Celebrating
twenty-three years
of Internet
ministry

Over 100 
Nehemiah Notes
posted on
this site

  The official website for Blaine Smith’s ministry and Nehemiah Notes 

     
Books by
Blaine Smith

With Sample Chapters
***NEW***
Turning the Page
Finding the Courage
for Major Life Change
and the Wisdom
to Reinvent Yourself

Available in paperback and
Kindle
  
Beyond Stage Fright and into the Spotlight
Overcoming Performance Anxiety and the Fear of Public Speaking -- and Winning the Hearts of Your Audience
Available in paperback,
Kindle and Nook
     
Should I Wait in Faith or Step Out in Faith?
Balancing Patience and Initiative in the Christian Life
Available in paperback, Kindle and Nook
     
Emotional Intelligence for the Christian
How It Radically Affects Your Happiness, Health, Success and Effectiveness for Christ
How to Achieve It Where It Counts Most
Available
in paperback,
Kindle and Nook
   
Reach Beyond
Your Grasp

Embracing Dreams That Reflect God's Best for You -- And Achieving Them
Available
in paperback,
Kindle and Nook
   
Marry a Friend
Finding Someone to Marry Who Is Truly Right for You
Available
in paperback,
Kindle and Nook
   
Goal Setting for the Christian
Harnessing the Stunning Benefits of Focus and Persistence to Realize Your Potential for Christ -- and Your God-Given Dreams
Available in paperback, Kindle and Nook
   
The Yes Anxiety
Taming the Fear
of Commitment in Relationships, Career, Spiritual Life and Daily Decisions
Available
in paperback,
Kindle and Nook
   
Overcoming Shyness
 Conquering Your
Social Fears
Available 
in paperback,
Kindle and Nook
   
Faith and Optimism: Positive Expectation in the Christian Life (formerly The Optimism Factor)
Available
in paperback,
Kindle and Nook   

One of a Kind
A Biblical view of Self-Acceptance
Available 
in paperback,
Kindle and Nook
     

Knowing God's Will
Knowing God's Will
Finding Guidance for Personal Decisions
(Expanded Edition)
Available in
paperback and
Kindle
   
Should I Get Married?
Should I Get Married?
Revised/Updated Edition
Available 
in paperback
   
Knowing God's Will
 Biblical Principles of
Guidance
The original
1979 edition
   
Translations and
British Editions

Welcome to the Nehemiah Ministries Website . . .

And thank you for visiting! I began this site in 1997, as my effort to bring encouragement and counsel to Christians online -- especially regarding relationships and realizing their personal potential. I've posted a Nehemiah Notes article twice each month since then, and all are archived here. While Ive reissued some, over 100 individual articles are available. Youll also find information on all my books, with sample chapters, and links to online sellers where they are available. And theres also a history of this ministry, and I've posted some photos (updated June 2017), in case you're interested. I hope an article or book featured on this site will provide the help you need, and Gods best to you as you browse!  - Blaine Smith

   

   

 * * * Memorial Photo Tribute to Evie * * *

Evie Kirkland Smith

November 14, 1951 -
March 8, 2017

On March 8, 2017 my wife Evie died at Casey House Hospice in Rockville, Maryland, from ALS. She was diagnosed with the disease in November, 2015, but, looking back, she had probably suffered from it for close to three years. It is a brutal, degenerative disease, and this vibrant woman ultimately lost the use of both legs and feet, her left arm and (primary) hand, and some right arm function as well. Then in her last weeks she suffered serious respiratory decline. As is so common with ALS patients, this is what finally took her life.

By the time she was hospitalized on February 21, she had reached the point where she wanted to be freed from her sufferings and be with the Lord. Her longing for Heaven, and her confidence that Christ had a place there for her, was so strong that it stunned some who worked with her at Casey House, the hospice to which she was transferred on March 1. She went peacefully, with joyful expectation of a much better life to come. While I am heartbroken over losing her, I am so glad she is relieved of her suffering and is now in the presence of Christ.

Evie taught elementary school music in Montgomery Country, Maryland public schools for 25 years, and was highly successful at the task. She was loved by a great many people, and will be dearly missed by so many. Most of all, she was the most amazing possible wife and mother of our two sons, Ben and Nate.

The photo above is of Evie and Ben dancing at his wedding reception, July 28, 2008. I've posted a photo tribute to Evie on YouTube, including about 100 pics from throughout her life. Even if you didn't know her, you may still enjoy watching this display, for she was highly photogenic, and her constant smile was an inspiration.

Your prayers for me and for my family are much appreciated during this time, and I'm so grateful for the condolences that many on my Nehemiah Notes list have sent to us.  - Blaine

   

       
Nehemiah Notes, October 1, 2020
     

When God Does the Unexpected
Four Miracles That Help Us Realize Our Potential

   
In The Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck writes of his fascination with “serendipities.” These are special but inexplicable experiences of blessing. Events occur in our lives, he notes, which bring us great benefit yet defy logical explanation. Peck does not hesitate to term such incidents miracles.
         Peck marvels, for instance, at how sometimes in a dreadful traffic accident an individual will emerge from a mangled vehicle unharmed. This seems to point to the miraculous protection of God . . .
   
God is fully capable of  “bending the rules” when providing for us and coming to our aid. I look at this deeply inspiring truth in this article.
    

    
Nehemiah Notes, September 1, 2020
     

The Triumph of Hope
When Should We Continue to Fight?
When Should We Accept Defeat?

     

In the preface to his last book, George Burns wrote that he no longer expected to live an active public life. “I'm still an optimist. But I'm not stupid. That nurse isn't watching me all day to see if my toupee is on straight.”
         Burns had decided to accept the fact that his life was declining rather than fight it. A mature step in choosing to live with reality, we might say.
         Yet Burns was 100 years old when he wrote these words . . .

   
Deeply-felt hope is the attitude that best opens us to God's provision for our needs. It is also far more achievable than "mountain-moving faith." I explain in this article.
    

     
Nehemiah Notes, August 1, 2020
     

The Triumph of Simple Persistence
Winning Life's Battles in Horizontal Time

     
During the California gold rush a prospector named R. U. Darby helped his uncle mine a vein of gold that the latter had discovered. It appeared at first that they had a prosperous find. Yet the vein soon disappeared, and Darby and his uncle searched frantically for the spot where it continued. Finally, they concluded their prospects were hopeless and sold their equipment to a junk dealer.
         The junk dealer consulted an engineer, then began mining the shaft again. He quickly discovered the elusive vein and a supply of gold worth millions of dollars--just three feet from where Darby and his uncle had stopped digging . . .
    
Sticking with a goal, even when we're tempted to quit, makes a radical difference in what we accomplish. I explain in this article.
   

What you'll find
on this site . . .
Over 100 Nehemiah Notes archived-- articles by Blaine Smith--including:
Waiting on God's Timing
Seizing the Moment
Confronting Your Social Fears
Growing Wise Emotionally
Listening to God: Why It Helps to Be Moving
When We Get Our Wires Crossed
When Waiting Is
 Worth It
When Someone Lets
You Down
Don't Look Back
Facing Your Fears of Success
Your Life's Bigger Picture
The Triumph of Simple Persistence
Trust Your Judgment
When Is a Door Truly Closed?
Reshaping Assumptions That Shape Our Life
If God Loves Everyone, Where Does That Leave me?
Looking Inward and Looking Outward
Handling Life's Interruptions
The Challenge of Optimism
Should I Wait in Faith--Or Step Out in Faith?
The Eureka Factor
Keeping Your Life in Motion
The Motive Trap
Turning the Page
Learning to Fail Successfully
Golden Opportunities and God's Will
Confronting the Fear of Change
Waking to Your Hidden Potential
Paranoia Can
Annoy Ya
Regretting the Choice That Seemed So Right
Christians and Self-Talk
My Desires and
God's Will
Dare to Dream
Keep on Dreaming
Seeing Your Life Dynamically
Obedience to Christ--What Does It Mean?
Hearing God in a Time of Crisis
Is God a Matchmaker?
Embracing Your Signature Style
The Greatness of Small Beginnings
No Fatal Errors
When God Does the Unexpected
Serving Christ for (the Highest) Benefits
Bailing Us Out
The Triumph of Hope
The Positive Side of Mixed Emotions
Fresh Starts
Fooled by Fleecing
The Shortest Cop on the Force
Welcome Guidance from Unwelcome Interruptions
The Joy of Late Blooming
Bad Days -- What Do They Mean?
The Problem of Unanswered Prayer
Past Guidance and Present Decisions
Aiming Straight,
Aiming High
Faith and Assertiveness
Helping Others by Asking for Help
When Trying Again
Makes the Difference
You're a Gift to Others--But Not a Savior
Grasping the Bigger
Picture
Revising the Map
Guidance and
Intuition
Faith and Individuality
Pearls of Too Great a Price
Tradeoffs Worth
Making
Prayer and Your Personal Potential
Pacing Yourself
Many, many more!
Copyright 1997-2019 M. Blaine Smith
Damascus, Maryland
E-mail Blaine Smith