love

Wait Upon the Lord

/ The WheatandTares

We all get tired. We all get weary.
What do you do with it?

Do you get Grouchy? Do you get ill (physically or emotionally)? Maybe you just get downright mean and cantankerous? …Maybe unruly with your words or actions?

We’ve all been there. We’ve all had those moments. If you haven’t, keep on living, cuz we’re all human.

It happens.

The Bible says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength….”

What if we realized that whom we serve is not just our spouse, our child, our boss, or even our friends?

What if we realized whom we are serving is the Creator of the Universe, the One who spun the moon and stars into orbit?

What if we realized whom we serve breathed breath into our lungs and put a heartbeat in our chest?

How would we serve then? How would we speak in that moment? How would we react when things don’t go just as we planned?

He’s the King of Kings. He’s the Lord of Lords. He is God Almighty.

I venture to guess our eyes would be brighter…our smiles would be wider…our words would be kinder, and our actions would be much more gracious.

The Bible goes further to say, “…they shall mount up with wings of eagles. They shall run and not grow weary. They shall walk and not faint.”

That means we’ll make it, if we can just wait on (or serve) HIM!

The Bible also says, “Do everything as unto the Lord.” …it says EVERYTHING! That’s a hard demand at times…

Like when our husband didn’t notice the laundry folded for the umpteen time but only fussed about that one shirt that didn’t get washed…or the wife who only noticed the trash wasn’t taken out but failed to notice the lawn got mowed and driveway got swept and the car was washed after a long days work…

Or maybe it’s in the middle of the night when one baby is wailing from an earache and the other just got sick in his bed…

Wait on the Lord

Maybe it’s when the boss is being unfair about a deadline and your co-workers are gossiping and cutting you down…

Maybe it’s when your teacher doesn’t seem to like you and your best friend just doesn’t seem to care…

Wait on the Lord…

Maybe it’s when your body is wracked with pain and the Drs can’t seem to figure out what in the world is wrong with you…

Maybe it’s when you’ve had to stand beside a graveside and say goodbye. They weren’t supposed to die so soon. There’s so many things left unsaid…left undone…

Let me read that while Scripture again a little differently…
“(YOU) that wait upon the Lord SHALL renew (your) strength. (You) SHALL mount up with wings like an eagle. (You) SHALL Run and not grow weary. (You) SHALL walk and not faint.”

…as the old song goes, “…teach me Lord to wait.”

Merry Merry Christmas!!

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

  Merry Christmas to you and yours! We hope you have a wonderful holiday season with family and friends!

I am so thankful for Christ’s birth which makes this holiday possible, and what is the most important part of this holiday season! He loves you, and that’s why He left His Kingship and came as a babe to save you and me. If you don’t know Him, I hope you will believe. He’s the best thing ever to happen to me!! ❤️

…If Christmas isn’t when you and your family celebrate, and you are awaiting another holiday this time of year, we hope you have a wonderful celebration when those days arrive! 

…It doesn’t always matter if we celebrate the same, it only matters that you cherish the time you have with those whom you love! 

We hope your season is Merry and bright! Merry, Merry Christmas!! 😊

Wednesday’s Ode #46

/ The WheatandTares

I love Christmas time!! It IS the most wonderful time of the year!! 

I love the caroling, the wrapping of presents and putting them around the tree, the gatherings of families and friends to eat yummy foods and all the wonderful laughter that can be heard within the home. Oh, yes, Christmas time is my absolute favorite time of the year! 

I love to see random acts of kindness happening all over the place. A few days ago, I was in Walmart, in the middle of the toy aisle, and all of a sudden, I was surrounded by 3-4 cops, and just as many children. I walked to the next aisle, and as far as I could see, there were policemen of all different divisions all over the store with children and their families, as they walked the aisles, asking the kids what they’d like to have. I was overwhelmed with emotion and tears. It was such a moving moment. So many families being provided Christmas in their time of need!   

Yesterday, I was in a Big Lots store, and these two ladies were being taken care of by this sweet little cashier lady. She was commenting on the glass globes the lady was purchasing and how she would like to get one of those for her mother. She continued to ring up the bill, the lady paid, and the she picked up one of those gloves and spoke to the manager beside the cashier, as well as the cashier, and said, “This is hers. Now, you know this is paid for, but I’m leaving this with her for her mother. You mark it as paid for her. Merry Christmas!” The cashier almost cried in delight! …and for those who have a few race issues, you may note, these three ladies, as well as, those cops and children,  were all of different ethnic races, ones of which too many people claim hate each other! There’s not as much hatred and animosity as the media and politicians would, sometimes, have you believe!! (Ok, so, that one was free. Haha.) These were such precious giving moments!! My heart was so full. ❤️

These are some of the reasons I love this time of year! If you will open your eyes, you will see these random acts of kindness all over. Sometimes, right in front of you, or even coming your way, and sometimes, you’ll even find yourself wanting to repeat them. 

I encourage you, make someone’s day today. Share a little love and cheer. You never know what burden you might be lifting. Better yet, don’t do these acts simply at Christmas time, try to spread love and cheer throughout this next year! Our world needs to be reminded of the goodness and love that does still reside in the hearts of those who live around us! 

Wednesday’s Ode #45

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

I posted this back on March 3rd, as my Wednesday’s Ode #4. I hope you don’t mind my reblogging it. I wanted to reshare it today, because I am SO longing for snow! It has been in the 70s week, and these warm temperatures are getting ridiculous!! I am so ready for some cooler temps and a little white stuff falling from the sky! … Hope you enjoy… 🙂

Today’s Ode goes to… SNOW!! Since I gave my tribute to warm clothes last week, I thought it only appropriate to give one to snow this week! 🙂

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I love snow! Snow is fun to walk in. It’s fun to play in, and it’s even fun to eat. We haven’t gotten a whole lot of it this year (this picture was taken, in the North Georgia mountains, about this time last year), and about that, I’m kind of bummed, but when I start to get too down, I think, “Well, there’s always next year!” 😉
Snow is universal, it falls whenever it pleases and on whomever it pleases. It’s not confined to winter or spring, and it’s not bound by time, either. It can snow at midnight just as easily as it can snow at noon! …Sometimes, I believe, we could learn a lesson or two from snow…
I suppose my favorite thing about snow is that it makes me feel like a little kid! When it starts snowing, I get all giddy and want to jump up and down and twirl around!! It makes me want to clap my hands and do a happy dance! It just brings so much joy and laughter to our little home.
Now, I know, for some who might be reading this, snow might mean a lot of hard work, because you’ve got to do a lot of shoveling and snowplowing. For others, it means extra days of make-up work and longer hours of toil during the week, but for me, I guess, I just haven’t quite “grown up” in that area yet. I always feel like a little kid wishing for snow days when the forecasters start even hinting at the slightest chance, and my little balloon of happiness gets all deflated when I don’t get to see the white stuff fluttering down.
I love to get out in deep snow and make snow angels…

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I love to take long walks and look at the beautiful trees…

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And do you want to know one of the things I love most?
I absolutely LOVE making (and eating) snow cream!! Mmmm, mmmm, good!

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So, we may not have seen much of that fluffy white stuff here in our “neck of the woods” this year, but I’ll still be dreaming of a wintry white Christmas for the end of this year! 🙂

Light Pierces Through at Christmas

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world.

He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life’.”

John 8:12

light pierces

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

This world in which we live is such a dark place. There are many waves of confusion crashing upon the shores of those around us. The storm clouds rage in so many with whom we come in contact, and yet, too often, we fail to shine the Light that would help them to see.

I think, maybe, during the Christmas season, some of us become more aware, because after all, it’s the season to be jolly, kind and thoughtful, and we see light everywhere! However, others of us miss prime opportunities during this season, because we have gifts to buy, food to cook, goodies to bake, families to visit, children to wrangle and overspending to be reconciled. We may overlook the lost and weary simply because we are so tired and dreary!

During these next few weeks, as we join together to celebrate the holidays, let us remember how to be His light to this dark and stormy world:

He brings peace where there is chaos.

He brings love where there is hate.

He brings truth where there is a lie.

He brings healing where there is brokenness.

He brings life where there is death.

The world can find this light if they can simply…

Just hope.

Just trust.

Just believe.

Let us be the light that pierces through their darkness.

Let us show them He is the Light of Life!

Wednesday’s Ode #44

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

I do apologize for the tardiness of this post! Those who read every week, especially, at precisely the 11:30am hour, please forgive me for the delays yesterday and today…we had a little “speed bump….”

  
I just love Christmas traditions! Yeah, I suppose you could say I’m a little “old school.” I like having family traditions you return to year after year. I enjoy watching the kiddos open one present at our house, or at the grandparents house, on Christmas Eve. I look forward to setting up the nativity scene and taking a moment to intentionally remember the true reason for the season. I love baking and decorating Christmas cookies with our boys. I love piling up in the car and searching all over town for the best light displays. Most of all, I enjoy sitting in front of the Christmas tree, with all the other lights off, sipping a cup of coffee and gazing at the lights and ornaments. Yes, these are all traditions our family enjoys every year, and I just love each and every one!   

What are some of the traditions our family enjoys during the holiday season?

Christmas Project

/ 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 #42

/ The WheatandTares

  
I love Thanksgiving! I am so excited we have a day to celebrate thankfulness tomorrow. I have so many things of which to be thankful. I have a great husband, kids, home, extended family, church, town and nation. My heart is just overwhelmed with thankfulness, and I do try to maintain this thankfulness not just once a year, but rather, throughout the year. 

Yet, sometimes, I think we can get so caught up in the thankfulness of the “good things” that, maybe, we forget about the not so pleasant things for which we should be grateful, or, maybe even, the mundane things for which we should still carry a grateful heart. You might ask, “For what bad things could we ever be thankful? For which unanswered prayers could we possibly be grateful??” 

Well, let me share a little in a personal note…

I am thankful for the pain I experienced as a child when I grew up without a father around. Not because it was heartwrenching and left me with scars, but rather, for the joy in knowing what it’s like to have a grandfather who stepped into that role for me. I am thankful for the void that led to the fulfillment I felt when my stepdad walked me down the aisle. I am thankful for the maturity I experienced early in life and the ability to make better choices for my future than the harder lessons my mother had to learn at the same age. 

I am thankful for the pain of losing our first child through a miss carriage. Not because of the heartwrenching tears I cried, nor for the fear in wondering if we’d ever have another, but because I learned what it is to experience true loss and to have a heart-stopping doubt within my soul, wondering if God even cares, which caused me to the realize He loves me unconditionally and that love caused me to grow so much closer to my God during this time of doubt and pain. 

These are just two examples of when my pain and times of difficulty have caused a deep gratefulness within my heart for the things which I learned. So, today, as we get ready to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving tomorrow, let us be thankful for not only the “grand and glorious” things in our lives, but let’s also be thankful for those “not-so-grand-and-glorious” times when the pain of our experience elevated us toward our destiny! 😉

What surprising, and maybe painful, things have caused you to grow, learn, change and to become more grateful?

Wednesday’s Ode #41

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

  I LOVE Classic movies! Last night, I went to see The Sound of Music with a friend. One of the local movie theaters are showing several retro movies during this month and next. I haven’t actually watched this movie in several years, and I have never seen it on the big screen. My friend had never even seen the movie, only a play of it. It was simply wonderful! I had even forgotten how much I loved this movie, all of  the wonderful singing, the great story line and the beautiful scenery of the Swiss Alps. Yes, it is rather lengthy; so, don’t watch it expecting your normal hour and a half…it has an Intermission! 😂lol! There are actually a few songs, I think, they could have cut in order to shorten it a little, but it is what it is. I’m not the writer. 😉 

This movie actually was inspired from real live events. Maria Von Trapp wrote a book about her family, and Disney got the rights to it; however, there are several things that were inaccurate in the movie. Of course, the movie is for entertainment, and it never states “this is based on a true story.” You can read more about the family here. I found it quite fascinating, but I like stuff like that. 😉

Yes, it is a classic. So, obviously in parts, you can tell the backdrop isn’t real, and there are no modern computer-generated, digitally mastered, figures or locations; however, I can’t deny my love for  the simplistic and serene. Don’t get me wrong, I love movies today; however, I love the requirements of the actors back then. Those were the days you had to act, sing AND dance to be considered one of the greats. There were a few who were known for their beauty, or for their ability to simply capture the screen by their becoming character, but so many, during that era in Hollywood, had to expand their talents beyond the simple reading of lines.   

There are good merits and disadvantages alike if we began a comparison of modern vs.  classic; so, I’m not really trying to debate it. I just appreciate the multi-skill level of those actors then. 

I can’t wait until next month, for I get to see A White Christmas and It’s A Wonderful Life on the big screen as well! How fun!! 😊

Do you have any classics that are your favorite?

A King’s Gift

/ 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.”