Monthly Update: Area Retreat Recap

Europe Area Retreat 2013 – a picture of God’s faithfulness

It’s hard to believe that the area retreat has come and gone! But what a retreat it was! From start to finish we saw the Lord’s hand in this retreat. This was a smaller retreat for us (only 20 students in the middle and high school group) but that provided for some really neat times of fellowship with the students. It was so cool to walk into the restaurant at meal times and see ALL of the students sitting at one big long table enjoying their meal together.

I had asked for specific prayer for certain things. Here are those items and how the Lord answered them.

For final preparations we still have to do.

• All of the last minute prep went great and we were well prepared when we got there. Praise Him!

For health while I travel and at the retreat.

• This was OK. I had good days and bad days but over all I was able to manage fine. I could not have done it with out the support of our youth team and your prayers. Thank you!

For travel safety.

• With only minor hiccups here and there our team all made it to Spain and home safe and sound. Thank you Lord!

For team unity.

• Loved our team! We had such a great time with everyone and where able to gel well so we could serve well.

For the Lord to be preparing the hearts of the students that we will be serving.

• We saw some really neat things happen in the lives of the students. I believe that the Lord will use this retreat as a turning point in many of the student’s walks. Thank you Lord for beginning to stir their hearts even before the retreat started.

That we would serve the missionaries well.

• It is a joy and privilege to serve those who serve. Thank you Lord for this opportunity.

Here are a few comments from the student’s evaluations.
“Complete this sentence: “For me, this area retreat has been…” “

• Spiritual growth, time to hang with friends.
• Refreshing and encouraging.
• Amazing in so many ways.
• The best yet!
• A blessing and relief.
• Friggin sweet! Awesomeness with extra chocolate sauce. (I had to include it!)

Thank you for sending me! Thank you supporting me! Thank you for praying!! 

Pictures descriptions:
Top of paragraph – some of the girls from the youth program after the day off.
Above – One of our large group meetings | A map showing where all the students are from | Fun times with friends | Playing “ninja” on the beach.

---

So how’s my support coming?

The Lord is faithful to me. I am at 58% of my needed support. I am continuing to have opportunities to share with churches and individuals. Those are going well but to be honest with you….I feel like I’m in a bit of a dry spell. My support percentage has not really increased and I am feeling like I am running out of people to share with. I know it’s not going to happen overnight but I would appreciate your prayers for encouragement, diligence, increased opportunities to share about GYFM and movement in my support account.

As I set down the path towards being fully supported by June of 2013 I would love for you to pray about participating in my “50@75″ campaign. If the Lord provided 50 new pledges at $75 a month I would be at 100%. This could be a new supporter, it could be a current supporter or church who increases their pledge or someone could take up two of those spots if they’d like. I trust the Lord is going to provide for my needed support in His timing but will you pray for my 50@75 campaign? I need 36 more people pledging at $75 or more a month. Thank you for praying for me during this season.

---

What else is going on?

While in spain I turned 30! It was a WONDERFUL day! I felt so loved as I was showered with cards and hugs while at the retreat. If you are going to turn 30 being in spain with 300 missionaries is not a bad place to spend it. It happened to be the day off at the retreat on by birthday so I was able to go on a winery tour which was really cool! Then that evening my GYFM took me out for a delicious dinner with a view of the ocean. It was the best day!

On May 17th my family is throwing me a big 30th birthday shindig! I’m really looking forward to celebrating with friends and family. if you are in the area let me know! I’d love for you to come!!

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of witnessing 10 of our MTW MK’s graduate from Covenant College! It was so fun to get to see them walk across the stage and congratulate them on their hard work. Way to go!

My health issues are ongoing but becoming more manageable which I am thankful for. It seems my issues are chronic but can be managed through dietary changes. While those are challenging sometimes I’m having fun learning how to alter what I eat to suit my new needs and trying lots of new food options.

 

Prayer & Praise
Thank you so much for your prayers for me!! I can’t tell you how much it means to me to know that you are lifting me up and ministering along side me through prayer. Y’all are awesome!!

Please pray for…

1. Continued provision of my needed support.
2. For patience as I wait to hear from folks I have followed up with.
3. That the Lord would bring new potential supporters to mind.
4. That I would juggle support raising, GYFM team responsibilties and church responsibilities well.
5. Managing health issues.

Praise Him for…

1. 58% Support Raised!
2. A great Area Retreat

Support Goal
58%

Closing in on 60%

50@75 Campaign

I need 37 more team members at $75 a month to reach my goal! Would you like to be one of them?
Please let me know if you are interested in partnering with me & the Global Youth & Family Ministries.

You can download my prayer card here and fill out the commitment card on the back.You can make an on-line pledge or  donation here.
Or send a check to MTW
PO Box 116284 Atlanta GA 30368
Please include my name and account number #10660 in the memo line.

---

Upcoming Events

May 13
Team members Brooks and Riva Cain depart for Japan!

May 17
My 30th Birthday party!

July 9 – July 20
GYFM Team Retreat, Re-entry & Summer Conference at Ridge Haven

---

Be in Touch
There’s lot’s of ways to get in touch with me!

ruthanneclare@gmail.com
ruthanneclare.wordpress.com
facebook.com/ruthanneclare
twitter.com/ruthanneclare
instagram.com/ruthanneclare

404.401.6282

2770 Durham Dr
Atlanta, GA 30319

My Aunt Barbara got married! here she is kicking back in her cowboy boots after the ceremony! It was so fun to celebrate with her!

Family birthday celebration before we left for spain.

Atlanta in the spring time is just gorgeous!

My church hosts a Seder Dinner every year…I was involved in the planning of it this year. It’s one of my favorite things we do. And yummy to boot!

while at the DMV

random thoughts that ran through my head while waiting at the DMV.

1. I should have brought some thank you cards to write while I wait.

2. the more I try and figure out the number calling system the more I will get frustrated that my number is not being called.

3. it really is amazing the diversity of people that are all sitting in one room.

4. I hope my picture turns out good.

5. I should have brought a snack.

6. I need to remember to have patience with the folks working here. I can’t imagine processing through this many people on a given day.

7. I should have brought a jacket…it’s chilly in here.

8. Seeing all the nervous kids here to take their driving test is making me remember my process to get my license. That’s a long story….

9. It would be nice if they had wifi in here.

10. oh my gosh…I just fell asleep. did I miss my number??

11. …………

12. I’m next!

10 mins later…

13. am I next??

14. well that wasn’t horrible. waited 50 mins, at the counter for 10.

TA DA! much better.

 

recipes

Don’t you worry…i’m not turning this into a food blog. But I have had some successes in the kitchen that I wanted to share.

1. Loaded Quiche
This was kind if a fluke. I had this gluten free pie crust that was leftover from thanksgiving and was taking up room in the freezer. I was trying to think of ways to use it but not make something sweet. I wanted to do some kind of pot pie but then landed on a quiche. I’ve now got breakfast or lunches for a week or so! Here’s the details.

The goods
1 pie crust – store bought or homemade…I’m not picky
6 eggs
3/4 cup of milk – I used almond milk but if you don’t have to be dairy free regular milk is fine.
1 1/2 cups spinach
1 1/2 cups mushrooms
1/2 of a red onion
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup diced tomatoes – canned is fine…but don’t use the juice
3 slices of cooked bacon – I used turkey bacon but you can use regular too
Salt and pepper
Optional – 1/2 cup of your fav cheese.

what to do
Pre heat the oven to the specifications of your pie crust.

Sauté the garlic, onions and mushrooms over medium heat in a pan with a bit of oil or cooking spray. You want them to be nice and browned.

When the garlic onions and mushrooms are done dump your spinach in the pan and turn off the heat. This will start to wilt the spinach but not cook it.

Beat together your eggs and milk and a pinch of salt and pepper

Add what’s in your sauté pan as well as the bacon and tomatoes (and cheese if you are using it) to the egg mixture.

Prick the bottom of your pie crust.

Pour egg mixture into pie crust.

Bake in oven until the center is done. About 40 minutes.

You can eat this warm or cool…whichever you like!

2. Very Berry Oatmeal

I love Oatmeal! My good friend & team-mate Drew is my oatmeal guru. He makes the best oatmeal and has taught me a lot about oatmeal making basics that you can alter to make tons of different flavors (even tips to cleaning up after your oatmeal! Hint…use cold water! You won’t fighting with that gluey paste in your bowl or pot)

My latest version of oatmeal is a very berry oatmeal! I’ve shared another fall themed version here.

the goods – this is a one person serving…adjust your quantities accordingly.

1/2 cup of oats

1/2 cup of water

1/2 cup of milk (pick your poison here…i drink almond milk but any kind of milk would work.)

1/4 cup of blueberries

5 strawberries sliced

1 tsp vanilla extract

a dash of your favorite sweetener (mine’s sweet leaf stevia)

what to do

Cook the oats according to the instructions on the side of the container. Mine says 1/2 cup of oats to 1 cup liquid. I use half water and half almond milk.

As the liquid is heating up throw your fruit, vanilla and sweetener in. You don’t have to do it right at the beginning but definitely before it comes to a boil.

When your liquid comes to a boil (and be careful here…it can have a tendency to boil over) add the oats and stir to combine.

I use quick cooking oats so they cook for 1 minute then you turn the heat off and cover it for another 2 mins.

Then you get to eat this yumminess! The blueberries give the oatmeal a fun purple color and the strawberries are delish and soft.

YUM! And bonus…this whole thing is only 210 calories (if you use almond milk and a calorie free sweetener)

::::

I hope you enjoy these kitchen successes I’ve had!

reflecting on 2012

a friend of mine (Hey Jen!) did this 2012 reflection and I thought it was pretty nifty…so I decided try my own.

2012 Reflection


1. What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?


Shot a gun

Ran a 5K

Ran 2 5Ks  

Travelled to Europe for pleasure

Lead a missions trip.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? 

Yes! My resolution/goal was to get healthy and lose weight…and I did!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? 

Yes! My church is a baby making machine! 

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

Italy, Spain, France, England, Holland & Mexico.

6. What would you like to have in 2013 that you lacked in 2012?

Kindness towards my family.

Some dates. (and not of the fruit variety)

7. What dates from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

September 15, 2012 – I lost 100 pounds.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Getting Healthy.

9. What was your biggest failure?

not sure…not that i don’t fail at stuff…i just can’t pinpoint one thing.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes, but through some dietary changes it seems to be getting better.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

New, properly fitting running shoes.

A seat cushion for spin class. Makes a WORLD of difference.  

12. Where did most of your money go?

clothes. a fun problem to have when you lose weight. 

13. What did you get really excited about? 

Visiting the Harry Potter Studios in England. (i was probably a little too excited about it…but it was awesome.) 


14. What song will always remind you of 2012?

Some Nights by fun. 

15. Compared to this time last year, are you:

happier or sadder?
 

happier!

thinner or fatter?

thinner…cannot believe it. !  

richer or poorer? 

poorer…but only in money, not in friends and family. I’m definitely richer there. 

16. What do you wish you’d done more of? 

Support Raising

17. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying

18. How did you spend Christmas?

In New York City with my family and in Orlando FL with my extended family. 

19. What was your favorite TV program?

Downton Abbey

Project Runway (regular and all stars)



Survivor (I know)

Amazing Race

20. What were your favorite books of the year?

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

Bossypants by Tina Fey 

21. What was your favorite music from this year? 

fun., the lumineers, mumford & sons, adele

22. What were your favorite films of the year?

Les Mis

The Avengers

Brave

(I know there were others but I’m having a hard time remembering what they were!)

23. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

29 – Went out to dinner with my family at Agave…so yummy. The day before some friends took me out for Sushi (may fave) and to a shooting range! It was so fun! 

24. What’s one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Having more of my support raised …but I still made good strides in it. 

25. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?

whatever fits/preppy hipster.

26. What kept you sane?

The gym.

My Fitness Pal.

My D-Group.

27. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012. 
 

That I’m not in control. And God will give me the grace to handle ANY circumstance/challenge when I’m ready. 

For 2013…

December/January Update

Colors of Grace

I hope this email finds you and your’s well. We’re well into the holiday season and I’m looking forward to all that December is bringing. I love this time of year. Driving down the road and seeing the lights on peoples houses, the cooler weather (although at the moment it’s 75 degrees outside!) and the fun gatherings with family and friends.

I’ve also enjoyed going through an advent devotional this season. I’m reading through a couple but one I’ve really enjoyed is written by John Piper. You can download it for free here. It’s been really good for me to take time at the beginning of my day to set my sights towards the Lord and the anticipation of His Son. Here’s one quote that struck a chord with me this Sunday as I was getting ready to go to church.

 “Is not my word like fire, says the Lord!” (Jeremiah 23:29) ‘Gather ‘round that fire this Advent season. It is warm. It is sparkling with colors of grace. It is healing for a thousand hurts. It is light for dark nights.’ – John Piper

Isn’t that beautiful? I love the imagery Piper uses…Sparkling with colors of grace, healing for a thousand hurts, light for dark nights. It’s so easy for me to just think of the scriptures as words on a page but they are so much more! It’s a story on fire with rescue, grace and salvation that comes alive to us through the birth of a baby at Christmastime. I’m really enjoying gathering around the fire of His word this advent season. 

**Please be sure to scroll to the bottom for Praise and Prayer Requests**

50%!!!

Praise the Lord! I’ve hit the half way mark! I’m so thankful for his provision over the past two months. If you remember in my last update I was at 43% – He has provided tremendously! As I set down the path towards being fully supported by June of 2013 I would love for you to pray about participating in my “50@75″ campaign. If the Lord provided 50 new pledges at $75 a month I would be at 100%. This could be a new supporter, it could be a current supporter or church who increases their pledge or someone could take up two of those spots if they’d like. I trust the Lord is going to provide for my needed support in His timing but will you pray for my 50@75 campaign? I need 45 more people pledging at $75 or more a month. Thank you for praying for me during this season.

Year-End Giving

You may be in the process of considering your year end giving options. I would appreciate it you would think about either making a special year-end gift or a monthly pledge towards my ministry with the Global Youth & Family Ministries. The Lord is using the gifts of His people in great ways to reach the nations and the next generation! If you would like to talk with me about GYFM or if you’ve been thinking and praying about joining the team now’s the time! Please get in touch with me so I can answer any questions you may have. You can click on any of the links below to give or reply to this email!

What’s going on…

We had a great time with 19 members of the Burch family in town for Thanksgiving! My sister, 2 aunts and I ran a 5k on thanksgiving morning! It was so good to spend time with them. Right after thanksgiving we set up my parent’s Christmas tree in preparation for their 3rd annual Christmas open house. This past weekend I joined a group from my church to decorate a tree in East Atlanta Village. We ended up winning the competition with our signpost idea!  In a few weeks I’ll be spending some time with a missionary family who just arrived back to the US for Home Ministry Assignment.  I’m really thankful that even though I’m spending most of my time support raising I’m able to still meet with missionary kids and their families to provide encouragement to them as they transition. We’re also in the midst of planning for the next Area Retreat which is coming up in April! We’ll be headed to Spain to give care and encouragement to the Missionaries from Europe. Please be praying for our planning and preparation as we look forward to this event in April.

I hope you find yourself in the good company of family and friends, gathered around the fire of His word this Christmas. 

In Him, Ruthanne

Prayer Requests

Praise!

1. 50% Support Raised!
2. Good dessert sharing times in November
3. A wonderful time with the Burch side of the family at Thanksgiving.

Prayer

1. Continued provision of my needed support.
2. That I would be faithful in following up with contacts made this fall.
3. Some health problems I am having. Please pray for wisdom for the Doctors I am seeing and for clarity in diagnosis.

new & shiny

if you’re reading this from some kind of blog reader…click here…then look up.

whaddya think? huh? thought it was time to update the ole blog header.

fun times.

in completely unrelated news…i got some mail today….from the president….of the United States…no biggy. Click over to my instagram feed to see what it was.

Thanksgiving Day 5K

I’m joining up with Jessica over at Sweat is my Sanity for a thanksgiving day virtual 5k!

My sister, 2 aunts and I participated in the Atlanta Track Club Thanksgiving Day 5k today! It was so fun and a great morning for it.

I shaved almost 2 mins off my first 5k time which I am very pleased with! I think I’ve caught the race bug!

I hope you all have a great thanksgiving celebrating all we have to be thankful for!

The Smith Family

I had the wonderful opportunity a few weeks ago to take some family photos for one of my favorite families in the world!

David & Rachael were some of the first people I met when I moved to Atlanta. They were in my community group at All Souls and were such an encouragement to me during my first few years in Atlanta. When My current pastor moved from All Souls to plant Village Church I had the privilege of serving alongside them on the launch team to help plant Village Church of East Atlanta.

Their boys are some of the coolest kids around and if I can say this…they could be in Gap commercials.

Beautiful people! Here’s a sampling of some of my favorite shots. Thanks friends for giving me this opportunity!

I’m guest posting!

About a month ago I was given the incredible opportunity to write a ‘motivate me Monday’ post for Jessica’s blog called Sweat is my Sanity.

She has great tips in running, fitness and just being healthy! I’m thrilled to be posting on her blog. I hope it will be an encouragement to many! And, Lord willing, motivate someone else to make changes in their life to get healthy.

Click here to read my post (it’s basically a condensed version of my previous 3 posts)

But please take a look at Jessica’s other posts especially the other Motivate Me Monday posts! They are awesome!!

Thanks for the opportunity Jessica!

What I’ve been doing – part three

*click here to read part one*

*click here to read part two*

Ok friends…It’s time to get personal for a little bit. This could get painful (probably for me more than you) but I promise it will be ok in the end.

While changing what I’ve been eating and adding exercise to my daily routine have been essential to my journey of getting and being healthy there’s a third componant to it that I think I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about. That’s my view of myself. Who I thought I was and how valuable I thought I was.

As you can imagine this is not an easy topic to talk about. *Ok…deep breaths…you can do this…*

Before this whole journey started (and really for most of my teenage/young adult life) I had a really messed up view of myself. I placed most (and by most I really mean all) my value and worth in what other people thought of me. So I did everything I could to make them like me because that is what I thought was most important. Whether it was to say the right thing, act the right way, be funny, be friendly, wear the cool clothes, do things for them…the list goes on and on. My reasons for doing this was not to be a good person or to love the other person or to serve them out of the Love of my heavenly Father but it was to try and make up for the inadequacy and failure that I felt in myself. I hated the fact that I was so overweight and I didn’t love myself AT ALL the way I was. When I looked at my body in the mirror all I saw was failure and unloveableness. Because of this I couldn’t believe that anyone else (including my heavenly Father) could love and accept me for who I really was. So I worked and I did. I worked really hard trying to gain people’s approval and I did things to hopefully make people like/love me more. In hopes that they wouldn’t look at me and see a overweight and insecure girl but that they would see a funny girl who does things for them so they should keep me around because of that.

Reading that makes my stomach turn. It’s so messed up. I am a broken girl. A girl who couldn’t find any value in herself. And spent 29 years like that.

So back in January I started working out and eating right and I lost weight and now I love myself. The end!

HA! Oh how I wish it was that easy. I think this is going to continue to be a life long struggle for me. As I think it is for a lot of girls and women. It’s so hard for us to not wrap up our self-worth in what others think of us and how we look. I know…I did.

Let’s go back to August of this year. I was struggling. The first three quarters of 2012 had proven to be super stressful. Yet in all of that the Lord was gracious and gave me the strength and tenacity to pursue this healthy journey. And I had been successful up to that point. But August came and I struggled.

I got to 91 pounds lost and I plateaued…bad…for like 3 weeks…I didn’t lose a pound. And Oh. My. Word. was I a grump about it. I didn’t stop my routines. I kept eating right and working out but I was wrestling with God and with my body. I was mad. “You mean to tell me I’m going to be 9 pounds away from 100 and then stop?” Not cool. All of a sudden those 91 pounds I had loss were completely insignificant.

But there was a bigger struggle going on during that 3 week plateau…there was struggle going on in my heart. I was wrestling with a change that I felt in my body but also one I felt in my heart. I looked at myself in the mirror and for the first time in my life I liked what I saw. I was proud of myself. I felt different. I felt good! But I couldn’t figure out how this affected my relationship with God. I thought differently about myself now. I was valuing myself. So did the Lord think differently about me too? Was I now more valuable to him. Was I more loved by him? Did I finally achieve true acceptance of my Heavenly Father and of others because I was not longer super overweight?

The answers to those questions is a BIG OL’ NO!

Through the help of a fellow blogger, a book I highly recommend, my mentor and friends I was reminded that even though I had changed. My heavenly Father had not. He loved me; His creation JUST AS MUCH as He did before I lost the weight has he does now. And that Love will continue and will never change.

What I came to realize was that I never didn’t have His love (sorry…double negative). I am created in His image. As a creation of Him I am loved and valued because I was made exactly how he intended. I was never (no matter how much I weighed) not how he intended me to be. And I am now still created exactly how he meant me to be. I’m just a healthier version of that creation.

Does that make sense? I had to learn to love his creation. In whatever form it took. I couldn’t fully grasp His love for me until I realized that it was not contingent on my appearance or health or self worth. It also was not mine to work for either. His love for me is because I am His child. His creation. Made in His image. And no matter if I lose more weight or gain it back…that is never going to change.

So I don’t have to try or do anymore. Oh what freedom! I am fully and wholly loved and accepted. So I can serve out of that love and not out of duty or guilt or “trying”.

I think in our day and age this is such a hard thing. We struggle with the monster of comparison. Looking at what everyone else has and seeing what we don’t…so therefore we are not as good or valuable because of that. But here’s the thing…We are all unique creations made by a loving God. We’re not meant to all be the same. So we can’t compare ourselves. It would be like comparing apples to carrots and saying one is better than the other. They are both unique and different and serve different purposes. You can’t compare the two. Oh, the fashion, beauty, media and tv industry want you to. They want you to look at their model, their product, their solution and compare your life to what they are selling. If you do that you are always going to come up short. And that monster of comparison is going to creep in to your heart and tell you “you don’t have x y or z. You must work at it. Try harder. Do more. You are not valued unless you have it.” And that my friend is a big fat lie from satan himself. Oh how I want girls to understand this. I want them to see their value and worth as a beautiful, unique creation of God. And to love that creation. And to take care of it.

So much of me would just like to take that first part of my story and stuff it deep down inside and pretend that it never happened. But that wouldn’t be right…it would be denying that part of my story existed. Because if I didn’t have that part of my journey…i wouldn’t be here. I believe in a sovereign creator. One that does not waste any experience but uses every thing to draw us to Himself and teach us about His character and His purpose for our lives. A lot of times those experiences can be really painful. But it’s when He brings us out of that refining fire that we see Him more fully. Sometimes that fire lasts a really long time. And we may come out of it with scars. But that’s all part of who He’s made you to be. The beauty and uniqueness of His creation in you.

You are loved. You are beautiful. You are valuable. God has created a unique creation in you. Cherish that. Love that. Celebrate that.

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31 ESV)