Author: curlysue028

Lagom

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We were sitting outside a cafe in Zaandam (not far from Amsterdam) when a hangry seagull suddenly swooped down & grabbed my entire lunch! The chef made me another Dutch avo smash & we moved inside!

The cafe was called Lagom, a Swedish word that means not too little, not too much but just enough. Just the right amount of milk in the coffee. Just the right number of photos on the wall.

It conveys the idea of life being well-balanced. Just enough work, rest & play.

It reminds me of the story of Goldilocks where the chair, the bed & the porridge she chose were just right.

Often we are overwhelmed with too much. Too many clothes. Too many toiletries Too much food. We’re bombarded each day with too much choice. Too much social media. Too many options. We need the balance of just enough.

I’m reminded of the story in Exodus chapter 16 when the Israelites were wandering in the wilderness & God provided just enough manna each day. They couldn’t gather more than their daily requirement (except for Sunday) But God provided just enough & the people were miraculously nourished.

Our God is {infinitely} more than enough with unlimited resources & strength. Yet He often chooses to provide just enough- our bread daily & our current needs rather than our additional desires.

When we’re in difficult situations in, He often gives just enough light for the step we’re on. Just one step with Him rather than illuminating the entire staircase.

One of God’s Hebrew names is El Shaddai (eg Genesis 17:1) which  means God the All Sufficient One. 

He is Always Enough for this journey called life.

Even if the unexpected happens.

Even when we come to the end of our resources.

No matter what.

God knows our deepest needs & only He can fulfill them.We’ll find enough grace for the day, strength for the hard chapters & hope for the future when we turn to Him for help.

And He provides just enough grace & tender mercy for each new day.

‘But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”’

‭‭(2 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Blessings,

Ruthx

Counting blessings

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Today, I feel blessed. Just over twenty-nine years ago on a bright sunny Saturday in Belfast, Rob & I said ‘I do!” And so began our married life. There have been many unexpected twists & turns along the way & bumps in the road to navigate. But we’ve traveled the journey together.

Wise Solomon wrote that children are blessings from God.(Psalm 127) When Caris & Ethan were born they both had a striped birthmark on their foreheads. A paediatrician from India told me that in his culture these marks would be viewed as a sign of god’s blessing & people would visit just to see!

We are blessed with a roof over our heads, clean water & nourishing food. These provisions are so basic that sometimes I forget to be thankful for them!

I feel blessed with family & friends but above all by the goodness & grace of God that has both led us & followed us.

We are truly blessed if God is our God.

Being blessed means so much more than just happiness. It’s not luck or karma. It’s deeper than prosperity & wealth. It means to be favoured by God- to know His gracious hand upon our life.

I recently read these words:

‘Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭146‬:‭5‬ NIV‬‬)

We visited an African church when we visited Bruges recently. In the middle of the Sunday service. there was a pause in the vibrant worship to share both struggles & blessings. And so often in everyday life, our blessings & struggles are braided together by the loving hand of our Heavenly Father.

In the dark chapters, God is our ever-present help, & steadfast hope.And we are  blessed!

The Psalmist wrote:

‘He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-he remains faithful forever.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭146‬:‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

He is Creator of everything we see & He is forever faithful- the Unchanging One in our ever-changing world.

So,

‘blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭144‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Blessings,

Ruth x

God’s watch-care

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I often think on the first part of Psalm 121- how we can gaze on the lofty mountains & know that our help comes from our Creator God who made it all (Especially when I’m surrounded by mountains)

But today, I read the last verse of this Psalm:

‘the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭121‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

This Psalm was originally sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. In this season of travelling, God will watch over our comings & goings.

He is our keeper, watching over our daily transitions. As we move through our homes, our work, our churches, He is there. And He is looking on with loving care.

Indeed verse 7 states that He watches over our entire life- day by day, step by step. 

God never sleeps.

God is our ever-present helper & the protector who guards our path. We can rest in His unceasing care.

And can trust Him

{today & always}

Blessings,

Ruth x

More than metamorphosis!

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–The wonder of being a new creation in Christ.

I think  a great way to start a day in a new city is to stroll along its river or visit its Botanical Gardens (Followed of course by wandering round its coffee shops, book shops & stationery shops & grand architecture!)

In Amsterdam I side stepped from the canals & cheese shops to escape to de Hortus -one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world. 

This urban jungle contained a rainforest & desert microclimate. It also housed a Caterpillar Nursery where the chrysalises are nurtured , before metamorphosing & emerging Into the Butterfly House. Pretty blue & orange butterflies flew freely around that green house.

In Christ, we are totally transformed- in an even more magnificent way than the humble caterpillar becoming a resplendent butterfly!

Paul writes:

‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!’

(‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

In Christ we become someone who has never existed before! We undergo a God-given transformation- even more amazing than the metamorphosis that brings forth butterflies! (Which should have been named flutterbies!)

In Christ is a position & location but also a belonging- a whole new identity because of Jesus. We are a brand new creation & have eternal life in Him.

‘It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for.’ 

(Ephesians 1:11 MSG)

So, our new position is more than:

our GPS co-ordinates on this planet,
our location as posted on Facebook,
our step on the ladder or social class,
our status, or branch on the family tree.

It’s better than our rank in the race or in the company,
or where we are in life
and love.

The only position that truly matters & counts for time & eternity

is our position in Christ

i.e. whether we are in Christ

or not.

Whether we are in a relationship with Him {by trusting Him for forgiveness} …or not. 

As Christians, our true identity, deepest meaning & unshakable security are all in Christ alone.

In Christ is the best place to be,
the ONLY place to be,
to truly BE ,
& really live {not just exist }

It’s more than the difference between a creature that crawls along the earth & one that soars toward heaven.

It’s the difference between:

light & darkness
peace & anxiety
heaven & hell

The greatest blessing is the blessing of being in Christ. For He said: ‘I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of’

(John 10:10 MSG)

When we are in Christ we know:

unlimited grace,
undeserved blessings,
unending love.

We are brought into the privileged position of being in Christ, through grace.

Indeed, day by day, we are living in pure, audacious grace. We experience grace heaped upon grace 

In Christ, we are freed from guilt:
‘Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ’ 

‭‭(Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

In Him we have all that we need!

In Him we are complete, totally complete in body, soul, mind & spirit.

In Him we have real, abundant, everlasting life.

Outside of Him,
apart from Him,
aside from Him,

we are nothing:

-a hollow cocoon

-a dead twig
-an empty page
-a lifeless body

‘But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.’ 

‭‭(Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

We are:
Chosen & called
Flawed but forgiven
Found & treasured
Redeemed & restored

We have :
Power & purpose

We are:
Beloved & blessed

In Christ!

Blessings,

Ruth x

The Sound of Silence

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In the North West corner of Italy, tucked in just below the Alps & the Swiss border, you’ll find Isola d’Orta- the Island on Lake Orta. 

We visited Lake Orta in June & were blessed with cerulean blue skies & happy memories .

On the island there’s a stone path known as The Walk of Meditation, or the Way of Silence.

Nowadays, silence is rare & hard to find.

We need to intentionally seek it. To find silence in our deafeningly noisy world, we need to switch off digital distraction & quieten our inner chatter.

We need to pause in our frenetic days- pause rather than rewinding or fast forwarding the soundtrack of our lives.

One sign marking the path in Orta states:

‘In the silence you meet the Master’

The word in Italian translated Master is Maestro, also used for a classical musical conductor. Our Master God is the conductor of our lives bringing the melodies & harmonies together, blending the major & minor keys in life, creating calm out of chaos.

When we turn off the noise, we can hear our Master’s voice. We can sense His presence as He guides us home.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Mountain Maker

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Yesterday we left the bright blue shores of Lake Orta behind. Soon after takeoff we were flying over the snow frosted Alpine peaks, their lofty summits stretching as far as we could see.

I thought of the Psalmist’s words:

‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? 

My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭121‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

We find help for today from our mighty, majestic mountain-making God. The hands that crafted mountains & lakes in our big, beautiful world, are holding us together, day after day.

He is holding & helping

In halcyon days

And turbulent times.

In the waiting.

In anxious moments.

In good weeks,

And hard seasons.

Through it all, we find evidence of the goodness & presence of God.

Our creative God was present before the mountains were born & is from everlasting to everlasting. (Psalm 90) And we can find comfort in knowing Him:

‘The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.‘

‭‭(Deuteronomy‬ ‭33‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

We find peace & safety in Him:

‘Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭62‬:‭1‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Blessings,

Ruth x

Step by step

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An old Irish proverb states that many things can be resolved by a good sleep or a cup of tea! I would also add in a long walk! 

I’ve always enjoyed walking – ever since I took my first steps on my first birthday. As a child I walked Patch our dog. I often chose to walk home  from secondary school & was introduced to hiking there by the Duke of Edinburgh! Recently, I climbed Slieve Binnian for the first time with Caris & revisited the circular path past Blue Lough again with Ethan. The views across mountain peaks & reservoirs are  spectacular & apparently inspired the chronicles of Narnia! 

Just now, we’re in Orta, north Italy & have been strolling along the lake. The Italians have a special word for this- passeggiata.

 Of course often what makes a good walk even better is the company!

Walking with God has been a Biblical theme since the start of time. In the very beginning before the fall, God walked in the Garden of Eden with Adam & Eve. A few chapters later, after sin had entangled the world God created with love, we read of Enoch ‘walking in close fellowship with God.’ (Genesis 5:24 NLT)In the next chapter we read that Noah also ‘walked in close fellowship with God.’
(Genesis 6:9 NLT)

And today, God invites us to walk through life with Him. It is our decision whether we accept this invitation to draw near. We have a choice:
‘Thus says the Lord:
“Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.”
But they said, “We will not walk in it.”
(Jeremiah 6:16-NIV)

But what does God want us to do?
‘He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?’
(Micah 6:8-NIV)

‘For all the peoples walk,
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
forever and ever.’
(Micah 4:5-NIV)

We cannot change life’s pace or God’s timing but we are in the grip of God’s grace throughout this hike of life! We can stroll with our Creator, our Father God day by day, step by step -or ippo ippo as they say in Japan- one step at a time.

‘May mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you [filling your heart with the spiritual well-being and serenity experienced by those who walk closely with God].’
(Jude 1:2 AMP)

Blessings,

Ruthx

For the one

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For the one living in darkness, He will shine His light and illuminate the path ahead.

For the one weighed down by the burdens of this world, He will lift the weight and bring rest to your soul.

For the one who is hungry, He will satisfy you with good things. He will provide for your every need, for He is the Bread of Life.

For the one who is thirsty, He will quench the parched places, for He is the Water of Life.

For the one who is tired & weary, He will give you true rest.

For the one who is afraid of what tomorrow might bring, He will be your peace.

For the one who feels forgotten, He will never leave nor forsake you.

For the one who is stumbling & feels  lost, He is the Way forward, the absolute truth and abundant Life.

For the one who is brokenhearted, He is closer -closer than you think.

For the one navigating uncharted waters of grief & loss, He whispers comfort & the hope of eternal life.

For the one tossed & turned by doubts, He is the Anchor, steadying your struggles.

For the one feeling bereft & unlovely, He is the Good,Good Father who names you Beloved

For the one who knows they need to be forgiven, He sent His One & Only Son to die for you.

For the one who is wandering along the path of life & wondering what lies ahead , He is the Good Shepherd who leads into lush meadows, along gentle streams & through the darkest days of life.

For,

‘The Lord is my shepherd; 

I have all that I need.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

And for the one, He will leave ninety-nine other sheep, so that you might be found,

Be-loved & belong

Welcomed & wanted

Adopted & accepted

Saved & secure.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Just three words

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I used to love listening to ‘Just three words’ on Radio 2 drive time. Listeners texted snippets of their news into the radio station in just three words. eg:

School Play Tonight

Broken finger ouch!

Yummy Birthday Cake

Peppermint tea please

Brand new puppy

Homework’s all done

Although the above collection of three words are about relatively minor life events, it got me thinking about the power of words. Just three words:

God is love

If you ever land in Dublin airport, you’ll see those words on a steeple as you walk out of the terminal. The Bible declared it first in 1 John 4:8: ‘God is love.’ The essence of God is love. At the heart of God there’s love- redeeming love.

God loves you

It’s one thing to know that God is love, but quite another to know that He loves you. We may feel unlovely or unloveable at times but we are never unloved. We are loved by the One who knows us best- our Creator God.

God so loved

One of the most well-known verses in the Bible states:

‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.’
(John 3:16 ESV)

God so loved that He gave. He gave His One & Only Son.

Love came down

God,
whose very essence is love,
sent His Love down to our  planet &
wrapped Love in flesh & swaddling clothes.


Love walked earth’s dusty, well-trod paths.
Love grew and gave.
Love brought hope to the hurting,
total healing to the sick,
sunsets and rainbows to the blind,
walking & leaping to the lame.

Love gave,
and kept on giving
to a world dying to know true Heaven-sent Love.

When Love’s God-appointed Day arrived,
Love gave Himself for us-
Love nailed to a cross,
yet held there by Love-
that we, the unlovely,
would know that we are truly, deeply loved by God.

But,
even brutal crucifixion could not kill Love,
for, 

Love rose with the sunrise in the garden,
and returned to heaven in a cloud.

Now Love dwells in heaven- interceding And Love’s Spirit dwells in the hearts of we who believe.

So, always remember- no matter where you are on this journey called life:

You are loved

{by the One who knows you best-yet loves you most}

Blessings,

Ruthx 

God-words

curlysue028

The Psalms- God-given & God-inspired words. Words to guide us on the Way , to shift our thoughts above, & to soothe our troubled souls. Ancient words that remain relevant today.

Psalm 119 is of course the longest Psalm (176 verses which consists of separate units beginning with consecutive letters of the Hebrew alphabet) And each verse reminds us that God’s Word & truth are as dependable as ever. 

We can read God-words when things are going well, when the sun is shining & life feels good. But the Psalms are there too when things are going wrong for us.

The writer of Psalm 119 wrote:

‘Everything’s falling apart on me, GOD; put me together again with your Word.’ 

‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭119:107-The Message)

God’s Word can put together the broken pieces of our lives & help us to flourish in the wabi-sabi of life.

His Word is like a torch for us in the dark parts of the journey of life, as the Psalm reminds us:

‘By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path.’

‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭119:105-The Message)

God meets us where we are at & His Word directs us to where He wants us to be. We can focus on God, realign our steps with His & get back on track:

‘When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed.’

‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭119:59-The Message)

When we gaze on God’s goodness, we can see how our God can weave all things together for our good {& His glory}

The Psalmist wrote:

‘My troubles turned out all for the best-they forced me to learn from your textbook.’

‭‭(Psalm‬ ‭119:71 The Message)

We can recall hard times that caused us to rely on God through His Word- quiet times reading the truth given to us for comfort & growth. 

Whatever this week brings, whatever our situation,may we return to & rely on God-words.

Blessings,

Ruth x