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Sometimes when things seem bleakest, you need a friend. For my family, that friend was the Christian Science Sentinel.

When confronted with a challenging or intimidating situation, I often think about the pep talk David gave his son Solomon when he was given the task of building a temple to the Lord. As recorded in First Chronicles, he said, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord” (28:20).

The Psalms are so full of insights into the spiritual nature of home. Throughout the Psalms, words such as abide, dwelling place, refuge, secret place, green pastures, and house of the Lord have helped me to gain a sense of home as where my thought rests on and in God’s presence and power.

Many years ago , I was asked to take on the duties of a substitute Reader at a Christian Science informal group I attended, which meant that some weeks I would need to read the weekly Bible Lesson-Sermon to the congregation. But for about as long as I can remember, any activity that required speaking in public, even talking to a clerk at a store, was fraught with anxiety for me.

Years ago, while attending college, I had the privilege of living in the home of a Christian Science practitioner. She became my “college mother.

I’m a Christian Science Sunday School teacher, and I love sharing the Bible and Christian Science with the students—especially the healings and teachings of Christ Jesus.   I always pray to see the children as pure and innocent expressions of God.

For ages mankind has endeavored to discover what is real, lasting, and meaningful in life. This has involved a lot of soul-searching and sometimes looking in all the wrong places.

What knowledge would be available to us without sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch? Could we experience materiality, or even know of an existence in a corporeal body? In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, the Discoverer of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, states, “All human knowledge and material sense must be gained from the five corporeal senses” ( p. 532 ).

One night, many years ago, when a friend came to visit, he invited me to have sex with him. Although I cared very deeply for the man, he knew that I believe that celibacy outside of marriage is an expression of spiritual integrity.

It’s been happening more and more frequently. I’m going about a normal day when a small spiritual insight, barely discernible, comes to me.