We are not a conventional family, but we are blessed by the gifts that our mother, Rose DeShaw, delivered to us as children. With not a lot of money, we received gifts that helped us to transcend the material world and connect us to our faith — gifts that we walk with to this day.

One gift was devotion to the printed word in all its forms. We were early readers, and one childhood treat involved our mother's devotion to books. Once or twice a year, we might be lucky enough to be freed from family conversation at dinner and be granted the wish of a "reading dinner". We could bring our books and tuck in. As avid library users, one of our presents on key occasions might be that our mother would pay off our library fines so that we could return to good standing. As a result, as adults, we are not just readers, but writers and tutors of the written word.

Reading was also a key component in our introduction to faith, as Mom read us Bible stories and led us every night in the recitation of the Lord's Prayer.

Mom's love of music was another way of sharing her faith with us. When we kids were little, our family was living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and that meant taking the public transit system to get anywhere. This also meant a lot of standing around and waiting. The easiest way to keep us occupied was to sing. It must have been something for commuters to hear our group, in full voice, belting out a song like "Swing low, sweet chariot!" on a Yonge Street subway platform! Mom not only taught us the words to the songs, but explained the spiritual message behind the words, so that we became connected to our faith.

The legacy that she passed down to us has carried on, as my sister Rell and I have sung in many church and community choirs. We both realized the power of music to lift us, soothe us, and create space for reflection.

Now that we are older, in a world often focused on material goods and daily struggles, we are grateful for moments to savour these gifts. My sister and I realize how blessed we are to have received these gifts from our mother, Rose. She shared her passions as our teacher and created a door to the spiritual world through print and music.

Let's think back on the gifts that God has provided us by the presence of the people in our lives, and remind them — and God — of how grateful we are!

Prayer: Dear Holy Spirit, we thank You for the gift of our mothers and for the wisdom and guidance that they have passed on to us. We ask that we might never fail to be grateful for the lessons that they have taught us and for the love that You have shown us by placing them in our lives. Amen.

I have worked for the past fifteen years in the justice system, hands-on as a social worker, speaking with offenders in their living units and trying to assist them to untangle the situations in which they found themselves. Sometimes, it was providing contact information for community resources. Often, it was discussing their recovery from addictions and their plans to move forward, clean and sober. Though some went on to new lives, many unfortunately returned to their old ways. I tried to take solace in the fact that as Alcoholics Anonymous states, We are in the efforts business, not the results business. However, after such a period of time, the cumulative effect of all these experiences had begun to take its toll on me. I lost my faith in God and stopped going to church. I started to see each day as an endless black hole, and decided that the job had stained my soul irrevocably, to the point where I would never again feel joy.

When I reached my lowest point, I returned to my faith and decided to pray for help. Not convinced at that time that anything would change, but feeling as if it were worth a try, I did my knocking on the door. Then, I decided to return to church. As with my return to faith, it was a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, going through the motions to get dressed and show up. However, after a short time, the door was opened, and I felt a call to participate in the music liturgy. These days, I am a member of the choir and even act occasionally as cantor, singing the weekly psalm.

I have also started to notice the daily miracles that occur in my life. This morning, I knocked my glasses under the bed. Both my wife and I looked everywhere to no avail. I stopped, took a deep breath, and then prayed about it. I then walked back into the bedroom, and there were my glasses sitting on the bed, a place that I had searched thoroughly.

Since returning to faith, the days are brighter now. Each early morning as I am out with my two Shih Tzu dogs, I say a prayer of gratitude to God for the day that He has given me.

Let us all resolve to keep on knocking and maintain a strong faith and sense of gratitude, no matter how dark the future looks.

Prayer: Our Father in heaven, hear us knocking and open the door, so that we may rejoice in Your grace. Through Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.

Lately, my life has become one big worry. Off work on medical leave, I worry about how I will feed my family and pay the rent and bills. Not knowing what the future will hold is very difficult. I am very much aware that we Christians are to trust God to provide what is necessary for us. I know that worry is like a rocking chair: it gives us something to do, but it doesn't get us anywhere. It is true that although we don't know what the future holds, we do know who holds the future. However, I can't talk the talk if I can't walk the walk. To call myself a believer and to truly follow God's plan is to trust that He is totally in control of my life — and yours!

Jesus asks the question, "Can all your worries add a single moment to your life?" The answer is, of course, they can't. Let us all try to put aside our worries about the future. The only day that we have is today. Let us learn to trust in God's plan and be open to the miracles that He brings. In the face of our worries and fears, it would be helpful to thank God that He is in control and to memorize and repeat this Scripture verse:

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (NKJV)

Prayer: Dear Lord, help us to trust in You and be open to the daily miracles that are all around us. Amen.

Recently, due to a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), I had to leave a job that I have held for the past ten years. I struggle daily with symptoms of depression. It feels like I am in a meaningless void, kicked aside, and no longer worth consideration. As a result, I strive extra-hard to make something happen and to get answers, until I break down in frustration, as if only I can bring forth the results that I want. When, however, I realize that God has the ultimate power, that He is with me, and that He has a wonderful plan for my life, it makes things less of a struggle. In the end, I do all that I can do, then I pray and leave the rest up to God.

I believe that it is important for everyone to remember that although we who trust in Jesus may be pressed on every side by trouble, we are not broken, because God gives us the strength to endure. It is too easy to become angry and frustrated and to question why this is happening. Remember, contained within us is a precious treasure: light and power shining from God.

Prayer: Lord, help us to strengthen our faith and to have the wisdom to know when we have done all that we can and that it is time to let You take over. Amen.