Mr. Randall lifted the lid of the grill and began to place frozen hamburger patties on the grates. The hot grate sizzled and smoked. After each patty was in place, he closed the lid and took a seat in a camp chair. Closing the door to the shed, Amber came over …
She Is Wearing Strength and Honor (Proverbs 31:25)
The Proverbs 31 passage describes the physical clothing of the Proverbs 31 woman. But, it doesn’t stop there because while our clothing is what people see, it is not nearly as important as our hearts. The virtuous woman dresses herself with strength and honor, going against the flow and opposition that she faces, …
Clean Hands, Pure Heart, Or Not? | The Ruby Stories
Ruby signed her name to the bottom of the letter with a flourish, dropped her pen on the desk, and flexed her stiff hand. What next? She reached across the desk and drew her open planner toward her. Oh yeah. I still have to fertilize the flowers. She looked out the …
10 Tips on What to Do If You Feel Overwhelmed
We all have those days – and some of us probably have more than others. It just seems at times like life is going faster than we are, and we can never catch up. Do you ever feel that way, or is it just me? If you find yourself with a massive to-do …
15 Paper Craft Supplies to Inspire Your Creativity
Could you spend hours browsing the aisles of the craft store and looking at all the beautiful stickers and other embellishments? Me too! But, since we can’t really go shopping together today, then let’s just browse this list and talk about it. Who knows? There’s a good chance you already have some of …
12 Entrepreneur Ideas for the Proverbs 31 Woman
The Proverbs 31 woman was an entrepreneur! She made things and sold them to others. Do you have the entrepreneur itch in you too where you really want to do creative things to earn money? I do! It’s quite popular and easy today for women to have little side businesses and make some money. We …
Are There Any Bible Verses About Procrastination?
Have you ever looked for the word procrastinate in the Bible? Maybe you were disappointed when you didn’t find it. While it’s true that the word procrastinate is not actually found in the Bible, I believe that there are many Bible verses about procrastination and using our time wisely, and I have several verses and passages …
One in a Million | The Ruby Stories
There are so many people in the world. This was the thought Ruby had as she looked around from her seat on a bench in the grocery store. She was waiting for her mom to finish shopping, passing the time by watching the people come and go. An elderly couple exited …
10 Ways to Get Motivation and Start to Work
Do you ever think to yourself, “If I only had the motivation, I could get so much done.” Well, today we are going to talk about 10 ways to get motivation. Some of these you may have heard before, but keep reading. There may be some new angles you haven’t thought about before! …
Simple Ways the Proverbs 31 Woman Supports Her Men (Proverbs 31:23)
This is the verse where some of you probably wonder what you could learn from it. Some of you may even be thinking, “I don’t have a husband, so this verse isn’t applicable to me.” I think there’s more to it than first meets the eye. Even if you don’t have a husband, …
6 More Simple Scripture Memory Tips
Are you wondering how to memorize Scripture and what the key is? Let me tell you what one of the keys is. Variety! True, one method may work well for you, but it’s also easy to get stuck and not keep making good progress. That’s when it is good to switch things up …
A Letter Sent is Stationary Saved | The Ruby Stories
Ruby stretched out full length on the couch and let out a sigh of contented coziness. She opened the book she was in the middle of and eagerly began to read. About halfway through the chapter, she looked up when Amber came into the room. Amber was carrying her tiny turquoise paisley clipboard, …
Why Am I Overwhelmed? 10 Reasons Why
Why am I always overwhelmed? Do you ever find yourself wondering that? There can be a lot of things in life that make us feel overwhelmed. Sometimes, those things are out of our control. But, there are many areas where we can do things to make life simpler and less stressful. Let’s look …
Creating a Simple and Feminine Wardrobe (Proverbs 31:22)
Is there a particular style of clothing that you love to wear but have trouble finding? There is for me too. Dresses. I am fairly tall, so finding long, flowy dresses I can wear is not easy. Recently I found one that fit me perfectly, and it was like getting a special gift …
Ruby Interviews Bethany | The Ruby Stories
It’s a special day here on the blog! Bethany was tagged by her friend Alyssa, who blogs at Seeking The Timeless Anchor. Bethany wanted me (Ruby) to conduct the interview with her, and I was happy to oblige. So, let’s get past the preliminaries and get started! Rules Thank the blogger who nominated …
6 Simple Tips to Memorize Scripture and Help You Begin Today
Do you think Scripture memory is hard? Boring? Well, I agree that it can be hard, but there are so many ways that you can make it easier and more enjoyable. Instead of viewing it as a chore, we want to take delight in soaking up God’s Word, right? I think that using …
7 Simple Ways to Be Prepared
We have reached another aspect of the Proverbs 31 woman’s life. She clothes her family! While this verse is about the way the virtuous woman dresses her family warmly, there is a lot more than clothes that we can talk about in connection with this verse. What seems to be the main thrust …
9 Wonderful Reasons to Memorize Scripture Regularly
At a weekend ladies’ retreat with my mom and sister, I once heard an amazing, and also true, story. Would you like to hear it? Okay, great! An elderly lady began to memorize Scripture. Now, most people her age would probably have thought it unnecessary, since after all, the older you get, the …
Peanut Butter Love | The Ruby Stories
“Okay, y’all.” Sterling stood up off the couch and snapped his book shut. “Mom wants us to get the living room straightened up this afternoon. We should go ahead and start so we can have it done by the time she wakes up from her nap.” Jasper and Mica looked up …
How to Slow Down Your Life and Prioritize the Things That Matter
Most of us are just plain too busy. Not only that but we easily get sucked into being busy doing things that really aren’t going to count for time and eternity. We talked in another post about toobusyitis – the condition that we nearly all have but don’t even always see as a …
8 Warning Signs You Are Too Busy and Need to Prioritize
There are many diseases and illnesses that people are diagnosed with these days. From cancer to arthritis, to just a cold, and everything in between, sickness is part of life. But you know, I think there’s one very common condition that the doctors don’t talk about. The funny thing is, most of us …
Simple Ways to Give Like the Proverbs 31 Woman
Thus far, this passage on the Proverbs 31 woman has looked primarily at her home life. It’s talked about the different occupations she has at home and how she cares for her family and the others in her household. This verse takes more of an outward focus. While the Proverbs 31 woman prioritizes …
Ruby Writes a Tag For Me | The Ruby Stories
I was tagged recently, and I decided to do something a little bit different. The tag is combined with our monthly Ruby story. That way, I was able to get Ruby to help me with the writing! I hope you enjoy what she had to say. Rules Thank the person who nominated you. Thank …
2021 Word of the Year + What Did I Learn?
Well, are you ready for the big reveal? I’ve decided to make this a tradition here on A Ruby in the Rough. Each year, I want to share with you what my word and verse of the year was for the previous year. My word of the year I revealed for 2020 was perspective, …
Do’s and Don’ts of Goals and Habits
Do you ever wonder what the best New Year’s resolutions are? Or, maybe you have tried making resolutions over and over, and you have decided that they just don’t work and aren’t worth it. I think most of us (myself included) have experienced the excitement of making big plans for the new year, …
Christmas Eve Under the Lights | The Ruby Stories
This is the second part of the story, M&M Cookies for Rhoda. If you haven’t read that story, start there! “Look at me! I look like a princess.” Rhoda Marshall twirled around, her pink gauze skirt ballooning as she went. Ruby Randall laughed. “How am I supposed to put …
Simple Ways to Have a Cozy Christmas
The Christmas season with all of its joy, coziness, and festivities is here! It’s the perfect time of year to remember what Jesus did for us and rejoice in His goodness. Christmas is a time for rejoicing and getting in the Christmas spirit. But, we all know that sometimes this is easier said …
M&M Cookies for Rhoda | The Ruby Stories
“Oh, I just don’t know what to do.” Ruby Randall spoke the words aloud to herself, going into her bedroom and dropping onto her bed. She rested her chin in her hand and gazed out the window. “I had Dad’s and Mom’s blessing to start this business with Amber and everything. And, …
How Can I Use My Planner Consistently?
You have a beautiful planner. You also have a bag full of stickers – enough to decorate your planners for years. Maybe you even have all the fancy pens, washi tape, bookmarks, and sticky notes. Oh, and even with all of this, you still can’t resist picking up that cute package of stickers …
3 Ways to Work by Hand and Live Simply
I don’t know about you, but I don’t know how to use a spinning wheel. I did try spinning once at a craft festival, and it is a lot harder than it looks. While I think it would be fun to learn, I don’t think that you have to use a spinning wheel to …