Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Dear God,

We see images of suffering on television.  Floods are ravaging the cost of Texas.  People are terrified, trying to run or drive for cover.  Some make it.  Others are rescued.  Some perish.  It is a great catastrophe.

At the same time you bring to mind others who suffer daily all across Africa, in war zones, in refugee camps, ghettos, and so many places of poverty.  How can we think of one without thinking of the other?

When we acknowledge that all suffering people are part of our family no matter where they live, what religion they practice, what their color is, their economic status, or their moral character, we see them differently.  We see family, loved ones, and beloved children.  They are no longer "them" but rather "us."

Make us family,
O Lord,
teach us
the way
of love.
Guide us
to tenderly care
for all.
Help us
make no distinction
among your people
rather make
us all family.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Dear God,

Every day with you is a glorious day.  When we begin and end our day with you, we are blessed to find you all day long.  Our hearts breathe slower.  Our minds clear.  All our senses are put on alert as we go about our day in your loving presence.

This season of the year, that transition time between summer and fall, is blessed.  Nighttime temperatures drop.  There is a cool, crisp feel to the dark hours.  The plants that gave blossom and fruit all summer long begin to wilt but they continue to give until the first frost.  It is a time to reflect and give thanks.

My favorite grandmother never really liked this time.  She didn't like to see her huge truck patch begin to die back.  Yet, at this time of the year I especially remember her.  I love stepping inside the memories of her wearing her brightly-colored sunbonnet out in the garden with her great big butcher knife cutting cabbage and rhubarb.  I recall her shredding the cabbage and putting it in large crocks for 30 days to ferment making sauerkraut.

What I bring to mind most is her sweet, sweet smile and gentle ways.  When she sat down to read her Bible and Upper Room devotional magazine, she transcended earth for heaven.  In the front room where she gave birth to all her children and in the kitchen at her old wooden table beside the window overlooking Grandpa's handmade bird houses and her garden, she sat, prayed, and meditated on your word.  She increased her faith and built her love for you.

Aaaahhh yes, this season of the year is indeed blessed!

Blessed are you,
Lord of Heaven and Earth.
Thank you
for the gift
of today.
Thank you
for transitional times
that give us pause
to reflect
and give thanks.

Love always, Andrea

Monday, August 28, 2017

Dear God,

An easy calm comes over me when I sit down to write with you.  I may be feeling apprehensive, irritated or frazzled with my list of to-do-tasks but when I come into your living presence, I want to lay them all aside to meet you with a ready heart.

I am always amazed at how you are more ready to meet us than we are to meet you.  You seem always accessible and available.  We never have to wait or look for you.  You are but a breath away.

Your words at your ascension always bring an anxious heart into sweet peace.  "I am always with you unto the end of the age."  That means today, tomorrow, and the day after that.  We are never alone. We may act alone.  We may believe we are alone but we never are.

Thank you
for your
daily presence.
Thank you
for eternal love
that resides
with us
every day.
Thank you
for making
yourself known
to us.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Dear God,

You lead us to pray, O Lord.  It is not our idea but yours.  When we feel the need or desire to pray, it is because you are whispering to us, awakening our soul.

I used to think prayer was all about me, my idea, my thoughts, and my work.  It was only after many humbling times did I come to the realization prayer is more about listening than uttering words. When I quiet myself and pause I give opening to your voice, your thoughts, your desires, your ideas, and your will.  When I think more about it, I want this more than anything.  I want your leading, your guidance, and your help.  I want what you want.

This morning during devotions I listened to Pope Francis and I came to the awareness that prayer is about sending more love into the world.  As we utter the world's name, a country, a person, we are letting love lead us.  We are allowing you to nudge our heart and inspiring us to love others.  And when we pray we are praying with others who are also praying.  We are loving the world together. We are lifting each other's name.  We are lifting love and you alone know how desperate this world is to be loved.

Teach us
to pray,
O Lord.
Lead us
to love others.
Guide our prayers
so we too
can send love
to the world.

Love always, Andrea

Saturday, August 26, 2017

Dear God,

Surrender, that whole-hearted, quiet release of the soul that opens the door wide for true freedom. There in that sacred space, the divine and human come together, God and I have opportunity to welcome and embrace, dwell and sit, and finally to talk and listen.  Surrender, the key to trust, hope and change.

How blessed you make me when I sit with great writers during my devotional time.  I sit with Pope Francis, Saint Bernadette, gospel writers, psalmist, Nan Merrill, Henri Nouwen, and Richard Foster every morning as I read their writings.  In every case surrender underlines everything they say.  Their very lives are based on surrender.

We long for freedom in our souls. Often a tangled mess, we long for ways to untangle, to be set free. When your grace touches us, it as if we become a finely-oiled machine easily unknotting all that keeps us tightly bound.  When our knots are freed, we breathe the air of freedom allowing us to gain new perspective, fresh hope, and blessed transformation.

Holy God,
thank you
for your power
that creates miracles
every day.
Thank you
for surrender
that means
we do
not have
to stay
in our
current dilemma.
Thank you
for change
that comes
when we
are willing
to surrender
unto you.

Love always, Andrea

Friday, August 25, 2017

Dear God,

I knelt down in the truck patch to pick the first cucumber and remembered when the ground was simply bare.  How could that luscious-looking vegetable have risen up from the soil?  Only by your hand.

The harvest is ripe and ready.  As I walked out of the garden with bags full of peppers and cucumbers, I thought of how you placed life in every tiny seed.  The seeds grow because you told them to grow. You give them rain, sun, and warm temperatures and they do exactly as created.  They obey and provide food for your children.

Every day is a day to be grateful, to look around and see life's gifts, and to give thanks.  We never have to look far to find your blessings.  As I plucked the gorgeous red and green peppers from their plants I could see your fingerprints everywhere and my heart was full of thanksgiving.

Loving God,
thank you
for the fruit
of your labor.
Thank you
for love
that displays itself
every day.
Thank you
for all
the ingredients
in my
homemade salsa.

Love always, Andrea

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Dear God,

Mercy, so sweet, so kind, so gentle, so loving, so full of grace.  I read the words of Pope Francis whose ministry is all about mercy and I realize the depth of mercy once again.

How merciful you are with your people, O Lord.  You pour your mercy upon us when we sin, when we stray, when we are lost, when we fear, and when we forget.  Your mercy awakens us in the morning and puts us to bed at night.

When we recognize how merciful you are, we hear the call to be merciful to others.  Only when we are merciful to those who seem the least worthy of it do we see ourselves in clear review.  We too are recalcitrant children who do not deserve mercy and yet are given it.

Blessed Redeemer,
thank you
for mercy
that drips
from your hand.
Thank you
for blessing us
so well.
Thank you
for challenging us
to be merciful
like you.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Dear God,

The music of faith can cause the heart, mind, and soul to soar!  The lyrics, melodies, and harmonies have the capability of stirring a dull mind, a sorrowful heart, and an angry spirit.  It can literally transform the human soul.

As we rehearsed at church choir practice, I couldn't help but notice what was happening inside me.  I felt myself opening up, allowing the light to shine inside.  I recognized my heart beating slower as if taking in a new kind of oxygen that helped me breathe easier.  I realized how joy was seeping in, penetrating all the "hard" spots making them soft and spongy.  I knew you were in the room, in the music, and in me.

You do amazing work every day.  You connect with us daily giving us opportunity to make space for you.  You want us to speak and to listen, to link ourselves with you, and to receive the generous gifts of your spirit.  You want to bless so we can go out and bless others.

How gracious
you are,
Holy Spirit God!
How good
you are.
Thank you
for your
beautiful gifts.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Dear God,

Memories come alive when we gather together to remember someone we have loved at a memorial service.  This was especially true yesterday when we celebrated the life of my aunt, Caroline Kincaid.  Just days before in the ICU in Tipton Hospital, I held her hand, wept, and told her how much I loved her.  She told me she was ready to die.  She just wanted all her family and friends to have a party.

At the service I conducted I welcomed everyone to the party.  As my eyes scanned the crowd seated before me, I thought of Lori, Jeff, Aunt Jodie, Judy Kay, Annie, Barb and Bud, Jeff, Debi, Judy, Diana, Scott, Christian, Steven Lee, and so many more.  I remembered their stories, oh, how many stories there are.  I hugged all of them during the viewing time and many I told I loved them too.  Although I had to immediately make my way back home, 1000 miles away, following the committal, I reveled in the relationships, the shared memories, and the love that bound us together so long ago.  I felt fed and full.

Bless you, Lord,
for the people
you put
in our lives.
Thank you
for weaving us together
in one fabric.
Thank you
for love
that does
not die
at death.

Love, Andrea

Monday, August 21, 2017

Dear God,

Discouragement can cover over everything that gives us life.  The dark cloud can block out the light and attempt to suck up the life-giving air within the cloud.  Hope can slowly dissipate giving way to threatening despair.  This is what life can look like without faith.

I know discouragement.  I am an on a first name basis with it.  It seems to hang heavy in the air always waiting to pounce.  Yet, I know faith better.  I cling to our relationship, yours and mine, and within our bond I fight discouragement with faith.

Sometimes I give in to the devil discouragement.  I let my light get down to a bare glimmer and there I begin to operate without hope.  I persuade myself to believe things will never change.  In such a lifeless situation I grow irritable, sad, and angry.  I function okay.  I simply do not have my usual joy.

On days when I awaken with a song of faith, I realize the blessing faith is.  I am convinced there is nothing that can knock me down.  I join in singing our song because I know that I know that I know faith will help me overcome.  And when that happens, I am nearly bowled over with joy!

Heavenly Father,
thank you
for your
kind compassion.
Thank you
for intervening,
for bringing
my joy back.
Thank you
for reminding me
there is nothing
you and I
cannot tackle together!

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Dear God,

After being away from church for a long time, my 10-year-old grandson leaned over and said to me, "Grandma, I want to eat that bread the preacher talked about."  Referring to Holy Communion, I told him we would go up together to eat."  There are few things that bless more than a child who longs to eat the bread of life.

Every day you bless us with gifts from on high.  You use every venue, every opportune moment, and unsuspecting condition to show us your light.  Sometimes, many times we miss it.  At other times we see your face, feel your hand, and hear your voice speaking to us.  This morning was one of those times and this grandmother is so grateful, so very, very grateful.

Thank you,
Loving God,
for every blessing.
Thank you
for Rylan,
his tender heart,
and his hunger
for you.
Bless him
with faith,
deep faith,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Dear God,

You put love in our hearts and you make it grow.  It really is a strange and wondrous thing.

Four grandchildren and one young friend of a grandchild piled into the eight person tent.  Eager to play games, drink malted milks, and eat popcorn, they laughed and played together.  As a grandmother of 70 plus years, I smiled and felt my heart swell once again.

How do you do it?  How do you create love and what is it that makes it grow and grow again.  When you talk about love in the bible like, "Love your neighbor," you expect us to take what you have given and make good use of it.  You know it will bless us and others as well.

The best kind of love is the love you have for all your children.  You love each of us, separately and collectively.  As we come to that realization we know there is power in love.  Love will change us.  Love will make hope, joy, and peace.  Love will inspire us, help us, and guide us.  Love will fulfill us.  Love will create faith and make it grow too.  It truly is a wonderful gift!

Thank you,
O God,
for the
beautiful gift
of love.
Thank you
for all
its benefits.
Thank you
for your love
that makes
love possible
in us.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 18, 2017

Dear God,

One of my favorite aunts died this morning.  I saw her at the hospital just yesterday.  I told her I loved her.  I told her goodbye.

How do we let go of loved ones?  How do we end our time with them?  How do we live without them in our lives? 

You have placed special people in our lives.  They may stay with us for decades or maybe just a short time but you weave them into our lives in such a way that we cannot unweave them.  They stay with us forever as gifts of your spirit.  Every time we think of them we can give thanks ultimately ending up at your door.  As we live lives of gratitude they remain with us like the air we breathe.

Holy Spirit God,
thank you
for the gift
of relationships
that nurture
and nourish us.
Thank you
for love
that never ends.
Thank you
for blessing us
with memories
that live
day in
and day out.

Love always, Andrea

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Dear God,

My cousin needs a new heart.  Her old one is worn out and the doctor says she needs a transplant.  Yesterday when she went to pick up a few things from her mother's room in assisted living, a friend of the family, elderly, blind, crippled, but still so very sweet said to her, "I just heard you need a new heart.  I have one full of Jesus.  I don't need it any longer.  You can have mine."

So often at the very time we need to hear an encouraging word, receive a gesture of love, or get a turn of events, you come to us through someone around us.  You speak and our hearts are warmed, our spirits rise, and our minds settle with peace.  Today Eleanor was the face of your son.

Thank you,
Living God,
for the gift
of compassion.
Thank you
for Eleanor
and her
amazing faith.
Thank you
for love expressed
at just the
right time.

Love always, Andrea

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Dear God,

You have given our covenant group one hour every Wednesday morning to do the work of faith.  You usher us into silence where we quiet ourselves before you, where we sit down at your feet, and where we listen for your still small voice.  You bring us your word where we are enabled to draw near.  You meet us in prayer where we ask for your voice to speak to us.  There you reveal the hidden secrets we hide behind when we are lost, lonely, sinful, doubtful or full of fear.  You open the curtain of faith to show us yourself.  What joy is ours together!

This morning we confessed our weakness, our inability to deal meaningfully with our nation's chaos, and our anger over recent events.  We sought your face, your will, and your way.  The voice of wisdom came to us as we listened and found strength and resolve to be the light that shines in the darkness.

Heavenly Father,
you are
the light
of the world.
Your light shines
no matter
how thick
the darkness.
Make us
the light
to shine
for others,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

Dear God,

There is so much joy in sacred silence, that quietness of faith where you are revealed, where your gifts lie waiting, where your challenge speaks volumes, where hope, peace, and grace reside, and finally where salvation unfolds its mystery.  That divine silence is not only the absence of sound, it is a quietude of faith that is sweet, beautiful, and hope-filled.

This morning as I read my devotions, I felt myself slip into the world of faith.  For there are moments of time where I lay my faith aside to behave in ways that do not honor and glorify you.  I give in to my lower nature, to be irritable, hopeless, angry, resentful, and bitter.  But then morning breaks and the light shines through.  I bow my head in humble surrender because more than anything I want to walk with you, sup with you, praise with you, serve with you, and sing with you.  I want your will over my own.

The battle for my loyalty is always with me.  I don't seem to be able to let go sometimes and I am always sorry.  I want to be fiercely loyal to you, to carry my faith into every circumstance, and to do your will without equivocation.  Show me the way, dear Lord, show me the way.

Loving God,
thank you
for the gift
of faith,
for sacred silence,
and for
the relationship
you offer.
Thank you
for confession,
repentance,
and pardon.
Thank you
for new beginnings.

Love always, Andrea

Monday, August 14, 2017

Dear God,

Every morning even before rising from our bed you offer us the cup of hope.  You invite us to drink so we can carry hope all day long.  You want us to return to our beds at nighttime having hoped all day.  Throughout the night you keep that hope alive within us.

Far too often we look bleakly upon the day before us.  We see some of our challenges and at times we see them without hope of a change.  We give up our God-given hope.  We give in to hopelessness because we forget about the cup of hope you gave first thing in the morning.  We carry our burdens with us forgetting how hope can make our burden lighter.

Forgive us
when we
lay down
our hope.
Help us,
O Lord,
when we
are weak
and weary.
Make us
hope bearers,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Dear God,

Sometimes we just have to call evil for what it is.  When we rip and tear at groups of people because of their color, religion, politics, socio-economic status, or mental status, we practice evil acts.  We add darkness to our world.  We hide the light. 

What is happening in our world is so very sad.  It is as though enemies are created daily by people who think a particular way and judge the rest of the world by their way of thinking.  We are all guilty.  We create hate, bigotry, and just plain ugliness.  We are better than this.

If it is true we are made in your image, then we have to look at each person through your lens.  When we rant about someone different than ourselves, we are talking harshly about your children.  Although we are diverse, unique, and practice differing rituals, we are each human beings made of the same flesh.  We breathe the same air.  We live on the same planet.  None of us owns the air, the earth, the sea or the sky.  They all belong to you.

Before we condemn others, we need to examine our own lives.  Where do we judge?  Who do we hate?  Why do we do what we do?  How do we rationalize our poor behavior?  Do we see the dark places in our own souls?

Lord, shine
your light
upon us.
Reveal our
own sin.
Show us
the way
to the light,
the light
that is
your light
that shines equally
on all
your children.
Forgive our
tawdry behavior.
Remake us
into your likeness
so we too
may shine
with the light
of faith.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Dear God,

Prayer opens us to your living spirit.  When our mind determines to pray, it is because our heart is stirred to pray.  When our heart and mind are moved to pray, the whole of our self is opened for your spirit to move in.  When you enter our soul, a light comes on, a warmth spreads itself, love permeates the space, hope comes to life, and peace settles in.  If only we knew what prayer could do, we would pray much more often.

You taught me a mighty lesson.  Prayer is usually praying for others but in the process of praying, we change ourselves over time.  When I prayed for someone who had hurt me and continues to have ill will against me, I found myself softening toward her.  I don't know what my prayer is doing to change her but it has changed me.  I no longer pray her name with clenched teeth.

Prayer is all about us, you and I, sharing sacred moments together.  In the intimacy we find one another.  We allow love to pass through.  We increase faith and give life to hope.  We build a life together one prayer at a time.  Whether at the level of 10 or 10 million we give shape to a love that will hold us, nurture us, mold us, challenge us, and make us beautiful together, for ourselves and for the world.

Put a prayer
on my lips,
O Lord.
Make it
a prayer
for the world.
Make my life
a prayer,
one that counts,
to change me
and the world.

Love, Andrea

Friday, August 11, 2017

Dear God,

The seasons...they come and go.  When winter releases its hold on the earth, spring rises from the ground.  Each season brings its own unique beauty, its sounds, its song.  As we sing along, we hear your voice, see your face, feel your touch.

The seasons of the soul are the same.  The season of sorrow gives way to the season of joy.  Oh yes, joy can come out of sorrow.  Sorrow does not have the final word.  Joy does when faith is applied, is hoped for, and is invited in.  We can sing and dance into joy.

What is faith but your living presence?  What is faith but trust in the eternal?  What is faith but love made real?  As we carry our faith into each season we witness your amazing grace and we learn to sing your song filling our souls with the melodies and harmonies of heaven.

Let the
seasons come,
O Lord,
let them come.
Thank you
for faith
that gives us
a sacred path
on which
to travel.
Thank you
for your
sacred song
and every
sacred season.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Dear God,

To come into your living presence is like stepping into a gentle breeze on a dry, hot, summer day.  It causes me to want to take a deep breath, to fill my lungs with life-giving air, and to let every parched place within my soul feel the pouring down of living rain.  A smile spreads across my face at the wonder of it all.

We so need your gifts, O Lord, because every gift is you.  When we need light in our darkness, we come to you and see tiny details of life rising around us.  When we need hope, we drink from your cup.  When we need mercy, we reach out our hand and feel the dramatic touch of your hand reaching back.  We do not have to cry and plead, we need only surrender into you.

Amazing God,
there is
no god
like you.
You fill us
with life.
You breathe
your air
into us.
You touch us,
inspiring us
to look up
and out
for scenes
of your
living grace.
You love us
like no other.
Thank you,
thank you,
thank you.

Love always, Andrea

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Dear God,

The great writer Henri Nouwen writes the cup of sorrow is also the cup of joy.  How can sorrow be joy particularly if the situation, whatever that may be, remains the same?  How can dying bring joy?  How can loss be joy?  How can neglect offer joy?  It can’t unless it is witnessed through the eyes of faith.

There is a layer of life we cannot see.  It is invisible to the naked eye but when faith is applied, practiced, an opening appears and we see what we could not see.  We hear the voice of our Lord calling to us.  We touch the living presence of God who reveals joy in our sorrow.  The moment we take your hand, Loving God, we are enabled to enter this other world that awaits us.

 

I have tasted the sweetness of joy in the midst of pain.  Overwhelmed with love from on high I recognize the gift that comes in knowing you.  Like the psalmist says you will turn our mourning into dancing.  As we trust in you, Almighty God, you shift our focus from sorrow to joy.

 

Blessed Lord,

you are

our fortress,

our refuge.

You speak

to the heart

of unwavering love.

You replace

our pain

with peace.

Thank you.

 

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Dear God,

No one is alone who has God.  When we think we are utterly alone, there is one who waits beside us.  His name is God, Abba, Daddy, Papa, Heavenly Father,  Mother.  All we need do is breathe the air of grace and claim this love as our own.

Loneliness is one of the most difficult emotions to experience.   We feel the pangs of isolation as if we exist in a world of one.  We feel lost in a forgotten world.  Yet, God who has made the world leaves his spirit in every ounce of space.  We cannot walk away from this God who is as close as breath itself.

I must confess at times I suffer with loneliness.  I crawl inside myself and weep in secret.  The source of love I long for is not really present for me.  But always, always my Lord waits for me, waits for my tears to dry, and offers me his loving hand.  Only then do I realize I am never really alone.

Great God and Comforter,

thank you

for love

that is

always available.

Thank you

for your

kind compassion.

Thank you

for never forgetting

your own.

 

Love, Andrea

Monday, August 7, 2017

Dear God,

My granddaughter Sophie asked to spend the night and, of course, I said yes.  Last night we played cards and started watching a movie before she fell asleep to get up early for school this morning. 

When I rose before dawn, I stepped outside to greet the new day.  The temperature was 58 degrees.  The air was fresh and refreshing.  I breathed in the life-giving air.  I got Sophie up and we left before 6:30 to pick up donuts and get to school.  On the way the sun began to peek up over the horizon.  It was so beautiful.  I said to Sophie, "Aaahhh, it is an amazing new day.  Everything is new, brand new.  It is like a new creation.  And we are too.  Today is a new day, opportunity for beginning again, starting over like the very first day."  She smiled and I smiled too.

O God,
hope of the world,
thank you
for every
new day.
Thank you
for painting
a brand new canvas
every morning.
Thank you
for gifts
of prized moments
with grandchildren.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, August 6, 2017

Dear God,

There are just some grace-filled moments that happen unexpectedly.  When we are needy and hungry, you suddenly appear in wondrous and amazing ways.  This morning was one of those.

I decided to join my daughter and her family for worship.  This was my second visit this year.  It was only because I came rushing home to be with my daughter and her family for a very sick granddaughter's open-heart surgery.  I stepped inside the church, signed my name tag, and made my way to the worship center.  I saw a female priest talking with a church member.  She looked familiar but I kept on walking.  Then it hit me.  I knew the priest and her work.  I turned around and went back.

Jean Smith, the guest preacher of the morning, was the person in charge of the Lilly Clergy Renewal grants several years ago.  My church and I were awarded a sizeable grant entitled, Journey with God.  She and I had a one-hour visit in 2005 when I shared with her your amazing grace during the three-and-a-half month leave.  I told her the gift was still giving to me. 

Thank you
for your grace,
a beautiful gift
given at
unexpected times.
Thank you
for bringing
special people
into our lives.
Thank you
for love,
merciful love
that fills us up
to overflowing.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, August 5, 2017

Dear God,

Waiting, patiently waiting.  I don't always wait well, Lord.  I may not want or need instant answers but typically I am impatient about certain things.  I can get irritated and grouchy waiting.

And yet, you say, "Wait.  Wait upon the Lord.  Wait."  How can I want more than you?  Your will?  Your way?  Why do I mess up my life by wanting to move around you when I perceive you are slow as a snail?  I am sorry.

Every day you give us lessons to learn.  Some are easy.  Some are hard.  But always, you teach us.  If we are open to you, willing to listen, and are patient, we will receive gifts of a lifetime.

Heavenly Father,
thank you
for daily lessons.
Thank you
for making us students.
Thank you
for teaching us.
We need
your lessons,
now and
every day.
Forgive our impatience.

Love always, Andrea

Friday, August 4, 2017

Dear God,

Late yesterday I learned my 15-year-old granddaughter needed open heart surgery.  A dangerous, sizable hole in her heart threatened her life.  I was 1,000 miles away, worried, afraid, and praying.After some amount of time I found a flight back to Indiana.  I was grateful.

I could not arrive in time before surgery.  Surgery would take place while I was in the air.  When I took my seat on the aircraft, a lady next to me began talking with me.  She talked about her work, her grandchildren, her home, her elderly parents, and her faith.  As I listened, I prayed for Gracie.  What I found was my fears and anxiety lessened.  Just before touchdown I thanked the woman for sharing with me, telling her about my grandchild.  She winced, put her hand over her heart, and told me she would pray.

Minutes later I moved quickly into the aisle and off the plane.  I half ran through the terminal hoping I could get the latest word on what was happening in the operating room.  By the time my friend drove up to the curb so I could have my own car, the lady from the plane (my angel) was being picked up by her friend.  As they drove away she touched her heart again and threw me a holy kiss.

You are God;
there is none
like you.
You send angels
to minister
to us.
You give us
the kiss
of hope,
compassion, and love.
Who else loves more?

Love always, Andrea

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Dear God,

I watched a movie entitled, Collateral Beauty.  What an incredible movie designed to stretch the heart, soul, and mind.  Warm tears filled my eyes and spilled over as I quieted myself and listened.

When disturbances come (and they do), we need to look around to find what else good is happening around us.  When we want to give up and give in, we miss your amazing grace taking place in our midst.  We get so focused on the "bad" that we are blinded to your good. 

As I stepped inside the movie and listened, I heard your voice.

Loving God,
you use anything
and everything
around us
to speak
your word.
You invite us in.
You cause us
to ponder
and reflect.
Then you speak again.
Thank you
for such
holy moments.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Dear God,

Why do the days go swiftly by?  It seems as if there is no "pause" time when we have time to breathe, to relax, and to live in the present.  One day rolls into the next and we miss holy moments.

When I was a child the days slowly crept by.  When will we get out of school?  When will Christmas finally get here?  When can we go to the pool?  These questions I asked implied a lack of patience waiting for a special time to finally arrive.

At 70 years of age I want to grab hold of time and slow the process of movement.  I want to savor the moment, take in the beauty, and breathe in life-giving air.  Perhaps I need to listen to wisdom, "Be still and know I am God."

Holy God,
you hold time
in your hand.
You speak
to us
every moment
of every day.
Forgive me
when I
rally against time.
May I
be patient
and live
in you.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Dear God,

Let your light shine, O Lord, let it shine.  Take away the darkness.  Rob the tempters of their booty.  Let faith rise up higher and higher. 

Sometimes life is a struggle, a difficult struggle.  When we are in the midst of it, we put on blinders so we cannot see help on the way.  We focus on the difficulty only, allowing it to steal our hope.  But you, O Lord, you shine your light anyway.  You reveal your love and mercy.  You breathe life into us maintaining us while we fight our way to the top.

Thank you,
Loving Father,
for your
tender hand
upon our shoulder.
Thank you
for blessing us
with faith.
Thank you
for your light
that never
fails us.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, July 29, 2017

Dear God,

Sometimes we just have to sing, "When peace like a river attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll, whatever my lot, thou has taught me to say it is well, it is well with my soul."  If Horatio Spafford could pen these words while grievously mourning the loss of his four daughters in the stormy seas while aboard a ship bound for Europe, then I too need to be able to sing these hopeful words during my own dark storms.

Ominous dark clouds gather over everyone in life.  Storms come.  Lightning strikes.  Rivers overflow their banks. No one is exempt from suffering.  It is how we cling to the life preserver of hope that really counts, that makes a difference, and that ultimately gives evidence of faith in the present. 

Holy God,
thank you
for your spirit
at work
in our lives.
Help us
sing your song
even when
the winds roar
and the rain
pours down.
Enable us
to grab
for the
life preserver
who is you,
I pray.

Love, Andrea

Monday, July 31, 2017

Dear God,

Openings, tiny cracks in the heart, mind, and soul.  Openings that lead to the light shining in, the song being sung, and the love oozing into the dark places.  You open us to your everlasting light and love, O Lord.  You take the tiniest opening and do your amazing work.

Sometimes we are so closed, not even a teeny spot is open.  But then you come to us, whispering your tender words and if we show the slightest interest you penetrate the surface making way for your spirit.  There you speak to us.  You sing, you woo, and you breathe into us the breath of life.

Who would not want to be open to you?  All of us at one time or many times.  We close off for oh, so many reasons, none really good.  When you do create space, so much can happen.  So many possibilities await us.  When we find ourselves open to you and you move in to bring us warmth, joy, and hope, everything changes, everything.

Loving God,
thank you
for sacred spaces
and tiny openings.
Thank you
for your spirit
that does
great work
within us.
Thank you
for coming
to us
with your promise
of new life.

Love, Andrea