AUDIO STORYTIME PODCAST is an Achived Collection of stories and devotionals written and dramatized by Kathryn Ross. They were originally published on The Writer's Reverie Blog as The Writer's Reverie Podcasts, and simultaneously published as online and print form media in RUBY Magazine. These two online sources no longer exist, though they are referenced in the endnotes after each podcast. I have reloaded them here retitled as Miss Kathy's Audio Storytime Podcast.
Bear with me as I work through 2023 to upload the entire collection here for your joy!
CLICK EACH IMAGE to see the full text and images of the story or Click PLAY to listen.
Bear with me as I work through 2023 to upload the entire collection here for your joy!
CLICK EACH IMAGE to see the full text and images of the story or Click PLAY to listen.
Finding Christ in the Claddagh Vow
Storytelling is an important facet of Irish culture. Their tales descend from olden days, when the first Celtic societies settled the rugged, green Irish landscapes. Perhaps the most recognized legend and emblem of Ireland, next to St. Patrick’s story and shamrock, is the beautiful symbol of the Claddagh . . .
First published in March 2017 on The Writers Reverie Podcast as Irish Storytelling: Legends and Love. Read along with this story on the blog page.
First published in March 2017 on The Writers Reverie Podcast as Irish Storytelling: Legends and Love. Read along with this story on the blog page.
Christmas in the Trenches:
Holy Moments in No Man's Land
"And suddenly in two tongues one song filled the night sky."
Christmas in the Trenches, by John McCutcheon
In 2015, I recorded my 4th audio podcast, having just stepped into the world of recording and edition sound in obedience to the Lord that September. I had been blogging for a number of years and felt a great shift coming--but had not yet connected it to the entrance of Donald Trump into the election season that year. I just knew--our nation had been under seige, in the trenches, against a dark and destructive enemy. We needed light and deliverance from evil. And . . . it was Christmas . . .
Click above to hear this very special story--or READ HERE--tissues required. Share with your family and pray for our nation with great joy!
Christmas in the Trenches, by John McCutcheon
In 2015, I recorded my 4th audio podcast, having just stepped into the world of recording and edition sound in obedience to the Lord that September. I had been blogging for a number of years and felt a great shift coming--but had not yet connected it to the entrance of Donald Trump into the election season that year. I just knew--our nation had been under seige, in the trenches, against a dark and destructive enemy. We needed light and deliverance from evil. And . . . it was Christmas . . .
Click above to hear this very special story--or READ HERE--tissues required. Share with your family and pray for our nation with great joy!
The Courtship of Miles Standish
I love old things--especially old books. Here's a peak into my treasure hunt for vintage books that come to me in varied ways. Volumes by great classical authors like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in the case of The Courtship of Miles Standish, are especially precious.
"The title caught my attention first—then the vintage photograph on the cover: antique actors posed in a tableau portraying famous pilgrim forefathers recreating a moment in American history . . ."
Click the play button above to listen.
"The title caught my attention first—then the vintage photograph on the cover: antique actors posed in a tableau portraying famous pilgrim forefathers recreating a moment in American history . . ."
Click the play button above to listen.
When the Pageant Wagon Comes to Town
When I worked in a Principle Approach school some 20 years ago, I taught a class about the history of drama and storytelling. Little did I know then how my research, curriculum writing, and teaching of that course would become part of the fibers of my being. When I studied the impact of Pageant Wagons in the middle ages on the landscape of Europe for the purposes of advancing the Gospel and restoring literacy and learning to the masses through the power of story and the arts, I knew this would become part of the rest of my life. Learn the true story that fertilized the seed-bed of my literacy advocacy, speaking programs, and independent publishing as Pageant Wagon Productions and Pageant Wagon Publishing. Grab a cuppa tea and enjoy a 20 minute epic adventure of story! NOTE: Full Text Coming Soon. Click the Play Button above to listen!
Patriots, Petticoats, and Providential History
When George Washington commissioned Betsy Ross to create the first American flag in the spring of 1776, his design featured a six-pointed star. He thought cutting equal sides in a six-pointed star would be easier than five points. However, Betsy knew better. Learn her story in this Audio Storytime Podcast titled: Patriots, Petticoats, and Providential History.
Originally published in 2 parts in the July and August 2018 issues of RUBY Magazine.
Originally published in 2 parts in the July and August 2018 issues of RUBY Magazine.
Inviting Families to Stop for a Story
How did a poetry book from 1925 from a love story with a sad ending set me on a course for the passion I have for books and reading? Why does reading aloud as a family matter today? When modern living with all its rush-about busyness, and the stresses of life in the 21st century, fractured families need to come to a complete STOP! and take into consideration a tried and true activity to restore the authority of the home, cement familial relationships, enhance academic prowess on all levels, and make cherished memories one with another. We turn back the clock to learn what the family understood to be true to these purposes 100 years ago. Defining the terms of "family literacy" tools you with the whys, hows, and recommendations for making reading aloud together a priority in your home.
From Leyden to Liberty: A Thanksgiving Tale
Take a whirlwind trip through time to events leading up to the Plimoth Plantation Thanksgiving in 1621! Miss Kathy lays the foundation for a deeper understanding of this historic event in American history and its impact on us today. From the English pilgrims unrest in their homeland due to persecution, to their uneasy stay in the secular culture of Holland, to the treacherous crossing of the Atlantic and establishing of a colony in the cold climate of the Massachusetts Bay on Cape Cod, this true tale of Christian faith and resilience, miraculous provision, and truly grateful hearts is always inspirational. Learn the folk ballad sung on Plimoth Plantation about the daily trials of living in this fledgling colony--and how they always "praised Jehovah for our God is good."
Come Down to Earth and Be Still
I originally wrote this in the stormy election year of 2016. Four years later, in 2020, America faces a moment of truth in the election year to end all election years. Never before have we been assaulted by so many voices and propaganda from the devil's high places of power and influence. Like a pendulum swing, we are flung this way and that. Like the pandemic of March and April, false prognastication of doom and destruction stir us to levels of doubt and anxiety as never before as all things have come to a STOP worldwide. A season of Stop and Be Still, wherein God is fully in control and allowing such a time as this for His greater purposes. And, in HIS purposes, we have no reason to be tossed to and fro. Come down to earth and be still--the message of four years ago is still relevant today, and vital for every Christian to hear His Story, direction, and purposes as dark is turned to light and we transition into a new era of divine reset and reformation.
The Gatekeeper's Key ~ A Metaphorical Tale
Abridged Version
I wrote this short story on January 28, 2016 at the outset of a turbulent election year. I recorded it as a podcast in February, published on my former website at The Writer's Reverie, and simultaneously in Ruby Magazine online. Both are unavailable now, though referenced in the endnotes on the audio. There is no image link to the text for this audio.
I prayed into God's purposes for our nation through 2016 and expanded on this original version of the story. A year later in January 2017, I published a book, The Gatekeeper's Key, fully exploring what I believed the Lord had spoken to my heart: Be willing to grow into the greater things God has called us to while remaining patient for the prize to walk in the ordered steps we must be disciplined to take. I also explored these themes in my two Fable Springs Parables picture books and discussion guides, Mother Chicken's Eggs and Bugaboo Bee's Bop.
In 2020, we stand on the theshold of a new era in the purposes of God in the earth. YOU have been prepared for just such a time as this! Are you ready to cross through the portal to your full potential in His Story? Miss Kathy explores these themes through an alter ego named Weaver, who threads her words into a tapestry of story. But, when she meets with others in the marketplace where those tales are traded, she shrinks back from venturing forward to petition the Master Story Weaver--the Gatekeeper--for the Key to Opportunity. What happens on a particular day could change her world . . . if she accepts the Invitation. Will she GO?
If you're a writer or creative seeking to step fully into the field of your dreams; if you've ever felt stuck within walled confines, paralyzed by fear, or intimidated by risk; if you've ever been blocked from crossing the threshold of your full potential, desires, or calling in life, Weaver's story will challenge and inspire you. Listen to this original abridged version or read the full tale, including journal prompts and study guides, in The Gatekeeper's Key to help you:
I prayed into God's purposes for our nation through 2016 and expanded on this original version of the story. A year later in January 2017, I published a book, The Gatekeeper's Key, fully exploring what I believed the Lord had spoken to my heart: Be willing to grow into the greater things God has called us to while remaining patient for the prize to walk in the ordered steps we must be disciplined to take. I also explored these themes in my two Fable Springs Parables picture books and discussion guides, Mother Chicken's Eggs and Bugaboo Bee's Bop.
In 2020, we stand on the theshold of a new era in the purposes of God in the earth. YOU have been prepared for just such a time as this! Are you ready to cross through the portal to your full potential in His Story? Miss Kathy explores these themes through an alter ego named Weaver, who threads her words into a tapestry of story. But, when she meets with others in the marketplace where those tales are traded, she shrinks back from venturing forward to petition the Master Story Weaver--the Gatekeeper--for the Key to Opportunity. What happens on a particular day could change her world . . . if she accepts the Invitation. Will she GO?
If you're a writer or creative seeking to step fully into the field of your dreams; if you've ever felt stuck within walled confines, paralyzed by fear, or intimidated by risk; if you've ever been blocked from crossing the threshold of your full potential, desires, or calling in life, Weaver's story will challenge and inspire you. Listen to this original abridged version or read the full tale, including journal prompts and study guides, in The Gatekeeper's Key to help you:
- Persevere in uncertain days
- See purpose in boundaries
- Find comfort in trials
- Gain fortitude in going forth
When Mice Make Way for the Lion's Roar
When the darkest night drains every hope from your heart. When the battle seems too impossible and the mountain too massive to climb. When all you can do is pour out your heart to the Lord in tiny tears of helplessness. Like a little mouse. The Lord speaks to you in that small place and gives you eyes to see how truly big your efforts are when you nuzzle into the Lion as He roars. Take a trip through Narnia with Miss Kathy and this powerful lesson she learned in prayer one day in July 2016--the summer of a war-like election year when Jezebel seemed to have everything rigged in her favor. Until the Lion roared in November. Now, four years later, our nation is at another tipping point moment and the battle smoke even more blinding. But when an army of mice pray--again--hope rises and the Lion roars. Gather the family around for this devotional storytelling, then read aloud The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe together and arm yourselves as Kings and Queens in Narnia--victorious! Read the transcript HERE.
More Audio Storytimes to be added in the months to come!