Author: The WheatandTares

Wednesday’s Ode #13

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I love waterfalls! I absolutely LOVE them!! I love the walks and hikes that take me on a little journey to get there. I love them when they have an abundance of water flowing, and I love when there’s not so much. I love the refreshing feeling I get as I gaze up at them, and I love the tingling of my toes when I’m gazing down the falls.

I love what happens every single time I get near a waterfall…my soul is renewed. It is as if a calm comes over my whole being and the cares of this world are simply washed away like the water going over the falls.

Once again, it reminds me of the Scripture I quoted in last week’s ode: “…and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.” Ezekiel 43:2, and here’s another that reminds me, “His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.” Rev 1:15

I hear Him calling to my heart every time I’m near the falls. I love those times.  …hmmm, I think I need to take a hike and find some rushing waters real soon! 😉

   

   

Something Out of Nothing

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Is it possible that something that doesn’t look like anything–can still amount to something? …I’ve known a face in a mirror much like that…Could it be –no one receives the peace of God without giving thanks to God? –Ann Voskamp, One Thousand Gifts

God is a master of this. Creating something out of nothing… The “week” of creation taught us that. There was nothing; He spoke, and there was light…the earth was void and without form; He spoke, and there was earth and sky. There were no humans; He formed them, and man was made from the dust of the earth and woman from man’s rib. He is the master of creating something from nothing. 

So, why is it when it comes to ourselves, our lives, our dreams that we allow doubt and discouragement to creep in and hinder us from being whom we’ve dreamt to be? Why do we allow the circumstances in which we find ourselves to convince us of a different path than the one He set before us? If He said it, we should believe it. If He directed it, we should have confidence for it. 

I think too often we put too much faith in ourselves, and because we falter, we believe the promise wasn’t for us. Too often, we look to our own strength, our own abilities rather than His strength and His abilities. No wonder we get so weak! We can do nothing without Him. Oh, but when we put our hope and trust in Him, the sky is our limit!! 

Let Him in today. Let Him have control of your life. Let Him invest in your hopes and dreams. Just test Him, and see what He can do. He creates beauty out of ashes. He designs masterpieces out of nothing. That’s His specialty, and He loves you! He is God. Why would we expect anything less from Him?

One Moment

/ The WheatandTares

One moment with the King…

What would YOU do to have just one moment with a king? I wonder if it might be like the first date you ever went on? Do you remember how long it took to get ready? How many outfits you tried on? How many days in advance you started planning?

What about that first prom…or maybe your wedding day? How long was that planning? How much did you spend? Ladies, what kind of beauty treatments did you endure? …maybe a message, a wax, a deep facial, a medi and a pedi?

Guys, how ’bout it? Well, most of you probably didn’t splurge on a pedicure (ha!), but what about that first hunting day, a day at the races, a boxing match or maybe that champion golf tournament? Hmmm, I might be getting somewhere now… How much did you spend on that new rifle, those new shoes, or even the fuel in the car to get there? How early did you set your alarm? How long did you go without sleep?

What about you, teens? Maybe you still depend on your parents to buy most things; so, you might feel this little post doesn’t really apply to you…but how much time do you spend texting on your phone, scrolling through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, or just simply surfing the Internet? How much money are you saving for that new car, that new outfit or, maybe, that special gift for your new sweetheart?

Think of your time, talents and temporal means…or to put it more simply:  your thoughts, your sight, your speech, your actions and your money…how much do you spend on the things of this world? How much time do you lose everyday doing things that aren’t really going to matter 150 years from now?

Sure, we do live in this world, but God said not to be of it! What does that mean for us? Does that mean we can’t “have fun?” Does that mean we can’t use technology, can’t go on a date, can’t play a game on the Internet, can’t have an Instagram account??  I can’t quite tell you what it means for you; sometimes, what’s a conviction for one family, or person, may not be the same for another. You have to work those “not-necessarily-sin” issues out with the Almighty, but I can tell you what’s going to matter for eternity: our relationship with the King of Kings! If you’re not preparing now, you’ll not be ready when the time comes!

Esther prepared for 12 months, of an intense regimen, to have one night with the king. David prepared 15 years to be king. Joseph was in preparation for 13 years to become second in the land to Pharoah. Jesus prepared for 33 years, on Earth, for His moment on the cross. That’s a lot of preparation for one moment in time!

How much are we preparing? How much are we planning? Will we be ready for that encounter with the King of Kings? He is God. He is awesome, and He loves us so very much. He wants to give His best to us, and I wonder, sometimes, if we might miss it, because we’re too busy preparing for other things rather than His return… One moment of decision is all it takes…

Answer to Friday’s Angle #11

/ The WheatandTares

Did you get it yesterday?? I tried to make it a little trickier…hopefully…

   If you answered an Otterbox phone clip, you got it!! 😉 Hope you had fun!! See ya next Friday!!
  

Friday’s New Angle #11

/ The WheatandTares

Okay, so, a few of you have gotten really good at guessing these “New Angles” on Friday! Let’s see if you can get this one. 😉

   
Remember to check back tomorrow for the answer! Hope you have fun playing! 🙂

Growth And Change

/ The WheatandTares

Round and round we go.

So much complexity.

It’s hard to see clearly.

We fuss. We scrap.  We scream.

Nothing is ever as it seems.

Yesterday is gone.

Never again can you grasp it.

Tomorrow is already here.

I can’t ever seem to find it.

Your memories try to grab it.

We live such different lives.

You go your way and I’ll go mine.

I live by my choices.

You live by your circumstance.

How can we ever find a way to dance.

You fell for love and all lost out.

You missed the times You were needed about.

You went away. Destroyed what could have been.

Never ever to be seen again.

You changed, transformed before my very eyes.

You stopped living for joy and lived for the lies.

You long for things to be the same.

I have moved on, grown and changed.

You are now desperate to be like others.

But now my life is consumed with another.

You will only find what was lost when you look to my Brother.
Penned – MG – 4/25/15

Wednesday’s Ode #12

/ The WheatandTares


I love the beach! White sands, blue skies, blue green waters…Ahhh. What a beautiful day! It can be summer, winter, spring or fall, I don’t care. Let me go and stick my toes in the coolness of the sands. It is a beautiful place to be.

Now, I have to admit. I am a little picky on my choice of beach. I haven’t been to the Pacific since I was like 18 months old; so, I can’t really say I remember it. However, I’ve been to the Atlantic in several places: Maine, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida (Daytona, St. Augustine and Ft. Lauderdale), and I have to say I am simply partial to the Gulf Shores of Northwest Florida. The sands are so white, almost like sugar, and in so many places, you can still find remote areas even in the heat of summer and the peak of tourist season.

I’m sure I’m partial to these beaches, as well, because I grew up in those areas. As a kid, we went to the beach all the time, and I have had more than my share of sunburns, sandy britches and PB&J sandwiches on a blanket (beach picnics), but nonetheless, as a child, I loved splashing in the ocean and get sun-kissed freckles on my nose! As I’ve grown older, I don’t care as much for swimming with the sharks (ha!) and the sand in my bathing suit, but I could sit out by the shore and watch the tide come in for hours. I love to walk barefoot along the shoreline looking for sand dollars and seashells, too. It’s a great pastime. Now that we have boys, it’s so fun to go and watch them swim, boogie board, jump, dive, look for shells and build sand castles. I love to see the beach and the ocean through their eyes of wonder.

What I love most about the beach is the settling within my spirit that occurs every time I sit and listen to the surf. The ebb and flow of the tide calls out to me as if a voice is speaking straight to my heart. This used to amaze me until, years ago, I read these Scriptures:

Psalm 29:3, “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; The God of glory thunders; The Lord is over many waters,” and Ezekiel 43:2, “And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory.” 

Then, it all became incredibly clear. That is why my soul is drawn to these locations, whether it be to the ocean or to a waterfall: His voice can be heard by my heart in those places. 🙂 I am so thankful for those times… 

  

    

Can’t You See

/ The WheatandTares

Every day you bite and claw and push against the hands extended to you

You constantly fight and punch and kick against the love we try to give

When rescue is near you run away

Blaming someone else for your mistake

Will you not turn before it is too late?

Can’t you see the love set before you?

Can’t you see His heart will take away the pain?

Can’t you hear Him calling your name?

You fight back like a caged animal

Shaking, shuttering, scratching, snatching

You constantly battle, waging war against those who would help

Never realizing you are simply fighting against yourself

Can’t you see the grace set before you?

Can’t you see His heart will take away the pain?

Can’t you hear Him calling your name?

There will come a day when it will be finished  

Then there will be no more chances 

The judgment will be done

But until then…

He will not give up on you 

He will not turn away 

He will continue to call day after day

Will you ever turn to His way?


Penned – MG – 4/25/15

Not Without Hope

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My heart was heavy today, thinking of all the brokenness in this world. The weight of it resting upon my shoulders like a wet, woolen blanket. Tears filled my eyes as I pondered the wounded, the shattered, and the lost. Heaviness so intense, I could hardly breathe. Air stagnant with heartache, weariness and emptiness. So many wandering in this place. So many without a face.

I drove by this house sitting beside the road. Abandoned, dark, damaged and alone. People driving by, hurrying to their destinations, never stopping to see, never stopping to care. Shoved off to the side, barricade built, weeds and trees rummaging to find a home. Broken down roof, shattered windows, busted doors, all haunted by lost potential.

The broken lives of those lost are a lot like this old house. They take the abuse, receive the ridicule, accept the blame, wondering all the while if anyone cares as they wander aimlessly in the dark. Others are like those who moved this old house. Hard working, simply pragmatic, fighting to succeed at the task. More are like the ones who vandalized it. Kicking, biting, clawing, shattering the dreams of a once well made life.

Can you see them? Can you see yourself?  Who are you? Where are you going? Do you feel that all is lost? Do you wonder if there could still be any life inside? I am here to tell you. I am here to help you see, if there is still breath in your being, there is still hope. If there still a beating of your heart, there is still a chance. For your life is never so lost that He cannot see you. You are never so far gone that He cannot hear.

See that foundation? He placed it there in your heart before you were even born. It is that longing you feel to find something of worth, something to adore. It is that deep inner desire to be more than you are today. He placed it there. It is His drawing of your heart to bring you love, hope and life beyond your dreams.

He can rebuild a life broken. He can mend dreams that have been shattered. He can give hope to the hopeless. He can bring life to the lifeless. All can be renewed if you will just let Him in. Let Him see the abandonment, the pain, the desperation. He can change and transform. All you must do is believe.

Answer to Friday’s Angle #10

/ The WheatandTares

Did you guess right on yesterday’s angle? 



…It’s a curling iron! 



I hope you are having fun with these! I know I have had fun trying to look at things from a different perspective and take a picture of it! Today marks the tenth one in succession; this means 10 wks of the game! …That calls for a mini celebration:  🎉🎈🎊🎉🎈 I’d love to hear from you to know that you’re enjoying these! 🙂