Rubies Like Ruth Featured . . .

We have been featured on:

If you have not yet looked at this blog, I would encourage you to do so!

The Satisfier

Drawing from pdclipart.org

“For {God} satisfieth the longing soul, 

and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.”

Psalm 107:9

Recipe: Jello Cake

This is a simple, three-step recipe.

You Will Need:

     1 box of white cake mix (and the ingredients it calls for)

     1 small package of strawberry Jell-o

     1 8oz container of Cool Whip

Step One:

Make the cake according to the directions on the box.

When the cake is finished baking, let it cool for about 20 minutes. Prick with a fork.

Step Two:
Make the Jell-o according to directions. Pour evenly on the cake. Refrigerate cake for at least one hour.

Step Three:
Spread Cool Whip on cake right before serving. Enjoy!

Do you enjoy baking? Share your recipe (with or without a picture) and be featured on 

Lusts

Lust is a very strong word, but it is something that is mentioned fairly often in the Bible. Because of the frequent mention, we get a good idea of what lust is, what God thinks of lust, and how to escape it.

Lust is sin. It is from the world and not from God.

      “For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” (1 John 2:16)

Lust leads to dangerous territory.

      “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:14-15)

We must flee from lust.

      “Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” (2 Timothy 2:22)

      “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;” (1 Peter 2:11)

We must fight against lust by putting on Christ and living for Him.

      “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” (Romans 13:14)

      “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” (Galatians 5:16-17)

      “Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Titus 2:12-14)

Lust is a trap that we can fall into if we are not constantly striving to follow God and His perfect will for our lives. Whenever tempted in this area, we need to remember to “Flee or fight!”

Photo taken and submitted by Amanda Tero

~~~
Guest Photographer Amanda Tero
Read more about our guest photographer here.

A Cleansing for Holiness

“Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”

2 Corinthians 7:1

“For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”

1 Thessalonians 4:7

Recipe: Burritos

We like to use up our leftovers in creative ways. One of our favorite leftover meals is Bean Burritos.

First: Season the leftover red beans with taco seasoning (if you wish to make a refried-bean texture, blend it up) and heat on stove.

Second: Spread beans onto a tortilla and place the rolled tortillas in a pan.

Third: When the bottom of the pan is full of burritos, spread on sour cream and salsa. Sprinkle with cheese.

Fourth: Place pan of burritos into a 350° oven and bake until cheese is melted.

Fifth: Enjoy!! :)

Note: Instead of making individual burritos, I have created a burrito casserole by layering tortillas, beans, sour cream, salsa, and cheese.

Do you have creative ways to use leftovers? Please share your recipe (you do not have to include a photo).

~~~

Do you enjoy baking? Share your recipe (with or without a picture) and be featured on:

Two Ways of Reading the Bible

This short story is by an unknown author,  taken from “The King’s Daughter and Other Stories,” published in 1910.

"Would you like another chapter, Lilian dear?" asked Kate Everard of the invalid cousin whom she had lately come from Hampshire to nurse.

"Not now, thanks; my head is tired," was the reply.

Kate closed her Bible with a feeling of slight disappointment. She knew that Lilian was slowly sinking under incurable disease, and what could be more suitable to the dying than constantly to be hearing the Bible read? Lilian might surely listen, if she were too weak to read for herself.

Kate was never easy in mind unless she perused at least two or three chapters daily, besides a portion of the Psalms; and she had several times gone through the whole Bible from beginning to end. And here was Lilian, whose days on earth might be few, tired with one short chapter!

"There must be something wrong here," thought Kate, who had never during her life kept her bed for one day through sickness. "It is a sad thing when the dying do not prize the word of God."

"Lilian," said she, trying to soften her naturally quick, sharp tones to gentleness, "I should think that now, when you are so ill, you would find special comfort in the Scriptures."

Lilian's languid eyes had closed, but she opened them, and fixing her soft, earnest gaze upon her cousin, replied, "I do—they are my support; I have been feeding on one verse all the morning."

 "And what is that verse?" asked Kate.

"'Whom I shall see for myself,'" began Lilian slowly; but Kate cut her short—

"I know that verse perfectly—it is in Job; it comes just after 'I know that my Redeemer liveth;' the verse is, 'Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.'"

"What do you understand by the expression 'not another'?" asked Lilian.

"Really, I have never particularly considered those words," answered Kate. "Have you found out any remarkable meaning in them?"

"They were a difficulty to me," replied the invalid, "till I happened to read that in the German Bible they are rendered a little differently; and then I searched in my own Bible, and found that the word in the margin of it, is like that in the German translation."

"I never look at the marginal references," said Kate, "though mine is a large Bible and has them."

"I find them such a help in comparing Scripture with Scripture," observed Lilian.

Kate was silent for several seconds. She had been careful to read daily a large portion from the Bible; but to "mark, learn, and inwardly digest it," she had never even thought of trying to do. In a more humble tone she now asked her cousin, "What is the word which is put in the margin of the Bible instead of 'another' in that difficult text?"

"A stranger" replied Lilian; and then, clasping her hands, she repeated the whole passage on which her soul had been feeding with silent delight: "'Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not a stranger.'”

 "O Kate," continued the dying girl, while unbidden tears rose to her eyes, "if you only knew what sweetness I have found in that verse all this morning while I have been in great bodily pain! I am in the Valley of the Shadow—I shall soon cross the dark river; I know it: but He will be with me, and 'not a stranger.' He is the Good Shepherd, and I know His voice; a stranger would I not follow.

"Oh," continued Lilian, "in the glad resurrection morn, it is the Lord Jesus whom I shall behold—my own Saviour, my own tried friend, and 'not a stranger;' I shall at last see Him whom, not having seen, I have loved."

Lilian closed her eyes again, and the large drops, overflowing, fell down her pallid cheeks; she had spoken too long for her strength, but her words had not been spoken in vain.

"Lilian has drawn more comfort and profit from one verse—nay, from three words in the Bible, than I have drawn from the whole book," reflected Kate. "I have but read the Scriptures,—she has searched them. I have been like one floating carelessly over the surface of waters under which lie pearls; Lilian has dived deep and made the treasure her own."

Recipe: Parfaits

By Guest Writer Aldona Barron


With summer coming on, many of us girls are looking for a cool, easy snack to make. Something fun that I have discovered is making parfaits. This layered dish can be a simple, healthy snack or a gourmet dessert. It all depends on what you put in it.


For healthy parfaits, simply layer fresh fruit and yogurt in a parfait dish or drinking glass. If you choose, granola or nuts may be added for a nice crunch. Eat the parfait just like it is, or place it in the freezer a couple of hours for a frozen snack.


If you wish to make a dessert parfait, layer things such as ice cream, crushed cookies, chocolate syrup, nuts, etc. Top with whipped cream and other garnishes for a truly gourmet look.


Parfaits are a fun and simple project. Berries, fruit, nuts, spices, and different yogurt flavors…the possibilities are endless! I’ve even tried cooked and mashed sweet-potatoes layered with cinnamon-sugar, all-spice and vanilla yogurt! After freezing, it tasted like a frozen pumpkin pie, only with sweet-potatoes rather than pumpkin! So, be creative! Try things out! And have fun!

{Sweet Potato Parfait}

{Strawberry Parfait}

Do you have a scrumptious recipe to share? Email it to rubieslikeruth@gmail.com (you do not even have to have a picture).


~~~
Aldona Barron is an almost-home-school-graduate who enjoys singing, experimenting in the kitchen, drawing, and other interesting things. She is a Christians young woman who is seeking to know Christ more and more, trying to please Him in all that she does and says.
View one of her drawings here.
~~~

Pictures of parfaits were taken by Aldona's sister.

~~~

Do you enjoy baking? Share your recipe (with or without a picture) and be featured on:

Little Things

"Little self-denials, 

little honesties, 

little passing words of sympathy, 

little nameless acts of kindness, 

little silent victories over favorite temptations

—these are the silent threads of gold which, 

when woven together, 

gleam out so brightly in the pattern of life that God approves."

(Dean Farrar)

Guest Post: Claiming True Beauty

By Guest Writer Amanda Tero

A frown crossed Marie’s face as she stroked the brush through her hair. It was not exactly a describable color – it wasn’t exactly a blonde, or brown, red, or black. It was just . . . some color. Her gaze left her hair and briefly studied her face. She tried to feign a smile, but her forehead creased with dissatisfaction. No, she was not at all pretty. With a small sigh, she turned and left the mirror.

How many of us are like Marie? The “girl in the mirror” is not nearly as pretty as our eyes would like to behold, but the “girl in the mirror” is the true, unchangeable “me.” A girl’s dream is perhaps to be slender, tall/short, with beautiful hair, and of course, pretty features. But more often than not, we stand in front of the mirror thinking, “I’m just plain and ugly.” In a frantic attempt to undo this insufferable ugliness we paint ourselves, changing what we can but leaving much more than we want undone.

When indulging ourselves in this vain self-pity, how often do we stop to consider what we are doing? The God Who told Jeremiah “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee” (Jeremiah 1:5, KJV) is also the God Who formed us. The God Who was praised “for I am fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) is the same God Who should be praised for His marvelous handiwork of our lives. The God Who made Adam in His Image (Genesis 1:26) still creates humans in His Image. The God Who did all this is the same God to Whom we are ungrateful for the appearance He gave us.

Have we forgotten that “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised?” (Proverbs 31:30) Even Jesus was prophesied as a man who had “no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2) It was not outward attractions that drew people to Christ – it was Him, His perfect loveliness.

As Christians, we are to be like Christ; but too often I am afraid that we lose focus. Instead of perfecting that inward beauty, we look at outward beauty. Are we more focused on vain beauty than we are on significant beauty? Are we so concerned about what others think of us that we forget to ask, “Let others see Thee in me?” Is our physical face more important than the face we put on the title “Christian?”

If our aim is towards any beauty at all, should it not be the beauty described in 1 Peter 3: 3-4? “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.” Facial flawlessness and a perfect form may be what the world sees as great beauty, but here the Bible clearly states that the meek and quiet spirit is “in the sight of God a great price.” Is the value of outward beauty so great that we would trade it for God’s acceptance?

Nothing is more beautiful than a girl or young woman who is sold out to Christ, and there is nothing uglier than a girl who has all the “beauty” of the world, yet is vain, proud, selfish, and etc. Which are we going to choose?

~~~

Guest Writer Amanda Tero:

"My dad is the pastor of a Baptist church; Mom has been home-schooling us for twenty-three years; I am the fifth home-schooled graduate in our family of twelve and am waiting on the Lord's timing for marriage. Until He shows me a different path, I enjoy teaching piano, playing for our church congregation, arranging hymns, learning more about music, writing, taking pictures, and helping out around the house. My family and I have sung and played instruments (guitar, banjo, violin, mandolin, and others) together for the past eleven years. God has opened the doors for us to share His love through song in the local nursing home and Council on Aging as well as various churches around our area and in a few other states.
You can visit our family blog at www.terofamilyministries.com."

~~~

Artwork from oldbookillustrations.com

Be ye . . .

And be ye kind one to another,

tenderhearted,

forgiving one another,

even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 4:32

Recipe: Taco Soup

You will need:

1 lb. ground meat

1 package taco seasoning

1 can corn

1 can kidney or pinto beans

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can water

You will need to:

Brown and season the ground meat. Drain.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 30-45 minutes. 

Serve with a dollop of sour cream and tortilla chips.

Notes:

     We usually do not use the full amount of meat. If we triple the recipe, we keep 1 lb. meat still.

     We normally use leftover red beans instead of canned.

     This is a great, easy recipe to use when you have to get a big meal together quickly (Just leave time for it to simmer). It goes a long way!

~~~

Do you enjoy baking? Share your recipe (with or without a picture) and be featured on:

God's Promises

Sometimes in the midst of the hassles of everyday life, it is good to pause and reflect on God's promises. The Bible is full of promises we can cling to!

Some that come to my mind are:

". . . lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:20b)

"Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

"Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?" (Luke 12:27-28)

"Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you." (James 4:8)

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." (Isaiah 26:3)

What are some promises that you are clinging to today?