Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Dear God,

Out the window I watch as tiny white snowflakes fall gently to the ground.  It is such a beautiful picture because it warms my heart, coerces a small on my face and leads me to the divine.  I can watch for hours drawing closer and closer to you.

It is extraordinary to imagine that each flake is unique, no two alike.  They fall from the same sky and yet are so different.  Fallen to the ground they pile up and cover the brown earth.  Literally I look out and gaze upon millions of exquisite designs.

Something so magnificent happens inside me in winter.  It's like I see you in a way I miss in spring, summer and autumn.  I fall in love with you all over again every December and my heart grows full.

Thank you,

Blessed God,

for the gift

of winter.

Thank you

for her secrets

hidden beneath

the soil.

Thank you

for eyes

to see

your goodness,

beauty and grace.

Love, Andrea

 

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

Dear God,

As I reflect upon 2025 as it quietly slips away, I have to take a hard look at what I contributed to others.  It really boils down to three important questions.  What message did I give?  What song did I sing?  What story did I tell?

It is sometimes difficult for me to get up close and personal, to be real, honest and transparent.  Did I fail this year?  Sometimes, maybe even more than I can admit.  Did I even attempt to share, sing and give?  Yes, I did but oftentimes halfheartedly.  Did I desire to offer something every day?  Yes, I did.  

What I do know about my life is this:  I wept for broken people and nations.  I screamed for justice and compassion.  I worked to help people impacted by cruel and evil decisions made by an equally cruel and evil president.  Yes, I do believe Donald Trump is as much loved by you as every other person on the planet but his arrogance, greed and hatred have done so much harm to others.  I have worked to offer an alternative message that all people matter.  For this I have worked very hard.  

As I ready myself to enter the new year, I pray, O God, I will do your will to love, give, serve, help and bless others in concrete and meaningful ways.

Help me,

dear Lord,

to follow you

and serve others.

Replace my

own hatred

with compassion

and mercy.

Make me

a light.

Give me

your message,

your song

and your story

to offer

to the world.

Yours today and forever, Andrea

Monday, December 29, 2025

Dear God,

For many gray and dark days are the worst!  People find dread, gloom and depression.  But I am an oddball.  I love gray, dark days because they beckon me to consider what more is taking place. 

In every other season we clearly see what is happening.  Trees bud in spring.  Flowers burst forth in summer.  Leaves turn amazing colors in fall.  But winter, ah winter, is a time for reflection, meditation and contemplation.

In winter we are visited by shapes and textures.  The lines of dark tree limbs against a white sky and the shapes of snowflakes and icicles and evergreens peeking through the snow help us see what we miss at other times.  Sometimes when hoarfrost comes, trees take on a mystical scene that causes us to see a rare kind of beauty.  

Winter invites us inside herself to dwell with the little things, the simple things of nature and life.  If interested, we can ponder hidden realities, not visible to the naked eye but oh, so exciting to realize.  Trees are so alive beneath the ground working to find nourishment, strength and vitality to produce the wonders of new life in spring.  Flower bulbs are resting in earth's womb so they too will come to life and push through hard, crusty soil producing colorful blooms.  And the birds, yes, the birds feed on red berries left behind for winter enjoyment.  Hardly anything is more beautiful than a red cardinal or bluebird setting on a branch watching tiny white snowflakes gently fall all around them.  

Gray, dark days invite us into the deeper regions of life. We have opportunity to wait and watch, to reflect and consider and wonder and awe (a verb not a noun).  I can hardly wait!

Thank you,

Creator God,

for the gift

of gray,

dark days

and all

their potential.

Open our eyes

and minds

to deep places

where you

await our arrival.

Love, Andrea

Sunday, December 28, 2025

Dear God,

What an amazing, beautiful thing it is to watch the dawning of a new day!   Quiet, reverent, holy, magnificent and wondrous, each word describes the miracle of a brand-new day!  Something happens inside me when I pause to witness the grand event.  I feel awestruck, humbled and loved as I enter the new day with you, God, my creator.  The fact that I am privileged to watch it brings me to my knees as if I was chosen to participate in creation's story.  And to think it happens every 24 hours!

I felt this way yesterday morning.  Although I could hear the washer and dryer doing their thing in the utility room, still I was blessed and inspired to stand alongside creation, to say I notice you, I love you, thank you.

Historically, as I come to the end of an "old" year, I always fall into a nostalgic look of appreciation, gratitude and praise.  I acknowledge all the days when creation's story was being retold every 24 hours and I am happy, so filled with quiet joy.  I breathe in the air, the air of faith and I am made full.

Holy, holy, holy

are you,

God Most High.

How can

I ever adequately

give thanks

for the gift

of creation?

Thank you

for each morning's

next chapter.

I love you.

Yours, Andrea

Saturday, December 27, 2025

Dear God,

I awakened to the tiny lights of the ceramic Christmas tree in my bedroom.  I stepped out into the hall and saw the even tinier lights from another tree in the twin bedroom.  In the bathroom there was the nightlight.  Walking down the hall, I turned toward the white lights surrounding the outside front door, the other way to the mantle lights glowing in the living room and then continuing down the hall to gaze upon the light in the white porcelain church in the dining room and finally to the small white lights flickering outside the patio door outside the kitchen.  After drinking a glass of water, I made my way through the living room, lighted the Christmas tree and library table lights then stepped down into the glassed-in study that reflected lights of eight different scenes.  I sat down in the chair where I do my devotions and just basked in the warmth and beauty of all the beautiful light.

After a few minutes I reflected upon how every day you light our way in life.  One here, another there, you guide us along our way.  In so doing you whisper to us saying we are never alone.  Your light is always with us.  Sometimes it is bright and vast; other times it is but a tiny sliver, but always it shines with us, not always on us but with us which is even better.  We are reminded that the light always shines in the darkness, even the deepest darkness.

It is easy to forget the light when troubles come.  But hope means remembering the light even when we may not easily see it.  This morning, I was awash in and by the light and it was glorious!

Let your 

light shine,

Majestic God,

all over

the world.

May every person

find the light.

Open our eyes

to your 

healing light,

your forgiving light,

your compassionate light,

your renewing light,

your guiding light,

your friendly light,

your saving light, 

your inspiring light

and your

divine light,

we pray.

Yours, Andrea

Friday, December 26, 2025

Dear God,

Early this morning I walked into the living room, lighted the Christmas tree and the lights above the piano and mantle and I stepped into the glassed-in study.  I sat in the stillness and gazed upon the inner and outer Christmas lights.  In that quiet space, I felt I was in a sacred space, the altar inside my tiny room.  For a long time, I just sat and breathed in the air of faith.

What a beautiful time you and I spent together as I listened to your voice in the divine setting.  Peace and calm filled my soul.  I reflected upon the way simple things and spaces can become sacred realities.  Even as I think about it now, Christ was present.

You are holy,

O God,

and you

bring your holiness

into the

welcoming spaces

on earth.

My whole heart

is full

of love

for you.

Thank you

for the

second day

of Christmas.

Yours forever, Andrea

Thursday, December 25, 2025

Dearest God,

Thank you for another Christmas day!  Thank you for the reminder of love given a long time ago but also today.  

May this be a meaningful, inspiring day for all regardless of religious persuasion.  May the peace and hope of the first Christmas bring hope and peace for all people today.

Touch each soul today, O God, I pray.

Love, Andrea

Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Dear God,

Early this morning when the skies were black, I found one star brightly beaming.  I gazed upon it for a long time.  I didn't know what planet it was but for me it was the Star of Bethlehem.  I thought of shepherds discovering a shining star and desperately wanting to run toward it.  I felt warm as I breathed in the air of faith it prompted.  I thought of a manger, a mother and her baby.  I thought of Jesus.

Every Christmas Eve as far back as I can remember, inspiration has appeared persuading me to come closer to you.  It has been so many things but every one of them has touched my heart and stirred my soul.  While the world remains skeptical, my walls drop down making visible the divine.  Always, always I know where it comes from.  Glory to you, Lord.

Holy, holy, holy,

are you,

God Most High.

Thank you

for the star,

for faith

and calls

for nearness.

Thank you

for awe

and wonder.

Yours, Andrea

Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Dear God,

When I light a candle, sit back and reflect on past Christmases, I rarely remember gifts I received but rather remember the warmth of the room and the beauty of Christmas morning.  I remember love shared, laughter pealing and hope restored. I remember your light shining through the many lights glowing.  I remember the Christmas story read, the sharing of best gifts during the year, the devotional time and prayer. I remember quietly placing baby Jesus in the manger in the creche.

In our society today we focus so much on shopping, cooking the best foods, wrapping gifts, cleaning the house and on and on.  We get worn out and slip so far away from what took place on that first Christmas morning, the star, the shepherds running, the quiet breathing of a new baby, the baying of animals and love filling the air.  In fact, if we don't pause on Christmas day to consider the wondrous gift given, we miss it entirely.

While I am guilty of the preparation frenzy, I am grateful for all those moments when your whisper returned me to the meaning of the season, the gift of faith and a heart full of gratitude.  This early morning, I am thinking of you and the gift of your love.  I am blessed!

O God,

forgive us

for focusing

on the

other things

rather than

the blessed things.

This year

may we

be open

to becoming

new beings

full of love

for you

and one another.

Fill us 

with faith

that we

may light

our candles

of hope

for the world.

Yours always, Andrea

Monday, December 22, 2025

Dear God,

I always want to be on the way to truth, not truth as I create it but truth that is authentic, real and abiding.  Sometimes it is hard to know the real truth of things.  

Years ago I was inspired by the words of Jesus when he said we would know the truth and the truth would set us free.  From that day on I sought that kind of truth knowing it would not always be what I would want to hear but always wanted to know because I knew that would always keep me close to you.   Shades of truth could draw me to you but never keep me close if the truth was exaggerated, compromised or diminished.  When I seek the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I have to take your outreached hand and walk the path that will lead me there.  When I have found it, hope, peace and joy meet me.  If I discover myself feeling uneasy, restless and doubtful, I realize I have only stumbled upon part of the truth and still need to search it.

Thank you,

Holy God,

for teaching me

how to

find you.

Please lead me 

to the truth,

your truth

and nothing less.

Help me

to tell

only the truth

so I too

can become

a bearer

of your truth

so that

I may

help set

people free.

Yours, Andrea

Sunday, December 21, 2025

Dear God,

My heart swells and bursts open every time the choir sings their first note in Advent.  The hymns of faith remind me who I am and who it is that loves me first.  Warmth and beauty fill me as I listen to the lyrics and hum along the familiar Christmas tunes.

Long ago I learned the joy of Christmas is not Santa, presents, the Christmas tree, good food or decorations; it is the reminder of the invasion of your love in a dark time so long ago.  Right now in a nation and world where chaos, hatred and evil seem to be leading each day, we need to remember that love always comes in dark times.  Music is simply one way of remembering, accepting and stretching my heart, mind and spirit.

So often I forget.  When I grow weary and irritable over things I cannot control, I grab for what I have stored up within me rather than turn to the One who can convert and transform the whole of me.  You above all know how much transformation I need.  When old habits are lived and self-reliance fights to get my will, you open the way to awaken my spirit to the MORE you offer. This morning as the choir stood to sing, I knew you had entered my weary soul.

Thank you,

Blessed God,

for lifting

my weary soul.

Thank you

for entering

into my

private world

to cause a 

sacred rumbling inside.

Dwell within me today,

dear God,

stay with me

in this

holy season.

Love, Andrea

 

Saturday, December 20, 2025

Dear God,

I strained to see the light but it was black; blackness was all around me.  I feared for I could hardly breathe.  Finally, I stood where I was and said, "It is okay, God; it is enough just to know you are with me in the darkness."  In the silence moments passed when all of a suddenly seemingly out of nowhere, I could see a tiny sliver of light appear in a corner.  I walked toward it and found the light, bright and shiny.

That was 28 years ago this week.  I had been diagnosed with two kinds of breast cancer and was due for surgery December 26.  Without surgery the doctor said I would die.  My life was changed that day not because of the cancer but because of the darkness.

So strange our perceptions, beliefs and understandings.  So often we live in boxes of our own making believing we control our destiny and that life pretty much unfolds the way we make it.  We expect God to show up a particular way, at a particular time to do a particular thing.  The miracle is that God does indeed come but in an unexpected way.

When I think back upon those scary days, I am always drawn back to the darkness and the light rather than the diagnosis, the surgery, the complications, the long recovery and the pronouncement that I was free of cancer.  In the darkness I met you and you welcomed me to your side.  You stayed with me then and have never left.

I will

never forget

your living presence

that day,

Holy God.

It may

have been

the most

inspiring day

of my life.

I return 

there frequently

just to

dwell with you

once again.  

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Dear God,

How far can hope travel?  From one heart to the next?  From one country to the next?

When I read stories of courage from far away, across the continent and the great oceans, I can suddenly realize that hope has found me.  It plants itself within me and gives me strength during hard times.  How can this be so?

Hope is one of those things that can't be nailed down, caught and caged or confined to a particular area.  Hope is like a living stream.  It never dies.  While it may be elusive at times, it still dwells in the deep recesses of the human spirit.  Hope is always at work within us giving us new life, renewed courage and greater strength. It is always working for us and within us.  Hope endures.

Thank you

for reminding us

of the power

of hope.

Thank you

for your spirit

who creates

and grows hope

within us.

Thank you

for hope

that keeps us going.

Yours, Andrea

Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Dear God,

Outside the cold wind howls.  But inside warmth wraps around me.  It is an interesting metaphor.

Faith is like this.  The assaults on the body, mind and spirit often feel like cold, howling winds tossing us back and forth.  Such scenes cause us to lose our bearings.  Frequently we fear where we will end up.  But faith does just the opposite.  While being tossed hither and yon, with faith we know wherever we end up, we will be with you.  For you do not disappear when life is disruptive.  

Faith is not a 9 to 5 proposition.  As a living belief, faith goes with us wherever winds toss us.  No matter whether we are laid low, fall apart, collapse under weight, walk in darkness, or get lost, faith walks with us, talks to us and holds us all during our crisis.  When we come through to the other side, we can reflect back upon the power, courage and strength of faith to not only keep us going but growing at the same time.  Such realizations give us cause to pause and give thanks.

Holy God,

thank you

for your

living presence

all day long.

Thank you

for the certainty

of your promise

to stay

with us

in times

of turmoil

and uncertainty.

Thank you

for the

remarkable gift

of love

that sustains us always.

Yours, Andrea

Monday, December 8, 2025

Dear God,

Hope does not reside in what we want but in what we have.  Whenever we attach hope to what we long for, we will almost always be disappointed.

Hope is a living commodity.  It is like the air we breathe, available 24/7.  It is a gift given long before we were conceived.  It is what underlies everyday living.

Hope comes from you, O God.  When we walk daily with you not as perfect humans but as trusting ones, we find reason to be calm, to breathe hope from the air and to find peace in any situation.  When I read stories of people who found themselves in horrific situations, their survival did not depend on other things or other people or even a change in situation, it was because they trusted you to sustain them in the waiting, the living and the awfulness around them.  Instead of perishing, they lived in hope until a change came about.  Later they were able to testify to your help in their difficulty.  

Hope cannot be dashed by anyone or anything when we trust and cling to you.  No one can get inside us to take it away because it is in our DNA.  Hope is stronger than anything else that threatens because we believe and trust in One whose love for us is deeper than that which threatens us.

Thank you,

dear God,

for loving us,

for giving us faith

and for

sustaining us

in our

most painful situations.

Keep hope alive

in us

and make us aware

of it.

Thank you.

Yours, Andrea

Sunday, December 7, 2025

Dear God,

Political rhetoric can paralyze us, fill us with despair and make us incapable of hope.  On the other hand, faith has the power to help us overcome, break the chains that bind us and give us wings to soar, songs to sing and joy to bubble over.

Three days in a row I received new kitchen appliances.  Each deliveryman was a person of color and originated from another country.  Filled with frustration over our president and his pals' language, threats and abusive ways, I found myself apologizing to each deliverer.  "We are not all like him!  We do not all have mean spirits or mean ways.  I am so sorry you, your families and your friends have been hurt by them.  I am glad you all are here."  Smiles spread across their faces.

Sometimes we think presidents and people of power have the last word.  But that simply is not true.  Faith has the final word.  Faith gives life, hope, beauty, possibility, courage, strength and power.  Faith always trumps the vilest thing in the world.  We faith (verb) because we can and we should.  We upright everything turned upside down.  We lift up, rather than tear down.  Love always overturns hatred.  

In the darkest of days and times, faith turns on the light, sometimes just a spark and sometimes bright, bright lights shine.  I faithed today and I am singing a new song!

Thanks to you,

O God,

I can sing.

I can shine.

I can faith.

Thank you

for spiritual power

that wins

every day.

Love, Andrea

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Dear God,

We are already part way through Advent but it seems like only yesterday we were living through Lent.  Time is moving so swiftly and part of me wants to call Time Out.  I want to stop time and take a look around me.

For me winter is that time.  Every time I look out the window, see snow on the ground, barren branches and squirrels searching for hidden nuts, I feel like I am close to heaven, like maybe heaven moved closer to the earth.  My breathing slows, my breaths taking in part of heaven's air and I feel at peace.

Holy God,

thank you

for the blessing

of winter.

Thank you

for quiet thoughts

that reveal

holy things.

Thank you

for insights,

winter scenes

and holy kisses.

Yours, Andrea 

Friday, December 5, 2025

Dear God,

In the quiet, we can hear your voice.  Sometimes it is a warning, sometimes a challenge.  But other times it is a simple reminder to be still.

There are great benefits to being still.  Our senses are sharpened.  Our minds can decompress.  Our bodies can let down.  Our peace can return.  Our longing for sacred things can replace the long lists of tasks to be done, goals to achieve and gossip to be shared.

We think we need to always be busy thinking about the now and worrying about the tomorrow and the next day.  If we gave sound to our minds, the squeaks, squawks and roars would frighten anyone.  While you can be found in the awkward sounds of life, there is truly a sweetness in the stillness, the quiet peace that can only be discovered in you.

Thank you,

Loving God,

for the

quiet peace

you bring.

Thank you

for quieting

our bodies,

minds and souls.

We need quiet.

We need you.

Yours, Andrea

Thursday, December 4, 2025

Dear God,

Yes is a small word but contains power.  Every time a difficulty arises, you invite your human friends to a step in faith.  Will you trust me?  You ask.  Will you follow me?  Will you let me help you stretch and grow.  

We are better equipped to say no rather than yes.  We are accustomed to giving a negative response instead of a positive one.  Why?  Although crazy at times, we would rather stay in our comfortable, familiar box instead of leave for a new one.

Mary said yes.  Centuries ago as a teenager she was asked to carry God into the world and today especially during Advent we are still hearing her story.  I must confess I always stumble a little during this season because I know the power of yes and no.  I have said both many times.  But one thing I do know for sure.  When I say yes to you, I find myself in a place of love, a love that wraps around me as I stumble through the darkness to the light.  And when I find it, I also find joy, a joy that comes from a deep and beautiful place.  So, when I listen to Mary's story one more time and feel that nudge toward yes in my own life, I know what is coming around the corner, what waits for me.  

Holy God,

thank you

for every nudge,

every challenge

and every possibility

you provide.

Thank you

for Mary

and her yes.

May her model

be a reminder

when saying yes

is a 

really good idea,

a blessing too.

Yours, Andrea

Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Dear God,

I am sitting in the window-lined back room looking out on the beautiful snow-laden ground with a candle burning inside and the Christmas tree all aglow but all I can think of is you.  There is no one thing or person who takes my attention during Advent like you.  I see nature's best and I think of you.  I smell the candle scent and I think of you.  I see the lighted tree and I think of you.  

In a world that competes for our attention, no one can give us the calm beauty of winter, the loveliness of the season of birth and renewal or the joy of being alive with loved ones.  As I continue to ready my home for five friends who are arriving tomorrow for four nights to celebrate Christmas Prelude, I think of how we all met years ago in church.  We share a vital faith, a meaningful friendship and a penchant for laughter and fun.  In these things alone, I think of you.

Thank you,

Blessed God,

for the gifts

of daily life.

After all,

it is

not really

the big things

that give us

joy and inspiration

but the

small things 

of living.

Thank you

for this

quiet moment

with you

and the time

that will not

be so quiet

but meaningful

a few hours

from now.

Love, Andrea