What Makes A Hero?

November 28, 2016November 27, 2016 / The WheatandTares

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Often, there are many opinions of what makes a person a hero? It can be because a life was, literally, saved from fire, danger or even death. Or maybe a life wasn’t physically saved, but metaphorically, if the “hero” hadn’t stepped in, a life would have been utterly destroyed. Or maybe, to some, their hero is just simply someone who means so much that if that person wasn’t around, life just wouldn’t be the same.

There are so many different definitions and thoughts on the subject that I cannot claim to be an expert. However, I’d like to share a little of what I have learned about heroes and the character it takes to become a hero…

A hero brings HOPE to the desperate and broken. He steps in when everyone else steps out. He breaths life into what seems to be dead. He speaks words of life where there may have been hopelessness.

A hero brings INSPIRATION to the fearful and doubting. She causes the perspective to change. She instills faith where doubt once prevailed. She motivates words into actions. She makes an impact right where she lives.

A hero brings STRENGTH to the weak and powerless. He produces belief in self, in others, in mankind and in a higher being. He stirs an ability in others to stand strong, to endure and to never give up. He instills confidence that “Everything is going to be alright.”

I am so thankful to serve a God who can easily be called my hero. This is not a cliché. It’s not a punchline. I don’t say it even because it sounds cute or could work well as a bumper sticker slogan.

I say it, because I have found this to be true. He IS my HERO. He brings me HOPE. He brings me INSPIRATION. He brings me STRENGTH, and so much more! He is all I need every time I need Him. I have found when I have Him, I don’t need a bottle. I don’t need a pill. I don’t need a person, program or a progression of steps to make it through the storm. He is Alpha, Omega, the Beginning and the End. He is my Prince of Peace, my Counselor, my Comforter, my Refuge, my Strength, my Everything. He is ALL I need!!

Who’s YOUR hero today? Can you honestly attest that he/she all you need?

*Cool (extra) note: Did you notice what the first letter of each word spelled out? HIS … I am HIS, and He is all I need! 😉

Answer to Friday’s Angle #93

November 26, 2016 / The WheatandTares

How did it go yesterday?

If you guessed a linen napkin, you got it!

I hope you had fun with this! Thanks for playing. I hope you’ll join my on Monday for a new blog post and, again, next Friday for another new angle. 😉

Friday’s New Angle #93

November 25, 2016November 6, 2016 / The WheatandTares

Alright, aren’t you glad it’s Friday? I am! That means it’s time for anoth new angle! 😊

Remember to check back here tomorrow for the answer! 😉

Happy Thanksgiving 2016!

November 24, 2016November 20, 2016 / The WheatandTares

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again. Time to pull out the turkey and dressing, all the fixin’s and indulge just a little more on those pecan and apple pies! Yet, I wonder, sometimes, if we fail to remember the real reason for this Thanksgiving season. It’s to give thanks, not only for the delicious food we have but for the people in our lives who mean so much.

Let us look beyond the table today and see who sits across the way. Let’s remember to thank our God, our parents, our spouse, and our families for their love and support. May we remember our friends who have helped us along the way and those who have gone the extra mile when we needed them to stay. May we remember even those who might not be present but who have made an impact on our lives throughout the years.

Let us, also, remember those who might not be at the table but who do so much to keep us safe and secure in this world of uncertain times. Let’s remember to thank the men in blue, the men and women who serve in the armed forces and all those who sacrifice so much to ensure our freedoms in this great nation we call home. May we extend a welcome, a thank you, a heartfelt note of gratitude for all they do.

Last, but not least, may we remember those who don’t have what we have. May we reach beyond our homes and beyond our comfort zones and lend a helping hand that those who don’t have so much for which to say, “Thanks,” can one day turn around and lend the same helping hand to show their thankfulness. May we allow our hearts of gratitude to become an act of love and support for them.

On this wonderful day of Thanksgiving, I say, “THANK YOU to all who have been such a blessing to me. Thank you for your love, support and prayers. No matter if your impact has been as deep as my husband’s and my sons’ or if it’s a little lighter as I am just getting to know you, you each hold a piece of my heart, and without you, I would not be who I am today. For you, I am forever grateful. ❤

Happy Thanksgiving!

Candy, Anyone?

November 23, 2016November 22, 2016 / The WheatandTares

Be soft … not fluffy … not squishy … not not brittle … not chewy … and not hard.

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Cotton candy is fluffy. It really has no substance, no depth, no strength of taste. It’s just super sweet and evaporates rather quickly. Marshmallows are squishy. They are great in hot chocolate or melted in s’mores, but they are so squishy and weak on flavor, it’s hard to eat more than one or two.

Now, peanut brittle can be rather tasty, but it’s so brittle (pun intended), breakable and cracks so easily, it can leave behind an incredible mess. On the other hand, caramel can be rather chewy and filling, except it’s so sticky, if you’re not careful, it might just remove a filling! Once it’s stuck to something, it can be very hard to remove.

Hard candies can be tasty, yet they can be so unbendable, unyielding that they can damage your teeth, and once hard candy is broken, the edges can be sharp and pointed, having dangerous edges, almost like glass. Some even like licorice, but it seems a little lacking in flavor and is so leathery and tough, there’s not much point in pondering long with it.

However, chocolate seems to be a universal delight. Some of the most expensive “candies” are listed as chocolate. Chocolate is smooth, soft, and pliable. It is known to be the “candy” that brings about good feelings and will uplift a mood.

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Chocolate can be both diverse and traditional. It is incredibly tasty and can have an endless number of things added to it to even enhance its flavor. Chocolate can be thick and powerful, or it can be creamy and comforting. It can be consumed in large quantities or tiny little bites, either way, the feelings of warmth and happiness remains the same. Chocolate has been said to be a taste that can touch the very soul of a person. Simply put, chocolate is very hard for most to live without.

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Have you ever looked at a piece of candy and compared yourself? If you were to choose a piece of candy from this list, which might you choose? If you had to compare one of these to your own personality, your attitude and your life story, which might it be?

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Let us always seek to be soft in words rather than hard, smooth in action rather rough and leatherlike. May our lives be known as smooth and delightful, comforting and strong, making a powerful impact wherever we go, such an impact that those around would pay a high price just to have one moment with us.

Let us always seek to touch the soul instead of the heart, because the soul is the depth of the sea, but the heart can change like the tide. For, Jeremiah reminds us, “Deceptive above all things is the human heart.” May we always seek to be the one thing which it’s hard to live without.

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Tuesday’s Treats #43

November 22, 2016December 12, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Loretta’s

Location: Oakwood, Ga

If you’re looking for a home cooked meal and can’t find the time to cook it yourself, this is you’re best choice! Loretta’s is the place to go for comfort food.

They have a variety of daily choices; so, if you’re a little more selective like me, you’ll want to check out their daily menus. However, I’ve yet to be disappointed in a meal. They have some of the best pot roast, green beans, creamed potatoes and biscuits around. They have everything from livers and onions to fried shrimp. The fried chicken, chicken and dumplings, and fried okra is to die for. The sweet tea is purely Southern sweet, and they even give you a choice of biscuits or cornbread with your meal. All the desserts are homemade, and just to make your mouth water, I’ll share a few: banana pudding, chocolate silk pie, and strawberry cobbler.

They also serve breakfast with some of the best chicken biscuits you’ve ever put in your mouth! So, you can get good comfort food for one or three square meals. Your choice.

Now, just like any good Southern Country Cookin’ restaurant, especially those that serve breakfast, you better prepared to smell like it for the rest of the day, or you better bring you an extra set of clothes to change after! 😉 For either breakfast or lunch, if you want to beat the rush, you better get there sooner than later. It fills up pretty fast around there!

Oh, and one more thing, if you’ll stick to the menu “combos” of meat item(s), combined with a few sides and a choice of beverage, your cost will be as stated on the menu board. However, if your family is prone to be more like mine, with growing boys who want more than those “preset” combos, yourvnill mightvrack up fast, as all other items are charged a la cart. 😬 I would have to say it’s worth every penny! It is that good!

If you need catering, they do an excellent job for both b’fast and lunch/dinner items. That’s saying a lot for breakfast items such as eggs and gravy, because those things aren’t real great cold, or even cooled down, and with Loretta’s catering, you don’t have to worry! They take care of it all!

Check out the daily menus and location here.

A Grateful Heart

November 21, 2016November 21, 2016 / The WheatandTares

Happy (early) Thanksgiving! It’s that time of year when we start thinking of all those things for which we should be grateful…like turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and green beans, pecan pie and sweet potato pie! … Are you hungry yet? I know I am!

Maybe your thoughts of thankfulness are turned toward your family, your spouse, your children or even your co-workers and employers. Maybe it’s for more material things like a roof over your head, money in the bank, or transportation to get you from place to place. Maybe it’s a good job, a good church or a good network of friends.

During this season, for me, I am thankful for my husband, our boys, my extended family and our home. I am thankful for my faithful God, our wonderful staff, our great church body and our freedom to worship. I am, also, so very thankful for our law enforcement, our military and all those who fight so hard for our freedom and our safety in these uncertain times.

There are really too many things I could list; so, I will pause here to say, Whatever it is for which your heart is grateful during this season, relish in it. Cherish it and share your gratitude, especially when it’s people; for, we have no guarantees, and no promises even for the next breath.

Yet, really, we should carry this heart of gratitude every day and not just during the holiday seasons. I was reminded of this so vividly this week as we received a call that you never wish to receive. A husband, father of five, and an incredible man who served our nation at the federal levels, was killed in the line of duty. It was an act of senseless violence and hate. Honestly, it will take some time for all to process this level of grief. Yet, as we walk this journey, it is crucial to remember our gratitude for him, as well as, for all those who might have impact in our lives.

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A heart of gratitude can change your attitude, your countenance and your perspective. A heart of gratitude will cause you to see farther, hear clearer and receive far more than when you are not. A heart of gratitude doesn’t always come easy, but it grows from a thought life of thankfulness.

What do you think about? On what things do you allow your mind to dwell? Let’s make a point today to think on “whatever is TRUE, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE, [let’s] think on these things.” (Philippians 4:7-8)

When we focus our thoughts on these things, our hearts will follow, and when our hearts are full of gratitude, we will see both the big and small things in which to be grateful!

Answer to Friday’s Angle #92

November 19, 2016 / The WheatandTares

How’d it go yesterday? Did you play along and guess?

If you guessed a pizza with pepperoni, sausage and green peppers, you got it! 😊

Thanks for playing! I hope you’ll join me on Monday for a new post and again next Friday for another new angle! 😊

Friday’s New Angle #92

November 18, 2016October 8, 2016 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

It’s Friday! Woohoo! 🎉🎈 That means it’s time for another New Angle! 😊

Remember to check back here tomorrow for the answer! 😉

The Christmas List

November 17, 2016 / The WheatandTares

Missing a blog post yesterday because of busyness and seeing this post pop up made me decide to repost it today. As the holiday season quickly approaches, let’s not allow ourselves to get so busy that we fail to remember the more important things…

the grizzle grist mill

Thanksgiving is next week. Black Friday is right after that. Christmas is only 38 days away. We will usher in the New Year in just 45 days…that’s about the average amount of time you take to close on a house. There will be endless get togethers, shopping trips, holiday parties and cards to be sent between now and then…Life can get so busy at this time of year!

I feel like more and more, time just speeds up the closer we get to the end of the year. There are so many things I want to do, especially for the holidays, with my family and friends. I can feel my agenda of events starting to take over and consume my calendar. If I try to hold tightly to the time, like sand in an hour glass, it simply starts trickling through my fingers. There’s simply not enough time.