I am the youngest of four children. In the rural part of Puerto Rico where we grew up, all types of fruit abounded in the fields of the country estates. We...

When my daughter, Summer, was four, I took her to a fine arts museum. We came to a multimedia landscape depicting a meadow of wildflowers on a windy day. Puffs of...

I was recently out of town with my family, and since it was Sunday, we visited a church in the area. Before the sermon began, there were a few moments of...

I grew up in a society where people are often skeptical about entertaining strangers. Often, strangers inspire feelings of suspicion and fear. But God wants us to be kind to strangers,...

When I was in the seventh grade, my mom was diagnosed with a rare disease called fibrosing mediastinitis. A mass in her lung made it hard for her to breathe. She...

My birthday was coming up, and I really wanted to celebrate it with cake. The problem was that we did not have enough money to buy one. My sister knew I...

I was sharing early-morning coffee and donuts with our daughter, the mother of two wonderful, energetic children. We were both going through rough patches in our lives. She had been through...

My faith journey is not always smooth sailing. I often face challenges that cause me to lose my close connection with Christ, sometimes even to the point that praying becomes difficult....

About 45 years ago, my father planted a beautiful orchard for my husband and me. For several years, we enjoyed pies, jam, and abundant baskets of fruit to share with others....

I live in a facility for independent-living older adults. Religion here is represented by Catholics, Mormons, various Protestants, and a few agnostics. One day, when the Catholic group was celebrating Mass...