May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face
The rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again
May God hold you in the palm of his hand
May God be with you and bless you
May you see your children’s children
May you be poor in misfortune
Rich in blessings
May you know God's joy
From this day forward
May the road rise to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of the sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near
Green be the grass you walk on
Blue be the skies above you
Pure be the joys that surround you
True be the hearts that love you
Sunday 2 March 2008
Tuesday 26 February 2008
Wisdom
Do you feel wise? Like me, you may well have answered with a resounding 'NO!'
At church we've been going through the book of James - a book with lots of practical advice. James tells us: 'If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.' (James 1:5-6)
So I've been doing lots of asking for wisdom AND assuring God that I'm certain he's giving it to me! I think God's amazing - he gives generously to ALL without finding fault. ANYONE can have wisdom from God, just for the asking!
Wisdom is an interesting quality though. I suspect it's a bit like humility - if you think you've got it you haven't. It can only be accurately authenticated by others and, like humility, will vanish if you become focussed on it or take pride in having it.
Proverbs talks a lot about wisdom. Just one snippet - 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.' (Prov 9:10) That's one clue about what wisdom looks like.
James gives us a few clues about recognising true wisdom: '...the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.' (James 3:17-18)
Looks like I've got quite a way to go!
At church we've been going through the book of James - a book with lots of practical advice. James tells us: 'If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.' (James 1:5-6)
So I've been doing lots of asking for wisdom AND assuring God that I'm certain he's giving it to me! I think God's amazing - he gives generously to ALL without finding fault. ANYONE can have wisdom from God, just for the asking!
Wisdom is an interesting quality though. I suspect it's a bit like humility - if you think you've got it you haven't. It can only be accurately authenticated by others and, like humility, will vanish if you become focussed on it or take pride in having it.
Proverbs talks a lot about wisdom. Just one snippet - 'The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.' (Prov 9:10) That's one clue about what wisdom looks like.
James gives us a few clues about recognising true wisdom: '...the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.' (James 3:17-18)
Looks like I've got quite a way to go!
Friday 22 February 2008
On being a Grandma and a Mum
My relationship with my daughter underwent a radical change as soon as she knew she was pregnant with her first child. I can remember sitting for over an hour on the stairs where I'd been when the phone rang! What excitement - for both of us.
I don't remember what we talked about, but it was the start of frequent phone calls - phone calls that increased in frequency after Elizabeth was born. My dear daughter Jean had an unshakable (and, for me, terrifying) faith in my ability to answer her many questions, despite the fact that it was 28 years since I had cared for a new born infant.
Somehow I fell into a mutually beneficial way of responding - God must have been watching over both of us with great compassion! When Jean asked me a question I found myself answering, 'What do you think you should do darling?' OR 'What did you do sweetheart?' Almost invariably what she was planning to do or had already done was perfect - or close to perfect - for the situation. All I needed to do was tell her that.
On the few occasions when I was less sure about her approach I had two options: I could suggest a different approach or honestly say, 'I haven't a clue. What do your books say?' Jean is an avid reader - and a great Mum - check out her blog. She has shelves of well-thumbed childcare books full of advice.
The unanticipated outcome was that Jean felt totally affirmed as a new Mum and (until I told her my secret) laboured under the misapprehension that I was the fount of all childcare wisdom and knowledge. We had always been close, but walking with her through the births and lives of her four wonderful children has strengthened that bond.
I have a philosophy of not telling either of my children how to run their lives - of not giving gratuitous advice - indeed any advice at all, unless asked for it. But here was my dear daughter asking! Often she has turned to me as she weathered childrearing storms. I have had the privilege of sitting with her in hospital with ill children, of listening as she cried from exhaustion, of laughing with her over things that the children have said or done, sometimes crying with her as she poured out her concerns. Together we delight in my grandchildren, and I delight in our changing and developing friendship. I thank God for her often and for the joy of sharing with her so much of the joy and pain, the delight and frustration of being a Mum.
I don't remember what we talked about, but it was the start of frequent phone calls - phone calls that increased in frequency after Elizabeth was born. My dear daughter Jean had an unshakable (and, for me, terrifying) faith in my ability to answer her many questions, despite the fact that it was 28 years since I had cared for a new born infant.
Somehow I fell into a mutually beneficial way of responding - God must have been watching over both of us with great compassion! When Jean asked me a question I found myself answering, 'What do you think you should do darling?' OR 'What did you do sweetheart?' Almost invariably what she was planning to do or had already done was perfect - or close to perfect - for the situation. All I needed to do was tell her that.
On the few occasions when I was less sure about her approach I had two options: I could suggest a different approach or honestly say, 'I haven't a clue. What do your books say?' Jean is an avid reader - and a great Mum - check out her blog. She has shelves of well-thumbed childcare books full of advice.
The unanticipated outcome was that Jean felt totally affirmed as a new Mum and (until I told her my secret) laboured under the misapprehension that I was the fount of all childcare wisdom and knowledge. We had always been close, but walking with her through the births and lives of her four wonderful children has strengthened that bond.
I have a philosophy of not telling either of my children how to run their lives - of not giving gratuitous advice - indeed any advice at all, unless asked for it. But here was my dear daughter asking! Often she has turned to me as she weathered childrearing storms. I have had the privilege of sitting with her in hospital with ill children, of listening as she cried from exhaustion, of laughing with her over things that the children have said or done, sometimes crying with her as she poured out her concerns. Together we delight in my grandchildren, and I delight in our changing and developing friendship. I thank God for her often and for the joy of sharing with her so much of the joy and pain, the delight and frustration of being a Mum.
Hi from Ruth!
First of all, a bit about me. I'm a wife of one, mother of two and grandmother of six. This photo is of me with Thomas, one of my grandsons, at last year's Carols By Candlelight. At my age candlelight is an excellent idea!
I'm not sure how often I will write in this blog, but if I do you'll doubtless find out that I am a committed Christian, a doting grandmother and mother, a business owner, and value the love and closeness of family and friends.
If you want to read a REALLY good blog try my daughter's - it's great AND she can be relied upon to actually write something significant in it regularly! You'll also hear a bit about four of my wonderful grandchildren. Perhaps one day I'll write about being a grandmother for all you internet-literate grandmas out there. If you'd like that let me know!
One extract from Jean's blog - an extract I read most days - is probably a good way to start:
We love God most and serve God best by doing the thing he asks of us,
rather than constantly wishing we could do something else instead.
The great lesson that I am constantly having to learn is that my circumstances, far from being the enemy of my soul, are its friend, its teacher. They set the agenda, mark out the course, underline the lessons I most need to learn, and persist in dragging me back to those lessons when I want to wander off into something more appealing but less beneficial. This is not a cruelty to me, but God's kindness.
May God bless you this day and speak to your heart and mind the things that you most need to hear!
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