Tag: #blessed

Thoughts about thoughts

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There are so many thoughts clamouring for our attention. Many notions can swirl & marinate in our minds as we contemplate options & ponder our lives. Our thoughts can take us down alleys where we don’t need to go. They can zigzag through our minds. And spiral out of control.

But we shouldn’t believe everything we think.

A proverb states that ‘It’s the thoughts we water each day that become the garden we live in’

The images that come to my mind is the beautifully cultivated formal gardens at Mount Stewart versus an overgrown mess tangled with briars , knee-high with weeds.

Here’s the thing- it takes a lot of effort to create & maintain a lovely garden. So we need to be mindful of what thoughts we water & nourish.

We need to dwell on what is true. Whatever is good. Whatever has beauty.

The Bible says:

‘Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.’

‭‭(Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ The Message)

When you think about it, we need to think more about God.

A line from the old hymn Be Thou my Vision says:

‘Thou my best thought- by day or by night’

Such deep truth is contained in those ancient words, that we often just skim over.

We can have good thoughts & better thoughts. But God is our best thought. His promises & peace can permeate our troubled minds. His love can guard our hearts & minds too.

We can focus our attention on God’s majesty & might. And His grace & goodness, His wisdom & power.

Then we’ll know a calm mind & best thoughts day by day {& through the long nights too}

Blessings,

Ruth x

All I need

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‘The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭23‬:‭1‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Our God is All-sufficient,

Always enough.

Enough for where we are at,
As well as where we are heading.

Today & always,
Now & forever.

Enough for ordinary everyday life,
And extraordinary circumstances.

Enough for holidays & family life,
And dramas and challenges.

Enough for the storms we may face,
And the halcyon days after.

He gives just enough:
Grace
Strength
Peace
Presence

For the step we’re on in our journey
For the page we’re at in our story

Our God is All-sufficient:

Always enough,
Always faithful,
Always loving,
Always there.

Blessings,


Ruth x

The Gift of Peace

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It’s one month since Christmas Day & it feels so distant already, doesn’t it ? The Christmas food has been scoffed. The presents have been enjoyed. The Christmas decorations are packed away into the loft. The twinkling lights are with them.

Yet the greatest gift & hope of Christmas shines on in our hearts & minds. For Hope is not just a wish, it’s a Person. A Person named Jesus. And Jesus is our Everlasting to Everlasting God, Who was also forenamed & known as the Prince of Peace.(Isaiah 9:6)

Later in Isaiah’s prophecy, he wrote these comforting words:

‘You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal.’

‭‭(Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Just before His death on a cross, Jesus told His disciples:

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

‭‭(John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Today, the Prince of Peace offers our souls this peace in our turbulent times. Storms may batter our day to day life. Life’s fabric may fray. Upheaval may come. But Jesus is our Rock- our storm-calming, peace-bringing God. The One we can trust forever.

May we know God’s presence & perfect peace in this week & the year ahead.

May our prayers dispel anxiety & fear give way to faith. May chaos turn to calm as we trust in our God.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Elevate your everyday

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January has been {unfairly} described as one long Monday. But it’s reinvented itself as a time of coziness with warm fires, favourite books & hot cocoa. And a time of re-setting – the rest & repair of wintering.

There’s a whimsical trend on social media to elevate our every day by looking for tiny joys & creating micro-adventures. And by cultivating meaningful moments with mindfulness or in conversation with friends.

We can elevate our daily fuel with barista-crafted coffee, artisan sourdough & nutrient dense meals. We can indulge ourselves with those top-tier toiletries received as Christmas gifts.

Romanticising our routine may help us through the dark days of winter. And while elevating our day can boost our mood, the Bible speaks of elevating our mind. 

We often focus on the microcosm of day to day life- homing in on us & ours. Yet God wants us to elevate our perspective. He says:

‘Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’

‭‭(Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Or as The Message paraphrases this verse:

‘Don’t shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that’s where the action is. See things from his perspective.’

‭‭(Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭MSG‬‬)

Our priorities & thoughts should be on God’s Kingdom- on the Not Yet rather than merely the Here & Now. But it takes effort to cultivate this heavenly focus! We need to meditate on the truths in God’s Word the Bible.

We can elevate our days by gazing on God’s majesty & might, His grace & goodness. 

We need to open our eyes & hearts to the ways God is at work in our lives & in this world {now & forever}

Blessings,

Ruth x

Day by day

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2026 stretches out towards the horizon in front of us. Its days are as yet unlived; its paths untrod. The year ahead is  brimming with uncharted waters & unknown days.

There may be much to look forward to , yet I’m sure we all find aspects to be apprehensive, even anxious about.

The great reassurance is that we don’t have to face anything that happens alone. God will be with us through it all:

Our trials & the triumphs.

Our frustrations as well as the celebrations.

Our disappointments & the desires.

Our hopes & fears. 

Our burdens & blessings.

Our Father God deeply cares for our needs.

So, Jesus said:

“So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

‭‭(Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭34‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

The best thing about our future is that it arrives just one day at a time. We are designed to live in 24 hour chunks of time. We can focus on each day rather than worrying about tomorrow & tomorrow. 

Today is our precious gift from God. That’s why it’s called the Present. That’s where we dwell.

During the week, I read this paraphrase in the Message. May these words calm our anxious hearts:

“Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.”

(Matthew 6:34 -the Message)

So, may we follow our Shepherd one day at a time. May we trust Him day by day this week & through 2026 & beyond.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Our God is Able

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At the beginning of another trip around the  sun, we may have a mixture of feelings- anticipation as well as anxiety, joy tinged with sadness. We may feel hurt & tired already. Life might feel heavy- turning a new year on the calendar cannot alter that  & doesn’t affect daily life much.

We need to focus on God instead of ourselves, His provision rather than our problems.

For, our Shepherd knows our heart & restores our soul.

As this year revolves into the next, our Father’s hand is upon us. Our Great & Mighty God is in control. Our Shepherd will guide us on & He is all that we need (Psalm 23:1)

For we are known & loved by Almighty God.

Our God is able to save us & to intercede for us day by day. (Hebrews‬ ‭7‬:‭25‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Our God is able to do much more than we dare to ask, think or imagine (Ephesians 3:20)

And when we make mistakes, our God is able to forgive our sins & cleanse our lives (1 John 1:9)

As we step into 2026, may we know our God is able & may we pray:

‘Father, let me hold your hand, 

and like a child walk with you 

down all my days, 

secure in your love and strength’ 

(Prayer of Thomas à Kempis, c.1380–1471). 

Blessings,

Ruth x

Tidings of comfort & joy

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‘Tis the season of tidings of comfort & joy from God Above. And His comfort doesn’t just soothe but strengthens & encourages us too. 

It’s the Good News of Great Joy- of the Great God of highest heaven coming down to earth to be among us, beside us, one of us, with us. Bringing:

Light to dispel sheer darkness

Hope in place of despair

Peace for our troubled souls

Joy to stream through our sorrow

Love for the unlovely 

Faith for the unfaithful 

Saving grace to redeem us

Jesus is the  Greatest Gift of all- the Indescribable Gift of God.

Blessings,

Ruth x

It just gets lighter

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Today, the earth’s axis tilts furthest away from the sun, making 21st December the shortest day & longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. This Winter Solstice marks the start of astronomical winter.But it also symbolises the triumph of light over darkness as the daylight hours begin to lengthen again- stretching towards summer in the distance!

In these darker months we need light- streetlights & firelight, moonlight & twinkly starlight. And of course Christmas lights in a multitude of size & colours.

And the thing is, it just gets lighter & brighter from now on!

In the opening chapter of Dr Luke’s Gospel, Zechariah burst into song after months of silence. He proclaimed:
‘Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, God’s Sunrise will break in upon us, Shining on those in the darkness, those sitting in the shadow of death, Then showing us the way, one foot at a time, down the path of peace.’
(Luke 1:78&79 MSG)

Jesus, God the Son was sent from heaven to illuminate the sheer darkness of our world. He was the long expected good news of great joy. He was the transcendent glory of our Most High God, made flesh.

And He will brighten the path of life one step at a time, if & when we trust Him.

Three decades later,Jesus proclaimed, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
(John 8:12 NIV)

The well-known Carol by Charles Wesley ‘Hark the herald angels sing’ states:

‘Light & life to all He brings’

May we know the Light of God’s Sunrise brightening our days-this Christmastime {& always}

Blessings,

Ruth x

The Greatest Gift

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Tis the season…of giving gifts! We shop till we drop,grab a coffee to go, then shop some more! And everyday we’re bombarded on social media & TV with gift ideas. But what can we give to those who have everything?

While we endeavour to give great gifts, God is the ultimate Gift-Giver:
‘Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.’
(James 1:17 NIV)

The Greatest Gift came in unexpected wrapping. All the fullness of God- His grace & goodness, majesty & might, bundled in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

The Greatest Gift-
The Hope of the world:
Planned by God,
Foretold by prophets.
Sent by Love,
Under a starlit sky,
Surrounded by angel song,
Wrapped in grace from above.

For, ‘Once in our world, a stable had something in it that was bigger than our whole world.’
(C.S. Lewis)

As we grow older our Christmas wish list gets shorter & we find that the things we want aren’t things. Sometimes the best gift we can give to others is our time.

Someone once wrote that love can be spelt T-I-M-E. Jesus loved us so much that He gave up eternity to spend time on earth.

He came to earth & became flesh & blood so that we can be adopted into the family of God through faith. The Gift of God means that we can become children of God:

‘Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God’
(John 1:12 NIV)

God’s gift is a long lasting, never-ending present-eternal life.

Christmas is:
when God reached down,
when God became one of us,
with us in this journey of life.

‘Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!’
(2 Corinthians 9:15 NIV)

This Christmastime, if you haven’t already done so, will you accept this ultimate gift from God – the Gift of Himself, for now & forever?

Blessings,

Ruthx

Making room

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December starts with good intentions of organization & calm & cards posted on time. Yet as the month rolls on, it gains momentum like a giant snowball gathering more & more festive events & shopping.

In the past I have identified with Bilbo Baggins who said, “I feel thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread.” (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring)

We need to create margin in our days as we approach this time of the year. Our diaries may be jam-packed already but it’s in the quieter moments that the true meaning of Christmas is found.

There are choices to be made to make space in our schedules.

Especially in this season, we need to prepare room for the One who became one of us. In the quiet, we can connect with God. We can make room to  marvel & wonder at the miracle of Christmas, that God is with us – Immanuel.

We can identify what recharges us & spend time doing what brings light & restores our soul.

We can read God’s Word & devotionals that refresh the richness of the Christmas narrative again.

We can pray for our family,our community & our broken world.

We can listen to Christmas music-traditional carols blended with contemporary worship.

We can quiet ourselves on the inside to make room for God to speak to us- to whisper to our weary souls.

We can explore!Wrap up warm & escape into the great outdoors to  breathe deeply, clear our minds & star gaze.  Spending time in creation is one of the best ways to unplug & connect with the One who made it all!

We can also make room for others- not just our friends & family. We can give the gift of time.

As we step into another December week, carve out time & make room for the Baby born in Bethlehem, Who is Lord of All.

‘Let every heart prepare Him room’
(Isaac Watts-Joy to the world)

Blessings,

Ruth x