Author: ruthbillingsley

Bob and I have been fishing on the San Juan River in New Mexico since 2010. We always have a guide who helps us catch “monster” trout on a fly so small it can barely be seen.  Our guide in those early years was Rusty, always teaching and guiding us to success.  He would teach us about the…

I wrote “God’s Face” on September 24, 2007 (I keep a record of each poem I write). That morning I read Genesis 32:20. “So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, it is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” I began to think of seeing God face to face….

My granddaughter Mae and I found a turtle as we were exploring around the lake a few years ago.  We kept it for a while, feeding it lettuce and giving it water.  We decided it would be happier if we let it go so we painted a heart on its shell to see if he stays close-by,…

Tomorrow is a special day.  June 20, 1970 Bob and I were married in Del City, Oklahoma.  Wow, has it been 50 years?  How the time has flown by.  We have faced many changes over the years.  Children and grandchildren, education and careers, houses and cars, travels near and far are only a few of the many changes we have…

It was a simple idea that became the worldwide outreach of Operation Christmas Child – a project of Samaritan’s Purse – to minister to children in war-torn and famine-stricken countries.  It began in 1993 with the idea of helping the children of Bosnia who had been left homeless, injured, and hopeless.  Since then, it has grown to…

How long, O Lord, must I call for help,    but You do not listen? Or cry out to You, “Violence!”    but You do not save? Why do You make me look at injustice?    Why do You tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me;    there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed,…

When I sit on the dock looking out over the lake, I feel at peace. I experience a quiet sense of calmness. When I’m on the beach, watching the steady waves on the soft sand, I see the amazing view and feel God’s peaceful presence. Wading in a beautiful stream while fishing, I feel surrounded by God’s…

Over the years I have made many quilts.  Most have been given away, some are used on beds or displayed around the house, and some are stored away.  I also have quilts and unfinished blocks of my mother’s and my aunts’.  These treasures feel like hugs because they are full of memories and love.  Quilting   My mother…

Have you ever heard God call your name? When He did, were you listening? God has a lot to say to us, but we tune Him out most of the time. I have heard Him speak to my heart, but this doesn’t mean I always listen and obey. However, He never gives up on me!…

A few weeks ago, as I was reading Our Daily Bread, I was inspired by  a story about the Great Depression during the 1930’s.  It was a time of great despair, poverty and suffering. Unemployment caused food lines, and men on street corners sold apples for a nickel as factories were shut down.  The devotional drew attention to a…