truth

A Wood In Progress

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments

When wood is raw and freshly cut, it is still rough and splinter-prone. If you rub your hand across it, you may pull away filled with a little pain from a piece of wood merging with your tender fingers. It is hard to grasp and difficult to display, but it can be used for very practical things, such as saw horses, firewood and boarding up holes or drafty windows.

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To be a bit more useful, a woodsman will begin to sand that raw wood. (Sanding, Planing and Scraping are all methods of smoothing wood. Each depends on the type of wood and the desired results from the smoothing. For simplicity, I will only refer to sanding.) The first sandpaper applied is very coarse, and it will shave away much of the roughness and splinted wood.  As the plank become smoother, more refined pieces of sandpaper are used to cause more and more fine-tuned sanding. Once, the piece is smoothed to the creator’s liking, he or she will run his hands over the fine, smooth piece of wood.

In the final stages of refining, the carpenter might even smooth the wood with cloths or apply a varnish, fiberglass or stain to finish the handiwork. He may create shelves, cabinets, tables, chairs, or even doors and window frames. In the end, a beautiful work of art is presented for daily use or display.

smithsonian magazine
smithsonian magazine
smithsonian magazine

This is how our Heavenly Father prepares us as well. When we are first saved, our approach to Christianity, life and even each other can be so rough that, if we aren’t careful, we might leave “splinters” in the lives of those around us. God has to smooth out those rough places. He has to apply pressure, allow challenges and even trials to come to “sand away” those splintery spots. In the end, He creates a beautiful work of art within our lives that might be used by His might hand to bring impact into the lives of someone else.Sometimes, the method might seem strenuous, tedious and even unrelenting, but just trust, He will finish what He has started. Never give up through the process, and when He is finished, know you will never be the same. It will be worth it!

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Love Me Challenge #3

/ The WheatandTares

Oops, So sorry for a delayed post! This is yesterday’s, and today’s will be post d at 11:00 am today. 😉


There is a “name game” we play, often, in settings with new people. You introduce yourself by using an adjective before your name, one that starts with the same letter as your name, to help people remember your name. I almost always use “Mindful Mia.” I would say that describes me a lot. 

I am, probably, too mindful at times. 😂Haha. I am always thinking of my family, our church, what’s going on with others, what’s going on with me, what’s next, what do I need to plan, etc. If you’re not much of a planner and wish to be, you might can think that’s a good thing, but I can tell you, it’s not always. I have had to really get in a routine of “turning down the volume” in my head; so, I can clearly hear the most important voice, God’s. Well, that’s another post for another day which you can go read about. 😉

Yes, I would have to say the one word  that describes me the most would be “mindful,” and even though, it can get me into trouble if/when I allow my strength to become my weakness, I wouldn’t change this aspect of myself. For, I know this is the way God created me, and in the good, the bad, and the ugly of it, He is still God if/when I allow Him to be. If I can help it, I will always work to allow Him to be God of my mindfulness; so, He can get all the glory from my life! 😊

Choose Your Weapons Wisely

/ The WheatandTares / 2 Comments
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Monday I posted about winning the battle against the enemy, but it made me wonder…Sometimes, I wonder if we, as Christians, give the right answers to those who feel like they are losing the battle of life. I mean, to the common reader on this site, what does this mean, “winning the battle”…”we’ve been given the weaponry”…”pick up your sword of the Spirit and your shield of faith?” I know for those of us who have grown up around church and the things of church and Christianity, these words might be a common vernacular; however, for others, these might make as much sense as a foreign language.

So, today, I’d like to share a little of what I have come to know. I want to share a little of my story, what He means to me, and how I have learned to fight and stand tall in this fight of faith. I hope it will help you, whomever you are, and I pray you will be encouraged to seek more of Him to find the truth and love that I have found.

TRUTHS:

Life can be hard sometimes, and being Christlike doesn’t necessarily change that.

Being a Christian does not cause our lives to be perfect.

Loving God does not make all bad stuff go away, never to effect us.

Relying on Him doesn’t mean we won’t have doubts and fears.

Trusting in Christ takes just an ounce of faith and a whole lot of surrendering of our will.

Once you decide to trust, He makes up the difference between our ability and lack of faith.

Our Christianity isn’t based on good feelings, happiness or getting what we want.

He has given us promises on which to stand and build up our faith.

His promises are true, steadfast, uncompromising and unchanging.

He is a God who is full of unconditional love, unwavering mercy and unrelenting faith.

He is a God who is forever reaching to us and eternally seeking to draw us back to Himself.

I could quote Scripture after Scripture of who He is and what He is about. I could recite verse after verse of His goodness, His promises and His commands; however, unless, you actually develop a relationship with Him my words won’t make much of a difference for you. Until you come to know Him, truly know Him, as your Savior and your King, as your Refuge and your High Tower, and as your Prince of Peace, what I have to say will not really make an impact on your heart and mind.

Oh, but if you can just have a moment with Him. If you can call on His Name just once, and grasp even a glimpse of the love that He has for you, I promise you, you will be forever changed. All I can tell you is just try Him. Reach out to Him. Call on His Name, and see what He might do.

 

 

Love Me Challenge #2

/ The WheatandTares

Oops, So sorry for a delayed post! This is yesterday’s, and today’s will be post d at 11:00 am today. 😉


There is a “name game” we play, often, in settings with new people. You introduce yourself by using an adjective before your name, one that starts with the same letter as your name, to help people remember your name. I almost always use “Mindful Mia.” I would say that describes me a lot.

I am, probably, too mindful at times. 😂Haha. I am always thinking of my family, our church, what’s going on with others, what’s going on with me, what’s next, what do I need to plan, etc. If you’re not much of a planner and wish to be, you might can think that’s a good thing, but I can tell you, it’s not always. I have had to really get in a routine of “turning down the volume” in my head; so, I can clearly hear the most important voice, God’s. Well, that’s another post for another day which you can go read about. 😉

Yes, I would have to say the one word  that describes me the most would be “mindful,” and even though, it can get me into trouble if/when I allow my strength to become my weakness, I wouldn’t change this aspect of myself. For, I know this is the way God created me, and in the good, the bad, and the ugly of it, He is still God if/when I allow Him to be. If I can help it, I will always work to allow Him to be God of my mindfulness; so, He can get all the glory from my life! 😊

Love Me Challenge #1

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment

I saw this pic a very long time ago and saved it as a draft here on the blog. With today being February 1, I thought I’d share it and encourage us all to take the #LoveMe Challenge. Learning to love ourselves can be the first step to learning to truthfully and authentically loving others…

 

love-me-challenge

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#1 – Why are you doing #loveme challenge?

It will be fun. It might encourage others to join in. It might be an encouragement and a moment to share love and kindness with another…

 

Like a Lion

/ The WheatandTares
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pinterest

Too often, as Christians, we allow the enemy of our soul to defeat us, because we forget the promises we have been given. Too often, we lie down in the muck and mire of our lives and allow our circumstances to overwhelm us to the point of suffocation. We lay down our weapons, and we back away from our destiny, because the way seems too long and the fight appears too hard. We read the Scripture that the enemy is like a lion looking to devour us and we believe it, forgetting the rest of the verse that tells us to “resist him, standing firm in the faith!”

We have been given the weaponry to defeat what comes against us! We are not meant to be wimpy, noodle-spined children of God. We are children of a risen KING! We are destined to win this thing, not because we are so strong nor because we are able to be perfect. We are destined to win, because HE HAS ALREADY WON the victory! The Book has already been written. The end has already been determined!

All we have to do is stand firm in His Word. Ephesians 6:13-14 reminds us, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore…” So, if you are feeling weary today, be encouraged! Take up your sword of the Spirit and your shield faith one more time and slay that giant before you. God is with you, and with Him, you cannot fail!

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pinterest

 

 

 

How’s That Breath of Yours?

/ The WheatandTares

 

Have you ever been talking to someone, and you feel like holding your breath, because theirs is so overpowering? Have you ever tried to keep your composure while the person speaking to you is breathing an aura of STANK all around your head? Oh! It can be downright suffocating, can’t it? You just want to put a clothespin over your nose, a mask over your face, or even just hand a piece of gum to the person as a great big sign that says, “Please! Go brush your teeth!”

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Did you know, HOW we talk can provide this same type of atmosphere? Our words can create an air of pleasantry or putrid disgust around the person to whom we are speaking. It is all in what we talk about. If our talk is of positive things, the atmosphere we create will be like a breath of fresh air, a mint filled aroma or even bubble gum popping fun. However, if our conversation is filled with negativity, gossip or the tearing down of another, it can be as if we just bit into an onion, forgot to floss for a year or even had a mouth full of rotten garbage. Nobody wants to smell that mess!

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Let our words be pleasant. Let our speech be charming and cheerful. Let our conversations fill the air with a beautiful aroma, one of which everyone will desire to be a part. There’s actually some truth in momma’s old adage, “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all!” 😉

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Our Heart’s Desire

/ The WheatandTares

The soul longs for solitude; yet, it loathes the loneliness. We seek out friends to fill the empty space only to push them away when times get tough. We pull them close for the thrill seeking adventures and shove past them for the broken dreams and torn up paper houses. It’s a constant push and pull to gain the happiness for which we seek.

The mind yearns for stability; yet, it rejects true wisdom and grace. We search for the highest success and desire the richest affairs only to plummet to the depths of despair as we fail the test over and over again. We chase after dreams and compare with the elite, always trying to get ahead only to cheat and compete, biting and clawing at anything or anyone who might come close. It’s a constant push and pull to gain the happiness for which we seek.

The heart cries out for peace and comfort; yet, it wars against silence and truth. We wander, wonder, wishfully believing the noise will bring answers. We go to this philosophy and that fountain of knowledge, always avoiding the absolute, the only true Way. We grasp at this intellect, that debate, and those arguments, never embracing the very One who died once and for all. It’s a constant push and pull to gain the happiness for which we seek.

Can you not feel your soul reaching for His righteousness?

Can you not hear your mind shouting for His faithfulness?

Can you not see your heart bleeding for His unconditional love?

 

He simply stands there, arms outstretched, awaiting your release.

 

 

For What Are You Searching?

/ The WheatandTares

I watch you from a far

You scrap and scrape for the par

They are all like crabs within the barrel

Pulling you back, never caring your life is imperil

 

You wander from place to place

Always wondering how to save face

This life you’ve contrived is only a game

Always shielding your heart but finding the same

 

Lost and confused, bended and broken

Those you gathered only gave you a token

You thought you were reaching your highest goal

Only to find all the searching has only found an empty soul

 

I long to help you, to lend you a hand

Yet, you push me away, stating it is alone you must stand

My heart cries to see your stubborn desolation to stay

Praying one day you might realize He is the Only Way

 

Penned – MG – 1/24/17

Are You A Fan?

/ The WheatandTares / 1 Comment


As I was reading this Scripture today, it made me think of being a fan. Not an electric, “cool you off fan,” but a “I am so excited! I am going to scream and holler for my team” kind of fan.

When you’re a true fan, you follow the team. You get excited when they are on the tv screen, playing national championships or in town for a big game. When you go to the game, you shout, you raise your hands, you get excited over the good things they do in order to win the game.

When we’re a fan, no one has to tell us how to get excited, how to cheer or even how to clap when our team scores. Noone has to instruct us, because we love our team. No one has to encourage us to cheer, because we are passionate about who and what we love!

Yet, too often, when we come to the House of God, we allow our mood to dictate how we react. We allow the circumstances of our lives or the people around us to influence how we worship. We my sit through a whole worship set, and even half the sermon, before we allow our face to crack a smile.

Yet, we say we are “fans” of our God. We tell other people we are passionate about the man who saved us. We express to those around us how we love Him, the man who gave His life that we might live. We share with new converts how we must reach out, share the gospel, and tell the world of the good things He has done, because He brings hope to all.

Really??

If you call yourself a Christian, could you ask yourself today, “Am I really a fan?”