Saturday, August 29, 2015

Dear God,

You constantly remind us to breathe in the air of faith.  You show us how life can be lived differently when we trust you and take your hand.  You call our name and we hear you. 

Each day we have the privilege, the honor to call upon you.  Even before we rise in the morning, we have opportunity to listen for your voice, to breathe in the air of your love, and to set our steps to live in faith all day long.  As we crawl into that same bed at night, we listen once again, and offer our prayers of thanksgiving.  Although the day may have been long and hard, still we know your loving presence is with us.

On this day in our beloved Maine as the air cools and Autumn seeks to claim the next season, I breathe in the air of joy and give thanks.

Everlasting God,
you are God
today and always.
Thank you
for your
living presence
who is
with us
every day.
Thank you
for the air
of faith
that keeps us close
to you.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 28, 2015

Dear God,

A living faith will give us a living song to sing.  When we trust in you establishing a living relationship, we begin to live anew.  Suddenly new life seems to pop all around us.  Colors take on a new brightness.  Your living water quenches our thirst. 

I love the line from the song, With Every Breath, "With every word I speak, new hope I will sing."
Faith reveals hope and hope causes us to want to sing.  When we become aware of new life within us, hope stirs and faith follows.

Faith opens doors to joy and gladness.  Days, weeks, months, and years can unfold differently as we live in faith with you, O Lord.  You make all this possible even in seasons of drought and difficulty because you are God and we are your children.

Loving God,
teach us
to trust you,
to follow you,
and to
reside in
your living presence.
May we sing
your song forever.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Dear God,

Choir rehearsal is like a 90-minute living read of your word.  The songs, the lyrics, melodies, and harmonies, unfold like a heavenly visit.  Living words sung to a living God.

With a family embroiled in conflict, I found myself rejoicing in my soul as we sang a line from Ken Medema's song, With Every Breath,"...view the bright day all the night long...".  Such words of truth, hope, and faith.  In faith with hope, we do view the bright day all the night long.  The light shines bright even when darkness comes.  The divine light of Christ always radiates even in the darkest of darkness.  Hope is born out of the darkness when the light steadily glows because faith is present.  We can sing this and believe it because the light gives us hope but also because hope gives us faith.

Truly you are the son of God.  What joy comes when we sing out our faith to you.

Thank you
for light
that forever shines.
Thank you
for hope.
Thank you
for faith.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Dear God,

You soften hard hearts.  You massage them with great love.  You infuse them with the oil of your gladness.

A hard heart is one that has lost its elasticity, its suppleness.  It is impenetrable.  It has no soft veins by which love can flow through.  A hard heart is nearly dead.  A hard heart has lost hope.

But when your hand touches a hard heart, something can happen.  When your love touches deadness, new life can come.  When your voice speaks, a hard heart can hear their name and begin to pump once again. 

Your desire is we all have soft hearts.  You know soft hearts are loving hearts, forgiving hearts, and compassionate hearts.  Your love can flow through soft hearts to others who long for healing for their heavy hearts.

Sometimes, O Lord, hard hearts are made to keep suffering and pain away.  They grow hard to keep distance between themselves and others.  Hard hearts sever themselves from life.  We think hard hearts will protect us.  But then we can't feel your love, Lord, and our hearts feel empty. 

You come to all of us with the promise of your love and kind mercy.  You teach us how to breathe in new life because your hand is upon us.  You will us back to life by softening our hearts and miraculously filling us up.

Soften our hearts
toward you
and others,
O Lord.
Make our world
one soft heart
that beats
in rhythm
with your own.
Heal us
with your touch;
inspire us
to heal others.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Dear God,

Hope is a miracle when it arises out of the ashes of despair.  When all seems lost, when there is no apparent reason to believe change will come, and when life seems very bleak, hope can suddenly appear out of nowhere.  The surprise of hope can warm the heart, ease the suffering, and bless the soul. Hope is a miracle when it arises out of the ashes of despair.

How often, O Lord, have your people given up?  How often have we boldly stated nothing would change?  How often have we buried faith so despair and darkness could prevail?  Often, way too often. 

The truth is we like to have the final word.  We want to live in darkness and despair.  We want to remain angry, resentful, and bitter.  When we say nothing will change, it is because we carefully and methodically keep everything exactly the same so we can keep everything in place.  In those moments not only is faith covered up, it is nearly dead, lifeless, and useless.

It is true there are realities in our world where evil and darkness rule.  There are those who terrorize others out of the bowels of hell.  Their mission is fear; they spread it like wildfire.  What they do not realize is there is a gem, so wondrous, so beautiful, so full of love tucked into the soul of every creature.  This is you, O God.  How could we possibly be made in your image if we do not have your DNA inside us?  Although evil seems to rule and win the day, there is always victory in the human soul where you reside, where you have the final word, the word of victory.

Blessed Lord,
thank you
for that
piece of you
that dwells
within us.
Thank you
for the blessing
of faith
that always
brings light
into every darkness.
Sometimes the
fire rages where
the light spreads
penetrating the darkness.
At other times
it is
but a
tiny spark.
But always,
always the light
is present
and as long
as the
light shines
there is room
for a miracle.

Love always, Andrea

Monday, August 24, 2015

Dear God,

You are powerful and compassionate.  You love your children and challenge us to rise to higher and higher levels of faith and faithfulness.  You call our name and we know we are yours.

So much happened in worship yesterday spurred by a resounding faith singing.  We sang your song until it opened doors to our hearts, minds, and souls.  As I allowed every note and lyric to touch and inspire the bare spaces, I heard an inner call to give a rending of my soul.  In milliseconds pictures flashed by me and once again I discovered the truth of my self. In the last week I saw how faith had won and lost.  I raised my eyes to heaven in gratitude knowing the places of my weaknesses and my strength.

As you quenched my thirst for faith, devotion, and surrender, I felt your spirit's refreshment.  I knew once again the power of worship to reveal, renew, and restore.

Almighty God,
thank you
for opening
the doors
of heaven.
Thank you
for the truth
that sets us free.
Thank you
for spirit power
that cleanses
and revitalizes
the human soul.
Thank you
for worship,
for music,
for prayer,
for love,
and for
your word.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Dearest God,

The morning hymn sing blessed my soul as I listened to every word of every song.  I listened as we sang of faith, faith alive, faith renewed, faith restored, faith reconciled, and faith challenged.  I breathed in the joy that came to us.

But it was when the guest organist and pianist played "Blessed Assurance" that literally the halls of heaven opened to me.  Having closed my eyes to listen with the whole of me, I saw the deep and wide halls, lighted up, inviting.  I let the song draw me in and I rested in your loving, living presence. 

As the service continued you spoke to me through the morning anthem.  As we sang, "I then shall live as one who's been forgiven..." you revealed a prized moment of forgiveness you imparted to me some time ago and how that forgiveness soothed my soul and challenged me to forgive others.  You opened the window to trust in you that would help me reach out to those who hurt me.  You showed me how divine forgiveness opens the door to human forgiveness.  You replayed my YES to you as we sang, "So greatly pardoned, I'll forgive my brother; The law of love I gladly will obey." 

Blessed God,
you speak
every day
to your children.
You stretch us.
In giving us gifts,
you invite us
to gift others.
You remind us
forgiveness from one
always requires
forgiveness for others.
Teach us
your way.
Blessings to you,
Lord,
blessings to you.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Dear God,

To be in your presence is a reminder how you live among us every moment of every day.  So often, Lord, we search and search for you and walk away disappointed.  We pray for your coming.  We ask you to draw near.  Sometimes desperate we fall to our knees and cry out for help.  What we don't realize is you are the breeze, the breath of life.  There is no place where you are not.

When we quiet ourselves and sit before you, all we need do is thank you for your spirit and remember the words of your own son who said, "...and lo, I will be with you always even to the end of the age." There is no clearer picture than his promise.  Although we may not see or hear you in the way in which we are looking, you are still with us in the breath we draw.

As we reflect daily on human living, help us surrender our need for great gifts and teach us just to breathe the air of your love.

Gracious God,
thank you
for compassion
that is always
with us.
Teach us
to recognize you
in the
smallest of things.
Show us
the way
to gratitude.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 21, 2015

Dear God,

I watched the tiny birds singing and playing outside my kitchen window.  Their song became your song when I realized once again the miracle of creation.  Quietly I listened and watched them finally fly away.

Sometimes you come to us in an instant.  You grab our attention and invite us to pause, reflect, and enjoy life around us.  You teach us to be aware of your goodness in the world as a way of bringing us peace, appreciation, and hope.  You ask us simply to open our hearts, minds, and spirits to daily life.

This morning if I had not been open to stopping what I was doing, I would have missed the opportunity to hear your song.  I would have missed the beauty of the flower garden slowly letting go, readying itself for Fall.  I would have missed the kiss of heaven because I was too busy and distracted.  But not this morning.

Holy God,
creator of
wondrous beauty,
thank you
for the
sacred moment
outside my
kitchen window.
Cause me
to be aware
of the constancy
of your
living presence.
Keep me watchful
for I long
to praise you.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Dear God,

Faith comes to us in so many beautiful ways.  When we are conscious and aware of your living presence, we look for you.  We long to hear your voice.  We want to connect with you.

In choir practice tonight we rehearsed lovely songs of faith.  But it was when we stepped into the sanctuary and sang "I Then Shall Live", I felt suddenly joyous.  My heart warmed and my spirit stirred, I closed my eyes and sang.  I reached heaven's doors and felt the wondrous touch of your presence clear down deep into my soul.  What peace filled me as I realized once again how lovely is faith and its power to transcend all we may be facing.  Even when life is good, very good, faith can take us to greater heights.

As I drove home afterwards, I hummed and sang, giving praise to you, Great God and Loving Father.

Holy are you,
Good Lord;
great is
your power
and love.
No one
can touch us
like you.
No one
can heal us
like you.
No one
can fill us
like you.
No one
can love us
like you.
No one
can inspire us
like you.
No one.

Love always, Andrea

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Dear God,

In our covenant group conference call this morning, we gathered in silent reflection, devotion, and prayer.  We called to you to spiritually lead us in our sharing.  As always we opened our minds, hearts, and souls to recognize your spirit presence.  Although we came together from three different states, Illinois, Indiana, and Maine, we felt near to you and one another, a constant every Wednesday morning.

During our conversation you came to us through insight. Your wisdom prevailed as we listened for your voice and heard it in our midst.  Although the time was challenging in our depths, you inspired us to realize we are not trapped into boxes built by others.  We have free movement with and by your spirit.  In our perplexing conditions you teach us to recognize we have the ability and skill to reframe our situations.  While we may feel pressured to believe, to behave, and to operate in a particular way, you show us the gifts of your spirit to overcome our difficulties.  You alone, O Lord, have the power to change us for your good and we are grateful!

Holy Spirit God,
thank you
for power
that heals,
mends, and transforms.
Thank you
for compassionate love
that desires
to change us.
Thank you
for spirit gifts
that enable us
to follow
your will.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Dear God,

Many days we do not have to look hard to discover you in ordinary living.  A baby's smile can elicit a praise from our lips.  A sunrise, an unexpected grace, or good health can keep us singing.  But on hard days we often get focused on the downturn, a harsh reality, or what appears to be a hopeless situation.  We fail to see your hand because we do not look for it.

But on those days when in the midst of sorrow and pain, you come on a wave, we witness your presence in our otherwise ordinary day.  We recognize you and call on your name.  We see your mercy; we feel it and step inside it.  We know that we know you have touched us.

The truth is you are always with us.  You make each ordinary day into an extraordinary one.  You paint the canvas and give us opportunity to look and see and to know you.  You show us your remarkable grace.  At once we can see the underlying beauty, those things that were hidden from view, not because you did not show them to us, but because our minds, so full of other things, failed to see adequately.

On this day I saw your amazing artwork!

Holy God,
thank you
for blessings
that come daily.
Thank you
for turning
ordinary days
into extraordinary ones.
Keep us close
to you
so we
can live
every day
giving thanks.

Love, Andrea

Monday, August 17, 2015

Dearest God,

The guest musician played the piano and sang, "Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; naught be all else to me, save that thou art.  Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light."  In her countenance I could see faith living and breathing.  You are her vision, I thought to myself as I prayed.

How glorious it is to raise our eyes to the heavens, to allow you to be our vision, and to ponder sacred mysteries.  How wondrous to surrender ourselves to you and watch as you set us adrift in the pool of your living spirit.  How beautiful is your light that warms us, your breath as you blow gentle breezes of your spirit, and your grace as it infuses us with joy.

As I listened and quietly sang along, I made it a matter of prayer, "Thou my best thought, by day or by night, waking or sleeping, thy presence my light."

Loving God,
thank you
for your
spirit power
that erupts
again and again.
Thank you
for holy moments
in worship.
Thank you
for your song
that you sing
over and over
and over again.

Love always, Andrea

Sunday, August 16, 2015

Dear God,

This morning on the way to church, we drove by meadows where the sun's rays broke through the fog.  Its fingers touching the earth inspired me to consider the ways your heavenly spirit breaks through the fog in our own lives.  You come to us and shine your light and in those places where the rays touch the earth, we are warmed by your loving spirit.    As we continued our drive the sun seemed to be everywhere reaching down, closing in, and touching us.

How often we are blinded to your good gifts.  We forget the blessing of your presence.  We refuse to see the light even while we stumble in the darkness. But when we open our senses to your living presence, we see the light shining.  We see it dissolve the fog bringing clarity.  We see the beauty in the presence of our Lord. 

You are so good to bless us, Lord.  Always you show yourself through nature, relationships, and so many other ways.  You remind us of your closeness drawing us near like a loving mother gently pulls her child close. When we see it, feel it, and know it, we know we are blessed.

Allow us
to bless you,
Holy Spirit God.
Let us sing
your praise.
Forgive us
when we fail
to look around,
to appreciate
your gifts,
and to
give thanks.

Blessings to you, God Most High, Andrea

Saturday, August 15, 2015

Dear God,

When life seems too big, you call us to pare down, to simplify, to make smaller pieces and to take one thing at a time.  You tell us to trust you, to follow you, and to take small steps toward healing and peace.

Sometimes we are overwhelmed, Lord, and we feel swallowed up in the bigness of life.  We feel we will surely succumb to the demands, responsibilities and burdens we carry.  We lose faith because when life gets big, oftentimes our faith seems too small to do battle.  We fail to remember you are greater than any trouble we may experience.

In those moments when we rise up in faith to face life issues, we find you waiting to help us, to assist us in our fog, and to give us tools to deal with the challenges before us.  When we trust you, when we lean into you, and when we follow your lead, we discover strength we didn't know we had, courage to lift us up and prod us forward, and comfort that always brings peace.

Help us
rise up,
O Lord.
Direct us
to the skies,
tall and wide,
where we
find all
we need
to live victoriously.
Then hear
our victory cry
and praise
to you,
Master and Creator
of the Cosmos.

Always, Andrea

Friday, August 14, 2015

Dear God,

When we pause to consider the beauty that is around us, we remember the wondrous gift of your grace.  On my kitchen table sits an antique mason jar with one of the most exquisite flowers ever created...a white Casa Blanca Oriental Lily.  Every detail is magnificent, its color, fragrance, and intricate design.  How it came into being, only its creator knows!

We humans have to take our lead from you, Ever-Creating God.  We have to look toward you to discover the most intimate details of your creation.  In doing so all we want to do is give praise, say thank you again and again, and marvel at the wonder of it all.

When we forget you, when we lose our way, when we stumble in the dark, when we wander off the path, and when we are confused and doubting, all we need do is stand before a flower garden, watch the birds, bees, and butterflies flit about in their own way paying reverence to their creator, and take in the scene that cries out praise.  Suddenly and wondrously, we will find you and perhaps even ourselves.

Almighty God,
thank you
for the gift
of gardens,
for new life,
for beauty,
for fragrance,
and the sweetness
of your spirit.
Thank you
for thinking
of us,
for giving us
the gift
of new life.
Thank you
for the signs
and symbols
of your
living presence.

Love always, Andrea

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Dearest God,

The struggle to live faith fresh each day requires an openness to your spirit.  It calls us to open the whole of us to your light.  It asks us to be fully present, to listen, and to allow the light into the hidden, dark places in our soul, those vulnerable places where we resist your voice.

Whenever a conflict arises in the human soul, the only answer is your living spirit.  If we attempt to live life without it, we find ourselves on our own, listing in our ship on stormy seas.  But when we call out your name, we find comfort knowing we are not alone in our struggle.  We discover strength within and suddenly hopes comes to life.

As we learn to open the doors and windows of the whole of our being, from a far off distance we can begin to hear your song and that song calls us home where you meet us.

Holy God,
remind us daily
to open ourselves
to you.
Help us
to surrender
every dark place
to your light.
Comfort us
in our
decision making
so we
may choose
your way
and your will.

Love always, Andrea

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Dear God,

Forgiveness, a statement of faith, a measure of hope, and blessed peace.  I read in a book somewhere that forgiveness is more for the person forgiving than the one who is forgiven.  Forgiveness clears the soul of dark thoughts, lingering negative emotions, and weight that keeps the spirit down and bound.  It allows the soul freedom to rise up, to breathe easier, and to enjoy the light of faith.

So why do we deny ourselves this gift?  Why do we hang on to judgment, resentment, and bitterness?  Why do we fail to surrender all that keeps us low and heavy laden?

I am guilty of holding on.  I place obstacles in my way to prevent me from rebirth.  I protect myself from hurt and disappointment.  I fail to trust you...enough.

How can
you forgive me
if I fail
to forgive others?
How can I
resist you
when I know
what you have
to offer?
How can
I move
from this
safe, dark place
to the
riskier place
in the light?

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 11, 2015

Dear God,

When we still ourselves and pause to look around us, we can always find evidence of your living presence.  When we unclutter our minds and focus, we are able to count our blessings. 

This morning in my overheated kitchen with fans running to cool things down, I rejoiced in the nearly two bushel of peaches I have been preserving.  On one corner of the table there are mason jars.  In the middle of the table are hot jars of peaches.  In the dishwasher are jars washing.  On the counter are trays of cleaned peaches.  On the stove is a boiling water canner, a pan of hot syrup, and a stock pot of warm peaches.  Although I am pretty hot myself, I realized the blessing of this moment. 

Thank you,
Creator God,
for peaches,
for the fruit
of the earth.
Thank you
for the ability
to preserve,
to eat,
and to enjoy
what you
have made.
Thank you
for allowing me
to be
a partner
with you
in creation.
Thank you
for this
blessed moment.

Love always, Andrea

Monday, August 10, 2015

Dear God,

This morning I smelled the scent of Autumn.  The air was cool, the flowers looked a little tired, and Fall spoke, "Not much longer, it is my turn."

Your seasons remind us nothing remains forever.  Everything upon the earth is temporal, never meant to remain the same.  A seed is planted.  The rain falls and the seed begins to grow.  One day it breaks through the crusty soil.  A tiny sprout rises in the sunshine.  Before long its bud opens and blossoms.  It stands tall, beautiful, swaying in the breeze, proud to be an exquisite flower.  Later, its petals fall.  Its roots, invisible, feed during the winter resting in its labors.  Then Spring comes again.

So often, Lord, we want to hang on to things, to make them remain the same.  We don't want anything to change.  We don't want the challenge of transformation.  We want life easy, uncomplicated.  And yet, the seasons teach us valuable lessons of faith.  We can be renewed.  We can find new life.  We can be reenergized.  We can surrender the old that weighs us down.  We can find the new and let it remake us.  We can live in the light and find warmth and joy.  We can rise to greater heights and know the glory of the Lord!

Teach us
to trust you,
to release,
and to move
with you.
Show us
the way,
O Lord.
Make and
remake us
until we
are like you.

Love always, Andrea

Sunday, August 9, 2015

Dearest God,

Faith moves us!  It nudges us out of the rock solid places where we hide.  It pushes us sometimes until we fall forward.  Its breeze rocks us from side to side, forward and back until we have to move in some direction more often than not in the right direction.

As we sang our anthem in worship this morning, I had to smile.  The lyrics spoke profoundly of faith, its power, and our ability to live by faith in every day life.  The composer's words became words of faith for each of us as we sang from the soul.  "When I meet you on the highway, I will greet you with a song...We will fly with eagle's wings. We will run the race before us...We will leave the past behind...We can see with clearer vision...We will see the grace of God...We will walk into the light.  We are bound for greater things."

Ken Medema's song, "Bound for Greater Things," was a testimony as we spoke our belief, our commitment to trust, greet, sing, fly, run, see, leave the past, and walk.  We believed our words, letting our faith soar us to the heights.  I realized once again how faith shapes us, remolds and makes us, changing us to sing the song of faith, to lift the rafters, and to proclaim the Living One, you, my Lord, you.

Holy God,
Glorious Maker,
beloved of your children,
our hearts
are full
when we sing
the song
of faith.
Lift our eyes,
Lord,
so we
shall always see
your face.
Thank you
for the
awesome privilege
of singing
our devotion
to you.

Love always, Andrea

Saturday, August 8, 2015

Dearest God,

All five human senses point us to you.  Our eyes give us a vision of your grace in progress.  Our ears give us the sound of your song.  Our nose gives us the sweet scent of heaven.  Our taste gives us the sweet taste of joy.  Our touch gives us the feel of your hand. What precious gifts these are!

Our state lost all its peaches because of the brutal winter in Maine.  My friend and I were both disappointed because we make peach jam and butter and can peaches for the cold winter months.  However, when I returned to Indiana to visit a sick friend, I bought South Carolina peaches and brought them back to Maine.  I gave half to my friend who was thrilled and saved the rest to put up myself. 

As we drove the thousand miles from one state to the other, I regularly checked the smell of the peaches.  I knew when that aroma began to permeate the air, they would be ripening and I would have to worry about spoilage.  As it turned out they traveled very well.

As I looked at the peaches, I kept thinking how beautiful they were.  Every time I held one in my hand, I began to drool just thinking about the delicious taste of the first bite.  I could imagine the soft squish ringing in my ears.  But more than anything I thought about your goodness, your creative touch bringing together all the elements to create a peach, a firm, round, yellow, wonderful peach and I gave thanks.

Loving God,
thank you
for the senses,
that marvelous
communication system
that reminds us
of the
Master's touch.
Thank you
for peaches.
Thank you
for love
that makes it all.

Always, Andrea

Friday, August 7, 2015

Dearest God,

You are like a mother who knows when her child needs helps.  You wait for your children until we return.  You reach out your hand and provide for our need.

We had driven 583 miles.  We couldn't wait to get out of the car and walk around so we climbed out and headed for the Country Cupboard restaurant and store.  First, we decided to eat so we sat down to a lovely buffet dinner.  Then, we decided to walk around the store.  We looked at the clothing department and then the Christmas section.  We stopped along the way to view the fairy displays in the garden area.  We looked at the books in the little turnabout near the bakery.  Finally, we were ready to leave and head for the motel.  As we got into the car, my friend tried to start the car.  That's when we realized we had left on the lights.  No sooner had we stepped out of the car when two men and a woman walked over to us, one man with battery cables in his hand.  The men went right to work driving their car over to hook us up to charge up the battery.  Within seconds the car purred.

As my friend thanked the men, I thanked the woman.  She smiled at me and said, "We waited for you.  We saw your lights and knew you would have trouble starting your car so we sat on the bench and waited for you to return.  We knew you would need help."  I responded back.  "Oh my gosh, thank you so much."  "That's what life's about, isn't it...helping one another."  She replied with a smile.

Loving Shepherd,
you care
so much
for your children.
Those you sent
to help us
were just
like shepherds
waiting to help
the smallest lamb.
Thank you,
thank you.

Love always, Andrea

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

Dear God,

What refreshment I feel when I sit down to write, to draw near to you, and to listen for the small voice that leads me.  I feel my longing for you and realize how the power of your love calls me to you.  Like a deer pants for water, so is my desire for you.

Love's strong cord has a power all its own.  Its longing for us has no substitute.  When the creator longs for its creature, it is like a mother bear with her cubs who keeps them close, who will rise up and threaten all those who seem threatening, and who will provide for them.  Sometimes we forget how strong your love is for your own and we are all your own no matter who we are.  Even the most recalcitrant child is yours.

Your love is always present searching for us like the shepherd with the lost sheep.  We are yours and you constantly remind us of this truth.  We are grateful, so very grateful.

Loving God,
thank you
for love
that never
lets us go.
Thank you
for love
that is exhibited daily.
Thank you
for keeping us close,
reminding us
whose we are.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Dear God,

Some moments are just holy moments.  When we are sad and you bring a song to us, we know heaven has touched us.  When we are afraid and you bring someone to offer us comfort we know we have been touched by your hand.  When we are lost and you bring someone or something to redirect us, we know we are standing on holy ground.

There have been so many moments when I have been a beneficiary of your grace.  I never deserved it.  I never earned it.  You just gave it.  Every time I knew I was living in a holy moment.

There is so much you do to touch and inspire us.  Your spirit power blows upon us and we feel relief, lifted up.  Our burdened hearts feel light once again.  Our confusion clears and we get clarity.  But even more than all of these, we feel divine love that is like no other love on the face of the earth.  We are warmed by it and we know we can move on trusting you to lead us.

Holy Father,
thank you
for love
that warms,
heals, and
helps us.
Thank you
for compassion
that brings
relief and hope.
Thank you
for mercy
that aids us
in moving on.

Love, Andrea 

Thursday, August 6, 2015

Dear God,

I had to say goodbye to my sick friend.  Feeling sad I walked down the hospital hall and stepped into the elevator.  Suddenly, the words to Sweet Hour of Prayer began to play in my mind so I hummed along.  When the elevator stopped on the third flour and the door opened, I heard another song being hummed.  As the little elderly African American woman stepped inside, I asked her if she had been humming a song.  She said, “Yes, Have Thine Own Way.”  I responded back, “I was humming Sweet Hour of Prayer.”  She went on, “Have thine own way, Lord, have thine own way; thou art the potter, I am the clay.”  I joined in.  “Mold me and make me after thy will while I am waiting yielded and still.”  We smiled at one another as the door opened and we departed, me humming the old hymn.

Lord God,

thank you

for chance encounters

that heal

and help.

Thank you

for your song

that stretches us

to move

from where

we are

to where

you are.

Thank you

for your

living presence

in elevators

and hospital rooms. 

Love always, Andrea

Monday, August 3, 2015

Dear God, 

Sometimes you provide incredible moments to experience your lavish grace.  You pour out your spirit upon us and we know that we know you are with us.  We are compelled to give thanks in recognition of unexpected grace. 

When I talked with my sick friend and told her I was returning to Indiana to see her, she was very happy.   When we hung up, my mind filled with memories of earlier days, of working together, traveling together, and praying together.  I remembered precious moments of faith, lifting up one another, trusting you, and walking in the darkness with just a speck of light but just enough to make it through.  I recalled our trips to the mountain where in a remote monastic community, we discovered faith anew.  I recollected the time when she drove me down the mountain to a hospital an hour away.  My blood pressure had skyrocketed and hovered way above stroke level and she and the others prayed for me.  By the time we arrived in town, the pressure had decreased enough for me to just go to the motel and sleep. I remembered her faithfulness to you, to your church, and to me.  I remembered the blessing of her friendship. 

As I pondered my time with my friend, I celebrated the great value of your generous grace. 

Holy Father,

thank you

for holy memories.

Thank you

for grace

and faith

that sustains us

during difficult times.

Thank you

for special friends

who remind us

of you.

Love always, Andrea

Sunday, August 2, 2015

Dearest God,

We gather to meet the holy, to step into the mystical reunion of angels, saints, disciples and all your people to worship, to find our way, to cling to hope, to pray, to forgive and to be forgiven.  We gather knowing the power of your spirit is greater when we are together rather than when we are apart.  We gather to touch the hem of your garment.

This morning during the hymn sing we sang many familiar songs and hymns.  We sang loud, belting out all our faith and devotion wanting you to hear us proclaim your love and grace.  We wanted to give thanks to the almighty, to worship and adore you.  We wanted to make ourselves right, clean ourselves up, and to give thanks for yet another chance.

With a heavy heart thinking of my very sick friend, I sang my songs to her.  I imagined in my mind the doors and windows of the church opening up so our music could wing its way toward her so many, many miles away.  We sang, "Oh victory in Jesus, my savior forever, he sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood.  He loved me ere I knew him and all my love is due him.  He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood." 

Gracious God,
thank you
for making music
to heal
the sick,
mend the wounded,
and lift
the hearts
of the weary.
Thank you
for the songs
of angels
that carry
your message
far, far away.
Thank you
for love
that connects us all
all the time.

Love always, Andrea

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Dear God,

Life is fleeting.  Every day seems to go by faster.  Days, weeks, months vanish and I add another year to my life and those precious to me.

Today when I learned my dear friend was very ill with cancer, I wanted to stop the seconds and minutes.  I wanted the days to pause, to give way, to allow my friend to feel better, live longer, and to enjoy living her faith.  I wanted to stop the forces of nature at work in all our lives.  I wanted to hold on and not let go.

However, I am always drawn back to the words of Ecclesiastes that remind us there is a time and season for all things...a time to be born, a time to die, a time to mourn, and a time to dance.  I like the born part and the dance part.  It is the dying and the mourning that grieve me.  On the other hand, there is no time like the time with you.  You are with us in the birthing and the dying, in the mourning and the dancing. 

As I still my restless soul and reflect upon life with its ups and downs, I realize it is all in your time and I breathe a little easier.

Thank you,
Holy One,
for teaching me
the truths
about life.
Thank you
for constant reminders
to savor
the moment,
to revel
in the joy,
and to
draw near
in the grief.
You are God;
there is none
like you.

Love, Andrea

Friday, July 31, 2015

Dearest God,

Today I crawled in the dirt to pick green and yellow beans, pounds of them.  The longer I worked, the dirtier I became, the dust collecting on my wet brow from the humid, hot day.  Periodically I would take off my sun bonnet and wipe away the sweat dripping into my eyes.  But I loved it.

I love being close to the ground, reveling in creation's best.  The neat farm garden rows, the tops of beets, carrots, and turnips, and the cows mooing in the next field delighted my soul.  As I gently moved the bean plants from side to side to find tender pods, I was led to pray, to give thanks for the wondrous bounty of healthy, delectable foods.  I considered the farmers, both in their middle 70's who work very hard to provide food for local hungry citizens just like myself.  Without them we would perish.

As I later went home and washed, snapped, and pressure canned my colorful beans, I imagined the winter months ahead when I would go to the basement and pull out a jar to prepare for dinner.  Thinking caused me to pray once again in thanksgiving for farms, farmers, and food, all gifts from your hand.

Creator God,
thank you
for your
living presence
that reveals itself
in so
many ways.
Thank you
for daily gifts
and opportunities
to give thanks.
Thank you
for your love
that grows
and provides
24/7.

Love always, Andrea

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Dear God,

I have a routine in the morning.  After prayers I get up, straighten up the whole house, start the laundry and dishwasher, wash the kitchen counter, weigh myself, and then I sit down to write.  I did so just this morning but as I was sitting down, I wondered if my thoughts would be different if I wrote with everything left undone.

It seems we often see life through a known frame.  Every day in the same way, mostly, we see life unfold.  We perceive and do things the same way day after day.  Although life can throw kinks into our predictable cycles, still we work to keep life stable and manageable in the same old way.  But what if we changed?  What if we opened the door differently?  What if we asked you to de-stable us so you could stabilize us in a new way?

When cobwebs begin to grow in my spiritual, emotional, and physical life, I know I need a change.  I need a shakeup.  I need to renew my vow to grow and be transformed.  I need to let you do your creative work in my life.  I need to let go and allow you to show me another way, a better way, a blessed way.

O God,
teach me
to turn
to you
for wise counsel.
Help me
to hold life loosely
so I
will not decay
over time.
Show me
the way
to you. 

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Dear God,

Every summer I am compelled to create a garden and preserve food for the winter.  Whatever I can't grow, I travel to Spiller Farm to pick.  Today was no different.

I first put on my sun bonnet, a reminder of my grandmother who put in a truck patch beside her farm house.  She grew enough food to take care of family, neighbors, and the poor in her teeny town of 500.  Then I get on my knees and put my hands deep into the soil.  I place tender plants, pat down the soil and water.  Then I pray and pull weeds.  When the lettuce comes, my mouth waters. 

This week I drove to Spiller's.  I tied my bucket around my waist and then picked ripe red raspberries.  When I got back home I cleaned the berries and made black/red raspberry jam.  Again I remembered my grandmother who always walked down the hill and around the bend in the woods to pick wild berries.  She too made jam pouring hot paraffin on top to preserve it.  Anytime I ate it, I closed my eyes and allowed my taste buds to take the exquisite flavor in.  I always knew my grandma added love to every jar.

And so, each summer I revisit those days so many years ago.  I bathe in the wondrous memories Grandma and I made together.  I remember her smile, that beautiful smile that told every one she knew that she loved them.  I remember her faith, her devotion to God, and the many times she prayed on her knees by the bed lifting the names of each child and grandchild.  I remember her hugs and the way she stood on the front porch waving goodbye.

I guess I plant and preserve because in the process I meet Grandma, one of the best gifts you ever gave.

Holy God,
thank you
for blessed memories.
Thank you
for my grandmother,
a saint
who loved
and gave
and helped
so many.
Thank you
for fresh food
kissed by
the sun
and rain.
Thank you
for pretty jars
of color
that remind us always
of your handiwork.

Love, Andrea