If we had coffee today I’d tell you: Nothing is wasted.

Loss, difficulty and pain do not have the last word.

The Lord, His intention, His purpose, and His love have the last word.

Nothing is wasted. 

(Read Romans 8:28)

Love is a decision

There 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.

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. 

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. 

During my spiritual journey I've learned that God calls us to do two things in life: to love Him and to love people. 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.

May the light of life shine on you always.

xx, Ruthie

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

My thoughts on love

Did you know that we’re all natural born lovers? Yes, we are. 

We were born to love with all our hearts.

Some of you have a special gift to love but sometimes you become so afraid to love it paralyzes you. 

You've become afraid because you’ve been hurt in your past. I know. I’ve been hurt too.

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. 

This is what I'm learning and I want you to learn this too. 

So why keep it to yourself? Why hoard it? Love loses power unless you give it away.

The world needs your love but only you can choose to love.

And you know who else needs your love? You. Yes, you.

Today I want to remind you that you are most alive when you are open to giving and receiving love.

And it starts with loving yourself first.

So love yourself and love others and let others love you right back.

Fight against that little voice inside of you that tells you that you are too afraid. 

Yes, we all become a little afraid but you also have the power to say no to fear. 

You can choose to be fearless. You can say no to fear and yes to love.

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.

So today say no to fear and yes to love.

Love with reckless abandon.

Love radically and beautifully and with the special, warm blend of goodness that only YOU can provide.

Until next time, 

xx, Ruthie

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. ~2 Timothy 1:7

Trusting God

I don’t have everything and I don’t know everything and every day I'm convinced that I still have more questions than answers. I have a very curious personality and I love discovery and I love research. I think I like this because it's how I'm wired. I'm an answer kind of girl. I love answers. I love knowing. I love learning. I love being informed. Not having answers to all of life's questions I’ve learned through the years is okay. But I wasn't always okay with that. In the past it use to bother me a lot. In fact it made me feel quite barmy because HELLO ... as a woman, I just wanted to know. Can anyone relate??? But through the years, I’ve learned that it's okay to have more questions than answers and I've learned to trust God more and more. Today, I trust Him with everything. 

Trusting God isn't always easy because sometimes there are many voices that you must silence so you can first enter into and develop an ongoing relationship with the One and only living God. You must learn to listen for His voice, to trust Him alone.

To say you trust God when life is going well is easy but to say and to practice that you trust God when life is difficult is a completely different story. Trusting God can feel intimidating when your mountain or your giant is facing you right smack in the face. And it's especially daunting when you don't know God's Word or His promises for you. And beloved reader, there are so many beautiful promises in the Bible to read and remember. Oh how I wish all people knew them. Trusting God is a process of hearing God's Word, reading God's Word, and believing God's word. It also includes opening yourself up to God in conversation, through prayer. And like every healthy relationship you invest in, it grows more intimate with time. 

Half of my life has already been lived and already I can tell that I have a pretty long history of God's faithfulness in my life. One of the benefits of journaling is that I can go back and re-read old journal entries to remember God's faithfulness and how He brought me through a difficult season in my past. That has been an incredibly helpful exercise that increases my faith in Him when I'm going through difficulty. 

What I've learned about trust is this: You can only trust someone when you really get to know them and only when you feel comfortable enough with them. But here's the caveat and a pearl: Even when you feel like you can trust someone, man is capable of letting you down but God will NEVER let you down. God never disappoints and He only desires and provides you with His very best. 

Through the years I have invested time and energy learning about God and getting to know Him and His character through Jesus Christ. I've come to learn that He can in fact be trusted. Trusting God is a life long activity. For me, it's includes surrender and asking God to take my worry and replace it with rest. It's about surrendering fear and asking Him to replace it with peace. And through the years, I've actually uttered the words: "Okay God, I'm tired of doing it my way. My way isn't working. Let's do it Your way. If You lead me and guide me, I will follow." I've learned that God desires the very best for us but He will never force Himself or His way on us. We must choose Him and His ways. The choice is ours. And because God is our Abba Father, He knows best. 

For forty five years, God has provided for my every need. Notice that I didn't say my every "want." Everything I have needed, God has provided. When I think about how my life started and where I am today, I feel rich, rich in every sense of that word. Rich is all encompassing and it's not just about money or things. I'm so thankful for His goodness. God has always been there for me and He has always been more than enough. Through an active prayer life, I'm learning that God's answers are always right on time. Sometimes God answers yes, sometimes He answers no and sometimes He says be still and trust Me. Waiting hasn't and isn’t always easy but I’ve learned that His answers are always timely, just and best. I've learned that I can't always see what He sees but what He sees and what He desires for us is good and it is He who I trust. I want what He wants for my life. I want to live at the very center of His will and I want to become every bit of the woman He created me to be. 

Sometimes when I think about how much God loves us, it overwhelms me. Have you ever experienced that? When I sit quietly and ponder this, I am filled with so many wonderful emotions and so much gratitude. Today was one of those days where I sat and pondered His love for me and it overwhelmed me. Today my spirit feels a deep sense of gratitude for who He is and for what He is doing in my life. I can’t always see it, but my spirit senses it. Have you ever felt that?

Through the years I have also learned that nobody could ever really love us unconditionally. Sure, people try but only God can love unconditionally. And nothing you could ever do or say or have ever said or done or didn't say or do could EVER make God stop loving you. Ever. Please re-read that last sentence as often as you need to. I've learned that man does in fact desire to love unconditionally but he is not capable because he is not God. Man is human. God is not. Human beings often stop loving because of deep hurts or disappointment or fear but God never stops loving you. Never. Only God can love unconditionally. Oh that He knows us and still loves us amazes me. That God hears the cries of our hearts and responds so tenderly moves me to tears.

Today, I’m thankful, so thankful for God and to God. I’m thankful in the midst of where I am and who I am. I'm thankful that He is faithful and that I can trust Him. Last week Wednesday, my Pastor's wife, Grace was teaching and within the first five minutes of teaching she said the words: "Trust God alone." I can't remember what else she said that evening only that she said to trust God alone. That was my take away. That was my word from God. It is He who I trust and I'm trusting Him alone. 

God you know me and you love me anyway. Thank you for your unconditional love. My cup runneth over …   

Until next time,

Ruthie

Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures forever. ~ Psalm 136:1

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.        ~ Proverbs 3:5

But I trust in you, O LORD; I say, "You are my God." ~ Psalm 31:14

O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. ~ Psalm 84:12

Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud,  to those who turn aside to false gods. ~ Psalm 40:4

Unconditional Love

Today is Mother's Day and as I pondered what I've learned about motherhood, I realized that I have both learned and discovered many things about life, love, God and myself through out this journey. One of the most beautiful things I learned through out my journey as a mother is unconditional love. And motherhood has helped me understand "clearly" God's 'unconditional' love for us. 

No matter what, I love my son unconditionally, period. And no matter what, God loves us unconditionally, period.

When I was a rebellious teenager, my mother reminded me that I was and am a person of value and a person of great worth, no matter what I've done because God does not make junk. What a blessing to have a mother share those words with me. I have never forgotten them. 

We are not defined by our poor decisions. We are valuable simply because we exist and because we were created by a holy God who loves us "unconditionally." 

Dear ones, Love is the greatest gift of all. 

Thank you mommy for loving me unconditionally! Thank you for your wise words, they have served me well. And thank you Michael for being patient with me and forgiving me when I didn't always get it right. I will always love you more.

LOVE

Today's Reflection:

Fall in love every single day, with your first cup of coffee, the sun, yourself, your creator, your partner, life itself. Whatever it is, who ever it is, love, because love is grand and an incredible gift.

The words above were birthed today after some quiet time of reflection as I was drinking my first cup of coffee. I hope today has been good to you. As always, thanks for stopping by to read and to connect. Happy weekend ... xx, Ruthie

Scenes we love

Have I shared with you how much I love, love, love Cary Grant??? Well I do and this is one of my favourite Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman scenes. It's lovely, isn't it?

Happy Sweetest Day Luvahs! 

My Thoughts on Peace

It’s not how much we know about God’s word and all things good, noble, right and worthy that comprise peace and love but what we do with what we know. We all have the responsibility to act in a manner that is worthy with the knowledge that we have. Regardless of what difficult thing is going on in our lives, we must fight against the darkness and rise above and choose better not bitter. So with intent focus, let us all run a good race living and loving well, creating peace, living in harmony, making love, not war, being kind and tender-hearted toward each other, and helping a fellow man in need. Lest we forget that everyone, yes everyone, struggles from time to time. Everyone experiences storms and difficult seasons. We must remain strong and patient in our afflictions claiming victory over our difficulties. Relief, peace, comfort and solace always follow the storms of life. So let us be wise, not foolish. Let us be gentle not harsh. Let us be kind not cruel. And let us be sensitive to the needs of one another. Let's choose love. Let's choose peace.  

Yours faithfully, 

~ Ruthie

Quotes on Peace:

If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 

~Romans 12:18

Make every effort to live in peace with all men. ~Hebrews 12:14

Peace is its own reward. ~Mohandas Gandhi

If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. ~Mother Teresa

We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves. ~Dalai Lama

Peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the ability to handle conflict by peaceful means. ~Ronald Reagan

Happy birthday Lucy!

Always loved, never forgotten. Thanks for all the laughs toots!

Lucille Ball August 6, 1911 - April 26, 1989

Shut up! I'm a hundred today?!!!

My thoughts on love

Those who are close to me know full well that I am not a morning person. And when I say that, I don’t mean that I’m grumpy or grouchy. What I mean is that I’m a chronic snoozer and that I’m mostly quiet and prefer my mornings to be quiet so I can hear myself thinking. I know it’s totally oxymoronic and completely incongruent but I believe that some of my best thinking takes place in the morning. Strange for someone who is undoubtedly nocturnal, huh? Mostly, I wake up happy and filled with gratitude for a new day I love that about me. For me, mornings feel like the most sacred part of my day. And not all mornings feel sacred, but today my morning felt sacred. Nothing extraordinary happened to make it feel sacred, it just did. I don’t know how to explain that kind of peace or contentment but if I could bottle it, I’m sure I could sell it. And between you and me, if I could bottle it, I would give it to you as my gift of love. This morning, my heart felt full and light and filled with expectation. I have a one hour commute every morning to my office and so I have 60 full minutes before the noise really begins. This morning as I was driving to the office, the following quote was birthed. It's as if the Holy Spirit (God's spirit) whispered it in my ears, but I could hear it in my spirit:

"Love is more than a four letter word. It's the most powerful word on the planet."

Don’t you just love that??? My friend Cindy reminded me today that it’s the most powerful word in the universe. She’s so right. When I think of love, I think of God because a long time ago I Iearned that God is love. God and love are synonymous. Everything beautiful in life was and is created by love and because of love and everything beautiful is inspired because of love and by love. Love is simply and extraordinarily amazing. It breathes life into people, and circumstances; not sometimes but always. Because of love, we thrive and flourish. Because of love, we let go and let God be God. Because of love, we heal. Love heals and nourishes like nothing I know. A balm or salve doesn't exist that can heal like love heals. It’s what makes the difference in life. It's the most necessary of things. It’s what sustains a life when hopelessness threatens to set in. Without it, there is no forgiveness. Without love, we perish.

I love: love. Can you tell? Is there anything more delicious than love?

Consider the above quote to be your thought for the day. Ponder it and see what God reveals to you today.

Be well my friends. And today, let’s all decide to love well ...

Until next time,

~Ruthie

God is love. ~ 1 John 4:8

We love because he first loved us. ~ 1 John 4:19

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

Love, Be Kind, Forgive

Yesterday after I left the office, I ran a couple of errands before I headed home. During my last stop, I began to get hungry and decided to pop into a local restaurant for some soup. If you live in Chicago, I know what you’re thinking. You’re probably thinking: Who has soup when its 90 degrees outside? I guess I do. When I walked into the restaurant, I immediately noticed a beautiful young mom with three small children. The mom was probably in her early thirties and she had long gorgeous blonde hair. Her two oldest were darling little girls in matching baby blue and white dresses. They were about 3 and 5 years old, with blonde hair too, donning pony tales with striking blue eyes. I then spotted her baby son, also beautiful. He was sitting in his carrier; happy as a clam and appeared to be 4 months old. This young mom and her three children eventually made their way to a table and after a while I could tell that they were waiting for someone. Then along came her husband and then I saw the most beautiful display of affection!

Her husband walked in and walked with purpose toward his wife and children to greet them. And the way he walked over to his wife and looked at her and the way she smiled and looked at her husband was amazing. Based on where I was sitting, I could see her face the most. Her eyes and face lit up when she saw her husband. She was beaming as he approached her. And when he got to the table, she stood up and just wrapped her arms around him and kept smiling really big. He hugged her tight and they kissed. Then he kissed his two little girls hello and made his way over to the baby to greet him too. Shortly after he said sweet words to his baby son, the wife hugged him again as if to say: “I’m so glad you’re here. I love you. You matter to me. I’m glad we’re a family.” I think that’s what that hug communicated. Her eyes lit up and she just kept smiling and she seemed so very happy to be in the presence of her husband. This woman had a really sweet spirit about her. Seeing this beautiful display of love and affection between this couple moved me. I have never seen anything quite like that, especially between a couple who has three children under the age of five. In fact it moved me so much that when I finished my soup, I approached their table to share my thoughts with them. Right before I reached the table, the oldest little girl who was sitting next to her daddy, hugged his neck and said: “I love you daddy.” Uhhh, that melted my heart.

When I arrived at their table, I said hello and shared with them that I was so blessed by their interaction and affection for each other and told them that the way they greeted each other was the most tender and beautiful display of affection I’ve seen in a really long time especially between a couple with three little ones. They both smiled and thanked me for taking the time to stop by to share that. I told them it was my pleasure, said goodbye with a smile and walked away.

As I drove away from the restaurant last night, I wondered, and asked God why I noticed this family. I wondered if God was revealing or teaching me something. I wondered if there was a lesson, something to be learned. Oh how I wondered because what I witnessed last night was so beautiful, rare and extraordinary. It’s not something I see every day. Then a few minutes later, I turned on the radio, tuned into 90.1fm and heard the commentator quote a verse from the Bible. It was Ephesians 4:32.

Be kind to each other, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. ~ Ephesians 4:32 (NLT)

And then suddenly I remembered that in the book of Ephesians, chapter 5 to be exact, it says: Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands. Husbands love your wives. He who loves his wife loves himself.

I think that couple in the restaurant love and honor each other in a manner that is pleasing to God. I hope I never forget what I saw yesterday and I hope I never forget and always put into practice what the Bible says in the book of Ephesians chapters 4 and 5.

If you’re married and reading this, I hope this story inspires you to love and honor your spouse. And if you’re not married, I hope it will inspire you to live out what the apostle Paul admonishes in the book of Ephesians when you do marry.  And whether we’re married or not, I hope this inspires each of us to love always, to be kind and tender-hearted toward each other and to forgive each other, just as God forgives us.

Love and blessings to you today,

xx, Ruthie

Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.