Sylvia Alloway

Readers of a certain age will recognize the following quotation from The Sound of Silence, a #1 hit song from 1966 by the duo Simon and Garfunkel. {Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk to you again. – Paul Simon} I was … Read more

I had been working at the computer all day, finishing up a writing assignment. My eyes were tired and dry, but I had an important evening appointment. Since I live in LA — Los Angeles, California, USA — there was only one way to get … Read more

The second I started singing "O, come, O come, Emmanuel," I knew that I was in trouble. It was going to be difficult, of course, but this soon? The first hymn of the first Sunday in Advent, 2015, and already I was crying. How was I, a … Read more

I was visiting my brother and his wife in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, USA. Los Angeles, California, where I live, has been in the grip of drought for five years, so you can imagine my measureless delight in the seemingly endless lakes, … Read more

I was delighted to discover that an obscure cable television channel is showing reruns of one of my favorite old shows, Mission: Impossible. From the unique theme song to the plan and the payoff, I was always on the edge of my seat. … Read more

Every now and again, for no particular reason, as I'm doing some ordinary task such as putting away leftovers or getting into the car — snap! Suddenly I'm in debilitating pain, and I can't straighten up. It's my back again. … Read more

The church choir in which I sing has been practicing a new setting for the hymn "Higher Ground", a very strong and rhythmic tune. I have found myself singing this song quite a lot in the last week or two. … Read more

The e-mails from my dad in the last few months have been distressing. As he described my mother's physical and mental decline, I was torn between wanting to travel to Chicago to see her and fearing what I would find: … Read more

My husband and I had been to a Christian banquet and had heard a most inspiring evangelistic preacher talk about his work. The dinner was held at a Los Angeles restaurant perched high on a hill. Each banquet room has … Read more

Today I saw a presentation by a representative of the Gideons. He told about the miracles he sees all over the world when he does one simple thing: placing the Scriptures in the hands of ordinary people. Sometimes he only … Read more