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Author Burling finds comfort in creating daily devotional passages and shares them with readers for their spiritual inspiration. Her readers can draw upon her passages day by day throughout the calendar year, or simply read at random, perhaps attracted by such titles as “A Lesson from a Determined Squirrel” (September 2), in which she observes a small animal returning again and again to a bird feeder for sustenance and falling to the ground after every bite. This spiritual metaphor invokes the question, “Can we be as determined as he was?” Each entry concludes with a short prayer, “Dear Father,” based around the meanings implied in the segment. Simple, common, and homey experiences are mined for spiritual lessons: defrosting the refrigerator, coping with poor internet service, and keeping a “junk drawer.”
Burling occasionally speaks of her recent widowhood, which prompted her to begin her daily walks and compose devotionals based around them. Therefore her offerings, which started as part of her personal healing process, speak powerfully to women. In fact, she has adopted a special ministry for her spiritual sisterhood in groups known as King’s Daughters, addressing their problems, their confusion, and in the case of widows like herself, their loneliness. The daily headings convey positivity with such messages as “It’s a Great Day,” “Too Old? Never!” and “A God of Second Chances – Plus!” This aggregation is inclusive for all Christians, though, containing appropriate scriptural quotations along with Burling’s well-formed sermonette/stories. Her work offers special resonance for spiritually minded persons seeking higher ground, who will wish to keep it handy for repeated consultation, incentive, and inspiration.