Easter Sunday, March 31, 2024

Dear God,

Every Easter morning I open a door and listen to the dark, early morning sounds.  It is always a thrill when the birds start singing.  I have always believed they were the first to respond to Christ's resurrection.  As each sang their own unique song, it was like a global chorus singing their praise for the most beautiful gift of all.

In human life, as the darkness gives way to the light, there is upswell in song, joy and praise for the gift of resurrection.  Not just a one-day event, it is evident in every-day living as Jesus welcomes us all to the new day, promises to be with us and gives us the power to change from death to life.  We don't have to wait 365 days, no, we can have it again tomorrow.

Blessed are you,

Loving, Creator God.

Thank you

for the gift

of Easter,

of resurrection

and new life.

Help us live

to believe it

and offer it

to those

around us.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Dear God,

Every situation or condition we face has an open door to resurrection.  Nothing is wasted.  All roads lead to a door of transformation.

I didn't always believe that but it is true.  Even if we are facing death, we can be changed in the way we approach it.  We can choose to release everything that has held us back, pained us or robbed us.  We can choose peace for a life beyond the grave.

How can we know such seemingly absurd promises?  We have to step back and observe God.  We can rise early in the morning waiting for proof of beauty and hope.  When the sun rises and we participate in its coming, we can know that God has created such a magnificent display of beauty and hope.  

Every day, all day change is taking place.  In the springtime we can watch the flowers rise higher and wider.  We can gaze upon birds nesting, feeding their babies and giving them encouragement to fly.  Even with human life, people who have faced horrible situations have made a new life beyond the horror of their pain.  All these give us hope for resurrection.

Holy God,

thank you

for the promise

of resurrection.

Even for us.

Thank you

for making 

transformation possible.

Love, Andrea

 

Friday, March 29, 2024

Dear God,

Can the dead really rise?  Can those whose graves were dug and they lay in them, rise?  Yes, but in your time and in your way.

We can affirm the answer of yes when we really explore the times that the dead in our lives were made alive again.  I know many including myself that rose from the dead.  You invite us all to give you our dead things, our dead places, our dead beliefs.  You want to give each of them new life because you want us all to be transformed by your grace, your love and your will.  We do not have to remain the same, especially where we hurt.  Thanks be to God!

You are

the power

of love,

O God.

What we

think impossible

is made possible

with you.

Thank you

for the

loving invitation.

Yours, Andrea 

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Dear God,

I do believe the tiny buds on the cherry tree are larger than yesterday.  It seems almost impossible that growth can happen that fast.  Yet, by faith anything can change and change quickly.

In our minds change is hard, too difficult to do.  But when faith opens the door, we find more hope, courage and power to change that which we thought was impossible.  Nature and the seasons of transitions teach us so many truths about human nature.

The key is whether we will take the step, make the leap, trust the One that holds us and challenges us to change, to be transformed like the caterpillar become butterfly.  We can be like everything that changes into something more beautiful.  I want to be like that.

Holy God,

remind us

we never

are alone

in transformation.

You are

always with us.

How comforting 

it is

trust you

and learn

to trust ourselves.

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday March 27, 2024

Dear God,

In the early hours this morning while the sky was still black, I heard several sirens begin to blare.  I didn't know whether they were police cars or fire engines.  I just knew something had happened to people who were now hurting.  I paused to pray for strangers.

Only you can connect strangers together, whether near or far.  You invite us to care for all your children, no matter who or where.  You want us to love one another.  Throughout the years I wonder how many prayed for my family and me, more than I can count, I am sure.  Thank you for giving me a chance today to return the favor.

Keep us

in touch

with each other,

O God.

We need

one another.

We all

have hurts

and wounds

that need tending.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Dear God,

Simple things can give great joy.  In the early morning hours while I read my devotions today, I watched the bright white moon move across a dark night sky.  I smiled.

Far too often we look for big things to make us happy but in the meantime we miss all the little things that exist to just give joy.  This morning the moon did it for me.

Thank you

for the

simple movement

of a 

beautiful moon

this morning.

Thank you

for the gift

she gave.

Thank you

for simple things

that really are

big things

if we think

about it.

Love, Andrea

Monday, March 25, 2024

Dear God,

Springtime is always a time of invitation from you, O Lord, a time to say yes to hope, new growth and miracles.  In the winter bleakness, it seems impossible that nature will give us vibrant new life; yet, she does and with amazing beauty.  But why should nature be the only thing that changes?

You offer us a way out of our situation, the bleakness of all that hinders us from hope.  You whisper, "You can do this new thing.  You can do it.  I am with you.  I am the power, the courage and the strength.  You can do this."  We are left to answer the question to whether or not we will accept the invitation and rise.

Loving God,

no one

offers us 

more than you.

Thank you

for spring

and her

bright new promise.

Thank you

for including us

in the invitation!

Yours, Andrea

Sunday, March 24, 2024

Dear God,

Just outside my study window, the oriental cherry tree is budding tiny green leaves.  Right now the whole tree is gently dancing with the breeze.  It is like it is giving a message to trust and follow the lead of its creator.  By budding, it is saying yes to you.  

All the trees, flowers and shrubs are whispering the same message.  They are happy to hear your voice, to rise from their slumber and to dance in the wind.  Their witness gives way to the question to all of us too.  Will we say yes to you, will we rise up from our dark place and reach for the light?

Loving Creator,

you call

all of us

every day

to rise

and trust.

You give us

opportunity to

break out

of our cocoons

into the light

of day.

You whisper

to us

the promise

of new life.

Thank you.

Yours, Andrea 

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Dear God,

Letting go, surrendering, releasing is one of the most difficult challenges but also one of the most rewarding.  We hold on to things because they give us a way to stay stuck, to remain in place without healing or hope and to keep us from moving forward.  But holding on so tight can damage and destroy.  It can suck life out of us depleting us of vital energy, faith and blessing.  Yet, we still grasp tighter and tighter.

I am hearing that call right now, to let go.  The thought of it makes me deeply sad, yet it is a chance to heal myself and allow you to heal me as well.  More than all of this I want your divine hand on my soul.  I need it.  We all do.

Help me,

O God,

to surrender

once again

to you.

Lead me

to the

healing place

where all

that is

let go

remains in

your care.  

Pry my fingers

away from

all that

hurts me,

hurts all

of us,

I pray.

Love, Andrea 

Friday, March 22, 2024

Dear God,

Healing comes in many forms.  You call people to become healers, healers of people, the earth, animals.  You invite us to heal one another.

Today you began my own healing in an operating room where the oncological surgeon removed cancer from my body.  Along with nurses, technicians and pathologists, they used your gifts to bring restoration and renewal to me.

Every day you give us opportunity to count our blessings and give thanks.  You teach us to be a grateful people reminding us that even a bad day is a good day when you are with us in our trials, temptations and fears.  Expressing our gratitude can even be a healing act.

Thank you,

Great Physician,

Loving God,

for the gift

of your healing.

Thanks for 

all those

who worked

to heal me today.

Thank you

for every soul

who offered healing

in this world today.

Love, Andrea

Thursday, March 21, 2024

Dear God,

Tomorrow early in the morning I will undergo bladder cancer surgery.  Doctors and nurses will eradicate the cancer and tend to my needs.  What greater gift can I ask for, O Lord?

We never know what a day will bring.  It can unfold in ways we cannot conceive.  Whether a celebratory day or a difficult day, we know you are God of both.  As we awaken to the new day, may we first seek you in love and prayer so we can journey through the day with gratitude on our lips for your holy presence.

Loving God,

I am

in your hands.

But so

are all

my sisters

and brothers

around the world.

Bless us all,

Holy God,

bless us all together.

May we respond

with deep gratitude.

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday, March 20, 2024

Dear God,

In 1988 my husband and I traveled to the USSR.  For nearly three weeks we worshiped daily with parishioners in the Russian Orthodox Church.  We visited churches and listened as they shared their love for you.  At one church just a couple of elderly women sang to our ecumenical group and we responded back in a song of peace.  How beautiful it was to share in love for you and the church.

We so remember our time with the Russians and the Ukrainians.  We fell in love with both sets of people.  We stood at memorials and prayed for the present people.  We asked for peace for every man, woman and child.  We celebrated 1,000 years of Christianity in the Russian Church.  We were so incredibly blessed.  It remains one of the most beautiful experiences in our lives.

By today they are fighting one another.  Our hearts break as we think and pray for them.  We send our love and continued prayers for peace.  They are your children, all of them, dear God, please bring them all peace, I pray.

You are

the prince

of peace,

O God.

Only you

can bring

lasting peace.

Fill your

hurting children

with that peace,

we pray.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Dear God,

Life is all about trusting you, O God.  Yes, we need to fulfill our responsibilities.  We need to love and care for our family.  We need to do our daily chores.  But the beginning and the end of the day is a reminder to trust you.

Life is more meaningful, purposeful and richer with you.  With you faith, hope, peace, joy and wisdom are possible in greater dimension.  Our perspective in life widens and deepens with you.  We are enabled, equipped and established to do more in the world for more people.  We can contribute in ways perhaps we are not without you.

Today's challenge is about deciding about trusting you wholly.

Loving God,

I want

to trust you more

than I want

to try

to control

so much

in life.

Help me,

help us,

I pray.

Bless all those

who struggle

as well.

Yours, Andrea

Monday, March 18, 2024

Dear God,

Light and darkness need to dance the dance of hope.  However, oftentimes we give more space to the power of darkness rather than the light.  But the reality is that you made both equal.  We need the darkness as much as we need the light.

We always welcome the light but never the darkness.  Nature shows us how the dance is created.  At those beautiful moments of twilight or first light, we see the beauty of the dance, light and dark joining one another.  It is a spectacular moment that happens every day.  

More often than not, growth occurs in the darkness.  In the darkness when life is stirring, trust can develop, faith can increase and insight can come.  When such miracle moments occur, it is when the dance begins.

Holy God,

thank you

for both

your special gifts,

the light

and the darkness.

Help us 

become friends

with both.

Teach us

to trust you

in the darkness

as well as

in the darkness.

Guide us

in the dance,

we pray.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Dear God,

The sun seemed brighter, the world filled with more hope and joy bubbling up today.  Maybe it was because it was Sunday or the worship was both wonderful and challenging.  Maybe it was because we were with friends.  Maybe it was just because you were so present in all those things around me.

Every day is a day full of you, O God.  We miss it when we don't pay attention and more often than not, we do not.  Yet, the sun came up and went back down.  There was oxygen to breathe in and smiles on people around us.  There was hope present and some moments filled with peace. 

As we awaken and walk through each day, O God, please make us aware of your presence so we can give you our gratitude and together we can share in your joy.

Thank you,

Loving God,

for all

your gifts.

Thank you

for the treasures

I found

in you today.

Help us all

to give praise.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Dear God,

Today I want to honor you in all I do.  At nightfall I want to point to all the ways you have been working in my life.  I want to give you credit, say thank you and give praise for your wondrous and loving ways. Why?  Because you are worthy of praise, O Lord.

Living my today is not about focusing on me.  I do not need applause or recognition.  What I want and need to do is to raise awareness of your reality in the world.  When I am blessed with a healing or insight, I want to point to you.  If an answer comes or faith or hope, I want to direct my sighs of joy to you.  I want to share with the world how you are ever present in our midst working for our good and for the good of the world.

Thank you

for blessings

that lead

to praise

and thanksgiving.

Thank you

for staying

in touch 

and loving us

where we are.

Thank you

for offering us 

ways to share

with others.

Love, Andrea

Friday, March 15, 2024

Dear God,

Thank you for early morning.  That you for the darkness and the dawn.  Thank you for the black, gray, white, pink and blue hues in the skies.  Thank you for the incredible beauty first thing every morning.

As each new day dawns, it gives us a new, fresh opportunity to receive the beauty of the new day.  It brings a holy breeze to stale lives.  It shouts, "Wake up, a new day is dawning.  Breathe in this fresh, new day filled with hope and promise.  Receive my gift, my love and my hope for you, my child, son and daughter, receive my gift from on high."  Who would not want to say yes to the new day.

Loving Creator,

thank you

for morning blessings,

the best

of the day.

Thank you

for reminding us

to begin again,

to let go

of yesterday,

and to 

not plan

for tomorrow

too soon 

and to accept

the gift

of today.

You are

a wondrous God

so filled

with love

for your beloved.

Teach us how

to love

you well

right back.

Yours, Andrea

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Dear God,

While we walk this journey called life, you invite us to bring people into our lives.  As I sit with my devotions in the early morning, I bring in men and women who bring their truth, love and faith with them.  In the inner soul, they offer me the best they have to offer.

Such gifts bless me in ways beyond my imagination.  Living or dead, their treasures challenge, convict, comfort, heal and embrace me.  I listen to their stories come to life within me.  I allow them to walk through the spiritual and emotional halls of my life and there they affix pictures of a life with you.  At any time I can walk those same halls and find lingering images of faith dwelling there.  I am strengthened and blessed beyond my own worthiness, yet, I accept and receive praying that I too can offer to others my own faith as well.

Thank you

for the 

blessed ones

you bring

into my life,

Holy God.

Thank you

for the gifts

they leave behind.

May I

be a 

faith-bearer

to others

as well.

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Dear God,

I thought I might be going blind.  Gray clouds formed over my eye creating anxiety and fear.  At first the ophthalmologist thought it was a detached retina but further exploration showed scar tissue behind the area where cataract surgery was performed.  Yesterday I had laser surgery to cut a hole in the area holding the transplanted lens.  Although there are floaters troubling me, I have been assured they will resolve soon.

Life is filled with unexpected surprises as we age.  Today will not necessarily be like yesterday or even tomorrow.  The human body was not created to last forever.  Certain parts will begin to show wear.  We have to decide how we will handle these limitations.

I think that is where faith can enter.  When we acknowledge this body was created by someone else, it can give us new perspective.  I may be in charge of taking care of this body but I can't do it alone.  I need help.  We all do.  We look to others who can help us through changing times.

Recognizing that life is temporal, we need to grab hold of what we can to do our best with what we have within us.  Life will not always be easy or fair but we have opportunity to gain something from everything that happens.  

I didn't go blind after all but I did realize how valuable my eyes are to me.  They enable me to see life in so many dimensions.  They guide me and keep me from stumbling.  They lead me to beauty, exquisite beauty in nature and my grandchildren's faces.  My temporary worry led me to a new appreciation of what I have.

Glorious and Loving God,

thank you

for the reminder

to count

my blessings.

Forgive my fear

and anxiety.

Help me

trust in you

for all things.

Yours, Andrea

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Dear God,

Every day we have to decide if we are going to open the door to hope. We can swing the door wide or just open it a crack.  No matter hope will have a chance to enter into our lives on that new day.

Doubt, despondency and despair can block our door.  Coming in all forms, they quite literally can rob us of any way to rise from our bed.  They are destructive and deadly.  But they do not have to have the final word.

Hope by its nature spreads seeds of new life.  It says just trust me for a while.  Just when we think the darkness will never lift, light will come.  It may not bring everything we want but light is light that warms, comforts and gives us another chance to see and experience something more.  Just a tiny bit of hope can bring more hope with it.

Dear God,

we all

want hope.

We want

to live lives

where death

and despair

do not rule.

Help us

find our way

to open

the door.

Yours, Andrea

Monday, March 11, 2024

Dear God,

As the song goes, "How deep is your love?  I really need to know."  In trying times we need to know the extent of your love for us.

When we are searching for signs of your love, we can pause to remember former acts of such love.  When have I experienced God's love, I can ask myself.  I can recall to mind special kindnesses, healing moments and unexpected grace.  A time of remembrance can not only restore my doubt into belief but also strengthen my faith.  I can be moved to celebrate and give praise. 

I can also turn to the creation.  Every day in every season I can watch the trees sway to the music of your spirit love.  I can watch the flowers rise out of the winter soil and the bushes begin to bud.  I can also listen to the birds of the air sing their own songs of praise.

Loving God,

thank you

for remembering me.

Thank you

for loving me

so well.

Thank you

for loving

the whole

of the cosmos.

Yours, Andrea

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Dear God,

Trees are beginning to bud, flower stems are rising from the dark soil and the birds are singing.  Soon it will be spring.  The extraordinary beauty of winter will give way to the newness of life in springtime.  What is not to love about the season change?

Although we can take everything at face value, we can also use this seasonal change to challenge us to spiritual and emotional change.  What is it you wish to change in me, O Lord, we might ask.  There seems to always be something that desires to be birthed within us.  Sometimes it involves our own resurrection.  Who would not want that?

Holy God,

transform me

into what

you desire

for me.

I wish

to change,

to grow,

to be transformed.

Let me

come into spring

like the flowers

and trees 

and birds,

I pray.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, March 9, 2024

Dear God,

It is mind boggling to think that miracles still happen.  Maybe no seas are parted or manna falling from heaven but unexpected changes can be just as miraculous.  When such events occur, we need to remember the God who enables them.

O God, we all need to be part of a miracle to change our world.  Every person is hurting in some way or another or they know someone who is.  We need to experience something far greater than ourselves so we can participate in miracle happenings for others.

Today I watched your miracle unfold and I felt the dramatic shift all day long.  I was a bit skeptical but it continued.  I knew it was meant to bless us but more than that, it was an invitation to give praise to you for the gift.

Loving God,

you are full

of miracles.

You are

in the business

of creating miracles.

May we

walk alongside you

to assist

in spreading

the miracles

at home 

and abroad.

Yours, Andrea

Friday, March 8, 2024

Dear God,

How long does a prayer last?  The end of the amen?  When it is over?  How long?

Recently at my stay at a monastery, I visited the grotto where prayer candles were burning.  A day or two later I returned and the same candles were glowing.  I thought about the question.

Your son once said, "Pray without ceasing."  Does that mean a prayer is eternal?  I think so.  I believe a prayer once prayed is one that remains, one that circles the cosmos, sticks and continues long, long after the amen is spoken.

Several years ago I had a vision of two huge lights coming together on a collision course.  I so believed what I was seeing that I took hold of one of the spindles and hung on tightly in our living room.  I thought maybe it was going to be the end.  But what happened was they did collide, split off with billions of tiny points of light. When I asked you what they were, you said they were ancient prayers.  I realized then the eternal nature of prayer.  I believe prayers prayed in earnest remain to bless people in the present but also in the future. They outlast the person who prayed the prayer.

All this is to say that our prayers matter to you, O God.  When you invite us to pray without ceasing, you meant the cosmos was to be encircled with prayer that goes on and on and on.

Holy God,

thank you

for the gift

of prayer

and for

all those

who pray.

If prayer

is a candle,

may it

radiate forever.

May our prayers

bring more light

into this

dark, chaotic world.

Yours, Andrea

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Dear God,

When we sing or say or pray the psalms, we join with billions of others who did the same centuries ago.  But it doesn't stop there, people in the future will join the throng as well.

Who knows more about human nature than the psalmist?  Whether in joy or sorrow, light or darkness, good or evil, the psalmist has a word to offer.  Why is it we turn to the psalms before Old or New Testament readings?  Because we know the psalmist has experienced whatever it is we are facing.  We find comfort there if nowhere else than in Psalm 23 declaring, "The Lord is my shepherd..."

Great Shepherd,

thank you

for taking care

of your flock.

Thank you

for the psalmist

who wrote

what he felt.

Thank you

for the 

ancient message

that still 

speaks today.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Dear God,

They stand and sing.  They stand and bow.  They stand and pray.  They are the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.  Whether singing, bowing or praying, their devotion to your Son is so very apparent.

There's a reason why people flock to monasteries in troubled times.  Each one is looking for you.  They want to know you still exist and care for the people of earth.  They want to know they are not alone or forgotten.  They want to know they are being heard and loved.

It's what we all want, O God.  We want to know you still know us, love us and walk with us.

Thank you,

Gracious God,

for the gift

of the sisters.

Thank you

for their faith,

their hospitality

and their love.

You called them

and they answered.

Love, Andrea

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Dear God,

Like a deer panting for water, so do I thirst for you, Living God.  Today I repeated the psalmist's words because I too long for you.  Whenever my heart is lonely, my mind troubled or my spirit anxious, I turn to the only one who is present to hear me.  Sometimes I am so desperate, I crawl to you.

Walking the grounds of the monastery, the stations of the cross, the Lourdes grotto and the lake, I listened to the birds sing their praise to you.  Totally dependent on you, they could only sing their joy.  I couldn't help but sing mine too.  

Thank you,

Holy One, 

for all

your gifts today.

You led

me like

a blind woman

trusts her caregiver.

Thank you

for the birds

and their songs

of praise.

Love, Andrea

Monday, March 4, 2024

Dear God,

This morning as I packed for a five-day silent retreat at the Monastery of the Immaculate Conception, I heard your still small voice say "John Michael Talbot."  I went downstairs and looked through old CD's.  There it was, a CD from the latter part of the last century.  I tucked it in my purse.

For 145 miles, I listened, sang and wept as John Michael Talbot sang.  I had nearly forgotten about him and the beautiful, mellow, Christian music he has been singing for decades.  He met my soul right where I was.  

I never cease to be amazed at the way you speak to us, O God.  More often than not, we miss the whispers, the shouts and the waves that come our way but each and every time, it is you trying to get our attention.  You want to speak to our heart or to our mind or to our spirit.  You want to commune with us.  You want us to engage with you.  Today I didn't miss it and how thankful I am.

Blessed God,

thank you

for your

gentle nudging.

Thank you

for bringing

John Michael Talbot

back into

my life.

Thank you

for your

healing word today.

Yours, Andrea

Sunday, March 3, 2024

Dear God,

A simple ride in the car can bring surprising blessings.  For three hours we rode from Manteno, Illinois to Brownsburg, Indiana.  With my cousin asleep in the seat beside me, it was an opportunity to look around, to see through your eyes and to celebrate the goodness of your love.

Upturned rich soil ready for planting whispered the joy of seeds, rain and sunshine.  Animals grazing, children playing, and a man eating an ice cream at the service station portrayed a time of peace. 

Those in the car with me are now family to me.  I hadn't spent time with two of them ever and they are in their 50's.  This weekend they added to my blessings which has included my sleeping cousin for over 70 years.  Before I stepped out of the car at our arrival destination, I murmured my prayers to you of gratitude and to them hugs and much love.

We forget

all our blessings,

O God.

We forget

to look around

and count them.

You are

the author

of all

these gifts

and I

thank you.

Yours, Andrea

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Dear God,

Some things seem so broken that we believe they can never be repaired, put back together.  Today I discovered that is not always true.  Sometimes, maybe.

Several members of my mother's family have been estranged for several decades.  But today five of us, three first cousins, a son of one of them and a daughter of a missing cousin in Florida came together to spend 24 hours with one another.  Seemed odd after so many years; yet, at the same time it felt healing, therapeutic and meaningful.

We filled in cracks to help us better understand our brokenness.  We all shared old/new pieces of information with one another.  Although at times they made us sad, it gave perspective of our shared pain.  We also agreed to be family again, to not allow anything to get in the way of our love for one another.  We vowed to never be estranged again.  

Healing can

only happen

with you,

Gracious God.

We just

do not

always possess

the tools

of healing.

Today we

saw you

and one another

and found peace

and hope.

Yours, Andrea

Friday, March 1, 2024

Dear God,

What is in a foggy day?  Ghosts, monsters, enemies?  Or mysteries, mystical possibilities or friends?  Today is one such day and I find comfort in it.

Each day affords us an opportunity to grow beyond where we are at the moment.  If we look at fog and think it is blank, covering up what is there, we will not look any further.  However, if we pause to explore, we can open our minds, hearts and souls to more, much, much more stored up in the foggy mist.

Every day with you, O God, is an adventure.  You invite us to your side to take the walk of a lifetime!  You point us in directions we might never go on our own.  You direct us to beauty hidden away in nature.  You speak to us of hope, peace and joy.  One all-day walk can change our whole day, maybe even our forever.

Holy God,

thank you

for the

misty fog.

Thank you

for persuading us

to look deeper

into emotional,

psychological and 

spiritual realms.

Treasures await us,

yours, your treasures.

Yours, Andrea

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Dear God,

This morning you awakened me early and invited me to your magnificent sunrise.  As I opened the blinds and crawled back into bed, I watched the darkness turn to light, then to red, purple, gray and white.  As colors splashed across the sky, I watched as you revealed your love of creation and the creation for all her creatures.  And to think this creative event takes place every morning of every day.

More often than not, we miss your creative work.  If we wait to rise later in the morning, we have already missed a main event.  We never even give it a thought.  But not this morning, this morning's main event was my main event all day long.

O God,

forgive us

for forgetting

the best part

of every day

is time

spent with you.

Remind us

to reprioritize

our lives,

to use

early morning

to get

in sync

with you first.

Whisper to us

every morning,

I pray.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Dear God,

Today a friend opened her door to me.  When I stepped inside, I knew I had found a refuge from the storm in my life.  She and her husband offered comfort, hope and love.

How like you they are, Holy Father.  Their kindness and compassion reminded me of the gifts of heaven.  I ate and drank spiritual food and living water.

You always

look out

for us,

Merciful God.

Bad things

may happen

but always

you reach out

to us.

You whisper

your love

and grace

reminding us

we are

never alone.

Yours, Andrea

 

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Dear God,

There is no better person to turn to than you when we face difficult times.  Today so many live in the mire of chaos, injustice, injury, grief and pain.  We look at our own families, our nation and our world.  For those caught up in violence, pain is so deep but you are deeper yet.

Lord, we forget who holds us when we are filled with loss and pain.  We see only what keeps us from peace.  We cry out but often to people and situations that do not help us.  We seek comfort in so many ill-equipped places.  These only deaden our pain but do not bring resolve or healing.  

We need your assistance, your comfort and love, O God.  Come to us, we pray.

You are God;

there is none

greater than you.

We lose hope

and forget

hope was created

by you.

Take hold

of us,

Merciful God,

draw us close

to you, 

I pray.

Love, Andrea

Monday, February 26, 2024

Dear God,

Sometimes we just know that change is coming.  I believe this is one of those times for me.

Holy God,

guide me

through this time

of change.

Be my change-maker.

Hold me

while the ground

begins to shift.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, February 25, 2024

Dear God,

Tiny green blades are rising up through the winter soil.  They have felt the warmth of the glorious sun and felt the kiss of spring's gentle breeze.  Before long they will fully rise, bud and bloom.  They will bless all spring long.

We are reminded of the cycles and seasons of your love for us, O God.  Oh, if we could only take our cues in the same way as the bulbs and trees.  

Creator God,

we are grateful

for your

inspiring touch.

Thank you

for giving us

signs and symbols

of the

changing seasons.

We need you

and are

always blessed

by your love.

Yours, Andrea

Saturday, February 24, 2024

Dear God,

The only way to peace is through you.  We can step into nature, breathe in her air and sigh with thanksgiving.  Peace can come if we open ourselves to it.

We look for peace in many locations, through people, events and activities but peace does not come or, if so, just temporarily.  Lasting peace, the eternal kind is one that arrives on your hand.

Today I breathed in life through peace I found in you.

Holy God,

Eternal One,

no one

holds peace

like you.

Thank you

for the

amazing gift

of peace

that nourishes,

revitalizes and

holds us.

Yours, Andrea