April 2018 RUBY magazine

March 2018

Lilies of the Valley

by Joan Leotta

Give Your Home a Spring Update

by Jehn Kubiak

Better than Baseball Season

by Lisa J. Radcliff

What If? The Intersection of Faith and Doubt

by Joanne Jarrett MD

The Sound of a Silent Soul

by Suzane Avadiar I Lie For a Reason

by R.G. Sharpe

RUBY Magazine Your voice, your story APRIL, 2018 www.rubyforwomen.com

In This Issue of RUBY HE CALLS YOU Beautiful Hearing the Voice of Jesus in the Song of Songs

by Dee Brestin Book Review

by Miriam Jacob

Spring Wreath Celebrating the Seasons

by Theresa L Begin

Spring has finally arrived! Even though it can still be a bit chilly and breezy around here, there is definitely a feeling of spring in the air. With our family’s Easter celebrations early in the month of April, we are ready to turn our focus to our home and gardens and get busy with outdoor projects.

In this issue of RUBY magazine you will find articles on spring home décor and DIY projects, as well as book reviews, inspirational articles, poetry, and our Kids’ Korner with a short story plus a word search puzzle.

We would love to have you join us in the RUBY community, now on Facebook, so it is really easy for you to connect with us. Here’s the link: https://www.facebook.com/rubyforwomen/ Hope to see you there!

Senior Editor: Nina Newton Editorial Assistant: Theresa Begin Feature Writers: Sharon L. Patterson, Norma C. Mezoe, Shara Bueler-Repka, Rejetta Morse, Joan Leotta, Kathryn Ross, Lisa J. Radcliff, R.G. Sharpe, Tim Bishop, Jehn Kubiak, Suzane Avadiar, Miriam Jacob, Jody Lee Collins, Nells Wasilewski, Diana Leagh Matthews, Joanne Jarrett, Jennifer Workman, Emmanuel O. Afolabi, Sharmelle Olson, Jean Ann Williams, Lynn Mosher

Until Then

by Stuart Hamblen History of Hymns

by Diana Leagh Matthews THE DIY Home Planner Practical Tips and Inspiring Ideas to DECORATE IT YOURSELF

by KariAnne Wood Book Review

by Lynn Mosher

Hide and Seek

by Jody Lee Collins

Credits and Copyrights All stories and articles are copyright by the authors.

All pictures and images are copyright by the authors and / or have been purchased, used by permission or are in the public domain. If any pictures or images have been used inadvertently, and they do not belong in this publication, please email us and we will immediately remove them.

Nothing in this issue of RUBY magazine may be reproduced, copied, or shared without the permission of the author.

Advertising information is available by contacting us at editor@rubyforwomen.com Questions? Email Nina @ editor@rubyforwomen.com RUBY magazine is published by CreativeLife All submission inquiries should be directed to: Nina Newton, Sr. Editor RUBY magazine editor@rubyforwomen.com

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Looking to the Future, Remembering the Past Handmade and refashioned garments and accessories from Tatters to Treasures

There is Sunshine in My Soul Today Nina Newton, Sr. Editor I’ve always had window boxes where we’ve lived, even if I could only set a box on a stand in front of one of my windows. I love window boxes, but they can be really heavy to attach to the side of a house . . . and then when you add the dirt and plants, well, they are sometimes just too heavy!

So this spring I’m working on adding a few free-standing window boxes on the windows that look out onto our deck, and if I can manage it, I would like to add a few by our front door.

When we lived at the lake, we had mostly shade all around our house so impatiens in the flower boxes and hostas all around the yard worked perfectly. Now that we have moved into town, we have more sunlight so I have more options for flowers in my window boxes, but I still like the impatiens the best.

Our house is very light blue-gray with white trim so I’m thinking of sticking with white window boxes and red flowers, but who knows what I’ll come up with as soon as the weather is warm enough to get them filled up!

The great thing about window boxes, or container gardening in general, is that you can have all of the fun and beauty of a tiny garden anywhere you want.

If you live in the city and only have a very small balcony or patio, you can still have a few boxes or other containers filled with bright blooms to cheer up your home and yard.

Since we live in town, but we live just on the edge of town, we have a pretty big yard, a huge deck with a gazebo (all of which needs to be painted this summer!), as well as a lovely front yard with a couple of flower beds that desperately need some TLC this spring.

The main challenge in having such a large yard and garden areas is to get things cleaned up and filled with plants each spring. Every year I try to add a few new perennials, but since we have only been in this house two years, I still have a lot of work to do.

Over time, however, the flower gardens and yard will be filled with lots of perennials and then I can add a few seasonal flowers each spring. Once we get the gardens cleaned up from winter, one of my first projects is going to be the flower boxes!

I’m so ready for spring . . . are you?

Hide and Seek

by Jody Lee Collins This is the day I found my purple gardening gloves.

Not all purple, mind you, but leather on the business side, lost in the melee of home projects, outdoor-type, stashed behind the paint cans and spackle, under the eaves, out of the weather.

Irreplaceable, thank you.

“No honey, I can’t just wear your gloves, they’re extra-large.

I want mine; they fit. Like a glove.”

This is also the day I found the black peppercorns–16 ounce plastic container from the Big Box store. (and why do we need all those peppercorns? And how did such a vast sum go missing?)

Eyes alert for something else, I wasn’t even looking for my gloves. Imagine the silent leap inside as I laid eyes on what had been lost after all those days.

I leave my prayers in odd places, too.

Gathering dust in hidey-hole corners, out of sight and out of mind.

Forget to remember where I’ve laid down my heavy-laden heart, living with the loss of unanswered thoughts until I go searching for something else.

Then the Light strikes and the Spirit tugs. I reach back in the cobwebs, out of the way underneath all the noise. And I’m found instead by Him, stretching out his hands with answers I need to questions I never knew were there, where He’s been waiting all along.

Looking to the Future, Remembering the Past

by Norma C. Mezoe

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him….

–Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) Early this morning I was examining an African violet which has been struggling to grow for many months.

Suddenly it slipped from my hands and dirt flew in all directions. The violet was violently uprooted from its home. As I cleaned dirt from counter tops, the sink, and stove, I sensed God was teaching me a valuable lesson.

It seemed that perhaps God was telling me this is how my life had been. Even though I had been a Christian for many years, my growth was stunted. Then I experienced a crisis in my life. As with the little plant, my roots were torn from their safe surroundings. My world was changed overnight and my life was broken into many pieces.

Then, just as I had cleaned all the bits of dirt from my kitchen and placed them back into the flower pot, so God had tenderly taken all the scattered pieces of my life and had begun remolding them. He placed each piece lovingly and perfectly into its proper place and molded me tenderly into a fresh and new vessel. Since then my life has begun to grow and bloom as never before.

Perhaps we need occasionally to have our roots shaken and branches pruned so God can perform the miracle of spiritual growth in our lives.

The devotion above was published thirty years ago. The crisis I wrote about had occurred three years earlier. My husband of twenty-seven years had left me for another woman.

The months and years which followed have been times of spiritual growing, intermingled with dealing with other crises, including financial needs and health concerns.

When my faith has weakened and anxieties threatened to tear at my peace and shred my joy, I have remembered my past.

It is not wise to live in the past and dwell on what might have been. However, it is helpful to look to our pasts and remember the way our Lord walked with us through the heartaches, cares, and concerns life had thrown upon us.

It is encouraging to recall how my needs were met, sometimes in unexpected ways. God didn’t always take away my problems, but he walked with me through them.

As I live my life, I have confidence that as God guided my past, he will also walk with me today and will be there as I step into the future. Like the violet, my roots have been shaken, but now they are firmly rooted in the soil of God’s love.

First Rights – Christiandevotions.us – Published 3/27/16

Spring Harvest Baking ~ Rustic Strawberry Rhubarb Galette

by Theresa Begin I'm sharing my Spring Harvest Baking ~ Rustic StrawberryRhubarb Galette recipe with you, today. What more could you want for breakfast?! It also makes a wonderful dessert and is always a favorite at potlucks!

Don’t you just love this time of year, when the beautiful berries and gardens are producing and, finally, the prices have come down? I absolutely love this!! Mornings are still cool enough to bake or do some canning. Yes, I am old school and would prefer to make my own versus buying store-bought. It is the only way I know exactly what is in the food I eat.

Well, I am lucky enough to have two booming crops of rhubarb with plenty ready now to take advantage of the strawberry sales and get a head start...Yummy. So I decided, this morning, to make one of my faves…a Rustic Strawberry-Rhubarb Galette!!

I have worked on this recipe a lot over the years, and am quite pleased with how all the “tweaking” I’ve done turned out. I thought you might enjoy the results of my hard labor, so-to-speak.

First of all, I made sure I could find strawberries on a great sale before I decided to harvest some of my fresh rhubarb. (Did I mention that since the gophers in my backyard killed one of the plants, my wonderful Mum has been kind enough to grow my rhubarb in her backyard for me for the last three years?) Isn’t she wonderful?!

I found the strawberries 2 Lbs./$3.00!! That is an incredible deal where I come from and they are just perfect. I washed and hulled them and sliced them to a bake-able size. Then I went over to my Mum’s and pulled about 14-15 nice firm stalks of rhubarb washed and cut them up.

Now, here's one of those tricks I’ve discovered after making this recipe over and over (my family LOVES it, and would have me make one, daily, if possible) Because the rhubarb’s density and cooking time can vary, I wanted to make sure that it would cook and be tender in the baking time.

After several ok tries, with a few too many super tart bites, I came up with this trick: putting my cut rhubarb in a Pyrex, lidded dish, squeezing the juice of one orange over it (you can use lemon if you prefer, both work). Then I microwaved it for approximately 4-5 mins. The rhubarb comes out about half cooked and yet still holds its form.

I drain off some of the liquid and put the strawberries and rhubarb in the refrigerator separately to chill; this prevents your crust from absorbing too much juice from your filling being prepared before the dough is rolled out and the oven is preheated, so you can combine all and put it directly in the oven.

Ready? Now you’re ready to make it yourself! I like a very fruity Galette! More fruit than usual, but it is up to you how you like yours!

Filling: 2 cups cleaned, sliced strawberries, chilled 2 cups par-cooked rhubarb, cooled in the fridge.

1-1/2 cup white cane sugar 1/2 cup flour ¼-1/2 Tsp. cinnamon 1 tablespoon of pure Vanilla Just stir lightly to combine, don’t be too vigorous here.

Crust: 1 cup white flour ½ cup wheat flour ½ cup butter, frozen then cut into cubes 1-1/2 Tbsp. Sugar, white ½ Tsp. Salt Milk 1 Tbsp melted butter

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter (you know how recipes for pie dough say until it resembles cornmeal? You don’t want that for this dough! Just cut the butter in until the pieces of butter are about pea size…you want to see little pieces of butter, this is what will make your crust flakey) You can use a food processor here, but if you do, I suggest you pulse only you do not want to overwork your crust. Add in enough milk to just make your dough come together. Gently form into a ball and wrap In plastic wrap and place in the fridge for about ½ hour.

Preheat your oven to 375 F Prepare your counter. I like to place a large piece of parchment paper on the counter; I will roll my crust out on it and assemble my Galette there, then you can easily slide parchment paper and Galette onto your cooking pan. Unwrap your dough and roll out into a large round disk approximately 14-16” Now drain any liquid off your strawberries and rhubarb and combine them, add flour, sugar cinnamon and vanilla, just fold mixture 4-6 times and then dump into the center of your dough round, spread out until it is covering all but 2-2-1/2 inches from the side, start pulling sides up and pinching them together all the way around until they meet. Gently pull your parchment paper with Galette onto a large cookie sheet.

Brush the top of dough with melted butter and lightly sprinkle with sugar, put immediately into your preheated oven. Make sure not to let your fruit filling sit out until you are ready to put it in the oven!!

You don't want to see any juices until the baking process; otherwise, you risk your pastry getting soggy. Bake until fruit is cooked and bubbly, checking the bottom of your Galette for a nice deep golden brown, you don’t want to overdo. Juices leaking over the sides is normal and Yummy!!

I'm off to make two or three more! You can freeze them, raw, wrapped, take out and pop in the oven to enjoy them later in the year!

I, personally, really don't think much beats fresh and I’ve never been lucky enough to have one in the freezer more than a week or so before family or friends popped by. Enjoy and God Bless!

Heavy Burden

by Nells Wasilewski Through the crowds, He bore the pain in silence--bruised and bloody. With thorns piercing His brow, He carried a burden that was His alone to bear.

In cruel delight they pierced His hands and feet Nailing Him to a cross of rough-hewn wood.

The knotty tree became His throne as He forgave the thief hanging next to Him. Lovingly He attended His mother's needs, introducing John and Mary to each other as mother and son.

Near the end He murmured: "I am thirsty." One of the soldiers soaked a cloth in bitter wine vinegar and held it up to Him. After He drank, Jesus' voice rang out above the stirring crowd, "It is finished!"

No Crown of Thorns Could Take the Love of Jesus

by Rejetta Morse No crown of thorns could take the love Of Jesus for our souls, And on the cross woody sharp thorns Digs deep with many holes.

No drops of tears will hide his vision He has for you and me.

Within three days, he will arise And all the world will see.

No more pain, “It is finished” – He drops his head and died.

As blood and waters flow as soldiers Pierced him on his side.

And rocks split open – the earth shatters While tombs start to open – The curtain of the temple rips. His Word came true as he had spoken.

No doubt he was the son of God – He never did complain They pluck the long thorns from his head – “Will Jesus rise again?”

Yes – he lives. He has risen from the tomb where no one laid, And now he wears a golden crown – The debt for all he paid.

Until Then

by Stuart Hamblen History of Hymns

by Diana Leagh Matthews

Billy Graham’s funeral served as a beautiful reminder of the life mission and ministry of this humble man, who gave all the honor and glory to God. The first song performed at his funeral, “Until Then,” is a beautiful, but lesser known song reminding us to joyful carry on in God’s work until we “behold that Golden City”.

While this was a new song to many, this was not a new song to me. I accompanied Daddy many times over the years as he performed this beautiful song. I’ve continued to sing the song, since his home going. What did surprise me was how many people researched the song and landed on my website where I share hymn histories each Sunday. Amazingly, while Billy Graham was inspired by the lyrics in the song, “Until Then,” the songwriter was brought to his knees and a relationship with God through a Billy Graham crusade.

“Until Then” is one of the songs that can climb into my head and remain for days. I can’t help but sing the lyrics when they are placed on my heart. “Until Then,” also sometimes referred to as “My Heart Can Sing When I Pause to Remember,” was written by Carl Stuart Hamblen.

Stuart Hamblen was born on October 20th, 1908 in Kellyville, Texas. He was the son of a traveling Methodist minister. His career began in 1926, when he became the first singing cowboy on the radio in Fort Worth and Dallas Texas radio stations.

By 1931, he was on the radio from Hollywood, CA as “Cowboy Joe.” For the next 21 years, he would have three radio shows that stayed at the top of the charts. They were “Covered Wagon Jubilee”; “Stuart Hamblen and His Lucky Stars,” and the “Cowboy Church of the Air.” He wrote numerous western songs for the radio during this time.

Hamblen also began to star in motion pictures alongside more well-known names such as Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and John Wayne. In 1933, he married Veeva Ellen Daniels, whom he would nickname “My Suzy.” Hamblen became the first artist signed to Decca records in 1934.

He made history in 1945, when he became the first man to fly his racing horse, El Lobo, for a race. The horse won, and he flew him back home. In 1949, he met evangelist Billy Graham and encouraged his listeners to attend the Billy Graham Crusades that were being held in the area.

He promised to be there, and his wife Suzy kept him to his word. During this time God began to knock on the door of his heart and while he tried to run away, eventually he surrendered his life to God. In the early 1950s, Hamblen's radio show was in national syndication when his sponsors tried to force him to allow his commercial spots to promote alcoholic products. Hamblen refused, and his show was canceled, but not before Hamblen had the opportunity to tell his listeners why he was leaving the airways.

Always one for an adventure, he ran for President of the United States in 1952. He ran on the Prohibition Party and came in 4th to Dwight Eisenhower.

Stuart and his wife Suzy lived on their ranch in Santa Clarita, CA. There they raised both of their daughters, Veeva and Lisa Obee, and watched the expansion of their family with grandchildren and great-grandchildren. On the ranch he bred Peruvian Paso Horses. His horse, AEV Oro Negro+, was a U.S. National Champion of Champions three times.

Hamblen died on March 8, 1989. He and Suzy were married for fifty-five years. She would die on June 2, 2008 at the age of 101.

“Until Then” was originally published by Hamblen’s publishing company in 1958. Hamblen wrote other hits such as “It is no secret what God can do,” “Teach Me, Lord, to Wait,” and “Beyond the Sunset”.

He has been inducted into numerous Halls of Fame, including the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Western Music Hall of Fame, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Until Then” has been published in at least four hymnals and various other songbooks and remains a song that reminds us of how glorious it will one day be to “behold that city when God calls us home.”

When we arrive in that glorious city, we will behold our Savior and Lord and we will find a rock on the edge of a stream to sit and share with Billy {as he preferred to be called} all the ways in which he ministered to our hearts and drew us closer to God. Billy Graham shared how he looked forward to arriving in heaven. Billy is quoted as saying, "My home is in heaven. I'm just traveling through this world," and "Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it; I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God." His children often shared in the last few years of his life that he shared more and more often with them how he longed to go to heaven and join his beloved wife, Ruth. But, “Until Then” we should learn from the life of Billy Graham that “with joy I will carry on.”

After all, the Apostle Paul reminded us "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." {Romans 15:13} As we pause to remember the life and legacy of Billy Graham, do you carry on with joy and a heart that is singing for the kingdom of God?

Images courtesy of Diana Leagh Matthews, Christian Headlines, and YouTube

Lilies of the Valley

by Joan Leotta Lilies of the Valley— small white bells whose fragrance ascends to God with puff and huff of spring’s new breath.

They grew abundantly in Grandma’s rock garden among her hosta on the shady side of her porch.

That very first spring day when grandma brought her glider out of winter storage I would stand on the cushions, climb over the iron railing, carefully lower myself and crouch among those tiny nodding bells to fill my lungs and soul with their aroma of hope.

HE CALLS YOU

Beautiful Hearing the Voice of Jesus in the Song of Songs

by Dee Brestin

Book Review by Miriam Jacob “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” God loves you with divine passion. Jesus Christ wrote a love song to you, signed with His life-giving blood, for you to taste His love in a most intimate, heart to heart way!

The Song of Songs, one of the most love-revealing books of the Bible, illuminates with a divine spotlight, the best love story of all time, the intense, personal love God has us, His dearly beloved children. In He Calls You Beautiful, Dee Brestin teaches us lifetransforming truths with deep insight and understanding, as she illustrates how God uses the divine art of poetry and the most exquisite imagery to illuminate the unique intimacy Christ has for each one of us.

God calls you to know His love in your heart. He sings over you a song of selfless love and undying devotion. A passionate Song of Songs, sung personally to you, and only for you, by the divine Creator of your soul. Jesus loves you, and He calls you beautiful.

Dee Brestin’s writing voice blends in with the lyrical beauty of the Song of Songs, as she captures our five senses to taste the breathtaking love of God. Her sheer passion for Him captivates our hearts until we are swept up in His divine embrace. He Calls You Beautiful. He writes it on your heart with His life’s Blood. Here is what you always long for, your very own personal love story, to be loved, honored and cherished. God will make you feel inexplicably, indescribably and undeniably loved, for yourself alone. The Song of Songs melts our hearts with the beauty of Christ, inspiring us to be more intimate with Him, the Lover of our souls.

The Song of Songs is the best lens to understand God’s heart in all of Scripture. Dee Brestin poignantly weaves the tapestry of Biblical truths to illustrate God’s enraptured heart for His people.

The Song of Songs illustrates an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, in a glowing illustration of Christ and His bride, the Church. We will understand the depths of Jesus’s tender love for us and how He transforms our lives into His glory.

He Calls You Beautiful plumbs the exquisite beauty and awesome wonder of intimate love with God, and the glory of His unique design in creating you, as He welcomes you into the heart of intimacy with Christ!

He Calls You Beautiful by Dee Brestin is available from RUBY’S Reading Corner at http://rubyforwomen.com/rubys-reading-corner-2/

The Sound of a Silent Soul Here are a few questions to ponder on before you read any further…

Are you still or are you restless? Is your soul pillowed in peace or wallowing in worry? Are you nestled deep in your Father's embrace or wandering alone?

Is your soul silent? Is your heart quiet? Is your mind peaceful?

When there is quiet within us, there is stillness and rest in all we do. We feel the peace of God inside us and we can almost hear the rest that comes from His peace. We exhale.

But stillness does not magically appear within us. Ironically enough, it requires an active involvement on our part…

To be still requires trust in God; we must trust that His Presence follows us, that God is sovereign, and that He loves us. Psalm 46:10 tells us to "Be still and know that I am God” - when your heart is fully convinced of all of this, it settles in quietness.

When your soul is silent, it is devoid of anxiousness and turmoil; God’s peace permeates within you.

Rest will follow.

Being still means to release everything in your mind and heart to God. It means to silence the noise of the world to quiet your soul. It means to wait and listen for His whispers.

Being still means coming to a place of rest in His presence so that you experience God in your heart not just know Him in your head.

Jesus epitomized stillness. He did everything from a place of rest and quiet trust in His Father. He showed us that the one sure way to achieve this stillness is to sit in solitude with God. Jesus enjoyed solitude.

Despite His very public ministry, Jesus often sought solitude - not because He did not want to be with the people but because He wanted to be with His Father more. Jesus knew the importance of rest and being alone – to recharge and renew His strength in quiet prayer with God. Throughout the gospel, we are shown that Jesus continually withdrew from daily life to be in seclusion and silence to deal with the constant demands of His ministry - “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed” (Mark 1:35).

In Matthew 14:13, “When Jesus heard [that John the Baptist had been beheaded], he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place.”

Hours before His death, Jesus again used His quiet communion with God to prepare Himself in prayer (Mark 14:32-42).

Stillness and solitude went hand in hand to play an important role throughout Jesus’ life and ministry here on earth. He often urged His disciples to do the same, especially after spending days ministering to others.

There is power in seclusion when we use it to silence our soul and seek God, free of distraction.

Solitude can infuse us with greater strength from God, fill us with deeper trust in God and help us build a stronger relationship with God. When we choose to continually withdraw to be alone with God, as Jesus did, we allow God to minister to our soul for a deeper intimacy with Him. It is only from the secret place of stillness with God that we can thrive amidst the noise of our daily lives with the world.

A silent soul may be quiet but it is never passive. Instead, a silent soul produces and leads you to be an instrument of God’s peace. When you are still within, it overflows out of you into all areas of your life.

A silent soul is recognizable because it leads you closer to God and creates more room for Him in your life.

Christ is always revealed through a silent soul – even amidst any turbulence that may invade your life.

You see, when your soul is still in Him you will always remember His promise in Exodus 14:14 that "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

In your stillness, you will allow faith to rise up so you can let your Lord of Hosts take His rightful place at the frontlines of any battle.

A silent soul stays rooted in His stronghold of peace and remains anchored in the ark of His presence. It leads you to sleep on a cushion, just as Jesus did in Mark 4:37-40 when “a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat” so that you too can command to the storms and waves in your life to “Quiet! Be still!”

So today, think about what you can do to silence your soul. What do you need to trust God with?

Perhaps you can start by telling Him tonight, at the end of your day, to take it all.

Ask for God’s peace to lull you to sleep through the storm so you awake with the sound of a silent soul. Rest, your heavenly Father is with you.

http://www.suzaneavadiar.com/

What If? The Intersection of Faith and Doubt

by Joanne Jarrett MD

Some days words just won’t come. I think it’s the curse of the introvert. If I could change one thing about my body, it would be to have different vocal chords. I’d love to have a rich, raspy, rangy, soulful, powerful singing voice.

But if I could change one thing about my personality, it would definitely be a sturdy rightward slide on the introvert/extrovert scale. I’m what you call an outgoing introvert, so sometimes I just hit a wall and can’t interact anymore until I have some alone time to recharge. I could do with less of that.

I’ve had a couple of blog articles floating around in my head for a week now, but today, words escape me; I keep going back to a song by Nichole Nordeman called “What if.”

It is this gorgeous, almost haunting song that hits at the intersection of faith and doubt. I went to a women’s conference last year with my mom and sister (woot! so fun!), and we were treated with live performances by Nichole Nordeman.

She sat at the piano and played softly while explaining her process and the background of the songs and then played them for us. This one blew me away, and I want to share it with you. Have a listen.

Here are the lyrics: What if you’re right And He was just Another nice guy What if you’re right What if it’s true They say the cross Will only make a fool of you And what if it’s true What if He takes His place in history With all the prophets and the kings Who taught us love and came in peace But then the story ends, what then

But what if you’re wrong What if there’s more What if there’s hope You never dreamed of hoping for What if you jump Just close your eyes What if the arms that catch you Catch you by surprise What if He’s more Than enough what if it’s love What if you dig Way down deeper Than your Simple-minded friends What if you dig And what if you find A thousand more Unanswered questions down inside That’s all you find What if you pick apart the logic And begin to poke the holes What if the crown of thorns is no more Than folklore that must be told and retold But what if you’re wrong What if there’s more What if there’s hope You never dreamed of hoping for What if you jump Just close your eyes What if the arms that catch you Catch you by surprise What if He’s more Than enough what if it’s love ‘Cause you’ve been running As fast as you can And you’ve been looking For a place you can land For so long but what if you’re wrong

What if you jump Just close your eyes What if the arms that catch you Catch you by surprise What if He’s more Than enough what if it’s love What if it’s love About a year before his death, Prince recorded a cover of the song. Apparently, he and his up-andcoming all female band, 3rdEyeGirl, warmed up to the song before every rehearsal for years.

I have found my peace in knowing that I am a beloved creation. I have chosen to use the Bible as my compass. But have you ever tried to use a compass? It can be hard!

Scott will never let me get far from him in the wilderness because my sense of direction when removed from an urban grid or coastline is despicable.

Put a compass in my hand and man! My brain smokes. Can you even believe anyone ever navigated ships in the open ocean by looking at the stars?!

In an interview with USA Today, Nichole said: “I wrote the song years ago from conversations I had had with an atheist friend. I had gone down the path of feeling compelled to argue and convince him to become a Christian.

After a while, I realized how futile that was and that it really isn’t my place to argue and debate someone into a faith. The song was kind of an apology to my friend, like, ‘I’m sorry I turned every conversation about faith into an argument, and I’m sorry that I made it about debate and not about love.’ I would love to know what part of that resonated with Prince.”

I don’t know where you fall in terms of faith, religion, or spirituality. The close people in my life hit every single point on the spectrum. The bottom line to me is love. Not judgementalism or finger-pointing or any holier than thou ridiculousness.

When I get confused by a compass, I don’t assume the compass is broken. I assume operator error.

And operator would be a strong word for my role in that process.

I also don’t look at other people and denigrate them for having a different compass than I have or for losing their compass, or even for being skeptical about my compass. I know a few things cold. I know I have been instructed to love God and love others.

My compass demands it.

Each person on this earth is as tenderly loved and as carefully, as painstakingly created as I am. We have been given free will to do with our lives what we choose. And we have been given a path to find our way back home. I make a lot of mistakes.

But I always know true north. If you are searching for a compass, just what if?

I am Joanne Jarrett, a family physician turned stay at home mom and blogger. I am developing a women's loungewear line, Shelfies, that will revolutionize what we wear in the {no-bra-zone} with its soft fabrics, supportive but cozy shelf, and just enough coverage cups. Visit Shelfieshoppe.com to follow the journey and receive a secret code for free shipping!

Spring Wreath Celebrating the Seasons

by Theresa L Begin Do you take time to celebrate all the seasons in your life? Do you know what I mean? We celebrate things like Christmas, 4th of July, New Year's Day, Birthdays, 21st, 30th, 40th (“over the hill and ready to roll”), 50th (“half-century”) Thanks so much, society, for those little reminders.

Goodness, we even celebrate Groundhog Day! If we go to all that trouble for those holidays, surely we should, in some way, celebrate the 'actual' seasons in our lives.

Which, I guess, is my way of saying, I enjoy representing each season and celebrate it at my home, for everyone to see, and for all that visit, to know that I am embracing this and every other day of the year. There is no such thing as just a plain old day! Every... Single... Moment we are given, is a Blessing from God! So let's do it right and celebrate that!

So, here is my little way of celebrating spring this year! If you've never made a wreath, and would like to see how easy they can be to assemble, check out my instructions on some of my earlier blog posts at www.shoestringeleganceblog.com . Just search the word “wreath” in the upper right hand corner of my blog or you can even Google How to make your own wreath, either will show you that it's not as daunting of an undertaking as you may have thought.

I made a beautiful little floral cone to hang on my wall, super simple; the blooms I bought were originally intended for this very wreath. Lucky me! There was plenty for both! I just love this time of year. The sun has not become too hot to enjoy the outdoors, and at most you may need an evening sweater, but, who doesn't like that?!

I am so happy I bought as much as I did, of these silk flowers, because I truly can't get enough of these beautiful vibrant colors! In case you didn't get a chance to read about my floral cone yet, I bought these stems at Michael's and was lucky to get the whole lot for 70% off!!

Total cost for my floral cone and this beautiful wreath combined was a grand total of $15.78! Why wouldn't anyone want to do something like this for that price?!

Just to make sure you have it that comes to a grand total of $7.89 each! That's my perfect dollar amount!

As much as I love to make and display these wonderfully welcoming decors, I have to be responsible financially as well.

A little coupon cutting, and shopping on the right days allows me to do that.

I fell in love with this little butterfly (it's even a clip-on) and thought it would be just perfect on my fun little wreath whilst adding that little extra bit of whimsy that I love so much! It did! (in case you are keeping track, the butterflies were 2 for $1!)

Do you celebrate the seasons? What wonderful thing could you do around your house to recognize each day as the wonderful gift that it is?

I know life gets us busy, but surely we can all find and hour (or even 15-20 minutes) here or there to embrace each season of our life with glory and gratitude!

I am grateful for all of you and hope that you are enjoying each day.

Many Blessings!

For inspirational and creative articles, visit Theresa Begin on her blog, Shoestring Elegance.

RUBY magazine is now available in print!

Every issue of RUBY magazine can now be purchased as a print publication.

To purchase RUBY magazine in print, please visit the RUBY blog at www.rubyforwomen.com where you will find the link for each issue.

THE DIY

DECORATE IT YOURSELF

BY KariAnne Wood Book Review by Lynn Mosher “Decorate Your Home like a Rock Star!”

Popular home decor blogger KariAnne Wood has created this delightful and inspiring home planner just for you. With her infectious joy and humor, KariAnne is there to hold your hand on the decorating road ahead.

Infused with witty, simple, and can-do advice, The DIY Home Planner is packed with unique features to help you realize your decorating dreams:     

*Convenient pockets to tuck paint chips, fabric samples, and more to keep you organized *Charming illustrations, photos, and diagrams to inform and encourage you *Unique style guides, decision trees, and reference guidelines to inspire confidence in every decorating decision *Easy DIY projects to help you accessorize with personalized style *Incredible extras in the back of the book, including three frameable prints to brighten up your wall décor

Discover these and other amazing tips in every area of home décor from painted wall treatments to light fixtures to accessories to floors...and so much more!”

The images are fun drawings. The two pockets can also store notes or whatever. There’s a great rubber-band bookmark and tons of space for writing down measurements, notes, ideas, plus the frameable prints.

If you’ve ever felt you needed encouragement to tackle the decorating projects in your home, KariAnne is your cheerleader!

She’s a wonderful storyteller and encourager. She’s also a Christian and weaves her beliefs into her touching stories.

Simple and inexpensive ideas are KariAnne’s forte. She loves garage sales and thrift shops and finds the most extraordinary things.

You’ll quickly find out KariAnne is a talented rock star and she’ll soon have you believing you are as well.

You can visit KariAnne on her eye-candy site at https://thistlewoodfarms.com/ And you can learn more about the book on the website http://go.harvesthousepublishers.com/diyhomeplanner You can also purchase the book on Amazon https://goo.gl/4qjbUE The DIY Home Planner by KariAnne Wood is also available from Vintage Mama’s Book Shoppe at https://goo.gl/D4M5Vt

Also by KariAnne Wood,

So Close to Amazing: Stories of a DIY Life Gone Wrong . . . and Learning to Find the Beauty in Every Imperfection This is a book celebrating the incredible, awesome, special individual within each of us. It’s also a book for anyone who has ever mismatched her shoes or trimmed her own bangs when a professional might have been a better choice or added too much soap to the washer and watched it overflow.

(Not that KariAnne Wood has ever done any of these things.)

Fans of The Magnolia Story and The Pioneer Woman will love this debut memoir from the beloved Thistlewood Farms blogger.

So Close to Amazing is a collection of hilarious and heartfelt reflections on getting it almost right―and how, instead of giving up, we can choose to simply embrace our real selves right where we are.

It’s a story of transparency and honesty and recognizing that perfection is completely overemphasized and overrated. It’s about grace and learning from mistakes and rejoicing in every victory, no matter how small. Because when you find joy in the “you” God created you to be, you’ll discover the amazing that was there all along.

Contains beautiful DIY project ideas anyone can do, whether you’re Pinterest perfect or craft challenged ―homemade signs, centerpieces, recipe walls, and more!

So Close to Amazing by KariAnne Wood is available from Vintage Mama’s Book Shoppe via Amazon.

(Book descriptions and synopses from the Amazon website.)

Vintage Book Treasure Hunt: Training Up Children by Seeking Old Paths

by Kathryn Ross Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Proverbs 22:6 NKJV Who is training you? Who is training your children?

I believe the parent is the primary educator in a child’s life. But over the past 40-50 years, parental authority in the home, society, government, and culture has been eroded. We now live in an age when children are aided by government entities in divorcing their parents because they don’t like a decision a parent has made regarding their life.

Children are emboldened to defy their parents in some of the most important decisions of their lives just because they don’t “feel” like obeying a parent’s rule that clashes with the perverse agendas of a popular culture.

The undermining of the home and family is in full swing, including a deviant re-definition of terms reaching even to the biological absolute of male and female genders. The rebellion of this generation is a continuing of the rebellion of the last generation who have grown into positions of power and influence.

The youth rebellion of the 1960s produced a liberal mentality void of traditional values that had been a firm foundation in the generations that saw America through two world wars, plus a civil war, and a revolution before that.

For my part, I will not be trained by an unhinged popular culture, corrupt politics, and propagandist media forces to believe that good is evil and evil is good.

Not everything is relative. Just because one corner of society kicks and screams and makes a lot of noise does not prove their case just or unjust.

Manipulation of the masses has been the weapon of tyrants and dictators for centuries and their ploys in doing so are nothing new under the sun. Serious students of history know this. Critical thinking individuals discern truth and will stand for nothing less. Such were the patriots of America’s founding generation.

Contemporary powers seeking to undermine liberty and justice in American society—or any Western democracy—set their evil eye and machinations first on the destruction of the foundation of society, the home and family. The unrest today has been in the making for some time. Voices have shouted warnings as crying in the wilderness.

Like sheep led to slaughter, America has now found itself in the grip of confusion regarding the values and elements of life and living that have provided strength, guidance, and protection to generations past for millennia.

Consider the current state-of-affairs that are permeating our culture:  The dismantling of biological male and female genders, to be replaced by a host of bizarre gender choices and/or fluidity  Virulent feminism stripping women of true and virtuous womanhood while championing the bitter redefinition of what women are  The destruction of manhood in no uncertain terms  Hostile allegations of racism with no evidence to support accusations  Safe spaces for triggered youth, unable to sensibly debate a topic from a position of informed reason  The shameless exploitation of children in every vile way And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. How do we chip away and melt such a monstrous evil in our day to make for a hopeful and bright future for our children tomorrow?

I believe the Bible is clear in its instruction to the purpose: Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.

Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV

When I look back in search of the old paths and the good way, I seek out old books, treasure troves of literature, the handmaiden of history. Literary works of an era mirror its age. Over time, themes, patterns, and life lessons prove their veracity and worth generation after generation. Reading the words and wisdom of past times with the insight of contemporary times gives one a broader scope for understanding and discernment.

For parents especially, it is vital to have wise direction for their life to confidently direct the pathways of their children and make their home both a sanctuary and a school. This equips each generation for a successful and purposeful life as responsible, statesmen/citizen/servants, fulfilling the destiny God has called them to in His Kingdom and on the earth.

Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.

Proverbs 22:6 NLT I have recently added a new book to my Vintage Book Treasure Hunt collection, culling classic values for life into a volume designed to instruct the individual and family in right living through best practices. Published in 1885, the archaic presentation in the writing style diminishes little from the sage advice it offers in the training of home and family in public and private.

In the Preface of The Home Instructor, compiler Thomas W. Handford writes:

It is the duty of each one of us to be polite, courteous, and gentle in all our associations with our kind; to illustrate in ourselves the highest, holiest manhood and womanhood; to speak the kind word that shall reverberate in undying music through all the spheres; to lighten the heavy load by one touch of a helping hand; to cultivate flowers in our hearts and lives, instead of weeds.

My heart leaps to read such words woven with golden threads of truth and the ideal of all things good and beauty. Why isn’t this the norm in our homes anymore? What must we do to stem and reverse the tide of destruction coming against our children and families?

As a strong proponent for safeguarding the American principals of individuality, self-government, parental authority in home and family, and the liberty of homeschool training in children to produce the noblest contributors to society, I am happy to share over the next few months some excerpts from this 480-page go-to guide book for the Christian family practiced over 140 years ago.

Please visit my website podcast companion to this exclusive RUBY Magazine article to hear the audio version of this, plus Chapter 2, The Home, dramatized for you in its entirety. Visit www.thewritersreverie.com/podcast-25.html.

The Home Instructor is intended to be a friendly adviser, rather than a stern dictator. The results of many years of experience and observation are gathered in these pages, with the hope that they may prove both pleasant and helpful. Great stress is laid on the value of home training, from the deepening conviction that as the home is, so the life will be.

The home is the first school in which we begin the lessons of life; it is the kindergarten, where a youth learns to use his varied powers, and where he should be taught a vigorous and harmonious development of the social faculties.

If every youth could be trained in accordance with an earnest belief in the highest possible conditions of educated humanity, we should have fewer wasted, weary lives, going down into the darkness, because no loving hand had ever helped them to climb upward to the sun.

Look for upcoming articles in RUBY Magazine drawn from The Home Instructor’s wisdom regarding The Mother, Happy Childhood, Conversation, Honor, Literacy, and more. Though the world is much changed from that of 1885, the human heart is not.

Distilling biblical principles for life and living into sage advice, for Victorian times or this turbulent season of chaos and confusion, is a timeless gift drawn from the wells of classic words and works.

Give Your Home a Spring Update

by Jehn Kubiak April is tax month, which means you’ll receive a tax refund. Yes, it’s a small amount and bills still pile on the table, but this is an opportunity to give your home a small facelift and wow guests without a complete home makeover. Try these five changes for a new look:

Tapestry Rug from Target Open floor spaces beckon for a little decoration.

Although floor rugs can easily become costly, Target provides affordable options in many different designs.

This tapestry rug works well in front of the door as a welcome mat or a place where guests can put their shoes as they enter into the house.

Throw Pillow from Kohl’s Sometimes, an old couch needs a little life. However, a new couch isn’t necessary––pillows provide the perfect solution and detract from the couch’s wear and tear. Plus, they provide a colorful accent that can brighten the living room on those dark and rainy spring days. Simple pillows, such as the Sonoma Goods For Life Indoor/Outdoor throw pillow from Kohls, come in various colors and designs, so there’s something for everyone.

Bright Colorful Serveware from Macy’s Why settle for plain white dishes when color can add extra pizazz at dinner time? On that note, color can stimulate appetite and help that broccoli appeal more to the picky eaters of the family. Stay in season with spring colors––including bright red, yellow, blues and jade green. Save some extra cash and take advantage of coupon deals at the checkout.

Themed Bedspreads from Bed, Bath, and Beyond What do you do when your daughter decides she wants to make her entire room Frozen-themed? That becomes expensive very quickly, but there’s a simple and affordable solution––themed bedspread. This way, she enjoys seeing Elsa and Anna without a complete room makeover. Bed, Bath and Beyond offers several inexpensive choices from kids’ favorite movies. Shop online or in-store.

Scripture Wall Stickers from Amazon Bible verse stickers provide a little pop on a blank wall and they help the kids memorize verses as they walk by them each day. Some even contain springthemed embellishments, such as flowers and butterflies. Choose from many long or short Old and New Testament Scriptures. In addition, they’re easy to apply and take off, so they won’t ruin wall paint if you rent a house. More inspirational wall art available from RUBY’S Reading Corner.

As you can see, home decorating doesn’t have to become a daunting task––it just takes a little thinking outside the box and some small changes for a new look. Shop around at department or thrift stores and take the family along so everyone can pitch in.

Better than Baseball Season

by Lisa J. Radcliff

Ah, April—trees budding, flowers blooming, birds returning to their home parks: Blue Jays to Rogers Centre, Orioles to Camden Yards, Cardinals to Busch Stadium. Yup, it’s Baseball Season.

I am a sports nut, but growing up, I hated baseball. In my opinion, it was the most boring game of all. Then I gave birth to three boys. They all loved baseball, and they were good at it.

When our first son started playing Little League, I gave in, bought myself a rule book, and set out to learn the game of baseball. With a little one to cheer on, it didn’t take long for me to become a fullfledged baseball mom.

Three years later our middle boy showed extraordinary natural ability. From his first day of practice, as an 8-yr-old, Timmy wanted to be a pitcher. He let his coach know, but his coach had three 9-yr-old pitchers, so he kept putting Timmy off with, “maybe next practice.”

Timmy finally wore him down and after practice one day, the coach gave in. “All right, let’s see what you’ve got.” Timmy threw pitch after pitch right to the coach’s glove. When they were done, the coach told Timmy he did great and it was good to know that he had another pitcher if he needed one.

Over the next two innings, Timmy only allowed one base runner and no runs. The team rallied around Timmy’s performance and racked up hit after hit.

They were up 13-10 when Timmy struck out the last batter. His coach ran out onto the field, threw Timmy in the air, and swung him around. It was hard to tell which of them had the bigger smile. From then on, Timmy was a starting pitcher for every team on which he played.

As he got older and bigger, he got better. He developed different pitches and became known for his slider. Even if a batter knew it was coming, they rarely hit it. Usually, they looked silly trying.

His first year of high school, Tim pitched for the JV team. They won eight games that season—the eight that Tim pitched. The following year, Tim looked forward to trying out for the varsity team.

The morning of tryouts, Tim woke up early with abdominal pain. He tried self-medicating with a donut and chocolate milk, but, believe it or not, that didn’t help.

Being the patient boy that he is, he waited until his dad was up and ready to go to the hospital for work to let him know about his problem.

The very next game, Timmy got his chance. After three innings, our three pitchers were all out of the game after each one had hit multiple batters. Our team was down 10-0.

His dad woke me and let me know that he was pretty sure Tim had appendicitis (Dad is an OR nurse). He was taking him to the hospital, and I should come as soon as I was ready.

With nothing to lose and no other pitchers on the bench, the coach put Timmy in. He took the mound with the excitement of, well, an 8-yr-old about to pitch in his first game.

It’s nice to have a nurse for a husband and a thoughtful son who holds his emergencies until a decent hour.

He struck out the first three batters he faced. Then our team started hitting the ball and scoring runs.

I arrived at the hospital just after the appendicitis diagnosis was confirmed. He would need surgery right away.

I wondered if Tim remembered what day it was: varsity pitching tryouts. He did. As he laid in the emergency room, awaiting surgery, he realized he would not only miss tryouts, but even if he made the team, he would miss a few weeks of games.

But his time had passed.

He turned to me and said, “I guess God wants me to do something else with my life than baseball.” I didn’t know it at the time, but it was in that emergency room that God first started calling Tim to the ministry.

Surgery went fine. Tim recovered very quickly and was back on the field in two weeks. Because of his stats and known ability, he was put on the varsity team without trying out.

Last year, Tim was ordained as a minister of the gospel in the Bible Fellowship Church. Some might say he missed his chance at the big leagues, but did he really? As his mom, I was always proud of his performance on the mound.

But I was truly moved at his ordination service, realizing that God had called him to something very special, much more special than major league baseball.

He turned to me and said, “I guess God wants me to do something else with my life than baseball.” I didn’t know it at the time, but it was in that emergency room that God first started calling Tim to the ministry.

He didn’t get a lot of playing time, but always shined whenever he was called on to pitch. He was recruited to play for a Division III team in college.

Following college, God’s call on his life was more evident.

The “what if” question, though, still lingered. What if he had pursued baseball? Could he have made the big leagues? He got an opportunity to find out. Tim went to a major league tryout.

Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. (2 Peter 1:10)

While they were impressed with his slider, his fastball didn’t quite hit 90 mph. And then there was his age. At 24, he was too old to take a chance on. If he had had the proper training and coaching, he probably could have been drafted and maybe even made the big leagues.

As opening day approaches, Rev. Tim and I will enjoy the crack of the bat, the peanuts and Cracker Jacks, and all that the baseball season has to offer.

After all, it is America’s pastime (passes the time until football season ~ fly, Eagles, fly!).

Be watching for the

MAY 2018 issue of

RUBY magazine Available May 1, 2018 on the

RUBY blog www.rubyforwomen.com

Kids’ Korner Kids’ Korner is a monthly resource featuring short stories, book reviews, puzzles, and coloring pages created by some of our RUBY writers. So call the kids and grandkids, and share the Kids’

Korner fun with them!

and then it’s spring

by Julie Fogliano Illustrated by Erin E. Stead Following a snow-filled winter, a young boy and his dog decide that they've had enough of all that brown and resolve to plant a garden. They dig, they plant, they play, they wait . . . and wait . . . until at last, the brown becomes a more hopeful shade of brown, a sign that spring may finally be on its way.

Julie Fogliano's tender story of anticipation is brought to life by the distinctive illustrations Erin E. Stead, recipient of the 2011 Caldecott Medal. and then it’s spring is available from RUBY’S Reading Corner.

A Walk Through the Woods

by Louise Greig Illustrated by Helen Musselwhite Listen: the forest is calling. Take a quiet walk through the woods, where shadows fall in the darkness, eyes peek out, and some animals sleep while others run and leap.

Simple, poetic text and intricate papercut illustrations introduce children to a deer, black rook, fox, rabbit, and many more beautiful creatures as they wait for morning— and spring—to come.

This stunning gift book, with hand-cut paper art and lyrical text by an award-winning poet, leads you deep into the forest . . . and out again into the light.

Available from RUBY’S Reading Corner.

For more spring puzzles and word search puzzles, visit Free Kids Crafts at www.frerekidscrafts.com

The Lost Trail

by Shara Bueler-Repka

“What a perfect day,” I announced to my horse, Nocona. He flicked his ears as I gazed at the majestic, rugged peaks rising out of the desert. Sunlight danced off a stream that flowed over a flat rock halfway up the mountain. A slight breeze kicked up the dust as I swung my leg over the saddle.

The sand swooshed under Nocona’s hooves as we walked along the main trail. A rustle in the cottonwood trees to our right revealed a bright red cardinal that cheerfully chirped as we passed. I tossed my hair in the breeze that whispered through a towering saguaro cactus on our left. We rode easily up and down the hills and enjoyed the sound of another stream, which chuckled over the river rocks. Such a peaceful trail, I mused.

Suddenly a trail I’d never seen appeared on my left. Sweet! My heart jumped with excitement.

Immediately a still small voice of warning whispered inside me, Not a good idea.

Aaah, what can it hurt to ride just a little ways? I reasoned. I blew off the warning and swung Nocona onto the new trail. We trotted up the path, eager for a new adventure.

The path started out with promise. But as we rode farther, it meandered around with no purpose or direction, sometimes disappearing altogether. We picked our way through sharp rocks and prickly cacti.

The sun slowly sank toward the horizon. My heart pounded as I looked anxiously around me. Why did I take this trail? It didn’t look so fun and exciting now. The majestic mountains that had filled me with a sense of wonderment, now seemed to loom above us like a panther ready to pounce. And the colorful cacti threatened to claw their way across our route with their needle-sharp spines.

I swallowed hard as I tried to push images of night-lurking rattlesnakes and mountain lions from my thoughts. I rode to the top of a hill to get my bearings and saw the landmark trees overlooking our camp. But jagged rocks and cactus patches kept me from riding down that hill toward "home."

And then the cold reality hit me—this shadowy trail I followed had been made by someone who had gotten lost. And now so was I. How was I going to find my way back?

I recalled the arroyos (dry creek beds) I had studied on the way up to my lookout hill, but there was no path among them, either. I swung Nocona around and prayed, “Jesus, I shouldn’t have wandered off the main trail. Please help me get back to camp safely.”

Slowly we made our way toward one of those small arroyos. I glanced down it again. What? We pulled up short as I stared at that ravine. A path? Through the rocks and cacti? My mind tried to wrap itself around the reality before my eyes. I surveyed that place not a half hour before, and no trail existed! Yet there it was.

Wasting not a minute more, we headed down the new path. It connected with the main trail, and we trotted into camp as the last bit of sunlight disappeared.

As I unsaddled my horse, I remembered a Bible verse in Isaiah—God had made a way in the wilderness where there was no way (see Isaiah 43:19).

But even though my prayers had been answered, I decided right then I’d think twice before taking a shortcut, following someone else’s tracks. I discovered that just because the path someone else takes appears faster, easier, or more exciting, it may not be wise to follow in their footsteps.

I set my saddle on its stand and thanked God for protecting us from my foolish choice and for His kindness in bringing us safely home.

Shopping for books?

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RUBY’S Reading Corner for family-friendly, seasonal, and holiday books and home décor.

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RUBY’S Reading Corner!

Engraved On His Hands

by Norma C. Mezoe With each blow of the hammer, driving in the piercing nails…

Christ was engraving our names on the palms of his hands.

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands….

Isaiah 49:16a (NIV)

The Power of Easter Blessings

by Sharmelle Olson With the power of Easter Blessings we can bring God's love and grace into our lives by his songs we like singing and praising the Lord in this place.

The power of Easter Blessings Is profound and brings us love gracefully by your own way of being present with his love in so many ways will change your life faithfully.

The power of Easter Blessings brings a passage in a way it becomes a graceful successful prayer that will always praise God with a message of powerful words that symbolizes He cares.

The power of Easter Blessings overcomes every challenge and gives strength and courage with God's grace that will guide you through life’s journey and will carry you through every day.

That’s What It’s About, Isn’t It?

by Norma C. Mezoe As I was paying for my groceries, the older couple behind me began unloading their shopping cart. They piled toys and candy onto the counter and said these were for their grandchildren for Easter.

The man said, “After all, that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it?”

I smiled at him and replied, “No, that isn’t what it’s about. The children may think so, but it isn’t.” How sad that the event which observes this holy day is thought of by many as only a day to give gifts of candy and toys and to hunt for Easter eggs.

Those things aren’t wrong in themselves; it is fun giving gifts and watching the children enjoy them. But they aren’t learning the true meaning of Easter.

When Jesus suffered and died on the roughly hewn cross, he didn’t give his life for the superficial things of life. He died and was resurrected so that we might accept his gift of salvation and everlasting life. That is the Gift which we should be celebrating this Easter and telling others about. …Christ died for our sins... he was buried … he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures…. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of your love and salvation. Help us to share your gift with others. Amen.

Confidence

by Emmanuel O. Afolabi The book of Philippians reminds us, Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Philippians 1:6 Beloved this is the assurance we have in Him that God will not abandon us in the storms of our lives. He will surely make a way for us. For God to fight our battles for us, we must have absolute trust and obedience in Him always.

Therefore the unbroken chain of obedience is the secret for receiving the substance of God’s promise. God expects nothing less from us than trust and total obedience.

As we journey through the month of April, we need to be focused and depend on Him as our sustainer and our defender. Till our next assembly let us anchor our faith on the rock that cannot be moved.

I Lie For a Reason

by R.G. Sharpe As Easter approaches I recall the struggle of rebuilding my life after divorce. In the throes of healing a few years ago, I was inspired by the Holy Spirit to write this piece. It is my prayer that you will find hope in the Savior today.

The difference is, I lie for a reason.

The smile on my face freezes as I hesitate momentarily and suck in a quick breath of air. A thousand thoughts rush through my mind at the unspoken question lingering in the air.

The question that naturally arises as I share a tale about my six-year-old daughter. The curious glance that spikes my blood pressure, unbeknownst to my audience, as I grasp at straws on how to answer the simple inquisition: Are you married?

The answer is no, so the obvious solution to my precarious situation is to merely state my response matter-of-factly and graciously change the subject to a more a comfortable topic.

If only it were that simple.

Instead, I tilt my head slightly aside, swallow, size up my listener, and brace myself for their reaction. I maintain my composure as I give a nervous shake of my head and allow my eyelids to shut for a brief instant before I cautiously admit that, “No, I’m not married.”

I’m never quite sure what to say after that. I’m a writer, so I’m certain that I could come up with a quick script on the spot to find my great escape. And yet I find myself continually taken off-guard as words and explanations elude me.

I pray for the courage to remain silent and let the urge to justify my past dissipate, even as I attempt to change the subject.

I can’t deny that I am not married. I can even utter the fragmented truth that I’m divorced. What I can’t come to terms with is the fact that I am, in fact, twice divorced. Married twice. Divorced twice. And the man from whom I was most recently divorced is not my daughter’s father.

These thoughts swirl around my soul as I fight the impulse to bring peace to these eyes staring back at me that flicker with questions. What shame, guilt, and condemnation lay within my heart and soul to hold onto this disgraceful reality about what I’ve done and who I’ve become.

It makes me crumble inside to think that I’ve failed.

The fears that entail when people ask me, “Are you married?” How do I express the pain of omitting the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

I confess I have a newfound contempt for those little checkboxes on intake forms to confirm your marital status. I purse my lips and roll my eyes as my shoulders hunch, and my pen places a big, fat “X” next to “divorced.”

I suddenly notice my fingernails and unkempt cuticles as I divert my attention from having to write down my previous name. Which alias do I need to write down? One or both? My most recent married name or my first?

Perhaps I should start using initials next to my full name: RaChelle Glauser, S.B. Would that be an acceptable form of identification? Let’s just lay it all out on bare on the table. Let’s get this over with!

And then I think of a Carpenter, a man exactly my age who did precisely that. He laid his clothes aside to walk naked for miles with a crown of thorns upon His head and a tree upon His back. He was whipped, beaten, spat upon, mocked, and ridiculed, and for what purpose? He was blameless, the spotless Lamb of God, the One who knew no sin.

Two thousand years ago this Son of God made a choice to shed His innocent blood, and in doing so washed away all my faults, all my fears, and all my failures. He carried the weight of my guilt and my shame so that I don’t have to. He experienced my heartache and insecurities so that I can walk with my head held high in victory.

He did this for me.

And so I lie.

He already knew I would make mistakes and fall short of the glory of God. He knew I would rebel against my family, look out for my own selfish desires, and lose myself in a world full of chaos and confusion.

I lie at the foot of the cross.

I lie for a reason.

I am redeemed.

Katherine’s Corner Featuring DIY, giveaways, recipes, blogging tips, family, faith, and encouragement www.katherinescorner.com

Illumination Book Award honors

Wheels of Wisdom

by Tim and Debbie Bishop Midlife newlyweds’ devotional from the seat of a bicycle earns its third award The 2018 Illumination Book Awards contest has recognized “Wheels of Wisdom” by Tim and Debbie Bishop with the bronze medal in the Devotional category. The Jenkins Group, a book marketing firm, ran the fifth annual competition.

According to its news release, “this year’s winners are made up of self-published authors and some of the most respected names in publishing, hailing from twenty-six U.S. states and two Canadian provinces.”

Awards director Amy Shamroe said, “The Illumination Awards medalists offer real connections to God through personal experience, thoughtful reflections, and joy in their faith. Our awards shine a light on the books that enrich and inspire today’s Christians.”

“We’re thrilled,” Tim Bishop said. “We placed in a category with two books published by HarperCollins, which has much more money to invest in projects than we have. Sarah Young and Christine Caine wrote those books and tied for the gold medal. They are luminaries who have achieved monumental success in connecting people to God. Young’s ‘Jesus Calling’ has sold over 20 million copies. We’re in good company.”

“Wheels of Wisdom: Life Lessons for the Restless Spirit” captures fifty-two “aha moments” from the Bishops’ bicycling adventures across America. It challenges readers to apply the principles those stories teach. The book, with tagline “Inspiration for Your Own Adventure,” won the 2017 National Indie Excellence Award for Inspiration and the gold medal in the Christian Devotional genre of the 2017 Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards contest.

“We hope people benefit from and enjoy our book, but we never thought it would win three awards,” Debbie Bishop said. “It makes me wonder what God is up to. Thank you again to our selfless contributors. Some of them we didn’t even know until they dropped into our path as we put this book together.”

The Bishops were first-time newlyweds at the age of fifty-two and have since bicycled over 11,000 miles throughout America without the aid of support vehicles. In 2013, they released “Two Are Better: Midlife Newlyweds Bicycle Coast to Coast.”

You can learn more about the Bishops and their award-winning "Wheels of Wisdom," which retails for $14.99, at www.openroadpress.com. Open Road Press books are distributed by Baker & Taylor Publisher Services.

Despite our amazement and concern, the more time we spent with this pioneer, the more we appreciated the other things she brought to her endeavor.

Tucked within her free and sweet spirit were plenty of optimism, trust, and resolve.

The Innocence of Youth

by Tim Bishop

A few years ago, my wife, Debbie, and I hosted a 23-year-old Korean exchange student for an evening. Our visitor had just embarked from Boston en route to Washington, D.C. – on a bicycle!

This nomadic traveler spoke some broken English and was about to travel through the most densely populated area in the United States.

Only an iPhone accompanied her as navigator. One look at her told us she was not very strong. In fact, when she arrived at our home, she was walking her bicycle up the hill.

Debbie and I had toured extensively by bicycle, so we understood well the appeal of it. We also knew what it took to cycle long distances. What initially struck us about our guest was . . . well . . . her lack of preparedness.

She had purchased the bicycle online a few days earlier and hadn’t had time to ride it. She wore no padded cycling shorts to prevent saddle sores, no clip-in cycling shoes to add power to the pedals and, astoundingly, had no spare tubes, tools, or pump to fix a flat tire.

Not only were we taken aback by what she lacked, we also couldn’t believe what she carried. Her load contained extraneous gear that would weigh her down and wear her out.

For example, strapped on the back of her bicycle was her violin case! What else would you expect a music student to bring on a bicycle trip?

She also toted a dream that one day she would undertake such a trip with her future husband. Most importantly, she brought a willingness to explore without worrying about things she couldn’t control.

In short, she had the innocence of youth.

Anyone who has ever felt the tug of God’s call and hopes to find peace must respond with similar attributes of youth. Jesus said as much in this passage: Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 18:3 NKJV).

When God calls us to follow Him, He doesn’t ask us to prepare ourselves for the journey first. To the contrary, when He calls, He expects us to drop everything and go (see Matthew 8:18-22).

It is easier to embark on the spiritual journey when we exercise the blind trust of a young person. We are free to walk in faith when we disregard the cynicism and distractions that come from a deeper understanding of the world.

David said in Psalm 116:6, The Lord preserves the simple; I was brought low, and He saved me.

Despite trying to feed our traveler more carbs than she was willing to eat and equip her with the supplies we thought she would need, we came away from our time together encouraged. She brought something to her endeavor that we should have had more of ourselves.

We checked in a few times on our delightful sojourner as she headed south. To our shock, she cycled without incident all the way to Manhattan in the heart of New York City!

Her shoulder had become a bit fatigued from the journey, so she decided to end there in deference to her budding career as a virtuoso violinist.

Regardless, she had accomplished an incredible feat and taught all of us something important in the process.

Road Trip of Delusion

by Jean Ann Williams CHAPTER 1: If I Speak My heart sank to my navel. I left behind my plans for a week of recipe testing as I hugged the cookbook on my lap.

Great-granny’s foot went heavy on the gas pedal of her Cadillac Fleetwood. The vehicle backfired with a zoom onto Highway 101. Her ancient hawk-like eyes never seemed to wander from the approaching headlight beams.

I shook my head, trying to dislodge a huge regret—I wasn’t able to talk her out of taking this trip.

In the backseat, my sister, Leah Bedeah, two years younger than me at thirteen, jumped on the roadway of reasoning.

“Granny, don’t you think we should tell someone?”

Great-granny’s head barely crested the top of the seat.

“Your Grand is gone, so it’s just me now.” She lifted her chin.

Little sister Mia Babe sat next to Leah. “Kari?”

Twisting in my seat, I faced them. “What?”

“Mom says Grand’s in paradise, but where’s that?”

Ah, Mia, an old soul at the age of seven. “Well, from what Mom taught me, it’s a spiritual place where people go when they die”.

“Oh.” Mia rubbed her left eye, a sure sign she was sleepy.

A scary notion surfaced, and I slapped my forehead. “Do you even know your way to Oregon?”

“Of course.” Great-granny flicked her blinker and passed a small car. “Grand and I visited Oregon when your mama was a slip of a teenager.”

“But—” Leah counted. “That was around twenty-five years ago. Right, Kari?”

“Right.” I rolled my eyes and refocused on the headlight-brightened pavement. “I don’t think they moved the state since then, Leah.” But, does Granny remember how to get there?

“Very funny, Kari.” Leah huffed as she threw herself back against the plush seat. “You don’t know everything.”

I waved her off. “Just hush, and let me think.”

“Whatever.”

“Would you stop?” I hissed as Great-granny launched into one of her tales.

“I wish you’d known my bigger sister, Doreen.” She cackled and slapped the wheel. “When she was Kari Rose’s age, we set out on one of many road trips. This trip here is undersized potatoes in comparison.” Nodding, she continued. “When we decided to go somewhere, we went—one way or ’nother.”

How would I convince my grief-stricken great-granny to turn this once-proud Cadillac around before we traveled farther from home?

A hint of dawn brushed the base of the eastern sky. The Coastal Oaks struggled to peek through the dark. Their branches gnarled like an old woman’s fingers.

My lashes fluttered. Stay awake. Didn’t Granny need two sets of eyes to watch the road? I pictured the drivers’ ed manual on my dresser and remembered something about this. Or could it be my distrust for an eighty-year-old driving a vehicle which swayed side to side.

Although it was still too dark to see anything but shapes in the backseat, from the outline of Leah’s crossed arms she was ticked-off angry.

“Mama’s gonna be mad, Kari.” Mia’s voice quivered. “I’m on this trip only ’cause you’re biggest, and Granny’s the oldest.”

Leah grumbled. “Just chill, ya little baby.”

Granny looked in the rearview mirror. “What’s that you say?” The Cadillac swerved.

Gripping the steering wheel, I steadied it. “You drive, and I’ll handle the rest.”

“A bit bossy, aren’t we?” Granny crossed the dotted lines on the road.

Here we go, again. Letting go of the wheel, I then clenched my cookbook as well as my teeth.

“No, she’s not bossy.” Leah unbuckled and leaned near Granny. “You jerked this bat mobile.”

I shook my head at Leah, but she didn’t take the hint and pointed her index finger at Granny’s head. “She’s driving reckless.”

Beads of sweat dampened my bangs, and I heaved a huge sigh of frustration.

Granny eased her foot off the accelerator. “I didn’t mean to scare you, Leah.”

In reply, she folded her hands together on Granny’s head rest. “Please, dear Lord, keep us safe.”

My sister never knew when to quit.

Granny harrumphed. “Don’t be disrespectful, Leah Bedeah.”

“I’m. Not. I’m praying.” She squinted. “And thank You, Lord, ahead of time for—” “You girls don’t have to take this trip with me.”

Mia shuffled in her seat. “Aren’t you supposed to be babysitting us?”

“Who’s babysitting who is the better question?” Leah snorted.

Was Granny joking? I couldn’t imagine her driving five hundred miles to Oregon by her lonesome.

In a car older than my mother, even. “You know, Granny … wouldn’t it be fun instead to stop at Monterey Bay Aquarium and see the dolphins?”

“Suppose not.” Surely she spit the t through a space in the steering wheel.

Mia banged her shoes against her seat. “C’mon, Granny, let’s go.”

I rubbed my palm over the cookbook cover, itching to stare with longing at the fudge brownie recipe. “There’s no way we can get to Oregon and home again before our parents get back on Sunday.”

“And why not?”

There she goes, spitting a whole word.

“Four days is time enough to visit my son.”

Leah’s chin hugged the top of the front seat between Granny and me. “Granny, you shouldn’t take advantage of Mom and Dad on their vacation with no cell phone.”

“How come we didn’t get to go?” Mia stroked my neck. “I wanna sleep in a tree house and burn marshmallows in a fire.”

I waved a hand to shoo off her question. “Kids don’t go on second honeymoons.”

“Why?” Mia’s voice became super whiney.

“It’s a celebration of the day they married seventeen years ago.” Leah yawned. “That’s why.”

Mia sighed. “I miss Mama.”

“Personally, I agree with Kari.” Leah looked down her nose at Granny. “No way will we get this Caddy home in time.”

“It’s not a Caddy.” Granny stretched her neck, as the car weaved again. “This gem is a Cadillac.”

I touched the wheel to stop the swaying. “Whoa.”

“More like a prehistoric beast.” Leah muttered.

Granny pinned her eyes on the road. “How do you know we won’t get home before your parents?”

Ducking her head, Leah resurfaced seconds later, shaking a large travel map. “Because, Granny, these road directions prove we won’t.”

Silence filled the car, and I squirmed in the leather seat.

I pointed. “You had time to look at it before we left?”

Leah nodded. “I did.”

“I’ll look at the map later on.” Granny’s voice oozed as smooth as hot fudge sauce. “And, girls, I’ve got a thousand dollars in my purse. You’ll be my bodyguards.”

A gas bubble shot to my throat. I choked on the burp. That was too much cash to carry, and Leah was right about prehistoric beast. The way the car spurted and clunked, we’d need all the money for repairs.

Leah groaned. “It’s too dangerous to carry this much money.”

Granny shrugged her boney shoulders. “We’ll be fine.”

I wiggled my fingers at Leah. “Give me the map.” Granny must know what she’s doing, right? Now it was my turn to talk to God, but in silence. Please, Lord, change Granny’s mind about this trip.

Road Trip of Delusion

by Jean Ann Williams is available from

RUBY’S Reading Corner http://rubyforwomen.com/rubys-reading-corner-2/

“Just Do It”

by Jennifer Workman What is faith? The Bible tells us expressively that faith is the substance of things hoped and the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1, NIV).

For those of us that aren’t familiar with Biblical lingo or terminology, we may ask the question, “What does that mean?” In other words, it means believing irrespective of seeing and then responding accordingly.

For example, in I Samuel chapter 14 during the early days of King Saul’s rule, the Philistines controlled the western border of Israel and the battle lines were drawn at the pass of Micmash.

Saul seemed to be lackadaisical and inactive, but Johnathan wanted to be proactive and on the front line.

Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side (I Samuel 14:1, NIV).

If Johnathan became too preoccupied with his feelings and the outlook of the situation, he would have been faithless and fearful, and he would not have moved forward.

But faith requires moving past our fears and moving into the unknown with assurance and trusting that God is in full control and will guide us on toward a victorious outcome. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf (I Samuel 14:6, NIV).

Johnathan had to do as the Nike slogan states, “Just Do It.” And just doing it requires:

Matthew 17:20 Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

Faith and trusting God is essential to having a victorious life. You must believe him and take him at his word and move according to your faith and trust in him alone!

So, what obstacles are you facing today? Whatever the case maybe, don’t be deterred by the situation, just do it!

Believe that God is sovereign and that you are well able to overcome any opposition or storm that is in front of you today because Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world (I John 4:4, NIV).

The devil wants you to shrink back in fear and think that it is all over for you but “the devil is a liar!”

Remember that you are not fighting your battles alone for the battle isn’t yours but the Lord’s (I Samuel 17:47, NIV).

Let God take the wheel! Let him lead and direct your steps today for God is competent and able to handle what you can’t. Come on, climb right behind me, Johnathan said to his armor bearer, For the Lord will help us defeat them (v. 12).

Again, Johnathan recognized God’s sovereignty and that if “he couldn’t do it, it couldn’t be done” and if God gave him the victory in his situation, if you trust him today he will do the same for you. So the word for you today is, Just Do It!

The Hannah Experience: When Nothing seems to be Producing the Desired Effect

by Jennifer Workman “This book extends inspiration to every bibliophile to press forward in prayer and trust God unequivocally despite what they may encounter in life and trust that God is the way and that he will ultimately supply their needs and bring them to their final destination at the appointed time.”

Now available from RUBY’S Reading Corner

Spiritual Insight in the Middle of Physical Therapy

by Sharon L. Patterson The pain had been speaking to me for some time. As a matter of fact, several body parts had been sending messages of discomfort since I turned 70 this past August. I took Advil in an attempt to stifle the sensory interruptions pulsating to my brain.

Then, one day I was getting up off the couch when the catch in my right hip took my breath away. Denial as to the severity faded and I called my primary physician to make an appointment.

Following blood work, x-rays, a MRI, and a visit to a specialist, it was determined the degenerative conditions in my hip and lower back necessitated either injections in my spine or physical therapy.

I could actively testify the rest of my body was rejoicing with the part that had been hurting. I just simply feel better in general. A keen spiritual insight in the middle of physical therapy!

My therapist is a specialist in Myofascial Release. He defined its meaning in a simple sentence: Pressure is applied slowly over a sustained period of time in order to obtain maximum release to the affected area.

When done consistently, it yields the greatest amount of benefits, not just to that area, but to every area to which it is connected.

I could hardly wait to tell him how that relates to what I have grasped about what God does in our soul to heal the pain from wounds received in life. My learning curve was quickened as I realized how the Lord achieves maximum release of benefits to us through continued sustained pressure applied to our soul’s hurts.

I chose the latter knowing I needed to be proactive in helping my body to recover. We hit it off immediately.

My physical therapist, Patrick, was happy to hear that I was interested in doing what he would be teaching me. Little did I know that God had some keen spiritual insights for me right in the middle of physical therapy.

When my therapist locates the pain, he applies steady pressure, going deeper with that pressure for a determined period of time until I feel a release.

First, I learned how damage in the connective tissue in one part of my body could manifest not only in other connective tissue but in organs, muscles, and nerves as well. Patrick spoke to me that when one part hurts, other parts of my body are negatively affected.

My attentiveness is piqued to listen as I continue physical therapy. I am mindful more than ever that the Lord has many such nuggets he wants to impress on my mind and heart as I go about my daily business.

As a lay women’s minister, my ears perked up.

Suddenly, the truth of I Corinthians 12: 26 (“If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”) was more than a focus of understanding of what God says about the body of Christ: it became a physical imprint I could relate to.

There’s nothing like a living, active witness of a spiritual principle accentuated by the experience of actual physical pain to cement it deeper not only into my understanding, but my heart as well.

I have been in physical therapy for almost a month.

At my session earlier this week, I was able to report how my whole body seemed better since working on the area of deepest pain not only at the point of origin but in the areas connected to it.

What is most painful immediately begins to slowly dissipate. Not only the pain releases but overall improvement comes also.

His classroom is wider than the pastor’s pulpit; his lessons deeper than theological notes of a seminary professor. Jesus taught truths wherever he went. He used whatever was at hand for his object lessons and miracles. When he healed, it was for the total parts of the person he ministered to.

When the Lord healed and touched a person, it touched those that person was related or connected to. They rejoiced with the one healed.

I plan to garner more tidbits of divine wisdom and understanding in the upcoming weeks. My body is better, but so are my spirit and my soul. I will minister with keener insight as to the connectedness of the body of Christ with those I meet with.

Thank you, Lord, and thank you, Patrick for spiritual insight in the middle of physical therapy!

Join Tim and Debbie Bishop on their Coast-to-Coast Bicycle Journey as Newlyweds in Two are Better At age 52, with no prior experience in either bicycle touring or marriage, newlyweds Tim and Debbie Bishop pedal away from the Oregon coast to discover their new life together. The odyssey that follows on their self-supported honeymoon across America will bring smiles, chuckles, and tears.

Two Are Better is a unique and entertaining story that proves it's never too late to make your dreams come true. Purchase to find out why the Midwest Book Review called Two Are Better “insightful and charming.”

Tim and Debbie’s Books are now available from RUBY’S Reading Corner!

Wheels of Wisdom: Life Lessons for the Restless Spirit Two are Better: Midlife Newlyweds Bicycle Coast to Coast

Make Your Own Vintage Inspired Floral Cone

by Theresa L Begin

Happy spring! I have had the most fun working on this pretty project! I bought these pretty stems (that I have always wanted, but couldn't afford) at Michael's because I had 70% off! The only reason I could get them was because I waited and watched for sales and used coupons. I'm telling you, watch the ads, wait and go in when you have an extra percentage off coupon pulled up on your smartphone!

Another great trick, buy a pre-made bouquet when they are discontinuing them or on sale and take the stems apart for whatever use you had in mind. A pair of scissors and maybe a little wire cutter is all you need.

I thought I bought them to make my spring wreath for my front door, but as I was working, separating the stems, I realized how much sheer volume I had and quickly was aware that I could make more than just the wreath out of them! Woohoo!! So my brain started racing with ideas of what else I could do with this abundance of beauty!

Across the table from me, was this beautiful antique script scrapbook paper (one of my favorites!) that I had left over from an earlier project and directly in front of me was my spool of natural twine!!

Well, that's all there was to it! I had to make a floral cone that I could hang in the house too!

I should tell you that this was a very simple cone roll of the paper, glue or double stick tape the seam in the back. Just as you would make a frosting bag.

Punch your holes for the twine to go through. I do put tape on the inside and outside of where I'm punching my holes to give it the strength needed.

These are the florals that I bought for what will be two rather large projects! Grand total for all this beauty was $15.78!! So, I couldn't say "make your own for under $15” really. But considering that it took less than half for the cone and I have plenty for the wreath, I can say, “Look what you can make for under $8!!” Better, yet, right?!

I bought these wonderful little wooden hearts a few weeks ago from Pick Your Plum for 10/$3.99 just because I knew they would come in handy. I had no idea how soon. :) I have tried to include as many views as I could to give you a pretty good idea of how it looks.

Different settings and amounts of light, filtered and regular. This is the final image of my little floral cone in its proper place (for the next few months, anyway!)

This is my view now of it from my desk in my room. What wonderful smiles it brings me! What's bringing you joy around your house?

I hope that you all are taking time to celebrate the changes of the seasons and find some way to make it special in your home and garden or even on your door. I hope that you will enjoy this as much as I am.

Even though I made this pretty little cone for my home, don't you think it would be a great Mother's Day gift or a May Day surprise for a friend?!

Think I'm going to make another one to bless a friend's home.

Ruby Writing Team Sharon Patterson, retired educator, career military wife, and leader in women's ministry, has written inspirational encouragement in various forms from greeting cards to short stories, poetry, and Bible studies for over thirty years. She has authored three books, and is a contributing author for several of the Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She and her husband Garry live in Round Rock, Texas. They have three sons and five grandchildren.

Theresa Begin lives in Northern California, where she was born and raised. She is a Christian who loves her family and says, “I have been blessed with the world’s best parents!” She has three sisters and one brother, as well as 16 beautiful nieces and nephews who “mean the world to me!” She is “differently-abled,” and chooses not to allow her limitations to define her life. She loves to write and share her various projects on her blog, “Shoestring Elegance,” which came about as she discovered that living on a tight budget did not mean compromising on style. “Nothing is impossible with God.” Luke 1:37 NLT Hi ~ I’m Jody Lee Collins ~ CONNECTOR · ENCOURAGER · COMMUNICATOR Nothing makes me come alive more than seeing you live into your calling as a writer and follower of Jesus. You can connect with me on my blog, Jody Lee Collins , at https://jodyleecollins.com/ “My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” Psalm 45:1

Shara Bueler-Repka is enjoying life as a singer/songwriter/recording artist, freelance writer, and award-winning author. She and her husband, Bruce, live in their living quarters horse trailer and call “home” wherever their rig is parked. Their mail-base, however, is Hallettsville, Texas. She also loves riding/ministering with her husband and their horses (aka The Boys) in the backcountry and writing about God’s grace in the various adventures on the trail less-traveled. Join the fun and be encouraged on their website: www.ponyexpressministry.com and her blog: www.trail-tails.blogspot.com, or come for a visit on Facebook.

Writer-speaker, Kathryn Ross is Pageant Wagon Publishing—igniting God’s Word and biblical principles as a vibrant light of literacy and learning in the life of your Christian family. Her recent book, The Gatekeeper’s Key, is nominated for the Indie Book Award 2018. Inspired by the stillness of birdsong, silent reflection, antiques, and teatime, she filters her love of history, classic literature, and the arts through God’s Word, to inform her words. Miss Kathy blogs and podcasts at www.thewritersreverie.com and www.pageantwagonpublishing.com.

Diana Leagh Matthews writes, speaks and sings to bring glory to God.

She has been published in numerous anthologies, including many Moments books. In her day job, Leagh is a Nationally Certified Activities Director for a busy nursing facility.

She takes great joy in family, friends and soaking in the beautiful wonders and promises of God. Leagh blogs about her faith and struggles on her website www.DianaLeaghMatthews.com and family history at www.ALookThruTime.com

Rejetta Morse enjoys writing poetry so she can write about God and how He speaks through nature. Writing poetry is a new found purpose and hobby she discovered over recent years which brings her joy, peace, and encouragement. She also enjoys reading poetry and is working to learn more about the craft of poetry. She spends her free time singing with her church choir and listening to gospel music, watching biographical movies, and encouraging other people.

Joan Leotta has been playing with words since childhood. She is a poet, essayist, journalist, playwright, and author of several books both fiction and non-fiction for children and adults. She is also a performer and gives one-woman shows on historic figures and spoken word folklore shows as well as teaching writing and storytelling.

Joan lives in Calabash, NC where she walks the beach with husband, Joe. www.joanleotta.wordpress.com and https://www.facebook.com/pages/Joan-Leotta-Authorand-Story-Performer/188479350973

R.G. Sharpe is a freelance writer bringing faith and fortitude to blended families. She is happily remarried with five beautiful children now ranging in ages seven to fourteen.

She is a co-author of two devotionals and is currently writing a children’s book to help young readers process their emotions after their parents' separation and divorce. You can learn more and subscribe for updates at www.rgsharpe.com.

Norma C. Mezoe began writing after a crisis in her life. She has been a published writer for thirty years. Her writing has appeared in books, devotionals, take-home papers and magazines. She lives in the tiny town of Sandborn, Indiana where she is active in her church as clerk, teacher and bulletin maker. Contact at: normacm@tds.net

Suzane Avadiar is a freelance writer, cat-lover and avid traveler. Over the last 16 years, she has written extensively for various publications and companies in the global marketplace. Writing is not only her full-time job but also her passion and instrument of worship. She now writes solely about her faith and has a deep desire to reveal the heart of God through her writings. Suzane writes daily devotions on social media for her church, C3 Subang and is currently completing her first book, Sent to Journey - a Devotional for Travelers. She blogs at www.senttojourney.wordpress.com and resides in Malaysia.

Lisa Radcliff is a writer, speaker, women's Bible study teacher, and a 35-year volunteer youth worker, residing in Pennsburg, PA. She is a wife, mom, and mom-mom who loves God's Word but also loves football, chocolate, shoes, and Maine. Her hobbies include quilting, shopping, cooking, and raising Seeing Eye puppies. You can reach her at lisajradcliff@gmail.com.

Jehn Kubiak is a Biola University journalism graduate and current pastoral care and counseling major at the Talbot School of Theology. She is a San Diego native who enjoys distance swimming, coffee, dogs, and painting. She loves researching and writing about people, sports, activities, and more.

I am Joanne Jarrett, a family physician turned stay at home mom and blogger. I am developing a women's loungewear line, Shelfies, that will revolutionize what we wear in the {no-bra-zone} with its soft fabrics, supportive but cozy shelf, and just enough coverage cups. Visit Shelfieshoppe.com to follow the journey and receive a secret code for free shipping!

Tim Bishop has co-authored four books with his wife, Debbie, about their midlife launch into marriage, cross-country bicycle touring, and other matters of faith and inspiration. He serves as a volunteer Hope Coach for TheHopeLine, a nonprofit organization that seeks to reach, rescue, and restore hurting teens and young adults.

Emmanuel O. Afolabi is a seasoned teacher, blogger, and minister of the Gospel. He is also the author of two books, The Battle of Identity and How to Recover from Painful Losses, both of which are now available from RUBY’S Reading Corner. In his books Emmanuel presents practical steps for Christian living and spiritual growth. Afolabi is married to Sister Mary Afolabi, and is blessed with children to the glory of God.

Miriam Jacob is a reviewer at Oxford Academic, Oxford University Press; a blog reviewer at Revell Reads, Baker Publishing Group; member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid, Christian Authors Network and Ruby Book Review Team; Google Scholar and Researcher at Academia.edu; ebook author and poet; top reviewer at NetGalley, Christian Book Distributors, Barnes and Noble, Google Books and Goodreads. Miriam is a reviewer at Tyndale House Publishers; Moody Press; Barbour Books; Harvest House; New Hope Publishers; Penguin; HarperCollins Christian; Abingdon Press; WaterBrook & Multnomah; and Discovery House. Miriam's articles and poems are published at Blogger, Faithwriters, PoemHunter, ProBoards, Weebly and WordPress. Her writings are published on her two blogs at www.miriamjacob.wordpress.com & www.authorsforchrist.blogspot.com

Sharmelle Olson is a graphic artist and designer, photographer and poet. She loves to share her poems in the Ruby for Women community magazine. Shar is also an administrator for Ruby for Women Ministries and enjoys helping out around the community and making new friends there. She has been writing poetry and taking photographs since elementary school, and started doing graphic art and design work in the early 2000s. Shar has four children, two of whom are twins. Her first daughter is 21, her son is 15, and her twin daughters are 14.

Nells Wasilewski lives in a small southern town, seventy miles southeast of Nashville, Tennessee. After retiring, she began pursuing her lifelong dream of writing. Her writing has been greatly influenced by her faith in Jesus Christ, personal, experience and nature. She has been writing poems, prose and stories all her life.

Nells has recently started writing devotionals. Her work has appeared in Haiku Journal, Barefoot Review, Three Line Poetry, Poetry Quarterly, 50 Haikus, Dual Coast Magazine, High Coupe Journal, Ancient Paths, Tanka Journal, Hedgerow and Penned from the Heart https://nellswasilewski.blogspot.com

Lynn Mosher, Devotions Since the year 2000, Lynn Mosher has lived with fibromyalgia and other physical conditions. During this time, the Lord placed the desire in her heart to write for Him. Now, armed with God’s purpose for her life and a new passion, she reaches out to others to encourage and comfort them through her writing, giving God all the glory.

She lives with her husband in their empty nest in Kentucky. On occasion, their three offspring, who have flown the coop, come to visit, accompanied by a son-in-law and three granddaughters. Visit Lynn at her blog, at http://lynnmosher.com Author Jean Ann Williams, the eldest in a large family, enjoys digging into her fascinating childhood to create stories for children. She has written over two hundred articles for children and adults, and she is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and Society of children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Jean Ann and her husband live on one acre in Southern Oregon where they raise a garden, goats, and chickens. Her favorite hobbies are hiking through the woods and practicing archery. You can contact Jean Ann on her blog at www.jeanannwilliamsauthor.com or email her at jeanann_w@yahoo.com

Jennifer Workman is the founder of Simply Victorious Ministries, a ministry founded on the infallible Word of God. She has been actively involved in ministry all of her life and has ministered to seminary students, the religious community, high school students and female prison inmates. Jennifer has more than fifteen years in the radio, television and publications arena. She is the Inspirational Host and Producer of "Simply Victorious for Life," a monthly inspirational podcast aired via Faith Filled Family and Family Filled Youth. Contact Jennifer at http://simplyvic.webs.com or http://jyworkman.wix.com/jennifer

Nina Newton, Sr. Editor:

When my four older children were in school, I returned to college as a “non-traditional student.” Eventually, I earned degrees in Classics and Philosophy, and a graduate degree in Medieval Studies: History of Theology. After teaching at a small community college in Michigan for seven years, my husband and I were blessed with the adoption of our two beautiful daughters, Gracie and Annie. We live in northern Indiana in a small farming community where I work on RUBY magazine in my home office. I have worked for several years offering my handmade and refashioned garments and accessories in a local boutique under the creative name of “Vintage Mama’s Cottage.” My personal blog is at www.vintagemamascottage.com

Please join us in the RUBY community, now on Facebook!

Connect with other Christian women, share prayer requests, book reviews, blog posts, crafts, recipes, poetry, and parenting advice and encouragement. We even have a home school group where you can share resources with one another!

I hope you will take time to visit the RUBY community group and let us know how we can pray for you. I’ll be looking for you, Nina https://www.facebook.com/rubyforwomen

RUBY magazine is published by CreativeLife