Author: The WheatandTares

Wednesday’s Ode #32

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

I love Essential Oils! (…and NO, I’m not trying to sell you any! Lol!)         

Some of my favorites!

 

My journey with EOs began late last year, just after Thanksgiving. We had a very rampant case of a nasty stomach virus in the area, and it seemed our church nursery might be one of the culprits! (Not really, but we sure had a bunch of families who were sick!!) I just happened to      have gotten several essential oils into my little repertoire, and I started doing a little research on them. I found that a great way to combat sickness is to take a little carrier oil, a few drops of EOs and apply it to the soles of your feet, because your feet have the largest pores in your body. This allows more of the oils to be absorbed.      

So, that’s just what I did! I began a nightly ritual of rubbing oils on mine and my family’s feet and pulling on socks afterward (for the oils will ruin bedsheets and clothes if not protected). Our little family survived that month with NO sickness! I became a believer!! There had been probably close to 50-60% of our church family who had suffered from the flu and various sicknesses during that Christmas holiday, and we had visited with many of them! 

Another incident which deepened my reliance on EOs came in March when our little man caught a stomach virus. Now understand, our boys usually are over a stomach virus within about 6-8 hrs. I quarantine them, keep everything highly sanitized and they’re done, never passing it on to anyone else in the house. However, this little big was nasty! I hope I don’t gross you out, but to explain the strength of this virus: JMan threw up every 30 mins for the first 10 hours, subsiding, after that, to every hour for the next 8-12 hours, and by that time, it was simply dry heaves. His little body was just wrecked. He ran a high fever on the third day, and, finally, on the fourth morning, he was getting better. I was right there with him through it all, he laid beside me, trying to rest or watch cartoons. I helped him to the restroom, and I quarantined myself in the room with him for the duration. It was the worst he’s ever been sick!                       

I’ve acquired a nice little collection…got the box from Amazon, and it works great! Doesn’t matter the brand!

 

Well, long about the 12th hour into this, I pulled out my EOs and start application. I, also, started taking organic apple cider vinegar twice a day. With this combination, thankfully, I was able to avoid this mean virus. I was, also, able to use a little bit of peppermint and carrier oil to soothe my little man’s nausea during this time. 

I am so thankful to have discovered these natural remedies for my family! I encourage you to do the same. 

There are a couple of things you must know before you run out to the local health store:

1. If taken incorrectly, or if overdosing, EOs can be dangerous, even toxic and lethal. 

2. Not all EOs are equal. Do some research. See which brand is best for you. 

3. There will be many, especially those who are involved with marketing and recruiting for certain brand names, who will tell you theirs are the best. I suggest you refer back to #2. 😉

4. Not all EO brands are for personal use. Some are better for house cleaning and aromatherapy. Refer to #1 &2 😉

5. Not all purchases of EOs have to break the bank. Check for sales from the companies you prefer. Check Amazon. 😉

6.  EOs won’t always replace doctor visits and other medications, but they sure can help and prevent frequent trips and purchases! 😉

I hope you’ve enjoyed this week’s Ode, and I hope you discover some great EOs for you! 🙂

Counted Worthy

/ The WheatandTares

Acts 5:41-42 “The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.  Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.”

…rejoicing because of ridicule and persecution?? Who does that?? I don’t see many in today’s society who get excited over verbal attacks, much less, physical attacks! You can pick up today’s paper or turn on the nightly news and see accounts of those who are angry at any intolerance, any mocking or even the slightest implication of ridicule for their given faith, lifestyle or even choice of words. These men, here in the Scripture, were thrown in prison, mocked, accused, about to receive a death sentence, and ended up simply being flogged (for anyone wondering, that means “to be beat with a whip or stick”), and yet, they left rejoicing, because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 

This Scripture is so challenging to me. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m not crazy about suffering, and especially, about being beat with a whip or stick. Honestly, that’s not quite my vision of a “fun day!” Yet, these men loved God so much that they were willing to go through all of this just so they could testify of His Name. They rejoiced that the suffering came their way, because it enables them to preach more boldly to others of His glory, and they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news from that day forward!

With the news headlines of all the Christians around the world being killed by ISIS, and so many other happenings in our own nation, this scenario is coming so close to being a reality within our own Land of the Free and The Brave. Growing up, I never thought this could happen here; yet, now, as an adult, I’m not so naive nor idealistic. I know it can happen in the blink of an eye, and to be honest, it does give me pause. 

I read books like Jesus Freak and Fox’s Book of Martyrs, and my faith is challenged by their boldness in the face of persecution. My petty little worries of friendships, light bills and “Are my children doing their homework today?” vanish into thin air in the light of their martyrdom. I pray I can be found this faithful. I pray I can be found this encouraging and this bold to share my testimony with others even if I am staring death in the face. 

It’s so easy to boldly proclaim your allegiance when no one is threatening you. It’s so easy to declare your faithfulness when you don’t have a gun aimed at your head, or your children are lined up at the stake, but as I read Jesus Freaks, I truly wonder if I could keep my bold faith when looking down the barrel of a semi-automatic or my children’s very lives are being threatened.

I pray I am found faithful and true. I pray I can remain steadfast and committed to the One who saved me, forgave me and gave me new life. I pray that, if I am found worthy of suffering disgrace for His sweet Name, I am able to stand, rejoicing, proclaiming His goodness and grace for everyone to see. 

How about you? What do you see? What would you do?

Blogging 201: Branding and Growth

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Ok, so in addition to my daily posts, I am going to attempt to keep up with Blogging 201 over next week or so. I know I did this last year; however, I feel like I could always use the extra help and refreshing of ideas. 🙂

Today, we must set three goals for our blog:

1. Increase followers by 20% by January 1, 2016…at 266 today… So, that would mean 318. (Wow, I can’t believe that date is almost a reality!)

2. Publish consistently everyday of the month, except Sundays. (This includes, but is not limited to Weekly posts)

…Since I already have two weekly features in place (Wednesday’s Ode and Friday’s New Angle), I’m not going to add another quite yet. However…

3. Visit fellow bloggers at least one hour weekly, comment and encourage them as I go.

So, here we go! Blogging U has now begun… 🙂

Their Destiny

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

When you look at your child, do you ever wonder about his or her destiny? Do you wonder whom he will follow? Who he will become? Or maybe, whom he will encounter along the way? What path will she choose? Will she fight hard against conformity, or will she bend and sway to whomever screams the loudest at the moment?

How do we ensure their safety in this big, dangerous world? How do we protect them and guide them, while also, giving them the freedom to grow and develop their thoughts, their dreams and, even their faith, on their own?

We can only accomplish this, successfully, when we look to the Creator of their souls. He can and will help us, if we will but ask and follow His lead. The Word tells us God has a plan for their lives, good plans, prosperous plans…We find this, specifically, in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” So, we must entrust them to Him at an early age. We must submit our own lives to Him and follow His lead. Our children not only learn from what we say, but they learn most by what we do. If we follow Him, they learn, by example, what and how to do it. If we’re resistant to Him, they will, also, learn how to resist and fight against Him.

I saw this come to fruition the other day, as we came upon a beautiful waterfall on one of our hikes. You see, my husband and I absolutely love waterfalls. We will purposefully go on a hike to find those which we haven’t yet seen. We will revisit many, and even though we’ve seen them countless times, we will remain at them for limitless amounts of time just gazing and listening. It’s as if our souls settle as we stand in front of the gushing streams of water. Our thoughts are purified, our hearts are untangled from the cares of this world.

Twice, in the last week,  we took our boys to a couple of waterfalls. Last week, we went to a very well known waterfall in North Georgia, Amicalola Falls.

We stayed there, admiring the falls, for probably close to 30 minutes, just simply lost in its beauty. As we stood there on the walkway, gazing up at the falls, people were constantly moving in front of us. Some would remark on the heights, on the beauty; many would turn their backs to the falls, take their little selfies, and then walk on pass. Others would simply walk by, glance at the falls and keep on walking, as if the 600+ steps of the hike was their one and only goal, or maybe just being able to say, “I was there,” was their purpose for coming.

We stood in amazement at their lack of amazement, as if this was simply some mound of dirt on the side of the path to whatever was more important in their journey right then. Even as I didn’t say a word to our oldest, I watched as my oldest son became livid with these people he didn’t even know. He couldn’t believe their disdain for God’s creation. He said nothing to those around him, but I heard about it for quite awhile as we made it back to our truck.

This past Friday, we went to Horse Trough Falls, again, in the North Georgia Mountains. It is set off the beaten path, and it is simply gorgeous! Joey and JMan stayed for a bit, but JMan wanted to get to the creek to build a dam and cool off from the heat; so, JGrizz and I remained at the waterfall while dad and youngest went back to the creek bed.

JGrizz sat at the man-made platform for a bit, then, ventured past where he could get closer to the falls. He took a few pics; then, he just found a comfortable spot on an old tree that had fallen across the creek, took off his shoes and just enjoyed the sights, smells and feel of the waterfall for a good long while.

As I watched him, I realized, he has become his Daddy’s son. This may sound silly, because, of course, this is obvious to anyone who knows the two of them. Yet, sometimes, I think, as our children grow into adulthood, there are definitive moments, those moments when we actually see the handprint of God on their lives and the tiny part we played in their development. This was one of those moments for me.

I could see his Daddy in his awe of God’s beauty. I could see the settling of his soul as he sat there lost in his surroundings. I could hear his Dad’s blunt (not-meaning-to-be-harsh-only-truthful) voice as he told me he didn’t want me to talk if I sat beside him on that log. I could feel his Dad’s love as he later hugged me, as if to say,” I really wasn’t trying to be rude. Sorry it came out that way.” I could even see his Heavenly Father’s courage, confidence and strength as he walked boldly among those slippery rocks just to get a closer glimpse of its beauty.  My heart was full as I gazed at the man he was becoming.

Then, he said the words that sealed the moment within my heart. We were talking about the little streams of water which break off from the main portion of the waterfall, yet, still find their way to the bottom. JGrizz said, “Those streams are like me, and the rest are like society. I find my own way.” It was as if God was showing me in that moment, he has what it takes to make it. He will reach his destiny.

When we made our way back to the creek bed, I could see the sparkle in JMan’s eyes as he built his dam in the creek, it was the same sparkle his Daddy has. It’s the spark of wonder, adventure and just plain fun! Oh, the wonder of a child. We should never lose it, no matter how old or busy we become.

I saw my husband’s love for life within the lives of our sons, and I saw the love of our Heavenly Father wrapped up in their wonder for His creation. These things come to be as our children follow in our footsteps. They not only hear what we say; they see as we see and act as we act. If we will but submit them until God and allow Him to guide their lives, they will follow Him, and He will help them to reach their destiny.

 ““For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

Answer to Friday’s Angle #30

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

How did you do yesterday??  

This one might have been a little tricky…

It’s a JELLYFISH! 😊

   
 It always amazes me how these things look a lot like flying saucers! Lol. 😂  

Friday’s New Angle #30

/ The WheatandTares

Another Friday…another New Angle! 😊  

Check back here tomorrow for the answer. 😉

Dear New York

/ The WheatandTares

In honor of the fallen today, I am reposting this that I shared last October… We will never forget. 🇺🇸🗽

New York, your towers once stood so tall.

The face of pride and success for all.

Terror crept in without even a sound.

Inside your walls, their evil did pound.

My heart is broken, my eyes fill with tears.

Please know our God still lingers near.

I cry for your loss, your distress and your pain.

Now is not the time to worry about your gain.

Turn your eyes and look t’ward Jesus.

He will help heal your wounds. He must.

Look up and see your Savior’s great love.

He comforts as He sends His sweet dove.

His hand is just, sovereign and true.

If you’ll surrender, He can make you anew.

He longs for you to love Him and to serve Him.

Before all your lights are, once again, made dim.

Please don’t linger, turn away or wait.

Please do not put off till it is far too late.

He longs to hold you, to love you, to mend.

But He is a good God, He will now not force you to bend.

There will come a day of not another breath.

Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess.

He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

That day will be too late for your heart to sing.

His return is, oh, so very, very soon.

Turn your eyes to Him before the great boom.

He desires to help you, to cleanse you from all vice.

He loves you; He died for you. For you, He paid the great price.

Penned – MG – 9/11/02

Plug Me In

/ The WheatandTares

Originally posted Oct. 14, 2014…

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This day in age, we all have to have plug-ins and cords and iPhones and iPads and Samsung and Galaxy…. They’ve all got chargers , and they all take time to charge. I walked down the stairs after a wedding yesterday and almost tripped over a guy, because he was sprawled out on the stairs watching a video while his phone charged.
I watch as a family sits in a restaurant, never speaking to one another, all tuned into the little hand-held device grasped between their tiny fingers. I read status updates daily where husbands and wives, parents, and kids are joking about how they are sitting in the same room while typing to one another via Facebook or texting via iMessage. We are a “plugged in” kind of world, but I often wonder how “plugged in” we actually are. We no longer want to talk on the phone, go for a walk or even have much of a face-to-face conversation, because these take up too much time, too much effort, and, frankly, too much emotion.
We are more high-tech, computer savvy and data ready than we have ever been; yet, I read article after article that this generation is less connected than ever before. I learn that, too often, this generation doesn’t even know how to be engaged in an actual conversation, because they are more comfortable with the typed word and unimposing responses than the vocal language and heart-felt reactions. I often wonder if we’ve advanced far enough or progressed too far.
Before you think I’m just “way too old fashioned,” and write me off as some “old geezer,” realize I am the mother of 2 very savvy boys who keep up with the “latest and greatest” fad (yes, that can qualify on a few notes. lol). We’re a “Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and gaming” kind of group. We have 2 iPads, 3 iPhones, a Kindle, 2 laptops, 2 iPods, and an iPod Nano, oh, and a PC, too. So, needless to say, we are a very “plugged in” family. I just, seriously, ponder the depth of this involvement at times. We can get so caught up in tweeting, blogging, posting pics and reading about everyone else’s life, and latest happenings, that we miss the very things, and people, who make up the world in which we live.
I have made it a rule that when we sit down to eat together, the electronics go off. I want to know my family, and I want our boys to know how to carry on a conversation beyond, “Hi…Uhh? … Do you tweet?” It’s not a perfected rule, and I’m surely not the “mom of the year,” but I can say, we’re a work in progress, and we’re learning to sit back and take a “breather.” Sometimes, you have to cut off the life support system to learn to breathe again.
So, I guess, I wrote all of this to simply remind myself, and others, to unplug the techno and plug back into the life-o.

Wednesday’s Ode #31

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

  I love socks! I love short socks, soft socks, knee-high socks, just about any kind! I even wear socks every night when going to bed, because they keep my feet warm. 😊

Wearing socks keeps your feet soft. Wearing socks keep your feet from stinking in your shoes, too! Lol. 😂Wearing socks just makes your feet, or at least my feet, feel cozy and comfortable. 

 
(Here’s some of my “warm, cozy” socks…and yes, you can barely see my two red baskets at the top of the pic that hold ALL my socks! 😉)

One thing that’s kind of funny, however, about my love for socks, is I don’t really go crazy over designs and colors. I’ve got a few different designs, but for the most part, most of my socks are simply black, brown, cream or white. In fact, I have so many black socks (those I wear mostly with boots and tennis shoes) that I counted 19 pairs one time!! 😜 Crazy, huh?

I guess it’s a good thing I love socks so much, because I love boots, too, and boot season is just about to be upon us here in North Georgia! Now, I can wear my socks and my boots!! …but boots will have to be on another Ode. 😉

What’s something you just love?? 

Made For A Purpose

/ The WheatandTares

A repost from August 17, 2014…

Seashells are quite sought after in towns along the coast. People come from all over the world, and so many of them must make a stop by a little tiki hut or surf shop to pick up a bag full of shells before heading home. Some will even scour the seashore for hours to find the perfect white sand dollar or one of those beautiful, large, spiral conch shells.
We were recently in a little beach town, and it was not much different from the beach town I grew up near as a kid. You could find a beach store on almost every corner, and inevitably, someone was there looking for shells. So many love seashells, and they just long to take at least one or two back home.

I think this is because seashells are both beautiful and useful. Some are the most beautiful in color or shape, while others are almost perfect, or partially broken, or all together crushed and, for all in tense and purposes, these are in what appears to be a completely ruined state. However, every seashell was made for a purpose, and each can continue to be useful even after it is removed from the shoreline. Those gorgeous, colorful and perfect seashells are, often, used for decorating a new beach condo or taken home as a treasured memory and souvenir of days gone by. Those partially broken ones, many times, are picked up by a small child who cherishes it as a precious gift for their “sand collection.” Yet, those crushed up and “ruined” ones…what about those? What purpose could those actually have for someone in this life? Have you ever walked into a dockside restaurant, or even into an inland restaurant, claiming to have the “best coastal menu around,” and glanced at the floor? Often, you will see a beautiful mixture of crushed shells and cement. Designers will choose this type flooring to bring “just the right touch” to the business’ appeal. Even though, many would have just discarded these broken pieces as trash, they have been taken and made into a very functional, and rather beautiful, asset by a master designer.

While in that little coastal town the other day, we walked into a restaurant, and I looked down at the floor and noticed the broken shells mixed in the concrete. At just that same time, my 8 year old said, “Look! That’s seashells, isn’t it, Mom? Now, that’s cool!” Even he noticed the beauty in the practical. This made me think about our Heavenly Father and how He creates each of us in different ways and uses us for different purposes. He constructs some to be very loud and outspoken, while others of us, He designs to be of a more quiet and calm nature. He develops some to feel very comfortable in more solitude type settings, while others, He forms within them a more social, crowd-friendly appetite. He molds some to strive and achieve those “high and, seemingly, lofty positions,” and then others, He intricately shapes to be at peace in the “seemingly more simple and humble” places of life. We are all made differently; yet, we are all created for a purpose…His purpose. Just as the tiny creature living within the conch shell cannot determine for what goal that shell will be used after it is removed from the ocean, we cannot predetermine our destiny nor our purpose. We cannot predict, nor can we limit, the future. We just simply cannot know. However, we can definitely make decisions which will propel us to, or hinder us from, such goals, dreams, and even destinies. If we will but submit to His ways and surrender to His will, He will take care of the “big stuff.” If we can ever let loose of the stranglehold we often have on the thoughts and plans we make for this life, and if we can just get to the place of “freely letting go,” we will be astonished at what He can accomplish through us!

You see, if that conch shell “creature” saw only the cracked and broken shell from which it had just crawled, and it believed THAT was it’s destiny, it would surely become desperate, hopeless and in despair! That tiny, “almost perfect” clam shell might grow despondent if it believed it’s imperfections were the end of the road. What these creatures would have failed to observe is the precious little feet walking that way and the tiny little hands that planned to delicately hold that miniscule shell all the way back home in order to just nestle it in their perfect little collection spot. When you’re only at the level of the shoreline, and all you can see is the wave rolling over your head, it’s impossible to see the great big ocean beyond or the miles of beautiful seashore a mere two feet away.

Just remember, where you are right now is only PART of the process! LIFE is a process, and every “shell” is different! So, find your purpose for being here in this “ocean” called earth, and then, relish in every single moment you have before you! Enjoy the seashells in ALL different shapes, colors and sizes; find the one that is perfect for you right here, right now, and remember, most of all, even the most busted up and broken shell can become a beautiful masterpiece in the hands of the Master of creative design.

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