A Bible Blanket: May You Snuggle in God’S Love

By Beverly Foote

If we regard life as a school where we have the opportunity to grow in love toward ourselves and toward others as well as to learn from our mistakes, The Holy Bible serves as a textbook to guide us on this journey. For each chapter of the Old and New Testaments, I have written a sentence or two to indicate how the chapter has enlightened or inspired me. In sharing these insights, I hope to encourage you, dear reader, to use the Bible as a teaching tool and guide in lifes journey. The Bible illustrates not only human shortcomings but also inspires hope that allows us to move from fear to love, from a sense of scarcity to a sense of abundance, from a sense of shame to a sense of peace, from a sense of anger to a sense of forgiveness, and from a sense of separation to a sense of oneness. Some readers may want to embark on a program of daily Bible reading, turning afterward to A Bible Blanket for assurance and inspiration. Other readers may simply want to read A Bible Blanket as a summary of the good news offered in The Holy Bible. Either way, may this book provide blessed assurance of Gods unconditional love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 19, 2017
• ISBN: 9781512786903

Beverly Foote

Beverly Foote, a graduate of Rutgers University and the Bread Loaf School of English, Middlebury College, has participated in writing workshops at the University of Virginia, the University of the South, and Princeton Theological Seminary. She took classes in religion at Wellesley College, Episcopal Divinity School, and Virginia Theological Seminary. In addition, she completed training in the Old and New Testaments through Sewanee’s Education for Ministry Program. Presently, she attends classes based on A Course in Miracles. Her book A Journey of the Heart provides Lenten meditations based on her sojourn at St. Andrews, Scotland. Her book of poems, Sheets, worn the 2008 Christian Choice Book Award for poetry. In this current book, A Bible Blanket, she hopes to inspire the reader with a deep sense of God’s unconditional love revealed in The Holy Bible.

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Copyright © 2017 Beverly Foote.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-5127-8691-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8692-7 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-8690-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017907625

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/18/2017

Contents

Preface

Selected Excerpts

Acknowledgments

The Old Testament

Bibliography

About the Author

In Loving Memory of John E. Foote

Preface

As children many of us loved a special blanket often referred to as security blanket, since it gave warmth, peace, protection, and comfort. With this book, I want you, dear reader, to feel the warmth, peace, protection, and comfort of God’s love revealed in the Bible.

For each chapter of the Old and New Testaments I have attempted to create a sentence or two that reflect God’s light and love. Some readers may want to combine this book with Bible study by reading a chapter of the Bible and then reading my corresponding reflection either during private meditation or as part of a group discussion. Some may simply want to read this book as a catalyst to personal reflection and spiritual growth. Others may want to use my approach as a paradigm for creating their own reflections based on the Bible. I leave that choice to you.

As I worked to create these reflections, the glowing message of God’s love was often easy to perceive. Other times, I struggled to see the light, for the Bible also exposes human error based on the ego’s perception of reality. For example, the ego may see God as angry, punitive, and vengeful instead of unconditionally loving.

As you read the Bible and the reflections in this book, may you be reminded that God’s unconditional love is the intrinsic source of your self-worth. May this book be for you, dear child of God, a blessing and a reassurance that you are unique, precious, and loved by your Creator, who longs to share an intimate relationship with you.

—Beverly Foote

Selected Excerpts

I highly recommend Beverly Foote’s book, A Bible Blanket! True to its title, reading this summary of the Bible from God’s viewpoint does indeed feel like a soothing and comforting blanket. We know that the Bible tells us many stories, but we might forget that it reminds us to fear not, for God’s unconditional love surrounds us and wants only the best for us. The following are examples of the loving perspective that you will find in this book. –Mary Warren Pinnell

Let love overcome the darkness you see when you are afraid.

Even when you slip into fear, the Lord shelters you with steadfast love.

Do not internalize grievances. Instead, let God deal with them.

God loves you unconditionally regardless of how you view yourself.

Learn to recognize fear so that it will not overpower you, and focus on love in every situation.

See yourself as loved and created by God so that you can see the light in others, since all are loved and created by God.

Listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit within you when you need guidance or advice.

Know that you are not alone on this journey. God knows your every thought and action and loves you as His precious creation, no matter what.

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the many who have helped in gathering these insights, especially Tom Baker, M.Div., LCSW, whose teachings based on A Course in Miracles have broadened my understanding; Mary Warren Pinnell for her generous and conscientious labor of love in editing the manuscript; Mark Grochmal for his IT skills and help with formatting; Marybeth Highton for suggesting the title; Joan Kennedy for helpful recommendations; my daughters, Elizabeth and Laura, who are blessings in my life; Lynn Hunter, who has given steady encouragement for my writing over the years; The Very Rev. Dr. Stanley W. Sawyer and The Rev. Dr. J. Segar Gravatt, whose sermons have enlightened me; all my friends and prayer partners who have shared God’s love and have helped and continue to help me grow along life’s journey. Most of all, I am grateful to God who turns suffering to good and who wants the best for me and all He has created.

—Beverly Foote

The Old Testament

Genesis: The First Book of Moses

1. God created you, blessed you, and loves you.

2. God made you to be unashamed and unafraid.

3. God loves you unconditionally.

4. Be patient when you do not see rewards for your efforts.

5. The years of your life, regardless of how long you live, are precious.

6. You can trust God even when violence and corruption are rampant.

7. God’s compassion for you exceeds your imagination.

8. Noah had to send out the dove three times, so be patient while waiting on God.

9. God restores you to life again and again.

10. God keeps His promises.

11. The ego’s attempts to make a name for yourself create disunity, but humble trust in the Spirit creates unity.

12. God loves you even when you act out of fear or make mistakes.

13. God blesses generosity.

14. Faith allows you to show