Written from her smitten heart, Jane Marie Santa Cruz reveals her prayer-time as an offering and reflection of the grace of God in her life. The prayer is poetry. The poetry is prayer. Her psalm is joy. Her pain is song. These inner workings of the Spirit, emerge from her ordinary life as a wife and mother. The reader is invited to linger in silence and praise within these meditations. The entries follow five main themes: From the Heart, From the Desert, Within the Joy, Into the Depths , and And Beyond. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Jane grew up in Tucson, Arizona. She is highly influenced by the southwestern milieu, which has enhanced both her spirituality and her writing. Together with her husband Jim, Jane has worked in a private counseling practice Santa Cruz Counseling. She has also worked as a guidance counselor in a junior high school, and as a Spanish teacher at the high school level where she taught 2nd year, 3rd year and Advanced Placement Spanish. Ever taunting beauty Austere and glorious Ever awake in the night Alter my heart, Lord, Altar my heart Into the grand expanse Of Your All Embracing Love