Changeable, Enchanting and Delightful

0-Cover-MediumMy Lord, you think of everything ~ four seasons and different climates for a serendipity off change. Trees without their leaves show me their shear strength ~ tall and bold, standing strong after storms, holding snow on their shoulders, even when it turns to ice.  Reaching toward a gray sky from a stark earth, undaunted, sometimes for centuries. The trees I see out my window were seen by people before the invention of automobiles and airplanes and pre-prepared food and washing machines.  Standing sentry. Standing strong with a heart to live yet longer. Lord, you are that way and more. Even when you seem stark to some people, you are strong and have a heart to live forever. I praise you for all you are.

It is mid-November. We had a big rain yesterday, and suddenly there are no leaves on the trees. Before the rain they had leaves. So now they are going to sleep as the trees rest a while. I thank you for periods of rest. And for color indoors from paint and dye and the food harvested last month. And the warmth of the indoors to keep me until summer blossoms returns. How interesting and exciting you made our enchanting, delightful, changeable world. Thank you.

.

0-Cover-ThumbnailFUN WITH BIBLE NUMBERS has 525 arithmetic problems covering every book of the Bible.  Great for adult or child pastime, bulletin fillers, class openings, homeschoolers, grandparents to keep around for when grandchildren visit, or even the local newspaper.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/FunWith-BibleNumbers

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/links-to-some-of-my-fun-bible-stuff/fun-with-bible-numbers/

As long as forever lasts

inside-cover-mediumYou are the God of my heart, my life, my soul.  I long to be with you some day. I have praised you in the past, I praise you now, I will praise you in the future and as long as forever lasts. You are the originator of all material things and all motion. You set the stars in motion and they have never stopped their movement for all these thousands of years. You are the First Cause of all that is good and right. You have made me in your image so I may have a sense of goodness and right ~ a sense of conscience ~ in my thinking and behavior.  I stand in awe of you.

Thank you, Lord, for interruptions in my life. Sometimes people have to get loud and make me stop what I am doing so I will pay attention to them. I get so absorbed in what I am doing day to day, I forget the rest of the world other than a casual hello or goodbye. Keep doing it, Lord.  Keep sending people to my door, to my phone, to my email, all intent on interrupting me. Thank you for sudden changes. They certainly do make life interesting, and you, my Lord, are always interesting.

.

Inside-AUDIBLE-thumbnailINSIDE THE HEARTS OF BIBLE WOMEN includes the stories of twelve Bible women (1) in their ordinary life, (2) when a tragedy happens, (3) how they try to survive the tragedy.  Also available in audio form for listening in the car.  The stories are great for private reading or listening.  The thought questions and teacher’s manual are great for classes or ladies retreats.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/HeartsBibleWomen

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/1107-2/my-book-inside-the-hearts-of-bible-women/

A whole lot of seeking & finding

The scripture for today, November 9 (11/9), is Luke 11:9 as found in the New 0-michel-cover-kindle-mediumTestament of the Bible:

” ‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.’ “

Does this mean that, if you ask for your favorite team to win, they will win? Does this mean that, if you ask for a particular job, you will get that job? Or, if you have your eyes on a particular young man or young woman, you will marry that person?

In the context that Jesus said this, he had just taught his disciples what many call the Lord’s prayer. In that prayer, Jesus instructed us to ask for a little bit of the physical and a whole lot of the spiritual.

You might say, “Well, that doesn’t leave me much to pray for.” Oh, yes, it does. Shift your focus from yourself. It leaves the rest of the world to pray for. What about their little bit of physical and their whole lot of spiritual? How many people do you pray for? Not as a group, but by name? Not occasionally, but every day?

Well then, will God give you every one of the souls you pray for? God gives everyone free will. He does not force people to follow him. God provides opportunities for people you pray for, and he even moves their hearts. But he does not force them. You must still keep on praying, even when you feel like someone is hopeless. Maybe they are hopeless during your lifetime. But sometimes someone’s soul is saved after your death.

So, pray for others and never tire of it ~ a little bit of the physical and whole lot of the spiritual. A whole lot of seeking creates a whole lot of finding. God will answer in his own way. And that’s a promise.

.

0-Michel-COVER-Kindle-ThumbnailMICHEL: THE FOURTH WISEMAN wanted to restore the Garden of Eden so God would walk the earth again as he did in the days of Adam and Eve.  This was his constant prayer. Instead, he was interrupted by a star.  At the end of his journey, he learned God was already walking the earth.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this………. https://bit.ly/Michel4thWiseMan

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-6-michel-the-fourth-wise-man/

Confusion

The scripture for today, November 2 (11/2), is Proverbs 11:2 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with hPearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Mediumumility comes wisdom.”

The word “disgrace” comes from Hebrew qalon, meaning confusion. It is also translated dishonor and reproach. But confusion is its first definition.

Pride is so hard to control. With the church or clubs or other organizations, do you think your ideas, your points of view, your ways of doing things are the right ideas, views, and ways?  Do you accuse others of not cooperating if it is your ideas, views, and ways they don’t go along with? Is it hard to give up your ideas views and ways for the sake of peace?

Even in doing daily business, does your pride show up? Do you become impatient with clerks in stores who do not help you, with other drivers on the road who are too slow for you, with people delivering things to your home who do not deliver them right to your door, with kids throwing rocks at things that belong to you, people who try to cut in line ahead of you, fellow workers who take credit for your work, and on and on?

Is it hard to sit by and let others be praised when you do better work than they do, or you work harder than they do, or they get the promotion you deserve?

How do you control your pride? Perhaps by comparing yourself, not with others around you, but with Jesus? In the same circumstance, what did he do?

.

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail365 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS. Part of the Touching God trilogy.  Each day you are given one proverb and a passage from one of the other “wisdom literatures” — Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon.  Beautiful gift set with original cover art.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….  https://bit.ly/365PearlsOfWisdom

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/365-pearls-of-wisdom-gods-soul-to-yours/

Unstoppable

00-PAUL COVER-Medium-The scripture for today, November 2 (11/2), is Proverbs 11:2 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.”

The word “disgrace” comes from Hebrew qalon, meaning confusion. It is also translated dishonor and reproach.

Pride is so hard to control. With the church or clubs or other organizations, do you think your ideas, your points of view, your ways of doing things are the right ideas, views, and ways?  Do you accuse others of not cooperating if it is your ideas, views, and ways they don’t go along with? Is it hard to give up your ideas views and ways for the sake of peace?

Even in doing daily business, does your pride show up? Do you become impatient with clerks in stores who do not help you, with other drivers on the road who are too slow for you, with people delivering things to your home who do not deliver them right to your door, with kids throwing rocks at things that belong to you, people who try to cut in line ahead of you, fellow workers who take credit for your work, and on and on?

Is it hard to sit by and let others be praised when you do better work than they do, or you work harder than they do, or they get the promotion you deserve?

How do you control your pride? Perhaps by comparing yourself, not with others around you, but with Jesus? In the same circumstance, what did he do?

.

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE.  “Wow!  Oh Wow!” is how one reader responded after reading this.  Paul was so full of pride, it took Jesus himself to break him.   After that, he switched sides and took the torture and humiliation he used to dish out onto others.  But he had been so bad in his dedication to ruin others, he never felt as though he could ever do enough to make up for how bad he had been.  For Paul, it was never enough.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/UnstoppablePaul
.

#PaultheUnstoppable, #KatherynMaddoxHaddad, #inspiration, #devotional, #worship, #meditation,. #godliness, #Christianity, #JesusChrist, #church, #Bible, #Scripture, #HolyBook, #religion, #love, #truth, #praise, #prayer, #ChildsBibleKids, #ChildsBibleHeroes, #ChildsLifeofchrist, #BiblePuzzles, #Biblesongs, #BibleMath, #theymetjesusnovels, #intrepidmenofgodnovels, #revelation, #holyspirit, #wasjesusgod, #biblewomen, #songofsolomon, #touchinggod, #LordsSupper, #historyworshipchanges, #worshipfirstcentury, #goodworks

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-2-paul-the-unstoppable/

Me forgive?

05-Joseph-KindleMediumThe scripture for today, October 30 (10/30), is Hebrews 10:30 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay’ and again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’ “

In the Law of Moses, people were expected to avenge those who did not follow the law. The vengeance was to be carried out by the person who had been hurt. Some things were even punishable by death.  Remember the “eye for eye and tooth for tooth” command? If someone kills your child, you kill theirs.

But, under Jesus, the Prince of Peace who “turned the other cheek”,  who forgave people torturing him to death, you must forgive people so God, in turn, will forgive you (Matthew 6:14).

What is forgiveness? It is not condoning the bad someone did. Forgiveness is letting go and letting God do any punishing that may be required. Forgiveness is wishing the other person well. You may not trust the other person to not do the bad thing again, and you may forever fear that person. But you can always hope and pray that their lives and hearts will change for the better someday. No one is so bad that you cannot wish them well and pray for them. That’s forgiveness.

Vengeance only prolongs the pain; vengeance is hard on you. So, as the old saying goes, “Let go, and let God.” God will do his part ~ the hard part. He has left the easy part for you.

.

05-Joseph-KindleThumbnail

A CHILD’S BIBLE HEROES: JOSEPH. He was forced into slavery because of his brothers. He spent years in prison because of his brothers.  Did he become bitter? That would have been natural. But Joseph did not know how to be bitter.  His love for everyone drove him to always be forgiving. So, with a constant positive attitude, he became “prime minister” of all Egypt.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this……….https://bit.ly/ForgivingJoseph

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/a-childs-bible-heroes-book-5-joseph/

Until faith returns

 

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-Thumbnail God, you are worthy of praise for your creativity, your mind, your actions, your words. You are goodness and justice and mercy. You are might and power. You are tender and kind. How could I ever want a better judge to stand before at the end of my life?   I worship you.

Father, sometimes I lock people into one action they have done and assume they will always be like that. Help me see the whole person in everyone at all times. Please forgive me when I judge wrong and help me overcome it.

Thank you, Lord God, for hope.  Hope lives, even when faith is tired and beaten down. All things can become better in you either directly or indirectly. No matter what happens, there is always hope because there is always God. Thank you for leaning low when my faith is low and rocking me gently in your arms of hope. Thank you for being patient with me and lending me your strength until full faith returns.

.

00-LUKE-KINDLE Cover-Thumbnail

LUKE: SLAVE AND PHYSICIAN.  Yes, in Roman times, physicians were family slaves.  And slaves came from the losing side in war.  Luke could have been enslaved after the great Battle of Baduhenna Wood in today’s Holland as Lukvert.  In this novelized version of his life, he believes in the Nordic gods. But he cannot find them. When enslaved by the Romans, he learned of innumerable other gods.  His prayer was always, “Oh thousand gods”.  He even climbed Mt. Olympus, but Jupiter was not there.  Now he was ready to meet Paul.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/Lukephysician

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-3-luke-slave-physician/

Taking Heaven for Granted

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Medium-NewThe scripture for today, October 25 (10/25), is Hebrews 10:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another ~ and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

Do you declare, “I can walk through nature ~ the temple of God ~ and feel God is closer there than in a church building”? Well, do you really do it? How often? The purpose of the church meeting is not so much to encourage yourself as to encourage your fellow Christians and visitors, along with worshiping God.

Look at the context. Verse 23 says, “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,” and verse 24 says, “Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” How do you do these things? A lot of it is done during your congregation’s worship and encouragement service.

And what comes after our verse for today? Verse 26 says, “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left.” Meeting together with other congregational members is one of the major experiences that keeps you and your friends from falling and missing heaven. Or does worshipping all the time in heaven sound boring too?

Should you meet once a week? This scripture says to meet “all the more as you see the Day [of Judgment] approaching.’ Do you say, “But that’s too inconvenient”?

It was inconvenient for Jesus to leave a perfect heaven for an imperfect earth. It was inconvenient for him to leave the company of angels for the company of sinners. It was inconvenient for him to do this for 33 long years. Inconvenient to take the blame for your sins, and then take your punishment. Inconvenient to experience agonizing spiritual death when God left him alone on the cross in your place, and then that agonizing physical death in your place.

Do you really know inconvenience?  Do you take heaven for granted?

.

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-New

COME FLY WITH ME is the last biblical historical novel in the THEY MET JESUS 8-book series on the life of Christ.  Life applications questions at the end of each chapter are accompanied by scriptures on which the chapter was based as well as external historical writings.  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/

Seeing myself as others do

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-MediumThe scripture for today, October 24 (10/24), is 1st Corinthians 10:24 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.”

The context of this verse is that some of the members of the church in Corinth were expressing opinions or doing things that were offensive to some of the other members. They hurt the consciences of some of the weaker members.  

Everyone struggles with their ego sometimes.  Usually, we do not even realize our ego is involved.  It is so very hard to see ourselves as others do and to see ourselves as God does.

Do you ever do anything during the public worship that is offensive to some people? Do you do them as an example of how “holy” you are? Do you even try to get God on your side and say that any Christian could do those things if they had as much faith as you do?

What about committee meetings? Do you love saying no to every suggestion because it makes you feel powerful?  Do you ever suggest something that the others just aren’t excited about? Do you allow your ego to eventually, seep in and begin to feel slighted or challenged because your idea wasn’t accepted? Do you even try to get God on your side and say he will be more glorified if the other committee members accept your plan?

One way to look at things objectively is to ask yourself, “Would my congregation survive without me?” What if I were killed in an auto accident and suddenly taken from them tomorrow? Would they continue to worship? Would they continue to do good works? Would they continue to meet as a congregation? Ninety-nine percent of the time, your congregation would survive without you.

“Lord, I guess I never looked at myself that way. I love you so much, I want others to know you better. Maybe I should express my worship alone as much as I do in public. Maybe I should do more good works alone without a committee. Help me know what to do. Help me. Lord, see myself as they do, and as you do.”

.

Pearls Cover-Palms-300dpi-Thumbnail

365 PEARLS OF WISDOM: GOD’S SOUL TO YOURS daily provides one proverb and one passage from Job, Psalms, Ecclesiastes or Song of Solomon.  Since it is illegal to quote a modern Bible for an entire book, it provides close modern paraphrases of each verse.  This is part of the TOUCHING GOD SERIES of three books.  To BUY now, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/365PearlsOfWisdom

.

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/365-pearls-of-wisdom-gods-soul-to-yours/

Prevailing over them

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE MediumI praise you when I am happy and on top of the world.  I praise you when I am wandering around aimlessly, not knowing what I need to be doing.  And when I am struggling through a project that is not coming together as I had planned. And before I fall asleep and when I waken. And when I walk among beauty and when I crawl through the ugly. You never change. You are always the same. The thought brings sameness and stability to my life. The thought causes me to love you even more.

Your word says that, in you, I can be more than a conqueror. But how can I be that unless there is something in my life I need to conquer? There is a song about experiencing “Victory in Jesus” but how can I experience that without something to be victorious over?  Thank you, Lord, for problems and obstacles. Without them, I would not know the exhilaration that comes with prevailing over them with you.

.

0-Mefiboset-KINDLE ThumbnailMEFIBOSET: CRIPPLED PRINCE.  Every sermon I have ever heard and every article I have ever read about Mephibosheth has been “woe is me”. I deny that.  First, he was the grandson of the most handsome and tallest man in the kingdom ~ King Saul. The Bible gives the name of his son and grandsons.  He got married!  He wasn’t just a poor shrunken cripple crawling around on the floor hoping people won’t step on him.  Read this biblical historical novel and be inspired.  To  BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/2ywrqJi

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/books-more-biblical-historical-novels/book-4-mefiboset-crippled-prince/