Inspiration for the Heart: Short stories to build confidence and encourage the soul - Softcover

This collection of non-fiction short stories is about my unique life experiences, challenges and praises. Inspiration for the Heart is written to inspire, encourage, give hope...and you will see God's hand woven into each story. At the end of each one, I've provided a brief summary of the lesson I learned from that life event, along with the address of a correlating Bible verse. I like relating to people by verbally espousing stories. The purpose may be to parallel a point, give an idea to ponder or simply bring a smile and laugh to them. Hopefully, my communication is a breath of fresh air, and not a pounding drum of baloney. I thank my mother for encouraging me to write down these true narratives. My hope is that you will enjoy the time spent in reading them. Charles Castle

Several years ago, I was training a salesperson to sell advertising for a church publication company. As he and I prospected, set appointments and did presentations, we spent a lot of "window time" together in my car. After a few days, the man told that two of my spiritual gifts from God were encouragement and exhortation. I grew up in Beaumont and Dallas, Texas with loving parents and younger sister. Dad was a lawyer -- first in private practice and later as a corporation attorney writing contracts for an oil tool company. Mom earned a college degree in economics and worked briefly until I was four years old. As a full-time mother, she volunteered for organizations and the church, was active in the communities we lived in and cooked every meal. The only meals eaten in restaurants were on the road to and from vacation destinations. Our family went to church every Sunday; I was active in the Boy Scouts of America in Troop 70 in Dallas, earned my Eagle badge; school was boring as I bounced along with Bs and Cs; paper routes and restaurant jobs were part-time income for me; participating and watching sports were not on my radar. After high school graduation, I attended Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. I finally obtained my Bachelor of Arts in Communications eight years later! My career has included insurance, advertising, marketing and membership sales, donor building/care for non-profits, public relations and writing. I met my wife in Boulder, Colorado at a Halloween party and we got married nine months later. She's the love of my life! The greatest asset I will ever own is my belief and faith in God and His Son, Jesus. I thought I was a Christian because I went to church, attended confirmation classes and was pretty good? I did become a Christian in my mid-30s and continue to develop my relationship with God and fellow believers. May God bless and keep you, Charles Castle