Why I do like Monday's...

Monday’s child is fair of face, Tuesday’s child is full of grace Wednesday’s child - bla bla, bla bla - let’s talk Monday’s! The first day of the week, the start of whatever lies ahead, the road map where details like hills and valleys are yet to be painted. Monday can be synonymous with potential life and purpose, with carpe` diem and the seizure thereof. It can be the day for self-motivation in which you kick start your own butt into action and out of the sleepy weekend wind down. Monday can be the day when you evaluate the previous week and measure how far along your hopes and dreams you have come. 

Monday’s a day for getting the stuff of life off the shelf and in play… it's pregnant with possibility and ripe with purpose. It can be the day where you put a plan to your thoughts or put action to your plans. Gen 1:4-5 tells us the days are good!!! Listen to this  ‘And God, looking on the light, saw that it was good and God made a division between the light and the dark, naming the light, Day and the dark, Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the First Day’. 

You see Monday’s remind me that we get a fresh start not only that but we have the time and space during the coming week to work out our fresh attempts at life with God’s help. Each Monday we get a brand spanking new, let's look forward, God's in our corner and on our side start. Be assured your Father who has the big picture and isn't limited inside of time like we are, well that guy the one who melts with love for you every time you think of Him, He’s the one who orders your steps and lights your path… Isn't it good to know we’re not on our own whatever the week holds? Peeps be encouraged whatever unfolds in this week we’re held in the hands of the one who keeps the moon solar systems in place. So shimmy to the shower or boogie with your breakfast and embrace the gift Monday is...

Have a fantabulous week baby!

Love Ruth x

Invest in the Best!

Flip me how things have changed... We've gone from spend spend spend - to save save save! We have learned the hard way, credit cards, buy now pay later, and get rich quick schemes were not our friends. Budgeting, planning and waiting (the dull unglamorous friends) are now very much back in favour. You see what some consider bland, things like reality, truth, wisdom, self control or responsibility these things are enduring lasting way beyond momentary pleasure. They may not be very sexy or even mildly thrilling, however if life is to work they are necessary. But let's think beyond the Ka-ching, Ka-ching for second and get skiddingly, on one wheel rubber scorching and smoke billowingly to the point. What are we investing our energy money and time in? 

Matthew 6:19-21 Message -says 'Don't hoard treasure down here where it gets eaten and corroded by rust or worse - stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where where it's safe from moth rust and burglars. It's obvious,isn't it? Where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be...'. The economy of heaven has it's greatest value in the unseen. The take away menu and money popped through the letter box of an exhausted working mother. The lifts given week in week out to an elderly person, the quality time given when time was tight and the prayers solely to another's benefit. The drawing along side the obnoxious teen and loving of the unlovely. The sacrifice of small and large unseen acts all add up! Jesus was no man's debtor, He worked hard and paid His way but the greatest investments He made where and still are - in the growth of people. Don't underestimate the impact of your investment in another person's life for believe me, that's the best investment you'll ever make.


Love Ruth x


(Photo courtesy of www.stockfreeimages.com)

Be yourself everyone else is taken!

I run a self-esteem course for women called ‘Shine’ and one of the things we explore is the whole dynamic of comparisons. Comparing is a way of life in the West, even before we are born our Mums compare belly size & symptoms! Then stuff like… our first words, SATS, coordination, body shape, intelligence, social position, Spiritual maturity, wealth, skin, youth, humour and many more. They're all there in the back ground feeding the lie that we've got to measure up.  What’s more the comparisons we make are processed below our level of consciousness so we really can be manipulated and not even notice.  I feel so passionate about folks embracing who they are I wrote about it in my book (see drop 12 Cinderella Time)*. The bible tells us in Romans 13:9,says we need to love ourselves but what if you don’t like the deal you find ourselves with…? What if our nose is too big or personality wrong in some way?

I have struggled and still do from time to time with negative thinking. I get so frustrated when I find I’ve done it AGAIN! On more than one occasion I have lamented, ‘the problem is I can’t escape myself.  Have you ever wanted to scream HELP I’m trapped in me! When we dislike who we are this is how it feels but this is actually a lie. I would suggest self – loathing rooted is a false perspective and we all know who the father of lies is. Think about the recent comparisons you have made. Magazine’s airbrush yet we buy the lie and compare with what is false. Popular funny people have their lonely desperate days too, great academic minds may long to think creatively and creative thinkers might just delight in holding a brilliant train of thought.  A woman with a huge family might love to have had a career where another would have longed for motherhood. We never really know what we’re making comparisons with and when find ourselves doing this it’s good to be reminded only God has true perspective. He alone knows the outcome of each situation in our lives and what He want us to become over the course of time. It’s inspiring to see people who have had terrible sadness or suffering in their lives get to a place of rejoicing because through their awfulness they grew, they touched lives with the glory of God and made a way for others to swim in their slip stream.

Folks we all have areas we dislike, but when we accept our own particular ‘deal’ and work with God in embracing who He has made us to be, we can trust Him for the outcome. I saw a t-shirt once which had the words ‘work in progress ‘on it. I love this because the truth is when we acknowledge our imperfections and stop comparing we release others to embrace themselves warts and all too. Let’s beware of the insidious nature of comparison and stop striving to ‘be’ something or someone we’re not; rest in the knowledge that who you are, is exactly who you’re meant to be...

Hugs Ruth x

*The first five people to contact me via www.lovedropsfromheaven.com will receive a free book!

I’m assuming the best of you!

Photo courtesy of www.stockfreeimages.com

Oh how easy it is to be misunderstood… Have you ever made a joke or done something where your motives were totally misjudged? I made a joke recently which was misunderstood and offense was taken through a wrong assumption about the intention of my heart. I was reminded to my shame, of times when I have also made wrong assumptions of others. Psychology terms phenomenon - projection, where we project how we’re feeling into what we think are the intentions of another and filter what we feel/see through that lens. So for example a mother might see her child through a lens of pure love and be unable to accept the truth of wrong behaviour in her offspring. Or a person might assume malice in the actions of a perceived nemesis where there is none at all. The problem is if we assume we can know another’s person intention we’ll come a cropper because only God can see us from the inside of who we are.  I wonder how much unnecessary upset happens because of wrong assumptions? 

We are all made in the image and likeness of God but when we make assumptions about another person to some extent we devalue them and elevate ourselves. Pride - the flaw of all humanity seeps into our thinking and encourages the idea that we have the right to challenge the position of God as Judge… not a good move eh? Mathew 7 reminds us of our potential to get what we think we know very wrong. A further risk of this thinking is found in the obscuring nature assumptions have, in that they cloud the valuable life lessons God would teach us. I’ve found more often than not when I feel the twang of offense in my Spirit God is challenging me to grow in an aspect of my character such as grace. We have the wonderful give of free will and it’s useful to remember this when we’re either tempted to take offense or make assumptions. Simply put we can choose our response – we can get upset, think the worst of the other party, have a prima ballerina moment and flounce or we can be open to the Holy Spirit’s instruction and allow whatever is going on to press us closer to our loving God and grow. 

Beloved let’s try and be mature Christians who assume the best of other’s until proven otherwise. Taking this position turns what our enemy wants to use to cause destruction into something which will helps us mature in Christ.

Have a great week – you really are wonderful..! (the bible says so Psalm 139:14)

Hugs Ruth x