Welcome back to The Mustard Seed – the blog that I have been crafting since 2011. I had a break over the summer to think and pray about the next steps of my writing. Of course, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II passed away during this time, so I popped back to write a reflective piece to honour her life and her Christian faith at the centre of it. It has been a welcome breather, but I have missed the joyful tapping of keys for my little space on the internet.
When I started blogging, I was undergoing treatment for Hodgkin Lymphoma – a blood cancer that affects the white blood cells. The aim of the blog was to share my hope in Jesus Christ through an intense time of suffering. In 2020, the cancer had returned after being in remission for nearly a decade. Two weeks after giving birth to my second child, I noticed a lump on my neck which grew over the following few weeks. On Christmas Eve 2020, I was referred to haematology by the GP, and by February 2021 I had started chemotherapy. In April 2021 I had an autologous stem cell transplant which was an intense two-week stay in hospital being closely monitored by the healthcare team. In August 2021, I was once again in remission.
The aim of this blog is to still share the hope found in knowing Jesus through suffering. I long to strengthen and encourage the faith of other Christians, and to share and appeal to those who have yet to trust in Christ.
A summary that really encapsulates everything that I try to do at ruthclemence.com flows from the fact that I am ‘passionate about the good news of Jesus Christ and long to see real lives in a fallen world transformed by the real hope of a risen Saviour.’ This is my hope here. In these times, when so much around us is shaking and breaking, there is a real, lasting, eternal hope for times of hopelessness.
Here is what you can expect with that in mind:
- Two blog posts a month on a Friday which will be a mixture of content on the theme of hope in suffering. This will include reflections from my life personally, specific topics to address different needs that readers may be walking through, and the occasional book review and interview from others who can share some of their own experience and hope. I hope and pray that these will be a comfort in times of difficulty.
- Weekly episodes on the ‘Hope With Ruth’ podcast that are 15 minutes or under in length, exploring the theme of hope. Each episode covers a different topic, but the overarching focus will always be the hope found in the good news of Jesus. I hope that this will make it more accessible so people can listen as well as read hope-filled content.
- A newsletter for subscribers to update and inform about all that’s going on with my writing and blogging. I will also be providing ‘Ruth’s Roundup’ (a collection of what I have been reading, listening to and watching over the month) to subscribers only. You can subscribe to the newsletter by clicking on this link and scroll down to put in your email. And as always, you can unsubscribe at any time!
- Hope Mentoring will be launching in 2023 which will provide women with an opportunity to be mentored in their faith journey. I hope to come alongside & support women online, as a way to encourage growth with, inspire confidence in and keep their eyes on Jesus – whatever circumstances they find themselves in.
Finally, I would mention if you want to see what writing I get up to outside of this space, venture over to my ‘writing‘ page. I keep it updated with the work that I am doing elsewhere. There is also a ‘resources‘ page filled with links which may be of help on particular subjects based upon my own reading and experience. I’ve also set up a ‘donate‘ page if you benefit from the writing that I do & would like to support me financially. It helps with running costs and supports my family too. I remain forever thankful for every reader and listener who has taken time to engage with the content that I have produced.
If you’ve read this far – thank you for sticking with me. I hope and pray that you will feel welcomed here and know that there is real hope for you. If you would like to get in touch, I would love to hear from you too. Feel free to follow and reach out on social media: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or email me at: hello@ruthclemence.com.
‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.‘ Romans 15:13
An Anchored Hope 