One Thousand Gifts!

In the midst of life & death - with all that surrounds us - may we never forget to have a thankful heart towards our Heavenly Father!
He sustains and carries us - Praise His Name!

149. A stamping evening with the girls.

150. A nice clean bed to crawl into when the body is weary.

151. Fresh laundry - folded and put away.

152. Ice crystals on the trees - shining in the sun!

153. A multitude of geese heading to the river at dusk - honking with joy! A sound to behold!

154. An encouraging note to both hubby and I from a dear friend -

May you have a blessed day today!
Bathe yourselves in the SON ...
Love others with no expectations.
Be a blessing to someone today!

Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

"And I Wait"

Here is a plea from David to God:
Psalm 5:1-3 (God's Word Translation)
Open your ears to my words, O Lord.
Consider my innermost thoughts.
Pay attention to my cry for help, my king and my God, because I pray only to you.
In the morning, O Lord, hear my voice.
In the morning I lay my needs in front of you, and I wait.

The words that speak to me today from this pslam are "and I wait".
The dictionary defines 'wait' -
1) to hold oneself ready for an arrival or occurence
2) to be in expectation of something

I, too, ask Him to hear my words, my pleas; to consider my thoughts. I, too, lay my needs at His feet..... but do I wait?
Do I stop long enough to hear from HIM?
Do I sit in stillness and wait for His voice to speak to me?
Is my mind focused on Him and not on all the things I have to or want to do today?
Do I hold myself "ready for something"?
Am I waiting to hear from Him?
Are you waiting to hear from Him?

We expect Him to listen to us and to answer our prayers - somehow - but do we wait on Him?
Do we wait in quiet expectation to hear from Him?

He wants to teach, to guide, to give direction to, and to love us. He wants us to grow spiritually, to draw closer to Him.
He will speak - I could tell you many times when I've heard His voice - in my spirit - in my heart - and in my head! As I say that I wonder how many times I've missed it because I've not been " "waiting" - instead I've been rushing.
I pray today will be a day of waiting for you

• slow down - stop the rushing
• be still - turn off the TV and /or the radio; or the voices oin your head telling you that you need to DO something.
• read the Word
• listen - listen to the Word; to fellow believers; to the Holy Spirit's promptings.
• pay close attention

He WILL speak! You need to WAIT! Be on the alert! Thank You, Father for being patient with us! Have a blessed day today! May you KNOW that He has spoken to you today!

Resting in HIM, Ruthie

Thank You, Father!

"Praise God from whom all blessings flow"...

It is a beautiful sunny morning...
I am sitting at my computer with coffee in hand! Here is a "mug I "doodled" the other night! :)
My heart is filled with gratitude and love this morning ... for His salvation of me; for His love and for His work in me! Here are some recent additions to my "One Thousand Gifts" list... I hope you have started one of these for yourself!
140. A warm house.
141. the Abundance of my life
142. Peace
143. A puppy that makes me chuckle
144. Little Madison saying "I love you, Grammie".
145. My hard-working hubby
146. Sunshine after the snow
147. Miracles!

Have a blessed day!
Resting in HIM,
Ruthie

MIRACLES

Ephesians 3:20-21
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus thoroughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen

Do you believe in miracles?
Or do you think they were only for another time?
I fully believe that the God I serve is a God of miracles - that He is ABLE -
I have seen marriages restored when - by human standards - it was thought there could be no restoration. Only HE could have worked in these instances!
Praise God!
I was privileged to see babies born at such an early gestational age that life would not be possible ... yet those babies are young men today!
Hallelujah!

And this past Sunday....
Well, I hope I will be able to describe to you the impact of the miracle that has occurred in a young man's life -
God is AWESOME!

A young man (Peter) in my church family has been in a wheelchair for the past 4+ years due to a spinal cord injury (quadriplegic) and he had very limited use of his arms; hands were gnarled, no use of his legs. I must tell you that thru all the trials he has had over these past years, Peter's faith increased and he always had the joy and peace of the Spirit in him!
Hallelujah! What a witness just that alone was to so many of us!

Here is a summary of what he shared with us on Sunday morning...
He entered the hospital a week or so ago and the doctors thought that he would probably die. Peter had developed aspiration pneumonia as well as something else. His condition did improve, however, and they were preparing to send him home. The night before, as he was sleeping, he heard the voice of God saying, "I want you to stand up." In the morning when his doctor came in to see him she told him she was sending him for a chest x-ray to make sure his lungs were clearing as expected. As he proceeded to stand up the doctor told him to use his transfer board and he said, "I have a stronger board than that! I have the Sword of the Spirt and the Shield of Faith - and he got out of bed, stood, took a few steps, and sat in his wheelchair! They were both amazed! He said her face looked like a cartoon character - her eyes and mouth sooooo big!!!!

As Peter told us this story he was sitting in his wheelchair.... he then proceeded to stand up, take a few unsteady steps, raise his arms in the air and open his hands fully! At that point 400+ people were standing and clapping and praising God!

Amazing!
Awesome!
A Miracle!

He will soon be heading to the rehab center to learn how to walk again!
Praise God!

The doctor sent him for 2 different chest xrays as she couldn't believe what she saw on the first one.... she eventually told him he has the lungs of a newborn baby; and that his spinal cord is regenerating!

Dear Father God!
How awesome are You!
I know you are able to do anything we can imagine - and even more!
May Peter's physical miracle be a constant reminder to us that You listen, You hear our prayers. And that Your Will is for our best!
We Love You, Lord!
In Jesus name, Amen!

Dear sweet readers,
These words can never tell you of the impact of seeing Peter stand with his hands in the air!
I get goosebumps just picturing it in my mind!
I pray that you will never give up praying... and if you find your faith wavering - ask God to increase your faith! He will! Don't let the devil tell you lies that keep you from the fullness of a relationship with God!

Blessings on you today!
Resting totally in HIM,
Ruthie

Mountains...

The devastation in Haiti is beyond my comprehension! Such complete destruction of a city / country ... and the people!

I listened to CBC radio the other day - and heard an interview with a Haitian man living in Montreal. He related this saying that the Haitians have that goes something like this.... "Beyond the mountain are more mountains." He went on to speak to the resiliency of the Haitian people.
I know it is human nature to ask WHY - why has this happened to this country - to these people? We will never know the "why"... we just have to hang on to the fact that our God is in control! And to be in faithful prayer for these people - praying for HIM to be shown to them in this terrible time! And to give - maybe like we've never given before!

This is my heart's prayer this morning -
May it be yours as well!

Abba Father,
Cover this land with your powerful hands.
In the process of returning the country to some semblance of normalcy bring them to YOU! That is my cry today, Lord! Bring them to You! You are a God of miracles - create a miracle today in this country!
Thank You, Father for what You are going to do!
In Jesus name I pray
Amen!

Blessings dear ones!
Ruthie

The Heavens....

Psalm 19: 1-4

The heavens declare the glory of God;

the skies proclaim the work of his hands.

Day after day they pour forth speech;

night after night they display knowledge.

there is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice goes out unto all the earth,

their words to the ends of the world.

I love HIS magnificent sunsets! Here are a couple pictures I took 2 days ago from our deck - they don't do the real image justice!


Psalm 91 has always been a favorite of mine because it speaks of the glory of God! and His magnificent creation! No matter where one lives on this earth they are witness to HIS heavens!
As well, verses 7-11 tell us how precious is His law, His precepts, His commands - more precious than gold and sweeter than honey!

Dear ones - I hope you will spend today and the weekend reflecting on Who He Is! And what that means to you! Journal your prayers of praise and thanksgiving to Him! Worship Him today!
Blessings on you -
May the God fo comfort and peace be with you today!
Ruthie

A Crown Of Glory

Did you know that there are a number of "crowns" mentioned in the Bible?
The other night I was "doodling" with no idea what the final product would be -
Here is the end result...

Immediately I entitled it "Crown Of Glory" because I could picture it filled with jewels and glitter - like any Prince or Princess' crown should be - right?

1 Peter 5:4
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

The greek word for 'crown' is stephanos -which means a "garland of victory" ... in the times of the Grecian games the winner was given a crown of victory woven from ivy, parsley, myrtle. Of course, over time, these crowns would fade and fall apart. Not so with the crowns that we are given as faithful servants of God! Peter tells us that this Crown of Glory will never fade away! However, dear ones, it is not ours to keep and become prideful over. We will one day lay our crowns before the throne and praise our Lord.

Does that excite you?
Oh, It excites me!
We will sing this to HIm -
You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things, and by your will they have their being.
Revelation 4: 10-11

This Crown of Glory will be awarded to those who have been leaders in His Kingdom... preaching, teaching, "feeding" His sheep with His Word. This crown is so much more valuable than any wealth we might have here on earth! The result of the work will be souls in the Heavenly Kigdom! How awesome is that! :)

I hope this encourages you today! As a leader in your church ministry - whatever that might be - please know that you will be rewarded someday with a crown of glory!
For all believers - leaders and non-leaders alike - there is another crown for us when we persevere thru temptation ... "The Crown Of Life" ... see James 1:12

My prayer for each one today is that you will see every opportuniy - be it little or big - as a ministry to our Lord. You may not "feel" rewarded here on earth but God sees; He knows - and He will reward you! Whatever you do - do it as if you are working for HIM! Not for man.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men - Colossians 3:23

Blessings on you today, sweet friends!
"I KNOW whom I have believed!"
Ruthie

Who I Am - not - How I Feel!

“I acted out of who I was, not by what I felt.”
Ezekiel 20:9, 14, 22 (the Message)

Whoa ....
This is God speaking here –
Does this mean He might have acted out of what He felt? As I read this I have to think that He was at a place where He might have acted on His feelings. The Israelites were not obeying Him; not living by His statutes. They were making idols and worshipping them and living in unholy ways. God was angry with them – but –
He acted out of who he was, not by what he felt.

These words give me “goose bumps”!

How often have I acted on my feelings; how often have you acted on your feelings?
Take a moment or two to think about this ... did it happen just this morning?
Yesterday?
When?
What occurred?
How did you act?
It’s not a nice picture, is it?

Now – think about this....
What would have occurred if you had acted on “Who You Are” instead?
Do you know who you are?
Do you know that you are who you are because of Christ’s love for you?
You were created to be in relationship with our Heavenly Father – His desire is to make you more and more like Him every day!
I say, “bring it on”!

So many moments in relationships are destroyed because we act on our feelings....
Have you ever thought to yourself "How did this happen? I wish I could go back and start over?"
All because you acted on your feelings!
Just a short while ago I said to hubby - "why don't you go out and come back in and we'll start this all over." We were both "acting on our feelings" ... and we needed to change that!

A New Year always brings with it introspection, evaluation of the past year, and resolutions for the new one. I am praying that you, Dear Reader, will ponder “who you are” – in Christ! And will prayerfully humbly ask God to help you to make this New Year one of acting on “who you are” not on your feelings!

Wouldn’t that be awesome?

To discover who you are - spend some time in the Word!
Ephesians 1: 3-8; 13; 2:8-10
Romans 8:1; 37-39
2 Timothy 1: 7; 9
Hebrews 4:16
1 Peter 2:9, 24,
Revelation 21:7

I leave you with these words ...
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3: 17

Blessings on you today!!
Ruthie

I Cannot Be Shaken

Psalm 62 - a Pslam of David - in which he claims he cannot be shaken...... Hmmmm.
Can I say that?
Oh God! I pray that no matter what comes my way I, too, can claim that I cannot be shaken ..... because of YOU and my Faith!

v1. My soul waits calmly for God alone. My salvation comes from him.
v2. He alone is my rock and my savior - my stronghold. I cannot be severly shaken.
v5. Wait calmly for God alone, my soul, because my hope comes from him.
v6. He alone is my rock and my savior - my stronghold. I cannot be shaken.
v7. My salvation and my glory depend on God. God is the rock of my strength, my refuge.
v8. Trust him in all times, you people. Pour out your hearts in his presence. God is our refuge.

This is my lament - my prayer - my heart's cry - this morning!
He IS my ROCK and STRENGTH; my REFUGE and my SAVIOR!
Thank you, Father!

If you are not at the place today where you can claim these words as your own I pray that you will spend time in HIS presence.... ask Him to increase your faith; to show Himself in a very real way; Seek Him with all your heart and soul and mind; Allow Him to become very real to you!

Blessings on you sweet ones!
In Him
Ruthie

"STOP Worrying"

Luke 12: 22-34 and Matthew 6:25-34 record Jesus talking to his disciples regarding worrying. I hope you'll take some time today to read both of these portions of Scripture.

When I think of "worry" I am taken immediately to these Scriptures and the picture of a bird finding food and shelter... he or she doesn't worry about any of that - they know they'll be OK as long as the predators don't get them. If my feeder is empty then the gal up the road will have food for them! [Right, Em?]

Jesus says, "Yet God feeds them. You are worth more than the birds. Can you add an hour to your life by worrying?"
NO!
I cannot add any time to my life by worrying! All worry does is take away from the precious time I have been given today. Worrying says that I'm trusting in my own strength - not in God's!
Whoa!
Worry means I don't have enough faith to stand firm in HIM!
Whoa!

How are you doing in this area? Are you a worrier? Do you go over and over the "What Ifs" til you drive yourself crazy - or do you trust HIM to carry you and see you through?

I love this Scripture found in Matthew 6:34
"So don't ever worry about tomorrow. After all, tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Dear ones - focus on today with a Heart turned to Him and tuned in to Him! We're told He will carry our burdens for us - let HIM do that!
REST in Him... your Rock and your Strength.

I hope this "doodle" of mine will give you a visual of "not worrying"!

Blessings on you today as you learn to give ALL over to the ONE who knows you inside and out; the ONE who Loves you beyond anything you can imagine! The ONE who was with Daniel in the lion's den; The ONE who was in the furnace with the Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego... and the One who is right there along side of you!!!!

In Him
Ruthie

After The Storm

Yesterday the storm raged around us -

Today there is peace and calm...

I can't help but think that this is so like our lives.

Trouble and turmoil - peace and calm - and on and on it goes.

Even as the storm dumped snow on us yesterday I lived in a sense of peace and calm - Thank you, Lord, for that - for I know it only comes from You!

His Word tells us we will have trouble - but - He is our rock, our strength, our peace, our anchor. Hallelujah!

I give thanks today for HIS steadfastness - HIS never changing ways - HIS faithfulness.

I pray you will spend some time today doing likewise .... tell HIM know how much you love Him - live with a thankful heart!

May you "Live with INTENTION today"!

Blessings sweet friends!

Ruthie

Do Not Forget....

Proverbs 3:1-4

My son,

do not forget my teachings, and keep my commands in mind,

because they will bring you long life, good years, and peace.

Do not let mercy and truth leave you.

Fasten them around your neck.

Write them on the tablet of your heart.

Then you will find favor and much success in the sight of God and humanity.

I find myself pondering these words...

I KNOW that remembering HIS teachings & keeping HIS commands brings peace!

Hallelujah!

I am writing Mercy and Truth on my heart each day!

I know God's Favor (Grace) in my life!

As I read and re-read these verses from Proverbs I see that they are filled with action -

action for me.

So, today....

my INTENTION is to do as these words tell me!

To act accordingly!

With the help of the Holy Spirit!

What about you?

Are you reading because you have made a resolution to get back to God?

to renew your relationship with Him?

or are you reading because it is what you do everyday?

This blog is not about me - it is ALL about HIM!

Don't forget....

Who He is -

What he has done for you in the past -

His desire for a relationship with you -

His Word - filled with truth and wisdom!

Take some action today...

He will favor you with His grace, love and peace!

Blessings on you, sweet ones!

Ruthie

Happy New Year!

Blessings to you all in 2010 -

May His Peace and Joy

reign in your hearts!