“Do what you need to do,” he said. “Don’t worry about things here at the office. Your team can handle things. We can’t do much about the illness you are facing, but we can and we will support you working from home as you need to. We are praying.” This kindness brought me to my knees in gratitude for God’s provision and for His weaving the thread of my life in with those of such precious people. My co-workers. Bless them, Lord, for their love, generosity and care, and return it to them in good measure, as they all carry their own unique life burdens. The bond forged in laboring…

The Church service was in the last quiet moments after the message had been delivered and people were lingering in the Presence. The music was offering a buffer to soft conversations between the few who were beginning to make the shift toward leaving the sanctuary. I had moved quietly to sit just to the side and behind her so as not to interrupt whatever internal prayer she might be engaged in. Watching her face for a moment, I offered my own prayer of gratitude for this beloved daughter who brings so much joy to those around her. When she finally lifted her head and opened her eyes, I touched her…

As the Sabbath draws to a close and the sun is setting on this clear and cold day, I find myself at rest and not inclined to rush into the week ahead. These few moments of contemplation and meditation are part of the life rhythm God has ordained for me, and I am learning to let Him start the conversation or hold me close in the sweet melody of His presence. Sometimes it is all too easy to allow the future to crowd in and make demands. My list of things to do clamoring for attention. Repose before Him who is my Lord becomes my quiet worship and the place…

I slit the tape on the box and pried it open. A musty smell wafted up from the scrunched packing paper as I removed the top layer. One by one I unwrapped the items tucked within the box that had been in storage for several years and placed them on the dining room table. As I unveiled them, some long forgotten, I took a journey back in time. There were old journals with notes I’d made from my dear father’s sermons. There were books I had once held dear and now look forward to rediscovering. There was a lovely banker’s lamp (which my husband promptly swept away to a new…