courage

What Are You Hiding?

/ The WheatandTares / 7 Comments

 

source: http://thewell.intervarsity.org/reflections/hide-and-seek-god

 
We all hide something…we paint on makeup to hide blemishes and old age. We put on certain garments to hide weight gains. We avoid a phone call to hide awkwardness. We walk the other way to hide our annoyance with a certain person. We don’t show up in order to hide anger, hurt or confusion. Too often, we hide from the things that will cause us to work a little harder, think a little longer or or even confront a little stronger, because it’s much easier to avoid and hide than it is to put real effort into moving he mountain which is before us. 

On the other hand, there are times you need to hide… 

As the old saying goes, “If the barn needs painting; then, paint it!” There are definitely times when a little makeup helps more than it hurts. (I’m not arguing the merits of “going natural” here.) If you need to prepare your heart before the encounter; then, by ALL means, hide in your prayer closet and get prepared; so, you don’t add more damage to the troubled situation. If you need to avoid the conversation until you can gather your thoughts an words properly; then, do it, but don’t wait too long. 

Yet, when it comes to matters of the heart, and it is a matter of obedience to the task God has set before you, it is better to hide under His wings to receive your true rest and strength and simply obey. When it involves someone who needs a confrontation, needs encouragement or just needs a friend, it’s time to come out from your hiding places and do the right thing! 

Stop hiding for fear of failure, fear or confrontation or fear of rejection. When God calls you, He will equip you. He will give you the courage to obey. He will give you the ability to speak truth. He will give you the ability to forgive and love even when you don’t it’s possible. 

One of the most important things is we must get honest about the hiding! It’s not a hide-and-go-seek game where you can claim to pretend you were just having fun. Your hiding doesn’t simply make those things go away; the hiding only prolongs the pain and frustration of yourself and those involved. 

So, face down your fears. Confront the wrong and follow through with those things which God has placed before you! You can do this! You will be amazed how much better you will feel, how much stronger you will become and how much you will grow when you come out of hiding and seek out those things from which you have been straining to avoid. šŸ˜‰

Are You Qualified?

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

Do you ever really feel qualified for the task set before you? Do you ever struggle with insignificance, doubt, fear of rejection and a fear of failure? I know do.

Now, I’m going to interrupt myself for just a second here and say this: this post won’t be for those of you who are so sure of yourself that you feel you can take on the world. This post probably isn’t going to mean diddly to those of you who are completely confident in who you are and what you are doing that you don’t even ask for advice or input anymore.

No, in this post, I am talking to the ones out there who struggle with feeling qualified. You struggle with confidence and courage issues. You battle with low self esteem and the fear of rejection or the fear of failure. YOU are whose attention I hope to grasp for just a moment or two…

Personally, I have a constant war within my mind of not measuring up to who I ought to be or not doing the things that I know I should. I struggle with confidence, sometimes, in the simplest areas of life, and yet, I get so frustrated with myself because of this lack of confidence.

Even when I might begin to feel good about something I’m doing, there comes that moment, especially when in the public view, where I look (or at least feel like I look) like a deer in headlights. Ā This being because I just saw someone look at me the wrong way and I begin to wonder if I’ve done or said something wrong, or I have a moment where I stumble with my words and worry that I’ve messed up the whole conversation, or I didn’t flow well with the service, in which I play a very small part, and I feel as if I could just run away and hide.

I could give several reasons for this inner battle. I could say, “Well, I’m just an introvert; so, I’m geared that way.” I could argue, “I’m a perfectionist, and I’m hard wired to always seek the perfect over the good.” I could even try to blame my parents, after all, my dad was neglective, out of the picture for most of my childhood, and my mom was a very domineering personality in the home.

Yeah, all of these have some truth in them. All of them effect who I am. However, none of these things can stand on their own when I look at this verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13. None of these “hold water” when I read this verse, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.” Psalm 139:14. When I read the Bible and see what it has for me, I find these excuses and justifications don’t work very well. These factors, these excuses, which are very much a part of me, just don’t measure up to the kind of God I serve.

I have to realize in every situation that God placed me here for a reason. I have a purpose, and I must fulfill it, not for my glory and fame, but for His. When He gets the glory, people’s lives are impacted. When His glory is revealed, people’s lives are forever changed. When I get my eyes off of me and totally on Him, my feelings of insignificance, lack of confidence and fears of failure simply turn to gray, as I gaze upon His beauty and awesomeness!

qualified

So, I have made a decision to keep my eyes focused on Him, to make the best of every situation for His sake, and to surrender all my fears and doubts and “lacks of,” and let Him have complete control of all of it. I have chosen to fight these battles with confidence, or the lack thereof, and WIN! I can do this when Christ is working through me! I can succeed when He is the goal, and it’s for His glory!

You can, too!

We can do this thing! šŸ˜‰

Look at these videos that I found by Jon Jorgenson. I hope you will be encouraged!

Inspired this post: Ā http://youtu.be/ZCSlaX-u3P8

For women: Ā  http://youtu.be/uWi5iXnguTU

For men: Ā  http://youtu.be/aTAn-tk2pDA

Build Superhero Status

/ The WheatandTares


When our boys were little, they were always posing, play fighting, and attacking life as some kind of superhero. Our oldest would dress up in the full Batman mask and cape, ready to face every enemy lurking around the corner; it didn’t matter that we were only going to the store. He was ready for whatever may come! Our youngest didn’t dress up in the cape as much, but he wore out that Batman mask! šŸ™‚

Our children always want to be something great. Let’s let help them. Let’s let them be the heroes they choose, no matter what age they might be. Let’s imagine with them, pretend with them, even believe with them. They are only little once. Those years fly by so quickly. It’s as if I blinked, and now, I see a teen growing into a man and a young boy growing into a teen. I miss those younger years, sometimes, but I know they must grow. I know they cannot stay small forever.

Yet, even as they grow, they still have dreams of being a hero. It might not be Batman, and it may not be Superman, but there are dreams still alive, villains still to be captured and battles still to be won. Find out what those are, and help them not just make it and survive; help them conquer and thrive. Breathe life into those imaginations.Ā Let the dreams live on. Give them the tools to fight those battles and win BIG.

For every Superhero was once a small child. Every mother, every father, for generations past, was once a little girl and a little boy dreaming of the hero they would on day become, and so many still, yet, dream of the hero they once were or the one they desire to be…

 

Overcoming Fear

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Sometimes, you just have to face down your fears in order to have a dream realized. If you don’t face down the fear, you might miss out on the joy of the dream coming true.  

A few months ago, our little family was at some friends’ farm near South Georgia. A member of their family had been taking care of a wild hawk for about three months after saving it from drowning. When I say “wild,” I mean exactly that. They did not have this bird of prey in a cage nor on any type of contained area. They simply allowed him to come and go around the farm. They had trained him to land on their gloved arm and to eat from their hand, but they weren’t limiting his ability to learn to live, hunt and dwell on his own. 

While we were there, they asked if we wanted to be a part of the hawk’s feeding. Each one of us were intrigued and, at first, a little intimidated; however, we all faced down our fears and intimidation, put on the red glove and awaited the landing. 

It was an incredible experience!! 

    

 
  
The hawk was so beautiful!

 He even met us at the front door on one of our visits, and decided to alight on Joey’s shoulder. Joey said it was quite intimidating to have him squawk at you and then fly to land right beside your face! 
It’s always been my dream to do this. Hawks are one of my favorite animals and definitely my favorite birds of prey. They are so majestic. I am so glad I had the courage to experience this dream come true!

Train Them Up

/ The WheatandTares / 10 Comments

The Bible says, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6. As we strive daily to teach our children strong values and Godly principles, I often wonder how we’re doing. Dealing with the ever shifting cultural standards, the pressures from the outside that scream, “You’re too old fashion!” “You’re intolerant!” “You’re behind the times,” I am tempted, almost daily,Ā to question my motives, intentions and purpose for setting these “rules,”Ā these boundaries, theseĀ standards by which we live. Having a young teen in our home, one who is striving to find himself, to determine his own faith, ‘not that of mom and dad,’ and to become the man he so longs to be, it causes me, at times, to pause, to ponder, to almost take a poll to see if I’m doing right by him, if I’m teaching him these things for his own good or for mine.
Good parenting doesn’t come easy. Good parenting isn’t a popularity contest. It isn’t a survey we take to see who approves and who doesn’t. Good parenting takes faithfulness to the One who created it.Ā It takes a lot of love, mercy and grace. Good parenting takes tenacity to carry on, to uphold your standards andĀ to stick to your convictions, evenĀ when you’re all alone and “nobody else is doing it!”
The best kind of parent has the faith to remain a boundary while all others run away in fear of ridicule. The best kind of parent stands with courage in the face ofĀ rejection and loneliness. The best kind of parent has also learned when to say, “I’m sorry. I was wrong,” even when it hurts their pride to do so. The best kind of parent loves beyond the failings, keeps believing beyond the mishaps and keeps cheering beyond the cold winds of adversity. The best kind of parent knows when to push forward and when to pause and let them breathe. Lastly, the best kind of parent keeps loving when the doorĀ to their child’s heart has been slammed shut, and it appears he/she will never come back home.
Good parenting skills don’t come easy. It’s not a game in which you roll the dice and see if you hit the jackpot. No, good parenting takes faith. It takes determination. It takes a strong heart to love deep and remain true. It takes a strong mind to think the unthinkable, to plan for the unpredictable and to dream the unimaginable. It takes humility, love and grace for success to come, and, sometimes, that success may not be realized for almost a lifetime.
In this one thing you can rest assured, His Word does not fail. His promises are true. You train that child to follow Him, they will know the way home. Yes, it will have to be their choosing; He will never force their hand. He will never demand their love, but He will be ever present, ever drawing them with His love that is unconditional, His love that never fails.
So, keep the faith, Mom. Hold up that standard, Dad. Remain true to the One who called you to this purpose. You can do this! You can survive! Those little hearts are counting on you. They need your love. They need your guidance. They need your boundaries that protect them from the evil outside. They need your standards that protect them from themselves. Keep the faith! You only have a few years to fight this battle for the souls of the next generation. Don’t give up. Don’t give in, and never let them see you cower in fear. You were made for this. This is your destiny. Win!

…These are the moments when my heart is reassured that we are on the right path…

IMG_4679.JPG

His dream is to be a Christian Rapper…so, we work hard to help him realize his dreams even while he is stillĀ young…

IMG_8517.JPG

At bedtime, we find him like this more often than not… (He’s fallen asleep reading his Action Bible.)

IMG_8633.JPG

IMG_4662.JPG

At a summer youth camp, I looked up and saw him immersed in worship…

IMG_6593.JPG

On top of the mountain, he said, “Mom, take this picture. I want to post it to [social media] and talk about pondering things of life and faith…”

IMG_8018.JPG

I told them I’d like to get a picture of them with the mountains behind…
(Note: I didn’t ask them to “huddle up,” but they did.)

…Parents, be encouraged today. Sometimes, it’s the little things that we fail to notice, and sometimes, those are the very things that matter the most! šŸ™‚

The Old Gnarled Tree

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

IMG_8014.JPG

IMG_8013.JPG

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

Determination of A Boy

/ 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 issueĀ² then with smiling face.

Determination ofĀ A Boy

Ā 

The scene and all its belongings,Ā³ 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

Ā 

Penned – MG – 1/23/90

Ā 

Ā 

Ā¹ (Modeled after Sparkles from the Wheel, Walt Whitman)

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

Ā², Ā³ http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/wwhitman/bl-ww-sparkles.htm

Goal Setting: Blogging 201

/ The WheatandTares

Okay, so I’m starting a little late this week on Blogging 201, but I suppose it’s “better late than never!”Ā  šŸ™‚

The questions presented are, “Why Do I Blog?” and “What Goals Do I Have for this Blog?”Ā  I suppose the summation of this answer can be found here. I began this blog, because, for yearsĀ now, I have kept personal journals of random thoughts, endless “stories” about my days, and countless hopes and dreams about the future, as well as, separate journals of poems I have written over the years, and I felt it was maybe time to share these musings with others. I haveĀ endured some pain through the years, and I have enjoyed many days of laughter, too. I have learned many lessons through the sorrows and the joy, andĀ I hope to be an inspiration to someone who searches for truth, an encouragement to someone who doubts and maybe even a ray of hope to someone who has lost all hope. … Do I have all the answers? Not by any stretch, but I doĀ know I have found a Truth in whom I can believe,Ā an everlasting Hope of which I can rest assured, and a Solid Rock upon which I can stand. I know that I have learned so much in my short years of living, and I’m still seeking for more…wisdom and momentsĀ of true life. I know I have a man with whom I am madly in love (as heĀ is with me);Ā we have two very lively boys with whom, on a daily basis,Ā we cherish incredible adventures, and, regardless of theĀ circumstances that may arise, we try toĀ live in a place of contentment and peace.Ā So, I blog in hopes of sharing these things which I have found to beĀ anchors in my life, and I blog just for the “fun” of sharing with others a little bit about my findings in this adventure called life.

So, in stating all of this, I need to set some goals for this blog in order to reach beyond where I am today. I have heard it said, “A man with a goal is like a ship without a rudder.”Ā (1) andĀ  “Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination.”Ā (2) These quotes are so true, and they are so easily “preached” to others;Ā yet, when I began this blog, I was hesitant to state my goals for fear they would be seen as too lofty or to lowly by others. So, when I saw this as the first assignment of the Blogging 201, honestly, I hesitated to continue. Then, I rebuked my own laziness and decided this was a really good assignment for me, and so, here I am!

3 Goals to Accomplish by January 31, 2015:

1. Consistently post on my blog at leastĀ twice weekly.

2. Gain 100 followers by January 31, 2015.

3. Spend one hour each week visiting my followersā€™ blogs, reading their posts, and commenting on their work, from now until January 31, 2015.

Whew! That’s done. Now, it’s official! I’ve set 3 goals. Now, I must be persistent in reaching them…I feel like giving myself a high-five. Ha ha.

(3)
Ā Ā  Ps. While we’re on the thought of goal setting…..Why is setting goals so difficult??
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā I believe it’s because of 3 things (at least from my vantage point):
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 1.Ā We’re too lazy to actually think and put action behind the thoughts.
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 2. We doubt our own ability to achieve the goal(s).
Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā 3. It’s not a priority in our life; so, we push it off with excuses, blames and justifications.
Ā So, today, I choose to be different. I choose to make a choice. I choose to set a goal and achieve it! šŸ™‚
(4)
The contents marked by footnotes contain quotes or pictures by authors other than myself, as noted:
(1)Ā http://quotes.lifehack.org/quote/thomas-carlyle/a-man-without-a-goal-is-like/ – Thomas Carlyle

(2) http://www.motivatingquotes.com/goalsq.htm – Fitzhugh Dodson

(3) http://vi.sualize.us/its_nice_that_typography_card_letterpress_quote_picture_2yy3.html

(4) http://media-cache-ec0.pinimg.com/originals/9d/f7/f6/9df7f669c9af0b104a0c5511e2a85e23.jpg

The Room

/ The WheatandTares

IMG_8137-0.JPG

There is a little room where thoughts of freedom roam.

Fears cannot be found; pain can never be felt.

No words of gossip. No words of rage.

Joy and laughter does abound,

And the sun is ever shining,

But this little room has a door that is locked tight.

I keep knocking and calling;

Yet, no one will answer.

Evil looksĀ glare from those angry eyes.

Harsh words of accusation surround my ears.

Fear consumes me.

My heart is left vulnerable. Love is on the line.

Trying to be strong, I stand to face the fight.

I pray for courage and for strength

As I walk upon the battlefield.

My love for him increases, so strong, I cannot hide.

Please God, give me wisdom and discernment.

For what is within, I cannot lie.

I do not want to be afraid.

I do not want to withdraw.

I love Him. I need Him.

I want to enter that little room.

Ā 

Penned – MG – 11/92

The Fight For Life

/ The WheatandTares

Death is calling her home

She hears him, but does not listen

She continues to go on, striving to succeed

Pushing her way at any cost to take the lead

He’s creeping upon her like a shadow

Continually stealing her strength

She’s getting weaker, stumbling along the way

Constantly wondering if he will pass or stay

They are both at war, never giving up

Each striving to overcome this losing battle

Never wanting to admit their own losses

Tearing at each other and pushing on at all cost

Finally the time has come…

Ā Will she choose to surrender or to defeat

She has fought the fight of impossible for some

And realized that she can overcome

She walks forward, trying to conceal

The weapon at her side, gaining confidence at every turn

Face to face with him, she rises and strikes him to the ground

She has conquered the evil one and proven that Love still abounds.

Penned – MG – 1/23/90