I like Big Butts and I cannot lie!

I like the word ‘but’ – it’s a great word because it signals something unexpected is about to be communicated. The word ‘but’ causes a halt - it’s the stop sign for another direction, it’s the time out in conversation. It says look here this is important – you’ll wanna hear this! ‘But’ grabs us by both ears and demands our attention. I like clear direction, and simplicity, my Dad used to say 'our Ruth is as subtle as a brick in the face' because my need for clarity would cause me to over explain a point - Friends we need to pay attention when God gives us a ‘but’ because ‘buts’ can be total game changers. Here’s a few I’m applying to myself from Proverbs…

10: 9 ‘The person of integrity walks securely, BUT those who take crooked paths will be found out’. 27 ‘The fear of the Lord adds length to life BUT the years of the wicked are cut short.’ (You want to feel secure, at peace, in hope of a good life and future?) listen to this but!

11: 1 The Lord abhors dishonest scales, BUT accurate weights are His delight. 21 Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, BUT those who are righteous will go free. (You need assurance that honesty is worth it, that justice matters to God and is being held by Him?) listen to this but!

12: 4 ‘A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, BUT a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones’. 15 ‘The way of a fool seems right to them BUT the wise listen to advice’. (You wonder why your life sucks and ‘it’ always happens to you?) listen to this but!

13: 2 ‘From the fruit of their lips people enjoy good things BUT the unfaithful have a craving for violence’. 3 ‘Those who guard their lips guard their lives, BUT those who speak carelessly will come to ruin’.  (You want fun, fruit and freedom in your life?) listen to this but!

14: 1 ‘The wise person builds their house BUT with her own hands the foolish one tears theirs down’. 34 ‘Righteousness exalts a nation, BUT sin is a disgrace to any people’. (you are dissatisfied and frustrated to the point of giving up) listen to this but!

15 1 ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, BUT a harsh word stirs up anger’.  13 ‘A happy heart makes the face cheerful, BUT heartache crushes the spirit’. (You are weary from strife pain and anger) listen to this but….

Beloved there is hope in the place of BUT – Buts have life in them in the form of hope or of warning! So what do you say wanna make like the donkey from Shrek and sing it with me!

I like big butts and I cannot lie!

Hugs Ruth x

Success isn't what you think!

Mine’s bigger than yours, I’m stronger, I’m faster, I own, I’m more, I have…  any of that lot sound familiar? It’s good to achieve and be productive we’re created to bear fruit, but it’s not good to compare. Comparison is unhelpful because it places measurement on something unmeasurable. It lures us into the trap of self-satisfaction or at the other extreme total discouragement and it blinds us to the truth.  Think of the Empire State Building, it was designed by a bloke called William Lamb to compete with the Chrysler building and be taller - classic case of mine’s bigger than yours!  But who said taller was better, who made that the bench mark for excellence? In comparing, the achievement and beauty, the uniqueness of each wonderful building was obscured. Guys human kind has a confused sense of what success really is. We think power, movement, passion, speed, mass and strength are the characteristics of success but the truth is they are only part of the story. There is mystery and detail and a bigger picture; a picture where only God’s rule of thumb matters  - A picture where our petty positioning for power is as nothing before the source of all power itself.

God views our success from outside of time and He understands what has been invested and nurtured in the hidden soil of our hearts. God sees what you’ve had to overcome to sow in your small corner and I in mine... And His word tells us not to compare 2 Cor 12-18. I love that God has a purpose, He has a big picture and I’m a wee part of that! He sees every act born of love for His son Jesus. Peeps God sees…  He sees the chairs we stack, the meals we cook, or the prayers we pray. He sees the unity we build, the hugs we give, He sees the loving of the unlovely and hurts endured in the mess of service and He credits it to us. When we serve like we’re serving Jesus Christ Himself doing our best, giving it our all we forget the need to compare and jostle for attention because we will know our purpose.  Folks let’s NOT go compare – let’s determine to keep our eyes on Him and do our utmost in this short life to please Him alone!

Hugs Ruth x