It's about time...

I just spent the last 15 minutes reading my sister Rachel's blog...and I got inspired to write a new post for Ruth Reflections. There is PLENTY that I have been thinking about blogging over the past month (a trip to CA, Scotty's new web-site which has already been up for 4 weeks, 2 huge Breakthrough events that are over, and many cute Micah stories), but the details and photos for those events will have to wait for another few days. Why? Because I am currently in Arizona at my in-laws, and the photos I want to post with the above mentioned stories are on my computer in Chicago! I'll have to do a couple "Snapshot" blogs when I get back to Chicago next week. But for now, it just feels good to finally write something again.

Arizona...at the moment Scotty and Micah are napping, Auntie Amanda is resting, G'pa Scott and G'ma Lisa just returned from running some errands, and I am checking e-mail. Oh yes, and the 4 Pomeranian dogs are lounging inside in the cool kitchen (they aren't prone to enjoying the Arizona heat outside, and prefer the indoors). :-)

The last couple days here in AZ have been grand. It is nice for me to see my husband get a vacation! He's been working so hard at Breakthrough, and at home too (doing graphic design on the side). It's great to be here with family, and enjoy good, long conversations about life. It's wonderful to take a stroll around the neighborhood with my hubby and sis-in-law and talk about our hopes and fears for the future. It's such a blessing to have helping hands with Micah, so that Scott and I can be spontaneous and goofy - like starting a Super-Soaker war, which ended with jumping in the pool and swimming in our clothes (thanks for watching Micah, Amanda)! It's fun to watch Scott, Lisa, Scotty and Amanda interact as a family - and it's a blessing to be part of the Ruths too (as well as Micah)! :-)

That's it for now, folks. I need to go check on my sleeping men (the little one should be up soon). I'll get back to you all next week (hopefully) to give you pictures and stories about the life and times of the Windy City Ruths from the month of June. :-)


Oh, and Rachel, thanks for being an OCD blogger, so that it reminds me that I should be blogging too. :-)

G'pa and G'ma Ruth!

Over this past weekend, Scott and Lisa Ruth were in Chicago. What a WONDERFUL time we had together! We had not seen them since Thanksgiving, so reconnecting was long overdue. I could tell Micah had a great time with his grandpa and grandma, as did Scotty and I. We were able to talk, show them around the Breakthrough Ministry Center, eat out, stay in, laugh over family memories and a little Brian Regan, converse about politics, and have some good one-on-one times. We look forward to spending a weekend with them later in June as Scotty, Micah and I will fly to AZ to visit with them when Auntie Amanda is there too (and we haven't seen her since October)!

May Your Wonders Never Cease...

This morning I sat down and journaled to God...it had been months since I had really done that. Towards the end of my discussion with Him, this song came to my mind. I listened to it, and it really impacted me - God is so good, and He gave so much to have a relationship with me. The love He showed by sending His son Jesus to earth is unfathomable. I am not always faithful to thank Him or live fully for Him, yet even in my shortcomings, His love will not change for me. My heart yearns for God to be glorified above everything in my life.

May Your Wonders Never Cease
by Third Day
Father in Heaven
Lord, may Your name be glorified
Above all others
Above all this world
Above everything else in our lives
For nothing else in all of this world matters
But to live our lives for You and You alone

May Your wonders never cease
May Your Spirit never leave
May we ever long to see Your face
When we’ve turned from You again
Oh how quickly we forget
May we be reminded of Your grace
May Your wonders never cease

Beautiful Savior
Truly You proved Your love for us
While we were sinners in all our weakness
Still You gave Your life upon the cross
You saved us, Lord, from all our transgressions
And delivered us into Your loving arms

Father in Heaven
Lord, may Your name be glorified
Above all others
Above all this world
Above everything else that’s in our lives
For nothing else in all of this world matters
But to live our lives for You and You alone

One More Iris

Today is Mother's Day. I don't know if it's my first or second. Technically I was a mom last year, because I was pregnant with Micah, but this is the first year I've had a baby to hold on Mother's Day. Anyway, that's really insignificant...

Chicago is a crazy city when it comes to the weather. Ask any Chicagon why it might be sunny and 70 degrees on one day, then raining and 40 degrees the next day, and you'll likely hear, "This is Chicago!" We can't explain the weather, but we do know that it's a little fickle at time. Such was the case today. The last couple weeks we were experiencing glorious, sunny days, up to the high 70's. Yet overnight it dropped about 20 degrees, and this morning we woke to heavy rain.

Rainy days cry out, "Stay home and relax. Enjoy the indoors." Scott and I almost did that today. But it was Mother's Day and I wanted to go to church for one very specific reason. A flower - I know it sounds silly.

I can recollect numerous Mother's Days seeing all the moms receive a flower at church. And I am a mother this year, so I wanted to go to church and get a flower. For that reason, Scott and I got ready and went out in the rainy day so Bekah could get a Mother's Day flower at church. (Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy attending church for other reasons! Actually, if you're interested, you can check out our church's podcast...Pastor Peter declares the truth of God's Word, and it is food for the soul)!

Upon arriving at church (about 30 minutes late...), I was getting ready to find a seat with Micah while Scott parked the car. Before I got very far, an usher caught my attention, "Oh, I am so sorry! I just gave away the last flower to another mom!" What? Wait...how did this usher know I was banking on that flower today? Was I wearing a sign that read, "I came to church for a Mother's Day flower"? I played it cool and said, "Oh, that's fine!" and proceeded to take a seat. I glanced around the sanctuary and saw beautiful single roses sprinkled across the congregation in different mother's laps. But not mine. I wasn't sad really, I actually found it to be quite comical! I told Scott the whole story when he joined me in the pew, and we just chuckled to ourselves.

When we got home after church, I took some flowers out of our fridge that I had bought on Friday to pass out to some neighborhood moms. There were 2 packs of 5 Iris flowers - 10 total. And I had exactly 10 people to give them to. I took each Iris and attached a little Mother's Day note, and went to deliver them to each women they were intended for.

Guess what I soon discovered? After delivering 10 flowers, there was still one more Iris. I did the math in my head, and even used my fingers to count - 1, 2, 3...yes, I had delivered all the flowers, but there was still one more. There had been an extra Iris in one of the packs!

I got my Mother's Day flower after all. God does have a sense of humor! Though they ran out of flowers at church, I had bought an extra flower on Friday (unbeknownst to me), and that would end up being my Mother's Day flower. :-)

Farmer and Skater

Micah's wardrobe doesn't fit one style. For example...

Wednesday he was Farmer Boy...



Thursday he was Skater Boy...

Sitting and Teething

Micah is growing up! He can sit up on his own (well, if he feels like it - he still falls over at times)...







...and he currently has 4 teeth. It's not easy taking a picture of his teeth, so this one of him using those teeth to gnaw on his stroller will have to do. :-)

Prayer Request

I just finished reading an article in the Chicago Tribune...Yesterday a young woman named Amanda was killed by a car while riding her bicycle. I did not know Amanda, but I know others who were friends with her. Amanda had attended Moody Bible Institute, and she was in the same graduating class as Scott. The scene of the accident is just over 2 miles from where I live; I've driven through this intersection numerous times.

It is such a sad thing when a young person, so full of life, loved by many, dies suddenly. I cannot fully comprehend it. I am again reminded that this world is not our home. I know Amanda is with her Heavenly Father at this moment, in Heaven with the One who created her. He is the one Amanda served and loved, and now she is with Him.

Please pray for Amanda's family, her boyfriend, her students, her friends...God is so real, and I know He will comfort, heal and love all these people who are hurting so terribly.