpless to do anything else.  We cried out to you knowing you already had a hand on our son, grandson, brother, and little cousin. 

We got our miracle at the same time other babies died. I remember celebrating our baby's victory and praying for grieving parents who lost theirs.  Today as I give thanks for Rylan, I ask for your comfort for those whose losses are great.

Almighty God,
thank you
for the gift
of life.
Thank you
for Rylan.
Thank you
for relationships
that bind
a family together.
Please be
with those
who grieve
for their babies today.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Dear God,

A caring nurse shared her struggle to find a church home after a humiliating experience at her last church.  While sharing with her patient, my husband, she smiled real big and said, "I think God kept you overnight in this room so I could be your nurse and you could tell me about Church on the Cape.  We will be there next Sunday!"

You prove yourself over and over again.  You rise to the surface so that our earthly eyes may see you for ourselves.  You speak faith to our doubt and it dissolves before us.  We see you through eyes of faith and we are glad in your spirit.

Hope was borne in that hospital room.  I watched it emerge as Harold and Tracey spoke with each other.  It was Sunday morning and neither could be in church but I daresay the doors to church opened when we shared in your miracle joy!

Holy God,
thank you
for hope
that comes
in the
least likely places!

Love, Andrea

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Dear God,

You make us to be your hands, feet, and heart.  You touch us through tender caring hands.  You love us through generous gifts.  You speak words of comfort and hope.  You are very present in every situation!

Sometimes we forget how close you are.  We go about our business without thought of your spirit close as our breath.  We awaken and go about our daily lives, eating, drinking, and being merry.  When life darkens or our life takes a sudden turn or twist or our health plummets, we cry out to you forgetting that a gentle whisper is all it takes.

This morning my husband fell ill.  I heard a thud and came rushing up the basement steps. Dizzy, pale, clammy, and cold, I knew something was seriously wrong.  I called an emergency number and the dispatcher spoke with me until help arrived.  She asked me to take his pulse and give her information regarding his situation.  Her voice comforted me as I did as she asked.  In minutes a rescue team arrived to take over.  Although he was completely conscious of everything that was happening and his vitals looked good, they recommended he be checked out at a local hospital.  They tenderly moved him to the ambulance and took him on the fifteen-minute ride.  When I arrived, the nurses were doing their work.  A doctor had already greeted him ordering tests.  By nightfall he was feeling better and his vitals continued to look good.  The doctor decided an overnight stay would be good so they could observe him monitoring all his systems.  The night nurse gave him all his meds and met his every need. 

When I bid him goodnight, I recognized how you had been present in every person who had ministered to him.  You had been with him on the kitchen floor.  You rode with him in the ambulance.  You were first to welcome him to the hospital.  You put your hands on him in the emergency room.  You comforted, encouraged, fed, and cared for him.  You whispered your love as he gave way to sleep.

No day
goes by
that you
do not care
for us.
Your living spirit
holds us
and reaches out
to us.
We may not
always recognize
your presence
but when
we pause
and reflect,
we can
find signs
of your coming.
Thank you,
O Lord,
for being present today.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 15, 2014

Dear God,

Why do we expect others to create themselves into our image?  Why do we insist they become like us?  Do we honestly believe our way is the only way, the better way? 

Often we lose ourselves and begin to put pressure on others to become like us.  Even on our best days, who of us is worthy to serve as a model human being for the rest of the world?  Are our ideals, beliefs, and attitudes really the best to be copied?

Help us consider
your loving ways,
O Lord.
Make us more
like you.
Teach us
the way
of love
and respect.
Reveal our weakness
so we
can remake ourselves
with your strength.
Forgive our arrogance
and our lack
of regard
for those
around us,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Dear God,

The journey to the light is a must for every day living.  Otherwise, we tend to find the darkness.  If our eyes are set on other things, the darkness will creep in.  However, if we anticipate the light and open ourselves to it, not only will the light come, it will give us joy, hope, and peace. 

When I look around me, I find people whose search for the light is very evident.  They glow with a radiance that warms those around them.  They worship regularly and serve others with compassionate love.  They live out of faith because their love for you is number one.

As I battle to overcome my own darkness at times, I confess sometimes I give in particularly when I feel the need to hold certain attitudes and behave in certain ways.  But always, yes always, your light shines just enough to convict my soul of its wrongdoing.  Your understanding way holds me as I turn and twist to shake off my unhealthy thoughts.  You give me another chance as I reach for the light and surrender the darkness.  In the end I discover the darkness never has the final say because the light even encircles the darkness.

Loving God,
may we
have the courage
to let go
of the darkness
so your light
can shine
once again.
Thank you
for your mercy
that never fails
to welcome us home.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

My dearest God,

You use the common and ordinary to teach us uncommon, extraordinary lessons.  The biblical scripture story of the sower and the seed came to me as I prepared a patch of ground in the front yard of our home.

Recently a mason created new steps and a walkway at the front of our nearly two-hundred-year-old house. In doing so, he had to lift grassy areas that surrounded the walkway.  He brought in dirt and poured it into the areas that abutted the bricks. That meant I had to clear the dirt of debris in order to plant grass seed.  I sifted through taking out rocks, weeds, and other undesirables.Then I had to smooth it out making sure there were no dips where water could pool and kill grass.  Finally, I sowed the seed and watered it in.  In order for it to grow, I will need to keep it watered until it takes root.

I can remember times in my own life when I sowed the good seeds of your love and mercy but failed to clear my soul of debris before planting.  Later, when I wanted to use the fruits of my labor I could not because I still had too many weeds of judgement, resentment, and bitterness rooted deep within me. I was conflicted and empty of the good seed so I reverted back to the undesirables which affected my mood, attitude, emotions, and behavior.  It took a good long time before I realized I had not done the necessary work inside my soul so I was left bereft at a time when I needed everything I had in order to face the difficult issues before me.

I have to acknowledge sometimes I am a slow learner.  I often rely on my own resources and neglect to tap into the greatest resources of faith.  Eventually I wind up at your feet whining.  What happens next is the uncommon, extraordinary lesson of faith.  You listen and offer grace.  In that moment I confess my resistance and thank you for unwarranted loving care.  You teach me to dig deep allowing you to use the tools of faith to get underneath the depths of the undesirables where your light shines. You help me clear away the debris so your good seeds can take deep root in me where good soil, living water, and radiant light wait to make way for good fruit to grow.

Thank you,
Grace-Filled God,
for the gifts
of your spirit.
Thank you
for the ordinary
that can
teach us
valuable lessons
of faith.
Restore in me
my desire
to learn
from you
so I too
can provide
good fruit
for those
around me.
Thank you,
Good Lord,
for the wonders
of faith.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Dear God,

The beautiful, exquisite white lilies stand tall in our flower garden reminding me of trumpets playing on Easter morning.  Day after day, they stretch more and more toward heaven as if to lay claim on your glory.  Their gentle dance in the morning breeze causes me to sing my own praise to you.

When I quiet my soul, pause, and consider your many gifts, I find an astonishing number of blessings.  The cool air, misty rain, and an array of resplendent flowers, shrubs, and trees cause me to stop what I am doing so I can revel in the majesty of your creation.  While I smile and sing my own praise to you, a variety of melodious birdsongs rise in the air.  Does it get any better than this?  I ask myself.

Creator God,
thank you
for the
miracle gifts
that rise
from the earth
and sky.
Thank you
for breathing life
into your
created order.
Thank you
for beauty
that inspires
and refreshes
the soul.

Love, Andrea

Monday, August 11, 2014

Dear God,

What does one do when surrounded by enemies who wish to do harm, Lord?  How does one manage to find food and fresh water when the enemy holds them both?  How do we step out of war that has us hemmed in from every side? 

When all is lost, O Lord, you are all we have.  In the depths of deep darkness, you are the only light.

Teach us,
O God,
the way
of love,
peace,
and harmony
where every person
is valued.
Help us
find ways
to make
the world
a better place
for all people.
Help us
find you
in the darkness,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Dear God,

I sat in the back pew so I could be by the cool air coming in the open doorway.  But I got more than cool air when I sat listening to the musical concert. 

I cannot begin to fathom the greatness of your living spirit blowing in the direction of your people!  As I listened to the symphony play you painted vivid images in my mind.  What images they were.  Such beauty!  My whole soul was moved, inspired as I sat in the midst of your wonder.

In one scene I watched in my mind's eye the reciprocal antiphonal musical pieces being played and sung in the great cathedrals of Europe in the sixteenth century...a note, a melody, harmonies, and more.  I gazed into the past, my eyes closed to my present surroundings and opened inside the magnificent sanctuary.  As the hallowed space filled with choral and musical sound, I felt your spirit filling my soul.  I watched as a participant in the glorious sound of heaven.  Tears began to well as I simply could not contain my peaceful joy. 

More and more you reveal your spirit living and breathing among your people.  As we open ourselves to you, we are left breathless with joy overflowing!

Great God,
thank you
for faith
that opens doors
to time
and space.
As we
trust you
to show us
the delights
of eternity,
we are
never disappointed
because faith's power
ushers us
into your
sacred works.
How wondrous!
How gracious!
How joyous!
Thank you,
Majestic God,
for allowing me
to peer
into heaven today!

Love, Andrea

Saturday, August 9, 2014

Dear God,

Sometimes we lose our way.  We wander too distracted to notice the landscape has changed.  By the time we figure out what has happened we may be so far from our destination that it is hard to return alone.  The greatest discovery of all is to find you accompanied us on our misguided journey.  Returning is not difficult when lead home by you.

How often have I wandered away?  I may have been too busy, too upset, or too something to reroute myself.  When I discover I am up a creek without a paddle, I just plop down where I am and ask for your help.  I confess I started out on my own without inviting the greatest navigator the world has ever known.  I get lost because I leave the tools of my faith at home where my troubles began.  Suddenly, I realize faith is not about doing my own thing but rather walking beside you on the spiritual adventure of a lifetime.  You remind me a pilgrimage with you is better than any trip I would choose to take on my own.

Thank you
for valuable lessons
of faith.
Thank you
for your presence
that never
leaves us
even when
we enter
shady and
dark paths.
Thank you
for grace
that takes
our hand
and leads us home.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 8, 2014

Dear God,

What will it take to reshape us as a people who love and care for one another?  How do we rid our global society and ourselves of hatred and bitterness?  How do we step inside the other to better understand one another?

Can we not take the best of every religion and use it to bring love to all?  I am a Christian so I listen to the voice of Jesus who challenges us to love one another; yet, I hear the call from other world religions that call for mutual respect and love.  Why do we refuse to love?

Teach us
the way
of love,
dear God.
Cleanse our
minds of everything
that cause us
to hate.
Soften our hearts
toward one another.
Make us emissaries
of hope
and peace,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Dear God,

You teach us to be honest with you and ourselves.  You show us the way to truth that liberates and heals.  Today you gave me courage to be open and honest, to share from the heart, and to be understanding as the door was opened for honesty for us both.

Your son once said, "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free."  I have found those words to be challenging as I seek to grow in faith, rub out the rough edges, and take steps to renew my spirit.  The more I practice the truth that sets us free, the more honest I become with myself.  When I more clearly learn the truth about myself, the more I am able to confess and work on issues in my life.  Because I want to become more like the Christ of my faith, I recognize the continual work I need to do to clear myself of poor attitudes and behaviors.  When your light shines on my truth and I know that I know that I know you have produced the truth within me, the more I have to face the realities of who I am and how I live.  When I fail to live up to your expectations and my own, I have to acknowledge my failures and start again.  Honesty helps me and leads me more and more to you.

Holy God,
teach me
your way
again and again.
Often I neglect
to renew
a right spirit
within me.
I allow
outside forces
to have
way too much power
over me.
Please forgive me,
turn me around,
and set me
on the path
to the truth
that is
always better
than false ideas.
Thank you
for your
cleansing power.

Love, Andrea

Monday, August 4, 2014

Dearest God,

When hearts are opened to your message of faith, we see, touch, taste, smell, and hear your living spirit.  We know you are with us because it is evident through all our senses.

The theme of our retreat, The Inner Journey of Faith, took us to Spiritual Food, yesterday's topic.  As we worshipped together in Taize form, we were offered fruit of the vine communion, spiritual food at your table.  What delight it gave us since we did not expect Holy Communion at church.  Later in the day we participated in a Farm to Chef Celebration where farmers, brewers, and chefs came together to provide a magnificent feast of fresh, organic foods.  As we ate and drank from the produce provided by the earth and sea, we marveled in the goodness of the conserved land, the organic gardeners, the skilled chefs, all committed to providing the healthy best for local people.  In our time together we truly celebrated your good earth and the other gifts of those who tend it in so many ways. We recognized the sacred in all we experienced.

Just before bedtime we talked about your spirit food and the countless ways you feed us.  Our hearts and bellies were full of your goodness.

Holy God,
lover and creator
of all,
thank you
for the blessing
of good land,
food, and those
who tend
and prepare it.
May we
regard it
with holy hands
and thanksgiving.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Dear God,

Thank you for blessing us with faith.  Thank you for eternal cords that bind us to you and one another.  Thank you for guiding us in our daily lives and for using us to help one another.

The five-day retreat I led concluded on Monday.  The Inner Journey of Faith stretched us to reflect upon life events and how faith worked its wonders on us.  Although our lives have never been straight lines or easy, we discovered how insights learned during life events have influenced us through faith.

One spiritual exercise we were not able to do because of weather was an astronomy canoe tour.  However, we did look at the stars noticing how they connected together to make constellations. I challenged them to consider their life events and how faith had connected them together.  During breakfast on the last day one woman suddenly became aware of her faith constellation.  She pointed to a window where a sea star sat.  "It is like the sea star."  She said.  In the minutes that followed we talked about how you make things beautiful with faith.

Thank you,
Creator God,
for blessing us
with faith.
Thank you
for constellations
created by
your hand.
Thank you
for making us
and giving us
the ability
to see you.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Dear God,

Hope was born yesterday afternoon at lunch by the pier.  Our group of five retreatants didn't even notice until a server passed us a note from the lady at the next table.

It was the last day of our retreat.  We had gone to the waterfront for lunch and a little shopping before I drove them to the airport.  We had picked a new restaurant that overlooked the water.  When we were taken to our table, I noticed a couple at the table beside ours.  In their 30's I thought they were a striking couple and as I walked by them I told them so.  They smiled and thanked me.  Later when the husband pulled out his camera I asked if I could take a picture of them together.  They thanked me, stood by the railing and I clicked the shot.  Minutes later our group ordered lunch, took hands, and prayed.

We were almost finished eating when the server quietly slipped the note to the retreatant closest to the door.  Whispering that it was from the lady at the table beside us, the retreatant was perplexed what to do so we concluded our meal, paid our tab, bid goodbye to the couple, and walked downstairs.  We stopped and read the note.  The woman thanked me for taking their picture.  She said she noticed us when we prayed.  "I could tell you were women of faith.  You gave me hope."  She then poured out her heart saying her husband had told her he did not love her anymore and she asked us to pray for their marriage.  We looked at one another and then paused to pray for them.  As we walked out of the restaurant, I looked up at them, smiled, and cried out, "Be blessed."  The woman smiled knowing it was my way of acknowledging the note and our promise to pray.

As we stepped into the car and headed for the airport we talked about Marcia and her husband and how you had blessed us during our last meal together.  We agreed to continue to pray knowing your blessing to us was also a blessing to them where hope was served.

Blessed God,
thank you
for chance encounters.
Thank you
for eliciting
our help
for Marcia
and her husband.
Thank you
for prayer
that gives hope.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 3, 2014

My dearest God,

Memories made in the human soul rest there until called forth.  At worship this morning as I opened my mouth to sing the songs of Taize, I was surely transported to the tiny village in south central France.  A global community of people, we sing one song, yours.

We sang four-part harmonies of the songs written by brothers of Taize.  The more we sang, the more my heart was awash in faith's love.  As we quieted our hearts following the scripture reading, we entered into silence, that golden space where God and we meet, where the human and divine come together to sing one song, where prayer and meditation speak profoundly.  I found myself caught up in the darkness where the light allowed me to walk and there I found the peace of Christ.

Although the organ and piano duet played the final song, In the Lord I'll Be Ever Thankful, I could not help but sing my own praise and thanksgiving.  What gifts are ours are we submit ourselves to your loving, living spirit in worship with the community of faith. 

Good Lord,
Hope of the World,
thank you
for singing
your song
one more time.
Thank you
for allowing us
to sing
with you.
Thank you
for divine love
that never stops giving.

I will always be yours, Andrea

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Dear God,

When we truly and intentionally open our hearts to your spirit, miracles happen.  Insights that come during an open-spirit time can change our lives forever.

As retreatants during this retreat time, we open our hearts especially during our time apart from the busyness of life.  Each morning we pray at the table asking you to open us wide to your Holy Spirit. We pray for the food on the table but we all know we are praying for heaven's manna.  We each know we are hungry for food that satisfies a spiritually hungry soul.

Today we shared more about our life events and how faith influences the challenges we each face. We discovered more and more how you were always at the intersections of doubt and fear.  We recognized your help and loving guidance.  We acknowledged your power at work and your ability and desire to transform us in our hour of decision.  In and through our sharing we could see the ways you miraculously moved in and through us.  We celebrated your merciful kindness and the gift faith is on the inner journey of life.

Gracious and Loving God,
thank you
for insights
that give us pause
to give praise
and thanksgiving.
Thank you
for gratitude
that wells up
within us
as we recognize
your blessings
once again.
Thank you
for spiritual awareness
that helps us
see your spirit
always working.

Love always, Andrea

Friday, August 1, 2014

My dearest God,

It may be our story but ultimately it is your story that will be told.  Faith is like that as we attune ourselves to the working of your spirit.

They simply went on a bike ride.  The retreatants left the house on an intentional journey considering which turns and twists to make as they rode their bikes on the streets of Kennebunk.  With a heightened awareness of your living presence, they each chose their own path.  One rider made a turn, then another riding faster and faster toward the ocean but before she entered the beach, she made a hard right.  All along the road she witnessed signs telling the sad story of her life.  She rode further and further away until the road came to a T where she turned right and rode the long way home. How could she have known the signs of her new life would appear all along the glorious way back?  The moment she burst into the door, she asked for paper and began to feverishly write.  The ride had crystalized her life making it very apparent how you had worked in her life to bring her to the moment of healing. 

Faith is the lens through which we see you at work.  As we open our eyes marveling at the gift, we are enabled to see that which we could not see before.  Listening for your word as faith opens doors, we find our way and celebrate the wonders of the sacred divine.

Holy God,
thank you
for the
magnificent work
of your spirit.
Thank you
for touching
our lives,
for inspiring us
to stretch
and grow,
to surrender
and heal,
and to applaud
the wonderful work
of your
loving spirit.
Thank you
for your
incredible blessings.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, July 31, 2014

My dearest God,

Our retreat group gathered at the park for a picnic and concert.  The Big Band sound from the 40's caused us to remember family members who danced to the music so long ago.  We tapped our toes, sang along, and some of us swayed a little in our seats.  But it was the questions about music that inspired and touched us later as we considered the role music has played in our inner journeys of faith.

It seems you have sung to us all so many, many times.  The tunes, melodies, harmonies, rhythms and  lyrics have pointed us to the heavens.  They may not necessarily have been religious songs; however, they spoke to us at differing times in our lives.  When we were at a juncture, an intersection where we needed to make a decision in our lives, music helped us move along reminding us we had a friend on our journey.  Hymns and gospel tunes especially have moved us deeply sometimes saving us from falling.  As we sang songs of faith, our own faith was stretched and deepened.  We felt your living presence alive and well within us.  As our faith was stretched, so was our courage to take next steps toward healthy and whole living.  Through music you have transformed us and oh my, how grateful we all are.

Holy God,
so full
of love
for all
your children,
thank you
for music
that stirs
the soul.
Thank you
for nudging us
toward wholeness
as we listen
to the sounds
of faith.
Move us,
Gracious God,
to your side
so we
may sing
your same song.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Dear God,

Every day we long for a word from you.  We anticipate your guidance as we face difficult issues in our personal lives and in many of the global crises in our world.  We know we are limited in our resources so we turn to you for help. 

Nearly forty years ago you called me to be a retreat leader.  Throughout the years you have guided my ideas and my hand as I penned words to assist women interested in their faith pilgrimage.  You have inspired me to consider various activities, scriptural exploration, studies in the human soul, small group discussions, silence, personal reflection, and themes designed to aid a journey into the sacred deep.  Often I have felt inadequate, not always easily able to come up with a planned retreat that would help women grow in their faith.  Each time I had to turn to you.  I have asked for your help.  I have trusted you to give me a word, a single word that would turn my thoughts in a particular direction.  You have never failed me.  I learned long ago your word would always usher me along the way to future growth.

Today I begin to lead four women in their faith journey.  They will live in my home for five days and I will spiritually guide them daily to eternity's door where the mysteries of heaven unfold.  I will simply be a companion to walk with them and to give them opportunity to share their insights, challenges, hopes, and dreams for faith.  We will all sit at your door awaiting your word.

Speak and
we will listen,
O Lord.
Open our minds,
our hearts,
and our souls.
Make us ready
for the
spiritual walk.
Teach us,
Great Master,
the mysteries
of faith.

Love, Andrea