A writer inspired by nature and human nature

Archive for the ‘Inspirational’ Category

2017 WRITING CONTEST: Tales2Inspire Celebrates Sixth Year


Get ready to share your story

winner-tales2inspire

 

“So much more than a contest…“

Lois W. Stern announces the opening of Tales2Inspire’s sixth year—with a great little contest for those with an inspiring story to share. But it is so much more than a contest, as winning authors get tons of publicity to help them on their paths to discovery. Free to enter—NO FEES involved.

Stories must be true, with one or more relevant photos submitted to enhance the impact of the story. All details posted at: www.tales2inspire.com/contest, so please refer to this link before you begin.

And since a picture is worth 10,000 words, while you’re there, grab a F*R*E*E e-book sampler of inspiring stories written by previous winners, and now published in one of the six Tales2Inspire® collections. 

~ Lois W. Stern
Creator of Tales2Inspire ‘Authors Helping Authors’ Project/Contest

Get the NEW Tales2Inspire E-book 6 Inspiring Stories – FREE 
Available formats for KINDLE (Mobi) OR NOOK (e-pub)
FREE e-book sampler www.tales2inspire.com/gift
Your reviews are most appreciated.

    Lois’s links:

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Category:

Book marketing, Inspirational, Inspirational non-fiction, Non-fiction, Photography, Short Stories, Writing Challenges, YouTube Video

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Prayer is bringing…


Amen… ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author/illustrator http://www.4writersandreaders.com

nataliescarberry's avatarSacred Touches

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**Images via Pinterest; collage by Natalie

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Inspirational, Monarch butterflies, Photography

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COMPASSION a poem by Bette A. Stevens


compassion-poem-bas-2017Compassion is…

Compassion in life is a beautiful thing. But exactly what is compassion? I’ve always thought of compassion as love in action. After writing the poem COMPASSION, I searched Google to find a definition. The synonyms fit perfectly into my preconceived notion for the poem because they not only included love and mercy, each synonym requires action (stirring) on our part to metamorphose the idea of compassion into the realty of compassion.

May compassion reign in our hearts and hands.

~ Bette A. Stevens

Google Search:

noun: compassion; plural noun: compassions

sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

“the victims should be treated with compassion”

synonyms: pity, sympathy, empathy, fellow feeling, care, concern, solicitude, sensitivity, warmth, love, tenderness, mercy, leniency, tolerance, kindness, humanity, charity

“have you no compassion for a fellow human being?”
antonyms: indifference, cruelty

Origin Middle English: via Old French from ecclesiastical Latin compassio(n-), from compati ‘suffer with.’

Compassion in life is a beautiful thing…

Compassion by Bette A. Stevens

Compassion in life is a beautiful thing
Sharing its beauty gives others their wings
Stirring love into each little thing that we do
Is sure to help their dreams and our dreams come true

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Written

on 01/11/2017

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May the Love, Joy and Peace of Christmas follow you through the New Year!


“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.”
LUKE 2:11 (KJV) Bible

Christmas Eve Pondering

stars-shell-merry-christmas-bas-2016

A Poem by Bette A. Stevens

The last cookie baked, the final gift wrapped.

Christmas Eve is upon us…

It’s time to relax.

Christmas music is gently reminding us why

Lord Jesus, the Christ Child…

Came down from on high.

He came as a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Lived among us on earth…

God’s gifts to bestow.

Loving God, loving others —Christ bought with his life

He epitomized love…

Not anger or strife.

God’s love is a precious gift we’re to share

Not with just those we know…

But with folks everywhere.

 

Wishing you Peace, Love & Joy—Gifts of The Christ Child—at Christmas and always… ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author

 


Christmas music in a 3 hours long playlist (tracklist below). Traditional Christmas songs & carols featuring piano, violin & orchestra – arranged and recorded by Peder B. Helland. Christmas songs in the mix: “O Holy Night”, “Silent Night”, “O Come All Ye Faithful”, “Angels We Have Heard On High,” “In The Bleak Midwinter” & “Fairest Lord Jesus.”

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Written

on 12/24/2016

HOLIDAY SALE! Amazing Matilda by Bette A. Stevens—Only 99¢—Limited Time


Looking for that perfect gift—for a special child in your life?

am-limited-time-offer-bas-2016AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens
This 5✰ award-winning children’s book (Ages 4-11) about a Monarch butterfly inspires kids to be all they can be.
ONLY 99¢ at YOUR AMAZON http://bit.ly/19Qr3Y0 through December 26, 2016

Book Summary

When Matilda emerges from her egg on a milkweed leaf, she stretches and yawns and wants to fly. Sparrow tells her to follow her dreams. Toad and Rabbit laugh at a creature without wings who wants to fly. You’ll be just as amazed as Toad and Rabbit are when you follow Matilda’s adventure from egg to imago. Science, art and wise lessons for children—they’re all wrapped up in a tale the kids will want to read/hear again and again!

  • Readers and listeners (age 4–11) simply adore Matilda. Adults are sure to fall in love with this amazing Monarch butterfly too.
  • Friendship, patience and persistence are among the lessons learned in this gem of a tale featuring AMAZING MATILDA. This award-winning picture book adventure follows the Monarch’s life cycle as caterpillar Matilda embarks on a quest to make her dream of flying come true.

AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens ONLY 99¢ at YOUR AMAZON http://bit.ly/19Qr3Y0 Limited Time Offer

PLUS there’s more…

  • AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens is also available in paperback ($9.49). If you order the paperback from Amazon, the Kindle version is always free via “Matchbook”

About the author

Inspired by nature and human nature, author Bette A. Stevens is a retired elementary and middle school teacher, a wife, mother of two and grandmother of five. Stevens lives in Central Maine with her husband on their 37-acre farmstead where she enjoys reading, writing, gardening, walking and reveling in the beauty of nature. She advocates for children and families, for childhood literacy and for the conservation of Monarch butterflies—an endangered species (and for milkweed, the only plant that monarch caterpillars will eat).

Stevens is the author of AMAZING MATILDA, an award-winning picture book; The Tangram Zoo and Word Puzzles Too!, a home/school resource  incorporating hands-on math and writing; and PURE TRASH, the short story prequel to her début novel, DOG BONE SOUP, a Boomer’s coming-of-age story set in 1950s and 60s New England.

Find out more about the author and her books at http://viewauthor.at/BetteAStevens

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Category:

AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens, butterfly metamorphosis, Children's Activities, Children's Activity Book, Children's Literature, Inspirational, Literacy, Maine Author, Monarch butterflies, Parenting

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Mary, did you know…


Enjoy one of my favorite Christmas songs. Wishing you the Joy of Christmas today always… ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandreaders.com

nataliescarberry's avatarSacred Touches

Mary, when you kiss your little baby, you kiss the face of God! Would that I could too!!!

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**Image via Pinterest

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Holiday Greeting, Inspirational, Music, Video

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Fresh Fallen Crystals —Poem by Bette A. Stevens


fresh-fallen-crystals-poem-bas-2016

A Season of Wonder

Early December at the Farmstead in Central Maine—finally have a covering of snow and temperatures cold enough to keep the white magic around for a while. Conifer branches adorned in winter’s white called out to this writer: “Capture a photo, we’re all spruced up in our new attire!” from near the barn’s entrance. I simply had to pen their remembrance in a poem—
Fresh Fallen Crystals.

Wishing you all a Season of Wonder!

~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author

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Written

on 12/07/2016

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1311. I still get wildly enthusiastic about little things… ~Leo Buscaglia


It’s the little things in life that mean so much. May your days be filled with wonders!  ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandreaders.com

nataliescarberry's avatarSacred Touches

Perfect happiness is a beautiful sunset,
the giggle of a grandchild, the first snowfall.
(even if the snow is just on our WP blogs)
It’s the little things that make happy
moments, not the grand events.
Joy comes in sips, not gulps.
~Sharon Draper

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Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens
Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens
Brown paper packages tied up with strings
These are a few of my favorite things

Cream colored ponies and crisp apple strudels
Door bells and sleigh bells and schnitzel with noodles
Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings
These are a few of my favorite things

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes
Silver white winters that melt into Springs
These are a few of my favorite things

When the dog bites
When the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad

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Written

on 12/01/2016

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Grandma’s Legacy: A Poem by Bette A. Stevens


 

grandmas-legacy-basGrandma’s Legacy is a poem that I wrote several years ago in honor of a truly great woman—Elizabeth A. Babcock, born January 1, 1898, died January 1, 1975. Grandma lives on in the hearts and memories of all whose lives she touched. The photo ( circa 1952) of me and Grandma was taken by my dear father, one of Grandma’s eight children.  ~ Bette A. Stevens

“A writer inspired by nature and human nature”

“Look    Inside” Bette’s books at http://viewauthor.at/BetteAStevens

 

 

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Written

on 11/22/2016

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1295. A writer lives, at best, in a state of astonishment. Beneah any feeling he has of the good or evil of the world lies a deeper one of wonder at it all. ~William Sansom


Enjoying the wonder of it all! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandreaders.com

nataliescarberry's avatarSacred Touches

How can I stand on the ground
every day and not feel its power?
How can I live my life stepping on
this stuff and not wonder at it?
~William Bryant Logan

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The many gardens of the world,
of literature and poetry,
of painting and music,
of religion and architecture,
all make the point as clear as possible:
The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden.
~Thomas Moore

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A garden is like the self.
It has so many layers
and winding paths,
real or imagined, that it
can never be known, completely,
even by the most intimate of friends.
~Anne Raver

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The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy. ~Psalm 65:8  ✝

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Written

on 11/12/2016

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