What are you building?

God gave us gifts… Yahoo! But I wonder how many of us understand the value of the gift we hold and what we're meant to do with them. Have you ever been given a gift only to open it and say 'it's lovely erm... what is it?' I think many of us feel a little bit like this with gifts from God. We can be unsure of what is,how to use it or even why we'd need? But we do need what God gives us because He who has called you is equipping you. In Eph - 4:11-16 it tells us the gifts God has given each one of us are for the equipping and  growth of the body of believer’s here on earth that is the church folks!  There is no plan B we are it - we need to passionately invest and nurture the most precious thing to Jesus, each other.

Being productive is in our DNA, we’re designed by God to feel satisfied and happy when we’re producing something good. This begs the question then, what are we building with the talents and gifts God has placed inside each of us - what is the fruit of all this reproductive spiritual gene pool? Look at the picture above it's beautiful isn't it? Guy's when you pass me a stone of graciousness I can put it on top of the stone of forgiveness that someone else placed on the stone of a hug, which was placed beside the stone of speaking truth in love that took risk, which went underneath the sacrifice of praise, which was set above a stone of discernment… Do you see what I mean?

There’s a kind of principle with spiritual gifts they won’t grow if they’re not used. God tells us in Matthew 25:14-30 He has an expectation of us to use our gifts to build other’s up. For example, I can sing but if I never lead worship folks would miss out on blessing. The thing is I believe most of us really do want to be a blessing only we’re often not too sure of the practicalities. So what has God placed in you to build with?

• ·         What energises you? Brings you joy and satisfaction?
• ·         What do others say you’re good at?
• ·         What do you dream of?

These questions should help you to have a clearer picture of your gifting. If not do whatever serves and blesses others. It may be God is wanting to develop your character (and He does that through developing your service to others) often, it’s in serving others that you identify you’re gift. 

What will you build with your gifts, your actions and words, this week?

Hugs Ruth x

Listening isn't Hearing!

There’s a scene in Bruce Almighty, where he can hear the sound of the voices of all the prayers being prayed at any one moment all around the world and it’s deafening. So varied are the languages, so different the types of prayers, all mushed in together it’s like a buzz. Life can feel so bombarded with things vying for our attention it’s like we can’t hear or prioritise any one thing clearly. Most of us really do need and want to be able to hear the voice of the Father and without a doubt He has much to say, yet in an increasingly ‘buzzy’ world it can be hard.

Praise God He is not limited in any way and hears clearly each voice attending to it with His gracious truth and love, but for us hearing takes effort. Listening requires humility, it requires us to turn down the buzz of our own agenda and give our attention fully to what is being said. Not only that, it requires the patience not to interrupt, but to wait for a full account, to reflect, measure and weigh what’s been said. In some senses listening is the external bit and hearing is the act of taking in, making sense of what’s been communicated so we are different as a result. In Rom 12:2 it says 'we are to be transformed day by day by the renewing of our minds' but this process can only occur if we are open to hear.

Mathew 13:13-17, cautions us not to get so comfortable in the little box of our own world that our hearing is dulled. It elaborates, that there are those who want a one way relationship with God, so their ears are stopped up and their eyes are screwed shut! I have to confess there are times in my life when I blatantly knew I was doing wrong but clapped my hands over my lugholes and carried on in sin - only to come a cropper down the line and have to stand before the one who didn’t come to condemn me but bring me life and eat a slice of humble pie while He bathed the cuts and bruises of my own making.

Listening is a good thing it goes on to say in verses 16&17  ‘blessed are you lot who set your hearts to hear, other’s would give their eye teeth to be able to access what you can, it’s a treasure’! (my paraphrase) Guys we have what generations before didn’t have – a record of the actual words of Christ in the Bible, the Holy Spirit, other saints…

Let’s get hungry for hearing and be assured God has much to say!

• ·         Ask God to speak; He is a gentleman and will never yell…
• ·         Plan 10 mins today to simply sit in silence with God (I’ve found a lit candle helps me to focus)
• ·         Take a verse of scripture and ponder on it  / repeat it, write down on a note pad what comes to mind.

Happy hearing

Ruth x

God picked you!

Aelita/Dreamstock Photos

Ephesians  1:4 & 5 says, “Just as He chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before Him in LOVE. He destined us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ according to the good pleasure of His will". 

HOLD THE PHONE…! Re-read that… Jesus chose me and you even before we were a twinkle in our father’s eye, before God stared spinning the plates in Heaven and exploding stars and making night and day He knew us and more over He loved us… Theologians call this predestination – I call it mind blowing!

We so often limit God to our thinking, our understanding of things don’t we? But God who is not constrained by time or anything actually calls us to think beyond the natural; beyond our experience, our rationale, beyond our cynicism. God knew you before He had formed you, body and soul the message put’s it like this …

Psalm 139 v 13 Message  “You shaped me first inside, then out;

You formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you,

High God- you’re breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvellously made!

I worship you in adoration –what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

You know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made bit by bit,

How I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

All the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d seen one day”.

What’s more human beings like me and you were designed for the pleasure of God. Even in our brattiest moments the Father heart of God loves us with the completeness that is perfection. God is love it is His identity, His character… 

Beloved… know who you are today chosen, cherished child of the King, ask The Holy Spirit to help you receive the revelation of who you are in Him.

Hugs Ruth x

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