Ruth Marlene Friesen: Welcome!

This site is like Ruthe, the heroine of my novel, Ruthe's Secret Roses

Ruthe is. . .
intimate with God,
prays a lot,
a bleeding heart for the hurting,
a big sister,
rescues friends,
has creative ideas,
likes to give surprise gifts,
loyal to friends,
dreams of love and marriage,
dreams of writing a book
goes the extra mile

So this site offers. . .
a good book to read!
help to become Friends with God,
a cure for loneliness
how to pray,
devotionals,
how to grow in faith
Christian mentoring,
how to share your faith
character development
how to become a writer

Come! Meet my Best Friend!

Psst! I've got FREE taste treats of the novel ready for YOU! DOWNLOAD the first 3 chapters as an eBOOK in beautiful colours, or read the first six chapters on this site, if you have time to stay a while. Go to start READING HERE!

You don't really have time to read on the couch, but if you're like me, you do read snatches on the run, and somehow make time to read a GOOD book completely. So how can you be sure this Ruthe in the book is not some kook? Read the six sample chapters.





You've heard of power naps at work, right? You rise refreshed, bright and alert. Take a break to refresh your spirit with a good inspirational story.





Do you eat novels like chocolates? Here's one with both weight and excellent flavour! For a satisfying treat, read Ruthe's Secret Roses

Back in June of 1981, I had a week's holidays and spent it in Toronto, repeating a seminar called Basic Youth Conflicts. It was all about clearing up long-standing relationship problems by applying the principles in God's Word, for success in every area. The sessions were in the evenings at the Colosseum, Monday through Thursday, and all day Friday and Saturday.

My car, a green '74 Ambassador had been giving me trouble; it seemed I was filling oil and checking gas every day in Amy. But I had vowed since my previous time at the seminar that I would trust God and NOT go into debt.

While Aunt Jean went to work during the day time, I plotted my own adventures for the week. On Tuesday I wanted to go visit cousins Phil and Barbara Friesen in Brampton (about 20 minutes away). My car behaved until after I'd said good bye, and was heading back up Dixie Road, to Jean's. Suddenly Amy sputtered and died. I walked back to a service station, and called Phil.

I had to leave Amy there overnight. Phil drove me to Jean's in Etobicoke, and the next day fetched me to pickup my car, pay another repair bill. and return.

My Italian friend Michelina, or Mickie, who had moved from London to Sault St. Marie, was going to be in Toronto that week too. I called where she was staying and got the address, and set a time to meet for shopping. Again my car sputtered and didn't want to go, but I got on the freeway, the #427 to the Queensway, then at the exit, on an overpass, the car sputtered again! I managed to coast off to a side street in a light industrial area. When it wouldn't roll any further or cough to life again, I was across the street from a Canadian Tire warehouse, and alongside some homes, on a grassy stretch beside a sidewalk.

I was praying up a frantic, weepy storm. I'd heard at the seminar that a woman in distress should cry out aloud to God. So as I got out I did, piteously, and aloud, "Oh God, help!"

Then I spied a couple coming around the house, and the woman was waving a long bread knife and yelling, "Get off! Get Off!"

Just then a tow truck pulled up on the opposite side of the road. "Lady, you need help?"

Brokenly I told him I couldn't get my car going any more, and I was out of ideas. He offered to tow me to a service station. He had a large CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) logo on the truck and I've used them before when I have car trouble, so I decided to trust him.

He told me to jump into his truck cab. Zip, and he was backed up behind my Amy, jumped out, and had it hitched on, and when he got back into the truck he said, "I'll give her somethin' to yell at," and began to back the hoisted car towards the screaming woman.

"No, it's okay," I said, feeling very emotional. "God knows what other problems they've got. If they need to be punished He can deal with them."

Suddenly he was more respectful, and soon we were zooming along streets, and I lost track of where we were. I should be watching for the address of the relatives where Mickie was going to meet me, some upholstery shop, but I couldn't see through my tears. Suddenly we were at a Shell station on Lakeshore and the man made sure the guys there knew they were suppose to take good care of me.

For reasons I forget the tow-er couldn't accept my CAA card, but it happened that I had exactly the $18 tow charge left in cash.

After some pacing and praying I phoned Mickie's number and right away she said, "Where are you? I'm coming to you!"

I knew Mickie always wore high heeled sandals. I said, "No-no, Mickie! I just wanted you to know I'll be late." But she insisted, and the service manager gave me the cross streets, so I told her.

Sure enough about the time the car was fixed - more or less, she arrived, brimming with sympathy.

The service man took a cheque for the work, and warned me that the engine block was cracked. He could give me no guarantees. I should get rid of the car as soon as I could. The work the Brampton station had done had not helped. They ought to have seen the crack.

Mickie and I went shopping but I had a hard time winding down.

That night, Bill Gothard did his chalk talk testimony about a time when he was without a car, but God turned it into a wonderful blessing. People gave him rides and discovered what he was doing, and began to support the ministry. Later, they started offering him cars until his driveway was too full of them!

I happened to sit beside Wayne Gray, an elder from our church in London; I'd told him of my day's mis-adventures. At break time he said mischievously, "You think God's going to fill your driveway with cars too?"

"I can't picture it," I replied, "But I've just resolved to sell my car as soon as I get home, and I'm going to trust God, and not take another loan out for a different one."

The following Monday evening, I cleaned that car from bumper to bumper. The next day after work, I stopped by a new used car lot on Dundas St. I was frank enough to tell the man my car troubles. His mechanic took it for a test drive. Then the owner wrote me a cheque for $200 and told me not to spend it all in one place. I took my book bag, and crossed the street to the bus stop.



That evening my friend Shirley wanted to pick strawberries at a U-Pick farm. Did I want to go along? Sure. Later I was glad to be so busy, because it kept me from moping over my car.

By the end of the month, Shirley and her sister were going down to the States for a Kay Arthur seminar, and they decided to take her sister's car, so she offered me the loan of her sandy yellow car.

It gave me a two week break in my learning period of traveling everywhere by bus. I got off the wrong stop, missed connections and so on, but eventually caught on and became a seasoned bus traveler. A monthly bus pass at $18 was was my total cost to go anywhere and as often as I wanted. What a relief from having to blow $50 one week, and $120 next, almost continually my car had seemed to need work done on it.

Now I had money for clothes and fabric to sew crafts!

My youngest sister, Erma was living with me at the time, (in a house which I rented, and then rented out rooms to other career and Christian college girls). Erma and I had invited Mom and Dad to come visit us in Ontario for Christmas. A first for them. (Our other sister, Elsie and her husband paid their tickets).

Of course, I wanted them to experience the kind of Christmas I'd had for nine years with relatives in Toronto. Only now, we'd made a party of four. However Aunt Jean, whose good friend Ruth shared her condo with her, agreed to have us for a couple of nights. Great! I was relieved.

But how would we get around? Would we be a huge burden to all the relatives? Here was the biggest test of my great confidence in God.

God came through! Liz and Bill Russell from church approached me and said they would not need her light blue Mustang over the holidays as Liz wouldn't be teaching, they would like to loan me her car. Wow! a loaner again? Yes, my only expense would be gas.

Mom and Dad arrived in Toronto on the 23rd, and our cousins, Phil and Barbara Friesen took them to their home in Brampton. It was my last day of work before a week of holidays, and there were some calls about me taking off early to be there by 5, but that wasn't possible. So Erma took an afternoon train, and I caught a 4:30 ride with our General Manager, Mr. Dielemans, a brisk, no-nonsense Dutchman, as far as the Whitehills sub-division, saving me some bus transfers.

I picked up the car from Bill and Liz, who'd thoughtfully had it serviced to make sure it would be road worthy. Then I went home to load up gifts and luggage, but decided I needed to slow down. I was getting way too stressed, and over-excited. So I didn't get to Phil's until ten, but by that time I had accepted it, and was at peace. God had worked out even this delay for my benefit.

From Jean's place we visited the other relatives, Uncle Bill and Aunt Eunice in Toronto, and Uncle George and Aunt Margaret's in Oshawa. Then I brought Mom and Dad and Erma back to London for the weekend, where I introduced them to my church family and friends.

All the time both of them were constantly saying disparaging things about Ontario weather. Saskatchewan didn't have so much snow or ice rocks, or fog; the houses felt too cold, and we should both move home! I knew they were out of their usual element and homesick, so I tried not to let it get me down, but I'd tried so hard to be a good hostess, and I confess it made me edgy.

In the days before New Year's I took them to visit Dad's Aunt Mary (Dave) Friesen at Campden, and a number of her children gathered there to meet us. I'd met them before with Aunt Jean and knew we'd be well received.

Mom and Dad enjoyed that, but they both were eager to get on the train to go back home on January 3.

I remember that as the Christmas God proved He can provide a car exactly when needed. I don't have to own all the resources I need. Surely we can trust Him with anything and everything else! Even in 2006.

Ruthe's Secret Roses available in softcover! Purchase it at BookLocker.com and it will be in the mail to you within 48 hours!

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