That don't impress me much...

I wonder what impresses you? thin thighs, people who fast for weeks, super mums who can do it all on 3hrs sleep? Seriously we've all got stuff that pushes our buttons on the 'impressive' front. Usually we admire the qualities in another that we haven't quiet mastered in ourselves. I'm impressed by those with great intellect and wit; those who are humble and exercise meekness in the face of provocation or those who remain cheerful despite ongoing hardship. How about you, what does it for you? You see the substance of what we favour is fluid, the things that impress us at 20 will be very different from what rings our bells at 30 and so on. When I woke up to the love of Jesus many years ago, I was impressed by much of what people said. I was impressed by funky guitar rifts and great lighting rigs. I liked touchy feely churches that were breaking out of the ritual of a hymnal in the hand and polite nod to thy neighbour on a Sunday. It really impressed me then... 

After 20 yrs of waking up with the love of my life, Jesus each day I'm impressed by other things. Other qualities that are non negotiable and enduring ~ things like humility,  truth and costly love. There is a danger in the computerised fusion that is social networking we build platforms, create image and portray the version of us we'd most like to be. The things that impress us can be what we are to the outside world. Be honest how many of us put up the really cruddy photo's on our face book wall? But here's the thing when you strip all the touch up away and permit yourself to be honestly just you ~ the stuff of substance can be seen. I wonder if we fear what we'll find, if our lack of substance scares us? There is only one person in this life really worth impressing and that's our Heavenly Father.

• Why not determine yourself to do something this week solely for the purpose of impressing your Heavenly Father... it can be your secret!

Hugs Ruth x

Persistence Overcomes Resistance

I just LOVE the bible, it continually surprises me as God shows me new aspects of Himself through words which actually do seem to jump off the page at times! It really is our hitch hiker's guide to life... When I grasped that Jesus loved me so much He died for me 20 or so years ago, I have to confess, while I knew reading the bible was a good thing to do a lot of it didn't make much sense. I was pondering this when the Lord clearly spoke to me saying 'Ruth you've gotta be in it to win it' - So I set myself a goal I was going to read the bible from cover to cover a chapter a day. As I did, God started to help me understand what I was reading. He even placed folks in my path that I could pester with questions and boy did I pester!

God loves our curiosity for Him! I'm glad the hunger to find out more about Him has only gotten stronger over the years. Recently I had to give a talk which required study of leaders in the old testament. So their character traits were fresh in my mind when a friend (an international businessman) told a story of a client who pestered him so much to meet up for lunch he eventually gave in and agreed to look at the 'new invention'. It reminded me the great leaders from the bible. Those people who achieved amazing feats despite great difficulty. You see those who lead others and inspired vision had pester power. They just kept plugging away until one day things started to change. You may not feel like you're the most talented, wise or strategic person in the whole world but You have a wonderful purpose which matters to the Kingdom of Christ.

•  What things do you need to keep pursing?
•  Do you need to pester someone, perhaps God for divine intervention?  
• Are you feeling weary, disillusioned or hopeless?

Beloved be encouraged things will change - persistence given time will overcome resistance...

Love Ruth x

 

Inflate your World

Do you think we deflate as we get older? I’m sure my cheeks are starting to slip off my jaw, my neck should be slapped with and ASBO and my hands… flip me! who stole my hands and replaced them with old lady hands? Huh? Should I call the cops, I’m sure firm, springy, skin theft is a crime, no? I was pondering the current position of the ever deflating vessel Ruth the other day when God gave me a picture of a deflated balloon. I’m there thinking yeah you know me so well Lord … that sums it up. But then you know when you over think a thing and it’s really not helpful? So now I’m drowning in a bog of self-evaluation; I’m thinking of how forgetful I am and how difficult it is to hold the thread of a conversation at times. How many times did I walk into the kitchen only to forget why I was in there in the first place…? Could this mean my brain shrivelling to walnut sized proportions argh…! Lord I NEED a saviour!!!

I need someone who will remind me, help me, encourage me in the deflation of life John 14:26 - ‘the helper the Holy Spirit, whom the father will send in my name, will teach you everything and REMIND of all I have said to you’. We all need to be filled like a balloon we’re not fit for purpose when deflated. I lOVE what it says in Job…33:3&4 ‘The Spirit of God has fashioned me and the breath of the Almighty gives me life’. When we allow the Holy Spirit to breathe into our lives we are lightened, hold power (trying blowing up a balloon and let it go to see what I mean) and our presence, our mass is expanded. Our dreams and vision grow, our doubt is enveloped in the rubber of God’s purpose releasing us to be the symbol of celebration we were always meant to be.

If you want to inflate the sagginess of life go to your Father allow him to inflate your world.

Love Ruth x

Nothing is set in stone

Once there was a young man we’ll call him Nick, who had his heart set on becoming a footballer. He watched football and loved the English premier league. In fact by the time he was a teenager there were few folks who knew as much as he did about football. Nick’s enthusiasm for life was infectious to all he met; he had big dreams wanting to be the best in life he could.

Nick however didn't look very much like the ‘A’ typical sports man because you see Nick was born without arms or legs.  In spite of this with encouragement from his family Nick learned not only to swim and surf, but to play golf and football…! His physical disabilities might have dictated limitations but his personality pressed through and didn't allow his body to dictate the terms of his life. 

With God nothing is set in stone, the tragic can become glorious and the impossible made possible. Nick Vujicic is a real person, he has married a beautiful girl and they have a beautiful child and a wonderful future.

Nothing is set in stone where’s there’s a will with Christ’s help there is a way...

Hugs Ruth x

You can find out more about Nick at:  http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/