At my meeting last Tuesday night, I mentioned a wow woman who influenced me both in my younger years and continues yet today: Catherine Marshall.
The women in the room never heard of her. Even an older woman stared at me blankly with no recognition of her name.
I knew Catherine Marshall needed to be the next woman featured in this series.
Who Was Catherine Marshall?
Catherine lived from 1915 to 1983. In the 40’s she married Peter Marshall who became the chaplain in the US Senate. They had one son, Peter Jr.
Tragically her husband died of a heart attack and Catherine was left alone to raise their 9-year-old son.
Soon afterward, Catherine began to write. She shared the story of her husband in the popular book titled A Man Called Peter and she published a collection of sermons by her husband. She ended up with more than 20 books to her credit.
Her most famous work was the 1967 novel, Christy, inspired by her mother’s journey into Appalachia to teach. Christie was made into a movie and is the namesake of the national award given to novelists called the Christy Award. This award is given annually to nurture and encourage creativity and quality in the writing and publishing of fiction written from a Christian worldview.
Catherine remarried Leonard LeSourd, who was the editor of the Guidepost Magazine so her writing career continued to grow.
In her books, she openly shared her faith, her doubts, her struggles, her prayers. She faced three long years in recovering from TB in the 1940s and endured the deaths of two grandchildren later in life. She never lost faith and shared in her writing and her journey with God.
Books and Quotes by Catherine Marshall
- A Closer Walk (co-author)
- A Man Called Peter
- Adventures in Prayer
- Beyond Our Selves
- Catherine Marshall’s Story Bible
- Catherine Marshall’s Storybook for Children
- Christy
- Footprints in the Snow
- Friends with God
- God Loves You
- Heart of Peter Marshall’s Faith
- John Doe, Disciple
- Julie
- Let’s Keep Christmas
- Light in my Darkest Night
- Meeting God at Every Turn
- Mr. Jones, Meet the Master
- Moments that Matter
- My Personal Prayer Diary
- Prayers of Peter Marshall
- Quiet Times with Catherine Marshall
- Something More
- The Best of Catherine Marshall
- The Best of Peter Marshall
- The Collected Works of Catherine Marshall
- The First Easter (co-author)
- The Helper
- The Inspirational Writings of Catherine Marshall
- To Live Again
Once we recognize our need for Jesus, then the building of our faith begins. It is a daily, moment-by-moment life of absolute dependence upon Him for everything
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The purpose of all prayer is to find God’s will and to make that our prayer.
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The only time I ever find my dealings with God less than clear-cut is when I’m not being honest with Him. The fuzziness is always on my side, not His.
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Of course, you’ll encounter trouble. But behold a God of Power who can take any evil and turn ti into a door of hope.
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Lessons Learned
I devoured her books as a young teen. I wanted a faith like hers. I wanted to write like her. I wanted to pray like her.
I love her honesty in her writing and how she shared her intimate struggles to walk with Christ. She was always seeking Him. Multiple times I thought, “I want to be like her. I want to write like her.” She is a major reason why I am a Christian writer today.
I learned to pray and deepen my desire to be faithful through her writings.
I saw the value of journaling as a spiritual practice.
She showed me how to open my heart and realize my hunger and thirst for more, more of God.
Through her words and witness, I grew a better understanding of the journey of faith, its ups and downs, and the ever-present, ever-faithful Lord by our side.
I am curious if you remember or knew of Catherine Marshall? What lessons do you see/hear in her story?
I’ve always heard of the Christy books but somehow I never read one. Maybe that should change.
Love this: “The purpose of all prayer is to find God’s will and to make that our prayer.” Amen.
Hi Jean! I am new to your blog and appreciate the depth of your writings. Yes, I read Catherine’s books as a young person, “A Man Called Peter”, “Christy”, “Adventures in Prayer” andthey are still in my library today. This winter, I would like to read a few more that you have listed as she was a great inspiration and I loved her honesty as well. I have ordered your devotional Advent book and can’t wait to read it this Christmas season. I shared it with my sister and now she is ordering one. So glad I found you.
So glad to connect with you Cyndi and thank you for your kind words and purchase of my book I hope it blesses you and your sister. Glad we connected!!
Jean, yes! Your post makes me want to reach for her volumes yet again. They were packed with treasures, for sure.
Thanks for this delightful prompt!
I want to pull a few off my shelf too. She is such an inspiration even today!
Thank you for sharing this information as I had not heard of her! You have now piqued my interest and will look for her writings!
Jean I am so glad to receive your healthy spirituality, and I look forward to each posting! I am so glad that I found your books otherwise I may never had found these wonderful articles of Inspiration that you so generously share with your readers!
She is such an open writer sharing her journey and struggles. Thank you for such kind words, Denise, you made my day!!
As a young teen I saw the film, A Man Called Peter. I then wanted to know more and read the book. (I think my parents must already have owned it.) Then I read Christy and years later, The Best of Peter Marshall. I remember being impressed with Catherine’s humility–even writing letters of apology to anyone she remembered having wronged in the slightest way. (This was during her siege with TB). Though others may not remember her these days, I know her legacy lives on through the thousands she influenced. I’m glad to know you remember her, too, Jean!
Wasn’t she an inspirational lady? I still have many of her books. so glad you hold her in your heart too, Nancy!
I am now 74 years old, and the first half of my life was greatly influenced and nurtured by Catherine Marshall. Her books are still in my library, and every time I see the covers I have a beautiful feeling inside, knowing that she brought me closer to God with everything she wrote. Definitely a WOW woman, and so sad that she is little-known today.
I am not too far behind you in age and love it that we both loved her writing. What an inspiration for us and like you I still hold onto her books.
I am not too far behind you in age. What an inspiration she was for our generation. I know my daughter reads Annie F Downs for Christian spritual growth too so each generation must find their own .
I love Catherine Marshall’s writing!!! I’ve read Christy, Julie and A Man Called Peter, but never realized how many more books she wrote, Jean. I guess I’ll just have to start going through that list. 🙂
She inspired me both as a Christian and a writer in my younger years. Thanks for sharing Catherine’s life here!
Blessings!
I could have guessed you would like Catherine Marshall too. No surprise! such inspiration for our generation.