Well, the other day, I posted a great big thank you to all of you for the surprise post By WP that I had 1337 likes on my blog. Then, yesterday, I realized I now have 250 followers on The Grizzle Grist Mill! So, I wanted to say, again, THANKS SO MUCH!! You guys are wonderful!! You are so faithful to read and send encouraging words, and I am just simply blessed that you are enjoying my stuff. I am humbled, and my heart is full. Thank you. 💗😊
Month: July 2015
Wednesday’s Ode #22
I love trees!! I am enthralled by trees. I find myself even mesmerized by trees sometimes. They are big, breath-giving and beautiful! I love them in all colors of green in the spring and all shades of golden, orange and red in the fall. I love trees that lose their leaves in the fall, and I love great big evergreens that seem to hold down the forest through the winter. Trees are simply breathtaking. 
Notice above, I said they are life-giving? I love trees, because they breathe in the toxic gases I breathe out, and they give off the oxygen I need to live. They seem to sing their own song with the winds of spring, and they bristle and pop in the storms of summer. They are the musical instruments of the woodlands. 
I love the tall, quick-growing pines, and I love the thick, slow-growing oaks. I love the fruit trees which yield delicious delicacies, and I love hearty and wholesome hemlocks. Some of the favorites, though, would have to be the big, beautiful live oaks of the South. I am probably partial to these, because I grew up around them, but I think these are simply some of the most majestic trees around! 
I even love twisted, gnarled and old trees. Broken and dead trees make me a little sad, but I think the images they create can be quite amazing. 
I like to think of trees kind of like people…there’s never two exactly alike! 😉
Wow, Thanks a Bunch!! :)
Well, I’m not sure what’s “magical about the number 1,337, but WP sent me this notification today: I now have this many likes on thegrizzlegrist. How cool is that?!
So, I wanted to tell you all that take the time to read and click that little “like” button, “THANKS A THOUSAND PLUS!!” 😉
You guys are awesome!! 😊 I am truly blessed and grateful for your time and attention! I am humbled, and my heart is full. 💕
What a Girl Needs
Speaking from a place of experience, there are some fundamental needs that only a Daddy can give. When a girl misses out on these essential, especially in her young, tender years, she can struggle with self-worth, significance and love for the rest of her days. She may survive through it. She may have enough fortitude to square her shoulders, clinch her jaw and stare down these challenges for her emotions; however, even if she’s the toughest broad you’ve ever met, she’ll still walk with a limp.
A woman must have a sense of security in her life. She’s got to know things are going to be okay, even in the midst of a storm. If she can envision peace after the turmoil, it is easier for her to stand tall and face the wind. If she can imagine joy after the sorrow, she can lift her chin, clinch her jaw and laugh at the danger in front of her.
A woman has to have someone be captivated by her. Yes, you’ve heard the old saying, “every girls dreams of being a beautiful princess.” This is actually truth. She must have someone in her life who thinks she is something special. Someone by whom she is thought to be valuable, a treasure to be cherished. If she is found captivating, she finds herself fulfilled, satisfied, even having a sense of completion.
Lastly, a woman must have a sense of belonging. If she can feel as if she belongs to a group, a cause or a certain person, she will stay committed, at times, even to her own detriment. If you don’t believe me, just look at every woman who stays in an abusive relationship for years on end, or a youngster who stays committed to a certain peer group even when they are, frequently, mean spirited toward her. As long as she has an overall feeling of acceptance and a sense of belonging, she will endure what she must to keep those feelings alive.
A man can provide these feelings for a young girl, a teen and even for a full grown woman. He can give these genuinely out of the abundance of his heart, and he can, also, fabricate these out of the fantasies of his mind; however, on both accounts, he will eventually disappoint and let this little girl down. Skeptical, you say? Cynical, maybe? Well, actually, I am being neither; I am simply being truthful.
No man can always give a girl total security, unending captivated eyes and a solid sense of belonging. He will eventually give into his own fleshly nature and be unstable, oblivious and detached. The only way a man can give a woman all that she needs is when he is allowing Christ to be His center for life. When He allows Christ to be the center, he is able to lead her in the same direction. His leading can never fulfill all her needs; yet, when he leads and she follows, they can, together, reach a place of fulfillment of God’s purpose for their marriage and their lives. When she and he both place Christ at the center of their lives, it doesn’t mean their lives and their relationship will be picture perfect; however, it does mean it will be closer to perfection.
So, if you are a Daddy who longs to fulfill the needs of his little girl’s heart, let God guide your heart, and help your baby girl to fall in love with Him. If you’re a dad who maybe feels like you “missed it” with your little one and are now faced with a teen, young woman, or even a grown daughter who is searching for security, admiration and acceptance, run to Jesus, and encourage her to follow. If you are a husband whose wife longs for fulfillment, allow Christ to become the center of your life and lead your wife in a better way toward Him.
In following Him, you will be able to provide those things which the young and grown women in your life need, not because of your own abilities, but rather, because of Christ who is living inside of you. She may not always follow, and your life can never be the source of her fulfillment; however, as you seek Him, she will see a better way, and when she finally yields to Him, she will find fulfillment in Him, and then, she will find everything she needs.
Light Pierces Through
When the storm seems the darkest, when the waves are crashing in, just remember, light always pierces through the darkness. He is the Light which never fails. There is no storm so strong that He cannot prevail. There is no darkness so deep that He cannot shine.
He brings peace where there is chaos.
He brings love where there is hate.
He brings healing where there is brokenness.
He brings life where there is death.
He is able. He is faithful. He is God.
Just hope.
Just trust.
Just believe.
Answer to Friday’s Angle #20
How did you do yesterday??
If you guessed a straw, you got it!! 😉
See you again next week! (Or on Monday, if you follow the blog! 😉)
Friday’s New Angle #20
hi there! It’s Friday, and that means it’s time for another New Angle! Hope you have fun with this one, and I’ll see you back here tomorrow for the answer – same time, same “channel!” 😊 
Wednesday’s Ode #21 – Oops!
My apologies for this late Ode! I have been sick over the last week, and yesterday, I just simply forgot to schedule this post. Ugh. I couldn’t believe it when I finally remembered late last night! Now, this was supposed to post earlier today, and I’ve had one technical difficulty after another! …the new update doesn’t seem to be so great. 😁 I’ll try to not let that happen again!
So, what I’d like to give ode to today is dates with my man. 😊 Ok, now, don’t tune me out thinking this is going to be a mushy-gushy post. I promise, I’ll stay focused (or at least try 😉) on the dates themselves and not how much I love him…I really do love him! Ok, focus… 
I absolutely LOVE dating my husband! I know, that may sound silly, strange, or even quite foreign for some marriages, but for us, we just love being together. We love going places together, exploring new things, hanging out and even going on “old, been there, done that” adventures together. When I say he’s my best friend, it’s actually for real. We just LIKE each other…even more than we love each other.
We will go to little country towns and shop for antiques, or we can go to the city and enjoy a fancy meal and the theater. We love to go to Highlands, NC and Ellijay, Ga., and Atlantic Station and the Marietta downtown square. We love to travel to places we have visited often, and we even love to find old gravel and dirt roads and “off road it” for a while. We’ve found all kinds of beautiful sights and new areas this way. 
One of our favorite little towns to visit is Dahlonega, Ga. I told a little bit about this in my Wednesday’s Ode about North Georgia. This is a great mountain town filled with lots of character (and characters from time to time, too! Lol). We love to pick from one of our favorite restaurants, like Bourbon Street Grill or The Oyster House, and then walk over to Paul Thomas’ Chocolate shop for dessert, then, just meander through town, looking in all the shops. We always have to include a trip to the General Store to kind of culminate the day. It’s a great little town. 
We love going on hikes and exploring new trails, finding waterfalls or just sitting beside a stream. We love finding great new restaurants and trying out any yummy new dish or dessert. We have even been known to just go for a drive to look at houses at Christmas time, looking for beautiful light displays or just going out for a quick little lunch date. Some of our most fun times have been when we’ve had an unexpected moment to have a date! Those are some real adventures. 
We just love being together, and that’s how a good relationship should be. If you’re the kind of person that can’t wait to get away from your spouse, I challenge you to ask yourself, “Why?” Now, I know, we all need a little space sometimes, and we need to enjoy an activity or two with the girls (or guys, respectively). I know we can’t spend 24/7 by our partner’s side; that might just lead to a little bit of codependency. However, if you can’t stand to be with your husband or wife, or you just can’t wait to get with the girls/guys all the time, or you’d rather be with you friends more than you are with your spouse, that’s when you need to step back and reevaluate some things. 
Marriages come and go too quickly in today’s society, and I think, often, it’s because of self-centeredness and a lack of remembering “why you got into this thing to begin with.” There was a reason you fell in love, and sometimes, you just need to remember why. Now, if it was simply out of lust, and you don’t care anything for that person now, that’s a whole other issue, and you might need to go back to the beginning and make things right with each other. However, too often, a man and woman just need to put away the petty issues, step out of the busyness of life, and take some time together to remember why they fell in love. I challenge you to try it. You might find I’m right! 😊 
Dating is one of the biggest reasons Joey and I still have fun together. Our boys have asked us about our dating from time to time, “Why do you date?” “Why can’t we come?” “Why is it so important?” Our answer has always been, “It’s important, because it helps me love him/her more, and in turn, it helps us be better parents for you guys.” You may not know it, or even understand it, but the best thing you can do for a child is to love that child’s mother (or father, respectively), and that’s the truth! 
So…let me go find my man, and see if we can schedule a little date for tomorrow! 😉 
*just a few pics from the wonderful dates we’ve had…
the grizzle grist mill 