The Triumph of Survival

On January 4, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, emptiness, faith, Heaven, Inspirational, joy, patience, power, prayer, Thanksgiving, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 4 (1/4), is Philippians 1:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”

Are you sad about something? Do your prayers consist mostly of give me this, help me with that? Begin today to keep an on-going list of your prayer requests for the year, and another one of thanksgiving for when those prayers are answered. Begin today to tell God, “Thank you.”

Also begin today to look around at your circumstances ~ whatever they may be ~ with joy. There can be some kind of joy in every situation if you look at it through eyes of joy.

The above quotation is from a letter to Philippi in northern Greece bordering today’s Bulgaria. Here, a majority of the citizens were barbarian-looking warrior Thracians. But these rough semi-professional warriors also brought the world joy with their beautiful sculptures.

Philippians is a book about peace and joy. This is the book that says, “And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (4:7)

This is also the book that says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (4:13).

From now on, tell God, “Thank you,” and in the process rediscover your joy.

YOU CAN BE A HERO ALONE: SURVIVAL STORIES FOR THE COURAGEOUS ISOLATED CHRISTIAN can be used as a class book or a personal study book. Each story covers someone in the Bible who had to stand alone or who was isolated from the world in some way. Our God is a God of small beginnings. From a grain of sand he can build a mountain. From a drop of water he can create an ocean. With one isolated Christian he can create a multitude of Christians. To BUY NOW click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/354h5R8

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/1107-2/you-can-be-a-hero-alone-survival-stories-for-the-isolated-christian/

Running and Running

On January 3, 2021July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, ego, emptiness, Enemies, faith, forgiveness, healing, Heaven, love, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 3 (1/3), is Jonah 1:3a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish.”

Do you spend your life running away from the Lord? Do you do it with busy-ness, with resentments toward people, with anger that God does not make people stop being bad to you, with boredom at the thought of worshipping him, with refusal to believe he even exists?

Is it even possible to run away from the Lord? Eventually, it is. But for a long time, the Lord runs after you just as he did by causing a storm at sea where Jonah was on board his escape ship. He does things to get your attention too.

Perhaps there are storms in your life. Have you ever thought of them as God trying to get your attention? Perhaps you run here and there day after day, too busy to even think about God. But when disaster hits, do you suddenly remember God so you can blame him for your hardships?

Yes, perhaps you sometimes do blame God, but at least you’re thinking of him. Perhaps it’s been years since you have thought seriously about God.

He has big shoulders. Go ahead and blame him for a while, then remember how he loves you and just wants you back.

But don’t wait too long. God only runs after you for so long. Eventually, he gives up. Don’t wait so long that God gives up on you and treats you the way you have been treating him.

“God, I’m coming back. Help me.”

A CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: JONAH. Jonah a hero? Yes, he ran away. Yes, he reluctantly did his duty and preached to his sworn enemies. But he did it. He did not refuse forever. He returned to God. It was hard at first. But, he had been a successful prophet in the past. He could be again. Even Jesus tried to run from the cross until the Father turned him around and he did what he had to do. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/3b78DVE

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The Glimmering Door

On December 31, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, eternity, forgiveness, Heaven, judging, love, Saved from hell, truth, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 31 (12/31), is Luke 12:31 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.”

The kingdom is already here (Luke 9:27; Colossians 1:13), but heaven is not. That is the final destination of the kingdom. Do you actively seek God’s kingdom? Or do you drift and think God should feel obligated to take you into his heaven? Do you feel like you’re “not so bad,” so God would be bad to not take you into his heaven?

Heaven is God’s home, not yours. God has a door into his home, just like you have a door into your home. God is not required to open his door to just anyone, just like you are not required to open your door to just anyone. You cannot just show up at the door and smile and assume he will let you in, any more than people who knock on our door and smile can assume you will let them in.

You let people into your home who you have gotten to know and whose motives you trust. Have you given God a chance to get to know you and trust your motives? Are your daily motives to enter heaven, God’s home? Do you even like God?

This life you live on earth is not your permanent life or residence. This is the testing place to see how you handle problems and to see how much your spiritual muscles will grow. God has plans for Christians in heaven we do not know about. What we do know is that he is not a God of idleness. Do you live like the earth is all there is? Do you fear hell? Do you prefer heaven, where people will worship all the time? Does that sound boring to you?

You are about to enter a brand-new year. Today, decide to start over fresh and set your new goal: To step through the glimmering door, enter God’s home his way and live with him. Forever.

COME FLY WITH ME is novel 8 in the THEY MET JESUS series. It begins with despondency after the untimely death of Jesus and ends with exhilaration as apostle John, no old, sees Jesus once again and tours heaven. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/FLY-WITH-ME

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Enduring Honor

On December 25, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, attitude, church, ego, good works, Heaven, Inspirational, prayer, worshipLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 26 (12/26), is John 12:26 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

Ah, Lord Jesus. We claim we understand how humble you were, then build great cathedrals which we claim are to your glory but which are really to our glory. We organize great musical performances which we claim are to your glory, but which are really to our glory.

Just where was Jesus when he was on earth saying this? In a posh hotel in Jerusalem? Did he have great musicians performing in the background? Did he stand on a podium and declare this to multitudes? Who are you fooling when you declare you are his servant.

Who or what are you really a servant to? Power in a workplace, club, congregation, neighborhood? Prestige in a community, an occupation, an organization? Self-indulgence of money, music, entertainment?

While you are pursuing things in life, is Jesus there with you? Are you doing what he would be busy doing? Are you where he was when he said this?

Dare to be a servant to the power of Jesus’ love, prestige in the eyes of God, self-indulgence in the joy of worshiping Him. In this only is there true and enduring honor.

APPLIED CHRISTIANITY: A Handbook of 500 Good Works. Many good works included in this book than can be done during a pandemic. In fact, they are most special in such times. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/APPLIEDCHRISTIANITY

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Then stand back and be astounded.

On December 22, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, blessings, Daily, healing, Inspirational, power, prayer, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, December 23 (12/23), is 1st Samuel 12:23 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.”

It’s actually a sin not to pray for others?

Do your prayers get bogged down in the mire of me and mine? Do you wonder why you can’t pray for more than a couple minutes ~ five on a good day? Satan gets you to do this; he is the enemy of prayer because he knows how powerful it is.

Who is on your prayer list? Pray for people by name. Your neighbors. People you work with. Your government officials ~ both good and bad. People in nursing homes. People in your congregation. People in the military. People being persecuted, imprisoned, and even killed because they are Christians. Missionaries. Children in an orphan home. Salespeople at the store. Local school teachers. People in your newspaper.

Pray for 15 minutes a day. Half an hour each day. An hour every day. It’s oh so easy when you stop praying only for you and yours and pray for others.

Pray for them by name. And tell them that you do. Some people have never been told, “I am praying for you.” God loves to answer prayer.

Do not sin by praying only for yourself and your family. Take the time to take others soaring with you when you pray. Then stand back and watch God respond to your prayers with power that will astound you.

A CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: JOSEPH went to Egypt as a boy slave and rose to be the most powerful man along with Pharaoh in all of Egypt. What a turnaround God made in this boy’s life. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/2KxVtGe

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And lift the fog of time

On December 20, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, ethics, forgiveness, Inspirational, Life of Christ, prayer, problems, ThanksgivingLeave a comment

Jehovah God, you transcend space and time. I do not. I sometimes think back about the clouded past and wonder how many wrong decisions I made. I think, too, about the future and how my decisions of today will influence it. At other times I wonder why unethical people often get rich at the expense of the poor. As I slide uneasily through time step by step and wonder with uneasy mind, I just do not know what the future will bring. But you do. You have already been to the future. So, I rest in you knowing you will guide me through the unknown and someday will lift the fog of time.

Father, forgive my ingratitude. I want more hours in the day to do more, then I want more hours in the night so I can sleep more. When it is winter, I want it to be summer, then when it is summer, I want it to be winter. When I have an interesting job with low pay, I want a boring job with high pay. And on and on I go. Never content and grateful for what you have given me. I am so sorry.

My Jesus, when I am lonely, I remember how your heart must have ached when the world went after you only for your miracles, only to use you. When I feel nearly broken by my burdens, I remember how you suffered and died to free an ungrateful world from Satan’s clutches. You understand everything I go through because you have been there. You have been tempted as I have, you have been heavy ladened as I have, you have laughed and wept as I have. You understand. And for this, I thank you, my Lord.

FUN WITH BIBLE NUMBERS has 525 math problems from the Bible — half from the Old Testament, half from the New Testament. Great gift for passing the time or homeschoolers. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. http://bit.ly/Bible-Numbers

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The touch of your heart to mine

On December 17, 2020 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, blessings, church, discouragement, Heaven, Inspirational, love, prayer, problems, Thanksgiving, victoryLeave a comment

My heavenly Father, my life, thus far, as made turns in directions I had not planned or even dreamed of. Sometimes I ended up in places I did not want to be. That is where you had led me and had wanted me to be. I do not know what the future will bring. But wherever you lead me, I will follow you, however unknown and frightening it may be to me. If you lead me to joblessness, to famine, to wars, to prison, I will follow where ever you go. Someday while I follow you up unknown paths, you will pause, turn, smile, and say, “We’re here. Welcome home.”

Lord, I was sick last week. I was lying there thinking about how miserable I was. I rolled in it. Wallowed in it. Savored in it. Then a new thought occurred to me. If I thought about how blessed I am, it would take my mind off my misery. It worked, Lord! it really worked! I even got up, fetched a piece of paper, and began listing my blessings. Pretty soon I was smiling. You were smiling too. Now I was able to fall asleep. When I awoke, I felt healed. The touch of your heart to mine had healed me.

LOVE LETTERS OF JESUS & HIS BRIDE, ECCLESIA is a retelling of the Song of Solomon in more modern vocabulary. Each chapter is a love letter. It ends with “I am coming soon.” Over 500 footnotes show the parallel of Jesus love for his church. A beautiful wedding gift or class book. Great for Ladies Days. Or put one chapter a week in your bulletin. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/LoveLettersOfJesus

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Shhh. Listen. God is calling you.

On December 11, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, church, death, emptiness, eternity, Fear, Heaven, sacrifice, truth, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, January 11 (1/11), is 2nd Peter 1:11 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“And you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

How often do you forget that earth is not your home? As an old gospel song says, “We’re just traveling through.” Do you really believe that?

If someone told you tomorrow you were going to die, would you go into a panic? Would you beg God to let you live another ten or twenty years? Would you feel this was the beginning of the end?

To a true Christian, your dying is the end of the beginning. You have a whole “life” ahead of you in heaven. A never-ending life. Do you live like you believe it? Will you die looking forward to it?

Are you even a Christian yet? What is your life like? Do you even know what is in the Bible, God’s messages to you? Does the thought of heaven sound boring to you? Do you even like God?

Stop and listen to the empty place in your heart (Ecclesiastes. 3:11). Do you hear it? Shhh. Listen… God is calling you.

STEPHEN: UNLIKELY MARTYR tells the story of a cowardly 17-year-old who would give his life as a sacrifice for others eleven years later. What happened in between to this young man who tried everything to get idol worshipers around him to pay attention to God, but who always failed? What happened to this young deacon who finally found the way by following Jesus with wife, children and everything to live for? Why did he enter the Sanhedrin’s chambers, knowing what he had to say would be his death sentence? To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/StephenUnlikelyMartyr

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The meaning of your life

On December 7, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, death, eternity, faith, Heaven, Inspirational, patience, victoryLeave a comment

– The scripture for today, December 8 (12/8), is Ecclesiastes 12:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

” ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the teacher. ‘Everything is meaningless!’ “

About forty years ago, some Christians in England did a sidewalk survey in the downtown of a major city. One of their inquiries was: “What question about your life do you ask the most?.” The answer almost always was, “Why am I here? What is life all about?.”

The entire book of Ecclesiastes is about all the things that the richest and most powerful man in the world did in order to have an enjoyable and fulfilling life: He built palaces and grand temples, he cultivated great gardens, he imported tons of gold and precious stones and fabrics from around the globe, he had numerous wives and mistresses, he built the largest army and navy in the world, he studied every possible subject. At the end, he said it was all meaningless.

The meaning of your life is that you were born to die and walk through a gate. This life is temporary. It is your proving ground. This life is the foyer of the life you will have eternally ~ a life in heaven or hell. You were not put here just to have fun, but rather to live in the very presence of your Maker and take many people as possible with you to the home of God, your Maker, the Lover of your soul. That is the meaning of life.

COME FLY WITH ME is the last book in the 8-novel series, THEY MET JESUS. It begins with the resurrection of Jesus, his final ascension to heaven, the apostles going against the Sanhedrin, then leaving Jerusalem and scattering. The last chapter is of John the fisherman, now the political prisoner, seeing the master of his youth again, and a tour of heaven. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/FLY-WITH-ME

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-8-come-fly-with-me-adults-childs-versions/

Until you give me laughter and peace again

On November 18, 2020July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, faith, healing, patience, rest, worshipLeave a comment

Lord, I am like the sheep that walk around afraid to drink from troubled waters, so you lead me to where the waters are calm and peaceful. When I cannot see you, I am afraid to follow a stranger, so you keep me confined so I am safe until your return. Though I walk around with no concern for possible dangers, you are right there with me to make sure I do not fall into that danger. Sometimes I become restless and fearful if I sense a storm is coming close. Then, Lord, I hear your heart singing to my heart, it calms me, and I lie down and rest in you.

The sun is shining, the frost is heavy, it is very cold out there, but I am inside warm, snuggled up, thinking, meditating and watching for the birds to discover the corn I put out for them. Ah, my Lord, I am tired these days and a little depressed. But I thank you for these times when I stop everything, back off, and contemplate. I know it is often at such times that we take a good look at ourselves selves, try to see ourselves as others do, and make changes for the better. So, I thank you for this little bit of unhappy time when I can learn better who I am and how to be more and more like you. And then, may I wait patiently until once again you give me laughter and peace again.

JOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER is a novel in the INTREPID MEN OF GOD series. Joseph is finally happy. He and Mary are betrothed. What could possibly go wrong? But that something did happen. Had she betrayed him? Joseph’s depression was devastating. Then he learned the truth and spent the rest of his life awed at his responsibilities of being the human father of the Son of God. But he rose top the challenge — most of the time. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this: https://bit.ly/The-Other-Father

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-5-joseph-the-other-father/

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