Okay, so, please accept my apologies for not posting this week’s Wednesday’s Ode! I think I forgot today was Wednesday until just a few minutes ago. I have been a day behind this week. 😛 If you won’t be too upset with me, since, I just posted a note for today, I will post Wednesday’s Ode #36 TOMORROW! …Maybe by then, the week will have caught up with me 😉 haha.
Author: The WheatandTares
For Generations to Come
There is a song that really hit home with me the other day…
“…And if I were honest with myself
Had I been standing at that tree
My mouth and my hands would be covered with fruit
Things I shouldn’t know and things I shouldn’t see
Remind me of this with every decision
Generations will reap what I sow
I can pass on a curse or a blessing
To those I will never know” – Sara Groves “Generations”
The artist is referring to Eve tasting the fruit in the Garden of Eden, the comparison of her own life and the repercussions of decisions made…
How true it is, the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. If we sow good things, like love, joy, peace, patience, we will reap the same. If we sow seeds of bitterness, rage, envy and strife, that’s exactly what we will harvest. God’s Word is true, and He is faithful to what He has promised. If He says we will reap what we sow, you can believe it will come to pass.
Yet, can I ask you? How often do we fail to see that what we reap may be sown, not only in our lives but, also, in the lives of our children and in our children’s children? Let me give you a personal example…both of my grandfathers were known alcoholics in their hometown. One was a wealthy man, first name of WL, but whose reputation was as such that many nicknamed him “Double Hell” when he turned up the bottle. The other was a not so wealthy of a man, last name Hall, and whose reputation for being an alcoholic rendered him a similar nickname, just changing the vowel in his last name to fit. Now, these two men each had children, one – daughters, one – sons, all who grew up in and around these alcoholic lifestyles, and each of them learned the ways of the world and falling into the same patterns of their father. Each of these men, and each of these children, have their own stories to tell of chaos, salvation and change, and, unfortunately for one, the lack thereof. However, I am the third generation of this “heritage,” and it has taken many prayers, a tenacity of will and a lifestyle of sanctification to begin sowing a different seed than the ones they first planted.
It is so important how we choose to live our lives, not simply for our own experience, but, so much more, for those coming behind. We may be able to live life as we choose, reeking havoc when we like, being careless, nonchalant or disconnected, but what about those children who are watching us, learning from us, taking in our every move, our every word, our every action? Sometimes, they are left to pay the highest price.
When we choose to seek a higher purpose for living than just our own fleshly desires and ambitions, it causes us to be accountable to another. It causes us to take responsibility for our actions, and it causes us be more aware of commitments made and promises spoken.
My goal is to live the best life I can live to leave a strong heritage of love, faith and hope to my boys. My prayer is they will see that doing the right thing always outweighs doing the “comfortable” thing. My hope is my sons will not be the only ones impacted by the legacy I, one day, will leave.
*Picture is from welearntoday.com via Google images. I do not have possession of, nor do I own this picture.*
Framed Picture Perfect
Originally blogged October 18, 2014…
I stood on the side of Black Rock Mountain, overlooking the valley, and I took this picture through the trees.
It was as if God had let the trees grow up in such a way that He left a “frame” just for my picture.
It was beautiful.
I could have stood there all day and gazed through my little “window.”
The fall colors were just beginning to change;
so, you could see bits of red, yellow and orange shining through all the green.
The temperature was perfect with a little breeze blowing through.
It made my heart long for the day
when the earth will be healed and the land will be made whole.
I love the fall.
I love nature.
I love the mountains, and I love that He created such a land for us to behold.
“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth.
The former things will not be remembered,
nor will they come to mind.”
Isaiah 65:17
Answer to Friday’s Angle #34
How did you do yesterday? Did it just look like a big orange blob?? 
These were actually tiny little mushrooms I found along the path walking up to Brasstown Bald. If you haven’t hiked that trail, and/or you haven’t ever been to the top, you must make the trip next time you’re in Ga.! At over 4,700 ft in elevation, it is the highest point in Ga. It is simply breathtaking!! …oh, yeah, the finally pic: 😉 
…and just for more fun, here’s a pic from the top of Brasstown Bald…
Friday’s New Angle #34
It’s Friday! Time for another New Angle! 🙂 
Remember to check back here tomorrow for the answer!
Selling Death To 4 Year Old Girls
I reblogged this last year, and it came up in my Facebook “Memories” today. He says this so well, I thought I’d just set it to Reblog again today….
I’ve been searching for the right words to express my feelings, without being too offensive, about this season approaching: Halloween. This blog has put my jumbled thoughts into perfect words. Thank you, “The Dad Life” blogger, for describing what I could not…
It seems to be increasingly difficult to raise God honoring children in a culture that celebrates dishonoring the things of God. Halloween is a particularly frustrating time for me as a parent because every store I take my children in is filled with scary and creepy things.
I recently took my 7-year-old son and 4-year-old twin girls to get a happy meal at McDonalds. As you probably remember yourself this is quite a highlight for small children. Any time I ask my children where they want to get something to eat it is always McDonalds. It is not because of the salty fries, crusty cheeseburger or overly processed nuggets. It is always because they know they will get a toy. McDonalds is a genius at marketing to children. They usually put a toy in the box that is really popular in the culture. This particular trip my little girls got…
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When I Love
I read this Scripture the other day, and I was amazed at its impact on my heart. “I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous rules.” Sometimes, I think I find myself working so hard in my own strength to praise God, and I find myself tired and worn out, falling back into guilt, because I feel like I just can’t praise Him enough, or praise Him right, because He’s so much greater and more wonderful than I can even find words! Other times, I find myself disappointed in my ability to praise, because I feel that I fall so short of His blessings, and I am so inadequate to follow His ways and desires for me. It’s not that He is overbearing or mean about it. I am just simply so aware of His greatness and my lack thereof.
Yet, when I read this Scripture, and others that David wrote in the Book of Psalms, I am reminded, once again, that if I can just fall so deeply in love with Jesus that my heart doesn’t wander, I don’t have to work so hard at always doing the right things. For when I love Him, I walk in fellowship with Him, and I find myself wanting to please Him, and when my desire is right, I learn more of His ways, and I’m able to praise Him with an upright heart. It’s a “dominoe effect.”
For love causes you to want to spend more time with someone, and when you have a deeper relationship with someone, you know their likes and dislikes. You know what pleases them and what doesn’t, and when it’s Someone you’re serving, it’s easier to serve when it’s no longer an obligation, but rather, an honor and a pleasure to serve. Love causes a heart to love to serve, to long to please and to long to give praise. When it comes to loving our Heavenly Father, the One for whom we were created to serve, please and praise, our hearts realize this is the void that has been long desiring fulfillment.
So, if you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, sometimes, and you just don’t feel like you can do anything right, I encourage you to simply fall in love with Him, all over again, and rest assured that everything’s going to be alright! He will draw to you if you’ll just draw to Him.
…He’s simply waiting on us…
Wednesday’s Ode #35
I love fresh baked bread! I don’t want to be redundant, because I know I posted about my baking day on Monday; however, I just wanted to reiterate the fact that I love homemade, fresh baked bread!! My house smelled heavenly after that little baking session.
I tried my very first attempt at baking bread this past Monday, and I think I’m hooked! It is so yummy, and the kind I made is so very good for me that I don’t feel guilty pigging out a little. I had to hold myself back, ‘cuz I didn’t need to eat the whole loaf in one setting! Haha! Of course, the kind I made wouldn’t actually allow for that, because it is so filling. I made it with almost all organic ingredients, including freshly ground, authentically organic whole wheat flour and organic all-purpose flour.
Now, I have to make a note for you here: not all flour you buy in the store is good for you. Actually, unless it is organic, you can be certain it’s NOT good for you! There’s a whole lot I can share on this subject; however, I will simply give you a link to the person and company who can give all of the info so much better than I, because I learned the little I know from her, Sue Becker, at Bread Beckers.
I cannot wait to make some more bread, and, one day soon, when I can afford to buy the materials I need (and make it one of my top priorities to do), I look forward to grinding my own wheat and attempting even more baking of breads, rolls, and maybe even pastas, among other things! 🙂
The Closed Roads of Yesterday
There’s a song I’ve been listening to this week that I just can’t seem to get out of my head. It has some incredible lyrics…
I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt, leaving out what it lacked. The future feels so hard, and I wanna go back.
The places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I’ve learned. Those roads were closed off to me while my back was turned. – Sara Groves
Her song is referencing the story in the Bible of the children of Israel who were delivered from their years of slavery in Egypt; however, once they found themselves wandering in the wilderness, they whined and complained, longing for their days back in slavery…
I think, too often, this is so true for our lives. When we are growing, transitioning from the old to new, sometimes, it can feel uncomfortable, even painful, to keep moving forward. The changes and transitions it takes to mature can cause us to long for those “easier” days of our past. They can even cause us to “glorify” those yester-years, forgetting the reality of what once was true. Yet, what we fail to realize is when we’ve grown past those days of which we’ve so beautifully painted, they just don’t seem to fit like they used to.
It’s just like many young adults growing into adulthood. They may long for those glorious days of their youth, but they can never really return, no matter how much they try to regress. They may act silly, playful, even completely irrational, but they’re only left looking a fool, because those childish acts just don’t fit, and they simply cannot become a kid again.
She says in another place, “…caught between the promise and the things I know…” It can be so difficult when we are trying to reach for the promise of our tomorrow, but the comforts of yesterday are screaming at us to return, and the present just doesn’t seem as great as we once envisioned. Sometimes, it can feel so tempting to back up, “take a breather,” and not work so hard to achieve whatever goal it is that we’ve set before us. However, can I tell you something? Too often, when we back up, when we turn around from where we’ve been headed, and we try to return to those more comfortable moments, those places that used to feel good, we realize even those don’t actually feel as good as we thought they did. Something’s missing; something has changed, and what has changed is US. We are no longer the person who used to fit into those experiences, those places from whence we came, and those roads of the past are simply closed.
It’s just like an old jacket or dress from our early teen years that we try on once we’ve grown up and even had a few kiddos. We might be able to put it on, but the sleeves might be a little short, the ends might come a little above our waistline, or the fashion is one that just can’t quite make it to today’s standards. It just doesn’t fit anymore, because we’ve grown beyond the point when we could wear it comfortably. We’ve grown beyond when we needed it. In order to keep growing, we must put it away, or even better, we must get rid of it. We can cherish the memory, but we must press forward to a better purpose, a higher calling, a brighter promise!
If we’re going to continue growing, this is just how life is. We can’t return to those things of old, those things which we’ve grown beyond. If we are to be champions of the faith, we cannot return to our past time and time again. We cannot dabble in those things that cloud our vision and hold us back. We must press forward, and take hold of those things to come, even when they’re challenging, even when they are uncomfortable and make us long for those “easier” days. We must walk away from those closed roads of yesterday, and take hold of Jesus and allow Him to mold us, shape us and develop us into being who He has called us to be.
We must, also, learn to say with Paul, “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him…Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:7-9a, 12-14
Sara Groves – Painting Pictures of Egypt from 2nafish on GodTube.
**I did not take this pic, nor do I own this pic. Simply looked up and going through Google images.**
Busy Baking Day
Well, I almost didn’t post today, but my goal is to post consistently everyday (except for Sunday’s); so, I wanted to share with you what it was I was busy doing this afternoon and evening… 🙂
All made from scratch with organic whole wheat and organic all purpose flour (1/2 and 1/2 so as not to be too dense 😉 )…and the cornbread is made from organic whole wheat pastry flour and coarse corn meal. I did learn a little about coarse cornmeal: it makes your cornbread quite crunchy! Haha.
My house now smells heavenly, and my tummy is full with yummy goodness!
This was my first time making bread, and it was a lot of fun! It’s time consuming, but this definitely won’t be my last time! 😉 I’m excited to try this again soon…
Are you hungry yet?? 🙂
the grizzle grist mill 
