HEARTLINES is a poetic journey through life with the God of Creation. He created the beauty that surrounds us and He created us, giving us myriad talents, emotions, similarities and differences. This book of Christian poetry touches various aspects of growing closer to Him: gratitude, faith, hope, joy, love, trials, heartaches and trust. Life is never a straight-line forward. Some of the poems are deeply personal and others are intercessory for family, friends, country and all humanity, those who believe in God wholeheartedly and those who do not yet believe. They originated in prayers that morphed into poems. We are all works in progress. Thus, these poems recognize our human striving to know and love the Almighty God and receive His help and strength for life's unending challenges. HEARTLINES is a taste of Christian daily living while hanging onto the Shepherd of our souls. Barbara Elkin is a self-proclaimed word junkie who loves the sound, rhythm and rhyme of words. She feels words help us process the complex wonders and worries of everyday life. She is an honors graduate of Hillsdale College in Michigan and has moved across the country several times with her husband and family. In 2017 she and Ken (husband of 46 years) returned to California to be closer to family. Her first book, Reflections, was co-authored with their son, Daniel. Barbara's interests include studying scripture, card-making, reading, writing and enjoying her children and grandchildren.