Got Peace?

"Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.^" - 2 Thessalonians 3:16

I hope that everyone is feeling blessed, I haven’t posted a blog in awhile due to a busy semester! Seven classes seems like a lot but with wonderful professors and great classmates, it wasn’t all that bad. ;) However, that is not the only reason. I’m not one to write about everything I think or hear. I write when I feel inspired to share what God has laid on my heart.

A common Bible verse or lyric to a song that is commonly quoted at Christmas time comes from Luke 2:14 which says “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” As I was reflecting on this verse, I had a “aha” moment as I was thinking of a few more verses from scripture. Shortly before Jesus’ death, He said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) A few chapters later in John 16:33, we see Jesus telling us again that “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The English definition of peace is “freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility.” However, if you look at the Hebrew and Greek word for peace you will find that its’ meaning is so much greater. I strongly recommend that you all do your own research to find the meanings of shalom (Hebrew) and eiréné (Greek). Essentially the word peace means that we are completed and made whole. With the peace of Jesus, there is harmony, safety, security, prosperity, felicity, salvation, rest, reconciliation, health and so much more.

Jesus tells us that in this world there will be trouble and it is true, as we see tragedy, evil and horror  but remember we are told to take heart (to receive courage and comfort) because Jesus did indeed overcame the world, and so have we. “For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

Peace entered the world the exact moment that Jesus was born and His peace is still with us this very moment in time. We have nothing to be afraid of, so let go of all the worry and fear, and rest in the peace and promises that He has given us.

I hope that you and your family all have a blessed and Merry Christmas filled with God's peace, blessings and grace.

 

Hopeless Christians?

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” - Jeremiah 29:11

Hopeless Christians? Christians without hope? These two things should never ever be put together, so why are we seeing so many Christians living lives with depression, fear, defeat, failure, hatred and sadness? Yes, there is persecution, as it is very evident in the Middle East. This world is far from perfect but we need to stop living lives as though we are victims to the evil of this world. John 10:10 says,  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I  (Jesus)have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Did you understand what the only begotten Son is saying?! He came to give us an abundant life that we could live to the fullest. He came not only to give us salvation but He came to give us hope and a future, He came so that we could fulfill the dreams that He put inside each and everyone's hearts. Yet, I see Christians thinking the opposite. We think and believe that in order to bring glory to God that we must live a life full of heartache and pain. What? What about the Bible that tells us that by Jesus' stripes we are healed?  (Isaiah 53:5 and 1 Peter 2:24) Or Psalms 91 where it says that we don't need to fear because He loves us and will protect His children? (Psalm 91) Or when He tells us that we lack nothing? (Psalm 23:1), God takes care of the birds so how much more will he take care of his children? (Matthew 6:26) It is time to start living as if we are free because we are in free indeed. "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." - Galatians 5:1.

It's time to change and renew our minds. The devil is clever, he likes to sugarcoat and twist things around, after all why would he want to see God's children free from diseases, poverty, fear and defeat? No, I'm not saying the Christian walk will be just butterflies and rainbows, as there will be mountains to climb, but what I am saying is that we need to see ourselves the way the Father sees us, and trust His word. If Scripture tells us that he has came to give us life and to give us healing, protection, peace or that we don't ever have to lack anything, believe it. When you find the truth, and experience His freedom, grace and favor, I'm telling you that your life will be forever changed.

My Story

"Once you start recognizing the truth of your story, finish the story. It happened but you are still here, you're still capable, powerful, you're not your circumstance. It happened and you made it through. You're still fully equipped with every single tool you need to fulfill your purpose." - Steve Maraboli

Even though I am only 21 years old, I have been through a lot in my life, I have been through a great deal of heartache and emotional and physical pain. I grew up in a Christian home and my home life was great but in school I was bullied, not just by students but by a few teachers as well. My story shows the power of God’s healing, physically, mentally, and spiritually! Now I know this isn't my whole story but just a few events of my life that have shaped me into who I am today. There were many joyous moments and blessings in my life too, like my cousins giving me a car, Tim Tebow tweeting me ;),  going to Nicaragua, graduating high school with honors, getting my dream dog, and so much more. 

When I was a baby, I would get seizures and when I was around the ages of 18 months to 3 years old, my eyes would be matted shut every day and would bleed. My parents believed that God would heal me and He did!

I was around the age of four when I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I remember sitting in my car seat and asked my mom how do I go to Heaven and she told me that Jesus died for my sins and that I had to ask Him into my heart and so I did.

When I was between the ages of 9-17, I was verbally bullied in school. (Now it wasn't the whole school or class that bully but there were always someone trying to cut me down.). In elementary school, I was often called fat and ugly, and would often be compared to animals that are large in nature, such as, pigs, cows,whales and elephants.

When I was in middle school, the fat jokes continued and I was told that I would never have a boyfriend or husband because I was too ugly. I hated going to school and would often skip class to help my mom who was the president of the school’s PTF (Parent Teacher Fellowship) club. In the middle of the summer right before my 7th grade year, I had foot surgery on both my feet that left me in a wheelchair the rest of the summer. I also spent the next year in physical therapy and the worst part was that my dream of playing on my school’s sport team was crushed. A few years prior, I always envisioned myself playing on a sport’s team. My best friend at the time decided she no longer wanted to be friends and ignored me in school and acted like I never existed. I felt that I could go to no one including the teachers because of lack of trust I had. How was I supposed to go to a teacher when other students were being mean to me when a few particular teachers told other classes about my personal business and feelings? (I am thankful for the teachers who did stand up for me and did believe in me!)  I was constantly being made fun of, I just wanted to die. No, I didn’t want to commit suicide but I just didn’t want to wake up because the pain was just far too great. I felt that I had no one to stand up for me when I was in need.

When I entered my freshman year of high school, I had a math teacher that  basically told me to forget my dreams (at the time) of becoming a doctor because I didn’t understand the concept of math and science, and he would often make me feel stupid for asking a question on how to work out a math problem. Towards the end of the school year, this teacher was gone for 6-7 weeks and so my science teacher became my math teacher during this time span. My grades were getting higher and I was actually starting to understand the concept of this math. However, I was told this math teacher was coming back and I cried because I feared what might come and that my grades would drop again so my science teacher told me to come to her and she would help. He found out that I was getting tutored by someone else and he yelled at the class accusing one of us of being a manipulator, liar and cheater and a few students yelled that it was me, all because I was searching help.

At the age of 15, I was baptized and decided that no matter what, I was going to live for Christ. My sophomore year was the hardest year of my life. I was elected to be on my high school’s homecoming court and a guy who was also elected shouted out in one of our classes that he didn’t want to walk with me because I was an embarrassment to him, for the remainder of the class, I fought to hold back the tears because I was humiliated and hurt. Why couldn’t someone stand up for me? I would have surely stood up for them if they were the one in pain. Another time, there was a misunderstanding between me and a couple of girls at my school and I did cry before they could explain their reasoning. We got things resolved and then a classmate asked me what was wrong, I told her that I was fine and it was all a misunderstanding but she kept asking and I told her that it was nothing. She went to the girls I had a misunderstanding with to find out what happened and they told her. She came to me after class and said I know what happened and for the next two weeks, every time she saw me she would make a throwing up gesture at me. I was hurt, so that afternoon I packed up everything that was in my locker with no intent of returning to school.

I was home schooled my junior year and although there wasn’t any bullying from classmates, there was still bullying. A family member started all these rumors about my mom to their sweetheart and then she would come to my sister, cousin and I, stating I hope you aren’t like your mother or aunt. When I would defend my mom, she would twist my words to make her look like the victim. My family and I experienced several losses the year I was home schooled as well. 15 people that we knew died in a time period of 16 months, these people included my grandmother, my great-uncle, classmates, and neighbors and other loved ones. The summer between junior and senior year of high school, we drove up to Ohio, to attend my great-uncle’s funeral, and as we were headed back home we witnessed two teens get killed in a horrific car accident.

My senior year of high school seemed to be off to a great start because I wasn’t being bullied! In February, my dad lost his job. He was the only income my family had because my mom was a stay at home mom. It was hard in the beginning but God provided and was faithful each day.

My high school requires the seniors to go on a mission trip, so I was very excited to leave the USA for the first time and to do missions! Although, I did have foot surgery, I still had pain if I walked too long, I couldn’t walk for more than 30 minutes without taking time to sit down or my feet being in excruciating pain.  There has been many times that I would have to crawl out of my car to the house because I could not walk. So a day before we left for our senior trip, I received healing for both my feet!, I could walk for miles with no pain! I was having the time of my life in Honduras until half way between the trip, I overhead this guy in my class tell other classmates that he was going to ask me out, so that he would be my first boyfriend, and then he would dump me after we got back in the States. I cried, I could not understand why people disliked me or what made me an easy target.  I wasn’t a mean person and if people were to say something nice and genuinely meant it, I would always be trying to find a way to help them or do something kind for them.

I applied and was accepted to come to this awesome Christian university that is in my home town, but wasn’t able to come the fall after graduating because I had zero scholarships and grants, and had no way to pay for books or tuitions. The year following graduation was hard and I was depressed, I would sleep for most of the day and stay awake all night. I applied for jobs but never received any calls or I would try to see friends but they were all too busy. Later that year, I decided that I wanted to go on another mission trip because I liked helping others and I liked seeing God working in my own life. So I went with my church to Nicaragua for a week, I knew no one except for a family, whom I kinda knew from school. This trip was life changing! One of the days I was there we were taking a break and doing devotions, when a team member said, if you feel God tugging at your heart to do something, do it. He won't be mad or angry with you if you don't but you would regret or always wonder "what if" I would have done it. So that evening, we were at a park having a concert and I was sitting on the stairs and I felt God telling me to tell this man that I (God) love you. I saw this man and to this day I will never forget what he looks like or what he was wearing. He was about 5'11-6 feet tall, wearing a blue tshirt with gym shorts and a baseball cap, and one of his eyes was droopy and swollen. I sat there and the words "tell him I love him" just grew louder and louder and I began to cry, I whispered God, I don't know Spanish. Thankfully one of my translators and a few team members saw me and asked what's wrong and I said God wants me to tell him I love him but I don't know what to say, so my translator and her friend told them what was supposed to be said and he smiled. After the sermon, the other mission team members and I formed "two human walls" that people could walk through in order to receive prayer. There was a certain man that I think no one who went on that trip will forget. This man had a few mental delays and he wanted Jesus to be Lord of His life and as he was being led between us, he started falling and the next thing I knew I was falling on my knees to catch his head so that he wouldn't hit it on the floor. This man was shaking for a few minutes and then stopped and laid still for awhile. Everyone who was near him laid hands on him, praying for him and that God would use him in many ways, all of us teen girls were crying joyous tears because of how strong we felt the presence of God!  In the fall of 2012, I was able to come to this university that I applied to during my senior year of high school. I received scholarships and met new friends. People were reaching out to me! I had professors pour into my life and made be feel wanted and loved. This university has become a healing and restoring place for me. My confidence is going up while my insecurities are going down.

I am not sure of the plans God has for me now, but I do want people to hear my story and realize they are not alone and that somehow something good will come from these heartaches. Do I wish that I went through all that pain? Absolutely not! Yet, I can now see how God can use my story to help make a difference in someone else's life. Every day, God is mending the areas in my life that have been broken and bruised. I can say and do believe that God will take this evil that was plotted  against me to make it for His glory and my good. God is my healer. I may never understand in this earthly life why I went through the things I went through but I know that God is mighty and loving and that He does exchange the ashes for beauty, the pain for healing, the hate for love, the brokenness for wholeness, the rejection for acceptance and the bitterness for forgiveness. To those who have hurt me, I want you to know that I do forgive you and if any you who did  hurt me regretted what they have done, forgive yourself, because I have and most importantly God has forgiven you too. If I didn’t go through the things that I went through, I don’t think I would have a passion to reach out to those who are hurting. Also I want to say thank you a million times to those who believed in me because without you, I don’t think I would be where I am today. Thank you, God, for trading my sorrows for joy!

My Bucket List!

"One’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things."  – Henry Miller.

Life Goals:

Graduate High School.

Graduate College.

Get Married.

Have Children.

Adopt A Child.

Travel Goals:

Visit all 50 states: (Not Just Drive Through!)

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Visit All Countries in Central America:

Guatemala

Belize

Honduras

Costa Rica

Nicaragua

Panama

See These Buildings:

Giraffe Manor 

Great Wall of China

Northern Lights

Buckingham Palace

Grand Canyon

Sydney Opera House

Eiffel Tower

Abbey Road 

Great Pyramids

Parthenon

Colosseum 

Taj Mahal

Stonehenge

Golden Gate Bridge

Mayan Ruins

Washington D.C. Memorials 

Big Ben

Lady Liberty 

Easter Island

Mount Rushmore 

Visit These Other Countries:

England

France

Germany

Austria

Switzerland

Czech Republic

Italy

Greece

Australia

Ethiopia

Adventures:

Go backpacking in Europe.

Fly a plane.

Ride an elephant.

Ride a camel.

Ride in a submarine.

Ride a horse on the beach.

Ride on a train.

Go jet skiing.

Go kayaking.

Jump off a waterfall.

Skydive. 

Go zorbing.

Go on a safari.

Go bungee jumping.

Go snorkeling.

Go ziplining.

Swim with dolphins.

Go white water rafting.

Go on a safari.

Go to the Olympics.

Go on a cruise.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Ireland.

Study Abroad. 

Volunteer in an orphanage. 

Hold a baby tiger.

Throw a dart and travel to wherever it lands.

Build an igloo.

Meet These People:

Tim Tebow

Bethany Hamilton

Duggar Family
Robertson Family:
Jase Robertson

Other Things To Cross Off My List:

Have a role in a movie.

Put together a family cookbook.

Be a bridesmaid.

Have a dog for its entire life.

Write a letter to myself and open it in 10 years.

Give people a reason to remember my name.

Speak Spanish fluently.

Go to a FSU game. 

Go see a ballet.

Go see an opera.

Dear Tim Tebow

Dear Tim Tebow,

Thank you for shining your light in a dark world.

Thank you for using your platform to bring glory and honor God.

Thank you for being unashamed to stand up for your beliefs, even if it means to be mocked, ridiculed and critized.

Thank you for encouraging others to believe in their dreams,even if no one else believes them.

Thank you for being obedient to God and taking care of the orphans.

Thank you for "bringing faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need."

Thank you for having a heart and being compassionate to those who are around you. One of my favorite things about you is granting these kids with wishes and making some of their wildest dreams come true. You are helping these kids and young adults to feel normal again and letting them see that they are loved and that they have a purpose in this life. What I would give for my older sister and her friends,who are mentally delayed, to feel normal and have people love and accept them for who they are.  

Thank you for showing me what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.

Tim, thank you for being a role-model and inspiration in my life. May God continue to give His favor and blessings over your life. 

Your Biggest Fan,

~Ruthie~

"Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." - 1 Timothy 4:12

It's Worth The Wait

I'm a type of person that learns a lesson not only through my own personal life experiences but I also learn by watching others. I believe that there is a reason why God sets boundaries. He doesn't set them to keep you or I from having fun but to rather protect us. Everything has some sort of boundary around it, so we shouldn't step over that boundary. When we do step over, we are putting ourselves into danger and heartache. One thing that God has given us boundaries on is sex. God created sex to be good. He created sex for a husband and wife in marriage. Not before marriage, not with a "lover", multiple people, or etc. Only for a married man and woman. The reason why I am writing this blog is because I have seen the hurt in many people who have stepped out of those boundaries, whether it was up to them or not. I don't judge them, I pray for them. I don't think I am a better person because I am waiting until I am married before I have sex, because I have my own struggles and I haven't been tempted by sexual temptations. Sex was created to be good, it was created to bring a bond between a husband and a wife. It wasn't created for evil purposes. But what do you mean? How is sex evil?

• People are being sold and abused to satisfy someone's "needs".
• It's creating these bonds that should never have been created.
• I believe that all children (no matter how they were conceived) are blessings, but what is evil is when that child is aborted because the parents weren't ready or when a parent chooses not to be apart of that child's life.
• What is evil is when girls and even some guys, believe that the only way they can receive love is to give themselves away.
• It's evil when young children are being raped and molested for someone else's pleasure.
• Sex is evil when it used to manipulate someone  to believing that there only worth and value comes from performing for others.

My heart is sad for those who have fallen in this trap. I am not judging, because it is not my job and I have made my own mistakes. However, I want you to know that I do love and care for you way to much to see you hurting. Despite what you or I have done, God loves us with an everlasting love. He wants the best for you and I. He doesn't want you to stay stuck where you are, He'll help you. The crazy wonderful awesome thing about God is that He is the God of new beginnings of every day, every hour, every minute and every second, because of Jesus, we are a new creation! We are overcomers, we don't have to let our past define who we are. 

Eat That: Homemade Dinner Rolls

What can I say, these dinner rolls are so delicious and easy to make! I adapted this recipe from http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/recipes/dinner-rolls/ ,but I did make a few changes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups of all purpose flour 
• 1 envelope of active dry yeast 
• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar 
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/3 cup of butter, soften at room temperature. 
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons of melted butter to brush on top of baked rolls.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large microwavable bowl, melt the 1/3 cup of butter in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
2. Add the milk to the butter, microwave for 30 seconds. Stir the butter and milk together and then microwave for another 30 seconds.
3. Sprinkle the yeast into the milk and butter mixture and let it proof for about 10 minutes.
4. Add the egg yolks, sugar, salt and one cup of the flour into the milk and butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.
5. Add 2nd cup of flour and stir.
6. Add your third cup of flour and stir.
7. With the remaining 4th cup of  flour, flour your work surface and dump the dough and start kneading. Knead the dough until it is nice and smooth..
8. Take another large bowl and grease it with olive oil, vegetable oil or cooking spray. Form the dough into a ball and place it in the oiled bowl, grease the top and sides of the dough with a little oil. Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and place it somewhere warm to rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
9. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the dough down and cut and shape into 12 rolls, put the rolls onto a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish or large cookie sheet.
10. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for another hour.
11. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 375*F.
12. Bake the rolls for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown and brush the rolls with the 3 tablespoons of melted butter and serve immediately!

 NOTE:

•  If you go to the website where I got this recipe from, you will see that she makes the dough in a mixer. I tried this but I found that the dough got to dry and that I wasted flour.
• Also, I think that this is best eaten right before you want to serve them as I find that they do get dense while they cool.