While Tim Bete has been a writer for much of his life, he only started writing poetry after he entered his fifties and began spending a significant amount of time in silent prayer. The more time he spent in silence, the greater the ease he had writing poetry. In a way, Tim’s poems are his prayer journal. Tim is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites and often trades poems with his oldest daughter, who is a Dominican Sister. (He says she is the best writer in the family.) Tim is the author of In the Beginning…There Were No Diapers, a book of essays on the mysteries of parenting (Ave Maria Press). His writing has appeared in several editions of the Amazing Grace anthology series (Ascension Press), the Christian Science Monitor, the Poet and Contemplative Blog of the Discalced Carmelite Friars (Province of St. Therese), as well as CatholicLane.com and other Websites. His first book of poetry is The Raw Stillness of Heaven. You can reach Tim Bete by email at secularcarmelite-poet@yahoo.com.