FAITH IS...

Not a leap in the dark
nor
a mystical experience
nor
an indefinable
encounter
with someone--



--but



it is...
trust in One who has
explained Himself



in a Person -
Christ,
in an historical
record -

the Bible.

From a small little book entitled, Faith is...
found among Grandmother Holmes' things.
There is a handwritten inscription on the inside cover.
To: Hazel Balcom, a lady who inspired me with her great faith...
Pat Steinhaus
Blood Bank
The Jewish Hospital


Hazel Balcom was my mother' s sister. We called her by her second name, Golda.
Aunt Golda was two year's younger than mother, and the two of them were the only children of Grandmother and Granddaddy Holmes.
In her late fifties, Aunt Golda was diagnosed with cancer. She was ill for a long time, and suffered greatly for several years. As her body grew weaker, her faith grew stronger. Her suffering and death were terribly hard on Grandmother, and there are many notes, poems, and remembrances that speak of her in Grandmother's papers.
I will probably be sharing some of them in the days ahead.
But for now we are going to focus on Faith.