hope

Dear New York

/ The WheatandTares

In honor of the fallen today, I am reposting this that I shared last October… We will never forget. 🇺🇸🗽

New York, your towers once stood so tall.

The face of pride and success for all.

Terror crept in without even a sound.

Inside your walls, their evil did pound.

My heart is broken, my eyes fill with tears.

Please know our God still lingers near.

I cry for your loss, your distress and your pain.

Now is not the time to worry about your gain.

Turn your eyes and look t’ward Jesus.

He will help heal your wounds. He must.

Look up and see your Savior’s great love.

He comforts as He sends His sweet dove.

His hand is just, sovereign and true.

If you’ll surrender, He can make you anew.

He longs for you to love Him and to serve Him.

Before all your lights are, once again, made dim.

Please don’t linger, turn away or wait.

Please do not put off till it is far too late.

He longs to hold you, to love you, to mend.

But He is a good God, He will now not force you to bend.

There will come a day of not another breath.

Every knee will bow, every tongue will confess.

He is the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings.

That day will be too late for your heart to sing.

His return is, oh, so very, very soon.

Turn your eyes to Him before the great boom.

He desires to help you, to cleanse you from all vice.

He loves you; He died for you. For you, He paid the great price.

Penned – MG – 9/11/02

A New Beginning

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

“It’s not the end. It’s only a new beginning…”

A good friend shared this revelation with me as he had just been diagnosed with a curable sickness and was beginning to learn to eat differently and take some new medications in order to feel better…all at an age well over 60. 

I said goodbye to a precious woman the other day, a goodbye that will last until I see her again in eternity. She was a strong lady of character, dignity and grace. Her family is starting each new day with her absence, learning to grieve, to cope, to live again. 

Some great friends of ours moved away to another state months ago. We probably won’t see them but maybe once or twice a year now. They are greeting new friends and learning to grow and adjust in a new home, city and surroundings. 

Our sons started a new school endeavor this year. They are no longer taught in the classroom but now receive all their instructions virtually through the Internet and tutoring videos. They are beginning to transition and learn new ways of communication and knowledge gathering. 

In all these things, and in so many more, we close one chapter in our lives; yet, another is quickly opened. We may no longer have the comfort zones of our past, but in the new, we learn to thrive. That’s what life is all about. 

So, when changes come and transitions must be made, try not to be drowned by losses; look to what is ahead. Those things, and those people, will surely be missed, but if we remain stagnant in our grief, we will never be able to embrace the new which is ahead. We will never be able to start on the new beginnings, and growth will fall beyond our grasp.

So, reminisce over what was; cherish those memories. However, don’t stay there without forward motion, or you will surely miss the sweet moments which can be treasured ahead. 

One of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite authors might sum up this little thought…

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” ~ Dr. Seuss 

Gold All Around You

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

This week, we are celebrating our oldest son as he is turning 14. I can’t believe it. Seems like it was just yesterday that we were bringing him home from the hospital. In celebration of this event, I thought I would repost a blog I wrote to him last year. I am very proud to be his mom, and I hope as I share this with you, it will encourage you as a parent, as a grandparent, or even as someone who desires to make an impact on this next generation…
He was born a dreamer. He has always dreamed big dreams. At the age of four, he was Batman, Spider-Man, policeman and cowboy, all combined within that sweet tiny frame; the image altering daily, depending upon the mood of the hour. When he had turned nine, the superheroes had faded, and music had taken over. He was a “gangsta-rapper” one day and TobyMac or B-SHOC the next. Always dreaming of greatness, always hoping for the big stage, the bright lights, and the gold coins.   

Today, his heart is set to the beat of a different drum. He doesn’t conform too much to those around him. He has his own style, his own fashion and, yes, his own swagger. He is his own man, and he loves it. He loves Jesus, and he doesn’t care who knows it. He wants others to see what he sees and feel what he feels.

Often, I see the little boy alive in his eyes, and my heart skips a beat for what once was. I see him shooting for the stars, and I pray he never stops or even hesitates. I see him making plans and setting aspirations into action, and I pray The Lord keeps him within His grasp, always leading and guiding him down the right path.

In those moments, I realize, this is what it’s all about: Dreams. Hopes. Aspirations. Reaching for something great. This is what brings about change. This is what brings about true freedom from conformity. This is what brings about new “life.” As a little child dreams, hope is birthed in the soul, and ope brings them to a brighter future…Christ said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” 

For if we fail to dream, if we fail to reach for the stars, something dies within. We must let the child live. We must cultivate those dreams of yesterday. Yeah, some things change, and life always moves on. Time never stops, but yet, if we lose track of it without a dream, it surely does drag along. If we forget to get lost in the yester-years, every once in a while, how will we ever remember how much has changed, and how will we ever see how far we’ve come?

So, dream on, my sweet child. Dream big. Plan long, and aspire for greatness! You can shoot for all the stars in the sky, and even if you don’t make it to the one in your sights, you’ll still get further than if you never reached for it to start. I see gold all around you, and I believe it’s because the stars are within your grasp. Let Him guide you to the right ones, and He will help you get there. When you do, just reach up and take hold. It’s yours for the dreaming, and when you’re amongst the stars, that’s when you’ll see the gold that I see all around you.  

Life’s Many Blessings

/ The WheatandTares / 3 Comments

Do you ever think about how many times God blesses us in a day??

Sometimes, it’s just as simple as receiving a sweet phone call or a little card in the mail. 

Sometimes, it’s as precious as getting an extra hug from my teenage son before bedtime. 

Other times, it’s getting through the yellow light when I’m running late and really should have slowed down a little more. 

Other times, I realize I may have been running late; yet, there was also a wreck that might just have avoided. 

Maybe it’s the “surprise” answer to a very long ago prayer. 

Yet, what about those times we hold out for that answered prayer that, much later, we realize wasn’t answered for very good reasons? 

What about those aches and pains which teach us to rely on Him a little more?

What about those heartwrenching seasons that help us to understand another’s pain on life’s long journey?

What about those hard times which bring us to our knees and cause us to reach for more of Him and so much less of ourselves?

There are countless blessings just awaiting us in every new day. 

Let us never look only to the good for blessings, for the bad can simply be blessings in disguise. 

Repurposing

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

What do you do with white towels that are old and tattered…ones that have been around since your wedding day (which is 19 years for us)?

 Yes, you rip them up and make nice little rags out of them!! That’s called REPURPOSING. 😉  

So many people are getting into this “trend” these days. They repurpose a barn door and make a dining room table, which I absolutely love!! They take shoe caddies and make over the door jewelry holders. They take old letter trays and make them medicine cabinets. They even take old boots and make (flower) planters out of them! I’ve seen all kinds of things repurposed, and I personally might think some of the things are maybe a little ‘out there,’ but if it works for you; then, “Why not??” If it makes your life easier, more efficient, and more joyful, why would you not repurpose?

As I was ripping up these old towels and making them into rags, I started thinking about this repurposing concept and how it applies even to our internal lives… There are some things we really need to learn to repurpose…

How about the regrets of the past?

How about the pains of the past?

How about anger, strife and just plain ol’ grouchiness?

Just as those old, worn out towels can become great, repurposed rags, those yucky things of our past can be repurposed to become areas of strength and wisdom of our present life and they can become beams of hope for those in our future. As we learn to repurpose the evil and/or painful things in our lives for things that are good and beneficial for our lives, we will find a greater peace within. When we find a way to repurpose those bad things and turn them around for good things, we start learning the ways of our Heavenly Father… ”     That’s one of His specialties, and when we give our pains and regrets to Him, we can trust Him to help us learn and master the art of repurposing.

Bucket With Holes

/ The WheatandTares

image

Do you ever feel like you’re using a bucket with holes in it? No matter what you try to fill that bucket with, it just seems to keep leaking, until you finally run out. Sometimes, you’ve either got to change the substance you’re putting in, repair it, or throw out the bucket and get a new one!

Let me give you an example of what I’m talking about… While I was doing crafts at youth camp a few weeks ago, we had a bucket that had a big gash in the bottom. From the outward appearance, that bucket looked perfectly fine, but the second you put liquid in it, it just flowed like a river out the bottom. The first day, one of the girls helping filled that bucket with water to use outside, not realizing it had a big crack in the bottom. She filled it in the sink and proceeded to carry it through the concessions area, out the door, and over to the tent-covered picnic tables where we were set up. After she sat down the bucket, she realized it was almost half empty, and just about that same time, the guys from the canteen hollered out the door, “Hey, there’s a big mess of water on this floor you might want to come clean up!” What a time we had cleaning that up!

At the beginning of the next day, I made the exact same mistake, except thankfully, I realized it before I left the kitchen! I just made a huge mess all around the sink area. Once I finally got all the water mopped up, I dried out that bucket and wrote “Hole in bucket!” on the side and on the bottom of that stinkin’ thing! Because we needed it, we kept using it for the rest of the week, but we no longer tried to put water in it. Instead, we used it to store all the containers of liquid tie-dye! The bucket was still useful, just not for the liquid with which we were trying to fill it! 😊

When you feel as if you’re using a bucket full of holes, when things in life just don’t seem to be working right, you may need to step back and figure out the problem. Sometimes, you’re just going to have to quit putting liquid in there expecting each time to yield a different result! Sometimes, you’re gonna need to use that bucket for another purpose than what you intended, or you’re going to need to make some repairs, and sometimes, you may just need to get rid of that busted pail all together.

Can I get real for a moment…? When your decision-making doesn’t seem to be taking you in the right direction, time and time again, you may need to change the methods by which you make your decisions, or you might need to start actually listening to the right people. When your relationships seem to be more “busted and disgusted,” rather than a source of joy and healing, you might need to change your choosing process or even the location of your “pick up.” When you just seem to be spinning your wheels, never getting anywhere, never growing, never succeeding in life, you might need to change the source on which you rely. Christ is the only One who can fix the broken places in this bucket called life, and He’s the best source for knowing which “bucket” to use. If you will but yield your heart and your life to Him, He can and will help you avoid those buckets with holes!!

*Note: I do not own, nor did I photograph the image above. I simply did a Google search and found it in images.*

Just A Cup Of Water

/ The WheatandTares

This is a little cup of water…doesn’t look like much, does it? It’s just about 2-3oz.  

If you’re really thirsty this morning, it might not be enough to quench your thirst. If you’re wanting a big 36 oz. “Thirst Quencher,” it would take quite a few of these to get there, wouldn’t it? To fill a 5 gallon bucket, it might seem to never be enough to do the job!

…but, at youth camp a few weeks ago, to a little child out on the outdoor, sand-filled, volley ball court, standing in the sweltering heat, or to a teen who just played human foosball with a bunch of others guys in the noonday sun, this little bity cup of water does wonders! At camp, the rec staff had a huge supply of these cups on the golf carts, carrying them to every station where the kids were, because this little tiny cup of water kept those kids hydrated throughout the day. That little cup of liquid quenched their thirst until they could get inside to cool off.

This world is dying and going to hell. It’s like they’re out on the volleyball court of life, and they’re dying of thirst. Some of them don’t even realize they’re thirsting to death until a cup of water is brought to them, or worse, when they pass out from the “heat” and have to be rushed to the ER is when they recognize their need for something more. They are desperate for life-giving water. Jesus is the living water that they need.

As Christians, it is our job to give Jesus to them. We are His vessels. We are His “cups.” What we have may not be fancy; it may not be big; it may not even seem to be enough. Yet, if we don’t reach out to this lost and dying world, if we don’t bring His living water to them, how will they ever survive? How can they live?  Even if  a 2-3oz. cup of water is all we have, with Jesus, it can save a life!!

Matt. 25:35, 40 “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,…The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”

Bring Your Brokenness

/ The WheatandTares

Sometimes, we clutch and hold so tightly the very things that are broken, bruised and shattered in our lives, those things which God so desperately longs to heal for us. It makes me think of a tiny child whose favorite doll has a leg that falls off or a toy truck that has a wheel that keeps coming off. Sometimes, that child will hold onto the toy, trying to put the broken part back together, growing more and more frustrated, because it just won’t work right. Finally, growing so frustrated, they throw a temper tantrum or break the toy further, not knowing how else to handle the situation.

This reminds me of our youngest with his lego building. There was a time when he just could not get some of the pieces apart to put them exactly where he wanted. He has always been pretty independent in his building of things; so, in those moments, he would try as hard as he could to get those pieces apart, and when he just couldn’t stand it anymore, he might just throw the pieces across the room with a loud “ugh!” It took him just a little while to realize if he brought that same piece to mom, she could usually use her nails to “magically” pry the two pieces apart. These days, if he has the slightest struggle with pulling two Legos apart, he may try his little Lego tool on them, and if that doesn’t work, I hear his calling my name to come fix it!

This is, often, I think, how we treat God. We keep holding onto our broken toys, determined to try to fix it ourselves. We keep trying to piece together our broken dreams, meddle with our broken relationships, tinker around with our broken hearts, only to realize the more we “work on it” ourselves, the worse it seems to get!

If we can ever get to the place where we immediately take our brokenness to God, we will find that He knows exactly how to fix it. We will find that He has the perfect remedy, the perfect salve, the perfect tool that “magically” brings it all back together. Now, let’s be clear, when He fixes something in our life, many times, He doesn’t fix everything instantaneously.

Often, He gives us time to process the healing. Sometimes, we may have to learn from a mistake; sometimes, He is using our healing to be a witness to someone else, and sometimes, He is working on several parties at once to bring about His glory in a unique way. There are many reasons why He may not fix it all in an instant. However, you can rest assure, He will bring you peace the instant you give it to Him, and through it all, as Paul tells us in Romans 8:28, He is always working all things for your good. Sometimes, the results are not going to be exactly what we expected, but I can attest, He knows what He is doing! He is God. He is faithful, and He loves us. We just have to trust Him. If we will do this, we will be amazed at how He will bring healing and work through our lives!

Light Pierces Through

/ The WheatandTares

  When the storm seems the darkest, when the waves are crashing in, just remember, light always pierces through the darkness. He is the Light which never fails. There is no storm so strong that He cannot prevail. There is no darkness so deep that He cannot shine. 

He brings peace where there is chaos. 

He brings love where there is hate. 

He brings healing where there is brokenness. 

He brings life where there is death. 

He is able. He is faithful. He is God. 

Just hope. 

Just trust. 

Just believe. 

Wednesday’s Ode #21 – Oops!

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

My apologies for this late Ode! I have been sick over the last week, and yesterday, I just simply forgot to schedule this post. Ugh. I couldn’t believe it when I finally remembered late last night! Now, this was supposed to post earlier today, and I’ve had one technical difficulty after another! …the new update doesn’t seem to be so great. 😁 I’ll try to not let that happen again!  

So, what I’d like to give ode to today is dates with my man. 😊 Ok, now, don’t tune me out thinking this is going to be a mushy-gushy post. I promise, I’ll stay focused (or at least try 😉) on the dates themselves and not how much I love him…I really do love him! Ok, focus…  I absolutely LOVE dating my husband! I know, that may sound silly, strange, or even quite foreign for some marriages, but for us, we just love being together. We love going places together, exploring new things, hanging out and even going on “old, been there, done that” adventures together. When I say he’s my best friend, it’s actually for real. We just LIKE each other…even more than we love each other. 

We will go to little country towns and shop for antiques, or we can go to the city and enjoy a fancy meal and the theater. We love to go to Highlands, NC and Ellijay, Ga., and Atlantic Station and the Marietta downtown square. We love to travel to places we have visited often, and we even love to find old gravel and dirt roads and “off road it” for a while. We’ve found all kinds of beautiful sights and new areas this way.   One of our favorite little towns to visit is Dahlonega, Ga. I told a little bit about this in my Wednesday’s Ode about North Georgia. This is a great mountain town filled with lots of character (and characters from time to time, too! Lol). We love to pick from one of our favorite restaurants, like Bourbon Street Grill or The Oyster House, and then walk over to Paul Thomas’ Chocolate shop for dessert, then, just meander through town, looking in all the shops. We always have to include a trip to the General Store to kind of culminate the day. It’s a great little town.   We love going on hikes and exploring new trails, finding waterfalls or just sitting beside a stream. We love finding great new restaurants and trying out any yummy new dish or dessert. We have even been known to just go for a drive to look at houses at Christmas time, looking for beautiful light displays or just going out for a quick little lunch date. Some of our most fun times have been when we’ve had an unexpected moment to have a date! Those are some real adventures.  We just love being together, and that’s how a good relationship should be. If you’re the kind of person that can’t wait to get away from your spouse, I challenge you to ask yourself, “Why?” Now, I know, we all need a little space sometimes, and we need to enjoy an activity or two with the girls (or guys, respectively). I know we can’t spend 24/7 by our partner’s side; that might just lead to a little bit of codependency. However, if you can’t stand to be with your husband or wife, or you just can’t wait to get with the girls/guys all the time, or you’d rather be with you friends more than you are with your spouse, that’s when you need to step back and reevaluate some things.   Marriages come and go too quickly in today’s society, and I think, often, it’s because of self-centeredness and a lack of remembering “why you got into this thing to begin with.” There was a reason you fell in love, and sometimes, you just need to remember why. Now, if it was simply out of lust, and you don’t care anything for that person now, that’s a whole other issue, and you might need to go back to the beginning and make things right with each other. However, too often, a man and woman just need to put away the petty issues, step out of the busyness of life, and take some time together to remember why they fell in love. I challenge you to try it. You might find I’m right! 😊   

Dating is one of the biggest reasons Joey and I still have fun together. Our boys have asked us about our dating from time to time, “Why do you date?” “Why can’t we come?” “Why is it so important?” Our answer has always been, “It’s important, because it helps me love him/her more, and in turn, it helps us be better parents for you guys.” You may not know it, or even understand it, but the best thing you can do for a child is to love that child’s mother (or father, respectively), and that’s the truth!    

So…let me go find my man, and see if we can schedule a little date for tomorrow! 😉  

*just a few pics from the wonderful dates we’ve had…