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Whimsical Wednesdays in my Musings

/ The WheatandTares / 9 Comments

Since I missed Monday Musings today, I thought I’d add it today’s whimsical thoughts, as I feel a bit melancholy today…

I don’t feel bad, and I’m not necessarily sad. I just feel a bit more somber than most days.

I suppose, it’s mostly because today is my grandfather’s 94th birthday. But he’s not here to celebrate. He’s in heaven.

We said goodbye to him 18 years ago (on Oct. 6); so, today is not a new day or even a surprise from what it has been for many years now.

Yet, I always miss him on these days. My life was changed that day, and as much as I’m so thankful I’ll see him again one day on the other side, it doesn’t change the fact.

I miss him deeply. And today, I’ve had a thought time shaking the invading blues.

The sun is shining brightly, the breeze is blowing slightly, and it’s a warm 79 degrees here in Georgia. My life is blessed, and I really cannot complain.

In fact, I am overly blessed, and he’d never want me to be sad, even in his absence. So, I’ll put a smile on my face until I feel it down deep in my soul.

For he is no longer in pain. He is no longer suffering. He is rejoicing in our eternal home, and I will see him again.

So, as my heart continues to heal, as it does with time, memories and purpose, I will lift my hands today and worship my King.

For He is worthy of that worship, and it changes me in the midst of my obedience.

…And it makes that smile sink a little deeper to the depths of my being to bring sunlight through the rain.

“Why, my soul, are you downcast?

Why so disturbed within me?

Put your hope in God,

for I will yet praise him,

my Savior and my God.”

Psalm 42:11

“The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in him, and he helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise him.”

Psalm 28:7

Saturday’s Musings of Treats and Whimsical Fun Days

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

Well, this week was so jam packed, I didn’t even get a chance to sit down and write. The last 10-14 days have kind of been like this, but this week, I didn’t have the extra to add words to the page.

So, today, I thought I might conglomerate them all as one. 😂 I thought the title turned out quite original (lol); now, let’s see how the blog will end up. Maybe great. Maybe a little less than good. But it really doesn’t matter. You can at least say I tried!

A few weeks ago, I threw a little dessert together that I thought I’d share. It’s pretty simple, and you can pick up most items at your local grocery store, and you can adapt it to your personal preferences.

I started with a simple lemon pound cake. I just happened to have Sara Lee’s lemon loaf. I added a couple of scoops of key lime gelato (I love Talenti Gelato!) and dropped a handful of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries on top. And then, I drizzled caramel over all this.

Oh, it was so yummy! Truthfully, because it was a cooler day right at the end of September, I was wishing I’d had this “grand thought” back in the summertime; however, that didn’t hinder my enjoyment one bit!

This one thought, of enjoying a “summertime dessert in the fall,” led me to thinking, sometimes, we can miss celebrating a moment we should be celebrating!

We can get so bogged down with past regrets or future ambitions that we aren’t present in the moment we’re living. Yes, we need to deal with the past at times, but we should be able to put it in it’s proper places. And we should be pushing forward toward those goals and dreams we have ahead, or we’ll never get beyond where we are.

Yet, if we are seeking so hard after those things ahead, or we become overwhelmed by the sorrows OR joys of the past, we will miss what is right before our very eyes!

So, take a moment today.

Breathe I deeply and exhale slowly.

Let your eyes focus and settle in on those things and those people before you.

Cherish the laughter; embrace the tears.

Walk through the days with purpose and diligence.

It’s not always about where you’ve been or even about where you’re headed.

Sometimes, it’s simply about where you are and who is there with you!

Now, go give yourself a treat today and have a whimsical fun day! 😊

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls & hard work.

Thomas A. Edison

“Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

James 4:14

Friday Fun Days

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

Yeah…

That’s where it’s at.

Now, go have a great Friday Fun Day for yourself!!

Monday Musings

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

I Loved You From the Start

You were so tiny when into this world you came

My life changed in an instant, never to be the same

You stole the show wherever we’d go

Your laughter was contagious, and you let everybody know

I whispered in your ear, you can reach for the stars

My hopes for you, I never wanted them barred

Your dreams and aspirations were so far apart

I knew I loved you from the very start

You were full of so much love and joy

I was thrill God blessed us with a baby boy

You ran and jumped, climbed and dove

Into every mischief and plaything sent down from above

You grew into a man before my very eyes

As you started stepping out, the devil tried to fill your head with lies

Sometimes you would succumb but other times you would fight

I kept pleading for you to always seek out the Light

I’d sing the song of old, hoping you’d remember

Calling you back home each and every December

Your dreams and aspiration were so far apart

You held them deep within your heart

You reached out strong to find your own way

You always had your own walk, keeping conformity at bay

You’d run headlong until you’d hit a brick wall

We’d be there when you’d ask to help heal from the fall

You’d tumble and struggle, forgetting the One

I’d pray and I’d seek, begging Him to awake my son

You’d come back around, dazed and a bit fogged

Yet,, stand back up, never allowing your soul to get too bogged

I wondered if those prayers ever made a difference

Knowing deep down, He would bring you deliverance

Your dreams and aspirations were so far apart

From them, your demons must depart

One day, it was as if the door opened and swung wide

Not to fame and fortune but to the Father’s side

All the tenacity to succeed changed to purpose and hope

Now His ways are always higher in your vision scope

Look what God has brought within your heart and mind

Your life is full of joy from boyhood not friction from the grind

All your goals and achievements have taken a different road

Now, you’ll reap a harvest for the good that you have sowed

Keep chasing all there is ahead of you

The end is giving glory that He is due

Your dreams and aspiration now aren’t so far apart

And He has so many more for you deep within His heart

Penned – MG – 10/5/20

Whimsical Wednesday

/ The WheatandTares / 5 Comments

What’s it like to be a cat?

To laze around all day, plopping down in front of my owner to beg for a belly rub…

To come when the garage door opens to receive shelter foe the night…

To run when I hear the food bag shaken, alerting me to dinner being served…

To purr and knead as my person strokes my fur to show her eternal love…

To return to the wild at next dawn’s break to run and climb and lie in the warm sun…

To repeat again and again as I remain a prisoner to my person, never truly being free…

Yet, freedom is in the eyes of the beholder…

And I suppose, a pampered life is all I see…

Monday Musings

/ The WheatandTares

Am I growing old before my time?

I was always told I’m an old soul…

Am I aging with grace and wisdom?

I’ve always been told my heart’s river runs deep…

Am I deepening my knowledge or my love?

I was told to love wisdom is to understand His loving kindness…

We have a choice in life…

We can assemble all those memories, and we can only see the pain and injustice…

Or we can gather the joys one by one, pick out those moments of serene peace, select those tiny miracles that don’t happen every day…

And relish in the here and now while looking forward to that beautiful ever after…

I think I’ll choose the beauty…

I believe I will grasp the sunshine…

I will strive to always opt for the good…

Never ignoring, but rather, discarding the hatred and violence that threatens to distract my journey…

And I’d suggest for you to do the same…

It is possible…

If you will believe…

“Whoever is wise will observe these things,

And they will understand the lovingkindness of the Lord.”

Psalm 107:43

“Get wisdom! Get understanding!

Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth.

Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you.

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom.

And in all your getting, get understanding.

Exalt her, and she will promote you;

She will bring you honor, when you embrace her.

She will place on your head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory she will deliver to you.”

Proverbs 4:5-9

Friday Fun Day

/ The WheatandTares / 8 Comments

Sometimes, Friday Fun Days may not be exactly as you plan, but how about just making it the best you can?

We had to return to my home state to honor a great man whom we will miss dearly.

We couldn’t stay at our “regular places” due to the recent hurricane that had left devastation in its path.

We couldn’t eat at our “favorites” due to the same demise.

We couldn’t take time to spend with all the loved ones with whom we desired due to having to come and go so quickly and staying at a further distance.

But we took the hours that we could just to make the best of the trip that we had.

We sat out on the beach in the early morning hours and just soaked in the wind and the surf.

We took an adventure to shop for some fun souvenirs for our boys.

We enjoyed an amazing dockside seafood fare and savored every morsel.

We stopped at a fun little coffee roaster and drank in the delightfulness.

Then, we said our sorrowful goodbyes, packed our bags, and headed back home.

Sometimes, Friday Fun Days might not seem so enjoyable, but if you search hard enough, you might just find a little sunshine peeking through those clouds.

“See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Ephesians 5:15-16

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28

Friday Fun Day

/ The WheatandTares / 8 Comments
I do not posses it own this pic. (Google search)

I know it’s a day late, but…

Sometimes, it just doesn’t seem like a Friday Fun Day.

As a family member, a great man who made you laugh till you cried, suddenly breathes his last…

As a hurricane, that’s not traumatic in size but traumatic in results, rips through your hometown wreaking havoc and demise…

As distant family members try to pick up the pieces of their lives and dreams…

As church family members die or become deathly sick, and all involved wonder if that precious saint will suddenly walk those streets of gold…

As calls of desperation filter in from various places, each needing help, restoration, healing in some form or fashion…

Sometimes, it just doesn’t feel much like a Friday Fun Day…

However, this is that thing we call living…

And you either put on your hat of perseverance and move forward with a strain and a push, or you’ll get trampled in the gate of ambition and determination…

Or worse, you’ll garnish that cloak of heaviness and despair and enter your grave while walking on your feet…

So, you look up and glimpse the sunlight peeking through the clouds…

You look beyond the debris and see the sunset light up that western seashore…

You look through the demise to find a hidden treasure, a cherished heirloom, a forgotten dream…

You look into the eyes of that neighbor, and despite the pain, you smile and embrace…

You remember the good times of friends, the memories of the fun, the love of family, and the sweet goodness of God…

You see the resilience to repair, the fortitude to rebuild, and the temerity to thrive again…

You watch the horizon of dreams as they creep over the surf as bright as the sun, brightening the path to another day, another aspiration, another hope…

And you smile…

For the Friday Fun Day will return…

If only for this moment held deep within your heart…

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.

Great is our Lord and mighty in power; His understanding has no limit.”

Psalm 147:3-5

Whimsical Wednesday

/ The WheatandTares / 15 Comments

When did you fly away from childhood heroes and boyhood dreams?

When did you run down the trail to new horizons and discover new landscapes?

When did you walk into the footsteps of your father and become a man?

It seems to have happened so fast, and yet, I was there for every joyous moment.

I was present for each and every scraped knee and hidden tear shed.

I remember the little boy behind the mask, and yet, I see glimpses of him late at night when the lights go dim.

I remember the fast beating of your heart as you dreamt of the mighty warriors’ flights and the swords defeating the dragons.

And yet, I still hear that beat to a different drum as you seek to find your way in this great big world and glance back to see if I’m still watching, waiting, hoping for one more embrace.

I love you, my son, and shout to you across this chasm of the unknown.

“Run, fly, chase those dreams! You can do this! This is your time to shine!”

“You were made for this moment!”

Never forget, He will always be right there with you, and I will be here cheering you on, always ready to welcome you with open arms.

❤️

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Proverbs 22:6

Monday Musings

/ The WheatandTares / 7 Comments

I wonder how often this is true for us. In this “Me Society” where we live today, it seems so much is about being happy, being satisfied, being fulfilled, even at the cost of someone else’s happiness and satisfaction.

I wonder where we went wrong.

When did it get so important that you’re made happy that it doesn’t matter if, in the process, I am made desolate?

When did it get so determined that your satisfaction could be at the expense of my daily living?

When did it become ok to demand the freedom of one race, one party, one organization or one people group at the detriment of anyone else who might disagree?

Where did we go astray?

Maybe when we began believing the life of a tree was more important than a human.

Maybe when we began determining which life could live and which could die by our own hands.

Maybe when we began believing we could actually give life and take away life by our very own hands and believed we shouldn’t suffer any consequences for the decisions we made.

Evil is evil, and it has been the same since the beginning of time.

The difference today is too many have began calling evil goo and good evil.

And when these things become the norm, no one can escape the fall.

So, where will we go? What will we do? Who will we turn to?

We must go back to the beginning.

We must go back to the moment we went astray.

Return to that place in time and start anew. Repent. Make new choices. Make amends.

It is possible. But we have to see past ourselves to actually make a difference.