International Day of the Girl Child 2016

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing awesome, thanks to my Father in Heaven. This afternoon, I returned from eating lunch with co-workers and returned to my job as a mining engineer. When I get off work, I can drive myself home. I've had formal education. My passion for STEM was nurtured in high school and I was encouraged to study engineering in college, so I received my mining engineering degree from Virginia Tech. As of today, I have had the choice to stay unmarried until God's appointed time for me to do life with the man He's created for me. I was not captured or assaulted before fleeing from Sierra Leone when the civil war broke out in the 90s. I grew up, lived/worked, and still live/work in safe neighborhoods. I have the choice to move to a state (having no family member close by) and live by myself. If I get sick, I have access to healthcare. I can vote in the upcoming elections and have the choice to run for office in the future. I can publicly be a Christian and dress whichever way I choose as long it honors God.

Having shared all of the above, a day like today makes me realize more that there are millions of girls/women who don't have the privileges I've had in life all because they're born a girl. Declared by the UN, today is observed as International Day of the Girl Child. The observation supports more opportunity for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their sex. This year's theme is “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement”, is a call for action for increased investment in collecting and analyzing girl-focused, girl-relevant and sex-disaggregated data. One year into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, improving data on girls and addressing the issues that are holding them back is critical for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals. Gender inequality includes areas such as right to education/access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care, and protection from discrimination, violence against women and unfree child marriage.

I may not be able to change all of these inequalities girls and women face in the United States, Sierra Leone, and worldwide but I'll keep trying through When You Believe Foundation, mentoring young girls, advocating for the recruitment and retention of girls/women in STEM, encouraging my younger sisters/nieces/cousins to strive for excellence, being there for the women in my life, and other ways that God leads me to. Besides my engineering degree, I'm happy to have received my minor in women's studies leadership in college. So today I encourage you to do your part and make this world a better place for all girls and women. You can start with your family and community. Together we can make a difference!

...But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. Genesis 2:20-22.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Embarking On New Journeys

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing great, thanks to my Father in Heaven. As I mentioned in my previous post, a lot of changes have taken place in my life lately, and that is why I haven't been blogging as frequently as I used to. But I count it all joy for all God has been doing in my life - in and through me. In addition to recently moving to Nevada and starting my new job, I recently got into a courtship with an amazing man of God and we're prayerfully looking towards marriage and trusting God to lead us in this new journey together. In this season of courting, we're using it to really get to know each other, talking about our past as well as what a possible future with each other would/should look like, family and career goals, talking about our expectations for each other as a spouse, seeking godly counsel, and more importantly: finding out if marriage and doing life together is part of God's will for our lives. As much as some of the conversations we have may be dry or result to disagreement, we have been successful in moving forward because he was my friend first before we decided to get into a courtship and we acknowledge our differences and find this as the appropriate time to discuss and work on these issues. As it says in one of the scriptures that keep me disciplined in life, ...Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. James 1:19.

Idaho Potato French Fries

One of the things I love and look forward to doing more of with my new job is traveling. Last week, I was in Boise for a minerals administration training; this was my first time in Idaho. For someone who's very new to the western side of the country, I believe I will visit all the states within the next 4 months because of work. I thank God for this opportunity and give Him all the glory. Being that the training was a whole week and required a full day of work, I didn't have the opportunity to really explore Boise but I'm sure this won't be my last time going there. The hotel was hospitable and Idaho is a beautiful place but I missed good ol' Nevada, especially being in pacific time zone and getting my extra hour of sleep. Also, I will like to share my disappointment of not getting to see any potatoes being grown while I was in Idaho, but ate a lot of it throughout the week; seeing and eating potatoes just seems like the right thing to do when in a state that's popularly known for that!

Beautiful Idaho Mountains

Upon returning back to Nevada this past weekend, I finally got to attend church yesterday for the first time in my new home state. I am blessed to be in a small town with many churches and I attended one that is about a 2-minute walk from my apartment. Service was great - the worship and message was spirit-filled, and I could feel God's presence in the place. The body of Christ was very warm and welcoming and I plan to attend again. My prayer now is that God plants me in a church whereby I can be used for His glory and do Kingdom work. My dear sisters and brothers in Christ, my prayer for you is that you bear good fruit throughout the week. May you be a blessing to many, because you may be the only Jesus someone encounters this week. Make it a priority to love others and that you glorify God in your words and thoughts. Be light of the world and salt of the earth. "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:13-16

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival 2016

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing well, thanks be to God. A couple weeks ago, I attended the 15th annual Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival in Spring Creek! It was so much fun seeing a hot air balloon up close for the first time, watching the setup! Unfortunately they did not launch the balloons as they have in past years that day due to weather conditions, but I had a great time regardless. It was definitely worth waking up very early on that Saturday morning for this! Upon leaving the festival, I went to eat lunch with a co-worker and then to see the snow on the Ruby Mountains by the Lamoille Canyon. Later in the evening, I attended my supervisor's 60s/Woodstock-themed shrimp broil housewarming party. Below are a some photos I took from the festival and my adventures afterwards.

60s Party - Peace and Love

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Sierra Leonean Elegance - African Excellence

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing fantastic, thanks to the Almighty. This past August, I had the honor of serving as a bridesmaid at the wedding of a great man whom I consider as a father along with a very amazing woman who happens to be his bride. This was my first time serving as a bridesmaid. The weekend was full of wedding festivities and I had a lot of fun. It may sound biased because the couple has a special place in my heart and I was part of the bridal party BUT this wedding was truly the wedding of the year and one of the best I've ever attended. Beautiful couple, wonderful ceremonies, great crowd, delicious food, and elegant outfits - everything was great! It was a great weekend to celebrate love, Sierra Leonean elegance, and African excellence. I was proud to be a Sierra Leonean woman. Friday was the wedding ceremony and reception, Saturday was the wedding picnic, and the bridal party attended Church together on Sunday. On the wedding day, the bridal party had 3 outfit changes: one for the Church ceremony and 2 during the reception (African wear from Senegal and cocktail dress); all outfits were custom-made. Below are some photo highlights from the wedding weekend. Fun fact: I caught the bride's bouquet at the reception. He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22.

1st outfit

The Bridesmaids

Flower Girls

Little Groom

Sleeping Beauty - Flower Girl during car ride

2nd outfit

Caught the bride's bouquet!

3rd outfit

Wedding picnic

OUR BEAUTIFUL BRIDE!

THE GROOM!

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Life Update

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I have been busy but very happy, all thanks to my Father in Heaven! It's been about a month since I did my last blog entry and this is because a lot has been going on in my personal and professional life; by the way, I turned 26 this month! Having been raised and living in the east coast since I came to the United States 13 years ago, I moved to the west coast for my job. I am now based in northern Nevada but my job involves travels to several western states. This has been the greatest transition of my adult life but I thank God for this new journey. The same God that has been gracious to me all my life will remain faithful as I embark on this new journey in the west coast, because I know He has brought me here for a purpose and will get the glory from it all.

Being a mining engineer, I have always been cognizant that a profession like that takes me to anywhere and everywhere, and I know God has prepared me for this. Moving to a place knowing no one can be challenging but greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I will go and follow as the Holy Spirit continues to lead me. Although I went to college in a small town, this may be the smallest town I have ever called home. But I love it! Although Maryland has always been home for me, I have always desired to live in a small town or city, and be in an environment surrounded by trees, valleys, and mountains; whereby I can get to hike, run, and spend time in nature. That's exactly what I get in my new home of Elko, Nevada. Once again, God has given me the desire of my heart even though I never prayed for this specific location. I am so thankful to God that I get to do what I love in a place that I get to explore and love as time goes by. With my big-city-girl personality being brought to this small rural town, I know God has great plans for me here. I see this place as a wilderness that God has brought me, I don't know the purpose yet, but I know He will be glorified through it all. His purpose may be to put me in a wilderness and hide me for a while, build my relationship with Him, establish something for Him, or prepare me for something beyond. Regardless of the purpose, I know He has equipped me for this new season of my life.

Inspecting a gold mine project in the exploration stage

Since I moved, I have been so blessed with folks who have helped me find a place, showing me around the town, and making me feel welcome. I am truly grateful for God's unfailing kindness. I am blessed with an amazing team of co-workers. With respect to my new home, I looked forward to having my war room and creating that space was priority when I was looking for a place. Within a few days of moving in, I created that space in my walk-in closet. For someone who loves clothes, shoes, and accessories, it's a very big deal for me to give up closet space; however, my relationship with God is more important than material things. Spending time with God everyday in this space is something I want to build as a habit. Being that I love praying, I cherish my time in it and using this time to cover my family, friends, co-workers, mentees/mentors, future husband, myself, and as the Spirit leads. Additionally, I love being surrounded by mountains and it's even better that I share a name with the mountain range; I am talking about the beautiful Ruby Mountains. I look forward to exploring more of the Ruby Mountains and going for many hikes there. The rubies got snow this week, and I am still getting used to seeing snow in September. Living in a place with  a mountain range named after me, that's definitely the work of God showing that I am at the right place at the right time.

Lamoille Canyon with the Ruby Mountains at the back

As I start this new year with amazing changes in my personal and professional life, the Lord revealed this scripture below to me as I trust Him into the new beginnings of my life. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ‭‭John‬ ‭15:4-5‬. As I continue this walk with God and go through life transitions, I become more aware of the importance of submitting to God's will for my life. Realizing that it is never too early or late to get on track and embrace God's will for my life. I pray me and you stay connected to the vine and live our best lives in Christ. God takes us to places as well as makes us cross paths with folks in which He wants us to bring them closer to Him. As it says in Jeremiah 1:4-8, The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.” But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Gateway Mall in Salt Lake City, Utah

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Friday Exhortation - God Hears You

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing awesome, thanks to my awesome Father in Heaven! It's Friday. Breath! You made it to the end of this week. You may have had a good week, you may have had a challenging week, or both! Just remember that there is purpose for everything. Soak it in and learn from every moment. You have been praying and seeking God for something. God is not dead or deaf, He hears you. Wait on His perfect time. God is faithful, He will do it. Like it says in Psalms 37:3-4, Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. You may want something now but God knows when you are ready to receive it. God has been so faithful to me the past couple weeks and the biggest lesson I learned is that GOD'S TIME IS BEST! When you are ready, He manifests in such great ways that you just sit back, mesmerized at Him. If God gave you that desire or vision, He will make it happen. Keep going, trust Him, and He will do it. The God that continues to do it for me will do it for you. May your weekend be full of joy and peace. One of the scriptures I meditate on to keep me uplifted is in Luke 1:45, Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.

Blessed Sunday - August 22nd

Hello my sisters and brothers in Christ!

I pray you and yours are doing well. I am doing great, thanks to my Father in Heaven. Yesterday at church, we were blessed with a powerful Word from God through one of His own vessels, Bishop Julius Laggah of Bethel World Outreach Ministries Sierra Leone. He talked about the importance of the Holy Spirit and need to tap into that power that the Holy Spirit gives us at it dwells in us as born-again Christians. I thank God for using this man of God in my nation of birth (Sierra Leone) and beyond. To God be the glory!

Also, I thank God for the leadership of my Senior Pastor and leader of Bethel World Outreach Ministries International (BWOMI), Bishop Darlingston Johnson. I am blessed to grow in my faith under his guidance along with his wife Pastor Chrys, and humbled to serve in the youth ministry as part of the body of Christ.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”” Acts 1:8.

God bless you.

Jesus loves you.

Restored woman living for God's Glory,

Ruby B. Johnson.

Have you given your heart to God? Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal savior? If you die today, will you make it to Heaven? If no or you are unsure, do not waste any more time and receive salvation now.