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Occasional thoughts on faith and every day life in Michigan and overseas
Ruth's Reflections
![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_fa62b36af10e4022bed20b7d4a4e8f01~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/a8433c_fa62b36af10e4022bed20b7d4a4e8f01~mv2.webp)
![Life Lessons from Watercolor](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_fa62b36af10e4022bed20b7d4a4e8f01~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_fa62b36af10e4022bed20b7d4a4e8f01~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Sep 2, 2020
Life Lessons from Watercolor
I’ve long loved the look of watercolor painting and wished I could do it myself. Seeing a friend share some of her beginning watercolor...
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![The Spiritual Discipline of a Slow Spring](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_4c124159786c4a9b85d680e8bc12322a~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_4c124159786c4a9b85d680e8bc12322a~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
May 2, 2020
The Spiritual Discipline of a Slow Spring
A couple of years ago, I arrived back in Beijing on about March 17. A few days later, I noticed that the lilac bushes in my apartment...
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![Return Slowly](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_20bcfcb3e8054dc391e6d30e151e1efb~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_20bcfcb3e8054dc391e6d30e151e1efb~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Jul 23, 2019
Return Slowly
“Return Slowly” sign at The Hermitage Community Last week, I heard a story. There was once a group of Western scientists that wanted to...
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![Time for Tulips](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_e43019c0c8724f7da01d7f4c6616c5c3~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_e43019c0c8724f7da01d7f4c6616c5c3~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Apr 21, 2018
Time for Tulips
Spring is a brief, but lovely, season in Beijing. Last Sunday afternoon, I was in the general vicinity of Zhongshan Park, which is...
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![Rose Season](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_651c36a899564f2b8539a8f271a33d22~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_651c36a899564f2b8539a8f271a33d22~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
May 9, 2017
Rose Season
Spring comes quickly in Beijing, and quickly proceeds to summer. We hit the upper 80s already at the end of April, as we usually do....
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![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_bbc5d4ecb1084ea195fe36937231bad8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_250,h_250,fp_0.50_0.50,q_30,blur_30,enc_auto/a8433c_bbc5d4ecb1084ea195fe36937231bad8~mv2.webp)
![Lotus Festival](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_bbc5d4ecb1084ea195fe36937231bad8~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_bbc5d4ecb1084ea195fe36937231bad8~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Jul 16, 2016
Lotus Festival
Shortly after I arrived in China, I visited Yuanmingyuan (The Old Summer Palace) for the first time. That was in October, and I could...
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![Spring in Beijing](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_58ddf8e6f2514ef9a51149b68bcb1048~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_58ddf8e6f2514ef9a51149b68bcb1048~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Apr 2, 2016
Spring in Beijing
Spring has arrived in Beijing! Actually, we had a day or two this past week that felt like summer was about to arrive (but most people...
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![It Snowed in Beijing!](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_0e068d00bfdf4018bc8f13ef0ce792d1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_0e068d00bfdf4018bc8f13ef0ce792d1~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Nov 22, 2015
It Snowed in Beijing!
Last winter, I saw snow on the ground ONCE, and it wasn’t very much snow. Winter was cold and dry. After surviving the previous winter,...
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![Hong Kong Adventures](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_38e2e6cb5e7b4f5b94ffd90dafb00add~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_38e2e6cb5e7b4f5b94ffd90dafb00add~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Jul 20, 2015
Hong Kong Adventures
I currently have a six-month visa that can’t be renewed in Beijing. In order to get a new one, I had to take a trip to Hong Kong. Since...
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![Sichuan III: Chilling in Chengdu](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_c2c9024510404ec8989bb6b157c485e1~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_c2c9024510404ec8989bb6b157c485e1~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Jul 6, 2015
Sichuan III: Chilling in Chengdu
After the days we spent exploring the breathtaking Jiuzhaigou and admiring the pandas’ cuteness, we spent our last day relaxing in the...
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![Sichuan II: The National Treasure](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_9aba376603c94d63885e1f661fe0738b~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_9aba376603c94d63885e1f661fe0738b~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Jul 1, 2015
Sichuan II: The National Treasure
After our beautiful day in Jiuzhaigou, we took a 9+ hour bus ride south, through the area where the epicenter of the 2008 earthquake was,...
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![Walking the Neighborhood in Early Summer](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_5c436f3a37004c6aa30449fff51f44dd~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_5c436f3a37004c6aa30449fff51f44dd~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
May 12, 2015
Walking the Neighborhood in Early Summer
Sometimes I like to take my camera out and take a saunter around my neighborhood, stopping to photograph whatever seems interesting. ...
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![“Welcome Home”](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_259474293ece46c2b5150810486027b3~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_259474293ece46c2b5150810486027b3~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Feb 17, 2015
“Welcome Home”
“Welcome home,” a friend greeted me when I got back to Beijing from my travels. It was a good feeling, to be welcomed back to this...
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![Photographing the Neighborhood: An Altar in the World](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/a8433c_21eddc739ad04b9d8f88198e02a7062f~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_454,h_341,fp_0.50_0.50,q_90,enc_auto/a8433c_21eddc739ad04b9d8f88198e02a7062f~mv2.webp)
ruthlemmen
Nov 10, 2014
Photographing the Neighborhood: An Altar in the World
“All it takes is the decision to walk with some awareness, both of who you are and what you are doing” (An Altar in the World, Barbara...
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