Mom's Birthday!!!

 Hi, everybody! This is Luke, and yesterday was my mom's 42nd birthday!  Sadly, it was a Monday and we all had things to go to and stuff to do, so we had her birthday party at 9:30!  She was a great sport about not complaining that it was late and that we all had our own things to do and couldn't spend a whole day focusing on her.

Daniel got my mom a small candle and a jar for her to put it in. The scent is her favorite, which is Pumpkin Spice! 

   Grace got her a big candle, but I forgot to take a picture of that. :(    


I got her a a Starbucks gift card, but I also for got to take a picture of this. (I guess that I am not on top of my game at 9:30!)

Our whole family got her a new Bible because, she accidentally lost her old one at church a few months ago. 

She had found some other Bibles, but she couldn't find one like the one that she had lost. She really liked all the notes that it had in it!  Lucky for her, we could find one!

She wouldn't let us make a cake (I guess we messed up last years!) so she made her own cupcakes that were AWESOME!!!

I almost forgot to mention that Grace wrote a very sweet card. It goes like this...

Thanks! Luke

ok- for the record, this is Kim and no, they didn't mess up last year's cake - we celebrated with friends a day earlier so I made cupcakes.  I didn't see the need to make another cake when we already had cupcakes!!! :0)

Back To School 101

Well, it's that time again.

Time for empty notebook pages, full of possibility.  Time for fresh text books, just waiting to be cracked.  And high time for a little structure and routine around here.  I am one who is ready to be finished in the spring and always ready to head back to school in the fall. 

This year I have ones in 8th, 6th and 2nd grade.  They are involved in before school activities and after school activities.  That means my days start early and end late and I need to be one organized mama!

Recently, a friend asked if I would share my 'secrets' for getting everyone out the door in the morning and to school on time. {Maybe you don't struggle with this, but maybe you do.}  I thought if she was curious, maybe you all would be as well.  I'll share what works for us.
*Disclaimer*    There are occasions where the wheels come off the cart and it all falls apart.  But by and large, this is how we roll.

 Secret #1.  Tomorrow's success starts today.  I find my best defense against morning craziness begins the night before.  After dinner I clean my kitchen.  There are no dinner dishes left lying around, the dishwasher is humming, my sink is scrubbed clean, counters wiped down and my table is set for the morning.  I know it sounds like a lot of work at a time of day when most of us just want to kick back and rest, but believe me.... it is SO VERY worth the time at night, for a calm, organized morning.  There is no better feeling than waking to a kitchen that is ready to go.  Nothing to do except move forward in the day.

 I started setting the table in the evening several years ago.  It is just one less thing to have to contend with.  And my kids and husband feel special because I have taken the time to make sure their day starts smoothly.  Don't you feel honored or special when someone has gone the extra mile for you?  I also set up this little cereal station.  I was tired of ripped cereal boxes, cereal bags torn from top to bottom and my youngest climbing on the counter top to grab a bowl.  This is a great self-serve station.  With the exception of the milk, everything they need is there or on the table.  I am using their silver baby cups as scoops - they love that!!

 

Sorry for the blurry photos.  They were taken on Luke's ipod because I'm fancy like that!

Secret #2.  Rise before your children.  I know, I know.  It's not easy.  If you give yourself time to wake up and get dressed and ready for your day BEFORE the kids wake up and need 100 things, your day will go smoother.  I find that if my basic needs are met, I am much more able to help them without being stressed or panicked.  {It's akin to putting on your own oxygen mask before assisting young children with theirs.  The same could be said for my morning cup of chai.}  I rise at 5:30 during the school year and wake my kids between 6-6:30, depending on the days activities.  We are all night showerers around here - cuts down on what needs to happen in the morning {and cuts down on the frequency of sheet washing, as we go to bed clean!}

Secret #3.  Plan what everyone will wear the night before and have it ready to go.  Sounds like a no - brainer but this is a HUGE help.  Especially with girls.  Middle school girls in particular.  If we take a few minutes before bed to pull what we are going to wear the next day, the 'I'm too tired' drama is removed.  Iron if you need to iron.  Accessorize if you need to accessorize. {middle school :0)} But have it ready to go so all they need to do is put it on and go!

Secret #4.  Have a specific place set aside for shoes and backpacks.  We have a bench in our mudroom where all their backpacks, books and homework go.  Their shoes go on a rubber mat under the bench for a quick dash out the door.  Now, whether they use them or not is another story..... but at least I have created a system and it is their responsibility to work within that system.  We rarely have issues of not being able to find homework or shoes as we head out.


Secret #5. Pack lunches the night before.  I have all their water bottles {all 6} in the fridge and ready to pull out in the morning.  Why six?  I have three kids.  They each have a bottle in their lunch boxes and one for classroom or lockers.  That way the lunch box bottles stay in their lunch and the classroom bottles stay in the class.  Less chance for loss than if the water bottles 'travel' during the day.  Anyway, pre-pack what you can the night before.  That way you just pull and pack in the morning.  Occasionally my kids will pack their own lunches {my goal someday}, but we have a heavy homework load and usually take our sweet time, and evening commitments.  That pushes us for time.   I would prefer they head to bed to get a good night's sleep.  They help me out in other ways.

 

  I hope this information doesn't come across as prideful, I don't have it all going on and lack greatly in other areas - -like photography.  I just hope this is helpful.  Again, I apologize for the photo quality.  Even tried making them smaller, nothing helped!


Blessings,
Kim

Sorry To Leave You Hangin'

I've had a few emails asking me how my boys' trip was and what on earth the cows are up to.

 I'm sorry to leave you hanging out there, on the edge of your seats, unable to sleep and having chewed your nails to the quick.  What was I thinking??

 Clearly, I wasn't.  Sorry about that.

 Ok, since you asked, this one is for you, Grandma.  {How cool is it that my Grandma reads this blog?  I love it!}

It just dawned on me, those of you who are new here may not have a clue what I am talking about  - go back to the archives {on the right side of your screen}, around mid July and check it out there.  I have no idea how to link to my own post.  I'll work on it.

My big boys had a great time in Canada.  Indeed, Todd was able to remedy his passport issues in Minneapolis and was cleared to cross the border.   He got some good rest on the bus and thoroughly enjoyed his time talking with all the other dads.  You may or may not know this about my man, but he is INCREDIBLY social.   You've never seen anything like it.   No one is a stranger, no one doesn't love him.  He is amazing!   I say that with all sincerity.  Which is all well and good until you want to leave church on a Sunday and he is making 'the rounds'.  I think the maintenance man has just given him a key and told him to lock up when he is done.  We close her down every week.  EVERY WEEK!  So needless to say, 2&1/2 days of talking to like-minded people was a gift.  {I can just hear the political rantings and the current event conversations}  They were only interrupted by the occasional nap or fast food stop.  He just loved it! :0)

 Let me say that I know I should have photos with this post.  I apologize for not, but we need to organize and categorize them and we just have not done it yet.  It seems as though there are never enough hours in the day.  When we get that part done, I'll post them - promise.

 I could make a short story really long here, but I'll refrain.  Hopefully.

They had tough head winds the first couple of days but pressed on.  They never did swamp {turn over} their canoes, a rarity I'm told, as every other crew did.  The boys did a great job working together and most everyone's attitude was good - a key component on a demanding trip like this.  However, none of these 13 year old boys have hit puberty and have precious little upper body strength, so carrying an 80 pound canoe, 15 feet long, for more than a few steps was out of the question.  They all tried, bless their hearts!  So the dads carried the canoes and the boys hauled all the packs with all the crew's gear - about 100 pounds each.  They canoed a total of 78 miles.  Amazing!  When they reached a land bridge, they had to portage, or carry overhead, their canoes.  I envisioned these lovely, open, groomed trails on which they could portage.  No such luck!   Todd said he spent one particular portage ramming the front of the canoe through thick pine boughs.  Other portages had felled trees across the trail and they had to step over them {canoes still overhead}.  Some of the felled trees were too high and they would have to set the canoes down, climb over the logs and then get back under their canoes and keep going!!  For a couple of MILES!!!  When Todd told me this I immediately got on my knees and thanked the Lord for making me the mom - for cryin' out loud, I spent two weeks at the pool! {Oh, thank you Jesus!!}

 They never saw any moose or bears.  But they did see a lot of turtles and fish.  Huge fish.  Todd, Steve {the other dad} and Jeremiah, their guide/interpreter, made sure all the boys caught at least one fish.  Most of those fish were dinner - the best they ever tasted, they said.  They even made a cake on their last night out - over a fire, none the less, and camped on the beach.  Luke said it was the best time he has ever had with his dad and that he would never forget all the memories they made together.

  Money well spent.  Priceless.

Unfortunately, Todd's elbow won't soon forget the trip either.  It hurt coming home and has yet to improve so he saw the doctor yesterday who confirmed our suspicions of a strained ligament - otherwise known as tennis elbow.  He has a band on it,  heavy duty anti inflammatory pills, and two weeks of R&R.  If that doesn't work, he will need a Cortisone injection in that ligament.  UGH!  Not fun, so we are praying that it heals soon!

 As far as those cows go.... well, I don't have pictures of them either because every time I'm at the ranch, they are not!!  Admittedly, I'm not there very often.  All reports are that they come down out of the mountains in the evening and return to the upper pasture early in the morning.  Should make moving them super easy and lots of fun.

Todd is in the process of slowly putting together a catch pen to get them used to the idea of being in an enclosed space.  He puts feed and water in there every other night to draw them in,  and they are actually cooperating.  We are hoping to have them out of there in the next week or so.  He said he intends to corral them, load them into the trailer and keep them in it overnight {as they appear late and leave early}.  He'll sleep in the truck, old- fashioned like, to guard the herd, make sure no rustlers appear on the scene, and leave early - before first light.  Sounds like something right out of Bonanza.  Except I'm just sure that Haus and Little Joe and their Pa didn't have an ipod to help pass the time.  Or a fancy schmancy thermos to keep their coffee hot.  By the same token, I guess Todd won't have anyone there named 'Cookie' to help fix a meal or keep the campfire stoked.

 Unless he sweet talks me into it.  It would take a bit of talking and a wink or two.  Maybe the promise of something special from the general store - new yard goods maybe? or how 'bout some Lemon Verbena perfume?  Maybe some penny candy?  

  I think he just might be able to pull it off.   After all, he is one of the smoothest talkers I know.

Happy Trails Y'all!!

 Kim

Every Word Leaves a Mark

 

  

I just finished reading this  lovely book.  It was wonderful in every way - I highly recommend it.  Actually, put it at the top of your list, you won't be sorry.

I've been told the movie is every bit as good as the book.  Hopefully I will see it before it leaves theaters, but the odds are not high, as the last movie I saw that didn't have animated characters or had a rating higher than PG was 'The Passion'.  No kidding.

 There are many, many parts of this book that I just loved.  Aside from a story that so eloquently and poignantly depicts our nation's path toward integration, I was hit gut level with one specific part of the story.  It hit me right smack in my mama-heart, I think I may have audibly gasped when the realization of what I had just read hit me.

Aibileen {black maid} is talking to Mae Mobley {two year old white girl Aibileen is in charge of caring for}.  Here is what she says:

I look down at Baby Girl, see how her forehead's all wrinkled up between the eyes.

  She studying hard on something.

 I touch her cheek.  "You alright, baby?"

She say, "Mae Mo bad."

 The way she say it, like it's a fact, make my insides hurt.

 "Mae Mobley," I say cause I got a notion to try something.

"You a smart girl?"

She just look at me, like she don't know.

"You a smart girl." I say again.

She say, "May Mo smart."

I say, " You a kind little girl?"

She just look at me.  She two years old.  She don't know what she is yet.

 Take a minute and let those words settle.  She doesn't know what she is yet.    Children are born without any real sense of who they are, what they will become or who they will become. Each newborn is a fresh, clean slate with a deep reservoir to hold all the words we speak over them.  Every word leaves a mark and our words mold and shape future generations.

Ever since Eden, the enemy has twisted what God speaks to us.  The abundant life Christ promises becomes an empty, desolate, hopeless life if we listen to Satan.  He wants us to believe the lies, focus on the faults and fulfill all the negative things said about us.  If we do that, we are well within his grasp.

 This makes me keenly aware that what I say, especially to my children, matters.  It matters greatly as this will be but a part of the legacy I will leave.  Will I have strong, confident, capable people fully aware of my deep love and care for them, or will I leave a wake of doubting, timid people who don't have the confidence to live out the abundant life, skeptical of their own mothers love and approval?

Yes, a mother's influence is that strong.

I need to remember that, very often, my tone conveys more than the words I use.  {"It's not what you said, but how you said it."  My kids hear that often - it goes for me too.}

I need to speak life giving words.  I need to speak encouraging words.  I need to speak affirming words.  I need to speak positive words.  I need the speak THE Word.

'The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.'

Proverbs 18:21

Blessings,
Kim

Can I Ask A Favor?

Hello all!

 We are in the thick of getting ready to return to school around here.  We have had Back-to-School night, received both middle school schedules and LOCKERS {oh the joy!!} and have cleaned out Target and Walmart's school supply aisles.

 I think we are as ready as can be.

Today we plan to spend as long as we can at the pool maxing out the last few hours of summer vacation.

That has nothing to do with the favor I am about to ask of you - just wanted to let you know what we are up to!  Ok - here's my favor.... do you see that little area to your right on the screen?  The one marked 'followers'?  Yep, that's it.  I'm wondering if you who are reading this might click on that button and follow the prompts and become a 'follower' of 'Something Beautiful'.   I feel really weird even asking this, but if I want my blog to grow and be recognized, I need more people to 'follow'.  It's not a big deal for me, I told God I would do what He told me to do {blog} and I am confident I am in His will here.

But, it is a big deal in the blogosphere.  If you want to have a chance to be published anywhere, or linked to any other blogs which might bring traffic your way, you need a large number of followers.

So, if you come here and find anything of interest, a fresh perspective, encouragement or inspiration, would you please 'follow' Something Beautiful?  And maybe ask a friend to do the same? Oh, thank you - I truly appreciate it!

 I just finished the book 'The Help' last night and I hope to be back tomorrow or Monday to let you know my thoughts.  That all depends on how busy the first day of school is and if I have a chance to do anything other than sit on the couch and recuperate from summer vacation 2011!! :0)

 Blessings,
Kim

Second Grade??

In just 72 short hours this little man of mine will start second grade.  Second grade.  How is that even possible??  It seems as though he was just born and now, second grade?  Oh my.  Where has time gone?

To my third born: While endings are generally sad, you bring such joy to us.

arm pit noises - great.  And no, he is not naked - he's in his swim trunks

You are comic relief at its finest!  No one can spend time with you and be left unaware of your zeal for life.  

 Your best friend is your brother {as it should be},

 you could spend all day finding treasure,

and you are an awesome swimmer, advancing two full levels this summer!

  

 

Your daddy and I pretty much love you so much we can hardly stand it!!

Oh, my sweet boy, I pray your year in second grade is nothing short of blessed!  

And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and favor with God and men.

{Luke 2:52} 

XOXOXOXOXOXO,

Mommy

A Little Comic Relief

Okay - because y'all were such good sports

and stuck with me through the book of Ruth, 

I thought you might need

a little lighthearted

something to giggle at.

  {Can you end a sentence with 'at'?  Is it grammatically correct?} 

Any how,

I thought this was just so funny when I first saw it.

  I have a deep admiration 

and respect for all things Chick-Fil-A.

  Now that is really saying something

because I'm primarily a beef girl. 

If anyone can do chicken,

it's Chick-Fil-A. 

If anyone can make a milkshake, 

it's Chick-Fil-A. 

They are some tasty eats and go down

oh, so easy.

  I then follow them with a two hour work out.

  Sometimes. 

Well, almost never, but that is beside the point.

  So without further ado.....

The Legacy of a King

While I dearly love Scripture and this story in particular, I do get a little peeved at the way this specific book wraps up.  The author is content to cram the top two events in any woman's life into a few short verses.  Clearly the author is a man because we see no details of the wedding and/or birth of Ruth and Boaz's child.  For heaven's sake, we know how many pounds of barley she carried on her back but there is absolutely no mention of her dress or what the invitations were like or any description of her ring, not to mention there was no labor or delivery story what so ever!!  Would it have killed him to throw in a few verses to give us a bird's eye view of these important events in Ruth's life??

 Read verses 13-22 in the fourth chapter of Ruth.

 Here we see that Ruth and Boaz have married and have been immeasurably blessed with having a son.  I find verse 13 so amazing.  We see here for the second time in this whole book a reference to the Lord directly.  Certainly we know that the Lord has been at work behind the scenes throughout the entirety of this story, but here is the second reference in the whole book - and look at the significance!  We know that Ruth had been married to Mahlon for a while {presumably ten years or so} and had never conceived.  She and Boaz were meant to have a baby, this baby in particular.

Think back to earlier in our time together and try to remember what Naomi told Ruth and Orpah.  She wanted them to turn back as she was unable to provide husbands or children for her daughters-in-law.  She could only see one way to solve her problems.  But God, {don't you love that?  The words, "but God..." only leads to some of the most amazing events!!} had other plans to fulfill.  Who could have ever guessed that God himself would provide an Israelite child that would one day be Naomi's own redeemer.

 I am always astounded by the fact that human impossibility amplifies God's glory.  When we are up against a wall, when all of our resources are gone and our hope is dwindling, and the odds are mounted high against us, God steps in.  He gets to shine brightest when the night is darkest.

 God has been faithful to Ruth.  She has been faithful to God.  He has brought her through loss, love and now a legacy that will endure throughout eternity.  I don't know about you, but I never expected Naomi to come back into the picture.  I thought she would fizzle out and fall by the wayside.  I guess it makes sense that we began the story with her and we will finish with her as well.  In essence, our story has come full circle.  Naomi is found at the end of this tale redeemed by her own grandson, Obed.  He has restored her hope and her joy.  I can't imagine that there is much sweeter than that. Though he is not mentioned in Scripture, his descendants are of extreme importance. 

Try not to see the genealogy in this last part of the book of Ruth as a dry list of hard to pronounce names.  It is so much more that that.  We know little of most of the names in this list but take a close look at the last four names.  We can read that ," Boaz was the father of Obed.  Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David." {v. 21,22}  {Rarely, if ever, were women mentioned in the annals of genealogy.  Especially in a royal line such as this.  That is why we don't see any mention of Ruth in this section.}  I could have you go and research all these lines and descendants of people throughout Scripture, but honestly how it all ties together and how they are all connected is time consuming to say the least.  I'll tie it up for you here, to the best of my ability.  The long and short of it is this:  Eventually Jesus Christ came through the line of David.  Jesus.  Because of His life and his sacrifice, we are now a redeemed people, if we are willing.  The price He paid on the cross for all our sins, covers all of our debt .  I'm not even sure I have the words to give you a picture of what He has done for me, and you.  Because of his hesed, we are free.  Death has no grip, hell has no power over those who call Jesus their savior.  There is no greater love, that gives no greater gift.

Well, that is it.  Ruth in a nut shell.  I would be remiss if I didn't site my sources here and give credit where credit is due.  I have studied Ruth a few times but, the greatest resource I used here was Kelly Minter's study of the book of Ruth.  It greatly helped me stay on track and writing in a logical sequence.  I also relied heavily on my notes from Chuck Swindoll's preaching series of sermons on the book of Ruth.   The greatest credit of all goes to the Lord Jesus Christ.  I never in my life thought I would be doing anything like this - never!  It is only through His gifting and faithfulness that I could ever pull this off.  His plan of redemption in my life never ceases to amaze me and I am forever grateful; there really are no words to express the depth of my gratitude to Him.  The rest is straight from my heart and what I could pull together as I went. 

Wrapping this up is a bitter-sweet thing for me.  I am greatly relieved to have finished this, as it was far more in depth than I ever intended. I genuinely looked forward to putting the kids to bed and sitting down to think deep - not something that happens frequently in the summer when my kids are home!! :0) Thank you my sweet sisters for your encouraging words and emails that kept me working towards this end.  You all are priceless!!!  I hope you enjoyed this series and my greatest hope is that you leave here with a better sense of the Lord God and His amazing ways - they are nothing like ours and I stand in awe of Him every time I finish a study.  Who knows?  Maybe down the road I will take on another short book of the Bible?  I just know it won't be any time soon. :0)

Blessings,
Kim

Beauty For Ashes

Hello my sweet sisters!!

Can you even stand it??  We're nearly at the end of this study!  We are about to delve into the opening words of the final chapter in our travels this summer.  We left Ruth and Boaz on the threshing floor on the verge of starting a life together.  All of a sudden a different possible kinsman redeemer comes on the scene, and Boaz is about to approach this nearer relative to see who will get to redeem Ruth.

 Read Ruth 4:1-6

 Do you notice anything just a bit sneaky or sly in these verses?  Boaz approaches this nearer relative and casually mentions just the property that needs to be redeemed. {v. 4-5}  There was no mention of Ruth at all.   The stranger agreed to redeem the property without much thought or hesitation.  What he doesn't know it that Boaz is about to change the game all together.  He kind of casually throws out the information of the inclusion of Ruth along with the property.  I love that up to this point we have seen nothing less than an upstanding citizen in Mr. Boaz.  Here he reveals a bit of his very human side - a bit of slyness.  I love how God uses your average, ordinary, normal people with average, ordinary, normal tendencies and makes them the choicest of His instruments.  He is truly amazing!

We see in verse six that the unnamed relative promptly refuses to marry Ruth and tells Boaz to redeem her himself {music to his ears!}.  He does so because marrying Ruth might produce an heir to his estate and therefore endanger the transfer of his estate to the family he already had.  I don't fully comprehend all the laws and customs of ancient times associated with estates and inheritance but I know that this other relative made what seems to be a purely business decision.  Adding Ruth to the family tree wasn't a profitable idea.  The decision of the goel was reasonable.  And now Boaz was free to redeem his girl!

 When I look back over our study I see three things that a kinsman redeemer must be:
 1. near of kin
2.  able to redeem
3.  willing to redeem

Our unnamed relative was fully qualified for the first two criteria.  He became unqualified at the third.  Isn't that so often our downfall as well?  We are able, but not willing.  Just think of all that could be if only we were willing.

 I think back to my life before Christ.  I resisted giving my heart to the Lord for quite a while.  I was afraid of the stereo-type image of a 'Christian'.  I didn't want to be one of those Jesus freaks.  I had heard the jokes, heard the disdain, and had no desire to be lumped in with those 'crazy cult followers', as some of my friends would say.  I'm not quite sure of how it happened, but I stand before you today as a card - carrying, sold - out,  full - on Jesus freak!!!  It's true - I wear no other name more proudly.  And that is saying something because Mrs. and Mama mean the world to me.  God took a life, my life, of complete mediocrity and turned it inside out.  That is another post for another time, but I kid you not - He has done an amazing work with me and only because I was willing.  What He can do with a willing heart, a willing life, is unreal.  You need look no further than this screen.

Read Ruth 4: 7-10


The deal is done, the sandals exchanged and Ruth is now free to be redeemed by Boaz.  I absolutely love verses nine and 10.  Boaz very proudly announces that he is taking Ruth the Moabitess to be his bride.  Her status as foreigner is irrelevant to him.  He is proud to claim her as his own, unashamed of her status as a lower- than- a -servant girl.  We as women have a tendency to be plagued with insecurities and may be haunted by a past we just can't seem to let go.  Let it go my friend!!!  Boaz has redeemed Ruth and Christ has redeemed you!  Can you just imagine hearing Christ say, "Today I am unbelievably proud and honored to redeem {insert you name here}.   I fully take her with all her faults, her bad choices, and her issues.  Today I will carry for her all her iniquities {including bad hair days and bad breath}, quirks and obsessive compulsive tendencies.  She is my girl and I am delighted to take her - just. as. she. is!"

Let's close out today by reading verses 11-12.  The elders and witnesses pronounce blessing over Ruth.  This seems like such a small thing, a few words of happiness and well wishes over them.  This couldn't get any farther from small - it is HUGE!!!!  They were asking for a foreign, widowed, childless woman to be given the same blessing as Leah and Rachel. { If you are unsure of who I am talking about, go to Genesis 29: 14-30.  I realize that that is a chunk of reading but you will have a better understanding of how paramount this blessing is.}  They were asking God to not only give her children, but many significant children.  They were embracing her, accepting her, as an Israelite, and they looked forward to her being a person of prominence in their society.  Talk about God turning someone's situation around!  My goodness, doesn't that give you hope that He can turn around anything that you are dealing with?  Give you beauty for your ashes?

 My prayer for today is that you see the hope in our study thus far.  God can redeem anything.  ANYTHING.  No matter how bad, no matter how hopeless it seems.  Go in that knowledge and peace today and I'll meet you back here to finish out Ruth.  It is nothing less than stunning!


Blessings,
Kim

Are You In Love With Her Yet?

In the latter half of the third chapter of Ruth we see Ruth's shining character come through again.  We will also see her right attitude toward companionship.  And if that isn't enough to chew on for the day, we also have a little twist, or hiccup, in this love story.  After all, we have been sailing along quite nicely until this point.  Let's see what happens next.

 Read Ruth 3:11

Here we see that Ruth has asked Boaz to spread his cloak over her.  In essence she has proposed and is eagerly awaiting his response.  She has laid it all on the line and put herself in a very vulnerable position.  At this point she really doesn't want to hear that he just wants to be friends.  Take a close look at Boaz's response - I love it.  His first words to her are, "don't be afraid."  I think he could sense her fear and realized the sheer courage it took for her to meet him on the threshing floor.  His love for her was evident in his words.  And then, AND THEN, he states the words that every woman wants to hear -"I will do for you all you ask."  What a guy!  :0)  And no sooner than those words were out of his mouth then he compliments her again stating, "All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character."


 Have you ever known someone of irritating perfection?  Someone who seems to have it all together and makes you feel like a complete toad?  I am fortunate to have so many great women friends, and not one of them makes me feel 'toadish'.  Yes, that really is a word :0)  I gain a different inspiration from each and every one.  From Corie I am inspired to pursue God with all my heart.  From Shanna I am inspired to be a more purposeful, organized mother.  From Kim I have learned to let things go and laugh.  From Laura I learned how refreshing honesty in the everyday things is - how rare is that??  Lorna inspires me to exercise and eat healthy.   From my mom and my mother-in-law I gain perspective.  I have so much to learn from all the women in my life.  Instead of letting that one 'super mom' intimidate and annoy you, try looking deep in to her character.  You just might find that what she excels in is where you lack.  Instead of letting her irritate you, allow her to inspire you.  I know it sounds challenging but give it a shot.  What do you have to lose?

I love that Ruth's character precedes her coming to the threshing floor.  People were talking and it was good!!  She choose to let hesed {kindness}, light her way.  She wasn't known for who she aligned herself with, her status or job didn't gain her attention, her kindness was all it took.  Are you in love with her yet?   If not, let me throw in this perspective.  She met Boaz on the threshing floor at night.  After he'd had a drink or two.  She was vulnerable.  Do you see the recipe for a potential disaster here?  Instead of going down a road of inappropriateness, they choose the path with more integrity.  They were both available, but careful.  She was responsive, but pure.  They were interested, but patient.  Hmmm... that warrants some contemplating, does it not?   It never fails, doing the right thing is never the easy thing, but oh, the payoffs!

 Ok- -thanks for letting me go down that path.  Take a look at verse 12.  Here comes the twist.  We see that there exists a nearer kinsman redeemer than Boaz.  Someone closer in relativity than Boaz comes into the picture and might very well redeem Ruth.

  Verse 13 says that Boaz essentially told Ruth to sleep on it and they'll see what happens with the other potential redeemer in the morning.  Sleep on it?  Really?  Do you think Ruth got even one wink of sleep that night?   I doubt it.  Again we see that she was waiting.

 Before Ruth leaves in the morning, Boaz loads her up with barley to take home.  It is difficult, at best, to know exactly how much grain he gave but scholars estimate between 50-100 pounds of grain was given.  Most presumably not for Ruth alone, but Naomi as well.  Ruth hauled all that grain to Naomi's house on her back.  I just have to stop and wonder: was this a heavy burden because she as of yet had no answer to her proposal or was her weight light as a feather knowing that Boaz intended to redeem her if at all possible?

I don't know about you, but there are days when I feel just spent, out of resources, and bone-tired.  Some days I feel that way about my mothering.  I have one who is in a particularly difficult phase and by day's end I can hardly wait to tuck in that sweet head and turn out the light.  Other days it seems as though we are going backward in our attempts to move forward in developing this business and I just want to throw in the towel.  I have moments when I wish that supplying all my needs was as easy as hauling a bag of grain around.  Just open it up, take my fill and move on through my day.  Unfortunately, most of my needs are not so concrete.  I need patience, tenderness, sensitivity, endurance and a good measure of faith.  All of those things can only come from Him.  I must bow low and draw deep from The Well of Living Water.  I need to draw from Him, to in turn pour out on others.  Just as Boaz supplied all Ruth's needs, Christ supplies mine.  All I need to do is ask.

Go ahead and finish reading the third chapter in its entirety.  We will pick up at the beginning of chapter four in the next day or so.  Thanks for sticking with me.  I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am and I so hope you are blessed.

Blessings,
Kim

I'd Like To Get To Know You Better...

Well, we've arrived at chapter three... finally!  Did you ever think we'd get here?  I love chapter three... so many great perspectives, so many more attributes of Ruth that are admirable pop up here.  And dare I say that things might heat up a bit?  And I'm not talking about the weather.  Yes, this is a Bible study, but it is also a great human story, and these two are very human.  Yet, at the same time, nothing short of inspiring.  Come with me to the threshing floor, will you?

 Read verses 1-6 of the third chapter of Ruth.

 We see here that Ruth and Naomi are having a conversation about finding a more permanent home for Ruth.  I love it here that Naomi refers to Ruth as 'daughter'.  Clearly Ruth has worked her way into Naomi's heart - just like a daughter.  Now, Ruth has worked in the fields gleaning through harvest time - roughly from late April to early June.  Some time has passed since we were introduced to the kinsman redeemer.  I wanted to point that out so you can see that God didn't jump in right away and 'fix' their situation.

Have you ever had a situation that you wished, or maybe begged, for God to jump in and change it?  I know I don't stand alone in this.  It is hard to wait for God to make His move, isn't it?  We are in the middle of one of those seasons now and there are times where I just want to shout out in frustration, "Come on already!  Enough is enough!"  I'm not getting sassy with the Lord, just crying out to Him in a most human way.  I know that when the time is right God will make His move in our situation.  His timing is perfect and He is a good God.  I can trust His timing, even though I'd prefer to work on my own time frame thankyouverymuch! 

 Naomi basically tells Ruth that it is time to move on.  Find a husband.  Get on with your life already.   She realizes that Ruth is young and attractive and worthy of finding a new mate, so she is going to try to open those doors.  Verse two states that Naomi is telling Ruth to go to the threshing floor,  Boaz will be there for the night.  Now, the threshing floor is an interesting place for Naomi to have sent Ruth.  My understanding of the threshing floor is that is was a fairly promiscuous venue.  The men stayed with their grain all night, usually having had an alcoholic drink or two to help pass the time, and the local prostitutes were well aware of this and found it a great place to 'pedal their wares', so to speak.  I'm not sure why Naomi sent her there, especially at night.  Maybe she was trying to force a situation that the Lord already had plans for.

We then see Naomi give Ruth a very specific set of direction in a specific order.  {We can now add 'obedient' to the ever-growing list of positive attributes of Ruth's character.  She carries all of the instructions out completely and faithfully.}  I thought it curious that she told Ruth to "wash and perfume yourself, and put on your best clothes."  Did Naomi know that if you want to be pursued you need to be someone worth pursuing?  That yoga pants and a hoodie weren't the best choice?  Or was this a discreet message to Ruth that her time of mourning was to be over, she was now free to remove her garments of mourning and grieving and move on?  Some scholars say yes, some say no.  I like to think Naomi was sincere in her desire to see Ruth happy and provided for and was insinuating both ideas at the same time. :0)

We also see here that Naomi gets men.  She seems to truly understand them.  She tells Ruth not to approach Boaz until after he's eaten and drank for the night.  She understands that timing is everything; he will be more receptive after he's relaxed and full.  Verse four tells us that Naomi gave Ruth specific directions to uncover his feet after he has fallen asleep and just lie there.  He'll take it from there.  Now, if you can picture this scenario in your head, you might come to the same conclusion I did.  This could turn out really badly.  Ruth appears at night, he's had a bit to drink, she makes the first move in uncovering his feet, and she is in a place known for promiscuous behavior.  Did Naomi know this and somewhat set Ruth up?  Did she hope nature would take it's course and Boaz would have to marry Ruth?  I'm not sure, but like I said earlier, I think her intentions were pure, even if how she went about accomplishing her plans lacked somehing.


 I can't help but wonder how Ruth was feeling as she faithfully followed all of Naomi's instructions?  Was her heart pounding?  Did she feel like a fool?  Did she feel like she even stood a chance with this man?  What if he flat-out turned her down?  What if he only wanted to be friends?  Oh, what a vulnerable place to be!


Ok - so by now you have to be asking yourself the same question I asked myself.  What in the world does uncovering his feet have to do with the price of tea in China?!  Good question!  Ruth's uncovering Boaz's feet was essentially saying, "I'd like to get to know you better." She was laying her intentions and feelings on the line here.  It's kind of like being the first one to say "I love you" in a relationship.  Yikes!

Now, Boaz has never read the book of Ruth - he has no idea of what's coming!  All he knows is he has a pretty little lady at his feet, one he has already expressed much care and concern for and here she is!  Up to this point Ruth has followed Naomi's directions to a 'T'.  But watch what she does here.  In verse nine she states "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman redeemer."  She throws a curve ball in there and flat-out asks Boaz to marry her!  Whew - you go girl!!  She is bold,  brave and completely humble.  While we see the phrase 'spread your garment over me', what she is really asking is for him to cover her with his wings.  Garment or skirt can be translated more specifically in to 'wings'.  And I don't believe she was on a frantic search for Mr. Right here.  I think her concern for Naomi was paramount in her mind.  Naomi's future would be secure as well as her own.

 Ruth had cast all her hopes and fears, her status as a foreigner and even her deceased husband's legacy at the feet of Boaz.  Now all that was left to do was wait.  That is just how we do it as well isn't it.  Some of us toil and work, struggle and strive and try to control everything and sometimes you get to a point when you have no other choice.  Just lay it down.  Lay it at the feet of Jesus and rest in Him.  I have no idea what burdens you carry, what fears you wrestle with, what demons you battle.  But, if you can picture yourself as Ruth, coming to the threshing floor with only herself to offer - absolutely nothing else - know that that laying down of battles is so liberating.  Freedom like you've never known.  And, oh, what God can do with a life surrendered at His feet, is nothing less than remarkable, nothing less than something beautiful.

 See you soon.

Blessings,
Kim