Tag: Christian faith

Celebrate the moment!

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The love of God means today is for really living


Readings: Lamentations 3:22-26, Psalm 118

‘Just a tiny little minute, only sixty seconds in it’
But, it’s the minutes that make up the hours. The hours turn into days and the days become weeks. The weeks make up the months on our calendars. The months mark the seasons, and so the year rolls round. The years blur as major life events, birthdays and anniversaries make landmarks in our lifetime.
In these ‘wiping years’ when we’re wiping little bottoms, noses, faces and messes, it’s easy to let the day go by in a blur of seemingly mundane tasks!
We aren’t able to see beyond the messy room, the endless dirty dishes and laundry. And we feel like we’re going to scream if we hear “Mommee!” one more time!
Sometimes, we merely exist, rather than truly living life as God intended it to be. It’s easy to miss the point. It’s easy to miss the wonder of these years when our children are growing, discovering and absorbing so much.
But, no matter what, the Bible says: ‘This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it’(Psalm 118:24-NIV)

‘Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.’
(Psalm 90:12- NLT)

On 1st September 2001, I took my 6-month-old baby daughter for a walk along Ballywalter Beach. It was a bright, sunny day. The tide was out and the water sparkled. It was the first day of the new school term. A woman stopped me to say, “Make the most of it! My baby has just started school!”
And now, 19 years later, I wonder where the years in between have gone. Caris is now at university and that walk along the beach is just a distant memory- though we’ve walked that beach together many, many times since. I’m just glad that I chose to go for a walk that day and didn’t just get bogged down with the housework!
A Scandinavian proverb says: ‘This day is a gift from God. What you do with it is your gift to Him’
Some one put it like this:
‘Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
Today is a gift,
That’s why it’s called the Present!’
Every new day is a fresh opportunity to experience God’s love and mercy.
‘The unfailing love of the Lord never ends!
Great is His faithfulness;
His mercies begin afresh each day’
(Lamentations 3:22&23 –NLT)
‘God has called us out of ho-hum mundane living to experience the abundant life’
Jesus said:
“My purpose is to give life in all its fullness” (John 10:10 – NLT)
“I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of”
(John 10: 10 –The Message)
I was very challenged by something that Gloria Gaither said in an interview that was published by In Touch magazine in March 2001: “When your children are saying “Mommy, mommy” and you’ve got other things to do, I think you have to ask “Is there any eternity in it?” and give yourself away for things that last forever. A child is more eternal than a clean house…A calling builds itself into a calling out of a lot of days of regular stuff. There is eternity in every moment”
Wow! Think about it-there is eternity in every moment, when we see those tiny little minutes from God’s perspective! ‘Everyday we stand on chords that vibrate throughout eternity’ (Charles Finney)
We have got to ‘Make the most of every opportunity’ (Colossians 4:6-NIV)
What we think is an interruption may be a divine appointment. Don’t let opportunities pass you by because you think you know how your day should unfold! Listen to those inner promptings, and gentle nudges that come from the Holy Spirit. And remember, a coincidence is when God acts and decides to remain anonymous!
God wants our tiny little minutes, our days and our 24-7 lives to be given to Him.
‘Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life-and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him’
(Romans 12:1-The Message)
I probably don’t need to remind you that just 10 days after that carefree walk on the beach, the unthinkable happened.11th September 2001. 9-11 is a date etched on our minds forever- the day that shook the world.
And many more terrorist attacks, natural disasters & unexpected events have happened since. Just now, our planet has paused- reeling with the effects of coronavirus.
We truly don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow is guaranteed to no one. Tomorrow might never come.
I truly believe that God wants us to seize the day- Carpe Diem! What a difference it would make if we viewed our limited, precious time from God’s perspective.
‘Celebrate God all day, everyday’ (Philippians 4:4-The Message)
‘And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him’ (Colossians 3:17 – NIV)
‘What you have done and created and loved in the Name of Jesus is all that will last’ (Angela Thomas)

We have this moment

‘Hold tight to the sound of the music of living,
Happy songs from the laughter of children at play;
Hold my hand as we run through
the sweet fragrant meadows,
Making mem’ries of what was today.

Tiny voice that I hear is my little girl calling
For daddy to hear just what she has to say;
And my little son running there by the hillside
May never be quite like today.

Tender words, gentle touch, and a good cup of coffee, And someone that loves me and wants me to stay;
Hold them near while they’re here, and don’t wait for tomorrow
To look back and wish for today.

Take the blue of the sky and the green of the forest
And the gold and the brown of the freshly mown hay,
Add the pale shades of spring and the circus of autumn,
And weave you a lovely today.

For we have this moment to hold in our hands
And to touch as it slips through our fingers like sand;
Yesterday’s gone, and tomorrow may never come,
But we have this moment-today!
(Gloria Gaither-quoted with permission)

‘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 ‭MSG‬‬)

Blessings,

Ruthx

*Edited & updated from my book ‘Its all about love’ 2007

Who am I?

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These are unprecedented days, when it feels like earth’s axis has shifted & our planet is holding its breath. We struggle to function normally & find stability.

We must look beyond ourselves to our Creator & His love for us:
‘Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is the true self. Every other identity is an illusion’
(Brennan Manning)

‘For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.’
(Zephaniah 3:17 NLT)

If we trust God as our Saviour, we can find hope & peace. For these days & anyday.

‘Not because of who I am
But because of what you’ve done’
(Who am I-Casting crowns)

‘You are one in whom Christ delights & dwells, & you live in the strong & unshakable Kingdom of God’
(James Bryan Smith)

‘I am chosen
Not forsaken’
(I am who You say I am)

‘You say I am loved when I can’t feel a thing
You say I am strong when I think I am weak
And You say I am held when I am falling short
And when I don’t belong, oh, You say I am Yours
And I believe’
(Lauren Daigle-You say)

‘I’m no longer a slave to fear
I am a child of God’
(No longer slaves)

‘See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.’
‭‭(1 John‬ ‭3:1‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

I am Abba’s child & I can rest in that truth- today & always.

Blessings,

Ruth x

Psalms-words to live by

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‘God’s words, creating & saving words every one,hit us where we live’
(Eugene Peterson)

‘In my heart I store up your words’
(Psalm 119:11)

Time with God in the Psalms is a good start to any day- everyday- especially days like this!

Psalm 37 has been a favourite Psalm since teenage years.There’s a list of beneficial things to do when our minds are overwhelmed. When we feel like we’re on the edge of a precipice. When it feels like the world has been put on pause (as my son said) When we’re all holding our breath.

Psalm 37’s theme is ‘Trust in the Lord’

And its first words are ‘Do not fret’ And that command is repeated in verse 7 & 8.

So what can we do instead of fret?

*’Trust in the Lord, and do good’
(v3 ESV)

*’Dwell in the land’
(v3 ESV)
Dwell calmly, securely & gratefully

*’Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.’
(v4 ESV)
Focus on our Unchangeable God rather than our ever changing world situation.

*’Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.’
(v5 ESV)
Pray through your day- hand it over to God

*’Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him’
(V7 ESV)

‘Quiet down before GOD, be prayerful before him.’
(Psalm 37:7 MSG)

*’Refrain from anger, and turn from wrath!’
(V8 ESV)

Cultivate Gentleness & self control

I love these soothing words from another Psalm:

‘When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.’
(Psalms 94:19 ESV)

And there are many cares just now. COVID has entered our world as ‘the pestilence* that stalks in darkness’
(Psalm 91:6 ESV)

*The definition of Pestilence is a ‘Highly contagious devastating infectious disease’ And there’s been pestilences throughout world history from the Psalmist David’s day till now.

We can focus on the Most High God who’s great name is mentioned in the same Psalm a few verses before ‘the pestilence’

‘He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”’
(Psalms 91:1-2 ESV)

Blessings,

Ruthx

PS I like this post- CS Lewis on Coronavirus

You might also like ‘Calm for the anxious mind’

Waiting for the fog to rise

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We are blessed to live between the Lough & the Sea. So there’s often fog in the morning especially when the seasons are changing- from summer to autumn or winter to spring. A couple of mornings this week the fields surrounding our house were clothed in a layer of fog.

Fog can descend on our life too. Looming life changes, stressful events & current news headlines can reduce our clarity & vision. Even our excessive busyness or our poor choices can produce fog.

Fog descended quickly during my Gold Duke of Edinburgh expedition in the Antrim Hills. We followed our path for a couple of hours, trusting our instinct rather than the compass. When the fog lifted, we were right back where we started, having wandered in some convoluted loop!

In this journey we call life, the Bible is our Compass & God is our True North!

So, if we feel like we’re muddling through the middle of fog:
‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.’
(Proverbs 3:5-6 ESV)

Sometimes (over)familiar words leave a deeper impression when we read them in a different way:
‘Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD ’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.’
(Proverbs 3:5-6 MSG)

‘When I took a long, careful look at your ways, I got my feet back on the trail you blazed.’
(Psalm 119:59-60 MSG)

In the fog we need to look to God rather than our feelings. We may feel frustrated, fearful & alone.

‘We must navigate by what we know is true no matter what we feel’
(Sheila Walsh)

When we are confused & uncertain in the fog, we can trust that God’s goodness & mercy are following us as we journey. We may need to slow down enough to sense this truth.

And,
‘Sometimes, it’s by walking into that very mist that we grow in ways we never would have otherwise.
Sometimes, it’s through what becomes the fog’s reprieve that we can appreciate the blaze of the sun.’
(Kara Lawler)

When we can’t see clearly because of the fog,
‘God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.’
(CH Spurgeon)

Last month I read through Genesis with She Reads Truth. We followed Joseph’s life through the unexpected fog of slavery & imprisonment. Yet, when the fog lifted,Joseph had the clarity to tell his brothers:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.”
(Genesis 50:20 NLT)

And at the end of his life traversing the fog of deception, wrestling & grief, Joseph’s father Jacob blessed him &said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,”
(Genesis 48:15 ESV)

We need to get to learn to trust our Great Good Shepherd:
‘So let us know and become personally acquainted with Him; let us press on to know and understand fully the [greatness of the] LORD [to honor, heed, and deeply cherish Him]. His appearing is prepared and is as certain as the dawn, And He will come to us [in salvation] like the [heavy] rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth.’
(Hosea 6:3 AMP)

In the fog, we can turn our worries into prayers:
‘casting all your cares [all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares about you [with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully].’
(1 Peter 5:7 AMP)

We can dare to hope in the uncertain days when we can’t see clearly where our next step leads:
‘Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.’
(Lamentations 3:21-23 NLT)

‘And hope is what keeps you going in the fog’
(Emily P Freeman)

When the fog descends may we look away from ourselves & listen for the voice of our Shepherd- who knows us best yet loves us most.

And remember:
‘The fog always rises.’
(Kara Lawler)

Blessings,

Ruthx

A thrill of hope

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Hope was my word for the year. As we lived through 2020 it was easy to loose hope in the world & myself.

‘Here is the world.
Beautiful & terrible things will happen.
Don’t be afraid’
(Buechner)

I was reminded of hope as we listened to carols:
‘A thrill of hope
The weary world rejoices’
(O Holy Night)

And it’s true:
‘Without the weariness there is no thrill of hope’
(Shannon Martin)

God stepped into our weary world at just the right time.

‘Hope arrives, small & warm’
(Shannan Martin)

Hope wrapped in cloths, lying in a manger.

‘Because of Bethlehem-
Love is born
Hope is here’
(Max Lucado)

Hope has a Name & our hope is renewed when we trust Him.

‘Hope isn’t about about thinking something will get better. Hope is about believing Someone better is already here.’
(Ann Voskamp)

Hope saves us from our sin & ourselves.

Hope anchors & grounds us.

Hope lifts us & leads us.

‘This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary’
(Hebrews 6:19 NLT)

Hope is not lost in personal tragedy or trials.

Hope is not shaken by world events.

‘When everything shakes, God remains unshaken’
(Max Lucado)

The anchor in the storm. The constant in our chaos.

‘O Lord, let me not fear too much the storms & winds of my daily life & let me know that there is ebb & flow.. but that the sea remains the sea’
(Henri Nouwen)

We’re holding onto Hope.

‘Sometimes you don’t hold out much hope for tomorrow – only to find Hope Himself is already holding you now.’
(Ann Voskamp)

Yes, we’re holding onto Hope, but He’s holding onto us!

‘Tomorrow could bring beauty; it could bring heartache. But as I’ve been reminded, even in my darkest moments, Christ holds me fast. Each moment is laced with His grace.’
(Melissa Zaldivar-She Reads Truth)

‘The seasons change & you change, but the Lord abides evermore the same & the streams of His love are as deep, as broad & as full as ever’
(CH Spurgeon)

So, as we begin a new decade
‘Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.      
(Robert H. Schuller)

‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.’
(Romans 15:13 ESV)

‘Hope now
Hope always’
(Psalm 131:3 MSG)

Blessings,

Ruthx

The boundless love of God

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Readings – Psalm 8, Eph 3:14-21

When I was a student in Dundee, I used to go for ‘stargazing stomps’ down to Magdelene Green to clear my head. On many crisp, clear nights, I would stop and gaze at God’s handiwork. It was awesome to look up and see the star-studded night sky.

The heavenly splendour that stirred the shepherd David so long ago, gripped me. Yet, looking at the vast universe made me feel incredibly small. I was just one little speck on planet earth, which itself was only part of just one solar system. As David wrote :

‘ I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous, 

Your handmade sky-jewellery,

Moon and stars mounted in their settings.

Then I look at my micro-self and wonder, 

Why do you bother with us?

Why take a second look our way?’

(Psalm 8:3-4 – The Message) 

In this day and age, as we strive to feel significant in the crowd, as we struggle with feelings of low self-esteem, we too may wonder why God bothers with us.

But any thoughts of insignificance should vanish when we consider our status. For though just part of creation, we are children of the Creator! His hands that set the stars in space, that flung the planets into orbit are holding us, and moulding us and keeping us in place! Wow! We should be overwhelmed by the present reality of God!

This Creator God is our very own God. He not only bothers with us, He loves us – He really, really loves us, with a deep, unfathomable agape love. We have been ‘loved with everlasting love, led by grace that love to know’ as the hymn says. 

Paul wrote ‘And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God’ (Eph 3:17-19 – NIV)

David wrote ‘Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. How priceless is your unfailing love!’ (Psalm 36:5 & 7 – NIV)

God’s love is boundless. We will never fully grasp or understand it.  It goes beyond our dimensions. It just can’t be measured.

It is so wide that it encompasses the whole world.

It is so long that it can reach us just where we are, when we need to feel loved the most.

Its height is higher than our highs and its depths are deeper than our downers!

It is like a waterfall, deep and never ending from before time began to eternity!

Paul says ‘May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvellous love’ (Eph 3:17 NLT)

May we draw nourishment and energy for daily life as we meditate on the awesome love God has for us.

‘And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

‘God can do anything you know – far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us’ (Eph 3:17- 20 – The Message)

‘How high and how wide

How deep and how long

How sweet and how strong

Is Your love

How lavish Your grace

How faithful Your ways

How great is Your love O Lord!’

Blessings,

Ruth x

 

*Edited from ‘It’s all about love’

In-between Right Now & Not Yet

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Hope is my word for the year.

I’d almost forgotten all about it, but since September felt like a new beginning, hopeful thoughts were replenished.

I read about living hope:
‘Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead’
‭‭(1 Peter‬ ‭1:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

‘Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future.’
(1 Peter 1:4&5 MSG)

We have everything to live for:
‘Jesus said, “I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”
(John 10:10 MSG)

Through Jesus we have new life that never ends:
‘And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.’
(John 17:3 ESV)

And here & now we’re trusting & believing the promise that Jesus will return. Now we’re ‘waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,
‭‭(Titus‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

We have hope of eternal glory.

But not yet.

Just now, we may face

Life-altering diagnoses.

Life-shattering events.

Life-draining stresses.

But, ‘What is happening in your life just now is not going to last forever’ (Billy Graham)

‘In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.’
(1 Peter 1:6 NIV)

For a little while, we live in the space between the promise & its fulfillment.

For a little while, we live on planet earth:
‘What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.’
(James 4:14 NIV)

Just now, we wait for our living hope.

For, “Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay;”
(Hebrews 10:37 ESV)

C.S. Lewis wrote of Aslan’s return in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:
‘Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.’

‘Is everything sad going to come untrue?’ Sam asked in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.

In a little while.

Not just now.

Not quite yet.

Just now, we’re in Narnia where it’s always winter & never Christmas. We long for Spring.

How long is this little while? It’s God’s perfect time & He works outside our time in eternity.

A little while is just a moment for the Ageless One to whom a thousand years are like a day.

It’ll be just the right time
‘You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.’
(Romans 5:6 NIV)

At Christmas, we celebrate ‘when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son’
(Galatians 4:4 NIV)

And in a little while, at just the right time, God the Son will return & truly be Immanuel (God with us)

‘And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.”
(Revelation 21:3 ESV)

Now we hold onto:

Faith
Hope
Love

Then,
All things will be made new.
Faith will turn to sight.
Hope will be fulfilled
Love will remain.

For God is love.

And God is forever.

God’s love flows from eternity past, grounded in grace.

This love makes the little while a little longer:
‘The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.’
‭‭(2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NIV‬‬)

Till then, between here & now & not yet, dare to hope, for:
‘The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.’
‭‭(Lamentations‬ ‭3:21-23‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

For these inbetween days, Jesus said:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
(John 16:33 NIV)

‘Peace is not the absence of trouble, but the presence of God’
(J Oswald Sanders)

Between now & not yet,
For time & eternity
He will be our God forever
For He was before the beginning & after the ending.

And He promises:
‘Strength for today
And bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine,
With ten thousand beside
(Thomas Chisholm)

So, trust for a little while longer.

If you’re journeying through
Green pastures or dark valleys,
Still waters or stormy seas,
Hold onto Hope, for a little while longer

‘And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.’
(I Peter 5:10 NIV)

Blessings,

Ruth x

PS I’ve read the last page of The Book & it’s going to be ok:
‘He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.’
(Revelation 22:20-21 NIV)

Grace all the way from here to eternity.

Grace to carry us all the way from Just Now to Not Yet.

Amen!

Broken & blessed

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These days may feel like dark days in our families & our community. In our nation & across the globe.

There’s too much bad news to bear. A global pandemic. Unwanted diagnosis. Unexpected death.

Politics are in disarray. God’s laws are disregarded. There is no absolute truth (we’re told)

We can look around & sigh. And conclude:
‘The world is broken. I am broken. And my need is dire.’
(Rebecca Reynolds)

‘We are all broken-that’s how the light gets in’ according to Hemingway. And how we need the Great Light of the world to shine!

As children of God, we live in tension & contrast.

We are made in the image of God- yet struggle with our flaws & failings.

The Darkness seems deep yet flickers of light break through.

There’s toil & trouble yet {thankfully} the hope of glory.

Evil feels like it’s crouching nearby, ever ready to pounce on Goodness.

Our earth is a groaning planet-earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, war.

At a personal level, day to day life rarely feels smooth or predictable . While we have many blessings there’s usually something to taint our happiness.Even bright sunny days can be overcast by boulders carried in our hearts.

Rick Warren has spoken of how his wife Kay was diagnosed with breast cancer at the same that his book ‘The purpose driven life’ was becoming a bestseller.

I listened to an audio-version of Rick’s wife’s book ‘Choose joy for happiness isn’t enough’Her words feel even more poignant since the tragic news that their son committed suicide. In the book, Kay describes joy & sorrow like parallel tracks on the railway of life.

Lisa Harper wrote:
‘Delight and despair absolutely coexist. They ebb and flow like the tides. Circumstances may prompt one to rise to the occasion and eclipse the other for a while.’

I too am convinced that joy & sorrow, love & suffering, peace & pain are inextricably linked –but in an even more intricate way than parallel tracks or tides on the shore.

Perhaps, they are intertwined like the twisting double stranded helix molecule of DNA – the blue print of life itself. Just as DNA is held together by hydrogen bonds, the twists & turns in life are stabilised by intricate bonds of the love & mercy, grace & goodness of God.

Just now, in this moment of time, our lives may seem like a tangled mess- but with the eye of faith, we can choose to see that even the troubles & trials, stresses & strains, the bitter & sweet are part of the intricate plans of the perfect infinite wisdom of our God.

Our God created the cosmos, designed our souls & planned our destinies. Yet He carries our burdens and collects our tears:

‘You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in your book?’
(Psalms 56:8NASB)

‘You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book.’
(Psalm 56:8 MSG)

We have to choose to see the unseen-to trace the invisible fingerprints of God in our lives, as He weaves His thread of blessings through the twisting helix of life. He alone can weave all things together for our good (Romans 8:28) into the plans He has for us (Jeremiah 29:11)

Even when things don’t seem to make sense, & everything seems random & chaotic , we can praise Him where we are at ‘in the storm- even when our hearts are torn’ (Casting crowns) 

God brings blessing to our dark days. And often, the greatest blessings is the gift of God Himself. The gift of knowing He is there- with us. And that knowing God is better than knowing why bad things happen.

As Laura Story wrote:
‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise’

I listened to that song on repeat during days of dreadful diagnoses & life threatening surgery in our family & pondered:

What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

God’s tender mercies & gentle blessings come even {maybe especially} when everything feels broken:

God said:
“And I will give you treasures hidden in the darkness— secret riches. I will do this so you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, the one who calls you by name.”
(Isaiah 45:3 NLT)

Our God gives:
Treasures in the darkness
Calm in chaos
Peace in the storm
Hope in our dark days
His presence forever
And ever!

{Amen}

Blessings,

Ruthx

All things

curlysue028

I’ve been doing a Bible Study on Romans 8. I’ve fallen behind in the programme, but I’m enjoying reading the chapter slowly.Verses like this one:

‘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’
(Rom 8:28-NIV)

If we love God, He can work ALL things together for our good. The good,the bad & the ugly can be woven together by our Creator-God to form a masterpiece.

ALL things includes the little things, the annoying things, the huge life changing things & devastating losses. Nothing is wasted in God’s hands.

‘That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good’ (Rom 8:28-MSG)

At a women’s conference a few years ago, Ruth Hamilton spoke of multi-coloured grace for multi-coloured trials. I love that phrase taken from 1Peter 1:6 & 4:10.

Grace to match each trial.

It means that, no matter what- God’s grace is sufficient (2Cor 12:8,9) His grace always enough!

The multi-colours of God’s grace are manifested in a rainbow spectrum of ways e.g.:

*God’s written Word-the Bible, after all, ‘The Bible is the transcript of the heart of God’ (Grudem)

*Walking through creation – & sensing our Creator

*Words of encouragement from friends

*An unexplainable sense of God’s presence in the storms of life

No matter what is looming this week,

‘All you need to remember is that God will never let you down, he’ll never let you be pushed past your limit, he’ll always be there to help you come through it’
(1 Cor 10:13 MSG )

That’s His awesome, amazing, multi-coloured grace!

‘There is no problem too great that it exceeds the grace God has given’ (Elizabeth George)

God says ‘As long as there is a God in heaven, there is grace on earth, & I AM the spilling God of the uncontainable, forever-overflowing -love-grace ‘ (Ann Voskamp)

Whatever life throws, whatever lies around the corner, whatever is happening across the world, God is always there & that’s always enough.

Take your mind off your seemingly giant problems & focus on our Gigantic God.

He is Eternal
Ever-Lasting
All-powerful

Our Loving Father
Our Good Shepherd
Our Mighty God.

Blessings,

Ruth x

The last photo

curlysue028

I wish I could post the last photo-but it was only allowed to be taken if I promised not to. I wasn’t allowed to take a photo of their first day back at school in the Autumn, but we made an agreement back then that I could take a photo of their last day at school together (before both finished for study leave & one leaves school forever)

I nearly forgot- but realised just in time that Friday was that last day. My teenagers dutifully stood side by side on the front step- as they have done many times before wearing their school uniforms. The moment was digitally recorded & I promised again that there would be no sharenting.

This significant event almost passed without acknowledgement.

As we walked along Knockinelder Beach that evening, we talked about how parents mark their childrens’ firsts

*First tooth

*First steps

*First shoes

*First word

*First birthday with cake & candle

*First day at school

*First wobbly ride on the bike sans stabilisers

We applaud these first milestones & the happy memories that coincide.

But the lasts go unrecognised.

There was a day when I picked up & carried my children for the final time and then never lifted them up again.And I have no recollection of that moment.

Or of other finales:

*The last bed time story

*The last pair of Doodle shoes or red check summer dress

*The last McFlurry between school pickups

The lasts sweep by because we don’t grasp the significance of the moment.

Of course the lasts & firsts are part of life & as our children grow there’s different firsts to celebrate eg first time driving

I don’t cope well with change & can get sentimental about the cute memories of the past (yet I’m very proud of the two teenagers that I’m blessed to call mine!)

It’s grounding to know that God is beyond all of our firsts & lasts. He is Alpha & Omega. He is the Ancient of Days- present from before He created time.

He is before & after all:
‘From life’s first cry to final breath’
(Getty)

We read the anchoring words of Psalm 90 in church last Sunday:

‘Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.’
‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭90:1-2‬ ‭ESV‬‬)

Our life is like a droplet in the oceans of eternity.

God can help us to make the most of our time, to redeem it & make it count.

‘Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom.’
‭‭(Psalms‬ ‭90:12‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Carpe Diem- Seize the day!

Blessings,

Ruthx

PS You might also like Memos to myself & Captured Time