Some Things Must Fall

November 5, 2015November 5, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

I love fall…the changing colors, the cooler temperatures and the falling leaves. I was watching the other day as the leaves fell from a big oak tree, and it caused me to think of things in my life that need to fall the same.

Anger… At the petty… At the wrong done…

Stress… In the complicated… In the chaos…

Strife… With the unaware… With the unknown…

Fear… Of rejection… Of failure…

Doubt… When it seems impossible… When it looks different…

Skepticism… Sadness… Scars…

Are there things in your life which you need to let fall? The falling of leaves allows for new growth to come in the Spring. The falling of leaves provides a covering for tender saplings and seeds during the cold, bitter winter season. The falling of leaves paints a masterpiece of beauty and renewal despite the falling away.

Let it fall today. Let healing begin, and new growth will come.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away;[a] and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:1-2

Wednesday’s Ode #39

November 4, 2015November 11, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

I love ORGANIZATION! When things are out of order, I start getting a little anxious and unsettled. If things get in total disarray, I actually might be able to handle it for a day or two, especially if I’m really, really busy; however, if it rolls on this way, I will set aside needed priorities simply to get things back into order. This isn’t always a good thing, but I have definitely determined this is one of my characteristics.

It’s not really that I am overly organized either. I certainly joke about having OCD and how everything has to be “just so;” however, if you read articles and books about true OCD, I suppose, these descriptions wouldn’t quite describe my home or my office space.

I think I might be more of an “organized piler.” I do like things in their place, and I don’t like chaos in my cabinets, drawers or closets; yet, I, also, have certain areas where I might have a basket full of things I really need to go through or maybe a small stack of papers on which I need to follow up. I’m trying to get better with these two things, because even that drives me crazy! … You know it’s bad when you’re getting on your own nerves! Haha.

I really do love being organized. I am often reading to improve some area, or space, in my life; however, I don’t want to be so crazy about the organization that I miss the point of it: to spend more time with the people I love and doing the things I enjoy!

If your organizational skills become as such that you constantly forsake family time, or friendships, simply to organize something more, then you might want to take a step back, reassess, and determine the more important things in this life.

You only have this moment, right now, and you may not have it again for the rest of your life! You’ll never, again, catch this memory that may be happening right now. I challenge you to set aside the need to organize today and go spend some time with those you love! Get out in nature. Go see a waterfall or watch the sky for the first constellations to appear. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed! 😊

Oh Morning, There You Are!

November 3, 2015November 3, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Today really feels like a Monday to me; so, to help my day get off to a better start, I am humming a song and thinking of a Scripture. I came across this little write up, and thought I’d share, in case there are any others who might be struggling to change this “Monday-feeling-Tuesday-morning!” Have a blessed day!! 🙂

Originally posted on February 16, 2015…

Oh, how I wish I were more of a morning person! I envy those, like my husband, who have their own inner alarm click and awake at the first sign of light. I so wish I were not “nocturnal,” as my man teases me that I am, feeling more invigorated at midnight than at 6am. I would love to be able to arise clear-headed, ready to conquer the day with my ambition and zest!

However, I struggle to rise after the alarm has beeped it’s annoyance at my snooze button pushing once more time. I slowly rise from my slumber assessing the day and my frame of mind. I plunge in the shower, hoping the steam will both comfort and rejuvenate my weary head. I have to arise earlier than most because of my slow and methodical ways. I have to give an extra edge to the clock; so, I don’t run behind in my musings.

The best thing I have found to clear my fog and prep my foggy brain for the hours ahead is to pull out a faithful Scripture to fill my heart with love and my mind with promise. For, when I fill my morning with the good stuff, I find clarity for the moments ahead.

“This is the day the Lord has made;
We will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Life Is So Short…Stop.

November 2, 2015November 1, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 8 Comments

Friday, some good friends of ours lost two of their nephews in a tragic car accident. Today, another family will be saying goodbye to their father, grandfather and husband, whom they lost suddenly about a week ago, and yet, another family just laid to rest their family matriarch, yesterday, after her sudden illness in just the last few days. There are several more I could mention who are going through a season of grief or who are just on the verge of it. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours.

Life is so short. It slows down for no one. Stop. Inhale. Breathe. Make the Moments Last. Cherish those you love longer. Treasure those around you, even when you feel like they’ll be there forever. Don’t let those memories be lost, simply, because you haven’t the time to remember. Don’t brush away the tears, simply, because you don’t want them to see. Pause and ponder. Look up and wonder. Gaze into the eyes of a child, and remember what matters most.

Sometimes, life can be a fierce reminder of what can be lost in an instant. We are never guaranteed tomorrow. We are never promised our next breath. This why it’s so important to savor the dimming light in a sunset, to treasure those last embers around the campfire. We never know what may be around the next bin or beyond the next horizon. How we handle “right now” may determine our regrets and our joys for tomorrow.

We can live our lives letting life happen, or we can choose to make life happen. We can roll on, allowing life to impact us in whatever fashion it comes, or we can choose to make an impact on the life around us. We can be a victim, or we can be the victor. What we do with the time we are given may very well become our anthem or our lament.

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share with you what King Solomon said about this in Ecclesiastes 3…

“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,

    And a time to die;

A time to plant,

    And a time to pluck what is planted;

3 A time to kill,

    And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

    And a time to build up;

4 A time to weep,

    And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

    And a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones,

    And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

    And a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to gain,

    And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

    And a time to throw away;

7 A time to tear,

    And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

    And a time to speak;

8 A time to love,

    And a time to hate;

A time of war,

    And a time of peace.    
…(14) I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever.“
From the wisest King who ever lived, we are given confirmation that time never stops; there are seasons for everything, and that whatever God does, that is what will last forever. So, I leave you with this question, ” What things or people do you hold so dear, and for whom are you living your life today?”

Answer to Friday’s Angle #37

October 31, 2015 / The WheatandTares

How did you do yesterday?

If you guessed the shoe heel, you got it! These are some of my favorites! 😉

Friday’s New Angle #37

October 30, 2015 / The WheatandTares

Another Friday means another new angle! 😉 Can you guess what this is??

Remember, the answer will be posted here tomorrow…”same time, same channel.” 😉

Let Go to Grow

October 29, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Have you ever watched a toddler hold tightly to his broken toy while crying that it’s broken, or a young child who covers her cut, refusing to let you clean and bandage it for fear of the pain?

I think we, as adults, can fall into this tendency with God as well. How often do we hold tightly to our broken dreams, our shattered emotions, our cracked ambitions, foolishly believing that somehow we can fix them on our own? How many times do we avoid His presence when our hearts are scarred from the pain, and we simply keep our tears hidden, somehow, convinced He can’t really heal the wounds?

He is simply waiting there for us. He is as close as a whisper. All we have to do is call on Him, and He will be there. All we have to do is believe. All we have to do is let go.

He is faithful. He is kind and merciful. He is full of love, and that love is for each of us. When we let go of the brokenness and the pain, that’s when we begin to grow.

Will all our problems go away immediately when He shows up? Not necessarily. We are humans living in a humanistic world; we haven’t reached heaven yet. However, when He shows up, our perspective begins to change. Our eyes will see more. Our ears will hear more clearly, and our hearts will be free to heal. Our dreams will begin to grow again.

Why? …because when He shows up, we have HOPE.

Try it. Let go today and begin to grow.

Wednesday’s Ode #38

October 28, 2015October 27, 2015 / The WheatandTares

I love Fall flowers! You may be asking, “Well, which ones? … There are certainly more that bloom in Spring rather than Fall.” However, I am actually talking about something a little different….

I love the symmetry of this!

I’m talking about when you’re walking in the woods, and the forest floor is covered with leaves all over. There is no potting soil, no planters and no mulch. There is only massive trees, fallen limbs and a blanket of underbrush all around.

I’m talking about those moments, when no mum, pansy or marigold can be found; yet, the most beautiful array of bouquets can be seen when you glance across the forest ground…

Looks like Christmas is near!

Look closely, you might see a ❤️

I really love the Red!

I like to call these “fall flowers,” because they are just like flowers, bringing a burst of color and joy to all who take time to notice them.

What fall colors have you seen lately? What’s your favorite “fall flower?” I’d love to hear from you! 😊🍁🍂

Go Down to Get Up

October 27, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

God Does Things Backwards…

He doesn’t do things the way society believe they should be done. He does things backwards from what is expected.

Flow to Grow

Prune to be Groomed

Serve to Lead

Lay Down to be Raised Up

Be Changed to Be Transformed

Conflict brings Peace

Confrontation Shows Love

Draw close to Him to Go Far in Life

Go Down to Get Up

Give to Get

Surrender to Win

Die to Live

It seems confusing to the world. This isn’t how they succeed. This isn’t how they win.

You can’t understand it until you live it, until you surrender all to Him.

It’s not a surrender to become bound…but, yet, it is.

It’s not a serving to become less…but, yet, it is.

It’s a letting go to receive. It’s a giving up to become great. It’s a dying to become more.

I can’t explain some of it; yet, I know He is my lifeline, and without Him, I would be lost. I would fail at this life, and I would die for eternity.

All He wants is your heart. When you give it, He gives you more love than you can imagine.

All He desires is your will. When you give it, He gives you more power than you can fathom.

All He longs for is your life. When you give it, He gives you more fulfillment than you can dream.

Would you like to see?

All you have to do is Believe…

Between The Ditches

October 26, 2015October 26, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

We were driving behind this guy one day who seemed very preoccupied with everything except the one thing he needed to be focused on: driving. He turned around to talk to his backseat passenger. He looked down for something. He reached over into the front passenger seat for something else. The whole time, he was swerving from the yellow line to the white line, back and forth, time and time again.

It made me think of our personal lives with Christ. Sometimes, I think we can find ourselves driving the road of life simply keeping it between the ditches. We can survive this way. We can definitely make it to heaven, keeping our lives just barely beyond the boundaries of sin, and, yes, especially when we are just getting into this thing, it takes learning and growing to set those boundaries strong and true.

However, when we consistently live our lives simply with the mentality, “How much can I get away with and still make it to heaven?,” I wonder if we truly THRIVE in our Christian walk. I wonder if we can have as much impact as when we set our standards higher and start living life victoriously…

I believe God has called us to live thriving to seek more of Him and less of us. I believe He would have us thriving in this life, paving the path for those around us to find Him. I believe He would have us to live victoriously, mountaintop to mountaintop.

This doesn’t mean we never encounter temptations, we never drop down into the valleys. After all, the only way to move from one mountain top to the next is by going through the valley or across the ridge. We can’t just hop from one to another. We will face low points at some times.

However, the difference I’m talking about is just like the driver that we found ourselves behind that day. He had a choice to drive straight, to take the curves wisely and to not hinder, or even scare the life out of, the on coming traffic due to his distractions. He lacked focus of the main thing he needed to be doing: driving!

We, as Christians, are called to a higher place, to live a better way. After all, Jesus told us, “…But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” 1Peter 2:9

*I do not own or possess this picture. Found on Google images: http://www.equipmentworld.com