Your Peace is Bae.

    Hi Ladies! How is the year rolling? Remember you got this. So SLAY!

    One thing we must not play with this year 2020 and down the decade is our PEACE. Please, let's be intentional and ensure that our space is NOT attacked by voices, issues, distractions, opinions, profiles and goals that drain or murder our Peace. Please feel free to block anyone who is on a mission whether by good will or not to interfere with your Peace even if it's a family member. Yessss am serious. I can remember when I was so desperate to protect my Peace one time that I had to BLOCK my BROTHER LOL.

    Mean right??? He was driving me insane and I was trying to get my self-esteem together. Oh Yes!

    So, I remember that time in my life that a lot was happening and I was really in a low place. I was been stressed and abused where I was staying at the time. We just lost my Mum and my almost two years or a two-year relationship just packed up when I felt the relationship was IT!

    Well, when it comes to relationship, am that girl that doesn't want plenty list of exes or any list at all lol. Right from the university, I knew I wanted to marry my first love and dating then was gonna be plenty wahala so, I chilled till after I graduated from school. Now, you know how AM like when a relationship ENDS - Like really, I have to go through the stress of starting from the beginning again. Really Jesus!

   So, back to the matter. At this time, I was losing weight, it was a lot getting me to smile even though I can smile for Africa lol.

  Taking pictures was a taboo because I didn't want to see my face. The mirror was not a buddy at that time too. I couldn't sleep well or eat well. I was at war with God not like a war but like a mini war or malice - Like why would You let all these dramas happen to me when I love you like kilode! LOL

    Ladies, it wasn't funny at all but that was my reality at that point in my life plus the most challenging part was that no one understood what was going on.

   A lot of times, the challenge is really not in what we are going through but, how we are going through the challenge. I think some times when we go through stuff outside the intrusive eyes of family or total strangers, the weight of our challenge is lighter than when we battle to block the stones of life not weaned from the comments and contributions of others other than ourselves especially when these comments are laced with CALLOUSNESS.

   I know you would be like, where is she going with all these stories please stick with me.

  So, during this season of rock bottom moment, I was off Social Media like really off. I didn't post because I felt really UGLY. You dare not tag me if we took a picture together because I would un-tag myself. I was HIDING. I can remember an ex-boyfriend had to ask me on WhatsApp why I was hiding. My self-esteem couldn't handle public scrutiny and I couldn't even explain why.

   Eventually maybe like one year plus or so, I was finding my bubbling, joyous, felt-pretty self again. I started taking pictures, smiling more, not having issues with glancing at myself in the mirror. I also grew to taking the dust off my social media handles little by little- I started Posting.

SMILE JESUS LOVES YOU....YES YOUUUUUU 

  Getting back to "bubbling Ruthie" wasn't easy. As I was getting my groove back, my younger brother felt that the pictures that I was beginning to learn to let the world see again had holes not just holes but too many holes- "Why would you post that picture, it's not fine, it's not clear. Why would you do your neck like that, see the way you are standing self, the background is not befitting for people to see" blah blah blah like what!

  Can you stop? Am just trying to get my groove back - "When Ruth Gets Her Groove Back" LOL, and you are tearing my efforts down. When he wouldn't stop, I effected the block button on him. Guess what happened after that - PEACE!

Other methods I use in protecting my PEACE are:

• Quiet time / Spiritual Spa (did a blog on it) - It gives me an opportunity to give God my burden and take His PEACE - "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you REST" -Matthew 11vs28

• Worship - For me, this is an incredible medicine that reminds me of God's reputation and completely drowns the noise or aggression of stress, anxiety, tension, self-pity and anything negative that try to intrude with the serenity of my space. Worship was my soul food when my mother went to be with the Lord. I couldn't read my Bible or Pray much. It was the craziest moment in my life but through worship, I told God how I felt and He reminded me of who HE is! Girl, it was a beautiful intimacy. Nothing in this whole world can be compared with the intimacy experienced during worship. Nothing! WOR - SHIP IS SO BEAUTIFUL!

• Stuff that pops up on my timeline on SM are mostly positive vibes especially IG - On my Instagram page (@blissfulruthie), I am very intentional about following people who SPEAK LIFE- Big sister Heather and her hubby and some amazing ladies I found through her cos I think she has a good taste for relationships. I follow my gang star slay queen sister lol Sarah Jakes  Roberts and her hubby too. Mummy Lisa Bevere and her hubby. @Julestheexplore and a lot of amazing people who inspire me to have a solid relationship with God, live healthy( vegan in the making even though I still eat meat. Please pray for me LOL) and SLAY. 

• Online sermons - When your heart is full of God, there won't be space for any "intense, excessive and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations". Even when the spirit of fear or worry tries to creep in, you have enough spiritual vitamin to cut it short. When am doing my laundry, I usually play sermons I downloaded online. At work when I am feeling pressured, I sometimes put on my earpiece and listen to some amazing preachers on line. This is also good if you work and can't get to weekly Bible study at church. I NEVER leave any space for the devil to intrude with my peace. I guard it jealously. I listen to Heather's You-Tub. Sarah Jakes and I recently registered for Women Evolve ( It is less than 4k and is totally worth it). There are amazing preachers online that we can always listen to instead of feeling our spirits with gossips or catching up with other people's lives and feeling left behind when we are done. 

• STAY POSITIVE - Let our minds be fixed on Deuteronomy 31vs8...God will NEVER leave us so why worry. ENJOY the gift of life, take yourself out, love Jesus like crazy and love your self. SMILE. LAUGH. I picture you rolling your eyes like "What is there to smile or laugh about?". Ok sis, because, Jesus loves you no matter what your season is! HE LOVES YOU. For me to know that the creator of the Sea and the creator of the inventors of the beautiful designs of this earth LOVES ME is not just a BIG DEAL but the ONLY DEAL! 

• Keep Friends who encourage and inspire you not feed you with the feelings of "I am better than you" or "I have arrived before you" kind of feeling hence, making you feel less. Small. Left Behind. There are also friends who don't know how to be grateful for sprinkled blessings. They are always complaining and being queens at self-pity. Run girl! 

• Get and Stay productively busy - Ruth was busy when Boaz found her. Staying productively  busy exposes us to wins that we can celebrate and value ourselves more. It reduces the Plague of DESPERATION.  

• SERVE- I am active in the choir, youth ministry, Be-livers Class in my church. You could be saying "OH Ruth those choir girls gossip like kilode plus, I am not their mate" Ok ooo if this is your case, then you are not ready Sister! They spat on JESUS so you better think again. LOL sorry for being mean but, do you know you can teach people how to behave by the way you behave. So, teach them what a classy chick that drinks her water and minds her business looks like #high #five #biko LOL. 

• LOVE JESUS - For me, this is the ultimate method of protecting your Peace. Enjoy this season by being intimate with the Lord and watch Him teach you ( down to get rid of that pant it's old kinda teaching)  and provide for you as you navigate this single season. I always live it. I am learning to live it as God stretches me beyond my comfort zone. It works big time. It can be hard some times but guess what, that is when GOD carries you. 

"Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" - Philippians 4vs7

PEACE BE YOURS ALWAYS.

I Love You!

HugsandHigh5💝💝💝💝💝

Your Single Buddie💕