Gifts from the Master!

Today, I am thankful for:

85. Being able to make cards all day long! WoooooHooooo!

86. Hugs!

87. Peace - in the midst!

88. Fall days!

89. Clear, moonlit nights!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Blessings on you today!
May His Presence and Peace fill your hearts!

Ruthie

They're Everywhere!

Children!
Of all ages!
All sizes and shapes!
All hair colors!
Boys & girls!
All creations of God!

How precious!
Beautiful!
Handsome!
Innocent!
Inquisitive!
Free!

The other day I was in the grocery store; looking at all the selections of rice available to us; and I heard a little voice say, "Mommy." Mom said, "What David?" Little David replied "I love you, Mommy." Mom said, "I love you too, David." All I could do was smile! So precious! So innocent! I turned and smiled at the mom ... here she was pushing one of those grocery carts with the little truck or whatever in front of it and David was sitting in this and had turned to look at her! Melted my heart!

Sunday morning I watched families arrive at church... with 1 child; 2 children, 3 children, 4 children, and more; ranging in age from infancy to about 6 or 8! How awesome! And then - a baby's cry from somewhere in the sanctuary; and another; and another! How sweet the sound!

And the teens!
WOW!
They're everywhere too!

Matthew 18: 1-6
At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea."

May we see these children thru His eyes - and may we nurture them; love them and their families; may we emulate them in our attitudes of praise and worship!
Resting in HIM,

Does Your Heart Break?

Oh, God!
Does Your heart break when one of Yours turns their back on You?
Mine does!
Does Your heart break when one of Yours speaks of losing their faith?
Mine does!
Does Your heart break when fruit that used to be fresh and sweet has withered and died?
Mine does!
Does Your heart break when Your Word becomes a dust collector?
Mine does!
Does your heart break when Your child's heart turns to another master?
Mine does!

Does Your heart break when one of Your children wilfully sins?

Mine does!

Does your heart break when a son or daughter turns their back on their family?

Mine does!

Does Your heart break when Your children justify their behavior by the worlds standards instead of Your Word?

Mine does!

Dear Father,
I pray for these ones who have lost their way!

Who have allowed other things to get in the way of their relationship with You!

Father, show them Your grace, Your mercy, Your love, Your peace!

Minister to them, and return them to You,

I pray!

"the ONE who sees me"

Do you know Him?

The "One who sees" you?

The One who knows every hair on your head?

The One who knows your heart?

The One who created you?

Genesis 16:13

She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: "You are the God who sees me," for she said, "I have now seen the One who sees me."

Hagar, an Egyptian slave girl of Sarai and Abram, had met with the Lord.

She gave God a name -El Roi.

Hagar had been rejected and mistreated by her mistress and had fled to the desert! It was there in the desert that she met with the Lord!

I've been in the desert at times... How about you?

What has your desert experience been like?

Have you met with the Lord?

Have you met God in the midst of it?

Have you discovered that He is with you and knows all about you? That He sees you?

What name would you give Him?

Refelct on this today and give thanks to the One who has redeemed you for eternity!

Blessings on you, this beautiful day!

Ta Da!!!!!

Have you ever said this?
I know I have.
I was privileged to attend a conference this past weekend with Liz Curtis Higgs as the guest speaker! She is so inspirational, and funny to boot!

Three of us shared a room Friday night... in the morning we were primping - as women do - and when I finished I said, "There. You're beautiful!" I often look in the mirror and tell myself that God sees me as beautiful even if I don't!

Liz said that the mirror is the problem - we look in it and we don't see what we think we should see - primarily because we are using something other than God's standards to measure ourselves by!
Ummmmmm!
What do you think?
Is this true for you?

She told us that "TA" in England is a way of saying "thanks"; and that "DA" is a term for "father".... So! Every morning we should stand in front of the mirror and say "TA DA" with arms raised towards the heavens .... thanking our Heavenly Father for creating us as a unique woman of God! Who lavishes His love on us! (I John 3:1)

So here I am today!
I'm saying "TA DA" with arms spread wide!
What about you?

Thank You Lord, for making me in your image!
Thank You that I am fearfully and wonderfully made!
Thank You, Lord for Your love and grace!
Praise You today!

Blessings on you, my sweet friends!
Ruthie

What Have You Done .....

Corrie Ten Boom asks - "What have you done today that only a Christian would do?"

I read this quote a few weeks ago and wrote it down - it's been beside my computer since then -

I am reminded to be different!

To not "fit in"!

To not conform to the world!

As I think back on yesterday I ponder "what did I do" .... was it conscious or unconscious?

Was it Christ-like?

Did whatever I did or said or didn't do or say, reflect Him to the world?

Did I show compassion, love, grace, humility, forgiveness, kindness to others - to my hubby?

Father God,

Help me to be aware of all that I do and say so that my life is an example of You to the world ... the world that so desperatley needs You.

May your lives be filled with His grace and peace today!
Blessings!
Ruthie

Salvation!

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?

The angles are singing!

Another has been saved!

An answer to prayer!

She believes in Jesus Christ - says He is God - He died on a cross - the drink at communion resembles His blood; the bread His body; He is alive in heaven right now! He's in the car with us - right now! God is powerful and can do anything!

She says she asked him into her heart one time when she was all alone - and she said please!

My precious little grand-daughter - 6 years and 11 months old .....

We prayed together Sunday morning after we got home from church! We hugged and we cried!

She understands that if one doesn't have Jesus in their heart they won't go to heaven when they die. She understands that having Jesus in our heart helps us to do the right things; to live as He wants us to....

"the faith of a child" - how precious it is - how simple!

Thank you LORD - for saving her soul!

For giving me the privilege of praying with her!

How I praise you, Lord!

I am truly a thankful grandmother!

Give Thanks

Grace & Peace...

Grace and Peace be yours in abundance.
1 Peter 1:2

I have been reading 1 Peter - a letter of encouragement - in preparation for some Small Group lessons I'm preparing. This particular part of verse 2 has resonated with me a lot these past few days.
Oh how I need - how I desire - HIS Grace and Peace in abundance!

• driving in heavy rains in a vehicle I'm not used to driving


• constant interaction with an almost 7 year old - whom I love dearly! - and a 4 month old puppy!


• a hubby who raises free-range chickens and turkeys (among other animals) - the turkeys in preparation for Thanksgiving which is this weekend ...and he runs in the house at 9 a.m. needing his cash b/c there are people lined up at the shop to buy their turkeys and he's trying to "feed the farm" and ......


• drivers who don't know or don't adhere to the rules of the road!


• grocery shopping - one thing I don't like to do!


• a puppy who still doesn't know to do his duties outside.... (I guess that's my fault)


• a phone that never stops ringing (b/c people want their turkeys!) :)


• and on it goes!

So I stop - and ask for His grace and Peace in abundance... Fill me with Your Holy Spirit Lord so I can be gracious and peaceful in the midst! I ask for Him to fill my hubby - to give him grace and peace in abundance.

This is my prayer for you all as well! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend - and remember this - "There is always, always, always something to be thankful for!" Check out the label "one Thousand Gifts" - there you'll find the beginning of my list of 1000 things to be thankful for!

Grace and Peace,

MORE GIFTS!

So much to be thankful for!

80. Homemade pickles

81. Hubby cooking chicken wings

82. Food, fun, and fellowship with friends

83. Anticipation of a 5-day visit with Madison!

84. Seeing my husband smile!

Thank You, Lord... for blessing my life.

I pray that today will find each of you recalling and reflecting on your blessings... and giving thanks - even in the midst of the storm!

Newness In HIM!

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.

WHOA!
I am a new creation!
Hallelujah!
My old nature is gone!
The new has come!
Praise the Lord!

My old nature ----
Oh! You wouldn't have liked it!
I didn't like it!

Praise God! Neither did HE!
He gave His Son to take my sin upon the cross - to give me a new nature!
How thankful I am for this!
May I never take it for granted!

2 Corinthians 6:1
As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain.

UHMMMMM!
What does this mean? For me?
I looked up "in vain" ... it means empty; without content, without result; useless!

Father God,
May I never take Christ's Sacrifice; Your Grace - for granted.
Your Grace changed my life!
Thank You, Thank You! I praise You!

Dear Friends,
If you have accepted Christ as your Savior then you have been given a new nature! You are a new creation! A re-birth has occurred! Don't let this be in vain!
If you have not yet accepted Christ as Savior, I urge you to do that today! Ask the Lord to fill you with His Spirit, confess and repent --- you WILL be saved. You will be a new creation! Tell someone what you've done!
Find some believers to fellowship with!
BLESS you, dear one

Thank You, Lord, for Your saving Grace!
Freely given to all who will receive it!
I feel to pray for those under the burden of sin - some so caught in Satan's snare that they can't ever see a way out.
YOU, LORD, are the way out!
Thank You, Jesus!
Praise You for that!

Have a blessed day! Filled with Peace and Joy!
Ruthie

Inspiration...

Last evening in church the Pastor asked these questions -
"Is your life an inspiration for others? Are you inspiring others to be more like Christ?"

According to Websters "To Inspire" means to infuse an animating, quickening, or exalting influence into....

With regards to our physical body, inspiration is to breathe in - to draw air into our lungs. Without inspiration and expiration (air out) we would not live!

Spiritually - without inspiration and expiration of the Holy Spirit we are not alive - we are dead!
To me that means we must allow Him to have full reign in us, and then allow Him out - to the world; to the lost; to those we come in contact with everyday!
There must be evidence in our lives that the Holy Spirit lives within!

Oh! I so want my life to be an inspiration to others!
To show people that Christ is alive!
To be a living example of the Holy Spirt led life!
Hallelujah!!!

Oh! How I fail at this sometimes!

So I claim this verse:
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!

He won't give up on me - He will continue to work in me! Thank You, Lord!

As He will for you! Don't allow the devil to steal your joy, your peace - he will try to, you know!
When you fail at inspiring others go to God! Let Him "fix" you! Tell Satan to "take a hike"! And KNOW that Philippians 1:6 applies to you!
Hallelujah and Amen!!!

Blessings on you this day!
Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

Our Special Place!

Ever since our precious grand-daughter could sit on the swing I have pushed her and sung to her there - under the apple tree.

I would sing my own rendition of "Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree" ... singing "Don't SWING under the apple tree with anyone else but me!" And I changed the words at the end telling her how much I loved her! This past month the apple tree that the swing was hanging from blew over... (the one next to it blew over a couple months before that)... Grampie has since cut them both down for firewood.

When I visited with Madison this past weekend I told her about the trees and the swing.

She said, "Oh, Grammie. That was our special place to go to." I told her not to worry - we'd find another "special place."

Do you have a "special place" you visit with a child, or grandchild? With your spouse? What about with God? Do you have a place where you meet Him everyday? Where your mind is drawn to Him and what He wants from you and for you? I guess I'd have to say that my "special place" is at my desk ... or at the kitchen table! There really is nothing extra ordinary about either of these places - except that HE meets me there! Praise God!

Another "special place" is in my car ... on a long drive... we truly commune in these times! I sing at the top of my lungs and give Him praise!

Dear Ones,

I hope you have a "special place" - where you meet with Him.

This relationship with Him is so precious... I can't imagine life any other way! I hope you can say the same.

Blessings on you today!

Ruthie