tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79803813047847274592011-07-07T21:58:01.325-04:00Ruthnoreply@blogger.comBlogger201100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-84413633981481134482009-06-15T10:00:00.000-04:002009-06-15T10:00:00.810-04:00

One of the benefits of living in Upper Peninsula of Michigan are the forests surrounding us. In them we find wildlife and wildflowers. There's always something to find. Last Friday we were able to spend some time with some friends at a local lake. My friend had found several lady's slippers there at the campsite. I took the opportunity to photograph these beautiful and rare orchids.

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-75225089961305541662009-06-11T13:00:00.000-04:002009-06-11T14:42:06.363-04:00

Now, I can't see that I can make a table in this blogger document, but I found a chart on hospitality in my Women's Study Bible that I thought would be worth passing along. The comparison is between Hospitality and Entertainment. I will give you the lists and know that number one in the first list will compare with number 1 in the second list.Christian HospitalityProvides a safe place (Proverbs

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-32379928949654698722009-05-28T12:40:00.004-04:002009-05-28T12:57:01.769-04:00

Thank you for your prayers! Our retreat went well. We were a small, cozy group, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to get to know these ladies better. We enjoyed the condominium and resort amenities (thanks to my Mom, Gloria Richards, for making her timeshare available to us) and the local area as well. The picture on the left was taken on a side trip we took to a local lighthouse called

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-59456287112486058022009-05-06T11:47:00.003-04:002009-05-06T13:01:42.949-04:00

"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22Spring is finally springing up around here! The sledding hill in the backyard is completely melted, and the kids have found the first buds opening on the trees. I love Spring. I love the promise of new life that Spring brings. I feel renewed and refreshed

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-73271032727954808842009-05-05T14:38:00.004-04:002009-05-05T14:46:30.859-04:00

Wow! Has it been this long since I've posted here? I'll have to get on the ball. Right now my ball is rolling me down a hill toward a small ladies' retreat with Manistique Bible Church. I will be speaking at this retreat in Door County, Wisconsin starting Sunday, May 10 through Wednesday, May 13. I will be doing eight sessions in all, and I am a bit overwhelmed getting it all done right now.

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-67152272093273601082009-03-28T23:41:00.004-04:002009-05-28T13:12:09.322-04:00

We are back! It's good to be back in my own bed again after our trip South. Dave posted about the trip on his ministry blog. If you want to read more about it, you can here.One thing I've been thinking about that I want to add to my blog is "picture praises." I am by no means a professional photographer. I have a small point and shoot Canon PowerShot Elph. There are many times though when I

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-28339036241139835402009-03-11T22:27:00.002-04:002009-03-11T22:32:26.397-04:00

Have you ever seen a person in movie or in real life who is walking around carrying a placard? One placard that seems to be common in caricaturing is the crazy looking man in long robes carrying a placard reading, "The end is coming!" Sometimes I think of Jonah and his short sermon in Jonah 3:4 that had amazing results. In 1 Peter 4:7 I found that placard again: "But the end of all things is

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-7942822291034003632009-03-09T19:15:00.000-04:002009-03-09T19:15:38.510-04:00

My kids recently found an old children's book of mine that explains how to do some simple magic tricks. They decided to perform a magic show and invited us adults to attend. We watched as they showed us a dollar bill with George Washington right side up, folded the bill, unfolded it and showed us George Washington was now upside down. They did a couple of other tricks, but at no point in time

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-68484752664568773292009-03-07T22:14:00.003-05:002009-03-08T14:50:31.826-04:00

I really enjoy and recommend books by Elizabeth George. In one of her books (sorry, I can't remember which one), she related a devotional help that was useful for her. She referred to it as her Spiritual Temperature chart. Every day that she had her devotions she colored in that day's date. As she looked back, she viewed the chart as a sort of thermometer. If she missed a lot of days she

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-62495603566843987772009-03-06T08:52:00.002-05:002009-03-06T08:55:00.311-05:00

Here we are at a new website! Also, praise the Lord He has allowed us to get a second used computer that I can use as my very own! This will help facilitate my blog writing as Dave has had our one computer in great demand over the last couple of months. I hope to be able to post often and still look forward to hearing from you!

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-20700673803672255312009-03-04T11:49:00.004-05:002009-03-05T17:47:28.794-05:00

The other day my 7-year-old was singing a song called "Obedience." One phrase in the song is, "Action is the key, do it immediately." She then asked me why the song said that action was the key. My reply was to tell her the parable of the two sons found in Matthew 21:28-31. You probably remember how Jesus told of the father who went to his first son and told him to go work in the vineyard.

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-2733876445144703192009-03-04T11:48:00.002-05:002009-03-05T17:48:59.174-05:00

My husband and I enjoy a show on the Discovery channel called "Dirty Jobs." Mike Rowe, the host, goes every show to new places and new dirty jobs. The jobs are as varied as can be imagined, with many different skill levels for each position. There is one common theme though, the people who perform these jobs (and film Mike doing these jobs) get dirty. One particular show, the job was so

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-25557985332786044632009-03-04T11:47:00.004-05:002009-03-05T17:50:22.840-05:00

We are fast approaching Thanksgiving. It's only three days away! Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. I am thankful for each of you who have told me you are reading my blog. You are my sisters and friends. I am thankful for the ways you have impacted my life, and I love those times we get to spend together face to face. Although we should be giving thanks every day of the year, our thoughts

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-55044497249084857182009-03-04T11:47:00.003-05:002009-03-05T17:49:44.168-05:00

I have three children. Each of them is unique. Even when they were babies their personalities were showing themselves evident. For instance. My oldest liked her independence as a baby. She didn't like to be held and cuddled. She cried when I tried. She was happiest sitting somewhere where she could observe and laugh, but not have her personal bubble invaded. My middle one liked to be

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-38908120934849246942009-03-04T11:46:00.002-05:002009-03-05T17:51:04.097-05:00

The kids and I had the wonderful privilege of taking a couple of lengthy trips with my mom this summer. One trip we took was out west. One stop we made was Yellowstone National Park. It was amazing! We got to see animals (a bison and her calf walked by our car for a little bit), the sights, and the kids did the Junior Ranger program (I highly recommend this program at the national parks).

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-14944216854445749812009-03-04T11:45:00.002-05:002009-03-05T17:51:38.869-05:00

The Salmon swims upstream. He has a goal--to get to his spawing ground. He has a difficult path--swimming against the fast moving river. He has a strong desire to reach the end and accomplish his purposes. A glint in the water catches his eye. He looks and sees something tempting. He has a goal and a purpose, but he is hungry. In fact, he may reason, he might never fully accomplish his

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-46270875088422916102009-03-04T11:44:00.001-05:002009-03-05T17:52:28.188-05:00

We've been studying James, a book about the evidences of faith in our lives. We've looked at trials and our response to trials, but where do trials come from? When I am tempted, where does that temptation originate from? Who's to blame for my falling away?James 1:13 starts out, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God." God sends trials to strengthen us. We've already seen

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-91881297727807904012009-03-04T11:43:00.001-05:002009-03-05T17:52:57.322-05:00

We have been studying through trials here in James 1. We've seen the purpose of trials. We've seen how we are to handle trials (joyfully, with understanding, submitting to the work of God in our lives), and we've seen where the source of our strength comes in trials. Now we see in James 1:9-12, a brief glimpse at two different individuals in trials.In verse 9 we read, "Let the brother of low

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-90370144245666831992009-03-04T11:42:00.001-05:002009-03-05T17:53:31.081-05:00

Last week we looked at the reality of trials. All of us have trials in many different areas of our lives. We found in James 1:2 that we are to have an attitude of joy in our trials. In James 1:3 we see we need an attitude of understanding of what this trial is doing in our lives. In James 1:4 we see we need an attitude of submission, having patience to let God do His perfect work in our lives

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7980381304784727459.post-595143862345269792009-03-04T11:41:00.001-05:002009-03-05T17:54:22.694-05:00

James is a book that is primarily about the evidences of faith in our Christian lives. It tells us how our faith is to be evidenced to others around us. The first evidence James speaks about is the evidence of trials.There is not a one of us who has not experienced trials in some form or another. There are issues of health, finances, death of loved ones, abuse, expectations that are not met,

Ruthnoreply@blogger.com0