More Gifts!

More of my blessings!

220. A glorious day - working in the gardens - I love this time of year!

221. Waking up to sunshine and birds singing.

222. Spending a day with hubby!

223. Mr. Cardinal at my feeder!

224. Peepers! March 23

225. Laughter and fun with friends.

226. God's conviction.

227. God's grace.

228. Energy - renewed.

229. His providing us with our "daily bread".

"give us this day our daily bread"

Hubby and I have been reading the Word and praying together each morning now for a few weeks... [some day I'll share that "miracle" with you all.]
We pray each morning for God to have His way with the farm, the business, and us. Money is very tight and the business is not going very well -however, we trust Him to provide, and to do what needs to be done.

I feel led to share these 2 circumstances with you in the hopes that this will uplift you and increase your faith.

Last week hubby required "X" dollars in order to go to the Halifax Farmers Market on the weekend. Business was very slow all week - barely sold a thing! However, by Friday supper time he had what he needed to make this treck to the city.

Coincidence?

NO WAY!

A God-incident for sure!

He provided for our daily bread!

[for those who don't know - my husband has a farm and raises free-range chicken - as well as cattle and pigs - and has a Provincially Inspected Poultry Abattoir (slaughter facility) here.]

Today - hubby needed to go to the Valley to pick up baby chicks to begin the free range process for another year... he needs them now in order to have fresh chicken by June... as of this morning he did not have the $ to purchase them. By noon time he had sold enough product to be able to make that trip to get new chicks!

Coincidence?

NO WAY!

Another God-incident!

He provided again!

Praise the Lord! He is sooooooooooooooo good!

I give Him thanks for the lesson(s) He is teaching us at this time!

May we learn it (them) well!

I pray this encourages you - when you may feel at your lowest know that God still has your best interest at heart! He will provide what you need , when you need it! He will give you your "daily bread" ... remain faithful to Him and place your trust in Him - there is no other way!

God Bless you today!

Resting in HIM!

Ruthie

Forget Not His Benefits

Psalm 103:2-6
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits –
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.

Whoa!
These words from the Word were part of my study this morning and they really hit me anew.
My heart is filled with thanksgiving to my Heavenly Father who has bestowed His benefits on me – such an undeserving one!
How I praise Him for His grace and mercy to me.
As you read these words and think on the message here I pray that your heart, too, will be filled with thanks and praise to HIM.

His benefits:
· Forgiveness
· Healing
· Redemption
· Crowns of love and compassion
· Satisfaction of our desires
· Renewal
· Righteousness
· Justice

Does that not thrill your soul?
Dear one, I pray it does!

Ask yourself these questions....
What does this mean for my life?
Do I reflect the glory of His benefits in my life?
How can I do a better job of doing this?

Be intentional - Make a decision to reflect on this portion of Scripture throughout the day; write these verses on a file card; carry them with you; read them often; make them a part of who you are! Fill your heart with His message to you! How blessed you will be!

Dear Abba - Father,
I give you thanks and praise for your benefits to us. May we never for a moment take You for granted. May we stand in awe of what You have sacrificed for us. May we realize how much You love us. And may we bask in YOU every moment of every day!
I thank You for Your forgiveness and redemption; for the renewal that You bring into our lives; for the healing, love and compassion that You bestow on us; for Your justice and Your righteousness. Praise You, Lord.
In Jesus Name,
Amen

Resting in HIM,

Ruthie

Easter

A "doodlers" reflection on Easter.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,

that whosoever believeth in him,

shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Invitation to the Thirsty.

What are you thirsty for?

Fame? Fortune? Health? Peace? Love without pain?

What might it be?

I have been "sitting" this week in Isaiah - and feel the need to share this with you.

If you are thirsty - here is the answer! HE is the answer!

Isaiah 55

1. "Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters:

and you who have no money, come, buy, and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.

2. Why spend money on what is not bread,

and your labor on what does not satisfy?

Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

3. Give ear and come to me;

hear me, that your soul may live.

I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faitful love promised to David.

4. See, I have made him a witness to the peoples,

a leader and commander of the peoples.

5. Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations that do not know you

will hasten to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel,

for he has endowed you with splendor.

6. Seek the LORD while he may be found;

call on him while he is near.

7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts.

Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,

and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways,"

declares the LORD.

9. "As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thougths higher than your thoughts.

10. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return to it

without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish,

so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,

11. so is my word that goes out from my mouth:

It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose

for which I sent it.

12. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills

will burst into song before you,

and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.

13. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow.

This will be the LORD's renown,

for an everlasting sign,

which will not be destroyed."

Dear Father God,

Bless those reading Your words today -

may they see You; may they grow deeper in love with You than ever before.

You are an awesome God.

We do not understand Your ways,

but Lord, we know that You will accomplish what You need to -

in our lives and on this earth.

Father,

Thank You for Your unfailing love, for Your compassion, for Your peace.

May we hear you today!

In His name,

Amen

How much does Jesus love you?

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Have You Forgiven?

We had a little incident at our place yesterday... Grampie borrowed my camera Wednesday evening for something he needed to do and the card didn’t get put back into it. When I went to use it on Thursday I discovered this. Come to find out the card is in hubby’s brother’s pocket... And today he went to the “city” – 3 hours drive away.
Well. Needless to say I was not impressed. As our 7 year old granddaughter, Madi, would say – “Grammie’s getting anxious.” Hubby confessed that he had “done wrong” so I had to forgive him & let it go.
Later that day my daughter, Madi, and I were doing some beading. Madi made a beautiful necklace and I said, “Oh. I can’t even take a picture of it because Grampie messed up my card.”

Madi says, “Grammie. Haven’t you forgiven him?”
My reply, “Yes, darlin’. I have forgiven him.”
Her response, “Well, if you have forgiven him then you’re not supposed to talk about it again.”

Ouch!
That one hurt!
Big Lesson!
From a 7 year old!!!!

I’m sure you have heard the phrase – “from the mouth of babes”...
Well! This one was from the mouth of a very smart little girl!
How I pray that she gets this lesson early on in life and understands the implications of it .

We are so forgiven by our Heavenly Father – how can we not forgive our family, friends, and our enemies.

Dear ones,
My prayer for you today is that this is a lesson you have already learned and been able to practice. Know that you are forgiven; that your Father never brings it up again.

1 Corinthians 13:5 (speaking of love)
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Psalm 103: 8-12
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse, nor will he harbour his anger forever:
he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Blessings on you today. May you meditate on this lesson and if you feel the Holy Spirit prompting you to do something in a situation in your life then follow His lead. Have a forgiving heart! Be the one to take the high road and be an example of Christ to those around you!

RESTING IN HIM,
Ruthie

I am soooooo Grateful!

March Break!

What a wonderful week it has been - the weather has been superb!

Spring is definitely in the air!

My list of one thousand things to be thankful for continues to grow!

#209. Patio doors open and sunshine and fresh air filling the newly cleaned house (March 8)

#210. A pair of ducks swimming in the pond!

#211. Birds singing - early morning.

#212. "Snowdrops" popping up everywhere!

#213. Waking up to hugs and kissess from my precious granddaughter.

#214. Spending time in the Word and in prayer with hubby!

#215. Beads, beads, and more beads.

#216. Walking on the track.

#217. Gorgeous, warm, sunshine

#218. Making cards with all the girls

#219. Sitting on the swing on the veranda - in glorious warm sunshine. (March 17)

May your life be blessed!

Have a wonderful "rest of the week".

Seek HIM in the midst of everything!

Psalm 9:10

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.

Blessings,

Ruthie

They Sang A New Song ...

Are you singing a "new song" today?
Or has it been a while since you've felt able to do that?
Revelation 5:9 ... "then they sang a new song."

I don't want to take this one verse out of context but I just have to say that its words thrill me!
A NEW SONG!
In GLORY!
With our SAVIOR!
Can you picture it?

The One who was slain for our iniquities [Isaiah 4:6]; the One who purchased our redemption with His blood; the One who loved the world so much that He went to the cross for the world - IS WORTHY OF ALL PRAISE!
HALLELUJAH!!!

In Chapter 5 of the Book of Revelation we are told how John saw the angels encircling the throne the elders and living creatures singing:
V. 12 "Worthy is the Lamb , who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
V. 13 .... every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing:
"to him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Dear ones,
O, my prayer for you today is that you are singing the redemption song here on earth today! And that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that someday you'll be in glory singing around the throne!

As I sit here writing this and contemplating His Word and what HE means to my life, I receive a phone call that another saint has gone to be with the Lord! How sad I am for family and friends - but how my heart sings for him! He is now in the heavenly realms - no more pain, no more confusion, no more suffering! Singing a new song! Praise the LORD!

Blessings sweet ones,
Resting in Him,
Ruthie

2nd post for Monday

I just have to post this NOW!
God has blessed me in the past 2 hours... my goal for this morning was to dust and vacuum the downstairs ... and to wash the floors.

As of right now:
# 208. I have dusted and vacuumed the whole downstairs of this big old house with minimal pain - and I feel GOOD! Thank You, Jesus! I will do the washing part in a few moments! :)

Praise Your Name!
Ruthie

Thankfulness!

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

201. Sharing God's Word with a baby Christian!

202. Reading the word and Praying with hubby!

203. A sense of serenity and balance.

204. Hearing the birds sing.

205. Laughter

206. Hugs

207. Dirty windows - this means the sun is shining! :)

Father God,
I am so blessed today! Help me to keep my focus on You, and on those things that are true, and noble, right, lovely and pure. Thank you for sun shine today! Thank you for Your Son!!! Be with those reading this today - may they see You in the places they go, in the conversations they have, in the people they meet. I give You praise for Who You are! Thank you, Lord.
Amen.

Blessings on you all today!
In HIM,
Ruthie

Amazement

To be amazed is to be overwhelmed with surprise or wonder.
What does it take to "amaze" you?

• a newborn baby
• a toddler playing
• a mom breastfeeding her babe
• a lovenote from my grandchild
• seeing loved ones exhibit HIS peace in the midst of trials
• experiencing His joy in the life of a new Christian
• witnessing the strength of God in the life of one who has lost a spouse
• new flowers peeking out of the gorund
• beautiful sights of nature
• witnessing someone walk after being in a wheelchair for 4 years!
• my husband asking me to pray with him!

These are just a few of the things that amaze me! Each one of these is because of God and His work in my world. Hallelujah! Praise His Name!

Luke 5:26 - Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."

Can you say these words today? I pray that you can; that you will stop, take a moment or two, look around you and be filled with awe. Don't let the trials and hardships, or busy-ness steal your joy in the Lord; or steal the peace that only He can give.

Blessings on you today sweet ones!

Ruthie

Your Prayer Has Been Heard!

As a church family we are reading thru the Book of Luke for 40 days prior to the Easter celebration. In reading Luke chapter one we are told that an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah (husband of Elizabeth) when he was serving as priest before God.

Luke 1:13
But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name of John."

The words "your prayer has been heard" popped out to me fresh and anew!
Do you ever wonder if He hears your prayers?
Do you ever wonder if He listens to your pleas for security, for safety, for healing, for circumstances to change?

Dear Ones,
KNOW THIS - HE HEARS!
He knows everything your heart desires before you even know it!
He knows the words you're going to speak before you even speak them!

Jeremiah 29:12
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you."

Whoa! He tells us He will listen to us - He hears us!

Psalm 5:3
In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.

Psalm 6:6-9
I am worn out from groaning; all night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears.
My eyes grow weak with sorrow; they fail because of all my foes.
Away from me, all you who do evil, for the Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; The Lord accepts my prayer.

My prayer today is that each one reading these words - His Words - BELIEVES that He is the God who hears! Pour your heart out to HIM. He wants you to come to Him and "tell all". He hears and He answers!

Blessings on you, sweet ones, as you draw close to Him!
In Him,
Ruthie

BLESSINGS!

A friend and I had an awesome weekend with daughter, her hubby, & granddaughter... did all sorts of "girlie" stuff. My heart just overflows with thankfulness for His Hand in my life!

190. Prayer - to a LISTENING God!
191 . Lunch with friends.
192. Safe and Secure while the wind and rain bombards us - Psalm 63:4-8
193. Being able to bless others with my "bounty".
194. February 24 - tips of spring flowers peeking thru the ground - WooooHoooo!
195. Seeing a Bald Eagle in the Valley! Awesome!
196. Safety on the road - in terrible rain!
197. Discovering "Cora's"!
198. Finding a "surprise" note from Madison when I arrived home ... "I love you, Grammie. You are a Princess."
199. Canada winning the GOLD in both Women's and Men's Hockey!
200. Quietness and Rest.

Thank You, Lord, for Your bountiful blessings to me!