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Valiant for Truth By Trish Edwards-Konic As I write, Christmas is approaching and longing for my family is my constant companion. My husband and I are in Indiana; the rest of my family is in Colorado. So close by phone; so far for hugs. At this point in my life I am an "empty-nester," far from my children and other family members. My crown of gray grows more noticeable every year. My mind is filled with questions like: Why can't I eat the same things I did when I was younger and stay the same weight? Why does the dryer shrink clothes (and does it really eat socks)? How did I get a rotator cuff tear from a drug reaction? All of these practical questions lead me to more: Has my life had meaning? Have I served God faithfully? Can I know? Journaling has been my way of contemplating and searching since I was young. Now I have a journal for recording daily events and struggles; one for quotes I want to remember; one for messages God has given me; and one for poems. (This year I am starting a kitchen journal — for all the thoughts, ideas and questions that surface while cooking and doing other kitchen chores.) When I found my first gray hair at about age 30, I wrote in my journal this passage: "Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Isaiah 46:4 (NIV) I even remember preaching a message on this verse, with many gray-haired saints listening. (Only the young can be so brash!) Now the verse touches me in a much deeper way, and I still see the smiles on their faces. I know better what they were smiling about and have several journals filled with life-events where God has sustained, rescued and carried me. Although I miss my family, there is a much greater family in which I am a member — the family of God. And being a member of God's family has eternal consequences. Struggles on earth will one day be gone. In my eternal home I will have no pain, no tears, and I will be filled with joy and love. Meanwhile, I continue to write in my journals and remember God's promises. "And I'll keep on carrying you when you're old. I'll be there, bearing you when you're old and gray. I've done it and will keep on doing it, carrying you on my back, saving you." Isaiah 46:4 (The Message)

COVER STORIES 8 Challenges of the 21st Century Christian Quaker Family John Muhanji The paradox of being a Christian family in a materialistic society is difficult. The author outlines four "eternal principles that stand the test of time." 10 Readers Respond Friends from North Carolina to Washington share their experiences about being Quaker families. 14 Becoming Well-Aged Amy Gomez The war against aging is contrasted with the wisdom of elders. Which really reflects our Quaker faith better? 16 Raising Quaker Children in the Modern World: A Survey of Changing Religious Practices in Friends Families Roger Dreisbach-Williams This 1996 study of Quaker families confirms that "osmosis doesn't work." Family life centered on God is the key to raising Quaker children. 18 Your Faith Has Made You Whole Kathy Bodnar "Quakers very history is about hope and faith in the face of adversity," writes the author. Holding out visions of hope to our communities is a gospel imperative.   FEATURES 4 Commitments 4 News from Friends United Meeting 6 News 13 Salt and Light Stan Leach 19 Russian Friends News 20 Peace Notes 22 Reviews 26 Passages 28 Classifieds 29 Friends United Meeting Member Yearly Meetings 30 Meeting Directory 34 Viewpoints   ON THE COVER Edith Ratcliff 1917-2003 Edith Ratcliff worked tirelessly among Kenyan Friends for 57 years. She is pictured here at the 2002 FUM Triennial held in Nairobi, Kenya. A special insert to remember her and her ministry is included in the center of this issue.   SPECIAL INSERT Edith's Life Story Compiled and edited by Trish Edwards-Konic from documents written by Edith Elaine Ratcliff in the 1980s and 1996. The 1996 document was previously edited by Elizabeth Gates in 2003.

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