Thursday, January 25, 2024

Dear God,

The spiritual house was filled with trust and hope as we opened our mouths, hearts and stories.  One by one we shared dark spaces come into the light.  We met them and traveled together to places of question, faith and hope.  We talked about the past and the present as we considered how we might move forward into our future.  Although we walked through darkness we always had a sense that it was the light leading us.

As I really reflect on these last 48 hours, I can see where miracles are unfolding, where truths are being uncovered and where faith is enlarging.  It is awesome and mind-blowing at the same time.  But always, always we know that we know that we know you are present as the power moving, embracing and nudging us forward.  Thanks be to God!

All praise

to you,

Most Holy and Wondrous God.

Thank you

for your

miracle-making power.

Thank you

for the gift

of shifting sand,

stormy seas

and radiant sunshine,

all that transforms

human life.

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Dear God,

Yesterday our covenant group returned to the Little Noddfa House (now known as the Nazareth House) where I led and participated in many spiritual retreats throughout the years.  I let some of those stories come to me as I made the one-hour-drive from home.  The sight of the old house warmed my heart, took hold of my weary soul and called me to attention in my somewhat troubled mind.  It was good to be "home."

Today as I thought about it, I realized there are many dwelling places where I have met you during the last decades of my life.  Sometimes were difficult, sometimes troubled and yet other times were filled with adventure, renewal and leaps of faith.  But always, always you were front and center leading us to deeper and wider places we needed to travel in our spiritual journeys.  As I thought about it, I just breathed out prayers of thanksgiving for the many graces your provided.  I still am.

Blessed are you,

Almighty and Benevolent God.

Thank you

for grace

that challenges,

heals and restores.

Thank you

for sacred ground

where we

can meet

once again.

Yours, Andrea

Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Dear God,

Early this morning as I sat in my chair, I gazed at the lights all around me, the Christmas tree lights, the outdoor lights, the mantle lights and the reflection of all the inside lights outside.  Literally I sat in the middle of all that light and all I thought about was you.  Every light, twinkling or otherwise, pointed me to you.  What joy fills my heart when I sit in your midst.  

As I pondered your presence, I looked over at the 9' lighted tree and there I watched as one white, etched ball danced among the fresh branches.  Nothing else moved and I thought how wonderful it was that one beautiful bauble got caught up in a tiny bit of breeze blowing through the room and danced.  I thought about how I want to be like that, one who feels the gentle wind of your spirit blowing and stands to dance.  For I have much to celebrate with you, my loving Lord.

Thank you

for the

morning dance

and the breath

of your spirit blowing.

Thank you

for the

holy moments

in the light.

Bless you,

O God,

bless you.

Yours, Andrea

Monday, January 22, 2024

Dear God,

Today I was diagnosed with bladder cancer.  The moment I heard the doctor's voice, I knew what he was going to say.   Interesting how just 27 years and three weeks ago another physician told me I had breast cancer.  

What I have learned through the years is this:  Trust in the Lord in all ways, in all situations, in every emotion, doubt or fear, trust in the Lord.  I am doing this today.

You are God;

there is none

like you.

I trust

in you,

O Lord.

Be my guide,

my refuge

and rock,

I pray.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, January 21, 2024

Dear God,

I can't help but stare out our kitchen window.  The snow is pristine, untouched except by some tiny animal that scurried across the patio.  The scene fills my soul with humble joy knowing your exquisite creation is unlike anything anywhere!  When we pause just for a moment to consider the ways of nature, how can we not be filled with humility, gratitude and delight?

As I sit writing I want to let this amazing picture before me etch on my mind her absolute beauty.  I want to remember this landscape scene forever.  I want my heart, mind and soul to keep saying prayers of thanksgiving knowing what grace I am witnessing just outside my kitchen door.  May it be so!

Blessed are you,

Loving Creator God.

All is yours.

When we 

gaze upon

your work,

keep gratitude

on our lips

so we

may praise you

all day long.

Yours, Andrea

Saturday, January 20, 2024

Dear God,

There are moments of intersection when what is is challenged by what may be.  As we stand in the middle you invite us to step inside with you to explore next steps in our life.  Sometimes we are so aware of what is happening; at other times subtle hints simply whisper their offer to us.

When we allow fear, rugged holding on to the past and anxiety to persuade us to say NO, we miss opportunities for the future.  We may never know what might have taken place during those holy moments.  On the other hand, when we give power to faith, courage and trust, we enter a sacred space filled with possibilities.  

I have visited both places.  Plenty of times I have said a resounding NO, NO WAY but through timid faith and hope many times I have taken your hand and stepped forward.  I had no idea until that moment what could be.  I just know the blessing of saying YES brought great inspiration, peace and unmatched joy.  

You are everything

we could

possibly want,

O God.

You are love.

You are hope.

You are peace.

You are truth.

You are God.

Thank you.

Yours, Andrea

Friday, January 19, 2024

Dear God,

Today I laid my head down on an operating table.  The anesthesiologist was at my head, two nurses at my side and a doctor at my feet.  I suddenly felt so incredibly blessed.  Just before the sedation put me under, I spoke, "When I die, I want gratitude on my lips so I thank each one of you for taking good care of me."

Every day you fill us with gifts.  You bless, inspire, challenge, invite and nurture us.  You make a way for each of us to meet you on the road of life.  It may be on a dusty, dirty road or a meandering cliff or a dark forest but you find us wherever we are.  

Thank you

for reminding us

of your

constant presence.

Thank you

for meeting us

wherever we are.

Thank you

for being there first.

Yours, Andrea

Thursday, January 18, 2024

Dear God,

My heart longs for you all day long.  Whether I am full or empty, my mind wanders toward you.  Whether I am doubtful or confident, my spirit wants to share with you.  Whether I am brave or afraid, I want to be near you.  How did this happen, O God?

Did you give me a new heart?  A new spirit?  A new mind?  When did my whole being realize I wanted you more than I wanted anything else?  Did my losses create it?  My hurts?  My rejections?   Am I that lonely that I needed a companion I could always count on?  Or was, is it pure grace?

There is

no greater

loving power

than yours,

O God.

There is

no dwelling place

like yours.

There is

no more 

permanent home

than yours.

Thank you

for inviting me in.

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Dear God,

Every morning I sit down with spiritual friends, authors of several devotional books.  I read but more than that I listen.  I find myself sitting at the feet of Jesus.  I am like a child, a student learning from the teacher.

There is always more that happens when I move to my spiritual corner where I read, contemplate and pray.  Although invisible to the naked eye, it becomes a mystical dwelling place where the divine and human meet, connect and interact...God and me, me and God.

When I stand to leave for breakfast, I realize I am more full than when I sat down.  

Holy God,

thank you

for filling me

with you

and your friends.

Thank you

for blessing me

and inspiring

my soul.

Although I know

I am 

not worthy

of so

gracious a gift,

I receive it

with great love.

Yours, Andrea

Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Dear God,

Last night it snowed on the gentle slopes of Brown County, Indiana.  Here in a cabin in the woods away from everything else, I opened every curtain and looked out into the dark but it was not dark because of the white covering on the trees, ground and birdhouses.  

That is what faith is.  Looking into the darkness and seeing the light of your love.  Dwelling there, acknowledging you brings exquisite beauty, marvelous hope and the bright promise of tomorrow.  Even while writing, I peek up, look out and smile.  You are here!

Bless you,

O God,

for all

your blessings.

Thank you

for revealing

your love

to us.

Thank you

for the 

wondrous scene

before my eyes.

Yours, Andrea

Monday, January 15, 2024

Dear God,

Today I learned I have a papillary growth in my bladder.  I will need a biopsy.  This news was not exactly what I was expecting; however, at the age of 77, the human body is not like what it was 50 years ago.

Lord, I thank you for compassionate, skilled doctors who do a great job caring for sick people.  Thank you for all they do to make a difference in our lives.  This day I give special thanks for Dr. Stewart.

Bless, O Lord,

your servants

who do

your work.

Thank you

for all those

who reach out

to help,

assist and care

for the sick

and dying.

Thank you

for your

incredible love

in providing

for us.

Yours, Andrea 

Sunday, January 14, 2024

Dear God,

How sweet is your spirit when we see you in worship!  Today I returned to the last church I served as pastor.  To dwell for a while with people I loved while there, to listen to the word preached by the new pastor and to sing songs that declare our faith together warmed my soul to the cellular level.  Such grace and joy!

You are present in your house, in your own community of faith.  When we open our eyes and our faith to more of you, we find you in our midst.  Joy bubbles over!

Thank you,

Holy One,

for the gift

of this

worship moment.

Thank you

for your

living presence

alive through

your people.

Thank you

for memories

that live

when we remember.

Yours, Andrea

Saturday, January 13, 2024

Dear God,

As we look at events in our nation and world as well as family pain and suffering, our need for trust in you grows almost to the point of desperation.  We lean hard on you allowing our dependency to swell.  We dig deep into our soul to find the resources to trust, lean and hold on.

But then we come to realize you have always been there for us.  You are always by us.  You never depart.  We do not have to do anything more but trust because you hear our every pain, our every concern and our every need.  You are Emmanuel, God with us. 

Compassionate God,

I pray

for this world

and all

her children.

I pray 

for my own

as well.

Please help us all,

sustain us all,

feed us all,

O God,

I pray.

Love, Andrea

Friday, January 12, 2024

Dear God,

I beg for the life of my grandchild who faces very deep, dark depression.  Will it do any good?  Will you save her simply because I prayed or will it take many other pleadings to save her?

She is extremely bright, beautiful, compassionate, loving and articulate.  She can talk with anyone about almost anything.  She wants to make a great contribution in the lives of others.  It is her dream and prayer.  How can we surrender her into eternity and lose her here on earth?

Gracious and Merciful God,

you know

this child better

than anyone else.

She saved

her mother's life

when she 

was but

a fetus

in her 

mother's womb.

Because of her,

the doctor's found

a large malignancy

and removed it

in time.

And that

tiny baby grew

and blessed

and inspired many. 

But then

you know

all that.

Please save her,

I pray.

Yours, Andrea

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Dear God,

What a joy it is to meet you early in the morning!  To sit in the midst of the light of the Christmas tree and mantle lights but more importantly, your Light, is like standing in a fountain on a hot, steamy day.  I revel in your warmth feeling it as much on the inside as the outside.

It is in little moments where and when I find you most readily present, dear Father.  In the quiet of the dark outside, I find the light inside so appealing, so telling, so beautiful!  On this day when rain is pouring outside, I feel your reigning power and love pouring out on me.

Thank you,

dearest God,

for holy moments

with you.

Thank you

for blessing me today.

Thank you

for reminders

you are

always present!

Yours, Andrea 

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Dear God,

Time is flying by.  Maybe it is because I am 77 and more conscious of time.  Maybe life is just so busy we don't recognize how the minutes are being gobbled up.  What I do know for sure is time is precious, not to be wasted or used up but rather acknowledged and celebrated.

Today is a gift, a gift of incalculable worth!  We have five senses to use to see, hear, taste, touch and smell the world around us.  If we pause just for a moment and use all the senses at once, we can know the gift of this day and want to give thanks.

O Lord,

thank you

for today.

Help us

use it

and contribute

to it.

Lead us

to make it

a beautiful day

for others.

Yours, Andrea

Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Dear God,

The Advent, Christmas and Epiphany seasons have been so beautiful for me this year.  In the early-morning hours as I sit in the rocking chair by the window, I see myself sitting in the middle of the light all around me, inside and out with reflections outward in and inward out.  I breathe in your light, your hope, your warmth, your peace and your love.

As I give myself more and more to you, as you ask for it, I find myself wandering into deeper places of faith, the cosmos and the human soul.  I drift and dwell with you knowing that opportunities and possibilities are out there and in here waiting for me. 

Holy God,

this sacred time

is filling me

with your spirit.

I am one

with you.

May I

be attentive

to your leading.

Yours, Andrea 

Monday, January 8, 2024

Dear God,

When I look through the eyes of faith, what I see before me changes from what I see in shallow, everyday living.  I am struck by the depths and widths of human life, its significant value and the challenge it affords to those who are open to more.

In the depths of my soul, I want to see more, experience more, and grow more as I encounter your spirit at work in and through the whole of the cosmos.  I know there is more than the landscape outside my study window.  I want to pilgrim walk into that arena.  

Holy God,

thank you

for insights

into your

living presence.

Thank you

for reminding us

to look again.

Thank you

for the invitation.

Yours, Andrea 

Sunday, January 7, 2024

Dear God,

Refreshment, hope and joy arrive every morning when I sit down to read, ponder and meditate on my devotional readings.  I listen to their voices, doubts, fears, triumphs and questions.  No matter what they share from thousands of years ago to modern day, they all direct me to you.

After reading, contemplation and prayer, I rise with a smile and joy does bubble in my soul.  Then when I sit to write, I pour out of myself a portion of what I just enjoyed and you are part of it all from beginning to end.

Holy, holy, holy

are you,

Lord God of Hope.

Thank you

for divine,

holy moments

alone with

spiritual friends

and with you.

Thank you

for every gift

I receive,

most of all,

the gift

of your

living, loving presence.

Yours forever, Andrea

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Dear God,

It is Epiphany once again and we are reminded of the wise ones, the three kings who sought the new baby king so long ago.  Finding them in a stable, they left gifts.

I am always taken by this story.  I question my own faith and desire.  Do I watch for the star and the king?  Do I have gifts I want to give?  Will I go in search to find the One waiting for me?

I want to say yes to every question but I have to get real.  Am I willing and what will I give?

Lord, please keep

these questions

ever before us.

Remind us

that faith

is every day

not just

once a year.

Stir in me,

in us

once again

the desire

for you.

Yours, Andrea

Friday, January 5, 2024

Dear God,

I awakened this morning to a magnificent scene outside my living room window.  Twinkling white snow had settled upon the ground, trees and rooftops.  I was so mesmerized; I went outside in my pajamas and robe and began taking pictures.  

When life transforms from one moment to the next, something stirs in us.  Transformation, we cry out; it is transformation.  And we know that your hand has touched the ground.  We are drawn to your action, to your beauty and goodness.  When I look back upon the photos I took, I realize I also see you in each image.

Thank you,

Creator God,

for your

transforming work.

Thank you

for touching

and inspiring us.

Your creation

is a wonder

and as creator

you fill us

with awe

and praise.

Yours, Andrea

Thursday, January 4, 2024

Dear God,

"As a deer longs for water, so do I thirst for you, Loving God."  The psalmist must have known thirst and refreshment to have written this.  I know thirst and longing too.  When we have found that spring of living water, we know we have found a treasure beyond compare.  When we lap up water with a parched tongue, our mind and heart fill with words of joy and praise.

How can we become a spring for others, Lord?  How can we bring the thirsty to this well of living water?  Because we have tasted this water, we want others to find it and feel the refreshment it brings.  How can we offer this water, dear God and heal others?

Thank you

for living water,

Holy God.

Thank you

for leading us

to your well.

Help us become

a spring

that calls others

to drink.

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

Dear God,

One thing I ask for in this new year.  That is to say YES to you more often.  I have learned my NO's drag me down and probably others around me.  When I say YES, more benefit than just me.

While I do not possess a ledger of yes and no, I do know I am resistant to say yes at times.  But when I do, I find comfort.  My spirit breathes a little easier.  My hope rises, my peace comes and my joy begins to bubble.  I want more of that in this new year!

Loving God,

thank you

for still caring,

for requesting

my presence.

Thank you

for every invitation

that gives opportunity

to dwell

with you

in holy places

and spaces.  

Thank you

for your

faithful YES

to me,

to us

every time!

Love always, Andrea

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Dear God,

The new year has begun, fresh and inviting.  There are opportunities galore to enter into blessing, inspiration and hope.  Will I open myself to them?  Will we?

It is so easy to remain steady without much movement or change.  But is this what we really want, more of the same?  If the answer is yes, there is little space for you, O God.  No room for your hand to move in our lives.  No space for your spirit to blow upon us bringing with it surprise, adventure and even comfort.  

Your challenge is before us.  What will we decide?

Holy God,

you are 

always fresh

and welcoming.

You invite us in

to tarry awhile.

But while there,

you offer

newness of life.

Please help

us see

great hope

in this invitation.

Yours, Andrea

Monday, January 1, 2024

Dear God,

In the early morning hour as I sit by the Christmas tree and read my devotions and pray, I frequently look out my window and see the reflection of the tree and all the lights in my living room, the candle burning, the mantle lights glowing and the dimmed recessed lights.  I think of you as the Light of the World.  But then as I pray and open my eyes once again, the reflection is gone replaced by a view of the outdoors.  

I realize in this simple happening how our view changes as we trust you.  At one moment we see one thing and the next moment something else.  Is it possible that faith and trust in you changes our view?  Of course, what we see when we trust in you is different than what we see without you.  Our view with you is wider and deeper, richer in color and resource and more wondrous and inspiring.  It is filled with hope, awe and wonder!

Holy God,

how great

are you

as you

give us view

of the ordinary

and the extraordinary

that comes

when we

trust in you.

Thank you also

for the beauty

of this

very morning.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, December 31, 2023

Dear God,

It was a Christmas novel that touched my heart and challenged me to consider my future.  

One of the novel's characters was a tavern owner, a tavern that was more a community center than a place to drink.  One of his annual events was the "sweeping out" when participants each took a mini homemade broom and at the precipitous moment on December 31 swept away all the painful habits and troubles of the old year.  I decided it was a good idea.

Although an actual ritual, I decided a sweeping out of the heart, soul and mind was an exceptional idea.  That made me start thinking.

Holy God,

sweep away

all that

hinders me

from following

your will

and way.

Make me open

to your

sacred ideas.

Give me

new tools

for the 

new year,

I pray.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, December 30, 2023

Dear God,

You offer us new beginnings because you know there are parts of our self that need endings.  We need to let go of old habits and all those things that hinder us from having a new life.

Just this morning you invited me to reflect upon the past so I could more meaningfully look into the future.  Why would I want to take old, ineffectual ways of being into my new beginning?  Why would I want to drag all the dead things into tomorrow?  Why would I want to hold tight to all my old hurts, disappointments and resentments?  Good grief, why?

But then you whisper, "You don't need to carry them into tomorrow."

Holy God,

your word

is always

a word

of opportunity.

Help me

hear it

for what

it truly is.

Make me ready

for my tomorrow.

Yours, Andrea

Friday, December 29, 2023

Dear God,

When we stop listening, we stop hearing.  We fail to receive the messages of heaven.

Why do we turn off our desire to hear, O Lord?  There is no one who can speak to us like you.  For you care for us more than all the rest.  Your word to us is always a word of hope and encouragement even if it is a word of conversion or challenge.  You know when there is need for change and frankly, every day is a possible day for transformation.

When we are made new by your word, joy overflows.  Only by tuning in to your voice shall we ever cross over into new land.

Open us

to your

holy voice,

dear God.

In the depths

of our soul,

we want

to hear

your sweet voice

that calls

our name.

Give us

the will

to listen.

Yours, Andrea