Something Beautiful

I have been asking God lately to enlarge my faith. I want to live expecting greater things from God. I don't want to limit what God can accomplish in and through my life by my little faith, so I've been asking for more faith.  Tonight as I was reading and meditating on Ruth, I thought about the book as a whole instead of just thinking about the chapter I was reading. As I did this I saw a pattern jump out at me that is fairly consistent of every story of faith that I have read in the Bible.  The first step is a decision. In Ruth Chapter 1 she makes a decision to act in faith, to accompany her mother-in-law back to Bethlehem, to leave behind all that she had ever known. She makes a decision based upon faith, declaring her trust in the One True Living God.  The second step is waiting. The second chapter of Ruth tells about her waiting period. During this time she does the work that God places before her. She actively trusts in God to provide daily for her and Naomi's ne

I went for a run yesterday, and as I've had a lot on my mind lately, it helped me to clear the thoughts and sort through the muddle. As I was running, I was thinking about Mexico and the beauty that I experienced there, not just the physical beauty of the land, but the beauty of the people, the culture, and the lifestyle.  the kitchen, a gathering place   One of the things that I liked best about Mexico was the hospitality that I experienced there. See I like hospitality. I like to open my home to people. I like to cook dinner and enjoy their company and fellowship. But I have never experienced hospitality like what I experienced there.    one of the lovely missionary ladies   We spent six days in the mountains. During that time we were fed and housed by people who didn't know us. They knew the missionaries who we went with, but they had never met me before. All they knew was that I needed a bed to sleep in and a meal to eat. And they met my needs. a