Christmas Project

December 3, 2015December 3, 2015 / 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

Wednesday’s Ode #43

December 2, 2015December 3, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

I love the month of December! The days are (usually) cooler. The nights are definitely chilly, and everyone seems to be a little more cheerful as the lights begin to shine and the carolers begin their song. There’s more shopping days and more sales, more goodies to be baked and more trees to be trimmed. I just love December!

Of course, I love the month of December most, because it means Christmas is here! Christmas is my most favorite holiday of the year, and YES, I still love to say, “MERRY CHRISTMAS!” If you are offended by that phrase, I do ask you to reconsider. I will say, “I am sorry you are offended;” however, I will never apologize for stating the phrase. It is a phrase I hold very dear; I love it, and I believe in it. I do not ask anyone else to stop saying, “Happy Kwanzaa,” or “Happy Hanukkah;” so, it amazes me why those same people who work hard to create those as important wishes want me to stop my cheerful greeting. I will not, but I digress. That is not what this post is about!

I love Christmas time, and I love this time of year. December seems to cause us to reminisce of days gone by and deepen the yearning of our hearts for family, faith and home. December seems to bring a cheery smile to those you encounter and causes those down trodden to lift a weary head when those cheerful smiles come their way. December seems to bring old friends together and lost souls home. It is a time to reflect, ponder and gaze in wonder.

Most of all, for me, personally, it is a time to remember the wonderful birth of my Savior, my God. He was a king in Glory, and He gave it all to come to Earth to live among us, to live, to die and to be risen again. He did all this for you and for me, and it all started this time of year.

So, I say to you, Merry Christmas! It’s going to be a wonderful month of celebration here at our house!! 🙂

Bridges Across Pain

December 1, 2015December 1, 2015 / 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 King’s Gift

November 16, 2015November 16, 2015 / The WheatandTares

Mephibosheth…what a name. He was crippled in both feet, too…his nurse had dropped him as a child…and his Daddy and Grandaddy had been killed in battle…and he was born to royalty, but his kingship had been taken away, because a new king had been crowned. By law, he could be killed by that new king. He just wanted to be left alone to die in his misery…but the new king had called upon him.

I wonder what he was thinking when he got that message. I wonder what he thought of his life. What hardship he had endured. What tragedy he had survived…I don’t think he was thriving in his current life. I don’t think he was too excited about this call either. He had to receive the call…and he had to answer; after all, it was the King.

If it were me, I think I might just tell that messenger, “Will you just kill me now?? I mean, really. I’m crippled. I’m broke. I have no family. I have no heritage. I have no inheritance, and now, the very one who’s taken my inheritance away from me is calling for me to come to him…probably to kill me! What more do you want from me? Can’t you just leave well enough alone?!” What a terrible lot in life.

He followed through with the request. He went to see the king. Could you imagine his anguish as he entered the Kings’ courts? Could you imagine his resolution, probably, to just take his death sentence and be done with this sorry life he’d been handed? In your mind, can you see him??

Now, could you imagine his relief when King David told his servants to clothe him in the finest robes and seat him at his personal table for a fine dinner? That’s what happened! He was seated at the king’s table to eat of the king’s meal, and then, he was welcomed in to live at the king’s palace for the rest of his days!

You see, before he died, his father had been best friends with this king. This king grieved over losing his best friend. This king longed to show kindness to his best friends’ household, and Mephibosheth was the only one left.

Oh, what relief. Oh, what utter JOY!! Could you imagine the turn of events? To be given such a gift, I would be elated! To be given such grace, I would be ecstatic!! I would be overjoyed!

Did you know, you and I can actually receive such a gift??

It may not be in an earthly kingdom, but it is in a heavenly one. Here on this earth, you and I are destined for a life of sin and an eternity of hell, but we have a Father in heaven who sent His Son to die for us, to forgive us our sins, and if we’ll just accept His invitation, He promises to give us an eternity of heaven!

What an incredible story…what an incredible ending…it’s a true one,* by the way…

What an incredible opportunity for you and me… How about it? Will you accept the invitation today? All you have to do is believe.

*2 Samuel 9:1-9
*John 3:16-17, “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.”

Life Speaks

November 9, 2015August 30, 2018 / The WheatandTares

I saw this picture today, and it really hit home…

I hope that my life and my actions always line up with who I say that I am. It is so disconcerting to me how easily, it seems, some people can speak good words, smile and give a look of love and concern; then, that same person can turn and completely tear another to pieces. I know there are times when we have to “smile and nod,” simply because it’s not the time or place to handle a certain situation, or maybe, you’re in the public eye, and it’s best for your leadership, your reputation and your “good name” to just keep your mouth shut, smile graciously and handle someone with kindness. However, when there is underlying resentment and hatred, you can be guaranteed that will come shining through your actions! I don’t care how masked you think you are!

It is a matter of the heart. I’m sure you’ve heard it said, “If there’s trash on the inside, trash will eventually come out.” Or as the Bible says, “Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.” If there’s junk on the inside, it doesn’t matter how beautiful you paint the face, that junk will eventually come to the surface, and when it does, it’s not going to be pretty!

My prayer is that I can keep a clean heart before God and not try to hide my “ugly” from Him. He sees it anyway; so, why should I try to think otherwise? If I will just spend more time with Him, listening, talking, receiving instruction from Him, being honest with Him about what’s on the inside, and allowing Him to change the ugly, I won’t have to worry about what I do on the outside, because I’ll become more like Him and so much less like me. 😉

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.” Psalm 19:14

Life Is So Short…Stop.

November 2, 2015November 1, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 8 Comments

Friday, some good friends of ours lost two of their nephews in a tragic car accident. Today, another family will be saying goodbye to their father, grandfather and husband, whom they lost suddenly about a week ago, and yet, another family just laid to rest their family matriarch, yesterday, after her sudden illness in just the last few days. There are several more I could mention who are going through a season of grief or who are just on the verge of it. Sometimes, when it rains, it pours.

Life is so short. It slows down for no one. Stop. Inhale. Breathe. Make the Moments Last. Cherish those you love longer. Treasure those around you, even when you feel like they’ll be there forever. Don’t let those memories be lost, simply, because you haven’t the time to remember. Don’t brush away the tears, simply, because you don’t want them to see. Pause and ponder. Look up and wonder. Gaze into the eyes of a child, and remember what matters most.

Sometimes, life can be a fierce reminder of what can be lost in an instant. We are never guaranteed tomorrow. We are never promised our next breath. This why it’s so important to savor the dimming light in a sunset, to treasure those last embers around the campfire. We never know what may be around the next bin or beyond the next horizon. How we handle “right now” may determine our regrets and our joys for tomorrow.

We can live our lives letting life happen, or we can choose to make life happen. We can roll on, allowing life to impact us in whatever fashion it comes, or we can choose to make an impact on the life around us. We can be a victim, or we can be the victor. What we do with the time we are given may very well become our anthem or our lament.

If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share with you what King Solomon said about this in Ecclesiastes 3…

“To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:

2 A time to be born,

    And a time to die;

A time to plant,

    And a time to pluck what is planted;

3 A time to kill,

    And a time to heal;

A time to break down,

    And a time to build up;

4 A time to weep,

    And a time to laugh;

A time to mourn,

    And a time to dance;

5 A time to cast away stones,

    And a time to gather stones;

A time to embrace,

    And a time to refrain from embracing;

6 A time to gain,

    And a time to lose;

A time to keep,

    And a time to throw away;

7 A time to tear,

    And a time to sew;

A time to keep silence,

    And a time to speak;

8 A time to love,

    And a time to hate;

A time of war,

    And a time of peace.    
…(14) I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever.“
From the wisest King who ever lived, we are given confirmation that time never stops; there are seasons for everything, and that whatever God does, that is what will last forever. So, I leave you with this question, ” What things or people do you hold so dear, and for whom are you living your life today?”

Let Go to Grow

October 29, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Have you ever watched a toddler hold tightly to his broken toy while crying that it’s broken, or a young child who covers her cut, refusing to let you clean and bandage it for fear of the pain?

I think we, as adults, can fall into this tendency with God as well. How often do we hold tightly to our broken dreams, our shattered emotions, our cracked ambitions, foolishly believing that somehow we can fix them on our own? How many times do we avoid His presence when our hearts are scarred from the pain, and we simply keep our tears hidden, somehow, convinced He can’t really heal the wounds?

He is simply waiting there for us. He is as close as a whisper. All we have to do is call on Him, and He will be there. All we have to do is believe. All we have to do is let go.

He is faithful. He is kind and merciful. He is full of love, and that love is for each of us. When we let go of the brokenness and the pain, that’s when we begin to grow.

Will all our problems go away immediately when He shows up? Not necessarily. We are humans living in a humanistic world; we haven’t reached heaven yet. However, when He shows up, our perspective begins to change. Our eyes will see more. Our ears will hear more clearly, and our hearts will be free to heal. Our dreams will begin to grow again.

Why? …because when He shows up, we have HOPE.

Try it. Let go today and begin to grow.

Go Down to Get Up

October 27, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

God Does Things Backwards…

He doesn’t do things the way society believe they should be done. He does things backwards from what is expected.

Flow to Grow

Prune to be Groomed

Serve to Lead

Lay Down to be Raised Up

Be Changed to Be Transformed

Conflict brings Peace

Confrontation Shows Love

Draw close to Him to Go Far in Life

Go Down to Get Up

Give to Get

Surrender to Win

Die to Live

It seems confusing to the world. This isn’t how they succeed. This isn’t how they win.

You can’t understand it until you live it, until you surrender all to Him.

It’s not a surrender to become bound…but, yet, it is.

It’s not a serving to become less…but, yet, it is.

It’s a letting go to receive. It’s a giving up to become great. It’s a dying to become more.

I can’t explain some of it; yet, I know He is my lifeline, and without Him, I would be lost. I would fail at this life, and I would die for eternity.

All He wants is your heart. When you give it, He gives you more love than you can imagine.

All He desires is your will. When you give it, He gives you more power than you can fathom.

All He longs for is your life. When you give it, He gives you more fulfillment than you can dream.

Would you like to see?

All you have to do is Believe…

Between The Ditches

October 26, 2015October 26, 2015 / The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

We were driving behind this guy one day who seemed very preoccupied with everything except the one thing he needed to be focused on: driving. He turned around to talk to his backseat passenger. He looked down for something. He reached over into the front passenger seat for something else. The whole time, he was swerving from the yellow line to the white line, back and forth, time and time again.

It made me think of our personal lives with Christ. Sometimes, I think we can find ourselves driving the road of life simply keeping it between the ditches. We can survive this way. We can definitely make it to heaven, keeping our lives just barely beyond the boundaries of sin, and, yes, especially when we are just getting into this thing, it takes learning and growing to set those boundaries strong and true.

However, when we consistently live our lives simply with the mentality, “How much can I get away with and still make it to heaven?,” I wonder if we truly THRIVE in our Christian walk. I wonder if we can have as much impact as when we set our standards higher and start living life victoriously…

I believe God has called us to live thriving to seek more of Him and less of us. I believe He would have us thriving in this life, paving the path for those around us to find Him. I believe He would have us to live victoriously, mountaintop to mountaintop.

This doesn’t mean we never encounter temptations, we never drop down into the valleys. After all, the only way to move from one mountain top to the next is by going through the valley or across the ridge. We can’t just hop from one to another. We will face low points at some times.

However, the difference I’m talking about is just like the driver that we found ourselves behind that day. He had a choice to drive straight, to take the curves wisely and to not hinder, or even scare the life out of, the on coming traffic due to his distractions. He lacked focus of the main thing he needed to be doing: driving!

We, as Christians, are called to a higher place, to live a better way. After all, Jesus told us, “…But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light…” 1Peter 2:9

*I do not own or possess this picture. Found on Google images: http://www.equipmentworld.com

Heart Questions

October 20, 2015March 22, 2018 / The WheatandTares / 3 Comments

Why do babies die too soon?

Why do mothers get cancer?

Why do fathers die tragically?

Why do friends hate and kill?

Why do the innocent suffer?

Sometimes, my heart asks the hard questions, the kind of questions that don’t have easy answers to find. Sometimes, my mind scrambles to understand why evil can be so prevalent in a world in which God made and in people whom God created. Sometimes, life just seems unfair, unruly and undesirable.

Often, I wonder why innocent children are taught to carry guns and strap bombs on themselves to kill people of another religion and race. Often, I wonder why this one is healed of sickness and disease and another says goodbye. Often, I wonder why one family can be so blessed and another can be left so desolate.

In all of this questioning, I have found some answers to be true…

We live in a fallen world, and we’re not home (in heaven) yet. This life we live is not perfect, and we become fools when we believe it should be. There are evil men (and women) in our culture today, and their only intent is to wreak havoc wherever they can.

Sometimes, people are in the wrong places at the wrong times. Sometimes, people are doing something they shouldn’t be doing. Sometimes, people aren’t doing what they should.

There are laws of the land which, just simply, must be followed, like “Gravity is real, and if you think you’ll jump from that building and remain unharmed, you’re just wrong.” There are, also, spiritual laws which, again, if you desire a better life, must be followed. Even if you’re not a believer, you can see that ‘reaping what you sow’ comes to pass. As in, “If you think you can spend all that money and not go into debt, and not owe many people in return, you are just fooling yourself!”

There are some things that just “are what they are,” and there’s nothing we can do about it. There’s some things that are just sin, and sin will never bring about good things in the long run. There’s some things from which we must learn lessons in order to grow and mature beyond where we are, and there are some accidents and “freakish happenings” which just happen for no apparent rhyme or reason.

I don’t have answers to all the why’s, how’s, and when’s, and I would never try to presume that I do; however, I can tell you this: I know a God who does know all answers and so much more. I know He is faithful and true. I know He loves us, and I know He cares about every little or big thing we face. I know He is there when we need Him, and He can carry us through the storm when we can’t carry ourselves.

How do I know this, you might ask? I know this, because I believe. I know this, because I believe His Word to be true. I know this because of my personal relationship with Him. I know this because of the changes I have seen, not only in my own life but, also, in the lives of so many with whom I’ve come into contact. I know this because of the miracles He has done in my life, and not only in my life, but in the lives of my family, my friends and, even, in people I barely know.

I know He is God. He is faithful. He is true, and He loves me and you. Does this mean, somehow, that my life is never, or will never, be touched by pain, grief or aguish. NO! Just because I believe in a loving God does not mean I will never experience something bad. I’ve seen and experienced plenty of things I wished I hadn’t, and I’m sure that I will experience more in my lifetime. That’s just life, living in an imperfect world with imperfect people. Even Jesus, the Son of God, experienced heartache, pain, suffering and, also, death. By no means, am I better than He! Sometimes, life is just not going to be what we expected it to be, but that doesn’t make Him any less of a perfect God, any less of a living God! It just makes us human and living in a human world.

So, will I always have more questions than I have answers, well, I hope so. Questions make us search our hearts, search down in our souls. Questions make us seek for deeper meaning. Questions make us seek for a higher purpose, an understanding beyond our own.

The Bible says…

Luke 11:9-10, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Jeremiah 29:11-13 says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.”

Matthew 5:8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.”

*Note: I do not own nor do I possess this picture. Found it by simple Google search. Directed to http://achurchofchrist.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Questions-of-the-Heart-300×259.jpg