First Presbyterian Church 819 E Street Cozad, NE 69130 Web site designed, maintained and hosted by Anderson Graphics Cozad, Nebraska Phone: 308-784-2717 I am…a beloved child of God who loves purple, poems, polar bears, and penguins I am…a pianist, organist, and handbell ringer I am…an avid reader with a wide range of tastes; from John Grisham to David Eddings; from Walter Brueggemann to Marcus Borg and Jon Dominic Crossan; from Barbara Brown Taylor to Carol Howard Merritt. I am…a veterinarian, who practiced small animal medicine, for twenty years prior to attending seminary …OZ, named for the musical Wicked, is my feline companion …Full of joy, energy, and delightful purring I am…changed by life events The death of my father and paralysis of my mother in a               vehicle accident in 1990 Witnessed the courage and daily of my mother until 2002 …Those events forever changed my life I am…a contemplative at heart Taking time to be silent, practicing the art of centering prayer, and being in spiritual direction …Keep me “rooted and grounded in love” (Ephesians 3:17) I am…a person who dreams Of whale watching and hot-air balloon flying A “work-in-progress”…always open to what the Spirit is calling forth I am…on a spiritual path That is continually evolving And it calls me to live an authentic life …Filled with compassion, love, mercy, and justice for all people I am… a sister, aunt, friend, veterinarian, pastor, K-State alumna, San Francisco Theological Seminary alumna, a certified spiritual director… …and I trust in the “hidden wholeness of all people” (Thomas Merton) I am…A Beloved Child of God. -a bio of Elaine Besthorn written by her in poem form I Am...