tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58223922407037740832024-03-05T00:47:47.867-06:00From Ruthie's CornerWelcome to Ruthie’s Corner! I'm so happy you're here. I’ve always wanted to do something in life that says I was here and for me, writing helps me do that. My gift to my friends, my family and my readers are the gift of words. When they read my words, I hope I’ll leave my hand print and heart print on their hearts. That’s the goal and I hope my words will do just that. Thanks for reading!Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-3056003407810929882017-01-03T16:57:00.003-06:002017-01-04T01:32:39.915-06:00Hope<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It's been a long while since I've posted anything here on my blog. I hope to start again and I've had many of you, my followers, friends and family in mind as you have nudged me and encouraged me to think about and start blogging again. Thank you for the encouragement! I think it might be time to do just that as I have always had a love for writing. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Today I was thinking about the word hope during my quiet time and was thinking about how critical it is to hang on to hope for dear life during difficult seasons.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Hope really is everything, I've learned. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Of all the forces that make for a better world, none are truly more powerful than love and hope. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What I know for sure: God is the very essence of love. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And when we let God's love to permeate every area in our life and allow His love to move in us and through us, radical transformation occurs. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And with hope, one can dream. We can go on for one more day, one more hour if needed. If you have hope dear one, you have everything. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I hope your 2017 has gotten off to a great start. And in case it hasn't, in case there are some things that are still very present and hard and difficult that carried over into the new year, please keep hoping. Keep swimming. Please keep believing that your best days are still ahead of you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Every hard season has an expiration date. Hold on to that truth as you put your trust and hope in the One who will carry you through, who loves you unconditionally and who wants the very best for you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Cheers to your best year yet!!!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">Sending love from Chicago,</span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-6856331761179513422014-12-16T21:30:00.000-06:002015-01-15T15:33:09.048-06:00COURAGE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It finally arrived today and I love it! It's a key necklace with the word "courage" on it from <b><a href="http://www.thegivingkeys.com/collections/all">The Giving Keys</a> </b>company. I purchased it a couple of weeks ago and have been waiting with great anticipation for its arrival. It's lovelier than I imagined.<br />
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The Giving Keys company is a California based company that employs those transitioning out of homelessness to make jewelry out of re-purposed keys that get sold and shared around the world. </div>
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The concept is all about empowerment, inspiring yourself and others, paying it forward and to share your paying it forward story. </div>
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Each key is totally unique and carries a single word message like HOPE, STRENGTH, DREAM. There is a wide variety to choose from or you can create your own word. When the wearer of the key encounters someone else who needs the message on the key, they give it away and are encouraged to share their paying it forward story on The Giving Keys website. </div>
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I could have chosen a number of different words but in this season, I feel that the most appropriate word for me is <b>courage</b>. Courage is the running theme in my life these days. It's the word that comes up over and over and over, in stories, in what I'm reading and what people are talking about. Courage is the thing I know I need to to help me embrace and to hold on to all things good, it's what I need to help me let go of anything and everything that weighs me down. It's what I need to accept, to inspire, to speak my truth, to keep on keeping on, to look ever upward. It's what God calls us to do in Joshua 1:9, it's what I sense God is calling me to do, fearlessly, and boldly. And I want to answer the call, every single time .... with courage and daring greatly. </div>
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So now it's your turn. If you could pick a word, what would be your word?</div>
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Until next time, </div>
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xx, Ruthie</div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">Do</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> not be afraid; </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">do</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> not be discouraged, for the LORD your God </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;">will</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2000007629395px;"> be with you wherever you. ~Joshua 1:9</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. ~Theodore Roosevelt</i></span></h1>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-36631951207289586652013-12-03T21:00:00.000-06:002013-12-06T20:10:47.534-06:00Inspirational story about happiness <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;">The 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud lady, who is fully dressed each morning by eight o’clock, with her hair fashionably coifed and makeup perfectly applied, even though she is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. Her hus</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; line-height: 18px;">band of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary.<br /><br />After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready. As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual description of her tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on her window. “I love it,” she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.<br /><br />“Mrs. Jones, you haven’t seen the room …. just wait.”<br /><br />“That doesn’t have anything to do with it,” she replied. “Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn’t depend on how the furniture is arranged, it’s how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It’s a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open I’ll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I’ve stored away, just for this time in my life.”<br /><br />She went on to explain, “Old age is like a bank account, you withdraw from what you’ve put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories. Thank you for your part in filling my Memory bank. I am still depositing.”<br /><br />And with a smile, she said: “Remember the five simple rules to be happy:<br /><br />1. Free your heart from hatred<br />2. Free your mind from worries<br />3. Live simply<br />4. Give more<br />5. Expect less</span></span><script src="//assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; display: inline; line-height: 18px;"><i>Isn't this an inspirational story??? Read this on Facebook tonight and I knew that I wanted to share this with my audience. </i></span></span><br />
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-41409111148585348362013-07-04T16:15:00.001-05:002013-09-25T09:21:37.847-05:00Blueberry Crisp<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">This Blueberry Crisp is a mouth full of joy, tastes better than it looks and totally gluten-free. Recipe found on page 26 in </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bread-Wine-Letter-Around-Recipes/dp/0310328179/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1375467200&sr=8-1&keywords=bread+%26+wine+shauna+niequist"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Bread & Wine</span></a><span style="color: #444444;"> written by Shauna Niequist. I learned that serving it ala mode with french vanilla ice cream is the best and you can even eat it cold the next morning with yogurt. I followed the recipe mostly but only used 3 cups of blueberries and baked it in a 2 quart oval baking dish. </span></span></strong></div>
<ul style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; line-height: 24px; list-style: square; margin: 0px 0px 1.625em 2.5em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 cups blueberries, frozen okay</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup old-fashioned oats</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup pecans, chopped </span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup almond meal</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup 100% pure maple syrup</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 teaspoon kosher salt</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mix together oats, pecans, almond meal, maple syrup, olive oil, and salt with a fork.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pour berries into an 8 x 8 pan, then layer the crispy topping over it.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #373737; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 1.625em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or up to 10 minutes longer if topping and fruit are frozen, until fruit is bubbling and topping is crisp and golden.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Serves: 4 – 6</span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-11516842940556790142013-06-23T07:24:00.000-05:002013-08-28T13:26:03.368-05:00Loss hurts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Yesterday was one of the hardest days ever for Michael and me. Our hearts broke in a way that we had never experienced before. Fifteen years ago, when my son Michael was ten, Simone our beautiful furry feline, who I affectionately called my sweet baby girl, entered our lives as a teeny tiny kitten. She was precious, always precious. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">And yesterday, we sadly, <u>so</u> sadly and with great difficulty said goodbye to this beautiful creature because she no longer had any fight in her. Her tiny, frail body had had enough. Sadly, her time was up and letting go was heart wrenching to say the least. Saying goodbye and letting go of a beloved pet is one of the hardest things you will ever do in your life. Leaving the hospital felt impossible and left a deep and pervasive ache in our hearts. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">As we left the animal hospital yesterday morning with broken hearts, and tear-filled eyes, I didn't know what to do with myself. I knew I didn't want to be home, it was just too hard and I knew I couldn't really spend the day in public or with anyone really because the tears never seemed to stop flowing. Shortly after I got home, my friend Melissa called me and we cried together as I shared my loss with her and shared how heart broken I felt. When the call ended, I drove myself to a local nursery which thankfully seemed pretty empty and I bought and planted some beautiful Daises in my front garden in loving memory of our sweet little Simone. [see picture below]</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">The perennials I planted yesterday will grow back year after year and as they do, we will remember this beautiful little creature who entered our lives and captured our hearts. Because of her, we learned that the human heart has no limits when it comes </span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">to love. Pets are an amazing blessing. Simone helped expand my heart in a way that surprised me and in a way that unfolded beautifully through the 15 years we called her family, our sweet baby girl. </span></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Planet earth feels a little empty without her for sure and we miss her so much already. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">It's ironic you know, because I'm allergic to cats and I was allergic to Simone in the very beginning but eventually developed an immunity to whatever it was that caused me to become allergic. Over time, I was no longer allergic but today I confess to you that what I'm allergic to is her absence. </span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">It's never enough time when it comes to love, is it? Never.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">I'm so thankful that God allowed us to love and care for this beautiful creature for 15 years and I'm thankful that in the end, the two people who loved her the most were with her. She was not alone. She died peacefully and gracefully and as hard as that was, because it wrecked me, it was also hauntingly beautiful. She will forever live in our hearts. Forever.</span></span></div>
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<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Rest in peace my pretty precious one. We never finished loving you ...</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj9AAwLe68xO8RBHdmFBgSptbWYG9sLK93Hap4PkqmC0PBZMWtGeKAQ1H-vzYtXpGQc2A_VVQnh686e2n-fVmp52llD-nEc_eRu3ZnxGALtEA-WUVAwfc_7TSMp67EOZNoNVRAQr_zCu7/s1600/Daisies+for+Simone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj9AAwLe68xO8RBHdmFBgSptbWYG9sLK93Hap4PkqmC0PBZMWtGeKAQ1H-vzYtXpGQc2A_VVQnh686e2n-fVmp52llD-nEc_eRu3ZnxGALtEA-WUVAwfc_7TSMp67EOZNoNVRAQr_zCu7/s320/Daisies+for+Simone.jpg" width="301" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daisies for Simone our beloved Russian Blue</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EI0190l2Oys1zT8_ZTmATPMCiuN0TVwsaxBUtYKJPT_3RsAD3-HCjiLYQphAbpFv3-L8TcWJcWzcmo6AhZOX_EyrQ9w5Z0b6jdinerCz23Fp10PeC5RqN3MY_VOqlSxGl9jyF1BvNnlu/s1600/DSCN1965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9EI0190l2Oys1zT8_ZTmATPMCiuN0TVwsaxBUtYKJPT_3RsAD3-HCjiLYQphAbpFv3-L8TcWJcWzcmo6AhZOX_EyrQ9w5Z0b6jdinerCz23Fp10PeC5RqN3MY_VOqlSxGl9jyF1BvNnlu/s320/DSCN1965.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady Simone. May 1998 - June 22, 2013</td></tr>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-73160065831997866082013-04-21T11:43:00.000-05:002013-05-03T12:11:22.761-05:00Memories<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1ljyUvXgwL4nYmQ_xuZ4ZM8954KVa1cYecXPKcD3a_EJzEhemI-RT-EHGCSq_tWbB-ISyvq8MFDz301zuR8FCCb4OgnlzauR9fcJfBI3fAkFv1dyO87UycEX9Fsx2tIPujP6bpgz7B6b/s1600/saint+hedwig+CHURCH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq1ljyUvXgwL4nYmQ_xuZ4ZM8954KVa1cYecXPKcD3a_EJzEhemI-RT-EHGCSq_tWbB-ISyvq8MFDz301zuR8FCCb4OgnlzauR9fcJfBI3fAkFv1dyO87UycEX9Fsx2tIPujP6bpgz7B6b/s320/saint+hedwig+CHURCH.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Today
I came across a website that featured the first church I attended with my
family as a little girl. <i>Picture featured in this post</i>. The church
is Saint Hedwig’s Catholic Church located in the Bucktown area of Chicago</span><st1:place style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;" w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">.</st1:city></st1:place><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;"> It's stunningly
gorgeous and it takes my breath away. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 150%;">I still remember how beautiful and ornate it was. I also
remember feeling like we were on holy ground every time we walked into that
church. </span><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 150%;">This church was founded in the late 1800's to serve Polish families who lived in the immediate area. Today the weekend schedule includes three English masses, one in Spanish and the other in Polish serving a diverse population of parishioners from city dwellers to suburbanites.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 150%;">My first memories of attending mass on the weekends included
attending with my parents, my older brother, my younger sister Alicia and my paternal grandparents. I think I was five or six years old. I can still remember my mother and grandmother donning black lace veils over their heads, wearing beautiful dresses and the smell of their perfume. They always wore the prettiest dresses and I remember my father and grandfather looking dapper in dark colored suits. I also remember
how lovely my grandmother smelled, something about her facial cream smelled so
beautiful every time she kissed me. Additionally, I remember the smell of my mothers fragrant Revlon lipstick. For many years when I was a young adult, I use to buy Revlon
lipsticks only because they reminded me of my mother and of really happy times when I was a little girl.
About a decade ago, Revlon changed the composition of their lipsticks, and sadly they
no longer have the scent that I remember from long ago. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s interesting how a picture can bring back so many memories.
This picture of Saint Hedwig's Catholic Church evokes lovely memories of times gone by, a happy time,
filled with love, sunny Sunday's, God, and the gift of family. And for that and so much more, I am thankful.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time, blessings to you and yours.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 150%;">xx, Ruthie</span><span style="line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-35263372796932291202013-04-11T21:24:00.000-05:002013-09-05T09:16:07.465-05:00Life Lessons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYYCSHLrx3TXRnnU7Az6DMKA5rzbNNKgNHD1pdzj8sIjUI52u-xXxD-w3LN-wsEl0JwS71Esl_WSU8zNo2r7ub0GcEeCmDPcZIFpyZraFOT1L4jEdmzj-cGEHbV7T-AYF1t-ual0o-5bG/s1600/LIFE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkYYCSHLrx3TXRnnU7Az6DMKA5rzbNNKgNHD1pdzj8sIjUI52u-xXxD-w3LN-wsEl0JwS71Esl_WSU8zNo2r7ub0GcEeCmDPcZIFpyZraFOT1L4jEdmzj-cGEHbV7T-AYF1t-ual0o-5bG/s320/LIFE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;">Sometimes the most significant lessons in life take almost a lifetime to learn. This I know because half of my life is behind me now and I'm still learning. I'm still learning big and small lessons. And this is what I know for sure and I think you know this too: "we mustn't let our age or the length of time it takes to learn to discourage us." I've always believed that life is about love but it's also about learning and growing, and evolving, a journey filled with discovery and becoming every bit of the person God created us to be. It's a process, a life-long process, not a destination. Sometimes we have to remember and remind ourselves that God doesn't expect perfection. He never has. <i>Did you know that? </i>And He doesn't get hung up on our mistakes or our imperfections, big or small. He knows that we are perfectly imperfect and He loves us anyway. He loves us for exactly who we are. His love for us is like no other and it is truly the greatest love story your heart will ever experience. Some of us, including me sometimes need to remember that forgiving ourselves is necessary work and just as important as the grace God extends to us. Beloved, as long as we have breath in us, the teaching goes on and the lessons are learned. So never stop learning. Never stop growing. Be you. Be-YOU-ti-ful.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Love and more love to you, </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-align: justify;">xx, Ruthie</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #20124d; line-height: 18px;"><i><b>P.S. God's love for you never changes. Never. It's vast and lovely, extraordinary and amazing. What I know for you sure: He will never finish loving you. May His love draw you near today.</b></i></span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-55508356049457979982013-04-03T20:18:00.000-05:002013-04-12T15:46:46.846-05:00If we had coffee today I’d tell you: Failure is not determined by what you lost.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttxqObajF5WkB7i8gRJth_k18ASnWEpn5A2sb0yW_V2hP6979n3RrHG1JSMGX0HN0la181AkRQh3N5lxNlEtBgQIoRcViI9wxxDdd0f7a-S8FRPjylONmZ5QyDm9A0js2l6m1cu_G77PA/s1600/coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttxqObajF5WkB7i8gRJth_k18ASnWEpn5A2sb0yW_V2hP6979n3RrHG1JSMGX0HN0la181AkRQh3N5lxNlEtBgQIoRcViI9wxxDdd0f7a-S8FRPjylONmZ5QyDm9A0js2l6m1cu_G77PA/s320/coffee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Failure is
not determined by what you lost. When you lose, its an opportunity to keep on
keeping on, to push through, to set your eyes on the prize. Be wise. Aim high.
Nothing is impossible when you align your desires with Gods desire for you.
Absolutely nothing.</span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-61008893464844108472013-03-24T14:11:00.001-05:002013-05-18T08:16:32.470-05:00Homemade Pizza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3AJ_FiSOdocVdgeFuc0p1Q7izEL2VKkmN5M3hFNoJQq4JgpE28SF4KDGSX0oxntBNInGj_CQ1Ocvr71n2pvqCokbpfuFKgkql7d2eC00FEGYN_syx4gRXOB6CoonyNZoJ3BNMnwLAbIc/s1600/DSCN2669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH3AJ_FiSOdocVdgeFuc0p1Q7izEL2VKkmN5M3hFNoJQq4JgpE28SF4KDGSX0oxntBNInGj_CQ1Ocvr71n2pvqCokbpfuFKgkql7d2eC00FEGYN_syx4gRXOB6CoonyNZoJ3BNMnwLAbIc/s320/DSCN2669.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I did it! I made homemade pizza today. And yes, it's the first time I have ever made homemade pizza and no it will not be the last because it was so delish!</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pizza is the perfect comfort food for those who love pizza during a cold Sunday afternoon when it's officially Spring but feels wintery. It's 2pm and the snow they predicted would arrive today hasn't arrived, so hurrah! </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I used a 7 inch </span><b><a href="http://www.rusticcrust.com/ready-made-pizza-crust.html"><span style="color: #351c75;">italian herb crust</span> </a></b><span style="color: #444444;">by </span><b style="color: #444444;">Rustic Crust </b><span style="color: #444444;">and bought their old world pizza </span><b><a href="http://www.rusticcrust.com/pizza-sauce-pack.html"><span style="color: #351c75;">sauce</span> </a></b><span style="color: #444444;">and used hormone-free shredded mozzarella from </span><b><a href="http://www.andrewandeverett.com/products_shredded.php"><span style="color: #351c75;">Andrew & Everett</span><span style="color: #444444;">,</span></a></b><span style="color: #444444;"> slices of organic roma tomatoes, fresh organic basil and sprinkled some feta cheese at the end after it came out of the oven. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">Oh! I also sprinkled oregano and a few red pepper flakes before I baked the pizza. Next time, I'll use Italian seasoning, instead of just oregano. I baked it for 10 minutes on a pizza stone at 425 degrees and then baked it for an additional three minutes without the stone because I super love a crusty crust. <i>Who doesn't? </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Buen Provecho!</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time, </span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">xx, Ruthie</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-81519704198737751872013-03-02T20:52:00.000-06:002016-09-08T15:01:03.929-05:00Being a difference maker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;">At the very
core of who I am, my heart desires is to make all my moments count. </span><span style="line-height: 150%;">I’m
a realist and as a realist, I acknowledge that this is not always possible or
easy because life is packed with responsibilities and meetings and deadlines
but each day we’re blessed with I’ve learned offers each of us opportunities and
moments to create meaningful engagement in the ordinary of every day life. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We add
meaning and value through our interactions with people, with a simple smile, a
lovely hello, a spirit of gratitude, a loving look, with our
words, our deeds, being an attentive listener, practicing grace and compassion,
simple acts of random kindness and through human touch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear ones, there
are so many ways to add meaning and to add value to the people in our life.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Never under
estimate the impact your life has on another human being.</b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Your words,
your deeds, the way you show up for life and love all make a difference. Life as
I know it is a lot shorter than we care to admit. The days and weeks go by so
fast. <i>Wouldn’t you agree? </i>So let’s be courageous and take risks and make our
moments count because any good we do will leave people feeling better. And in
the process of leaving others feeling better, you feel better. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The things we do, the things we say are the very things that begin to leave a legacy behind. So show up, do beautiful things, speak beautiful words, create beauty in your own beautiful way each and every day. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You will
never regret any good you do in life. Never. And all the good we do, makes each of us a
difference maker. It leaves us feeling richer. So together let’s agree to be the kind of people who do life
differently. Let’s live being a difference maker through how we live, love, breathe and
move. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">May the light of life shine on you always, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">xx, Ruthie</span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-67249569650356737642013-02-27T05:31:00.000-06:002013-04-25T17:40:34.254-05:00If we had coffee today I’d tell you: Nothing is wasted.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2hEJmjsbp68Wdh2fUh7zapWxDDAgjMBPv6WEhvkBVfAekBI8EMdPrOf1sAKz0QEWFGFQX8uv8IfYR-znPm4p9HyKrugIZgXzaVhhDoXGCo7rky1-5wHjSISqvBYhdODalOD9i5DiZAn3/s1600/coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr2hEJmjsbp68Wdh2fUh7zapWxDDAgjMBPv6WEhvkBVfAekBI8EMdPrOf1sAKz0QEWFGFQX8uv8IfYR-znPm4p9HyKrugIZgXzaVhhDoXGCo7rky1-5wHjSISqvBYhdODalOD9i5DiZAn3/s200/coffee.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loss, difficulty and pain do not have the last word. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lord, His intention, His purpose, and His love have the
last word. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nothing is wasted. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans%208:28&version=NASB">(Read Romans 8:28)</a></b></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-72115420683831806132013-02-26T05:30:00.000-06:002013-04-25T17:41:00.830-05:00Love is a decision<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">T</span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">here are a thousand
different ways to show love to someone you care about. Whatever you choose and
however you choose, be genuine and be sincere. As I get older, I find that I
become more and more reflective. I reflect and ponder so many things about life
and people and what I'm learning and I realize with each passing day that today
is all we've got. No matter what is happening around me, I want to make today
count and if I want it to count, it starts with me. I want to embrace what I
have today and make the most of what I have, right here, right now because
tomorrow is never promised.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">Love
is an action word. It's a verb meant to be demonstrative. So be demonstrative
with your love because anybody can say I love you but real love, authentic love
and a genuine concern for a person is about showing up and loving people the
way God calls us to love. Love is about being others-oriented and self-less. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">It's
easy to love someone whose company is easy, but to love someone at their worst,
well that's love. You love that person because it's a decision you've
made. Love I've learned really is a decision. You can decide today to love
the way God calls you to love. And for many, loving people isn't easy but what
I've learned is that it's easier to love others when you realize how much God
loves you. When you're full of God's love, love comes pouring out of you. </span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">During my spiritual journey I've learned that God calls us to do two things in
life:</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><b> </b></span><b style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">to love Him and
to love people.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">Being a doer
is what makes the difference so lets really show up and love people. Let's be a
difference maker and show up and show those we love and care about with our
affection today.</span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;"><br /></span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial;"><span style="line-height: 24px;">May the light of life shine on you always.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial; line-height: 150%;">xx,
Ruthie</span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Arial;">Above all things have
intense and unfailing love for one another, for love covers a multitude of
sins, it forgives and disregards the offenses of others. ~ 1 Peter 4:8</span></i><u1:p></u1:p></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-24480219964576348872013-02-15T06:33:00.000-06:002013-02-16T10:45:40.929-06:00My thoughts on love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Did you know that we’re all natural born lovers? Yes, we are. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were born to love with all our hearts.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of you have a special gift to love but sometimes you
become so afraid to love it paralyzes you. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You've become afraid because you’ve been hurt in your past. I know. I’ve
been hurt too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But please don’t let your past hurts stop you from loving because
only you have that special, warm blend of goodness that only YOU can provide. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is what I'm learning and I want you to learn this too. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So why keep it to yourself? Why hoard it? Love loses power unless you give
it away. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The world needs your love but only you can choose to love. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">And you know who else needs your love?</span> You. Yes, you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I want to remind you that you are most alive when you
are open to giving and receiving love. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it starts with loving yourself first. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So love yourself and
love others and let others love you right back. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fight against that
little voice inside of you that tells you that you are too afraid. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, we all
become a little afraid but you also have the power to say no to fear. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can
choose to be fearless. You can say no to fear and yes to love. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you live your life feeling afraid all the time, well that’s really not living and if you’re really not
living, then you’re really not loving. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So today say no to fear
and yes to love. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Love with reckless
abandon.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Love radically and beautifully and with the </span></span><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">special, warm blend of goodness that only YOU
can provide.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Until next time, </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">xx, Ruthie</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>For <u>God has not given us a spirit </u>of <u>fear</u> and timidity, but of <u>power</u>, <u>love</u>, and <u>self-discipline</u>. ~2 Timothy 1:7</b></i></span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-74019775876896442152013-02-06T20:33:00.000-06:002013-07-25T18:25:47.171-05:00I believe<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>No matter how difficult life gets, I still believe the best about life and people and God and how things will end. There is so much I believe and this little short list does not cover it all. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>This list represents just some of the things that came to mind as I sat to think about what I believe. Some are serious, some are fun and I hope this list get's you thinking about what you believe in too and I hope the funny ones make you smile. </i></span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Enjoy the short read and if you have some time today or this week, consider creating your own list and have fun with it. Throw in some funny stuff too. </i></span></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God loves us for who we are and where we are in life. Nothing we do or didn't do or say or didn't say will ever change that. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe in forgiveness and the power it has to set us free. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that there is nothing you could ever do that God can't redeemed.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that every broken person can be healed. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that every person in life has something to offer to make a difference.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that one day I will buy skinny jeans that will come close to the size I wore in high school and even if it never happens, I will enjoy every single second I spend dreaming about that. ; )</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God will show up and tell you things at the right time, when you are ready and when you ask. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God is for me and that He is for you too.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that I will never be able to love God the way He loves me but I'm pretty sure I will die trying anyway. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe God made me with purpose and when I write, I feel His pleasure. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God in me is ALWAYS greater than any challenge that comes into my life. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that no weapon formed against me will ever prosper. (Isaiah 54:17) </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God does His best work in me when I invite Him into the healing process. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God is working even if I can't see it or sense it. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe we are here for each other and not to be against each other.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that there is good in people even if they say mean things or do things that hurt you.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that hurt, unhealed people hurt others and because of this knowledge and the through the power of the Holy Spirit, I am able to forgive them.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that you will never be successful in pleasing everyone all the time and that's okay. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that sometimes you have to set healthy boundaries with people in your life if you're going to become everything God calls you to be.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that the greatest gift you can give people is a healthy "you."</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that quitting is the easiest thing to do in the world and that it takes real courage and real confidence to keep on keeping on.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that courage is doing the right thing even if you feel a little afraid. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that everything God does or permits is allowed to teach us something in life.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that every painful trial has a pearl in it. I'm learning to look for my pearls during the trials in my life.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that my best days are still ahead of me. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe in love and respect, honor and loyalty and doing the right things in life even if they're hard.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that if you need help, you should ask and if it's offered, you should accept it.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that motherhood is the hardest job I have ever loved. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that pride keeps people from living their best life. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that sometimes we just have to give God time. Waiting is hard but it's worth it. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that one day I will marry the man of my dreams and when it happens, I'm sure I will complain about how much he snores but I will love him anyway. ; )</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that a feel better kiss and a little chocolate always makes me feel better. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God places the right desires in my heart so I can do His will to live my best life and to bless others. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God calls us to be healers of wounds through words and deeds and to love people regardless and to do the right thing in the face of difficulty. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that a sincere apology deserves forgiveness and even if the apology never comes, forgive them anyway. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe it is far more joyful to give than it is to receive. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe we have a responsibility to do all the good we can with what we have.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that there will be chocolate and cupcakes in heaven. I'm pretty sure of that. ; )</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God is way more patient with me than I am with Him. (So thankful for that!)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God always gives us the strength and the courage we need to do the things we think we can not do.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe the winners in life are the one's who are brave enough to listen to the truth in their hearts.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that nothing catches God by surprise. He see's all things and knows all things and He still loves us anyway. I love that about Him.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God allows the right people to stay in your life to help you move forward and He removes the ones that will impede your ability to grow and live your best life. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that all things work for good to those who love God, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God always shows up right on time, every time. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God will NEVER give up on us, ever. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God is full of grace and mercy.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God is faithful and that He is our only Promise Keeper.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that God is simply crazy mad about us and that nobody will ever love us like He does. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #444444;">I believe that if all of humanity came to really and I mean really understand and know how much God loves them, it would cause every single person to fall on their knees and weep in deep gratitude. </span></span></li>
</ol>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-55466209269178561512013-01-29T19:33:00.000-06:002013-04-25T17:45:19.659-05:00Slow<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hJ7EO5DSXM8TBGCJmaaDbUq2uTAbqqnzDsvG3YOPZbk3QnbNFLt4uLf5Vs3hqhaLBMY6IotntFPNKYUMB5k5vRCLIgbVCZteBporOGLHjCGhIncY8U_5NHwlhd6IpD80EdWiwk57lVI6/s1600/slow-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hJ7EO5DSXM8TBGCJmaaDbUq2uTAbqqnzDsvG3YOPZbk3QnbNFLt4uLf5Vs3hqhaLBMY6IotntFPNKYUMB5k5vRCLIgbVCZteBporOGLHjCGhIncY8U_5NHwlhd6IpD80EdWiwk57lVI6/s320/slow-001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's taken me a l-o-n-g while to
learn that listening and observing are practices that serve me well. Slowly,
very slowly, I'm learning to embrace and love the acquired skill and practice
of really listening with great regularity and I have to say, I'm discovering alot
along the way. <b><a href="http://fromruthiescorner.blogspot.com/search?q=slow+is+good"><span style="color: #073763;">Slow is the new speed for 2013.</span></a></b> It's not a speed I'm use to at
all, but I'm learning to adapt and I love what it's teaching me. </span><span style="font-family: Helv; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-844619408535953462013-01-17T21:16:00.000-06:002013-04-23T15:59:01.773-05:00Friendship, Girlfriends and Intimacy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Today was extraordinary. Today my cousin Anita surprised me with a gift that was delivered to my office. Oh my word was
I ever surprised by this gift. It's was a just because gift. A gift that said,
I love you, I appreciate you and I want you to live your best life. Whoa! What a
blessing. Thank you Anita! You made my day and I love you so much! Thank you
for always being such a giver and for your thoughtfulness. We’re more like
sisters than cousins for sure and I’m thankful for our sisterhood
relationship.</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Later this morning I received an
e-mail from my friend Margie who thanked me for calling her a year ago during
this time of the year. She shared with me that she was doing some reflective
thinking and was remembering that particular day a year ago and how she needed
me to call her at that moment because that day was a really hard day and the timing
of my call was impeccable. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My friend Margie had just lost her
husband of 25 years three weeks prior to cancer when I called her. Her husband was my childhood friend. He got cancer, just like me only I survived and he didn't. I can't even
imagine what Margie was feeling a year ago today. It was an incredibly painful and difficult time in her life to say the
least. Her e-mail today was a note filled with gratitude and love and it made me
cry. I had no idea what that call and what my words meant to her. Thank you
Margie for reminding me that words matter and I'm glad that my words that day
blessed you. I love you. Thank you for your note. It made me feel special
and it blessed me for sure. You're a pillar of strength and beautiful as ever. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then I had another friend who I
called to check in on because she's been experiencing some health issues and
today she opened up to me and shared with me that this is one of the hardest
seasons she's experienced ever. It was heart breaking to learn everything she
shared with me. I was glad I called and I was glad to be available to listen and to learn what she has been struggling
with because I had no idea and now I know and because I know, I now know how
to pray for her and love her during this season. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I shared with her how much I loved
her and how I appreciated her brutal and raw honesty. She's one of the bravest
and strongest women I know because she has endured so much in life and has
overcome so much. And although this is a really hard season that might feel
like the death of her, I know that God is with her and He will turn it around
for good and she will emerge stronger and wiser and better. I love that she
trusts me with her deepest and most intimate thoughts. She's probably
the only person I know that opens up as much as she does with me and I love how she's not afraid to admit her short comings. It takes courage to
open up to another person the way she does with me. I wonder if she realizes
that. And I wonder if she opens up to me because she knows that I recognize how
imperfect each of us is and that I will always love her no matter what. That
conversation today reminded me why we have such a special connection and why I
love her so much. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today I’m glad that God placed her in my life, because
through our friendship, I want to love her through this and stand in the gap
for her and pray for her and with her and hold her hand until she gets to the
other side. Conversations like this give birth to what real intimacy and authenticity
is all about. I just love her bravery and I'm glad I could listen and be there
for her when she needed someone to really hear her. I love you baby girl. I
will not disclose your name in this post but you know who you are and I promise that it will get
better. And until it does, I will hold your hand and remind
you that you are never alone because next to God, you will find me, walking this journey with you. You’re stronger and braver than you feel.
You really are and together we will get through this. I promise. I love you more than more.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an extraordinary day! Today I'm thankful for the gift of
friendship and girlfriends and intimacy. These are some of the things that I
love most about life because intimacy and relationships are what connect us in meaningful
and special ways. We need trusted friends to do life with and to call on when life feels hard and dark and unfair and just as equally, we need to become those trusted friends that will reach out with love, to care, to listen, to pray and to practice grace. </span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time, may you experience extraordinary moments in the ordinary through your friendships, and through your sacred relationships filled with great courage as you practice love, grace, and vulnerability with great authenticity.</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">xx, Ruthie <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-21329571957065475062013-01-16T19:22:00.000-06:002013-01-16T19:22:00.342-06:00My thoughts on writing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">There
is never enough time in the day to read all the books I want to read and to
write all the thoughts and essays I want to write. How does a girl like me
house so many words? Truth be told: I can only house them for so long.
Inevitably and eventually they must be released and this is why I write. The
words and the stories that I house spill over onto the pages before me, and
into the journals that I keep and on electronic documents that I save on my
computer and external hard drive. I have a small drawer at home full of index cards and
napkins filled with words and thoughts and ideas and memories that I scribble. These are the things I scribble about in the middle of my day or late at night as thoughts come to me. I save them
because eventually they serve as inspiration. I save them because these are the
thoughts that are teaching me something in that season and I save them because
eventually these words become stories, my story, the stories I wanted to tell
that I never talked about or wrote about because these stories are about
learning the hard way, about having your aha moments later rather than earlier in life.
I've discovered about myself that when I write, I'm writing the stories of my
heart and this to me is necessary and important, like the air we breathe is
necessary and important. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
There are seasons in my life where I could happily sit and write the day away.
That almost always happens on a weekend, when I'm hungry to write. Those are my
stay-at-home, drink coffee and tea, play soft music in the back round pajama
days. This is one of those seasons where I could happily write all day long one
day out of the weekend. Perhaps it's because its winter and the temperature
outside is too cold for my liking. And perhaps it's because these days I'm
trying to live life at the speed of slow, learning to push the pause button on
life to soak in and relish all things and moments beautiful, and to live just
slowly enough to really hear myself think because this year I've decided I want
to live paying closer attention to my thought life. When I slow down, I hear my
thoughts and when I hear my thoughts I have alot to write about.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
During the winter months I enjoy the warmth and the coziness of my home and
during the winter evenings, I enjoy being in yoga pants or pajamas pants like
the very second I get home from the office. I'm not kidding; it is absolutely amazing how quickly I can get into those pants when I get home. [insert smile here] And when it's
time to relax, time and schedule permitting, I enjoy lighting fragrant lavender
candles and dimming the lights in the house and sitting in my large and comfy
reading chair near the fire place to read by a near by lamp. I enjoy sitting
there thinking and praying and penning my thoughts as well. I enjoy and love
this like small children enjoy and love playing at the park.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
If I could afford a one month sabbatical, I would take one in a heart beat. I
would go away to a beautiful, warm, sunny place that mirrors paradise surrounded by magnificent nature filled with
luscious greenery, the ocean for sure and watch the sun's disk disappear below
the ocean's horizon at the end of each day. I would rise early to meet the day
and catch the sun as it's rising to greet me with its glorious light and its
dramatic brilliance and relish how the sun's brilliance makes me glow from the
inside out. I would spend my days and nights reading and writing, thinking and
dreaming until the light fades. I would release my words, my thoughts on paper
and allow them to take on new form, a life of their very own. I would take
nature walks and soak in the sunshine and drink green tea and listen for the
voice of God in my breath, in the stillness of my being and in the nature
before me. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
All of this is a beautiful dream, a lovely thought for sure. But I've learned
that while a thirty day sabbatical is not in the cards for me in my immediate
future, I can still experience moments and days like that. I can experience
them here and there in different ways and on different days and in different
seasons. It's beautiful to dream of extended periods of time doing what you
know you were born to do but its equally as beautiful and wonderful to
appreciate the here and now and to appreciate and to experience these moments
when you can, even if it's only an hour, a day, a long weekend or a week
away. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
Beloved reader, discover what it is that you love and do what you love the
most, what makes you feel most alive for in discovering that, you will have
discovered your purpose. Do what you were born to do because that is what
becomes your life's work, the finger prints of love and the legacy you will
leave behind.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><br />
Until next time, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><span style="color: #444444;"><br />
xx, Ruthie</span></span><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><strong><i><span style="background: white; color: #073763; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%;">Every secret of a writer's soul, every
experience of her life, every quality of her mind is written large in her
works. ~ Virginia Woolf</span></i></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-76343859658310941972013-01-13T06:00:00.000-06:002013-04-25T11:30:44.641-05:00If we had coffee today I’d tell you: It’s okay to live outside of your comfort zone.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum3CQAjCNfnYPXhl-4QSLLQ63JpuSk3bOFl81z5KblNE-Cs9M9ExG2YHNXggDWMUvqmzEjFf7Eqkkfu8UeJeBcWNzZ6pAQEZqpAEIIf4crjPk5WI90rX5j9QiDiIsakYFXVgChmUOX5NA/s1600/coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhum3CQAjCNfnYPXhl-4QSLLQ63JpuSk3bOFl81z5KblNE-Cs9M9ExG2YHNXggDWMUvqmzEjFf7Eqkkfu8UeJeBcWNzZ6pAQEZqpAEIIf4crjPk5WI90rX5j9QiDiIsakYFXVgChmUOX5NA/s320/coffee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="usercontent"><span style="color: #333333; font-weight: normal; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">When God removes you from your comfort zone, you will discover
that depending on yourself is no longer enough. You will quickly learn to depend on God because you will have discovered that it’s the only way to get
through and survive living outside of your comfort zone. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span class="usercontent"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;">I’m learning that when God allows you to live outside of
your comfort zone, He’s creating an atmosphere for you to grow. He is
stretching you because He is preparing you for promotion, a new level but He will not allow
you to be promoted</span></span><span class="textexposedshow"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;">
unless you’re ready, unless you’re equipped, unless you are mature enough and
prepared for the journey before you.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"> </span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><br />
<br />
<span class="textexposedshow">So don’t become discouraged or give up when you
feel stretched and challenged or when things aren’t unfolding as you hoped they
would. Trust that God still loves you and that He is for you and with you. He has not forsaken you. Believe that He is in it, and that He is doing a good thing in you. When you are living
outside of your comfort zone, remember that that is the place where He prepares
you for your destiny, a destiny that will amaze you and surprise you if you will just stay the course and trust Him.</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span class="textexposedshow">Until next time, </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span class="textexposedshow">xx, Ruthie</span></span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-55480140828490682592013-01-12T06:33:00.000-06:002013-01-16T12:24:30.078-06:00Love life<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 200%;">Everyday life is laced
with special occasions, not just here and there, or now and then but every
where all the time. Grabbing hold of this simple idea is like winning a
front-row ticket to the grandest adventure of all. So savor the journey. Feel
the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. Be thrilled when you make a new
friend. Be swept away if you've found a new love. Laugh and cry at weddings.
Dance the night away at every anniversary. Cherish your family and love your
work. Roll around on the floor with your children or your grand children or with your spouse. Look forward to all your
birthday mornings. And with every sun rise, start your life anew. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For
it is true: The more you love life, the more it will love you right back. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">~ Author Unknown</span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-42031352491512666842013-01-11T19:21:00.000-06:002013-01-12T10:43:16.540-06:00Sisterhood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Recently, I've had a few of my
friends remind me how important our sisterhood is to them and every time I
hear them share that with me, my heart melts with gratitude. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It feels good
to be loved and appreciated for who you are and where you are in life and it feels so good to have women I love and trust so much be a part of my every day life. I can't imagine life without them. Really, I can't. I love these women more than
cupcakes and that says ALOT. And as I think about our sisterhood, it makes me
want to cry in deep gratitude because each of them is so precious to me. Each
of them have blessed me so much through the years and in their own beautiful gifted ways. They've loved me at my worst, guided me back to the light when I drifted and at times have talked me off the ledge when life felt dark, hard and unfair. Not really off the ledge, but you know what I mean. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My sisterhood relationships are important, necessary and a gift from God for sure. They're my beloved sweet angels. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm glad I have these sisterhood
friendships because these are the women I do real life with. I share my heart, my dreams and my most intimate thoughts and struggles with them. I do this because I can, because they love me unconditonally and because they've earned my trust. There is never any competition or jealously or weirdness because while we recognize that we all have different gifts, we also recognize and embrace that we're all created in the image of God, to love Him and to love others, to serve Him and to serve others. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sisterhood is about doing life
together. It's about authenticity. It's an authentic relationship where we support each other, love each other, tell each other the truth, like all the time and we stand in the gap for one another. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We learn together and grow together and I love that about our sisterhood. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The women I have
sisterhood relationships with are brilliant, beautiful, and trust worthy and their
company is always easy and the relationship is completely grace based. Aaaah ... how refreshing. <i>We have Jesus to thank for that. Thank You Jesus!</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A little bit about us ...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We love each other unconditionally and celebrate our differences.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We trust each other and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">listen without judgment.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We tell each other the truth, and
we say it with love.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We hold each other accountable and w</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">e remind each other that we are never alone.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We say I love you often and alot and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">remind each other how much God
loves us.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We love each others children and we
pray for them as if they were our own.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We stand in the gap for each other and we don't let each other give up.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We recognize and believe that we are so much more than the choices we have made and so much more than the sum of our mistakes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We've learned that we all fall and when it happens, we pick each other up gently and carefully because we know that after a fall, we feel raw, fractured and fragile.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We cry together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We pray together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We shop together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We laugh together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We do sleep over’s and road trips
and coffee.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We send and give each other gifts and cards, just because.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">We read the same types of books a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">nd talk about what God is teaching us in each new season.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Last but not least, we take care of
our planet because we recognize it's the ONLY planet with chocolate! [insert
smile here]</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Yes, indeed, sisterhood is a beautiful thing. It's a sacred, grace-filled
relationship between women who get each other and who love each other, women who see people through the eyes of Jesus, through grace-filled lenses. And the very best part about our sisterhood is that we recognize that we are so precious in God's sight and that we serve an amazing King.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">Thank you my sweet sisters! I love you more than more. I love you to the moon and back and more than cupcakes!!!</span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-43214544541387032812013-01-09T06:33:00.000-06:002013-04-25T08:54:56.729-05:00Room 316<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">Today I'm going to share a short story
with you and include some pictures I took with my camera phone. The story has everything
to do with my hotel room number when I was in Washington D.C. for business purposes last week and how it
inspired me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">My hotel room number was 316. The numbers 316 always remind me of John 3:16 which says: </span><b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">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. </span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">This is the verse I memorized when I was a teenager during a season in my life when I attended church services
on Thursday evenings. It's also one of the most widely quoted verses from the Christian Bible and in a nutshell, it is the Gospel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I noticed that I was assigned
to room 316 it made me smile inside and outside too. I just knew God was with
me, no doubt. I was feeling His presence in such wonderful ways that entire
day. Logistically speaking, everything went super well as I traveled to D.C. I
found a great parking spot at the airport, the tram to get to the other side of
the airport arrived just as I walked onto the platform, boarding went smooth, the
flight was smooth, landing was smooth, and getting to the D.C. office went smooth.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">During the check-in process at the
hotel, I chatted with the man who gave me my room cards at the hotel. I shared
with him that I was glad he assigned me to room 316. Room 316 was an upgrade he
offered me, just because. Why thank you kind man! It was a large room with a well equipped kitchen, a full
sized fridge, a stove, a large sectional sofa etc., etc. It was a very nice room. When he handed me my room cards, I shared with him that I love the numbers 316 with a big smile and asked him to guess why I love the numbers 316 so much. He looked at me, paused for a little while and then began to recite John 3:16 to me. <i>Oh my gravy! </i>Was I ever pleasantly surprised! I didn't expect that. We got a good chuckle out of that. I super loved that moment! He shared with me that he is a God fearing man and attends church regularly. We got to chatting about where he was from because he
had such a beautiful accent. He shared with me that home is <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Uruguay but he's been in the United States for 30 years now</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
As we spoke Spanish, his boss who was sitting near by joined the conversation
and I learned that he too is Puerto Rican, just like me. I felt like I was among family. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The following morning, right before
I checked out, I felt inspired to leave something of significance for the
person who would later walk in that room to clean it. I almost always leave a tip but
that morning, I felt inspired to leave a generous tip and a little something
more. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Allow me to mention that every
morning during the month of January, my friend Nikki who lives in St. Louis and I call each other at
6am to recite a declaration from Joel Osteen's new book called: <span style="color: #0b5394;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Declare-Promises-Speak-Over-Your/dp/1455516783/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1357828939&sr=1-1&keywords=i+declare">I Declare</a></b>.</span>
Since I knew I would be traveling, I brought copies of the declaration with me so I
wouldn't have to carry the book with me. <o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the day I checked out of the hotel, before I left the hotel room, I
decided to leave my copy of the declaration in the room as a gift and wrote a short note on it. My note included what John 3:16 means. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I left the hotel room that morning, I did the following ...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I left an open Bible. It was the Bible I read from the night before that was in a drawer next to the bed. I left the Bible open to the <b><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+1&version=NLT"><span style="color: #0b5394;">book of John</span></a> </b>marking<b> </b>John 3:16 so they could see this verse for themselves in the Bible.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I left a $20 bill that sat on top
of the note I wrote. The note was written on my copy of day 4's declaration from Joel Osteen's book. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">I also left the radio on, which was
tuned into a Christian radio station that plays contemporary Christian music. It's what I
listened to the night before and the morning of. I love contemporary Christian music. It's what sets the tone for me to start my day. I love music and it's what puts a pep in my step every morning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before I left the room that
morning, I paused and prayed that God would bless the recipient of the gift I left behind and
prayed that it would remind them that God sees them and hears them and is
reaching out to them. I will never know what that note or money meant to the person who walked
into that room that day but in my spirit, I know I did what God wanted me to do
that morning and it felt and still feels good as I remember that morning. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I left a larger tip than usual because God placed it on my heart to do so. I originally was going to leave a $10 bill but in my spirit, I felt a nudge to put the $10 bill back into my wallet and leave a $20 bill instead. I remember saying: "Okay boss." ... <i>cause God really is the boss of me.</i> :o)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If I had the right amount of change, I would
have left 3 singles on one side of the note and a ten, a five and a single dollar bill on
the right side of the note. That would have been brilliant, don't you think? Well creative at least. That money would have represented 3 16.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My heart felt full that morning, so
full. I felt so happy leaving that room that morning and thought about the
person who received that gift that entire day and during my entire weekend.
Today I was thinking about that person and whispered a quiet prayer for them asking God to meet this persons needs.
And as I thought about this person today and everything I left behind that morning,
it inspired me to share this story with you today. I hope you enjoyed it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">God is so good my beloved readers. And I love how He whispers to us and inspires us. In my last post I mentioned that lately I'm listening and hearing in ways I couldn't hear before. This story is a perfect example of just that. This inspiration
totally came from God and it felt SO wonderful to have the God of our universe
inspire me in such a beautiful and creative way to bless someone I will never
meet or see.<i> Only God! </i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time … God bless you and if God whispers
to you to do something good, do it. You’ll be so glad you did. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;">~Ruthie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 200%;"><br /></span>
<em style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><b><span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">A whisper. It’s spoken softly in quiet tones. It’s hard to hear and easy to miss. And it’s often how God communicates with us. ~ Author Unknown</span></b></span></em></div>
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I just noticed I wrote Thursday, instead of Friday. </div>
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A sign that I do my best work after 10am and not at 7am. Latte please! : )</div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-6336900694625159742013-01-07T12:58:00.000-06:002014-08-08T11:33:14.037-05:00Slow is good<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 150%;">I think there is a lot in
life that I’ve done too fast, too quick and without much thought. And I'm pretty sure that's why I like slow today. It’s probably why I’m now intentional about slowing down
and why I’ve become comfortable saying no to others and yes to me. I've learned that I can't be all things to all people at all times. Sometimes a girl just needs to get off of the merry-go-round and be still.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My decisions have always been
either<span style="background: white;"> deeply thought out and considered or
completely spontaneous without much thought. Rarely have I found anything in
between. And as I ponder that, I think it’s because when given too many
choices, it’s kind of hard for me to decide. I weigh everything carefully and if it's a big decision, I positively pray about it. I eventually make a decision and sometimes I find that I will wrestle with questions that plague me and I ask myself a gazillion times if I made the right decision. This is especially true about the BIG decisions in life, like when I purchased my first home or when I purchased a new car a few years ago. So somewhere along the way, I just
began trusting my spontaneous decisions. At first it was scary because it's SO not congruent with how I'm wired. Sometimes I fared well, and other
times the decision was disastrous. Sometimes I just have to tell myself: "Seriously, Ruthie ... it's not that serious. Pick a color and run with it toots." ; )</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lately, I’ve noticed that
both my heart and my spirit are listening in ways I haven’t been able to hear
before. And I'm noticing that this practice is serving me and others well. My decisions are wiser and I'm feeling more peace about my decisions. This is one of my most interesting seasons ever. Of course, every season is interesting because each one is unique and beautiful or hard in its own way but this season has been peppered with a kind of goodness I haven't experienced before. So many things are playing
out in really good ways and it feels interestingly different
in the best possible way. I've noticed that I'm growing in new ways and I can tell that things are changing inside of me, and I'm liking this change and I like the new me that is emerging.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s day seven of the New
Year and as I ponder and look over my goals and review my vision for 2013, I’ve
decided that I want to continue to really hear and see, and feel. I want a healthy kind of slow. I want to hear myself think
and breathe, speak and pray. I don’t want to run from one thing to the next
without really breathing. I've done that and I'm so over that. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many years ago during the early years of adulthood I found that I
would run from one thing to the next because I couldn't wait for the next big thing and also because when I didn't make wise decisions, I didn’t want to slown down long enough because if I did, it meant that I would have to pay attention to how I was feeling and I didn't want to pay attention. The real truth was: I was
afraid. I was afraid to allow myself to feel. I was afraid of what I might
discover. And because discovery often leaves you with the question: <i>"What are we going to do about this?" </i>Eventually, I grew wiser and learned to take periodic time-outs to listen and to pray and to
learn from my experiences. I learned to invite God into this practice and into my every day life and I discovered that that's where the healing begins. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And then I entered a season which was not so long ago when I felt ravenous about everything and I couldn’t do enough. I wanted to do it all. Truth be told: Some where
deep inside of me I felt like time was running out for me even though I
no longer showed any signs of cancer. I’ve been cancer-free for three years now
and I no longer want to run from one thing to the next without really being
fully present and engaged and without feeling rushed to do the next best thing
on my list. I no longer want to over load myself gratuitously. I'm learning that I need to learn to tap into my inner tortoise with more regularity.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want 2013 to be filled with
beautiful moments and amazing experiences, some that I will create and others
that I will fall into, that will unfold naturally as they should. I want to
become my best self ever this year. I want to listen well, love more, speak
less and say more. I want to become a better learner and give
more. I want to become wiser and read more and write more and become fitter mentally, spiritually and
physically. But I don’t want to be rushed; I want a healthy kind of slow. I
want it to have rhythm and I want it to feel like a dance and I want to relish every single moment of this year because life is still so beautiful, even with all of its imperfections. Yes, indeed. I think this girl knows what she wants this
year and what she wants runs at the speed of slow. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>How about you? What is your
heart desiring in the New Year?</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until next time, <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ruthie<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-4343796899584813422012-12-27T18:56:00.000-06:002012-12-27T22:41:04.595-06:00Five things to ponder today<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;">1. <b>Be Thankful.</b> Give thanks for today and for all you have. God’s Will for our life includes a constant spirit of gratitude regardless of our circumstances. When we choose to give thanks, even if our circumstances don’t improve, our perspective certainly will. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. ~Psalm 118:24 </i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. ~1 Thessalonians 5:16-28 </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;">2. <b>Don’t Worry.</b> Refuse to let fear rob you of your peace. God is bigger than whatever you’re stressed about! Give your worries over to Him. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. ~Philippians 4:6 </i></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;">3. <b>Seek God.</b> He wants a relationship with you. He wants you to pursue His Kingdom because you will eternally be part of it. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. ~Jeremiah 29:13 </i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need. ~Matthew 6:33 </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;">4.<b> Help Others.</b> We live in a selfish world, but selfishness isn’t part of God’s plan for any of our lives. He wants us to care for others every chance we get. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>Doing the right thing in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you. ~James 1:27 </i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. ~1 Peter 4:10 </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #211922; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;">5. <b>Trust God.</b> Every difficult circumstance in your life is something God will use for your good and His glory. He has great blessings in store for you. Trust Him and don’t give up! “</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ~Romans 8:28 </i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'helvetica neue', arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.53333282470703px;"><i>For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ~Jeremiah 29:11</i></span></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #073763;"><b>I am not the original author of these five points. I'm really not sure who is. It's something that came my way and I loved it so much, I just new I wanted to share it with you. I hope each point and each verse blesses you in immeasurable ways. </b></span></i><br />
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-57035840464314325092012-12-26T00:30:00.000-06:002013-03-21T08:08:45.056-05:00Today's Prayer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Dear God, <br />
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If I never receive another gift in my life, I'm pretty sure that would be okay because the gift You offered me, that You offer us, to humanity is more than enough. And it's more than we deserve, for sure. Oh that You know us and love us so deeply and unconditionally is more than my mind can comprehend. It's amazing, extraordinary and lavish. Thank You for sending us Jesus. Thank You for the gift of salvation and eternity and peace and love and joy. My gosh ... it's so sweet! ... so wonderful!<br />
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I'm so thankful today. Thankful because of your goodness and blessings on our lives.<br />
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My cup runneth over when I think about Your love, Your grace, Your goodness and Your mercy.<br />
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Thank you for the gift of a beautiful eternal life with You. I receive it.<br />
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And Lord, I want to mention a few more things today before I close this prayer. I realize that this is an especially difficult season for many people in our world. I've seen it in many faces this season. You know who they are Father God. You know their hearts and you know their circumstances intimately. I want to lift up these precious people in prayer today.<br />
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There are so many people today who are desperate for peace, desperate for love, desperate for You. They are desperate for You and they don't even know that it's You that they need.<br />
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Oh ... if only they knew that peace that surpasses human understanding is only found in You through a relationship with Jesus.<br />
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Oh if only they knew that unconditional love is from You, that you love us unconditionally, no matter what.<br />
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Oh if only they knew that You are the only One who can heal all the broken places in their lives.<br />
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Oh if only they knew that You are a great restorer and will restore and mend the broken relationships in their lives.<br />
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Oh if only they knew you will heal their loneliness.<br />
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Oh if only they knew that confidence, boldness and courage is birthed through a relationship with You. You are that and so much more.<br />
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Lord, please reveal Yourself to every person who is hurting, who is desperate for peace, desperate for love, desperate to feel whole, desperate for connection, desperate for community, desperate for joy and desperate for healing.<br />
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Restore and increase their hope. Heal them, restore them, show them, guide them, equip them, empower them, comfort them, and help them feel Your love. Help them feel Your power and Your presence.<br />
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Deliver them from fear and reveal to them what Your words says in 2 Timothy 1:7. It says that You have not given us a spirit of fear and timidity but of power and love and self discipline.<br />
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Father God, help them understand that You will patiently wait for them to accept the gift of love, the gift of salvation, the desire to enter into a relationship with Your Son, Jesus.<br />
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Father God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, reveal Yourself to each of these people in a fresh new way and share with them that the best is yet to come because it really is!<br />
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Put the right people in their lives in their path.<br />
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Place the right desires in their hearts.<br />
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Open the right doors of opportunities and bless them in their coming and their going as they seek You to understand more and to learn more about your goodness.<br />
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Pour out Your grace, Your mercy and Your favor on them, Father God.<br />
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Father God, help them understand that when they follow Your ways of doing things, they will find real rest and real peace.<br />
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Help them understand that when they plant the seed of Your Word into their hearts and into their lives they will find rest and assurance that Your Word can not and will not fail.<br />
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I love what Psalm 16:11 has to say because this is what I desire for each of these people.<br />
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<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2016:11&version=NLT"><b><span style="color: #444444;">Show them the way of life, grant them joy in Your presence and pleasures of living with You forever. ~Psalm 16:11</span></b></a><br />
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Thank You in advance for what You're about to do in their lives. I'm believing with faith, that Your power and Your love will be manifested in each of their lives and that great things will begin to unfold now and in the coming new year and the years ahead. I pray these things in the beautiful and powerful name of my Messiah, Jesus, the name above all names. For He is the Prince of peace, our wonderful Counselor and His name is Immanuel which means God with us.<br />
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I'm so thankful that You are always with us God, whether we feel You or not.<br />
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~Amen<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #073763;">For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ~Jeremiah 29:11</span></i></b><br />
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5822392240703774083.post-485932700665807652012-12-24T05:30:00.000-06:002012-12-24T08:26:32.844-06:00No Room<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV4deaVLXEF5Y8YXKAj-zRjHZU0MWVeln2Rwb2fbFd99koTaj-L2nkPo-DMnX3TtrnE7GT7gGbnmff7S5moARjNz-th4V9aJrQMnerLI2rZkQxkHg_9OVKbSQu97W_Jpe3zd0vuOYXC9V/s1600/grace+for+the+moment.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV4deaVLXEF5Y8YXKAj-zRjHZU0MWVeln2Rwb2fbFd99koTaj-L2nkPo-DMnX3TtrnE7GT7gGbnmff7S5moARjNz-th4V9aJrQMnerLI2rZkQxkHg_9OVKbSQu97W_Jpe3zd0vuOYXC9V/s320/grace+for+the+moment.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">S</span></b>ome of the saddest words on earth are: “We don’t have room for you.”</div>
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Jesus knew the sound of those words. He was still in Mary’s womb when the innkeeper said, “We don’t have room for you.” (Luke 2:7)</div>
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And when he was hung on the cross, wasn’t the message one of utter rejection? “We don’t have room for you in our world.”</div>
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Even today Jesus is given the same treatment. He goes from heart to heart, asking if he might enter. Every so often, he’s welcomed. Someone throws open the door of his or her heart and invites him to stay. And to that person Jesus gives this great promise: <em>“In my Father’s house are many rooms.” (John 14:2)</em></div>
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What a delightful promise he makes us! We make room for him in our hearts … and he makes room for us in his house!</div>
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Written by Max Lucado </div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763;">The above devotional is found in one Max Lucado's devotional books called <b>Grace</b> <b>for the Moment.</b> It's one of my favorites. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763;">To hear an audio clip of Max Lucado's devotional for the day, <a href="http://maxlucado.com/">click here.</a></span></i></div>
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Ruthiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15837695413533667847noreply@blogger.com