I was in my mid-teens when my first poem spilled out of my heart. It was, however, void of any hope or expression of any confidence in a God's love. It ends with the question, "Is there no answer for my agony?" This poem was not included in my first published collection in 1982, GENTLE REFLECTIONS, because the poems that followed as I matured, entered the workforce, and became a wife and mother were a compilation of poems reflecting a much brighter side of life and my experiences as a woman. I had yet to be introduced to my Lord and Savior on a personal basis in l982, though my precious Mother-in-law had offered some very strong evidence that there was a God who loved me. GENTLE REFLECTIONS II is record of my faith journey captured in a collection of prose and verse, filtered through the Holy Spirit, which has flowed from my heart since surrendering my life to Jesus Christ. I can clearly hear His voice now as He leads me through this earthly life, with anticipation of a blissful eternity with Him. It is my hope that, as you journey with me through my book, that you will find yourself somewhere along the way and be able to "Taste and see that the Lord is good", and that the fruits of the Holy Spirit are freely given to any who will come and feast with Him.