Millie had a deep love of the Psalms and hymns. In these writings, she reveals glimpses of her childhood, teenage, and young adult life, summers away at camp, winters of hard times, and seasons in between when words and melodies sustained her.

My first experience with church camps and conferences came during the summer between ninth and tenth grade. A large group from our church attended the Synod Youth Conference held in the mountains of western Pennsylvania. It was the first of many experiences as camper or counselor over the next ten summers.

Isaiah used the metaphor of the cornerstone in 28:16. Those who put their trust in God will be secure. Jesus used this same figure of speech to warn the Pharisees in Matthew 21:42. Peter also made use of this picture, perhaps remembering Jesus' words to him, "On this rock I will build my church."

Our help does not come from unknown gods in the hills. It comes from the God who created the hills and valleys. God is a personal caretaker who knows and cares about every circumstance of life. Whether we are awake or asleep, we are protected from evil.

Augustine said: "Thou hast made us for thyself, and our unquiet heart knows no rest till it finds rest in thee." This Psalmist has been away from the Temple in Jerusalem, and has missed worship for so long that his soul is thirsty. The only solution for that need is an awareness of the presence of God, even in what feels like a dry and foreign place

Dietrich Bonhoeffer added another book to the list of Christian classics when he wrote The Cost of Discipleship in 1936. In it he lays out for us what it means to follow Christ. We do not know where that path will take us, but we follow the One who has absolute authority over us.

The heart is considered the seat of our emotions. Heart is a word used commonly in both the Old and New Testaments. Isaiah speaks God's word of condemnation of those who "honored me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me." We cannot give lip service to worshiping God. We must devote our total being to God's service.

God did not fail Abraham. God has never failed anyone who sincerely asked for guidance and strength. We are given whatever strength is needed for each stage of life. Troubles may not disappear, but the power to bear them will be provided.