Thursday 5/16 ~ Smile anyway. The world will wonder why.

On May 16, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, good works, joy, Loss, patience, ThanksgivingLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 16 (5/16), is 1st Thessalonians 5:16 (KJV) as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“Rejoice evermore.”

But how can we rejoice when something terrible has happened?

The Apostle Paul who wrote this knew that the Thessalonians were being terribly persecuted (2nd Thessalonians 1:4), but he still said, “Rejoice evermore.” How could he say such a calloused thing amidst their suffering? Had he no feeling, no empathy?

Sometimes we have to suffer so the true nature of bad people pretending to be good can be revealed to the world. Sometimes we have to suffer so we can build our spiritual muscles. Sometimes we have to suffer so we can understand others going through the same thing. Sometimes we even suffer so people around us wanting to do a good work will have someone to do a good work for.

There are many reasons for suffering. But none of them take away the pain. Just remember that, just as God was grieved when his Son suffered on the cross, he is grieved when you suffer. And just as God was able to bring something wonderful out of his Son’s suffering, he can bring something wonderful out of your suffering too.

In the meantime, chin up, shoulders back, stand straight, be brave, and smile. The world will wonder why.

LAZARUS: THE SAMARITAN grew up surrounded by the Jewish nation who hated his kind. When he went to work in a mine, they turned him into a slave and beat him half to death. How did he and his wife and children survive such suffering and for him to rise up to be the mine owner? To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2ELJtfS

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Wednesday 5/15 ~ Stuff

On May 15, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, family, Inspirational, Loss, Thanksgiving, thingsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 15 (5/15), is Ecclesiastes 5:15 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Naked a man comes from his mother’s womb, and as he comes, so he departs. He takes nothing from his labor that he can carry in his hand.”

As most people enter their senior years, they finally understand this verse. In their youth they struggled to get jobs and status and things. Some accomplished it and some didn’t. But in the senior years….

when health is gradually declining….

the world is passing them by….

and they are sitting in their chair most of the time

….the main thing people look back on is what difference they made in their world, and how they did or did not help people important to them.

Often in their senior years when their income goes down and they are living only on a small pension, and they are unable to keep their big house, and fancy car, and impressive stuff, they realize they are still the same person inside regardless of what they own.

Ask a senior what they want for a birthday present. It is not likely to be things. It is likely to be time spent with a loved one or something special given to someone in need.

What about you? How much time are you spending on things?

TITUS: THE ARISTOCRAT had it all. His father was the supreme magistrate of Antioch in Turkey and he had a university education. After many family complications, Titus met Paul and left paganism. Eventually, both he and his now-converted father gave it all up and traveled together into the far north country of Albanian barbarians. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2Ncd0km

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Wednesday 5/8 ~ Keep on walking and walking and walking until…

On May 8, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Daily, discouragement, Enemies, eternity, faith, Heaven, Inspirational, patience, power, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 8 (5/8), is Psalm 5:8 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness, because of my enemies ~ make straight your way before me.”

An enemy would like nothing more than to get into a good fight with someone. Do not let that happen. You have better things to do than argue with people.

Set your eyes, not on your enemy, but on the Lord. The path of enemies will take you on all sorts of side trips that lead to dead ends. The path of God rises up before you ~ straight and direct. Never let your attention stray from that path.

Keep on walking on the path of God.

And keep on walking,

and keep walking,

and walking, and walking…

….until, at last, you walk right through the gates of heaven.

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Sunday 5/5 ~ Seek peace. Deep peace.

On May 5, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, discouragement, Enemies, governments, patience, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, May 5 (5/5), is Micah 5:5a as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“And he will be their peace.”

The little book of Micah was written during a time when his country was full of prosperity. But it was also full of abused power. The lower on the social scale, the more the people suffered at the hands of the powerful few.

In the midst of warning the social elite, Micah offers comfort to their victims. You may be going through economic distress such as losing your job or losing your home. You may be going through social distress such as being passed up for a promotion or losing friends because of your moral code.

Seek peace. Deep peace.

Sometimes, it is only possible to reveal powerful abusers by revealing their victims to the world. Sometimes our job is to just survive so that a future generation can find justice and acceptance. Or sometimes we must lose everything so that we can quit worrying about this world and look forward to the next.

Seek peace. Deep peace.

So, when you feel left behind with nothing, look up! God is still on his throne. God still holds out his arms. God still wipes away tears. Possibly it is at such times that you can feel God’s love most warmly and God’s peace most deeply.

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Tuesday 4/30 ~ Grieving or smiling?

On April 30, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, ego, Enemies, ethics, forgiveness, humility, persecutionLeave a comment

The scripture for today, April 30 (4/30), is Ephesians 4:30f as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”

Do you think God has no choice but to let you into his heaven because you do not steal, cheat, or murder? Think again.

There’s more to it than that; it’s called sins of attitude. Are you bitter about something? Let it go or it will take you to hell. Do you have a problem with rage and anger? Do you enjoy a good mental or physical brawl? Do you slander people who have done you wrong? Do you harbor grudges year after year? Let go of them. Please. They are taking you to hell.

The average person does not have trouble with bad actions. The big problem is with bad attitudes. Let go of them. God will take care of the problems. Let go of people you consider your enemies and wish them well. Do not grieve God. He does not deserve it.

Live in sweet inner peace. Live at peace with God. Make God smile.

PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE was cruel in his youth. He grieved the church, he grieved God. Then he made the great turnaround and because a leader of the Christians he had formerly hated. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2R0jL9w

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Sunday 4/28 ~ God is still on his throne and all is well

On April 28, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, church, discouragement, Enemies, governments, healing, Heaven, patience, persecution, power, problems, Satan, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, April 28 (4/28), is Mark 4:28 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“All by itself, the soil produces grain ~ first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head.”

Jesus was explaining that the kingdom of heaven is like a seed planted in the ground. It grows almost miraculously. The church is, indeed, like this. Planted some 2000 years ago, it has survived through every adversity and attack contrived by man. Sometimes the attacks were even from within. But at such times, just when it looked as though it was going to die, just like a seed dying in the earth, it would begin to sprout anew and grow up stronger than ever.

A little seed turning into a stalk is miraculous and amazing. The survival of the church for 2000 years in a hostile world is even more miraculous and amazing.

God is still on his throne, and all is well.

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Tuesday 4/23 ~ What do you think?

On April 23, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, Bible, ego, faith, judging, knowledge, Scripture, truth1 Comment

The scripture for today, April 23 (4/23), is Mark 4:23 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Some of us read a passage in the Bible and say, “I know it says that, but it doesn’t really mean that.” We just don’t want to hear it.

It’s hard to admit we are wrong, isn’t it? It’s human nature. And in the realm of religion, it is even harder because we’re talking about our eternal soul. So, reading that we’re supposed to be doing or not doing something that we’ve never followed before is a shock. It’s like being on a bridge over a roaring river, and suddenly realizing the bridge is breaking and we are not as safe as we thought we were. Let us take our human egos out of the way.

Let’s say, for example, you have a wood or cooking project. If you leave a major step out, it results in your creation not turning out right. You might turn a blind eye to the correct way, give up and throw your creation away so that you never have the joy of whatever you were creating. Or you may go back and check what you have done until you find your mistake, are glad you found the mistake. Now you can see it with seeing eyes, correct it, and then have the joy of your creation.

Let us not fight God. Let us not be like spiritual teenagers trying to boss their parents. We are God’s creation. He is just trying to help us. Instead of spiritual blindness and deafness, let us have eyes that truly see, and ears that truly hear what God is trying to tell us. What do you think?

MICHEL: THE FOURTH WISEMAN kept trying to get the others to check out the writings of Daniel, a former prime minister of Babylon. The others kept objecting that a religion with only one God didn’t make sense. After traveling the world investigating the holy writings of other religions, they finally relent and find their answer: The meaning of the star. To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this: https://amzn.to/2UTHgr8

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Thursday 4/11 ~ God has an assignment for you

On April 12, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #Handicaps, attitude, blessings, discouragement, Inspirational, power, victory, weakness1 Comment

The scripture for today, April 11 (4/11), is Exodus 4:11 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord?”

This is a dynamic verse, for it helps answer the question: “If God is so good, why did he allow me/my relative to become deaf/blind?”

Here is the answer. Satan is the prince of this world. So, God takes countermeasures to defeat him. Everything Satan does God can undo. But he does it in his own way. He does it through us.

God gives each of us an assignment. We all have something God wants us to overcome. Why? Because it makes us spiritually stronger. It is intended to turn us into spiritual giants. Perhaps he has something special in mind for us in our eternal world.

His assignment may be the family we were born in to, the country we were born in, an earthquake, a flood, an unfair professor, a mean boss. Amidst our tears, as we face sometimes unbearable assignments, the challenge is for us to carry on with the smile of faith on our lips.

Paul said in 2^nd Corinthians 12:10, “For Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses…For when I am weak, then I am strong!” If God did not believe you or your relative or friend could handle your affliction, he would not allow you to have it.

It’s almost as if the more affliction you have, the more faith God has in you. After all, 2^nd Corinthians 6:1 says we are workers together with God.

Has God given you an assignment? What a privilege!

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Wednesday 4/10 ~ Small Beginnings

On April 10, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn attitude, blessings, discouragement, faith, Inspirational, patience, victoryLeave a comment

The scripture for today, April 10 (4/10), is Zechariah 4:10 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Who despises the day of small things?”

We tend to admire big things ~ big buildings, big empires, big trees, big causes. Sometimes it is difficult to remember that those things started out small.

Have you been wanting to accomplish something big? All buildings started out with one board or one stone. All empires started out with one person. All big trees started out as one seed. All big causes started out with one dream.

Perhaps your dream started out small but stayed small. That doesn’t mean it will always be small. It may become big years from now, or even in someone else’s lifetime. Don’t despise what you have now.

Have you been putting off trying to make your dream reality because it won’t be big and people will laugh at you and you will get depressed? Do not fear it. Have faith in it. Plant that small seed. Do not despise it. Embrace it. Nourish it.

Make today the day of your new beginning. Launch your dream. Soar with it, even if you’re the only one

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Thursday 4/4 ~ A sinless anger?

On April 4, 2019July 15, 2025 By Inspirations By KatherynIn #friendships, attitude, family, forgiveness, healing, judging, love, patience, problemsLeave a comment

The scripture for today, April 4 (4/4), is Psalm 4:4 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“In your anger do not sin.”

You’ve gotta be kidding! That’s impossible! When you get angry, it’s time to lash out at everyone. And yell and call them names. And show our temper? Maybe even throw a few things? After all, that’s the only way to get across to the other person that you are really angry.

Hold on. If, for instance, you told your child not to do something for their own safety but your child did it anyway, of course you would become angry. Why? Your child put himself in danger because of his action.

You can choose to lash out at your child wildly so that your emotions mask your words. Or you can choose to talk calmly and explain the dangers your child was put in because of that action. Maybe punishment is in order. You can calmly but firmly tell them what their punishment is. You can calmly punish your child without losing your temper.

It is the same way with adults. If you lose your temper and shoot daggers with your eyes and rant and rave, all your actions distract people from your words. Aren’t your words of explanation more important than the emotionalism and yelling? If you were hurt, just say so. If they hurt themselves, just say so.

And with other adults, tell them how you feel, not how they feel; you don’t really know. Tell them what you want, not what they want; you don’t really know.

While we’re at it, not all words help. Name calling does not help. Name calling is done when you choose not to explain how you feel. Name calling such as, “You’re irresponsible,” locks the other person in and sets them up for future failures between you and them. Losing your temper during anger gets you off the issue and into sin.

If I’m angry because it rained, I do not lash out at the rain. I calmly deal with it and go on with my life.

Next time you are angry at a person, try to remain calm and then explain the problem in tones that they can truly listen to and learn from. If you have trouble doing this, practice when you’re alone. It will come to you in the right way. It will teach you to remain calm when you’re angry.

Anger is not the same thing as sin. What you do with it can be. Choose a calm anger. Thereby, you will have a peace that passes understanding.

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