"You know her?"
          Elpis nodded.  "Uh-huh.  She isn't backsliding again, is she?"
          Michael leaned against his desk and folded his arms stiffly, all the while shaking his head in disgust.  "I'm afraid so."
          Elpis wasn't surprised.  He released an exaggerated sigh and said, "Will I go alone, or will one of the guardians accompany me?"
            "Gregoreo will go with you."
          Elpis seemed pleased.  "Why, Gregoreo and I haven't worked together ages!" he said.    "I'll look forward to working with him again!"
          Michael nodded absently.  "My plan is to have him leave the White House and join you at Amanda's."
          Elpis seemed puzzled.  "Excuse me, archangel, but I can only assume that the present situation hasn't become volatile enough to send one of our warrior-angels?  I'm no fighter you know, and Gregoreo's a guardian--"
          Michael cut in.  "Your assumption is correct, comrade.  Amanda's asked only for protection, nothing else.  Unfortunately she rarely, if ever, asks the Father for guidance or wisdom. . .or for His will to be done in her life.  Instead she relies on her own instincts to make decisions."  He frowned.  "Amanda doesn't rely on God," he said with ire.  "She never has."
          "Sounds serious."
          "It is, my friend.  She's deeply depressed. . .feeling hopeless, actually.  But she's calling out to the Lord again, which is a good sign."
          "Hopeless?  Ahhh, that's where I come in!"
          "She needs hope, Elpis, which is why I've asked for you."
          "Then I should be on my way," he said, anxious to get to begin his new assignment. Michael, a sagacious tactician, was relieved that his plan was in place.  Still, it was up to Amanda to responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit --  and he prayed that she would.
          With hands clasped behind his back he resumed pacing.  Elpis was just about to leave when Michael abruptly stopped, turned to him and said, "There's one more thing before you go.  I fear that Amanda's on the verge of making the biggest mistake of her life."
          Elpis thought to himself, That's no surprise.  But to Michael he said, "From what I remember about Amanda Berntson, she was always on the verge of making the biggest mistake of her life."