Love God, Love Others

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More About Mary Kaarto

Hello, and thank you for taking time to get know a little about me.

As a native Houstonian, I was a single mom for almost 20 years. During this time it was God's good purpose and plan for me to be laid off from 1992-94 and 2002-04. Shortly after my unemployment benefits ended in 1993, I found myself desperate, taking my daughter and I to church for the first time in years. We attended a new church across town of a different denomination than what my siblings and I were raised in, and it was the church my brother and his wife attended. I made sure to sit as far from them as possible, because I'm someone who doesn't respond well to pressure from people I know and it was important for me to be open to listening to the pastor without distractions, which I was. By the end of the service when an invitation to what I now know was an altar call was extended, I literally felt as though my heart itself was on fire, and found myself walking rapidly up the aisle in tears, more than ready to accept God's free gift of salvation.

My young daughter and I joined a church family closer to home the following Sunday, and thus I began the most amazing journey with God by my side, ever since. During my first two-year layoff, He revealed Himself to me so clearly, answered my prayers quickly and provided for us continuously and showed He is faithful and trustworthy. At the end of this first layoff, not only did He give me a job, He gave me the career change of my dreams (traveling and writing full-time for a living), in spite of not having a college degree, formal training of any type, mentor, or "foot in the door".

Three weeks after my second layoff, I fell 16 feet off the top rung of the ladder in our backyard, while trying to prune a tree. When you're a single mom without a job, you do what you have to do to save money. A week later I cried out to God in my physical pain, asking Him why He allowed me to be laid off again, and why He allowed this accident that left me with a broken leg, injured knee and housebound in pain with no insurance.

"I want you to write a book about trusting me as your divine employer" was his immediate response. And after months of fear and doubt, I finally succumbed to his will and HELP for the LAID OFF was written under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. HOPE for the LAID OFF and PRAYERS for the LAID OFF now round out and provide a series of books for anyone who is between jobs.

I went through many additional hard times during my second layoff - far more than the first - yet was cool as a cucumber because I knew from my first layoff that God would provide for my daughter and I. Many of my friends would say, "Mary, I can't take anything else bad happening to you, I don't see how you're not falling apart."

Eventually I was offered a new position as regional editor of a nursing magazine, working from home and covering Texas/Louisiana for a publishing company located in the Northeast. I was asked to take care of an elderly woman with Alzheimers, the wife of one of Second Baptist Church's most beloved, prominent pastors, Dr. James DeLoach, which I began doing on a part-time basis from their home, while working for the magazine. Next, I found a weekend job (Sat/Sun) working as a manager of a self-storage company, so I worked three jobs, seven days a week, for over a year, because I desperately wanted to become debt-free.

In August 2006, I met the man who would eventually become my beloved husband. Looking back, I have no idea how we found time to get to know each other, but we did. I made it clear on our third date that I was an active, practicing Christian who made a vow to God after my divorce years earlier, that I would remain sexually abstinent and that if it was his will for me to remarry in the future, that I would maintain this vow with any man who showed me interest. I let this man (who is now my husband) know that I had not been with a man since my divorce and that he needed to really understand that no matter how charming he may be, no matter what gifts he might buy, no matter what - I would never have sex of any type outside of marriage, and it was up to him whether or not he would agree to these terms. Well lo and behold, I had no idea his mother was a devout Christian, that he would also be tired of dating the world's way because he, too, had had two previous marriages that ended up in divorce.

John immediately agreed to my terms and we thoroughly enjoyed an old-fashioned courtship for 1.5 years before being married on April 4, 2008, by the elderly pastor whose wife I cared for, in the same chapel where my mother's memorial service was held. This was so special to me because I lost my mom due to a horrible case of medical negligence during my second layoff.

I was laid off a third and final time in July 2008, but was comforted in knowing that God was providing for me, through my husband. By that time I had resigned from the editorial job and had been taking care of Mrs. DeLoach on a full-time basis. She and her husband relocated to move in with their son and daughter-in-law, and my services were no longer needed. I'd also resigned from the weekend job when I married, sold my house and moved an hour away into what is now my home with John.

In February 2009, while he was in Italy on a business trip, "out of the clear blue sky" I received an email from an interested Christian publisher for my manuscript, which after all those years, I'd completely forgotten about. It goes without saying, we were both shocked but pleased when I received a traditional publishing contract in March 2009, and the book came out in June of that same year.

Nothing and no one can thwart the plans of God!

Since the publication of my first book, I have had the privilege of speaking to many unemployed people of all ages, professions, denominations or lack thereof. 

I am a member of many professional writing/speaking associations, have been certified as a CLASS speaker and a graduate of the Christian Communicators Conference in August 2015 at Billy Graham's The Cove Conference & Retreat Center.

With humility and a prayer, I ask you to please consider hosting me at your next event, whether it is a conference, women's retreat, business event or whatever the case may be. Please, help me - help others - as it is what I am called to do.

May God bless you and keep you and your loved ones safe during these difficult times.

Warmly,

Mary Kaarto

Author * Speaker * Encourager