Check out my new blog!

Hello friends,
I realized that those of you reading over here may not be aware of my new blog, Nourished by Grace, where I have been writing for a few months. My apologies, but delay no more! I hope you will jump over there, take a look, and be blessed by this new direction that God is taking me. Think of it not as a totally new direction, but rather a slightly more focused approach to how the Gospel applies to self-care, relationships, and overall health. These are ideas that I've often written about here, but I hope that this new focused approach will make the Gospel as it relates to these areas a refreshing balm to your soul, as it is to mine.

Blessings to you!

Ruth

Adjust your expectations, Miss Piggy!

I have to admit, I haven't laughed as hard as I did watching Muppets Most Wanted on Christmas Day... in quite some time. Not sure what that says about me, but there you go, think what you will! :) Regardless of whether you see the movie or not, you really MUST watch this music video. HI-larious, as my family would say! Paul and I got a good laugh out of it for days, really :) The movie and this video in particular got me thinking though, what have my expectations been lately - for myself, my marriage, my life, my faith, etc? Are they healthy, godly expectations, or are they self-centered worldly expectations? Okay, I'll be honest, a little of both. You too?

When we were newly married almost four years ago, Paul and I read Paul David Tripp's book, What Did You Expect? {Redeeming the Realities of Marriage} together, and it was revolutionary for us. I suspect Miss Piggy has not read this book (and Kermit is wise not to pop the question until she does! :) Expectations are tricky little boogers. Unfortunately for most of us, we don't realize we even have expectations for a certain relationship or situation until we find ourselves disappointed with the realities we are facing.

This time of year, I think it is safe to say that we are all faced with expectations for the new year before us. Whether those are positive, healthy expectations, guilt-ridden expectations, or simply selfish expectations, that's for you and God to evaluate...sharing with a friend is good too. Expectations are not inherently wrong, and in fact, can sometimes be helpful. Healthy expectations can help us make wise choices, enjoy the blessings around us, and dream about what God could do with our gifts and talents, among other things. Selfish expectations can do the opposite, often robbing us of joy, leading us down fruitless paths, and distracting us from God's best for our lives. As we move forward into our year, might we consider what our deeper motivations and expectations are? Why are we doing/planning/hoping for the things we are hoping for? Are our goals and expectations informed by truth, selfless love, and joy in Christ?

I've also seen that my dreams and expectations can be too small, as well! God-centered hopes and expectations are fixed on the person of Christ, HIS goals in the world, who we are in the image of God, and His power that can make all things possible. Only God knows if our hopes/dreams/expectations for ourselves this year are what HE would want. Have we asked Him to lead us in this area? Are we more focused on changing someone else, than being focused on surrendering to the amazing things God wants to do in and through us this year?

For added encouragement on this topic check out Emily Freeman's book, A Million Little Ways: Uncover the Art You Were Made to Live or Holley Gerth's You're Made for a God-Sized Dream: Opening the Door to All God Has for You, as well as the Paul David Tripp book I mentioned above.

Please consider leaving a comment with your favorite book or resource on the topic! I'd love to learn from your experience. I'm also curious about the new movie Into the Woods, as I've heard it displays the down side of getting what we want. Have you seen it? What do you think?

When a hard story is the best story // keeping your heart alive to hope

Sweet friends. You've stopped in again to let me open up my heart and share the good news of the Gospel in the midst of our brokenness. Perhaps you've seen bits and pieces of the story the Divine Author has written across the pages of our one flesh life this year. The job loss, the weeks of travel, the moments of joy and reconnection with family, the darkness of losing a mother I never knew but gave me so much in Paul, the renewed desire to give our lives fully to vocational ministry, the desire for little ones, new and unexpected callings, moving a-g-a-i-n, and the unforgettable brilliance of Grace in the midst of it all. It has been an uphill, tearful, and yet joyful season. I am quickly reminded of the Cross as I write, the Story of Grace in the midst of darkness, as the story His followers thought should be written one way had a dramatic, painful, and yet gloriously eternal and necessary twist. It was the hardest and best Story ever to be written.

Perhaps you are living a hard story, a painful story that you never wanted and would gladly write yourself out of if you could, yesterday. I know. I've been there. In some ways, I am there. And yet, it's in these dark and confusing moments where we find the deepest Grace, the most profound connections with those we love, and the most dramatic growth possible. There's no other way to move forward sometimes, except through the darkest valleys. We all live for the happy days, the days when life 'makes sense' (at least to us). We see the wicked flourish, the unlikely prosper, the ungrateful and selfish expand their broken families endlessly. Disease abounds, governments make unwise decisions, women make choices that bring death and not the freedom they crave.

And yet. Or rather, but God.... This masterful HIS-story maker and life-story production manager is at work writing an epic story through our brokenness. He is turning the effects of the fall, our sin and the broken systems in which we live into something glorious, beautiful and breathtaking. If you are written into His eternal playbook as His adopted child it's happening in your home, closer yet, in your very heart. Pretty amazing, I think!!

But it hurts. It really hurts. Some days, who am I kidding, most days, it is easier to distract ourselves from the pain with anything that works... could be something harmless, could be something damaging and deadly. You know what your go-to method is. To be clear, finding ways to lift our hearts and bring us joy in good and godly ways is not to be denied. In fact, we are called to rest and allow our hearts space to breathe. God often allows pain to heal our hearts. The pain could be a result of our sin choices, the sin of others, or the brokenness we daily face because of the fall in the Garden (See Genesis 3). Life just doesn't work the way it was meant to. Are there good and healthy ways to keep our hearts alive but at the same time not ignore the deeper work going on within us?

What happens to our hearts when life hurts? Does our heart stay alive to hope or does it slowing stop beating? Do our relationships die or do they grow stronger? Do our callings become stronger and more obvious, or do our dreams slowly die? This is where the battle lies, and the enemy wants nothing more than to turn our hearts to stone...to kill, steal, and destroy the life that is growing within us as we are daily renewed in Christ. How do we fight for our own hearts, and the hearts of those we love to keep beating with purpose, joy, conviction, and intentional focus on Gospel living?  There are never easy answers. At least I haven't come up with any! But looking to the ancient paths given by our Maker are the surest ways to lasting hope and joy. May I humbly encourage...

~ The Living Word. Ingest it in small amounts, big amounts, listen on audio, read online, read the old-fashioned hardbound, read it in Spanish or Greek. However you can get His words into your soul, please DO. The Psalms bring me relief in hardship like nothing else. Read good Christian books, fiction too!

~ Pray & confess. With a friend, as you shower, as you cry, give kisses, wash dishes, or wish the day would end. Pray honestly, one word at a time if needed.

~ Be thankful. There are apps, there are notebooks, you can text it to your friend, or post it on FaceBook, or across the sky. But thankfulness will breathe life into your otherwise dreary day as few other things will. Ask God to help you when you're not thankful, and thanking Him for the Grace He gave on the Cross is a good place to start.

~ Honesty. With your spouse, a friend, yourself. There's no need to look pretty when life is messy. I've tried it - with horrible results!! I like the Day One app for a place to record my thoughts and prayers.

~ Care for your temple (Romans 12:1-2). Sleep, eat your veggies, take a walk or yoga class. Taking care of yourself, even when you don't feel like it, will reap huge dividends. I find that taking care of myself physically and emotionally reminds me of my worth in Christ. You are worth the effort, friends! But - ahem - dark chocolate might help too!

~ Give yourself extra grace. Being hard on yourself when life is hard is just...pointless! But we all do it. God is looking at you with deep compassion even if you've made bad choices to get you where you are right now. Beating yourself up in the midst of your struggles will just compound the difficulties.

~ Fellowship. Hold onto friends and family. Tightly. Look for every chance you can to spend a moment together with someone you love, whether on the phone, over coffee, a movie night, doing chores, whatever! Don't be afraid to reach out to someone new - I'll bet he/ she needs a friend as much as you do, and sharing your struggles honestly will open up more of your heart as well as theirs.

~ Look to eternity. If you are His child, all pain and tears will pass away, and our joy in Christ will far outweigh the pain and suffering of this life. I know very well how hard it is to wrap your mind around this truth, so ask God to help you live with eternal hope. Preaching it to myself as I type!

~ Find rest in the fellowship of His suffering, knowing you will never face the depth of pain and sacrifice that He bore for your sins, but that He is also a gracious High Priest who understands. He will meet you there, in deep and profound ways.

I recently started reading The Hardest Peace and have been so deeply moved and impacted by Kara's words. One point in particular that blessed me immensely are her comments concerning Proverbs 1:33, and the promise that as we rest in Him, He will remove not the disaster, but the dread of the disaster. Fear causes us to live in agony as we imagine the impossibility of future circumstances (often not imagining the God of Abundant Grace with us there!) But He will keep you in perfect peace as you turn to Him, as you walk the ancient paths... slowly replacing fear of pain, with faith in the One who suffered the deepest pain.

Fighting for our hearts,

Ruth

His beloved child

Yahweh Yoga - Tribe 48

Dear friends,

My intention to post regular updates about my time in AZ has been unrealistic, considering how full our days have been!  But we have some time today to rest, and it feels like such a gift.  Our training has been wonderful in many ways, but I have come to my limits physically, spiritually, and emotionally/relationally.  I would rather see my need to grow, however, than to be content with staying the same.  The first couple of days were especially intense, as I was getting over jet leg and also not used to getting up so early.  Oh, and doing hot yoga for the first time, in HOT Arizona!  I don't remember sweating this much since cross-country training camp in college :)  And that was, a-hem, a few years ago :)

One big thing that I am taking away from this time so far is the knowledge that I am a beloved child of God.  One sweet sister in our class has spoken of this often (thanks Melissa!), and I was also encouraged by a yoga mentor (thanks, Kristin!) to repeat this phrase to myself when I was facing self-condemnation, discouragement, fatigue, etc. : "I am God's beloved child."  What a simple, yet extremely powerful phrase!  It has calmed me spirit immensely over the last few days, even as I continue to struggle with the uncertainty of our future... where will we be living, serving, etc., in the weeks and months to come, now that things have changed with Paul's employment?  I have had to discipline my thoughts, as well as my body, these last few days.  I'm finding that those things, when married together, produce beautiful fruit.  While I would not consider myself a lazy person, per se, I can see how I have more potential 'growth areas' than I thought!  Doing yoga several hours a day is challenging me to not only discipline my body, but it is providing many opportunities to meditate on the truth of God's love for me, and my need to let go of fear, self-judgment, anxiety, and disbelief in God's goodness.  There is something powerful about holding yoga postures, listening to Scripture and worship music, and being given the opportunity to really look within.  I have discovered a deeper battle within - will I surrender to the will of God for my life?  I have a sense that God may be calling Paul and I back into full-time ministry.  Will I let go of my fears about what that might look like, and instead choose to trust His heart of love for us?

Beloved friends, children of the Most High God, you are faced with the same choice today - will you acknowledge God's lavish love for you, and embrace this day, good and bad?  Will you praise God in the midst of suffering, and thank Him for what He IS doing and WILL do through you, if you surrender?  I have not 'arrived', but I am closer to this than I was a week ago.

So thankful for this opportunity to learn, grow, see more of God's love, and rest in my need for Him... Rest in Him today, my friends.  I'd encourage you to check out this great movie about Rich Mullin's life as you seek to deepen your confidence in God's love for you.  We are His beloved children,  ragamuffins, as Mullins and Manning would say, desperately in need of Grace.

Blessings, sweet friends!

Ruth

Resting in His furious love...{and a look at my bookshelf}

Life for me, these past few weeks, has been a series of layers....layers of my heart being peeled back by my Savior, as I give up fears, insecurities, and desires, in exchange for His plans, purposes, and rest for me.  It has been difficult, incredible, and unexpected.  I didn't suppose that I'd find myself in a restful state, as life swirled around me, threatening to pull me into the fray.  It's really quite a miracle, nothing I could have accomplished on my own.  Several books have led me down this journey, and I will share them with you here....

It all started with the book, Anything: The Prayer That Unlocked My God and My Soul .  Author Jennie Allen takes us down the path she traveled when she and her husband started praying that they would do 'anything' that God led them into.  It is a scary thing to pray, but also a wonderful journey of surrender on which to embark!  However, something in my flesh rose up and motivated me to 'do more' as I read this.  Instead of seeing this as God beckoning me to more joy in Him and the adventure He has planned for my life, I started dreaming of all I could do for God, and hoping He'd ask me to do something amazing.  Underlying that was a desire for my own glory, rather than His.  I am also reading Don't Waste Your Life , by John Piper, which heightened my desire to see God glorified, rather than myself, and brought on much confession, but still I felt a need to 'do more'.  I continued reading these books, but also picked up Holley Gerth's, You're Already Amazing: Embracing Who You Are, Becoming All God Created You to Be .  I found this to be a huge encouragement, as I realized God was not asking for more of me, but He was awakening what He has already put inside me, to use for His glory, and not my own.  I don't have to try harder!!  As I reflected on the end of my school year, I picked up Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching , and realized that I can break free from the negative thought life that often plagues me....oh what sweet relief...but again, this can't be done in my own strength!  God and His power, sufficiency, and perfect timing must all be the motivators.

The book that is really ministering to me now, however, is one I have read before, but turned to again these past few days as I've grieved over losing my grandmother so suddenly--Brennan Manning's, The Furious Longing of God .  I've struggled with self-imposed, false guilt that I could have done more for her, that somehow I had not given enough, despite all the affirmation I've received from friends and family to the contrary.  I shouldn't find it surprising that this book is changing my understanding of Jesus and His Gospel of Grace, as prior to picking it up, I was praying that God would deepen my understanding of the Gospel.  Oh, how He answers!  One particularly moving section refers to the story of Don Quixote and Aldonsa (also known as Dulcinea) as He compares this to the healing power and love Christ offers us....which, once experienced, can flow into the lives of others and profoundly mark their lives.

I am thankful for summer days, in which I can linger over words, listen to beautiful piano music, relax by the pool, and enjoy the company of friends and family.  But more than that, I am eager to see how God uses these days of rest to impact the busyness that will resume when the weather cools and life gets back to 'normal'.  Walking closely with Christ always transforms, and I'm thankful for the ladies I'm walking with through this journey in our Anything book study, one-on-one times with dear friends old and new, and of course heart-to-hearts with my love, and life companion, sweet Paul.

Thanking Jesus for Grace....Resting in His love...and wishing the same for you....

Ruth

{The book links in this post are 'affliate links'; if you purchase any of the books using those links, I will receive a small portion of the sale.  Thank you for supporting my writing efforts!}

As May draws to a close...

Hello friends,

David Nevue is playing in the background (through the stereo, of course!) and I'm enjoying this salad from dinner last night.  I have some ideas for what I'd like to be discussing here at Ruthless Love this summer (hello summer: I've been longing for you!) Well, stay tuned, but one series will involve this book.  Yea!  We're doing the study at our church this summer and I am super-thrilled, trying to contain myself, excited!

But back to the title of this article; I've thought a lot about motherhood this month, and frankly, struggled with the topic immensely.  I've confessed here how I long for that season to come.  I know it will come in some form, some day, but it still hurts to have an empty home.  Especially on Mother's Day.  I must say, however, that several sweet friends prayed and encouraged me that motherly weekend, checked to make sure my heart was holding up.  Thanks especially, Laurie and Gwen!  Dear souls.  Dear friends.

On the flip side, however, I am learning so much during this season I am in.  I never learn and grow as fast as I'd like, but it is encouraging when our gracious Father allows me to see at least a little progress in myself.  Here's a link to my recent article on Letter to my Sisters.  I hope it encourages you in whatever season you find yourself in.

Seize your day for Christ!

Ruth

His character, our comfort

Lisa-Jo and friends are posting over here today on the word COMFORT.  Grab a pen, keyboard, iPad, wherever you write....for five minutes....and link up with the rest of us!

It's been rolling around in my head, this desire to choose 'character over comfort'.  But knowing is never the same as doing, and I've gotten a lot of practice at one over the other (hmmm...which do you think?) Just yesterday, I sat with a lovely woman, sharing stories and tears and the Word of God.  We both confessed we weren't crazy about the idea of suffering.  But really, who is?  Good question.  God is.  And as I sit here, it all comes into focus, the answer, this beautiful reason to say yes to God at every turn.  God- He was crazy enough for you that He chose to suffer. To choose character over comfort.  To look into your soul before you were you, and know that you would need Him to be crazy in love with you.  I feel the pulse of that love flowing through me as I write.  This desire to know the sufferings of Christ and be united with Him in that choosing....that wanting....that living through dying.

I find that there are a million-and-one reasons to choose comfort over character.  It's so natural isn't it?  Too natural.  Human-nature natural.  Therein lies the essence of the battle we face.  It's not so much that we need to try harder or work smarter or pray longer.  The real battle is looking to Christ, really fixing our eyes on Him and His perfection.  What a comfort, true comfort.  It's not the type of immediate-gratification comfort that comes, sadly, when we choose our own desires over His, over others'.  Over what's really even best for our own souls.  We're deceived.  I'm deceived if I believe that thing I want so badly, whatever it might be in the moment, is worth more than the eternal joy of obedience, of choosing to walk right into the fire of trial and pain and every hard decision you've ever tried to avoid.

I'm cheering for you, sister or brother!  Keep fighting the good fight.  And may His perfect, sacrificing, crazy-for-you character bring you the comfort you need to choose holiness every time.

Ruth

Confessions of a not-always-so-gentle-wife

It was a week of victories.  Battling the flu and trying to keep a good attitude, but (mostly?) winning.  Embracing the unknown, living out my calling as a wife, teacher, sister, friend.  But not every week has victories.  Some weeks I am just plain ugly inside, and that ugly slips out onto the people around me.  This past month on the Letters to My Sisters blog, the topic was 'anger'.  Here are my thoughts and reflections on that issue...

Dearest Sister,

It is hard to admit that I struggle with anger.  Perhaps you understand, as it is not exactly a ‘feminine’ quality!  Certainly not the ‘gentle and quiet spirit’ that I am called to exemplify.  But nonetheless, I will be honest and tell you that I have been quite surprised to see this in myself since getting married.  Now mind you, this cannot be blamed on my husband, but I will say that marriage can bring out the best—and worst—in a person!  More often than I’d like to admit, I can be short-tempered and easily frustrated with my beloved husband.  As I thought through this issue, I came across this quote:

“Anger and bitterness are two noticeable signs of being focused on self and not trusting God’s sovereignty in your life.  When you believe that God causes all things to work together for good to those who belong to Him and love Him, you can respond to trials with joy instead of anger or bitterness.” –John C. Boger

Read on, over at the LTMS blog...

Blessings on your fall weekend!

Ruth

The vow, and the reality

If you live by the passage, 'let your yes be yes, and your no, no,' you realize that your word is a solemn promise between you and whomever you speak with, share life with.  My husband can tell you, I have a lot more words in a day than he does.  :)  Thankfully, he's a wonderfully patient listener.  He could also tell you (though he won't, because he's too kind), that I've made a promise that I don't always keep.  A little over 18 months ago, I made a promise to Paul to love and cherish from that day until our final days on earth.  Pretty hefty promise!  Hard to make, even harder to keep.

Over the past few weeks as I've been silent on this little online corner of the world, God has been working in my heart through a marriage seminar, a bible study, loving friends and loyal husband.  I've seen that not only do I need to grow as a wife, but I need to grieve my sin towards God and my husband.  (And yes, lest you begin to believe that I hold Paul up on too high a pedestal, God has also shown me my idolatry in placing him higher than my Savior at times!)

It's amazing how God shines the light into the dark places of our soul, the places that we'd rather hide than deal with.  But when He shines the light, and cleans out the sin-sickness, He also fills us with His joy, His presence.  A much better option than the slavery of our sin!

There are many things that I have been learning, and hope to share with you over the course of this month.  Perhaps God is speaking to your heart on a certain topic, something you can't avoid any longer.  What is it?  How will you respond this time?  Have you repented and need to accept His grace?  It is all-sufficient.  He longs to welcome us all back into His arms.

This past Saturday, I welcomed my husband home from a business trip and realized that my heart had been changed.  A deeper respect and appreciation was there, for his kind and patient nature, his wisdom, and yes, his quirks :) .  I had prayed earnestly for his safe return, trusting I'd have more opportunities to show him the love and respect I've promised.  As he drew me into his arms, I realized again that we love, because He first loved us.  What a solid foundation on which to build our often imperfect promises.   

Here is a song we used in our wedding, that reminds me to make Christ central in our home.  It also reminds me to make others feel welcome in my heart, especially my husband.  Am I cultivating a heart where others feel safe and loved with me?

Bless you, in your marriage journey!  Ruth 

What God has joined together....

Today is Friday.  :)  That's great for a lot of reasons!  But one of them is that it is Five Minute Friday time again....  Join Lisa-Jo and the community of writers over here, if you want to play along on your blog.  The topic today is 'JOIN'.

image source

Matthew 19: 6 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, man must not separate.”

Knowing that God has joined us helps.  It brings joy, and also courage, when everything around us tries to pull us apart.  There's the chores, the expectations, the big and small things.  And there's an enemy.  Though not as strong as our God, he's still on the loose, like a rapid dog, unconcerned with anything but its own ferocity.  This 'rabid dog' has threatened to eat at my will and good intentions to love my husband all week.  It can be a vicious fight, this fight to love, to prefer another, to lay down my own desires.  And often we are left bloody, even as we stand victorious.  That's when I remember that God has done the joining, and no failings on my part can undo what God intends.  What a precious truth!  Dictionary.com tells me that 'join' has several meanings, and I see them all at work in my marriage:  to connect, to come together for a specific purpose, and to enlist in the armed services, (among others).  I know the 'already, not yet' principle is at work in this 'joining' God does.... for I see that we, my dear hubby and I, are connected, but we must choose to connect every day.  I see that we have come together for specific purposes, but we must choose to remain united for those purposes.  I see that we are enlisted in this army of God, but we must choose to fight.  JOIN.  Jesus Offers Incomprehensible New life....as we give ourselves to one another, and remained joined as we were on that very first day.

Blessings to you....
Ruth

Celebrating freedom {in Christ}

I trust you had a wonderful 4th of July with friends and family!  We were able to relax briefly today; we also had front-row seats to a great fireworks show!  A large part of our day was spent packing up for our move, as well....but in between all this...

Source

A topic started rolling around in my head last night {spiritual freedom}  as hubby and I did our evening reading.  J.R.R. Tolkien's, The Hobbit was the impetus.  But first, some back story....Bilbo Baggins is the main character in this delightful story, and at the start of the book, he reluctantly agrees to embark on a treacherous journey with some new acquaintances, 13 dwarves, and a wizard, Gandalf.  The goal?  To claim the treasure that has been passed on to the dwarves--if they can make it through Mirkwood forest and past the dragon.  At many points along the journey, Bilbo wishes that he never agreed to this.  But {spoiler alert!}once he acquires the ring, and learns that it will provide invisibility, he becomes quite a leader among his fellow travelers.  He is able to help them through many a pinch, and the incident we'll discuss is no different.  The problem is that the dwarves are not that excited about his method of escape from their current dilemma:  capture by the Elvish King.


"Bilbo saw that the time had come to explain his idea, as far as he could; but he did not feel at all sure how the dwarves would take it.  His fears were quite justified, for they did not like it a bit, and started grumbling loudly in spite of their danger.  'We shall be bruised and battered to pieces, and drowned too, for certain"' they muttered.  'We thought you had got some sensible notion, when you managed to get hold of the keys.  This is a mad idea!' 'Very well'! said Bilbo very downcast, and also rather annoyed.  'Come along back to your nice cells, and I will lock you all in again, and you can sit there comfortably and think of a better plan--but don't suppose I shall ever get hold of the keys again, even if I feel inclined to try."


Perhaps you see the corollary?  At times, I see myself in the same situation as the dwarves....hearing the Lord's voice leading me out of a current entrapment with sin...{whatever that may be for you, put yourself in their place too}.  Isn't it easier to remain trapped, than it is to risk freedom, and the treacherous path to get there?  We choose the comfortable, but deadly route, when freedom is right around the corner, beckoning us to come near.  I have chosen my imprisonment far too many times.  


As Christians, we are all moving from death to life, through the process of sanctification; here in our home, a new season of growth is on the horizon.  Though it is not what we had in mind for ourselves, it is going to bring challenge and blessing in ways we have not expected.  There will be hardships, for sure.  But these very trials and joys will be a part of the training ground our Father has planned for us.  What about you?  What lays ahead for you?  On this day, in which we celebrate the freedoms that have been granted through the courage of our forefathers, may I challenge you to turn your mind to the battle that Christ won on the cross?


Galatians 5:1:  "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."


Freedom is yours, if you will accept the journey....even if reluctantly, like Bilbo :) 


A blessed 4th to you!
Ruth