Ruth Nieves

  Wow! I can hardly believe that summer is over. I too am in denial. Even as I shop for school supplies and school clothes. It has gone so fast. I guess I am one of the few that hates when the kids go back to school. I like hanging out with them in their PJ's until right before dinner. And I love being out of that stringent routine. Now we return to rushing around in the mornings, rushing to pick up the cuties, homework and dinner all at the same time, then some fun, then bedtime. But in between all that is basketball and football and church activities. Doesn't it just make your head spin? I love being a mom. I love being a wife. I love being a Pastor's Wife and being in full-time ministry. I love that I have girlfriends that I can hang with and be myself with (almost). But sometimes I want to run out in the wild, screaming and pulling out my hair.   In all of these areas, seasons do change. I will always be a mom but my boys won't always be home to be taken care of...

Okay, Okay, yes, I did it. For the first time ever I sat and watched most of the Oscars. Why, you may ask (or may not care...LOL), well my sexy husband was watching it and to spend time with my love I sat and watched it. But he went to bed early and I stayed up and watched about another 40 minutes of it. I hate to say this, BUT....it was horrible. The host was rude and offensive even to his liberal colleagues with his, "I Saw Your Boobs" song. Now don't go on-line to check out the song...lol. It was astonishing to see the look on the faces of the actresses that has shown more than cleavage mentioned in his song. They were appalled and embarrassed and offended. My take on this is if you exposed them for millions of people on a screen that is bigger than life and weren't offended then you shouldn't be offended when someone sings about them in front of your colleagues. Then I was saddened by the emptiness I saw in their pursuits. This is what most of them live for...

Man, it's been crazy around here lately. I thought that after the holidays things would begin to slow down a bit. But I must say that the speed of life has gained momentum. Totally NUTS. But this is my life. Seasons come and seasons go. At Transformation Church things are more amazing every week. People are coming from all over to begin their spiritual journey. What an honor!!! That they would choose to come to TC. That they trust us enough to start here. There is a bible verse that says, " But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." When we gather as a team on Monday mornings to pray for the needs of our church, for the needs our community we are humbled to know that God would use us to do this great work, to think that He would choose us. With all sincerity, we weep at this knowledge. So as God continues to bring lives to us here @ TC things are getting busier. But man, are we excited! An...

Okay, so the Christmas season is like here already and I am so ready. Well, sort of. I am totally in the Christmas spirit and have been since before Thanksgiving, so much so that Josiah is practically in tears whenever he sees me turn to the Hallmark Channel. "No more Christmas movies, mommy, pleeeaaasse!!!" I love everything about the season. The lights, the tinsel, the trees, the songs. It almost seems as if the world is a little nicer... or is it me that is being a little nicer? Hey, it can happen, it is the season of miracles, right? I love to see the innocence that I see in my children, expectancy. Their list for Santa. Yes, I still encourage imagination and dreaming. They know that Santa is a pretend figure but they like to pretend and I encourage it. We are planning on having a simpler Christmas this year. I hate when in years past, I am more exhausted than excited about Christmas Day. We aren't rushing around looking for the perfect gift. We are simply enjoying ...

No, I haven't grown up in the country. I actually grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, but grew up in the greatest city on this earth...New York! Maybe because of the hustle and bustle and the taking of the buses and trains every single day, the constant going that as I grew older I wanted to retreat to a quieter, slower pace. I live not too far from NYC right now. So I do have the perks of Broadway, Rockefeller Center, amazing restaurants, Lincoln Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the list is endless. I absolutely love it! But when I have had quite enough of all the fabulousness, I love to go home to my little house on the prairie in the beautiful Hudson Valley. I live in between horse farms overlooking amazing mountains and lakes. My little house is just that, little. But it is the right place for this season. With the boys growing up we will need a bigger place before long. So pray that the right home becomes available soon. But for now our 160...

We are already at the end of September. Can you believe that?! I am in the dining room as the boys sleep and hubby is at the church watching the Giants game with the guys and I am listening in the quietness the ticking of the clock. When you think about it every tick is a second gone by. It can make you a little anxious when you know the laundry has to get done, and the week has already begun and you aren't quite ready. Listening to the ticking and the tocking makes me think of a couple of things. One, that I want to spend more time loving on my husband and boys. I want to spend more time with my parents and siblings. I don't want to waste a second being mad or frustrated. I don't want to harbor anger and resentment. I don't want to hang on to past hurts. I have one life to live and I want to live it free from toxins and poisons that can rob me of my peace and joy. Secondly, the ticking reminds me of the Lord's return. It is getting closer. I am not a scholar and ...

Enjoying life right now. Choosing not to dwell on all the negative and bad stuff from yesterday and beyond. Choosing to saturate myself in the love of my husband and sons, in the love of my family and friends and in the love of my heavenly Father. I can't change yesterday. But I can change me so that today and tomorrow my response would be different. I know that bad days will come. Storms will brew and the "suddenlies" of life will happen, but I pray that when those days come, though I will not be ready for them, I pray that I will handle them with grace and hope. I hope that today, despite your crazy life, you will remember all that God has done for you, all that He has brought you through, all that He has given you. Tomorrow isn't promised but you have now, so relish in it, love in it, dance in it, laugh with abandon in it. I hope that you will join me in loving today!