This book is a collection of my poems, hymn texts, and stories of answered, fervent prayer-t only my prayers, but also prayers shared by friends and acquaintances of faith and trust in a God who hears and responds to the concerns of our hearts. My poems and hymn texts are prayers because they arise out of my time in communion with God, often when I am the most broken. They express deep grief and questioning as well as great joy. For me, natural beauty continues to draw me into a closer relationship with the Holy Spirit in my journey to wholeness. Wholeness, I believe, is the desired state of being in which we experience the joy of Heaven on Earth-moments in which we are in complete harmony with God, ourselves, and the entire creation to experience what I call Paradise Within, symbolized for me by the Emerald Leaf. Sandy Smyth M.A.R., Theological Studies, Yale Divinity School; M.A.R.S., Religious Studies, Sacred Heart University; B.A., Art, Elmira College.
