Lessons Learned

Wait Upon the Lord

/ The WheatandTares

We all get tired. We all get weary.
What do you do with it?

Do you get Grouchy? Do you get ill (physically or emotionally)? Maybe you just get downright mean and cantankerous? …Maybe unruly with your words or actions?

We’ve all been there. We’ve all had those moments. If you haven’t, keep on living, cuz we’re all human.

It happens.

The Bible says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength….”

What if we realized that whom we serve is not just our spouse, our child, our boss, or even our friends?

What if we realized whom we are serving is the Creator of the Universe, the One who spun the moon and stars into orbit?

What if we realized whom we serve breathed breath into our lungs and put a heartbeat in our chest?

How would we serve then? How would we speak in that moment? How would we react when things don’t go just as we planned?

He’s the King of Kings. He’s the Lord of Lords. He is God Almighty.

I venture to guess our eyes would be brighter…our smiles would be wider…our words would be kinder, and our actions would be much more gracious.

The Bible goes further to say, “…they shall mount up with wings of eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint.”

That means we’ll make it, if we can just wait on (or serve) HIM!

The Bible also says, “Do everything as unto the Lord.” …it says EVERYTHING! That’s a hard demand at times…

Like when our husband didn’t notice the laundry folded for the umpteen time but only fussed about that one shirt that didn’t get washed…or the wife who only noticed the trash wasn’t taken out but failed to notice the lawn got mowed and driveway got swept and the car was washed after a long days work…

Or maybe it’s in the middle of the night when one baby is wailing from an earache and the other just got sick in his bed…

Wait on the Lord

Maybe it’s when the boss is being unfair about a deadline and your co-workers are gossiping and cutting you down…

Maybe it’s when your teacher doesn’t seem to like you and your best friend just doesn’t seem to care…

Wait on the Lord…

Maybe it’s when your body is wracked with pain and the Drs can’t seem to figure out what in the world is wrong with you…

Maybe it’s when you’ve had to stand beside a graveside and say goodbye. They weren’t supposed to die so soon. There’s so many things left unsaid…left undone…

Let me read that while Scripture again a little differently…
“(YOU) that wait upon the Lord SHALL renew (your) strength. (You) SHALL mount up with wings like an eagle. (You) SHALL Run and not grow weary. (You) SHALL walk and not faint.”

…as the old song goes, “…teach me Lord to wait.”

My NY2016 Resolution

/ The WheatandTares

My New Years resolution is HOPE.

Hope for a brighter tomorrow.

Hope for a better future.

Hope for peace.

Hope for love.

Hope for joy.

If your hope is in this world, you will find yourself disappointed and let down time and time again.

This world has nothing for us.

This is our temporary home.

This is just a lay over, a delay at the airport.

Make the best of it while you’re here, but don’t set up camp.

Don’t make it permanent.

Don’t lay up treasures for yourself here.

Don’t trust that you can become comfortable here in this earthly home.

We’re not here to stay. We’re here to leave just as soon as we can.

Make sure your heart and soul is set to leave, and don’t wait too long to assure that hope.

For we are never guaranteed tomorrow. We aren’t even guaranteed our next breath.

He has promised to come back and take us home, and it will be soon.

Heaven is Honest.

Heaven is Home.

Heaven is Hope.

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

“We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people— the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel that has come to you.” Colossians 1:3-6a 

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrew 11:1

The New Year’s Resolution 

/ The WheatandTares

New Year’s Resolutions. We all make them every year. So many of us start on January 1 with a long list of all the things we need to change. You know the list… Lose weight. Exercise more. Be more organized. Reach out more. Be more kind. Be more diligent. Remember special dates better. Eat better. Just simply, Be better. Too many stores make a lot of money this time of year with all the diet plans, gym memberships, organizational books and storage totes that are bought during this month.

Then, long about March 15, all of that money becomes a waste, and the commitments slowly fade away, as we slip back into our old habits and routines, because it was simply a vocalized pledge with no foundation laid for success. It was a mental note with no accountability or standards set for true inner change…because after all, it’s so much more comfortable to remain where we are than to take the necessary steps for long term resolutions.

When we make commitments simply to make ourselves feel better, or to make us look better to other people, or simply because we think it’s the “right thing to do at the time,” we may never be able to fulfill those lofty promises. I’m sure there are plenty of wise advisors today who can give you great input on how to achieve your New Year’s Resolutions; but if you’ll allow me, I’d like to give you three points which I have found to be true…

1. The new commitment must be based on Truth not just a good feeling or a common thought. Just because it feels good, doesn’t mean it will last, and just because it works for someone else, doesn’t mean it’ll work for you. Too often, we set New Year’s Resolutions, because someone else is doing it or  because “it’s the trendy thing to do in January!”

Just as serving Jesus only because “someone else is doing it” isn’t going to get you into heaven, making those New Years Resolutions simply because of someone else isn’t going to turn out so well either. The Word says in John 8:31-32, “Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Basing your commitment on truth will set you free from the expectations and the results or failures of others. Truth sets you free to learn and grow as is best for YOU, and it allows you to hear clearly the path you are to take. Truth sets us free from the trends, which come and go as the evening tide, and Truth is the door through which we will find our very best future.

2. We must build a foundation for the change. When a good builder builds a house, he doesn’t throw some walls together, slap a roof on it and call it good. No, he thinks about it, he carefully makes out his plans, and he usually gathers a team to assess the plans. After they have made their suggestions and given their advice, he then makes the necessary adjustments before he carries out those plans. Planning before making those commitments will help you to actually think about that to which you’re committing. Stopping to think allows you to not only realize the veracity of your commitment, but also, the depth of sacrifice you’ll need to make to carry out that commitment.

3. We must set boundaries in place and have strong accountability to sustain the change. When a professional MMA fighter, like Holly Holm, decides she is going to challenge the Ronda Rousy, she doesn’t simply step in the ring and say, “Bring it on.” She has a trainer; sometimes, she has a team of trainers who not only help her to work out and train for the big day, but they also help her study her opponent. They give her advice and pointers on how to be better, and they keep her accountable to her original goals and commitments. They work as a team to accomplish the goal set before her. Having a team around you who can help you, advise you, and even rebuke you at times, enables you to stay consistent to your commitments for a longer period of time. Having someone there to show us when we’re in error helps us to avoid the pitfalls and distractions that, too often, cause us to give up in despair before the goal is ever realized.

So, no matter your commitments and resolutions for this new year, if you can put these three little points into action before making them, you will find, later on in this year, those New Years Resolutions are here to stay!

Happy New Years to you and yours! 😊

Light Pierces Through at Christmas

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world.

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’.”

John 8:12

light pierces

He is the Light which never fails. When the storm seems the darkest, when the waves are crashing in, just remember, light always pierces through the darkness. There is no storm so strong that He cannot prevail. There is no darkness so deep that He cannot shine.

This world in which we live is such a dark place. There are many waves of confusion crashing upon the shores of those around us. The storm clouds rage in so many with whom we come in contact, and yet, too often, we fail to shine the Light that would help them to see.

I think, maybe, during the Christmas season, some of us become more aware, because after all, it’s the season to be jolly, kind and thoughtful, and we see light everywhere! However, others of us miss prime opportunities during this season, because we have gifts to buy, food to cook, goodies to bake, families to visit, children to wrangle and overspending to be reconciled. We may overlook the lost and weary simply because we are so tired and dreary!

During these next few weeks, as we join together to celebrate the holidays, let us remember how to be His light to this dark and stormy world:

He brings peace where there is chaos.

He brings love where there is hate.

He brings truth where there is a lie.

He brings healing where there is brokenness.

He brings life where there is death.

The world can find this light if they can simply…

Just hope.

Just trust.

Just believe.

Let us be the light that pierces through their darkness.

Let us show them He is the Light of Life!

Old Before Your Time

/ The WheatandTares

Life is hard sometimes. People get sick. Family members pass away. We have bills to pay. Debts to reduce. Money that must be earned from long days of hard work.  

We have children who won’t listen, spouses who don’t hear. Bosses who place demands and leaders who set higher goals than we think we can ever achieve. Yes, life can be difficult. It can be a challenge. Life can be downright tiring!! 

It’s no wonder too many of us grow old before our time. It’s no surprise that we walk around frazzled and bedraggled. It’s not a shock that we’re, too often, tempted to give up the fight, to let the friction in our life take over and win. Life can just simply wear a good man out, and a mom with little ones, well, let’s not even get started!! 

Yet, Christ said we must become like little children. More Specifically, He said, “If you do not become like one of these little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.” So, how do we do this? How do we live up to that kind of expectation when life just drains the life right out of us?? 

I think we can start to answer that when we stop looking at the trouble and problems of our lives and begin to look at a little child. Too often, the older our children grow, the quicker we forget the joys and wonders of childhood. Sometimes, I wonder if that’s why God allows us to have grandkids later in life…as a simple reminder of wonder.  

What are the cares of a little boy when he walks in his room full of toys? …where’s my train, my truck, my bouncy ball? What does the little girl think about as she sees her stuffed animals at the table? …why a tea party, of course, and whom she’s going to invite!    

These children aren’t consumed with the cares of this world. Most of the time, they don’t even know the cares of this world! They can get lost in a world full of imagination, wonder, fantasy and fairytale. All they long to do is play, sing songs and find the next fun adventure to take!  

We can take a lesson from them. You might want to argue that we, as adults, must put aside those foolish things of childhood in order to succeed in life, to accomplish the many tasks and expectations that are placed upon us.  

Oh, but I have to disagree. It’s not that we should remain in immaturity and never take the responsibilities of adulthood, but that we should never lose our wonder. We should never shut out our intrigue for imagination and adventure. We should never put aside our joy simply because we’ve grown a few years older. For this is where dreams live. This is where we go beyond simply surviving through life, and we begin to thrive!    

The Word tells us, “The JOY of the Lord if our strength!” It even says, “For the JOY set before Him, He endured the cross.” 
Even in our moments of sorrow, our moments of heartache, the child within us can still learn and grow. Even in our deepest time of fear and doubt, that child can push beyond that fear toward faith and a new tomorrow. It is the choice in how we think, how we see, and how we live out our lives that determines if we are thriving or simply surviving. It is a choice we can make, even today, to continue to grow old or to stir up the child within and allow him or her to breathe and to dream again. 

A great place to start is with thoughts of heaven and all the laughter and joy we will find there. Can you hear them? Can you hear the children laughing and playing? When a child laughs, it’s like liquid gold, for it brings a lightness to the air. Laughter washes away sorrow. Laughter drowns out fear. The laughter of a child can mend a heart and revive a soul. Can you hear them? Wouldn’t it be fun to join them once again?   

Christmas Project

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

I started last year with a family project at home that I’m starting a few days late this year, but I’m still going to do it:  A Christmas “Thankful Meaningful Jar.” We will each try to write down a mall note everyday of what Christmas means to us or something that we are thankful for at Christmas time. 

Christmas is about laughter, joy, family, coziness, warm fires and hot chocolate. It’s about reading a good book, being thankful, being joyous, being gracious, and being kind. It can also be a time of loneliness, heartbreak and desperate fear. It can be a time of lack, sadness and even anger. In our time of fulfillment, I never want our boys to forget others who don’t have. I never want them to get to a place of entitlement or expectancy and refuse to give what we have to those in need.

This is the reason for our new family tradition. I hope this jar of words of thankfulness, thoughtfulness and appreciation will help us to remember the true meaning of Christmas: Christ, His birth, His life, and His purpose. Remembering the “less fortunate” is exactly what He did; it’s what He’s all about. He left His glory, His beautiful kingdom for ME and for YOU! We didn’t deserve it. We were lost and destined for hell, but He loved us enough to come to help us, to save us, to change us and to give us a better eternity. He promised to be with us always and to, one day, come back to take us to His glorious kingdom. 

I am so thankful He did, and I believe I can serve a God like that. 💗

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.” Matthew 1:23

Bridges Across Pain

/ The WheatandTares

Bridges are a curious thing.

They can lead you toward a promise, away from trouble and across a vast number of pitfalls and mine fields. A bridge can take you to an enemy’s camp, a friend’s home or a stranger’s land. They can lead you high or lead you low, depending upon the terrain that lies below. Bridges are a curious thing, because they can take you far away from a fear; yet, they can also become the source of fear if you are afraid of what lies underneath.

Regardless of where you allow a bridge to take you, you will never get there if you stay only on one side. In order for that bridge to help you get to where you’re going, you must cross it. You must take the first step toward that destiny. It is a decision that can change your life. It is a choice only you can choose.

bridge pic2

There are many bridges, within my own life,  which have led me closer to my purpose and my calling: bridges of friendship, bridges of “blood, sweat and tears,” and bridges of the unknown. Every bridge that I have chosen to cross has taught me something and has helped me to grow.

The ones which have taught me the most are the ones that helped me walk above pain in my life. There have been friendships which bridged the gap between moments of loneliness and utter joy. There have been bridges of solitude which bridged the gap between insanity and complete peace. There have been bridges of faith beyond which the future was unknown, but I had to keep walking to receive the healing, strength and joy on the other side. There have also been moments of clear of decision which bridged the gap between regret-filled failure and wonderful heart-felt success. These are the bridges that have propelled me toward a greater destiny. These are the pillars upon which I stand. Had I not crossed over, I would have been left weak, broken and desolate.

When faced with the choice to cross a new “bridge,” the best thing to assist in the decision is to read the road signs prior to it. If are were no signs, find someone who’s gone that way before, and listen to what they’ve learned., and many times, the path to the bridge can give a great indication as to where it is headed. However, there are some times when it’s just going to take a lot of prayer and a whole lot of faith to know this is the right direction to take.

bridge pic

Have you had to cross any bridges lately? What have you learned in the process?bridge pic3

 

*Note: I did take these pics, nor do I own or possess them. Simple Google images search brought them.

A Different Thanksgiving

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment
IMG_4855-0Thanksgiving is so different for so many this time of year…
Some have great big family gatherings with homemade dishes, roasted turkey and giblet gravy… Some have smaller gatherings with a few homemade foods and a catered meal…Others gather two by two and cook something meaningful…and still others make reservations or simply stand in line to have their meal served to them on this glorious day of Thanksgiving.
It doesn’t really matter how you celebrate, or even for some, if you actually commemorate the day with a fulfilling meal. There are so many who are simply grateful for the roof over their head, the clothes on their back or the plain fact they finally have a day off after too many weeks of overtime. There is no right or wrong way to observe the day. There are no set rules that each person must follow. I believe what matters most is realizing your heart is full of thanksgiving for what you have, and even sometimes, for what you have not.
Some will be thankful for their family, their friends and the food that has been placed before them, and I am definitely appreciative of all that I have been given. I am so grateful for a wonderful husband, two incredible boys, a great extended family, church family and new home. I had so much fun this past week, as we traveled to my hometown to celebrate the holiday with my 86 year old grandmother, and I got to see so many relatives whom I only see once every couple of years. We made memories of which I will cherish for years to come.
I am so overwhelmed by the many blessings God has given me even within the past few months and year, but I think today, I might even be thankful for those things which I don’t have…
Like…
Hatred, anger, and strife…rebellion, confusion and apathy within my heart.
A husband who doesn’t love this world more than he loves Jesus nor does he love another woman more than he loves me.
Children who don’t respond to me with revulsion, malice or bitterness.
A family who doesn’t return ill will for the love I send.
A church who doesn’t worship the standards of this world above their God.
A home that doesn’t cause me to shiver in the cold of loneliness or the heat of revenge.
And a God Who doesn’t demand my works above my relationship to Him nor my chants of submission above my love for Him.
All in all, I’d say I have many things for which I can be thankful today, and maybe, even a few more for which I can be thankful to be without.

Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

…Being thankful for those things we don’t have can bring our Thanksgiving into a whole new perspective, now can’t it? 😉

Happy Thanksgiving!

/ The WheatandTares

  
I hope you each have a very blessed Thanksgiving today! 

Enjoy being with family and friends, and remember to be thankful for the things you have and the people who mean so much!! 😊

If you don’t have family or friends to be with today, I pray you are able to reach to someone who may be as lonely, or lonelier, than you on this holiday of gathering. There are so many hurting, desolate and abandoned souls just longing for someone to say, “hello,” so many who long to be welcomed and included. 

Enjoy this day doing something memorable and full of a grateful heart. 😊

*I do not own not possess this picture. Found by simple Google search: http://nampalibrary.org/library-will-be-closed-the-26th-and-27th-for-thanksgiving/ *

The Christmas List

/ The WheatandTares

  
Thanksgiving is next week. Black Friday is right after that. Christmas is only 38 days away. We will usher in the New Year in just 45 days…that’s about the average amount of time you take to close on a house. There will be endless get togethers, shopping trips, holiday parties and cards to be sent between now and then…Life can get so busy at this time of year!

 
I feel like more and more, time just speeds up the closer we get to the end of the year. There are so many things I want to do, especially for the holidays, with my family and friends. I can feel my agenda of events starting to take over and consume my calendar. If I try to hold tightly to the time, like sand in an hour glass, it simply starts trickling through my fingers. There’s simply not enough time. 

No, wait, there’s no less time than there was 20-30 years ago. There’s no less hours in my day today than there were last year or the year before. Time hasn’t changed, my calendar has, my priorities have. Now, I have a husband, two lively boys, a growing church family and many more added responsibilities than I did those 20-30 years ago, when all I had to worry about was getting home on time for curfew, getting the next 5-page paper done, or what I planned to wear for a night out with friends. 

Yes, there are more things required of me in this day and time; however, these things should not distract me from those things which are of high importance in my life before the holiday season hits. My list may adjust some, but those top 3-5 things shouldn’t alter simply because I have added desires and agendas during Christmas time. 

My list may not be exactly like yours, and, honestly, if it were, I might wonder why…we have different family dynamics; we live different lives. Yet, we all have a purpose, and we all commitments we have made. We must set our priorities in such a way that we keep those important things, and those important people, at the top. 

Even during this very busy season, my God, my family, and our staff and church family are the most important things on that list. These things don’t change, simply, because it’s a new season, a more hectic time. These things can’t take a backseat simply because I’d like to add a few more items to my list. I simply have to become more disciplined and deliberate in my approach to them. I have to become more aware of my intentions, my agendas and my follow through, and sometimes, I have to learn to say no to something I’d like to do “on a whim” to stay consistent in doing something that I’ve made a commitment to do. 

Sometimes, our family can be placed on hold simply because we’re working more hours to accommodate the Christmas wish list, when, maybe, we just need to get back to the simpler things of life. Sometimes, our commitments can be delayed simply because we had an act of spontaneity due to the holiday season, when it would have been better to stay consistent in those promises we once made. Sometimes, we need to hold onto those things (or people) of tradition and value and not forsake them for “the newest and the brightest” things found to be on the shelf. This isn’t going to be true for everyone, and there will be endless variables to this equation; however, if we are truly honest with that face that stares back at us in the mirroe, we know when we’ve let a priority slip by the wayside. We know when we’ve excuses away a commitment we should’ve held dear. 

This holiday season, let’s make a point to remember the things that are on top of the list; those things of importance and meaning. It doesn’t mean we can enjoy the fun events of the holiday, and it doesn’t mean we have to miss out on something new and fun to do, but let’s not forsake one to grasp hold of another! Let’s learn to balance and prioritize on the important once so that we can maximize our efforts! 😊