About
Sharing faith, hope, and encouragement
through beautiful words and art.
Our Mission
Inspiring Hearts
Through Faith-Filled Words
Dakota Beacon Publishing is dedicated to sharing uplifting, faith-filled books that encourage, educate, and inspire. Our mission is to create meaningful resources that bring hope, strengthen faith, and make a lasting impact in the lives of readers everywhere.
We believe in the power of words and art to touch hearts, open conversations, and point others toward greater purpose.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet,
a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105
The Story Behind the Book Little Miracles
I never had plans to write a book, especially a book of poetry. How the “beautiful words from God” came is especially surprising.
The idea for a book was entirely the Lord’s doing. It was my quiet time of studying the Word of God and reflection that He revealed His heart and purpose. As I leaned in to hear His voice the poems came to be. It was that partnership that made the poems flow without effort. The poems are my revelation of His character and goodness.
After typing the poems into a computer file, I would make laminated bookmarks on parchment-colored paper. These bookmarks I handed out when the time seemed right. And, I always sent the latest to my mother. She kept every single one.
There did not seem to be any obvious purpose for the poems. They simply existed. But to my surprise the people that I gave them to seemed to appreciate them very much and would tell me of their good effect on them, and how they would read them over and over. No one was more surprised about all of this than me.
Then my husband and I reconnected to Joyce. Joyce the calligrapher, artist, of gentle beauty and woman of God. This is really a story of little miracles one after another. Now, what were seemingly nice words on paper were transformed. Joyce only said that she would like to use calligraphy to make the words more attractive. We really did not know exactly what Joyce was doing with the poems. But on one of our visits Joyce met us with two large three-ring binders. She had used her God-given artist’s eye and hands to turn each poem into its own amazing work of art. Beautiful letters, beautiful words, and drawings that fit each poem perfectly. Another little miracle. Binders full of beautiful works of art!
“This is really a story of little miracles one after another.”
My mother had the uncanny ability of seeing things that were coming and oftentimes her observations turned out true. She had a big box of bookmarker poems that she told us would result in “books”. I could not imagine what she was talking about. A book? Books? What?
Several years went by and Joyce continued her artwork as a form of healing. Now what are we going to do with these notebooks of beautiful art? A book? Books? What? Constructing a book seemed a daunting task. We did not give it real serious consideration. Then, another little miracle. The realization that God had given us all of these little miracles so that we could use these works of art, the beautiful words FROM God to bless others. And if the little miracles continue, many others.
The design of this book evolved assuredly we felt with God’s direction. A coffee table book? An art book? A daily devotional? A Bible study guide? A present that becomes a treasured keepsake? Hopefully all of the above. Another little miracle? Gift from God? That is for you to decide.
— Cathy Cates
Meet the Author and Illustrator Cathy & Joyce
Cathy Cates
Author
Cathy’s poems were born in her quiet time with the Lord in the early 2000s. For years she typed them up, made laminated bookmarks on parchment-colored paper and handed them out when the time seemed right, and her mother kept every single one. Those who know her will tell you Cathy is a lot of fun, and the greatest Nana of all time.
“The words that flowed weren’t my idea or intention. It was His. He was revealing His heart.”
Joyce Kruse
Calligrapher & Illustrator
Joyce is a calligrapher and artist. Since 2018 she has hand-lettered and illustrated 250 of Cathy’s poems, and each one, she says, has been like a healing balm. An intrepid illustrator, Joyce enjoys communing with nature, especially alligators, in Burkina Faso, Africa.
“Each time that my pen touches the parchment paper, I visualize the hem of Jesus’ garment.”
In Their Own Words In the Beginning
How the poems came to be, and how they found their calligraphy, as Cathy and Joyce tell it in the book.
Cathy’s Story
The poems were birthed out of my quiet time with the Lord in the early 2000s. The words that flowed weren’t my idea or intention. It was His. He was revealing His heart.
As the years went by, He continued to give me revelation of His character, goodness and plans for His faithful ones.
In time, He let me know He had books in mind. Again, this was not my idea.
I couldn’t imagine how this would come to be.
It was a word I tucked into my heart until the appointed time.
In 2018, the Lord began to open doors. I met Joyce and shared the poems.
She expressed interest in creating them in calligraphy. We prayed and had confirmation she was the one to illustrate the poems.
It was at this time that the Lord dropped a knowing in my heart that she would find healing as she worked on them.
Joyce’s Story
In September 2017 I had major surgery. My daughter Celeste set up a GoFundMe account to help pay for my hospital bills, doctors and emergency costs afterwards.
Cathy and Steve contributed to the GoFundMe account in January of 2018. In the early spring of 2018 they traveled to Missouri from North Dakota. During their visit they met me at Bob Evans restaurant in Wentzville. It was a happy reunion since I had not seen Steve since 1972. Steve and I attended high school together as well as were part of a group of kids attending Bible studies with Marie Thatcher. I had never met Cathy, but we attended the same grade school in the early 1960s and were a couple grades apart.
During our conversation, I learned that their son was tragically killed in a car accident. Cathy shared that not too long after that, poetic thoughts graced her mind. As the words came often she began to write them down. She said she wanted to share a few poems with me and handed me about 6 laminated bookmark-sized cards with a poem typed on each one.
As I read the words, an idea came to mind. I looked at Cathy and said, “I want to pen these poems for you in calligraphy.”
She and Steve looked at each other and shared with me that they had thought about publishing the poems, but at the same time yearned for a confirmation from God. They put out a fleece asking God that if using calligraphy to enhance the poems was His will, then as we give the poems to Joyce, if she initiates/says “she wants to pen the poems in calligraphy” then we will know to move forward.
As we left the restaurant that day, I was unaware that Cathy had made this declaration to Steve: “the penning of the poems will be Joyce’s healing.”
Over the years, to date, by the emerging power of God’s Holy Spirit, I have been enabled to illustrate 250 poems, and yes, each time that my pen touches the parchment paper, I visualize the hem of Jesus’ garment. The words that dropped in Cathy’s spirit have healed me as I have been writing them and speaking them out loud.
Psalm 107:20
I am thankful for my sister Cathy and brother Steve.
They have taught me, through the loss of their son, how to make his life, and the suffering in my own life, have value, meaning, and purpose.
Each time I have penned and illustrated one of Cathy’s poems, it was like a healing balm helping me physically, emotionally, and mentally to move forward instead of stepping backwards into the pain all the time.
My hope and prayer is that this book, “Beautiful Words From God,” will be an aid and help people speak the beautiful words of God into their own specific situations, and experience the healing and wholeness.
Take a Look Inside
Read the first pages and poems to learn more about this uplifting book.