E24CC379-34C7-4D30-B981-2DDEC14095B7 Often in the mornings, when I walk on the beach at dawn, I do it prayerfully. Every morning I start by praying: "In the Name of the Father, in the Name of the Son, in the Name of the Spirit, the Three in One." Then I gaze out at the Universe and see beautiful skies. I learned a long time ago that anyone could walk the beach and see beautiful sights. But when you walk it prayerfully, you often sense the presence of God and get a glimpse of something unique and beautiful.

This month I listened to two audiobooks by Eric Metaxas, the first one titled “Martin Luther”, the other “Bonhoeffer”. Both main characters were coming into their religious fervor through prayer and devotion by reading and meditating on the Bible. Martin Luther lived in fear of execution, which never happened and Bonhoeffer was executed two weeks before the end of the war for his crime of plotting to kill Adolph Hitler and end the evil of Nazi Germany. Eric Metaxas, an excellent researcher, writer, and storyteller is an author I highly recommend. Both books taught me that you can't just walk the walk - you must walk it prayerfully and you can't just read the Bible - you must do it prayerfully, believing that God is speaking to you through his Word.

In Upper Michigan, the weather teases us with a few warm days in April, lots of cold and freezing temperatures in May. All of a sudden, when we get into June summer comes and stays for a while. It's nice to see more people walking the trails, riding their bikes, visiting with friends in outside cafes, and braving the freezing waters of Lake Superior. I have found that the most profound pictures are taken at dawn and it is during this time of solitude where you experience a sense of awe and wonder as the morning is quiet with only the waves gently lapping at the shore, and the choir of birds are joyfully singing. It is at thee moments I feel blessed to have found what it means to be saved by grace.