Author: The WheatandTares

Thank You for Your Time

/ The WheatandTares

Today is Labor Day, and I just want to say, “THANK YOU!” 

Thank you for your time. Thank you for your service. Thank you for all you do to make this country, and the world in which we live, a better place. 

You are the truck drivers who carry my food across country for the groceries. You are the warehouse workers who stack and box the clothes for the retailers. 

You are the teachers in our schools who give so much, and often, receive little in return. You are the cashiers who run up my items at Walmart, Target, Kroger and Sam’s. 

You are the CEO’s, the lawyers, the bankers and the accountants who work with the big numbers and the long hours to supply the goods, protect the laws and assign the funds. 

You are the policemen on patrol who help to protect my babies as I drive on the road. You are the firemen who are on call to put out a fire or pull a cat from a tree. You are the ambulance and EMTs who come at a moment’s notice. 

You are the dentist who cleans my teeth and the doctor who checks my sons’ ears. You are the quick care nurse who receives my name and checks for insurance. 

You are the SAHM mom who saves on your daycare bill and decides to skip on the coffee trips; so, dad doesn’t have to work those extra hours this week.  

You are the state park worker who works at the visitor center; so, I can get more information and find my way to that beautiful waterfall. 

You are the amusement park worker who makes sure my son is buckled in tight for his thrill ride. You are the bowling alley waitress who brings me a coke and helps to make the party a success. 

You are the restaurant hostess who finds my husband and I a quiet booth, and you are the parking lot security who makes sure my car is safe. 

You are the pastor who prays for me and the youth pastor who teaches my son to pray. You are the maintenance man who cleans the toilets and mows the lawn to make our church look better.

There are so many who make this world go round and who work hard to make everyday a little better for the rest of us, and I just want to take time today to tell you…

WE APPRECIATE YOU!!

Happy Labor Day!

Answer to Friday’s Angle #29

/ The WheatandTares

How did it go yesterday?  

It’s the edge of a Kindle leather cover. 🙂   

 

Friday’s New Angle #29

/ The WheatandTares

Another Friday means another New Angle! 🙂

  
See you here tomorrow for the answer!

Just Wanted to Share

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

I thought I might do something a little different today…

I just wanted to share a little of my world through the eyes of a camera lens…


  

  


  
 

Wednesday’s Ode #30

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

I love little things of nature. Sometimes, as I’m walking through the woods, the smallest things might catch my attention…like tiny mushrooms, a little salamander or even a miniature blossom. Often, I will deliberately look for them, and sometimes, I’m even surprised by what I find…   Today, it was a caterpillar hanging from a leafy branch by a tiny silk. He was very hard to photograph with my phone, but I think I finally captured him in the right light…even in obscurity, our beauty can be found…

  Then, I found these two white mushrooms standing as tall towers side by side…reminded me of the mighty two which once stood proud at Ground Zero. I paused for a moment of reflection and prayer…   
 As I walked along, these itty bitty blossoms of blood orange and yellow seemed to scream to me amongst the green. They reminded me that a burst of color (and light) can break up the monotony and the mundane. 

Then, there was this hole in the center of a stump where a tiny mushroom had decided to show its humble face… It confirmed for me, you can make it, even when life seems to only be a chasm over which your hopes hang…  
Finally, this guy wagged his tiny tail at me as he slithered into his home. His journey from unknown lands, slowly, but surely, brought him to his shaded place of safety…

 As you travel through this life, don’t forget to notice the small things, for often, those are the things that can bring the most beauty, the most intrigue and the most wonder… 

A New Beginning

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

“It’s not the end. It’s only a new beginning…”

A good friend shared this revelation with me as he had just been diagnosed with a curable sickness and was beginning to learn to eat differently and take some new medications in order to feel better…all at an age well over 60. 

I said goodbye to a precious woman the other day, a goodbye that will last until I see her again in eternity. She was a strong lady of character, dignity and grace. Her family is starting each new day with her absence, learning to grieve, to cope, to live again. 

Some great friends of ours moved away to another state months ago. We probably won’t see them but maybe once or twice a year now. They are greeting new friends and learning to grow and adjust in a new home, city and surroundings. 

Our sons started a new school endeavor this year. They are no longer taught in the classroom but now receive all their instructions virtually through the Internet and tutoring videos. They are beginning to transition and learn new ways of communication and knowledge gathering. 

In all these things, and in so many more, we close one chapter in our lives; yet, another is quickly opened. We may no longer have the comfort zones of our past, but in the new, we learn to thrive. That’s what life is all about. 

So, when changes come and transitions must be made, try not to be drowned by losses; look to what is ahead. Those things, and those people, will surely be missed, but if we remain stagnant in our grief, we will never be able to embrace the new which is ahead. We will never be able to start on the new beginnings, and growth will fall beyond our grasp.

So, reminisce over what was; cherish those memories. However, don’t stay there without forward motion, or you will surely miss the sweet moments which can be treasured ahead. 

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite authors might sum up this little thought…

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” ~ Dr. Seuss 

What’s On The Inside

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment


 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23:27-28

You’ve heard it said, “When you spill the glass, you see what’s inside.” If sweet tea is inside, you see tea, and if it’s sour milk, you surely don’t get sweet tea! 😉 This is so true for each of us. No matter how pretty of a face we paint on, no matter how many smiles we flash, if our character is ugly, when pressures come, (and they will!) ugly is what will come out!  

In the moments of stress, it’s never a matter of what we know, who we know, or even what we’ve learned. It’s a matter of what we’ve allowed inside our hearts, what we’ve processed and what we’ve consumed. What is within our hearts is what is brought to the surface when we face hard times.  

I love how one author puts it, “When you’re upset, you upset what’s really in you.” -Ann Voskamp 

I long for good to flow when I’m spilled out. I don’t like sour milk, never have; yet, when pressures arise, sometimes, sour is all that’s left. It gets messy, and others can see it. I long for purity. I long for less mess, and I’m really working on this; I truly am.  

Yet, I have found that it’s not a matter of the mind. You can’t just make yourself act better. ou can’t just decide in your mind, “Ok, today will be different. No more spills. No more sour milk. Today, I shall be on a better course. I shall be better!” No, it’s not just a simple making up of the mind, and all is well. It’s a matter of the heart, and, oh, how that heart can be so stubborn sometimes… 

I can determine in my mind that I will not doubt. I will not grow angry. I will not be afraid. I can convince myself that this time will be different. I will be different; however, if I’ve only convinced my mind, and I’ve not dealt with my heart, that heart will rebel. That heart will even revolt. When the heat of the moment comes, and my guard is let down, that heart will adamantly revert back to its comfort zone of fear, doubt, anger, or whatever emotion consumes it at the time.  

You see, the heart holds all the wounds, all the pain and all the joy. The heart is full of all the emotion, all the wonder, all fear. When troubles come, it really is the heart that speaks, and this is why it is always a matter of that stubborn heart which determines what will spill out. This is why Jesus longs to rule our hearts. If He can hold our hearts, He can change our mind. He can transform our will. He can even change the world. If He can have our hearts surrendered to His will, He can consume our whole being.  

If we want the inside to be purified, to be empty of the mess, to really be as pretty as the outside we paint, we must lend Him our hearts. We must surrender our emotions, our pains, our wounds. We must allow His living waters to wash over our hearts. We must let Him heal us from the inside out, and then, we won’t have to worry when the glass is spilt. There will be no sour to pour. It will only be full of fresh, living water, flowing from His heart to ours, and out to the world.  

Answer to Friday’s Angle #28

/ The WheatandTares

Were you able to get yesterday’s new angle?

 
It’s the side of a cookbook. 🙂

   
 

Friday’s New Angle #28

/ The WheatandTares

**so sorry for the earlier glitchwith no pic! Evidently, a technical glitch! Ugh! **
Are you ready for another New Angle? 🙂   
  
Remember to check back tomorrow for the answer! 

Life is so Short

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

  Life is short. It stops for no man. Stop. Inhale. Breathe. Make the Moments Last. Cherish those you love longer. 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.

There is a host of generations quickly coming behind us. What will we leave them? What will we say? Will we win them, or will we toss them away, believing they weren’t worthy of our cause? Those stepping forward will come with or without us. They will keep marching forward. Time does not stop simply because we wish it to. If we refuse to lead them, someone else will, and then, we will weep.

It is our choosing. It is within our grasp; yet, it is just like a lifeline thrown to the drowning. If we don’t take hold, the rescue can be lost, and death will eventually come. We must decide who, when, how, and we must do it quickly. If we turn away, they will keep advancing with their drum beat deafening our ears. We may be able to hold the line, or we may just be trampled under their feet.

Penned – 8/25/15 – MG