Thursday, August 4, 2016
The expression of love...
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
1 John 4 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1jn.4.11-12.NLT
Wednesday, August 3, 2016
The afterward...
In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.
1 Peter 5:10 NLT
http://bible.com/116/1pe.5.10.NLT
Monday, June 6, 2016
Thoughts while driving... Being intentional...
While driving this morning, I began to think about yesterday's sermon and what God is calling us to and where Pastor is leading us.... that as we draw closer to God, we need to be able to pray in the right way, in a different way. It's time to confess and repent of those sins that we continually do . While thinking, I began to declare my intent to do things in a manner that is more pleasing to God.
I want to be intentional in My Worship. I want to be intentional in my ministries. I want to be intentional on my job and in my school work. I want to be intentional in making my house more of a home. I want to be intentional in my prayer life. I want to be intentional in reading and studying God's Word.
I want to be intentional in My Worship. I want to be intentional in my ministries. I want to be intentional on my job and in my school work. I want to be intentional in making my house more of a home. I want to be intentional in my prayer life. I want to be intentional in reading and studying God's Word.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Reclaiming my voice
Today, during lunch, I reread every post of this blog.
Something about it called to me so that’s what I did… What I found was an
amazing journey of strength and weakness, prosperity and destitution, good times
and not-so-good times. From my first post in 2009 to my most recent post in
2016, there were several themes that stood out: loneliness, poor financial
stewardship, and prayer and praise through it all. I walked with my younger
self through my life, times, and whines and it made me reflective on how far I’ve
come and where I’m headed to next. A standout realization happened when I saw
that I barely blogged during my last relationship… a post on the day Maya
Angelou died and a post about respecting the procession of #BlackLivesMatter…
Here's to creating time and opportunities to blog... I'll do my best to maintain regularity!
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Ruthin' It
Ruth 2:12 May the Lord, the God
of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge, reward you fully for
what you have done.
Soooo, where do I begin? Forgive my rambling, but this is often how it starts…
Soooo, where do I begin? Forgive my rambling, but this is often how it starts…
First of all, I have not blogged in quite some time. Busy with work,
school, life… unsettled but too busy to realize it. Then with the semester out
of the way, I found my way back to enjoyment, extra time, guilt-free TV, and
running! Still, it sits inside me.
A thought or an idea would come to my head, but then I would let it fly, because who had time to write. Writing is a sacrifice, not only of your time, but also of your thoughts and your attention and your emotions. Writing takes it all out of you. Nevertheless, I knew I needed to do it. See, I have always found a special connection to my emotions when I write. I always say that I do not express myself as well as I want to in the spoken word, but in the written (with time to think), I feel like I can write and move mountains. Regardless of that, though, I do not really think of myself as a writer or that I have a story to tell. Right now, I write just to tap into those emotions - the ones that are deep inside, the ones where my spirit lives and where the Holy Spirit communes with me.
Newsflash – I do not always do what I am supposed to do. Even less surprising newsflash, I rarely do what I am supposed to do. Not that I’m outright disobedient, most of the time – I’m just so caught up in my own agenda, that I don’t hear my Father’s voice.
This is what my holding pattern is all about… This is why I have felt like I am on the edge of a precipice, ready to fall or jump any moment… I needed to hear Him. I needed to come back home to Him. I needed to strive to be closer to Him. This time of waiting, of preparation, of uncertainty is not for naught, but for my own good. I have never, in all my life, felt so peaceful in my uncertainty. My housing is up in the air, and I am just like, well, God got me. I have put feelers out there, but I am noncommittal either way. I want my housing situation (staying in my current apartment, moving to a new apartment, or buying a house) to be in order, God’s divine order. And let us just put the other thing out there – this whatever this is is cray-ridiculi-bonkers. Yes, that crazy that I had to make up a hyphenated word to attempt to describe this state. It is like an 8th grade crush, all grown up, on steroids with anointing oil. See what I am saying? Not a lick of sense in any of these words, but it perfectly describes it. And while I am on here bringing it to the forefront, so to speak, that is really all I am going to say about it. Just know that I am just a nutcase right now. And that as much as I want this situation to be resolved one way or the other, I want to be in God’s will so much more! I’ve tried it my way, over and over and over and over again and consistently end up somewhere else altogether. So, tonight, I boldly place both of these situations in God’s hands, in the name of Jesus. I am scared to relinquish them, but that is what faith is for. For too long, I have tried holding on to these situations, taking care of them, and nurturing them... No more! I can really do without the anticipation, the letdown, the buildup, the anxiety, the worry, the what ifs, the rushing, the planning. God, I want you to take control and have your way. Your will, not mine. And for me to be sitting still in your perfect peace, just waiting on my instructions!
To paraphrase Boaz, may the Lord God, in whom I place all my trust and in whom I find shelter, reward me fully for what I have done.
Reading, writing, watching, and praying – we’ll see if there are any more posts in down there.
That is it for tonight,
A thought or an idea would come to my head, but then I would let it fly, because who had time to write. Writing is a sacrifice, not only of your time, but also of your thoughts and your attention and your emotions. Writing takes it all out of you. Nevertheless, I knew I needed to do it. See, I have always found a special connection to my emotions when I write. I always say that I do not express myself as well as I want to in the spoken word, but in the written (with time to think), I feel like I can write and move mountains. Regardless of that, though, I do not really think of myself as a writer or that I have a story to tell. Right now, I write just to tap into those emotions - the ones that are deep inside, the ones where my spirit lives and where the Holy Spirit communes with me.
Newsflash – I do not always do what I am supposed to do. Even less surprising newsflash, I rarely do what I am supposed to do. Not that I’m outright disobedient, most of the time – I’m just so caught up in my own agenda, that I don’t hear my Father’s voice.
This is what my holding pattern is all about… This is why I have felt like I am on the edge of a precipice, ready to fall or jump any moment… I needed to hear Him. I needed to come back home to Him. I needed to strive to be closer to Him. This time of waiting, of preparation, of uncertainty is not for naught, but for my own good. I have never, in all my life, felt so peaceful in my uncertainty. My housing is up in the air, and I am just like, well, God got me. I have put feelers out there, but I am noncommittal either way. I want my housing situation (staying in my current apartment, moving to a new apartment, or buying a house) to be in order, God’s divine order. And let us just put the other thing out there – this whatever this is is cray-ridiculi-bonkers. Yes, that crazy that I had to make up a hyphenated word to attempt to describe this state. It is like an 8th grade crush, all grown up, on steroids with anointing oil. See what I am saying? Not a lick of sense in any of these words, but it perfectly describes it. And while I am on here bringing it to the forefront, so to speak, that is really all I am going to say about it. Just know that I am just a nutcase right now. And that as much as I want this situation to be resolved one way or the other, I want to be in God’s will so much more! I’ve tried it my way, over and over and over and over again and consistently end up somewhere else altogether. So, tonight, I boldly place both of these situations in God’s hands, in the name of Jesus. I am scared to relinquish them, but that is what faith is for. For too long, I have tried holding on to these situations, taking care of them, and nurturing them... No more! I can really do without the anticipation, the letdown, the buildup, the anxiety, the worry, the what ifs, the rushing, the planning. God, I want you to take control and have your way. Your will, not mine. And for me to be sitting still in your perfect peace, just waiting on my instructions!
To paraphrase Boaz, may the Lord God, in whom I place all my trust and in whom I find shelter, reward me fully for what I have done.
Reading, writing, watching, and praying – we’ll see if there are any more posts in down there.
That is it for tonight,
Ruthin’ Rynnie
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Respect the Procession!
This morning I woke up thinking about the movement. To be
clear, I’m talking about the nonviolent protests that are going on
around the world to protest the deaths and/or subsequent court activities in
which we feel justice was not upheld. I started thinking about my friends,
family, sorors/frat, and coworkers (of all races) who are not impacted by the
movement and how I’m okay with that. If you don’t feel a personal connection to
what is going on, that’s just the way it is. I started thinking about poor
taste in jokes and respect and it occurred to me that this movement has a lot
in common with a funeral procession.
Have you ever been driving in one direction when a funeral
procession is going the opposite way?
I usually do the same thing each time. It’s almost become a
habit.
- I usually get a little sad because I know what it’s like to lose someone
- I give a “moment of silence” and offer a quick prayer for the family – not really a full moment, but if I’m listening to loud music I usually lower the volume. If I’m talking on the phone, I end up going silent and losing track of what I was saying.
- I slow down because in my mind speeding in the opposite direction is disrespectful to the family. (I know this makes no sense and they aren’t paying attention but I just do it)
- I think about recent deaths I’m aware of (personal or media) and wonder if that is their procession, usually looking at the race of the people in the cars to try and figure it out.
- I subconsciously count the number of cars and wonder what that means about the deceased. Short processions I wonder if the person didn’t have a lot of family or friends or maybe folks didn’t feel like riding to the cemetery. Long processions make me think about loved that person must have been.
- I immediately go on with my trip because it doesn’t personally impact me
What do I do when I’m driving and the funeral procession
impedes my commute in some way? I still usually do the same thing each time,
but my emotions vary depending on where I’m trying to go and if I’m running
late (lol)
- I usually get a little sad because I know what it’s like to lose someone
- I give a “moment of silence” and offer a quick prayer for the family
- I think about recent deaths I’m aware of and wonder if that is their procession
- I slow down or stop because I have no choice, the procession is impacting my travel in some way or another.
- I purposefully try to count the number of cars still coming because I want to know how long is this going to impede my travel plans. If there are still several cars still to come, I start plotting my escape. Do I have to turn left and cross the procession, maybe I can just go right? Maybe I can take a side street and avoid this entire thing?
- My annoyance and frustration mounts based on how much the procession delayed my travel and my ability to avoid the procession
- Then I feel guilty for thinking about myself when someone so beloved has died and all these people are trying to do is get to the cemetery
- I eventually go on with my trip because again, it doesn’t personally impact me.
If you don’t feel the need to join the movement or agree with it, I’m fine with that. But can you please have a little respect for those who feel some kind of way? If it helps you, just think about it like a funeral procession. It’s not a time for jokes or blatantly rude behavior. Offer a quick prayer for those who are participating. Just respect the fact that we have lost a whole lot of someones and that we feel some kind of way about it. If this movement impedes you in any way, it is okay to feel frustrated. But remember, this doesn’t personally impact you, so you get to go on with your life…
#justice #accountability #BlackLivesMatter #AllLivesMatter
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)