We at RagTag Rubies believe that God created us to live fearlessly. Hard to do  ... I'm guilty of at times avoiding risk and the fear of the unknown. Especially feeling that now. I will say that the times I've stepped out of my comfort zone have been some of my most memorable and inspiring moments. Here are a few beautiful words from Ann Voskamp that I thought I would share.  


"God made woman to be a maker, to open her empty places and let life be knit from within her.

Creativity, it’s good theology; it’s what God did in the beginning.

The essence of creativity is essentially risk, believing enough to leap into the yet unseen. The theological terms for this is faith.

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When we stop fearing failure, we start being artists. 

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Don’t let the sun set till you’ve done one thing that sort of scares you. Because the only trees that ever grow tall keep relentlessly stretching into unknown territory. 

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Art, it’s the second person present indicative of the verb to be. Art is a way of being and when you make your life art — thou art.

We have to get the paints out more. We have to make more messes."

Read more of her inspiring words ...

Been reading the very popular book, One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. While it took me a few chapters to get hooked, I'm inspired. Her beautiful depiction of God's truths have me thinking about gratitude, change and yes, doors. She nestled a nugget inside of chapter 3 that struck me... 

"Sometimes you don't know when you are taking the first step through a door until you're already inside." - Ann Voskamp

So many times in my life I've experienced this. At times it was the obvious doors you walk through of life's transition. There are children becoming young adults, college students becoming husbands and wives. Then of course come the stages of graduating from the world of having babies to raising school aged kids... but what really struck me about this quote was the spiritual doors we walk through.

For me it seems I don't know I'm walking into another space until I look back and see that hey, everything has changed! Many times this takes the shape of changes in me as a person that I wasn't intending or purposefully making. It seems that while I was praying for things God was working on me quietly.

These doors rarely squeaked loudly open... it's been more like a gradual soft swing.The Lord is like that, tender with his work. He's the same with pruning and trimming. Snip, snip he goes with his shears cutting out the dead dying parts to make way for new growth. Some days we feel it more than others but it is always intentional, purposeful and gradual. 

Today I'm thankful for his green thumb in my life. Without God I know I'd be so lopsided and lost ... walking in all the wrong doorways. 

Another painting completed today for the Fruits Of The Spirit series I'm creating. This series has been commissioned by the beautiful Lefler family. Thought it would be fun for our RagTag Ruby fans to help us decide which fruit says which spirit. 

So far I have the following fruits painted:

Oranges
Strawberries
Apples
Pears
Blueberries
Lemons
Tomatoes
Pomegranates

We could use your help matching the paintings up with the following fruits of the Spirit:

Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self Control

Additionally if you think of any fruits that especially conjure up particular Fruits Of The Spirit let me know! We discussed painting some biblical fruits but dates and figs look too creepy to me. I'm thinking grapes or olives next!