The Old Gnarled Tree

November 12, 2014November 12, 2014 / The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

What caused those knots?
Blistering winds, relenting storms, sickness that threatened death? A tiny animal who burrowed its way in, stunting growth and nourishment?
Maybe it was just simply the challenge of growing upward that proved to be too hard, maybe the weight of growing older was just too heavy, and that pressure tried to bend and hinder the life of the tree.
Yet, somehow, it kept thriving, kept pushing forward, kept pressing on. Even past the knot. Even past the “pain,” always striving for greater heights, always moving beyond the simple expectations.
It kept reaching upward regardless of the hardships that came. The hindrance may have made it pause, resulting in the knots, but the tree strained and pushed beyond the limitations to continue on the path up toward the heavens.
Isn’t that how our lives should be? We will face turmoil. We will face strife. We may even face death a time or two, but where is our resolve? Where is our tenacity to carry on through the trial? Where is our strength to push back against this adversary called life and reach toward our destiny?
Don’t let the pressures of this life pull you down! Don’t let the winds of defeat threaten you and cause you to quit! You can make it through! You can do this! You can reach the end with dignity and grace. You can choose to win.
It may not be easy. It may not even be fun! Just remember there are those coming behind you who need your courage. There are those coming behind you who need your faith. Show them the way by shining in the darkness. Clear the path so that they may cross over as well.
We all have a purpose. We all have a place. Even when you feel battered and bruised, hindered and held back by the limits of this life, you have a destiny to reach.
So, keep fighting the cold; keep pushing back against the winds. Even when the twists and turns leave knots and gnarled bark in your way, Stay the course. Remain vigilant to the path. You can do this. You can win.
Just remain. Just have faith. Just believe.

“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13-14

The Tree Grew ‘Round

October 26, 2014October 26, 2014 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Life is hard. It is what it is. There’s really no changing the way the earth spins on it’s axis or altering the person who lives in the house next door. You’re going to face hard times. I don’t care who you are, how much money you have, or how many people love you, you’re going to have disappointments in this life. You’re going to encounter obstacles in the road. It’s just the way it is, and if you haven’t had any troubles as of yet, well, just keep on living, because every elderly person on the planet can attest to this truth: Life is not always easy, and sometimes, we have to “weather through the storm.”

The question is not, “Will trials ever come?” The better question is, “What will I do when the rains do come?” If you can ever answer that question before the rains come, you will be much better suited to survive. It’s like building a shelter to be safe from the elements when you’re sleeping outside. If you build the shelter before you lie down to sleep, you’re sure to get some moments of restful sleep; however, if you never build the shelter, then, you’re left to survive whatever elements may come. The rains may come, but if you have a little shelter, it makes the night a little easier to endure.

Sometimes, in life, you’re just going to find yourself caught between a “rock and a hard place.” The rock won’t move, and the hard place won’t remove itself. Maybe it’s the day you woke up late for your new job, and your nine month old baby woke up with a stomach virus, or maybe you were laid off after just buying that brand new car. Maybe your mom has been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer, and your dad began showing signs of dementia last month. Maybe your oldest son has been struggling with a hidden drug addiction, trying to sneak around, stealing money from your nightstand, and your youngest daughter has been bullied at the new school. Maybe your husband seems to be distant, and you just can’t seem to find enjoyment in any of the past delights you two once had. There are times in life when you wish it could be different. You find yourself between a rock and a hard place. You wonder what you’re going to do, how are you ever going to make it?

In that moment, you have a choice to make. You can choose to stop, to hesitate, to allow the circumstances, those hard things, to stunt your growth and keep you from reaching your destiny. You can let that rock hinder you from reaching your dreams. You can even “fold over” on top of yourself and never move beyond where you were in that moment of crisis. Or, you can choose to press forward. You can choose to be like the tree in this picture that refused to be dwarfed by the rock in the path. You can choose to allow those tough spots to make you stronger, more resilient to the pain. You can choose to find joy in the little things, blessings in those people who surround you in that moment of heartache, and even, just peace in the gentle breeze that blows or warmth in the sun that shines. You can choose to grow ’round that rock that crept into your path on your way to greatness.

We all have choices which hold us back from our destiny or propel us toward our dreams. It’s up to us to choose, and when we make that choice of forward determination, our lives will be better for it. Let’s be those whose “life tree” may have twists and turns, bends and curves, but whose branches still reach around those hard places up toward the sky.

Determination of A Boy

October 24, 2014October 24, 2014 / The WheatandTares

Where the beaches’ crowds move from day to day under the hot summer sun,

Hidden, I watch these people, I observe their styles and movements.

By the dunes toward the edge of the highway,

A little boy struggles to reach the top of these majestic mountains,

Sliding down time and again, he begins to cry in desperation,

With tear filled eyes he changes suddenly, as he regains his strength with wind blowing softly,

Forth issue² then with smiling face.

Determination of A Boy

The scene and all its belongings,³ how they entrance and bewilder me,

The bright young boy with a freckled face and a determined will, the sand dunes with their winded cover and cat-tailed lops

Both determined to reach their goal

The boy (typically energetic set in an enchanting surrounding)

The motivated, encouraged, freckled face boy

The low, hoarse whisper of the wind-blown dunes, fighting defeat,

Dreaming, scheming to reach the top.

Determination of A Boy

Penned – MG – 1/23/90

¹ (Modeled after Sparkles from the Wheel, Walt Whitman)

http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/wwhitman/bl-ww-sparkles.htm

², ³ http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/wwhitman/bl-ww-sparkles.htm

Growing Old Gracefully

October 20, 2014 / The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

I took this picture today after I had caught a reflection of myself in the mirror smiling. Earlier in the day, I had been at a wedding and ran into an old friend. We were sitting on opposite sides of the room during the ceremony, and she told me later that, when she first saw me, she hadn’t recognized who I was until I smiled. I’m not sure I’ve ever considered my smile unique; yet, after my friend said that, I started thinking…
They say it takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown; so, I enjoy smiling, sometimes, just for the sake of smiling. I smile at my love, our boys, other kiddos, babies, adults, the elderly and even animals. It only takes a second, and it’s like sharing a moment with a stranger without delving too deep. I like it when I smile as I’m introducing myself to someone, and I see the instant change that happens in the other person. That instantaneous change from fear to confidence, from intimidation to acceptance, from apprehension to warmth and welcome.
I love what an authentic, energetic smile can do for someone’s day. It can cause a baby to start cooing and tweens and teens to start laughing hysterically. (Watch it! That can be contagious!) It can make an elderly person feel loved and valued, and it can make a parent feel capable of surviving that never ending day when nothing seems to be going right! Smiles change the face upon which they are worn, and smiles can transform another person’s day! They can change the whole atmosphere of a room, and they can alter attitudes and predispositions. Smiles can change things.
That’s when I decided to smile deliberately for the rest of my days. I want to grow old gracefully; I don’t want to become an old woman shriveled up like a “prune” (metaphorically speaking), clinging to all of the bitterness of life rather than embracing the good. I want to be full of life and vigor up to my dying day. I want to grasp hold of all that is full of delight, peace and joy. I want to be like the 80+ year old ladies in our church who still have laughter in their being, who can give bear hugs that can break a rib and who always has a funny story to share about her week. I want to be one of those ladies who have such beauty within that it just seems to smooth away all the wrinkles without. I want to be full of laughter, joy, peace and love. I want to be like that until my last breath. I want to be remembered as one who captured the greatest moments in life and who seemed to forget the hardships and pain…or at least who learned from these and moved far beyond them!
I believe it’s all a matter of perspective. Life is hard. It is what it is, but we each have a choice to grasp the bitter or embrace the best. I choose to count my blessings, no matter how big or small they may be. I choose to be that little lady who, in spite of pain, turmoil and strife, sees the grace her faith provides. I choose to see, in the midst of the storm, the sunbeams peeking through the clouds. I choose to learn from the hard and live in the grace. I choose to live life deliberately, love deeply, laugh spontaneously.
I want to grow old gracefully. Lord, let it be true in my life.
“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come…Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.” Proverbs 31:25, 30

Childlike Distractions

October 2, 2014 / The WheatandTares

Grace* was at the beach with her mother, sitting in the sand, watching the ocean. Recently, her church had sung a very popular song titled, “Oceans,”** and as she was sitting there, she began to sing…..it was so beautiful. Her little 5 year old voice rose with the tide as she lifted her praise to her God.
“You call me out upon the waters
The great unknown where feet may fail…And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise…My soul will rest in Your embrace. For I am Yours and You are mine… And my faith will be made stronger…In the presence of my Savior…”**
Her mother sang along with her, lost in this incredible moment of surrender to Her King. They gazed over the waves, feeling the cool breeze as the water washed over their feet and legs.
It was a moment she would forever cherish in her heart.
Then, all of a sudden, in mid-verse, Grace* stopped, and said, “Okay, there is a lot of sand in my bathing suit. I’m going to go get in the water and rinse off now.” Her mother looked at her in shock at the sudden change, and simply said, “Okay ,” and off Grace* went to be a child playing in the waves.
As the mother told me this little story, I was struck at how similar our lives are with God. We can sit down to enjoy a “precious moment” with Him, and we can become so enraptured in His sweet presence when we just let everything else go. We can sing, pray, or even dance, without a single worry or concern. Then, all of a sudden, the waves of alarm hit us, or the tide of time comes in, and we jump up, telling Him, “Well, I’ve got to go now. There’s so many agendas and cares to which I must tend.” Not much unlike this little girl, we, as adults, too often leave Him behind, and go about our business, as if that moment with Him was great, but we leave Him there on the shore as the cares of this world cloud our vision of Him and the moments we spent with Him.
It would be so much better for us if we could learn that He longs for us to remain in His presence throughout our whole day! He does want to hear us say, “Good Morning!” and listen to our bedtime prayers; however, He longs to walk beside us and let us tell Him about every moment of every hour of our day, too. Some might say, “I just don’t have time to stop and pray all day long,” and to those I would challenge with a question, “Why not?”
So many have a misconception that our relationship with God has to be filled with a bunch of “Thees” and “Thous,” and our prayer hours must be enclosed with angels singing and some priest chanting scriptures. Who ever convinced us of that has deceived our wayward hearts! Sure, we should have moments when there is no one else around and we “get alone until we’re not alone anymore,” but Jesus spent time with His disciples off the mountaintop, too. He walked with them; He ate with them. He traveled from town to town with them. He just “hung out” with them. If He did all that with them, while here on this earth, don’t you know He longs to do the same with us while He’s away?
Our Heavenly Father longs to have a relationship with us – a living, breathing, real relationship, one that includes life-altering “holy” moments as well as those simple, seemingly obscure, chats about our day.
So, I challenge you to examine your heart and ask yourself how well you know this Savior, this man who died that you might live. Ask yourself if you have a real relationship with Him or one that may be filled with too many childlike distractions…

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

**Credit: “Oceans” by Hillsong United. Album: Zion, 2013
I do not own, nor do I claim to own, any rights to this song, including music, lyrics, or any other contents of this song.

In Retrospect

September 29, 2014September 29, 2014 / The WheatandTares

Don’t you miss the days when you actually had to have singing to sell an album…when the music had to be live and in sync? Don’t you miss the day when you had to act, sing AND dance to obtain the role in a movie? Don’t you miss the days when you had to be a true patriot to become president…when the politicians had to love God, Family, and Country to succeed in office? Don’t you miss the days when the kids started their school days with The Pledge To Allegiance and ended the day with their bedtime prayers? Don’t you miss the days of fresh milk, fresh farm eggs, fruits and veggies…when it was easy to find less ingredients with better quality?

In all our striving to achieve and gain more, I think maybe we’ve lost something and gained less. Sure, I love the new technology, the new lights and the new transportation. I am blogging via internet right now, and we drive two new 2013 vehicles; so, I am definitely not anti-improvement nor anti-success! I just think, sometimes, in all our seeking the new, we tend to throw out some really good “old things” …like quality service and hardworking attitudes and homemade biscuits and farm grown produce and character, integrity and authenticity. Yeah, this list might not seem to “flow” right when looked at first glance, but stay with me a minute.

I didn’t grow up on a farm, and I wasn’t raised to make homemade biscuits, but when I’ve visited a well working farm, and I’ve eaten warm, homemade biscuits slathered with butter and a touch of honey, it sure reminds me of home. When I sit down to watch an old western or an old black and white Audrey Hepburn movie, it sure makes me think of goodness in the world. When I see an old veteran, tattered and worn from the memories of the war, it surely makes me appreciate him a little more, and it creates within me a grateful heart that my babies still live in a free country today. When I do hear the rare moment of an elementary-aged child reciting his Pledge of Allegiance with strength and dignity, my heart swells with pride, and I stand a little taller, knowing someone else still holds my heartland dear.

Yeah, maybe I am just old before my time, and maybe I just need to get to caught up with the “latest and greatest,” or maybe, just maybe, I’m onto some profound truth….think about it.

Stay With God

September 28, 2014September 28, 2014 / The WheatandTares

No matter what comes. No matter who leaves. He is still God, and He never fails! Stay with God.

For many, these statements can be so controversial. Many will dispute these words; they will say because we live in a fallen world that surely we must be ruled by a hostile God. Some will say this cannot be truth, because, after all, truth is relative: what is true for me may not, necessarily, be true for you. Still others will say this is heresy, because their chosen god is, after all, more mighty, more logical, or more spiritual than a “simple man who roamed this weary earth until his humiliated death.”

Oh, but you can only state fallacies when you do not know my King. You see, I talk to him every day. He walks with me through every moment of every hour. I see His love in a baby’s smile. I hear His joy in a child’s laughter. I smell of His gentleness in the summer breeze. I taste of His goodness in the fresh fruits of spring. His faithfulness reaches the very depths of me, even beyond my failures, my fears and my frailties. You see, He speaks to me in the quietness of my very soul.

He was there when I drew my first breath, and He was there when I took my first step. He watched over me when my mother ventured the wrong paths, and He comforted me when my father refused to come back. He protected me when I fell and cut a main artery, and He shielded me when my classmate was mean and called me names. He has always been there, regardless the circumstance or enemies I have faced.

He brought me life when I called on His name. He gave me hope when I was hopeless. He delivered me from trouble when I lost my way. He restored my joy when all I could see was darkness. He removed my confusion when I couldn’t understand. He opened my eyes when I just couldn’t see. He surrounded me with peace when all around me was turmoil. He filled me with rejoicing when my heart had only seen mourning. He has been my song when I couldn’t open my mouth to utter a sound.

He has done too much for me for you to try to convince this weary soul that He doesn’t exist now. Once you’ve ever seen a glimpse of paradise, it’s hard to be satisfied with normal life. It sets a longing within your being that cannot be quenched by all the riches and wealth of this ordinary world. When your goal is set on higher thoughts, when your dreams are of things beyond what this place can even imagine, it’s hard to envision a lesser place or a lesser Savior. You see, He is my everything. He is the very air I breathe.

Do I have the “perfect life”? Oh, I don’t know. I think that all depends on perspective. I’ve seen hard times, and I’ve seen good ones, too; yet, I just keep trusting Him. I don’t have everything that I want, but I surely have all that I need. He gives me His grace that is so sufficient, and that has made all the difference. Things have happened that I’ve not liked, but life is just life. We’re not home yet. I decided a long time ago that I’d just stay with God, no matter what came my way, and that has carried me through.

No matter what comes. No matter who leaves. He is still God, and He never fails. Stay with God.

If These Walls Could Talk

September 22, 2014October 11, 2014 / The WheatandTares

If these walls could talk, what would they say? Would they groan over the hardships they’ve seen? Would they sway under the weight of change? Would they laugh at old antics and past traditions? Would they smile at the new lives and refurbished dreams?

Would they share a solid faith? Or would they cry over faltered testimonies? Would they weep from years of lost souls? Would they impart wisdom beyond measure or reprimand our crooked ways?

If these walls could talk, what would the tell us? Can you hear them? Are you listening? I think I hear a whisper on the wind…

There is HOPE

September 10, 2014 / The WheatandTares

Cancer, or any terminal illness for that matter, can be so mind boggling…The full impact that it has on someone’s life can be such a hard concept to really get your mind around. The ‘C word’ is feared by so many…hated by more…and yet dealt with by more than we can calculate. It hits some suddenly and fiercely, never relenting until the last breath is breathed. To others, it creeps up slowly and is gone almost before the battle has fully begun…and still others wait hesitantly as it goes into remission for an unknown season of time. Many fight this battle quietly and soberly, others fight valiantly and passionately, seeking a cure; still others may let go before there is a chance for victory. No matter how the battle is finished, everyone is impacted by the journey. Often times, it is one of uncertainty and apprehension; however, it does not have to be one absent of HOPE.

There is a God who loves you, and He is a God who cares for you; He sees you, and He knows the path you take. The Bible says, “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. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord, ” and will bring you back from captivity…” (Jer. 29:11-14) In the midst of the storm, the journey of this life may seem tiresome, and you may wonder why God has made this plan for your life; but rest assured, He has not forsaken you, and He has not forgotten about your trials! He has made a way for you, and His ways are for your good and not your harm! He is a good God, and He loves you SO much! He will carry you through every fire, every flood, every turbulent storm that enters your life. Just rest in His sufficient grace today. Rest in His loving embrace. Take pleasure in knowing that your life is in His hands, and He is working all things out for your personal good: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Rom.8:28) You can make it…you will make it! With God on your side, who can be against you? NO ONE!

“The Lord bless you, and keep you:
The Lord make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you:
The Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”

Numbers 6:24-26 The mountaintop may seem too far to travel, but with God, He will make a way...In the end, the journey will be well worth it!

The mountaintop may seem too far to travel, but with God, He will make a way

…In the end, the journey will be well worth it!

Breathe It All In

September 8, 2014September 8, 2014 / The WheatandTares

We had had such a busy week. We had so much to think about and to get done. I had been sick for about 3 days already, just feeling real crummy, but the boys were taken care of for the day; so, Joey and I decided to take off for a little day trip. We went to eat at one of our favorite restaurants in a small mountain town, and while there, we called some long time friends to come join us. They were busy, too, but we decided to drop by after lunch to see their new house being built. She apologized for her “no makeup attire,” and I insisted it didn’t matter. We all sat in camp chairs on the unfinished back deck overlooking Lake Chatuge. The breeze was blowing softly, making the temperature, on this hot summer day, feel more like a nice fall afternoon. While sitting there, enjoying one another’s company, her husband said, “You wanna go out on the boat?” The thought bounced around our little circle, as we each thought of all the agendas we really needed to finish, but the lake was calling. So, we set out on our spontaneous journey. It was such a beautiful day. The breeze continued to gently blow and pick up speed as the boat did. The sky was a brilliant blue with big, puffy white clouds. The lake reflected the majestic mountains surrounding us, and all of us forgot about the cares of this world as we sailed on through the cove. Our friends’ grown daughter and her one year old son had joined us, and as I watched him toddle onto the boat and his only worries were of “driving the boat with Poppa,” I was reminded that this is what it’s all about. You just have to take a minute to breathe it all in – the mountains, the lake, the suntan lotion, the cheese puffs, and the cool mountain air. As we stopped for ice cream and pizza (yes, in that order! haha), and we enjoyed our food and fellowship, I was once again reminded that we all need to stop and enjoy what life has for us. We can get so caught up in the demands and desires of tomorrow that we simply miss the love, friendship and fun that has been placed right here in front of us. So, next time the world seems to be closing in on you, and the weight is so heavy that it’s getting hard to breathe, STOP. Look beyond the agenda. Call a friend. Get to a lake, a waterfall, a mountain, or even the countryside, and take a minute to breathe it all in. Remember, these are the important things of life: faith, family, friendship, and fellowship…these are the things that will last.