gratefulness

How Grateful Are You?

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment
I do not own or possess this pic. (Google search)

It’s that season when everyone is “supposed to be grateful.”

There are commercials, radio broadcasts, and talk shows proclaiming who’s grateful and why.

There are magazine articles and social media posts sharing the gratitude of the heart or how to show it.

But it always makes me wonder, “Why do we have to show our gratefulness only at this time of year?”

That may sound like a ridiculous question, but let me take a moment to explain…

Gratefulness is not simply a coat we should take out of the closet one season a year.

It’s not something we should dig out if the winter clothes to cover our shivering hearts.

It’s not a trinket we should wrap around our necks for the he holidays for all to see so beautifully.

Gratefulness should be a chosen lifestyle.

It should be an attitude we allow to arise in our souls with the sunshine and to glow through the night as the moonlight.

It should be as a keepsake with which we can’t depart.

Something we must carry with us at all times, whether there is someone to see the display or not.

Gratefulness should be a lifeline that sustains us on the highest mountain tops and the darkest valleys below.

It should be the countenance of our face that glitters in every season.

It should be our very heartbeats that remind us of every blessings, every beauty, and every gracious moment that has touched our lives.

It should be the very breath we breathe for every day we remain on this revolving planet.

…in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving…

1 Timothy 4:4

A merry heart does good, like medicine,

But a broken spirit dries the bones.

Proverbs 17:22

Whimsical Wednesday

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Saw this post today, and I loved it. Such a true statement to the reality of life and to Thanksgiving. If you only give thanks for the happy times and the moments when you have all you want, you do not really have true gratefulness. True thanksgiving comes when you’re in your darkest hour, and you realize there are still things in life for which you can give thanks.

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

Hope you eat till you’re stuffed, and I hope your heart is even more filled with gratefulness and wonderful moments of joy. 💗

Happy 4th Anniversary!

/ The WheatandTares / 5 Comments

Thanks to all of YOU who have read, inspired and encouraged me over the past four years! You are who make this blog interesting and worthwhile. These last four years have been a blast, and I look forward to many more! 😊💗

Love Me Challenge #26

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

I have a bottle of J’Adore, given to me by my sweet love, and because it is costly, I don’t wear it very often. Yet, every time I do, I feel beautiful. 

I have to say, it makes me feel beautiful not because of the particular smell and not because it costs so much. It makes me feel beautiful, because my husband and I had previously had a conversation about fragrances and how I’d like to know the kind he liked on me. So, that holiday season, he went off to the mall (keep in mind, he does not like to shop!!), wandered around the fragrance counters of a particular store, smelling all the different colognes and perfumes, and he finally came across this one. 

He said it made him think of me. He had it wrapped and gave it to me at Christmas. Call me a sap, but it made me cry.❤ This is one of the many reasons I love him…he makes me feel beautiful every day!

Love Me Challenge #21

/ The WheatandTares

img_1768-3

I am so proud of my God!! He is something else! If you haven’t met Him, you should, because He will change your life!! ❤

and I’m so proud of my husband and our boys! They are so incredibly awesome, and I truly don’t deserve them; however, I am so thankful God brought them all into my life!! ❤

(this, of course, is a younger pic of them, but they are growing into such fine young men!)

Happy Thanksgiving 2016!

/ The WheatandTares

It’s hard to believe it’s that time of year again. Time to pull out the turkey and dressing, all the fixin’s and indulge just a little more on those pecan and apple pies! Yet, I wonder, sometimes, if we fail to remember the real reason for this Thanksgiving season. It’s to give thanks, not only for the delicious food we have but for the people in our lives who mean so much.

Let us look beyond the table today and see who sits across the way. Let’s remember to thank our God, our parents, our spouse, and our families for their love and support. May we remember our friends who have helped us along the way and those who have gone the extra mile when we needed them to stay. May we remember even those who might not be present but who have made an impact on our lives throughout the years.

Let us, also, remember those who might not be at the table but who do so much to keep us safe and secure in this world of uncertain times. Let’s remember to thank the men in blue, the men and women who serve in the armed forces and all those who sacrifice so much to ensure our freedoms in this great nation we call home. May we extend a welcome, a thank you, a heartfelt note of gratitude for all they do.

Last, but not least, may we remember those who don’t have what we have. May we reach beyond our homes and beyond our comfort zones and lend a helping hand that those who don’t have so much for which to say, “Thanks,” can one day turn around and lend the same helping hand to show their thankfulness. May we allow our hearts of gratitude to become an act of love and support for them.

On this wonderful day of Thanksgiving, I say, “THANK YOU to all who have been such a blessing to me. Thank you for your love, support and prayers. No matter if your impact has been as deep as my husband’s and my sons’ or if it’s a little lighter as I am just getting to know you, you each hold a piece of my heart, and without you, I would not be who I am today. For you, I am forever grateful. ❤

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

A Grateful Heart

/ The WheatandTares

Happy (early) Thanksgiving! It’s that time of year when we start thinking of all those things for which we should be grateful…like turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and green beans, pecan pie and sweet potato pie! … Are you hungry yet? I know I am!

Maybe your thoughts of thankfulness are turned toward your family, your spouse, your children or even your co-workers and employers. Maybe it’s for more material things like a roof over your head, money in the bank, or transportation to get you from place to place. Maybe it’s a good job, a good church or a good network of friends.

During this season, for me, I am thankful for my husband, our boys, my extended family and our home. I am thankful for my faithful God, our wonderful staff, our great church body and our freedom to worship. I am, also, so very thankful for our law enforcement, our military and all those who fight so hard for our freedom and our safety in these uncertain times.

There are really too many things I could list; so, I will pause here to say, Whatever it is for which your heart is grateful during this season, relish in it. Cherish it and share your gratitude, especially when it’s people; for, we have no guarantees, and no promises even for the next breath.

Yet, really, we should carry this heart of gratitude every day and not just during the holiday seasons. I was reminded of this so vividly this week as we received a call that you never wish to receive. A husband, father of five, and an incredible man who served our nation at the federal levels, was killed in the line of duty. It was an act of senseless violence and hate.  Honestly, it will take some time for all to process this level of grief. Yet, as we walk this journey, it is crucial to remember our gratitude for him, as well as, for all those who might have impact in our lives. 

Veteransinfosite.com

A heart of gratitude can change your attitude, your countenance and your perspective. A heart of gratitude will cause you to see farther, hear clearer and receive far more than when you are not. A heart of gratitude doesn’t always come easy, but it grows from a thought life of thankfulness. 

What do you think about? On what things do you allow your mind to dwell? Let’s make a point today to think on “whatever is TRUE, whatever is NOBLE, whatever is RIGHT, whatever is PURE, whatever is LOVELY, whatever is ADMIRABLE, [let’s] think on these things.” (Philippians 4:7-8)

When we focus our thoughts on these things, our hearts will follow, and when our hearts are full of gratitude, we will see both the big and small things in which to be grateful!

Happy Anniversary!

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments


This showed up in my notifications tonight, and I just wanted to say, “THANKS!” 

It’s amazing that I’ve been blogging now for two years. This has been a really fun ride, and I look forward to many more. I have to say, “Thank you,” to all of you who have dropped by for a spell, become followers, or who have simply taken “a peek” at a post or two. This blog wouldn’t be what it is without your support and encouragement these past two years. 

I have almost 500 followers, and to some, that’s not many at all; yet, for others, it may seem this too far out of reach. However, for me, this number is a joy to have at the two year mark, and hope-filled, I look for many more. 

Thanks again. I sign off tonight with a full heart, reminiscing over the words of encouragement and love that have been sent my way during the last two years. I hope this blog has been as much of a blessing to you as it has been to me, and I look forward to many more (years and posts) to come. 💗

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/ *

Grateful Thinking

/ The WheatandTares

  
I believe a grateful heart, first of all, must come from grateful thinking. When our thoughts are right, our actions are soon to follow. When our thinking is purified, authenticity, kindness, gratefulness and grace is to follow. Think about it. 

Too often, we believe we can do whatever we choose, say whatever we like, and there will be no consequences; however, I’d like to challenge you today. Change your thinking habits, and see what happens. I believe, you’ll see that you’ll change the way you talk, as well as, what you do and how you act.  

When we have thanksgiving running through our thoughts on a daily basis, it’s not hard to speak kind words or to give encouragement. When we have gratefulness on our minds 24/7, we will find we desire to share thankful ways with those around us. When our hearts and our thoughts are filled with a sense of awe and wonder for those who live in our tiny world of influence, we will find we give grace more readily. We will smile gracious smiles, and random acts of kindness will just seem to follow along on our path of life. 

So, why don’t we try this today? It might have been a long time since you’ve made a spontaneous move to brighten someone’s day. It might have been forever since you’ve asked someone how you can help them, but I believe we all can do this! 😊 I believe we all can make this week of Thanksgiving more than just a week of eating, shopping and getting together. I believe, one by one, we can be life changers of a thought-filled Thanksgiving.