I am so lonely

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailI praise you, God for all your manifestations in order to reveal yourself to me.  I feel your presence in a morning mist, a crocus peeking up from under winter snow, a bird making her nest. I see your glory in the mighty oceans, the towering mountains, the magnificent moon, and stars that sing together of you.  Mostly you reveal yourself in your Bible. How glorious it is. Every page, every word reveals what is important to you. Every page and every word reveal your wisdom and how you run after us to bring us back to you every time someone strays. You keep track of everyone, yet you make every one of us feel as though we are the most special. How amazing. I worship you.

I moved recently and am so lonely. I have no friends. Is that to remind me of the times I did not befriend a stranger? Help me not resent those I wish to be friends with but to be an example, giving to them what I wish for myself.

Thank you, God, for pouring out you heart, your mind, your existence to me in your Words. And thank you for materializing as Jesus. You are light and the fountain of life. I can never be lonely because you are there. I can never feel forsaken or betrayed because you are there. Always, you are there. Thank you for the friends I have had, and those still unknown I shall have some day. And for the quiet time I have in this moment with you.

.

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailINSIDE THE HEARTS OF BIBLE WOMEN. Do you have a lady friend who is hurting? This book has twelve short stories of women in the Bible who faced the same types of problems we have today. Read this book in private, or in a discussion group, an established church class, or an outreach to women in the community. Also has a leader’s guide, advertising manual, and audio.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste thishttps://bit.ly/HeartsBibleWomen   

https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com/1107-2/my-book-inside-the-hearts-of-bible-women

You hold my heart in your arms

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailAh, my Lord, you are my light for the path I walk.  You are my way through the world I travel.  Your holiness soars through the cosmos and settles at last in my heart.  I can never feel alone when you are near. I can never feel rejected when you carry me. I can never feel deserted when you hold my heart in your arms and sing to me with your spirit.

Forgive me, Lord, when I am alone in my house and am afraid of what might be lurking in the darkness outside. Remind me that nothing will happen to me without your permission and for some greater good.

Thank you, God, for getting me through yesterday when I felt so down. I did not stay down. I saw a few friends and you lifted me up through them.  Thank you for your life on earth and your willingness to live it to the fullest ~ all the way to dying for being good. You seemed so defeated. How wrong everyone was. What you went through made your victory so much more dynamic. Thank you for materializing for me. Forever thank you. From my heart thank you. with my soul I worship you.

.

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailINSIDE THE HEARTS OF BIBLE WOMEN.  Do you have a lady friend who is hurting? Inside the Hearts of Bible Women is twelve short stories of women in the Bible who faced thousands of years ago the same types of problems we have today. Read this book in private, or in a discussion group, an established church class, or an outreach to women in the community.  Audio, leader’s guide, and advertising manual also available.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/HeartsBibleWomen   

https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com/1107-2/my-book-inside-the-hearts-of-bible-women

Despise not small beginnings

0000-BK 1-StarSong-CHILD'SCartoonCover-MediumThe 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 who does.

.

01-StarSong-CHILD'SCartoonCover-SmallA CHILD’S LIFE OF CHRIST:  STAR SONG.  This is the child’s version of the grownup book in the THEY MET JESUS series.  Big squiggly letters, dashes between syllables for longer words.  “Think & Do” at the end of each chapter to give the child a little project to apply the story.  It begins with Mary who was too young and Elizabeth too old to make a difference.  It end with Jesus in the temple talking to Bible teachers and he’s smarter than them!  Talk about beginnings with small things: This baby changed the world. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/3pN6rXV   

https://atomic-temporary-67613881.wpcomstaging.com/a-childs-life-of-christ-book-1-star-song/

 

Hold me up until my faith in you returns

00-PAUL COVER-Medium-
God, if I had a voice that was strong enough, I would declare your glory to the stars. If I had feet that were robust enough, I would climb the tallest mountain and raise a banner of love for the world to see.  If I had arms that were long enough, I would embrace the world with your magnitude. Give me eyes that see you in everything. Give me ears that hear you in all things. Though the world rebels against you, not wanting anyone to tell them what to do, I will defend you and reveal the part of you they do not understand ~ that you, their Maker, loves them so much you will spend their life running after them. They are falling into the mire and do not know it. They are obeying Satan and do not realize it. Waken them, Lord, with your magnificence and envelop them with love that goes deep into their souls and will not let them go. Give them new eyes to see you, new ears to hear you, a new heart that loves you back.

Lord, as hard as I try, sometimes I begin to doubt you. I think I am not the only one who goes through this. I suppose if Satan weren’t afraid of me and my relationship with you, he wouldn’t attack me with doubts. Forgive me when I succumb to the doubts he puts in my mind. Though sometimes he kidnaps my mind, keep him from having my heart and soul too. At such times, help me to at least hope. Hold me up until my faith in you returns.

Thank you for opportunities to suffer for you. Your Word says the righteous will always be persecuted. Take me down paths where I know persecution will travel toward me. May I never “play it safe”. Open up doors where Satan thinks he rules so I may have the privilege of proving him weak and wrong. Lord, you made me your bride. How blessed is that! Oh, the depths of the relationship you want with me. Thank you, my Lord, my God, the reason for my being.

.

00-PAUL COVER-Thumbnail-INTREPID MEN OF GOD.  PAUL: THE UNSTOPPABLE traveled everywhere he was not wanted.  The honest ones needed Jesus, but did not know it.  The egotistical ones were jealous of Jesus and did everything they good to beat and destroy his ambassador.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/3fw2mlA 

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

just ordinary? Not so.

0-Joseph-Cover-Kindle-MediumThe scripture for today, March 29 (3/29), is Luke 3:29 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

.” ..the son of Joshua, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi….”

Who in the world were these five men: Joshua, Eliezer, Jorim, Matthat, and Levi? Some were named after famous Jews, but no one in this list was famous himself. In fact, nothing else is said in the Bible about any of these men. They’re just a single name in a single but long list made in obscurity.

Who were they that they earned even one brief mention in the Bible?

They were ancestors of Joseph, the human “father” of Jesus. What else? They were born and survived long enough to have sons. Not important at the time? No, but eventually, it was.

We read obituaries and sometimes wonder about our own. Our whole life reduced to born, married, had a job, had children, died. That’s it. Nothing out of the ordinary. Just another one of billions in the world having come and gone.

Hold on! Maybe not!

Maybe your life, as ordinary as it seems now, will someday serve a greater purpose through your descendant or someone you become friends with. In a later generation ~ maybe ten or twenty generations from now ~ someone may do something extremely important for souls of the world. And it was made possible because of your “unordinary life” way back in the early twenty-first century when you survived one day at a time.

.

0-Joseph-Cover-ThumbnailINTREPID MEN OF GOD.  JOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER.  Imagine being told by God to guard His Son in a violent world until he is grown. How does Joseph choose a city in strange Egypt to hide 2-year-old Jesus from Herod’s spies? Does he dare take 4-year-old Jesus to the temple where now-dead Herod’s son slaughters thousands? How can Joseph protect Jesus with all the skirmishes and killing on roads everywhere with dozens vying to take over as king? How does Joseph handle the persecution in Nazareth by people who could count and knew Mary was pregnant before marrying Joseph? What does Joseph do with Jesus in Nazareth, just three miles from Sepphoris, hotbed of zealot protesters, when a Roman legate burns the city and crucifies 2000 more zealots in Jerusalem? In what ways does Joseph teach Jesus how to be a skilled carpenter in sometimes dangerous situations, and avoid being mauled in the mountains when they cut trees for lumber? How many times, when Jesus was in danger did Joseph cry out, “God, help me protect our Son!”?  To BUY NOW, click  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/

Let him be good to you

The scripture for today, March 25 (3/25), is Lamentations 3:25 as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-MEDIUM“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”

That’s all?  Just hope?  I don’t have to have a deep, deep faith for God to be good to me? All I have to do is hope he exists? Hope he loves everyone. Hope he loves me?

Were you raised by atheists, or did you attend a university where professors criticize theists (believers in God)? Have you been told deity is just the essence of the universe with no personality? Are you confused by it all?  You can still hope there is only the One God who does exist, has personality, knows your name, and loves you.

Have you had a major tragedy in your life and can’t understand how a good God could allow that bad thing to happen (heaven on earth)? Do you live among people who believe all the gods in the world are the One God, so don’t pay special attention to any of them?

Amidst such confusion, is it hard for you to sort it all out and have faith in the One God of the Bible? What is faith anyway? It is the evidence of what you hope for.  If you cannot go so far as to say you have a deep faith in the One God, you can still hope! Keep that hope alive. Let the Lord be good to you.

.

Road to Heaven-COVER-KINDLE-THUMBNAILTHE ROAD TO HEAVEN.  The long road to heaven began at the Garden of Eden. Through the centuries, God’s plan gradually came together to get that road built for us. The day Jesus came back to life, the road was done. Now what? As we walk on the road to heaven and draw closer, we realize the glories he has in store for us.  This book takes the reader through all the things God did to get us away from Death and back to Him, our creator and the lover of our soul.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:     https://bit.ly/326kyOh 

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/the-road-to-heaven/

 

 

Throwing away your prize

0-BK 6-PromiseKeeper-Cover-medium-new-kindleThe scripture for today, March 14 (3/14), is Philippians 3:14, as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus knew that, out of jealousy, the religious leaders were trying to kill him. So, for a while, he stayed out of Jerusalem, where the religious headquarters was. But Eventually, the time came for him to put himself in their hands. Was it easy for him to do? Definitely not! For he knew his death would be by physical and spiritual torture.

“They were on their way up to Jerusalem with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished while those who followed were afraid” (Mark 10:32).

Jesus pressed on. He did not want to go through the crucifixion. Hebrews 5:7 says that “during the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death.”

As difficult as it was for him, Jesus pressed on toward the goal to win the prize. But the prize was not for himself; it was for you and me ~ eternity in heaven instead of hell!

You do not have to go through what he did for your salvation and avoidance of hell. Your little bit of sacrifice is nothing by comparison. But do you turn away from the prize Jesus sacrificed so much for so you can have a little more fun, accumulate a few more things, watch a few more tv shows, play a few more computer games, be a little more important to your friends?

Are you throwing away your prize?

.

0-BK 6-PromiseKeeper-Cover-thumbnail-new-kindleTHEY MET JESUS:  PROMISE KEEPER.  A traitor praised him, a woman crowned him, foreigners sought him. the world ran after him, Judas ran from him, his apostles deserted him. He held his own funeral service, then begged God to free him of his promise. The religious leaders were unmasked, And Herod wrestled with just who he was. To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/3ldcjbB

https://inspirationsbykatheryn.wordpress.com/historical-novel-about-jesus/book-6-promise-keeper-adults-childs-versions/

Rise up and ride the waves!

The scripture for today, March 4 (3/4), is James 3:4 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnail“Take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.”

James, in this scripture, is talking about the tongue being a small thing, but it can get our entire lives into a lot of trouble. Once we say things, we cannot take them back.

What do you spend your day saying to people? You do have a choice. People do more good things than bad things. Do you respond to them with more good or more bad words? It is your choice.

When you compliment someone, they will take heart and try to do that good thing even more. When you berate someone, they will lose heart and probably do the bad thing again. Years ago, there was a saying, “You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.” Are your words honey or vinegar?

Jesus said out of our heart comes our words. If you normally say nice things to others, it shows you have a nice heart. If you normally say hard things to others, it shows you have a hard heart.  Jesus also said, “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”  Don’t use your words to sink someone farther down.

Starting now, when you launch out into a new day, go out of your way to say small nice things to people.  The rudder of your tongue may be small, but oh how powerful it is.  You may even provide a rudder to help someone out of a private storm. Today, help someone stay on course and keep their face to the wind. Today, use your words to help someone rise from the depths and ride the waves.

.

Inside-COVER-lg thumbnailINSIDE THE HEARTS OF BIBLE WOMEN is the stories of twelve women who faced the same things women face today.  Perfect as a gift or class.  (1) Reading Book, (2) Advertising Manual, (3) Leader Guide, (4) Audio.  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/3hr2bJR

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

And when I could stand it no longer…

The scripture for today, March 1 (3/1), is 1st Thessalonians 3:1,5 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-Medium“So, when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens….For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.”

In Thessalonica, there had been a riot, and the man who had given Paul and his helpers a place to live was hauled into court. Paul just couldn’t put his host through that, so “when we could stand it no longer,” he left the city and went off by himself so he wouldn’t jeopardize anyone else.

Still the great Apostle Paul ~ who went everywhere preaching non-stop for decades; who stood up under beatings, stonings, hunger, and shipwrecks; who explained to church leaders how to lead their congregation; whose letters were prophecy and became scripture ~ the powerful Apostle Paul still felt very tenderly toward his fellow Christians.

He worried about how they were getting along spiritually. And when he “could stand it no longer,” he wrote back to Thessalonica to find out how they were doing.

Do you feel this way about the spiritual well-being of other people? Is there someone you need to call or write to today because you want to find out how they are?  Do you have any words of encouragement for them? Any at all?

Tender love is a powerful love. A strong love. A love that will never, ever let go.

.

00-Hero Alone-COVER-KINDLE-ThumbnailYOU CAN BE A HERO ALONE:  SURVIVAL STORIES FOR THE COURAGEOUS ISOLATED CHRISTIAN.  This book was written for the discouraged isolated Christian.  It is stories of people in the Bible who were isolated from society because they followed God.  There are thought questions at the end of each chapter.  A great gift to send someone who needs courage to keep going.  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/

Look out, world. Here we come!

The scripture for today, February 25 (2/25), is Revelation 2:25 as found in the New Testament of the Bible:

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Medium-New“Only hold on to what you have until I come.”

Several years ago, my 91-year-old mother left this life. Some say that, at the moment of death, one’s life flashes before their eyes. In the case of my mother, at the moment of her death, her life flashed before my eyes.

I suddenly imagined her as a baby in her mother’s (my grandmother’s) lap. Then she was a toddler playing in their yard. Then I saw her in school, then as a young bride to my father, then at home with her husband and children gathered around her. Then I saw her as launching a career after we were grown, then retiring, then eventually going into the nursing home.

And when that brief moment of envisioning her whole life was gone, I whispered, “You made it, Mother! You made it! You never faltered. Through all those years of ups and downs, you never wavered in your faith that Jesus Christ was real and would accept you into heaven. You stuck it out. And now you’re home!”

May you live your life in such a way that, despite your ups and downs, you never wander from Jesus. Stick with him through every storm, every flood, every blast of tragedy, every tumbling of dreams. Hold on to what you have until the day you see Jesus coming for you.

.

0-BK 8-ComeFlyWithMe-Cover-Thumbnail-NewTHEY MET JESUS:  COME FLY WITH ME.  He is dead and buried.  So is their dream.  Three years of hopes and dreams dashed into oblivion.  He had made promises he could not keep.  Everything now dead and gone.  Life ahead now only a hopeless haze.  How could he have tricked them like he had?  But wait!  What’s going on?  Jesus? Is that you?  It can’t be.  But it is.  Jesus, the God of miracles, is back from the grave and stronger than ever.  The movement is back on.  Look out, world.  Here we come!  To BUY NOW, click a book cover or paste this:  https://bit.ly/2OzEnXc

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