peace

Do You Ever Wonder?

/ The WheatandTares

Do you ever wonder why we’re really here? Why were we created here on the planet called Earth? For what were were we made…or for Whom?

I do. 

Do you ever wonder why we have feelings, emotions that grip us like fire or make us cold as ice? Why do we smile? Why do we cry and why are we even confused sometimes?

I do. 

Have you ever wondered what it was really like before you came? …Not just a century ago or even two. I’m talking before the beginning of time. Before any human was in existence. 

Christians believe there is a God, a Supreme Being who cast the stars and planets into orbit, who formed the mountains with His hands, who breathes life into man and caused him to walk and have his being. 

Atheists believe there was and is nothing, that we just are and will one day be no more…no beginning. No end. No purpose. No reason. 

Scientists believe there was nothing and then all is a sudden, “Bang!” There was a tiny life form, and all things were created from it. Some believe there is something controlling the times; others believe it just is what it is. 

What about you? Have you ever wondered? Have you ever searched with your heart to find? What if there is nothing? What if there is something? What if there is Someone? 

Out of all the theories, estimations and stories, I have but one thing I can believe. I have only one source from which I can find wisdom. 

There is a God in heaven. He is Supreme. He is Mighty. He was, and is and is to come. He is the Master Artist, the Master Creator, and He gave me breath in my lungs and a heart to keep beating. 

It is easier for me to believe there is Someone higher, mightier and much smarter than me than to believe there is simply nothing and will never be. It is easier for me to believe there is Someone above to can see all, do all and be all. It is easier for me to believe He loves me, died for me and is, one day soon, coming back to take me to His Heavenly home. 

“Why,?” You might ask. I believe, because He lives within me, and I can’t live a day without Him. He give me joy, peace and strength. He covers me with His grace that is sufficient in my times of need. 

“How do (I) know?” You might ask. I know, because I just know. I know, because I’ve met Him. I’ve met Him there in the quiet place of my soul. I know, because I’ve been away from Him, at times, and I’ve felt the void of not being near Him. I know, because, sometimes, you just know that you know, and no one can ever convince you otherwise. 

Do you? 

If you don’t, just give Him a chance. I challenge you, “Just tey (Him) on for size.” I promise you, He will not disappoint. He will be beyond your wildest dreams. 

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.” Proverbs 8:17

Bridges Across Pain

/ The WheatandTares

Bridges are a curious thing.

They can lead you toward a promise, away from trouble and across a vast number of pitfalls and mine fields. A bridge can take you to an enemy’s camp, a friend’s home or a stranger’s land. They can lead you high or lead you low, depending upon the terrain that lies below. Bridges are a curious thing, because they can take you far away from a fear; yet, they can also become the source of fear if you are afraid of what lies underneath.

Regardless of where you allow a bridge to take you, you will never get there if you stay only on one side. In order for that bridge to help you get to where you’re going, you must cross it. You must take the first step toward that destiny. It is a decision that can change your life. It is a choice only you can choose.

bridge pic2

There are many bridges, within my own life,  which have led me closer to my purpose and my calling: bridges of friendship, bridges of “blood, sweat and tears,” and bridges of the unknown. Every bridge that I have chosen to cross has taught me something and has helped me to grow.

The ones which have taught me the most are the ones that helped me walk above pain in my life. There have been friendships which bridged the gap between moments of loneliness and utter joy. There have been bridges of solitude which bridged the gap between insanity and complete peace. There have been bridges of faith beyond which the future was unknown, but I had to keep walking to receive the healing, strength and joy on the other side. There have also been moments of clear of decision which bridged the gap between regret-filled failure and wonderful heart-felt success. These are the bridges that have propelled me toward a greater destiny. These are the pillars upon which I stand. Had I not crossed over, I would have been left weak, broken and desolate.

When faced with the choice to cross a new “bridge,” the best thing to assist in the decision is to read the road signs prior to it. If are were no signs, find someone who’s gone that way before, and listen to what they’ve learned., and many times, the path to the bridge can give a great indication as to where it is headed. However, there are some times when it’s just going to take a lot of prayer and a whole lot of faith to know this is the right direction to take.

bridge pic

Have you had to cross any bridges lately? What have you learned in the process?bridge pic3

 

*Note: I did take these pics, nor do I own or possess them. Simple Google images search brought them.

Wednesday’s Ode #39

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

  I love ORGANIZATION! When things are out of order, I start getting a little anxious and unsettled. If things get in total disarray, I actually might be able to handle it for a day or two, especially if I’m really, really busy; however, if it rolls on this way, I will set aside needed priorities simply to get things back into order. This isn’t always a good thing, but I have definitely determined this is one of my characteristics. 

It’s not really that I am overly organized either. I certainly joke about having OCD and how everything has to be “just so;” however, if you read articles and books about true OCD, I suppose, these descriptions wouldn’t quite describe my home or my office space. 

I think I might be more of an “organized piler.” I do like things in their place, and I don’t like chaos in my cabinets, drawers or closets; yet, I, also, have certain areas where I might have a basket full of things I really need to go through or maybe a small stack of papers on which I need to follow up. I’m trying to get better with these two things, because even that drives me crazy! … You know it’s bad when you’re getting on your own nerves! Haha.

I really do love being organized. I am often reading to improve some area, or space, in my life; however, I don’t want to be so crazy about the organization that I miss the point of it: to spend more time with the people I love and doing the things I enjoy! 

If your organizational skills become as such that you constantly forsake family time, or friendships, simply to organize something more, then you might want to take a step back, reassess, and determine the more important things in this life. 

You only have this moment, right now, and you may not have it again for the rest of your life! You’ll never, again, catch this memory that may be happening right now. I challenge you to set aside the need to organize today and go spend some time with those you love! Get out in nature. Go see a waterfall or watch the sky for the first constellations to appear. I promise you, you won’t be disappointed! 😊

Just Wanted to Share

/ The WheatandTares / 6 Comments

I thought I might do something a little different today…

I just wanted to share a little of my world through the eyes of a camera lens…


  

  


  
 

Catch and Release

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

Catch and release…joy, love, peace, anger, resentment, pain. 

Our youngest son loves to fish. He loves to go out, take his fishing pole, cast a line, and catch whatever there is to catch! It doesn’t matter if it’s little fish, medium size, or a great big one… Although, he loves the great big catch! That boy just loves to fish! 

I started thinking…Ya know, we need to be more like this is life! What if we were so eager to “fish” for the good things in life…like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness? What if we cast our lines big, expecting those great big wonderful “fish” to latch on for good? 

What if we learned to release those bad things that don’t amount to anything? What if we let go of those thoughts of jealousy, those memories that bring bitterness, those concerns and fears that keep us from chasing our dreams? …what if??

How different would our everyday lives be if we “caught” only what was good and “released” all that was bad? How different would we react to those around us? How different would our legacy be to those comintbg behind us?

Sure, life doesn’t always being great stuff everyday. There are storms that come, but it rains for a good fisherman, too! Yet, I’ve heard that’s when some of the best fishing is done, in the rain! You’ve just got to know what to catch and keep and what to release back into the lake!

Why not try it today? Put on your greatest fishing attire. Pull out that sparkling rod and reel, and set out on a fishing adventure of “Catch and Release.” Catch only good…Release all that’s bad, and see how different your life can be today. 🙂

Wednesday’s Ode #13

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments


I love waterfalls! I absolutely LOVE them!! I love the walks and hikes that take me on a little journey to get there. I love them when they have an abundance of water flowing, and I love when there’s not so much. I love the refreshing feeling I get as I gaze up at them, and I love the tingling of my toes when I’m gazing down the falls.

I love what happens every single time I get near a waterfall…my soul is renewed. It is as if a calm comes over my whole being and the cares of this world are simply washed away like the water going over the falls.

Once again, it reminds me of the Scripture I quoted in last week’s ode: “…and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory.” Ezekiel 43:2, and here’s another that reminds me, “His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.” Rev 1:15

I hear Him calling to my heart every time I’m near the falls. I love those times.  …hmmm, I think I need to take a hike and find some rushing waters real soon! 😉

   

   

Wednesday’s Ode #11

/ The WheatandTares

Today, I’d like to be headed toward what I am going to give tribute: the mountains! Oh, how I love the mountains! We live near the North Georgia Mountains, and every time I get near, every time I get even a glimpse of them, I have to take a couple of really deep breaths and just close my eyes and let everything else simply slip away. 

    I am, specifically, in love with the N.GA mountains and the Smoky Mountain National Park; however, I have been to the Rockies, as well as, several other parks and mountain ranges along the East coast, and I love them all!! 
  There is just something about standing at the base of an ancient hill that has withstood the test of time. Those ranges have stood strong amidst rain, blistering heat, earthquakes, snow and mankind. Their strength precedes them. Their peace hovers around them, and it can be felt with more intensity the closer you get. 

Some fear the mountains, because they are unpredictable and unwavering in the raw elements; however, I have found my time spent hiking, walking, or simply gazing up at the trees, is always refreshing, revitalizing, and it reequips me for the days I have ahead. Some grow frustrated and restless as they draw near to the sheer size of the mound; yet, I find myself longing for moments of solitude in their midst. They are a fortress, a refuge, a high tower upon which I will lean and find rest. They bring me peace, strength, and even, wisdom, as I gaze at their majesty. They are a constant reminder to me of their Creator and mine. 

I just love, love, love the mountains!! My heart is longing to escape to that fortress even now. …Hmmm, I wonder if I could possibly squeeze in a trip to them today…or at least, over this coming weekend! 🙂

Joy in the Sorrow

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

We only experience true joy when we’ve experienced deep pain. 

We only experience true strength when we’ve experienced great weakness. 

We appreciate the sunshine when we’ve been surrounded by rain. 

We are truly grateful for home when we’ve been away for a long time. 

We all know the feeling when the day has been unending, and we’re so thankful for our own bed. We are more appreciative, because we’ve recognized the loss of it.  

A parent values their child most when that child has been lost to him for a time. 

A wife truly cherishes her covenant when she sees him marry the other woman. 

A husband really esteems his wife after she has escaped death.  

A child treasures a friend when he thought all was forgotten. 

We get comfortable in routine. 

We grow complacent in the mundane.

We grow ungrateful in the familiar. 

Sometimes, hard times come to shake us from the average. 

Sometimes, trials come to move us beyond the commonplace. 

Often times, the trouble will pull us out of the habitual and into a brighter tomorrow. 

So, when the storms of life come,

Don’t fight. 

Don’t resist. 

Just walk out in the rain.

Just learn to grow. 

Learn to love. 

Learn the value. 

Just turn your face to the waterfall. 

Just let it wash over you. 

 Just dance. 


PENNED – MG – 4/13/15

Fall Into It (4)

/ The WheatandTares

Fall into PEACE

Fall into peace like you’re falling back onto your incredibly soft pillow top or down mattress (or whatever you prefer), and you’re about to get the best night’s sleep you’ve had in your life! Perfect peace doesn’t depend on the situation or the persons involved. It is a quiet knowing of the soul that says, “Everything’s gonna be alright.” It’s a settling within that is beyond settling. It’s a peace that surpasses all understanding. It’s that moment when “all hades” has broken loose, and you sit back and breathe…and maybe even chuckle, because you know within your heart and soul that no matter what may come, “All is well with my soul.”

In the Depths of the Falls

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

 

I saw a glimpse of something today. We took a little hike to Amicalola Falls and were standing on the bridge, looking up at the falls when I saw it. Looking up, this song started rolling over and over in my mind, and before I realized it, I was softly singing: 

Peace, peace, wonderful peace

Coming down from the Father above

Sweep over my spirit forever I pray 

In fathomless billows of love

As I stood there, listening to the waters rush over the rocks and tumble down below, I began to really see it…The rocks were solid, strong, unyielding. There were sharp places and dark places…green, squishy patches and dry, splotchy parts…even some spots with crackly, dry weeds. Yet, where the water flowed, the rocks were smooth and even shiny, almost like jewels glistening in the sun. The waters rushed over the edge at one place and trickled down, hardly noticeable in another. Sometimes, it would bounce and jump, almost seeming to dance in laughter off the rocks, and in others, that same water swirled and pooled, making little collections of shimmery basins in which you could’ve cooled and refreshed your feet. The falls were simply beautiful, invigorating and peaceful, inviting and overwhelming, all in the same breath. 

As I stood there, tears streaming down my face, I could see the depths of my very soul. The rocks are the image of my soul. It’s solid, strong, and unyielding, sometimes for very good reasons, sometimes for not so good. The water is the Living Water of God. It washes my heart, cleanses my mind and purifies my soul. It causes the green patches of soft, squishy grass to grow.Those are the places where I’m tender and soft toward the things of God. I’m pliable, moldable, easily moved and quickly changed. These are the places where I long to stay, to learn, to grow. 

Yet, there are other areas where it’s not so sweet. His water has to smooth out the sharp, ragged, painful places, those places we’d rather not talk about, those pains we’d just as soon forget. He pours over those jagged rocks of my soul to bring life, restoration and joy.

I was reminded, in that moment, all our souls are in this similar state of being. Some are more, some are less, but we all have sharp, jagged rocks that need His soothing. We all have dark places, those things which are ugly and hidden from the world that need His cleansing. Each one of us has a dry spot or two that needs more water and oh, those pesky weedy areas that are in such need of His purifying. Every one of us has a need for so many more of those soft, squishy, green patches, those places where His love and mercy abide. Our soul longs for those times when we are fully immersed in His goodness and grace.

You see, when we let Jesus into our soul, His rivers of Living Water rush into our lives to show us His love, His grace, His mercy, those things which He’s just been waiting to pour out. Sometimes, the water is so loud, so consuming, we can’t even contain it or comprehend it. Other times, He lets it trickle down a forgotten path, one we thought we’d pushed far into the past to a place never to be seen or remembered again. Yet, He gently lets His waters flow, washing over those places, drawing us back, soothing our soul. 

Just as these falls towered before me, His Living Water towers over our souls. He cleanses us, changes us, and transforms us into a beautiful spectacle for all to see. As we allow His water to wash over the depths of our being, we will know He is God. We will know He loves us; we will experience His grace, and we will be transformed into a new creation. We will become a beautiful waterfall that others will gaze upon and feel refreshed, invigorated, challenged and changed. They will gain strength and wisdom as they see what the Lord has done in our life. Many will long for the same as they see the place where He abides. All we must do is allow His Holy Spirit, His Living Waters to flow into and through our lives. Will you let Him flow today? 

“…And let anyone drink who believes in me.” As Scripture has said, “Out of him (or them) will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:38