Kim Chernin's mother was a leftist firebrand, an American Marxist at mid-century, when it was dangerous to be one. Her father, a quiet man, was no less radical. Why then, decades later, does their daughter--a liberal California psychoanalyst and writer--find herself drawn toward a spirituality that would have shocked her parents? Through three personal stories, Chernin tackles the questions that pull at all of us: how to make sense in a world whose order isn't always apparent, and how to find balance between the mind and the spirit. "Kim Chernin writes with immediacy and intimacy."--City Life, London.

The importance of spending time with the Father For the true believer it is of utmost importance to spend time with our Father. Spending time with God allows one to experience moments that one may rarely encounter. In God’s presence we are changed for the better and only He gets the glory. “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11 ESV). The Christian lifestyle is based upon a relationship with our Father through his only begotten Son, Jesus the Christ. The more hours and days spent with him develops a solid relationship that are built on a firm foundation. As Christians one must be intentional about the way one manages one’s time. The same way we invest time with our loved ones, friends, and acquaintances, is the same way we get to know God better. When we stay focused and keep our mind on him, he promises to keep us in perfect peace. Having a heart for God will allow one to understand the purpose and plan that He has for one’s life. It is imperative for the Christian to understand that the sole purpose of spending time with the Father is to get to know him. Knowing God intimately makes way for the believer to conform to his image. The garden is a significant place to meet God. It was the first place that he placed humankind to develop. In my father’s garden there is a tone to re-establish an atmosphere for a connection or a reconnection with God. The garden of Eden was to be an earthly paradise occupied by humankind. God desires that same relationship with the modern-day Christian. “Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Hebrews 7:25 ESV).

WALKING THROUGH MY FATHER'S GARDEN--winner of the 2006 Chapbook Competition awarded by the English Department of the William Paterson University of New Jersey--speaks rhythmically of love, loss, nostalgia and nature. Through careful observation of the world and poignant insight, the poems here nudge readers to an intense yet tender appreciation of life's flesh and spirit.

I have been enjoying teaching for the past three decades. Prior to joining the Baker College family, I served as a faculty member at Ohio State University, Franklin University, Central Connecticut State, University of Massachusetts. Over the same period, my research papers have appeared in more than sixty periodic journals and scholarly collections, in over thirty-five countries situated on all inhabited continents. I also published (as author or editor) fifteen books. I earned my D. Phil. at Oxford university (England) (with a Grant from the Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Principals of the Universities of the United Kingdom), M.A. at the University of Texas at Dallas (with a National Science Foundation Project Grant Assistantship) and B.S. at Trinity University (with Bostwick Scholarship).