Tag: Christian faith

‘’Some old fashioned things like fresh air & sunshine are hard to beat’
(Laura Ingalls Wilder)

There’s nothing like the great outdoors-the world outside our window. There’s nothing like a walk along the beach or in the hills or woods to clear our minds & refresh our perspective.

The Norwegians have a word friluftsliv literally meaning ‘free air life’ which sounds much more poetic than ‘outdoors’

Shinrin-yoku in Japanese literally means ‘forest bathing’ -soaking in the atmosphere of the forest for relaxation & well-being. Our world has all the blue space & green space we need to reduce stress & boost our mood.

We recently visited Zadar on the coast of Croatia. One of its attractions is the Sea Organ. Tubular structures arranged under the marble steps allow the rhythm of the waves of the Adriatic Sea to produce a mesmerising melody. It’s architecture, music & creation combined. It’s a song that never ceases!

‘Creation sings the Father’s Song’ wrote Getty & Townend. Yet often, we’re too distracted to hear the song.

It’s not that God’s music has stopped but often there’s just too much noise to hear. We need to get away from our tech & distractions & soak in the God-made environment. Life feels better barefoot & getting out in nature helps us unplug & unwind- detached from pressures, surrounded by creation.

Our mighty God’s creative artistry is evident on this planet we call home in:

Starlight & sunshine,

waterfalls & waves, 

sunflowers & ladybirds, 

alpacas & puppies,

freckles & fingerprints, 

heartbeats & brainwaves,  

rainbows & ripples, 

moonbeams & mountain peaks.

God’s finger prints are seen across our amazing world- designed & hand-made by Him.

And Yahweh who breathed life into humankind & our world is even more awesome than all of His creation. David wrote:

‘You are glorious and more majestic than the everlasting mountains.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭76‬:‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

We can ‘Stop look around & praise the Name of Him who made it all’ {as engraved on a rock in Tollymore Forest}

It’s like therapy – creation therapy!

And we feel blessed & grateful.

I recently finished a book The language of rivers & stars by Seth Lewis. He wrote:

‘This world was made for wandering, & your soul was made for wonder!’ 

So this summer, wherever you go & whatever the weather, make sure you find some inspirational calm in creation. And more importantly meet the Maker!

Take every chance to appreciate something beautiful. Marvel at God’s handiwork displayed all around!

Blessings,

Ruth x

I appreciate the little things in life. Snowdrops. Cherry blossom.Good coffee. Emojis 🥰 Coloured pens. Pretty notebooks. My favourite mug.

At Christmas, I loved sourcing the childrens’ stocking fillers-the small surprises that didn’t cost much.

Sometimes, with hindsight, little things aren’t so little after all. Small things can make a big difference. Small tweaks in our daily routine. Small adjustments in our attitude. Listening to seemingly small details relayed from our childrens’ days.

Sometimes it’s small conversations that encourage us most. It’s the depth rather than the amount of the words. I still smile when I think of the old lady saying, “Good to see you back!” as walked into work after almost one year off.

My mother-in-love can recall the midwife bringing a bag of jelly babies over sixty years ago when her baby brother was born. This kind gesture had a lasting impact & influenced her own career choice!

We should ‘Find beauty in the small things‘

Make time :

*To star-gaze

*To go outdoors

*To chat to your children, no matter what age they are!

*To drink coffee by the fire

*To read a book

*To watch an old movie with popcorn

*To send someone a little gift for no reason

*To carve out time for the little things that are actually important

*To create space to connect with others

*To be intentional

Small things are often bigger than we realize.

In the Bible we can read of many small things:

*A tiny baby who was Almighty God

*Five stones used to slay a giant

*Five loaves & two fish used to feed a crowd of thousands

*A pearl to illustrate the priceless kingdom of God

*An ant -a tiny creature of little strength, yet it stores up its food in the summer.

*A small seed that highlights the potential of even little faith:

Jesus replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.””
(Matthew 17:20 NIV)

And it’s sometimes little things that cause trouble. Wise King Solomon wrote:

‘Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.’
(Song of Solomon 2:15 NIV)

*A small pin can burst a balloon

*A small piece of grit can irritate our eye

*A small part of our body (the tongue)can cause infinite damage.

We ourselves can feel small in our weaknesses & failings. Yet, God uses small things like us:
‘But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.’
(1 Corinthians 1:27)

In the film The Hobbit Gandalf proclaimed, “It is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

Small acts of kindness & love

Small acts of kindness :

*Might scatter like dandelion dust

*Might bud into a blossom

*Might cause a spark to fan into flame.

* Might ripple across the pond of life.

Going the extra mile begins with one small step. We may have to take small steps every day. But they may have a bigger impact than anticipated.

This week start small, with little things. You never know what they’ll grow into!

‘Not all of us can do great things, but we can do small things with great love.’

(Mother Teresa)

Blessings,

Ruth x

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭56‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

King David was in a fearful place when he wrote this Psalm- his enemies the Phillistines had seized him in Gath.

Fear can loom large in our own minds. Anxiety can take over our hearts & hijack our peace. Our enemies can appear to prosper. Our world feels as though it’s spinning out of control!

Yet, when we are afraid, we can trust in the One who holds us & who holds our world together.

Faith & fear are entwined together. We can still have faith, even though we fear.

In Psalm 56, David also writes:

‘You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭56‬:‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

What a beautiful image of the tender mercies of our Father-God! He knows our secret sorrows- our heartache & loss. He gently gathers our tears. With compassion, He gathers us close to His heart & comforts us.

David declares:

‘In God I have put my trust and confident reliance; I will not be afraid’

(Psa 56:11a, AMP).

We can trust in our God for the next week, the next step, the next right thing.

Blessings,

Ruth x

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.’

‭‭(I Peter‬ ‭5‬:‭7‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

These words were written by Simon Peter , follower of Jesus. He was a fisherman before He became a disciple. In fact he & his brother Andrew were casting nets when Jesus called them to follow Him(Matt 4:18)

He knew about casting- throwing nets forcefully into the Sea of Galilee to catch fish. He urges us to cast our cares upon God, who tenderly cares for us.

We can cast our worries, our concerns & our troubles unto God, who is Almighty & can take them for us.

‘Worry is a cycle of inefficient thoughts whirling around a centre of fear’ wrote Corrie Ten Boom.

Someone said that worry is like a rocking chair- you can sit & rock, but you’ll never get anywhere! Yet, I admit I’ve spent a lot of time on the rocking chair.

My counsellor pointed out that many things that we worry about are beyond our control. We should shift our focus onto things we CAN control – like our attitude, how we treat others, how we talk to ourselves,how we spend our time & how we react.

Yet there’s so many more things that are outside our control – we can’t control the weather nor other people’s opinion of us – never mind the future!

But there’s deep comfort in the anchoring truth that everything is under God’s control. All things(including us) are in His hands.

‘In the multitude of my anxieties within me, Your comforts delight my soul.’

‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭94‬:‭19‬ ‭NKJV‬‬)

God’s consolation whispers peace to our soul.

The disciples were {understandably}fearful after Jesus’ crucifixion, meeting behind closed doors. ‘Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said.’

‭‭(John‬ ‭20‬:‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Today, Jesus offers us His peace- 

to nourish our mind & heart

to dispel our worries 

to calm our troubled hearts

to enable us to get through the day {with Him}

May we walk with Jesus, the Prince of Peace, through this journey called life.

May we hear His gentle voice say to our anxious souls,in this noisy world, “Peace be with you”

May His peace lead us home.

Blessings,

Ruth x