Ruth Naylor

Faith Talk Ruth Naylor

The author's original intent in writing this memoir was to reflect on her life and share personal stories of faith with her children and grandchildren. She writes of prayer and of God's often unrecognized availability, presence, and providence. A writer-editor at one Christian Writers Conference examined the developing manuscript and encouraged her to add questions at the end of each chapter, directing reader reflection and extending the book's usefulness far beyond just family.

A contemplative Quaker upbringing created keen awareness of the Holy Spirit and established a mystical foundation for the author's life, helping her understand what it means to be in an active living-loving relationship with God, a channel of divine love such as revealed in the life and teachings of Jesus.

Each chapter has its own theme, and the stories are not always in chronological order because some themes recur over a lifetime. The author shares openly the highs and lows of her less-than-perfect life-things not uncommon to humankind but which are seldom subjects of conversation in our fast-paced, secular world. The stories reveal vulnerability and challenges to faith as well as affirmations. Poems and prayers, written at or near the time of the unfolding stories, plumb the depths of the author's experience.

Questions at the end of each chapter are similar to those a spiritual director might ask to invite consideration of one's own spiritual journey-where faith has strengthened them, where it has faltered, or where it has invited new growth.