I could have never planned or scripted this book on my own.  It was a spiritually organic “thing” that evolved in God’s timing and God’s way.

When I began to log the words that came to me I had no idea the exceptional time in history the year “2020” would become.  For me, the year “2020” was not personally marked by a pandemic, but rather by growth in perseverance, character, hope, love, service and additional “good” fruit.  I had times of struggle … I did … but mostly when I reflect back I see a me that has grown closer to the Lord.

Before the sunrise deck in my Rio Vista, I was quite happy and content in my little Brentwood, CA home.  My art room and garden had evolved into the way I could enjoy it best.  I had a church and great friends who lived near by.  I had plenty of “alone” time to accomplish what I wanted to accomplish and enjoyed my daily commitment to my gym family where I found my physical strength again.  “Moving” was no where on my radar, but when my husband strongly suggested it … I willingly agreed … though some bad fruit definitely fell from my tree.

We moved to Rio Vista, a very small town on the California Delta, into a gated senior community.  Identifying myself into a “senior community” was the last thing I desired.  I struggled to be content and started by reworking a garden in our new and very small back yard. 

Our new home backed up to a small airport facing east, with the Sierra Nevada’s in the distance.  Seeing my excitement, as I stood on a ladder, experiencing that first sun rising over those distant mountains caused my loving husband to come up with plans for a small but tall sunrise deck.  

I faithfully went out every morning with my cup of coffee to see the sun rise. It was marked new every morning with varying combinations of colors, stillness, clouds, fog, rain, sounds, and smells.  As I began to rest in contentment watching the sun rise … words began to come to me and I began to ponder …