Such inner silence these days, accompanied by the anxiety I have had since I was a teenager. It will not go away; I just have to accept it without fighting it too much. Beyond that, there is a calmness gained by the years I have spent being faithful to witnessing what I am really like. I am a mess, as are we all.

Not the angry mess I used to be, but a watered-down version as I get older and have fewer challenges to meet. I experience grace easily and feel gratitude pouring from my heart. It is a time of great peace.

Rob and I are going to visit my sister soon. We will be gone a week and when I get back, there is that big deck repair project lying in wait. The holidays are rushing towards us, folks. They always do. I have bags of Halloween candy stashed in the pantry and keep breaking into them.

Spirituality is not what you think it is. It is what you are, but what you are can deepen and grow while your messy ego life is being eradicated. On with the show!

Vicki Woodyard