Okay, so, please accept my apologies for not posting this week’s Wednesday’s Ode! I think I forgot today was Wednesday until just a few minutes ago. I have been a day behind this week. 😛 If you won’t be too upset with me, since, I just posted a note for today, I will post Wednesday’s Ode #36 TOMORROW! …Maybe by then, the week will have caught up with me 😉 haha.

There is a song that really hit home with me the other day…

“…And if I were honest with myself

Had I been standing at that tree

My mouth and my hands would be covered with fruit

Things I shouldn’t know and things I shouldn’t see

Remind me of this with every decision

Generations will reap what I sow

I can pass on a curse or a blessing

To those I will never know”        – Sara Groves  “Generations”

The artist is referring to Eve tasting the fruit in the Garden of Eden, the comparison of her own life and the repercussions of decisions made…

How true it is, the spiritual law of sowing and reaping. If we sow good things, like love, joy, peace, patience, we will reap the same. If we sow seeds of bitterness, rage, envy and strife, that’s exactly what we will harvest. God’s Word is true, and He is faithful to what He has promised. If He says we will reap what we sow, you can believe it will come to pass.

Yet, can I ask you? How often do we fail to see that what we reap may be sown, not only in our lives but, also, in the lives of our children and in our children’s children? Let me give you a personal example…both of my grandfathers were known alcoholics in their hometown. One was a wealthy man, first name of WL, but whose reputation was as such that many nicknamed him “Double Hell” when he turned up the bottle. The other was a not so wealthy of a man, last name Hall, and whose reputation for being an alcoholic rendered him a similar nickname, just changing the vowel in his last name to fit. Now, these two men each had children, one – daughters, one – sons, all who grew up in and around these alcoholic lifestyles, and each of them learned the ways of the world and falling into the same patterns of their father. Each of these men, and each of these children, have their own stories to tell of chaos, salvation and change, and, unfortunately for one, the lack thereof. However, I am the third generation of this “heritage,” and it has taken many prayers, a tenacity of will and a lifestyle of sanctification to begin sowing a different seed than the ones they first planted.

It is so important how we choose to live our lives, not simply for our own experience, but, so much more, for those coming behind. We may be able to live life as we choose, reeking havoc when we like, being careless, nonchalant or disconnected, but what about those children who are watching us, learning from us, taking in our every move, our every word, our every action? Sometimes, they are left to pay the highest price.

When we choose to seek a higher purpose for living than just our own fleshly desires and ambitions, it causes us to be accountable to another. It causes us to take responsibility for our actions, and it causes us be more aware of commitments made and promises spoken.

My goal is to live the best life I can live to leave a strong heritage of love, faith and hope to my boys. My prayer is they will see that doing the right thing always outweighs doing the “comfortable” thing. My hope is my sons will not be the only ones impacted by the legacy I, one day, will leave.

*Picture is from welearntoday.com via Google images. I do not have possession of, nor do I own this picture.*

  
I read this Scripture the other day, and I was amazed at its impact on my heart. “I will praise you with an upright heart when I learn your righteous rules.” Sometimes, I think I find myself working so hard in my own strength to praise God, and I find myself tired and worn out, falling back into guilt, because I feel like I just can’t praise Him enough, or praise Him right, because He’s so much greater and more wonderful than I can even find words! Other times, I find myself disappointed in my ability to praise, because I feel that I fall so short of His blessings, and I am so inadequate to follow His ways and desires for me. It’s not that He is overbearing or mean about it. I am just simply so aware of His greatness and my lack thereof. 

Yet, when I read this Scripture, and others that David wrote in the Book of Psalms, I am reminded, once again, that if I can just fall so deeply in love with Jesus that my heart doesn’t wander, I don’t have to work so hard at always doing the right things. For when I love Him, I walk in fellowship with Him, and I find myself wanting to please Him, and when my desire is right, I learn more of His ways, and I’m able to praise Him with an upright heart. It’s a “dominoe effect.” 

For love causes you to want to spend more time with someone, and when you have a deeper relationship with someone, you know their likes and dislikes. You know what pleases them and what doesn’t, and when it’s Someone you’re serving, it’s easier to serve when it’s no longer an obligation, but rather, an honor and a pleasure to serve.  Love causes a heart to love to serve, to long to please and to long to give praise. When it comes to loving our Heavenly Father, the One for whom we were created to serve, please and praise, our hearts realize this is the void that has been long desiring fulfillment. 

So, if you feel like you’re spinning your wheels, sometimes, and you just don’t feel like you can do anything right, I encourage you to simply fall in love with Him, all over again, and rest assured that everything’s going to be alright! He will draw to you if you’ll just draw to Him. 

…He’s simply waiting on us…

I love antiques!  I love antiques that have been refurbished, like my desk that has been refurbished from an old Singer sewing machine.   I have an antique china cabinet, an antique chest and an antique bench. I even have an old Dutch Doughboy that dates back to the late 1800’s. It’s really a cool piece! I won’t say I buy antiques simply because they’re antiques; however, I do love perusing through the antique stores just to see what I can find!  In Georgia, some of the best towns to go seeking for antiques are Ellijay, Dahlonega, Madison, Clayton, Buford, and Monroe. These small, southern towns have so many shops and antique malls through which to browse. If you’re looking for antiques, you’ll love these! I could spend a whole day in each of these town…well, actually, I have! 😉 as a matter of fact, I’d like to go, again, right now! 🙂