healing

The World Moves On

/ The WheatandTares / 4 Comments

When your heart is broken, the world should stop and pay tribute.

The everyday routines should pause and have a moment of silence.

The hustle and bustle should be freeze-framed to allow for a breath.

But nothing halts.

Nothing slows down.

The earth keeps moving.

The sun keeps shining on.

When grief is gripping your throat, the hands of the clock should not tick.

The hours seem to rage when they shouldn’t be allowed to exist in the present time.

The minutes are no longer like sand but rather like molasses that shouldn’t flow.

But nothing halts.

Nothing slows down.

The earth keeps moving.

The sun keeps shining on.

When your soul is bereaved, the grave screams louder.

The tombstone seems to be the inscription on your mind.

Yet, there is hope. For the dirty cave doesn’t have to be the end.

Nothing halts, but His love is ever reaching.

Nothing slows down, but His grace speeds up.

The earth keeps moving to His rhythm.

The sun keeps shining on to show you The Way.

10/18/21 – MG

My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

Psalm 73:26

Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

When You Can’t Speak

/ The WheatandTares

When words can’t be found to eloquently express your heart, a pen and paper will do.

When your tongue is tied because your heart is bound, a soft melody can unwind the strings.

When your lips refuse to move because the emotions run like a waterfall, a warm fire can comfort the bones.

When your vision is cloudy and the letters won’t form, let your feet find solid ground.

When your lids are closed and murmurs can’t be heard, let your hands seek for Truth.

When your eyes are veiled and the tears consume, let your soul run to His refuge.

The answers are never easy.

The questions are never ending.

The rebuttals are ever repeating.

Yet, the hope you will find in the solace of His grip is the very grace that will sustain you.

Draw close. Close your eyes and listen.

Breathe in deeply as He breathes life into you.

When you can’t speak, His love can be heard.

Psalm 18 nkjv

But a Vapor

/ The WheatandTares / 5 Comments

I attended a funeral today of a dear friend whose husband was in the chair talking to her, and then, he was gone.

On the same day he left, I made a call to my grandmother because it had been 19 years; since, we had to say goodbye to the love of her life.

In a few weeks, I’ll be present for my father’s memorial, to say goodbye and try to find the right shelf for the varied emotions.

Our lives are but a vapor, here today and gone tomorrow. Are you ready?

This is the month for awareness of miscarriages, infant loss and the fight of breast cancer.

My friend posted the other day the names of her three boys in heaven, and I added my oldest, too.

Just today, I counted five women whom I know personally are walking through, or who have just walked through, this painful and fearful journey; yet, each one of them have come out swingin’.

Our lives are but a vapor. Not a one is promised our next breath. Are you ready?

Don’t maintain that you’re invincible.

Don’t hold on that you’re healthy.

Don’t keep steadfast to the hope that you’re young.

We have no guarantee. We have no contract, no agreement, no treaty with death. He can come at anytime.

Yet, rest assured, he can only come when the Creator of life says, “Now.”

Love a little deeper. Forgive a little faster.

Hold a little tighter. Lean a little stronger.

And pray.

Pray like you’ve never prayed before.

Penned MG 10/9/21

Lost Soul

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

You were just a lost soul no one could hold

Traveled the world wide but never stayed close to home

Restless, renegade, rogue

That’s the life you tried to embrace

You were just a wandering soul no one could understand

Followed the stars and searched the land but never stayed too long

Rugged, ravaged, relentless

That’s the life that chased your dreams

You were just a weary soul no one could confine

Drifted beyond the horizon but never stayed in port

Regrets, remembrances, recollections

That’s the life that you left behind

You were a broken soul only One could redeem

Sailed close to water’s edge but never stayed the anchor

Reconstruction, renewal, redemption

That’s the life He has waiting for you

Penned – 8/6/2021 – MG

RIP JLH 8/5/21

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;

For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Psalm 4:8

Memories and the emotions they bring can be so difficult to put into words, but sometimes, a song will do…

Happy Father’s Day

/ The WheatandTares

For so many, Father’s Day can come with a roller coaster of emotions. Every little girl or boy wishes to have a Daddy who loves them, protects them, guides them and defends them, but sometimes, that’s just not how life turns out. And sometimes, we’ve had to say goodbye long before we’re ready.

Sometimes, rolling into the Father’s Day weekend, every thing can be just fine, and then, all of a sudden, you just cloud up and rain. You feel grouchy and agitated for no particular reason. You just want to sleep a little more, isolate a little longer, or pull back a little deeper.

You can’t really put your finger on it at first, and then, the tears roll down like a drenching spring shower, and you realize you really do miss him. Maybe it’s because he was bigger than life, filling the void deep within. Or maybe he was too absent, dropping in whenever he felt suited him, but left you waiting by the door with your bags packed foe a visit way too many times to count.

Or maybe, it’s never a missing or actual longing for him because he was so broken that he tried to break you in ways only nightmares can speak of; yet, the tears come for what could’ve been, should’ve been, and for what never could have been imagined…

So, for all those whose Father’s Day weekend brings with it a bit more complicated feelings than what you’d hoped for, know there is a God who sees you, and He longs to fill that void, heal that brokenness and mend those wounds that you’ve tried desperately to hide or ignore.

He truly is the best Dad a girl could hope for!

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, He leads out the prisoners with singing…

Psalm 68:5-6

The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

Stop to Smell the Roses … and Count Them, Too.

/ The WheatandTares / 5 Comments
Take your pick. There’s plenty to go around.

I love roses. Really, I love flowers of almost any kind, but I’ve always been partial to roses, poppies and Gerber daisies.

Particularly, in red and hot pink… but these orange roses above are absolutely beautiful as well!!

And lately, I’ve been drawn to them more and more while being reminded of the phrase, “Stop to smell the roses.”

See, life has just been crazy busy lately. Busy in good ways, I suppose, but busy nonetheless. And I find my heart longing for a pause…

A pause for refreshment. A pause for reflection. A pause for renewal.

In everyday life, and especially, in the busy days of life, if you don’t have those pauses that bring refreshment, reflection and renewal, you might very well die. If you don’t die, you might drown in the heaviness around you. If you don’t drown, you might just grow resentful or depressed or burnt out.

You’ve got to pause. And you can’t pause with chaos in your head. You’ve got to pause away from the frantic. You’ve got to pause out of the panic. You’ve got to pause beyond the emotion and turmoil.

Get alone till you’re not alone anymore.

Sit still until you are still.

Breathe until you do breathe.

And then, inhale even deeper and smell those roses.

And then, take another minute to count them.

I promise you. If you’ll do this often, you’ll find you can face tomorrow a whole lot easier. … doesn’t mean tomorrow will be easier. It just means you’ll be a little stronger to face it.

I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, and I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, and shall sing of Your righteousness.

Psalm 145:5-7

Sometimes, Severing is Survival

/ The WheatandTares

Wow. Came across this song tonight and felt it tug on my soul.

Sometimes, severing a relationship, a friendship, a bond, a soul tie is a must.

If simply for survival…

For a life to once again thrive…

Unless, you’ve been to the point of silent pain, irrevocable destruction, or heart wrenching betrayal, this concept may seem foreign, even ludicrous to your ears.

But if you’ve cried yourself to sleep at night over words that were spoken against you…

If you’ve hidden your face in shame for deeds you never committed…

If you’ve stood in utter shock and amazement as one who promised to defend nonchalantly walked away,

or lied to your face,

or spilled slanderous gossip to cause heads to turn…

Then, you might begin to understand.

Sometimes, severing is simple survival.

And healing brings a heart to thrive again.

“Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”

Romans 16:17-18 nkjv

“Do not be envious of evil men, nor desire to be with them; For their heart devises violence, and their lips talk of troublemaking.

Proverbs 24:1-2 nkjv

“We sever the tie of constraint; the leash that keeps us cohering to someone else’s plan rather than stepping out and realizing our true potential,” says Anthony of the impetus behind the single. (per ccmagazine.com)

*this song nor the quote, I do not own nor possess. Simple google search.

Monday Musings: Lessons Learned from 2020 and COVID-19

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

This has been quite a year for so many, and some would say this has been the absolute worse year ever, others would just say it stinks. I’m not sure there’s many at all who would say it’s been the best year; yet, maybe a three year old could have this perspective.

I will say it’s not been an amazingly wonderful year; it’s certainly had it’s challenges. However, I’d have to admit, it’s not been the worst year I’ve ever experienced.

Some of the worst years of my life were the year after my grandfather passed away, or the year we lost our first child after trying to conceive for 13 months, or the year I battled depression for a good half of the year… yeah, perspective always brings sunlight into the day.

Yet, there are some things this year of 2020 has taught me, and I thought I’d add it to my previous lists written near the beginning of all this…

1. No matter what comes into my life, with God, I can walk through fire and I can stand in the rain…even if I have to grab the fire extinguisher and maybe a boat paddle!

2. Regardless what the days bring, you still have a choice to take another breath and move forward or clamp down on oxygen and lie down to die…I choose to breathe.

3. Despite the ugly, the tornadic, the chaos or the devastation, there is always hope, you just have to search for it…often times, it will be buried deep within.

4. Although, there may be confusion and uncertainty, if you know the right source from which to draw strength, you will have an endless supply…the Source is your key.

5. Life brings with it all kinds of ups and downs, doubts and fears, turmoil and challenges, questions and very few answers; yet, when you have a firm foundation, those specific answers may not always become easier to find, but the principles to these will be as sure anchor doe your soul.

6. Everyone needs a friend. Choosing to live out your life in isolation and avoidance is just a waste of life! … choose friends carefully, but choose them.

7. Having the courage to call out when you’re in trouble can be scary, and it definitely will make you more vulnerable than many of us like to be, but honestly, having moments of vulnerability brings humility back into our prideful flesh…and the courage it takes to ask makes us all that stronger.

8. Life has been known to bring us lemons, and sometimes, they can be the sourest ever grown, but if you’ll add a little sugar, you’ll find that lemonade to be quite refreshing… mind you, sometimes, you better add a lot!

9. No matter the clouds that brew overhead, always remember, there is a sun still shining. You may not see it today or tomorrow, but keep looking up, and it’s bound to eventually burst forth and warm up your skin.

10. If you believe there is no hope to ever be found, just stop in your tracks, take a deep breath, and place your hand to your heart to feel that beat…if there is still a rhythm, then there is always a glimmer of hope.

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

Hebrews 10:23

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming.

1 Peter 1:13

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people…

Ephesians 1:18

Friday Fun Day

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Sometimes, you’ve just got to be whisked away by the sun, the waves and the wind.

Even if it is only in your mind’s eye that you sail away…

Happy Friday Fun Day!

Whimsical Wednesday

/ The WheatandTares

Sail on, son. Sail on.

Sail past those trials.

Sail past those pains.

Sail past those failures.

Sail past that shame and regret.

Embrace the sun and soak it in.

Soak it in deep, cuz you’re gonna need it to survive.

Not just to survive but to thrive.

Let the moon of His shadow light the way through the dark.

No matter the abyss of the unknown, the rays of His promise will chase away the haze.

The winds of this world blow hard, always wanting to knock you off course.

The waves of this culture devour fast, always seeking to destroy peace, joy, and clarity of mind.

Stay the course, son.

Never become distracted by what was, what is or what one day might be.

Keep Him at the helm, and you will find a steadier voyage.

Keep Him at the forefront of navigation, and you will find your destination not far ahead.

I may not always be present in form, but you can rest assured, I am always near your heart.

And you will always be held tenderly within mine.

“But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

2 Corinthians 4:3-6