The Way I see it

One of the best books I ever read in 2004 was "The Purpose Driven Life," written by Rick Warren. It's more than just a book. It's a guide to a spirtual journey, an awakening that will take you deeper as you learn more about your purpose in life. I found the photo I'm including in this post on Pinterest this evening and it reminded me that I pulled this book off my book shelf recently to read again. Yes, to re-read. The way I see it, there are just some books that are worth reading again and this is one of them. I never want to get cocky about my spiritual growth. There is so much we learn and so much to learn as we do life on planet earth and I'm convinced I will die learning. Books have an interesting way of teaching me new things every time I re-read them. Do you share this sentiment??? We should never tire or cease learning. I'm quite passionate about that. Learning produces growth and growth produces great fruit if we apply what we learn. Another great book I plan on reading again is "The Journey" by Billy Graham. I recommend it if you're on a path to learning more about God and your purpose in life. I can't say enough nice things about this book. It's such a lovely read and one that I treasure, packed with great wisdom. I read this book back in 2007 and I've purchased it many times through the years as a gift to friends. If you decide to read either of these books, I pray they bless you richly.

Until next time, happy reading!

xx, Ruthie

Wise people and fools

Over the weekend I read a blog post about wise people and fools. I thought it was a terrific read and thought you might enjoy reading it as well. I believe most of the content is a direct excerpt from Dr. Henry Cloud's book, "Necessary Endings."

Click here for a link to the blog post and to learn more about the book, click here. 

Happy reading and best wishes for a fantastic week!

xx, Ruthie

Never give up!

I fell upon this quote tonight and I have to say, it really spoke to me. The quote I’m referring to is the one in the photo. It’s been an insanely busy 2012 so far and I have to say, I’ve missed blogging terribly. I miss that quiet time in front of my lap top and I miss feeling inspired to write. Lately, I’ve been feeling very uninspired. Yes, I’m in a writing funk. I think busyness has something to do with it for sure and I also think that my lack of sleep must play a role too. For months now, I haven’t been sleeping well or enough for that matter. I think it’s a hormonal thing and these days I rely on melatonin to fall asleep but I inevitably wake up every night at least once, sometimes twice before my alarm clock goes off. Most nights it’s a bit of a struggle to fall back to sleep. It’s incredibly frustrating because this lack of sleep has had a huge impact on my energy level. I’ve always been a good sleeper and for years, I’ve always slept well.  And now I’m humbled that I can’t control why I continue to wake up so often or why I suffer from insomnia on some nights. I trust and pray that it passes soon and in the mean time, I tell myself not to give up and to continue to believe that tomorrow will be better. Sometimes I think about retiring this blog and just when I think I’m done, someone will tell me how they’ve missed reading new posts on my blog or how something I wrote in the past really blessed them and that excites me all over again. Those moments help me not to give up or to quit. I’m certain I’ll feel inspired again with some regularity but for now, I’m going to go with the flow and make the best of this season and take care of me and pray that I will sleep more and better. So please hang in there …. I hope you won’t give up on me or this blog. And if you’re in a season where you feel like quitting or giving up on someone or yourself, don’t do it. Together, let’s believe that miracles happen every day. Let’s stay the course and remain prayerful and hopeful until we see the change we desire.

Until next time,

xx, Ruthie

Fear

It’s been a while, many weeks in fact since I’ve blogged consistently. And it’s not for lack of content or lack of interest because writing is one of my favorite things to do. Truth be told: I haven’t posted regularly due to lack of time and lack of energy. When I have the time, I lack the energy and when I have the energy, I lack the time. Been there before??? I’m hopeful things will shift in the very near future so I can blog more regularly because I miss it terribly.

2011 was a year filled with lots of writing. Much of what I wrote made it to my blog and yet there was alot of writing material that I kept for myself. I recorded those thoughts in my personal journal. As I reflect on the past year and the many times I posted, I recall how my inspiration to write rarely came from long periods of quiet time or regular scheduled time to write but rather the inspiration almost always came to me in the form of a whisper in the middle of my day, in between moments, activities, deadlines and conversations. I’m always amazed at how God places a topic and or words on the tablet of my heart. And as I ponder this amazement, I’m convinced that He has the hearts of many in mind. Mine, yours, ours.

Yesterday morning while I sat quietly drinking my first cup of coffee, the word fear came to mind. I was curious about what might surface if I wrote about fear so I decided to pen my thoughts and below you will find my reflections. I hope these words will bless you and may they encourage you to live boldly and fearlessly and in the fullness of Gods love for you.

Until next time,

xx, Ruthie

Fear:

Fear deprives, cheats and paralyzes a person which keeps them from God’s best for their life. If fear is gripping you today, resolve today to live fearlessly. We all encounter days or seasons where fear threatens to rob us of our peace and our joy too. Today I want to remind you that you have the power to choose to live fearlessly. By choosing a fear-less life, you choose a life filled with peace, refusing to live your life governed by fear. 

Trust God even if that feels uncomfortable and live in the fullness and freedom He desires for you. Seek Him. Trust Him and believe in Him because when you do so, He will lead you, guide you and empower you. 

Sometimes when I begin to feel afraid I have to remind myself that God has gotten me through some super difficult seasons in my life, seasons that I was sure would be the death of me. When I begin to feel afraid I have to remind myself that If He was with me then and got me through that, then why am I doubting that He won't get me through this thing that is causing me so much fear? 

The Bible says that when we draw close to God, He draws close to us. (I super love that!) That has always been the secret to being delivered from fear. Drawing near to Him helps me feel safe and helps me remember that no weapon formed against me shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17). His Word also reminds me that He never gave me a spirit of fear to begin with so why am I allowing it in my life? 

2 Timothy 1:7 says that God has not given us a spirit of fear but instead He has given us a spirit of love, and power and self-discipline. 

His Spirit is never too far away and His Spirit is the Spirit that will empower you to live boldly, courageously and fearlessly if you choose it. 

If fear is knocking on your door these days, ask God to remove it and ask Him to replace it with His super-natural peace, and the spirit of empowerment. 

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. ~James 4:8

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. ~ 2 Timothy 1:7

Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. ~ Joshua 1:9

We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face... we must do that which we think we cannot.      ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. ~ Ambrose Redmoon