About ten years ago our family began observing and participating in the Lenten season. We had an idea of what it was, a time of repentance and reflection, but we were no where close to understanding the full scope of this season.
Growing up, neither my husband nor I had been taught to observe Lent or even knew what it really was. After marrying and making a commitment to keep our family focus on Christ, we came across Lent.
We tried to research it and really understand what it was, but though the concept is simple, the traditions are many. So we started with the basics...we prayed about and each gave up something for the Lenten season. We knew that we were doing this in order to focus on and allow the Lord to show us strongholds the enemy or flesh might have in our lives, but that was it.
It began as a season of prayer and reflection, but every year, we have learned something new about this time. Eventually we learned about and participated in Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday and recently Maundy Thursday.
Today is Maundy Thursday or Commandment Thursday, which is a time to remember the commandment that Jesus gave the disciples during the Last Supper. It is also a time that we observe Passover.
Passover... the Last Supper....What is the significance for me personally?
It was the last time that Jesus was able to share his time and activity with those he loved on earth, before the crucifiction.
After Passover, He moved from sharing to sacrificing....where we fall short.
Even something that sounds as simple as sharing in His time of prayer at the Garden of Gethsemane, we fall short.
But Passover....Passover is a time that I can share with Him.
I will be the first to tell you that I don't know all of the traditions nor do I understand all of the history behind them,
...but I do understand this one thing about Passover and the Last Supper....I am not capable to walk with Him past this point.
Thank God I was not expected to.
But to sit with Him and spend time remembering and thanking Him for what He has done, not just in my life, but throughout history, I can do that!
Tomorrow begins a time of mourning.
Mourning what had to be in order to save my soul.
Mourning for what my Savior had to do in order to free my soul.
I told you yesterday about the Oklahoma debate tournament and how my oldest two daughters possibly let their focus fall away from the Lord and onto winning. Today I want to share with you an example of DD #3 letting the Lord steal her show!!
At this speech/debate tournament they offered a junior tournament the day before the senior tournament begins. My dd #3 decided that she wanted to participate in this for the first time and that the main event she wanted to compete in was persuasive speaking.
In persuasive speaking, you have five minutes to give a memorized speech on the topic of your choice. So the week before the tournament, she set out to write a speech. I had her spend some time praying about the topic and she chose to talk about Americans learning from our mistakes.
She felt really passionate about this topic, specifically learning from the mistakes in our past. This is because we spent time in our history studies the last couple of years learning from American history and we were all shocked at some of the things that our country did and allowed to happen, mainly dealing with the Native Americans.
So anyways, she wrote her speech and we spent time correcting it and she memorized it. After seeing her speech and hearing her give it, I needed to have a talk with her.
She dealt with some harsh realities of America, past and present, that many people don't like to hear about or admit to. I let her know that it was possible that her judges would not like hearing what she had to say or agree with her, and sometimes that can effect your placement in the tournament. More of less, she had to decide if it were more important to her to win, or to get her message across. She chose her message.
We worked on ways to neutralize her words in a way that would not immediately alienate her listeners while still getting her point across and also toning down the passion she portrays when she speaks of the subject (it sometimes comes across as her being very angry! :)).
So fast forward a week and we are at the tournament. She speaks two times in the persuasive speech category and pours herself into the five minutes she has to impact the lives of the six judges. I was so proud of the choices she made, not only on what to speak about, but in the fact that she put her goal of winning on the back burner and let God steal her show!!
So at the awards ceremony, neither of us expected what was announced...she won first place! We were all so happy for her. But you know what the best part was, I believe that she was able to touch the lives of the six judges that heard her that day. They all commented on her ballot sheets about the topic and several said that she gave them something to think about.
Now, I am not trying to say that when we let the Lord steal our show, it will always turn out this way. We won't always win first place, sometimes we won't even make it to finals!! But that becomes irrelevant to getting His message out and allowing Him to work through us.
We have the ability to change the world!!.......one stolen show at a time :)
Catchy title isn't it??!! Well, this is one of those posts that I REALLY want you to read!! And I REALLY want you to share it!!
Why? Because when God chooses to blast a message through this thick skull of mine, it is always meant to be shared with others.
My two oldest daughters are involved in a speech and debate league. They compete as a team in team policy or CX debate. This year, after much prayer on which case to use, the Lord led them to write their own case about a topic that has become dear to our hearts.
So...they spent hours and hours and HOURS researching and writing this case in August and September. When they presented it the first time, it was passionate and straight from the Lord to their hearts and out of their mouths. An example of the Lord using His people in the purest form, through a child.
They took their case to two practice tournaments and did great with it. People were talking and asking them questions about the subject of their case afterwards. They were getting people to think!
Then we moved....boxes were packed and some of them actually managed to stay packed!! As was the case with their debate box. They pulled it out last month only because when they signed up for their club, the committed to attending one practice tournament and one actual tournament and they needed to fulfill that obligation.
So, only two days after pulling out the box and looking through it all, we went a a tournament in Texas. The tournaments are three days with the last day being slotted for final rounds. We packed for two knowing that they would get cut quickly. Not because we did not have confidence in their ability but because they honestly had not even looked at any of it for four months!
They were okay with this because they just figured this years debate was over due to circumstances and it would begin anew this summer.
Well....then they made the first cut into the double octofinals. We had already packed the car and were ready to head home when the announcement came. They were cut soon after, but in making the first cut, they qualified for the regional tournament in May.
Okay, so you might think, just ditch regionals and be done with it. Well, it is not that easy, as their advancement took the spot away from someone else, so we all felt that they were obligated to work hard and do their best. But the biggest reason for the renewal was that it was a reminder that this was not their message, but one they felt was from the Lord and He wanted it spread further!
With a new fire lit, they went to work! There was another tournament in Oklahoma two weeks later that they wanted to attend in order to get some practice. Boy howdy they worked! I think they spent every available minute working on preparing for OK.
Now, zip ahead two weeks and we are at the tournament. They worked so hard the first two days. They just poured themselves into each round. So, octo finals are announced and they did not break.
They were really disappointed. Then, when they got their sheets back at the end of the tournament, they looked and found out that they had a HORRIBLE tournament!! And when they presented their case, no one ever even commented on the content of it. They were so sad. You put all this work into something and not only are you not successful, but you don't get your message across!
So, driving home on Sunday we talked about it and what they were going to do different, how they would change their case, etc. As we were driving, I suddenly had a thought of the Lord and how He must feel about this.
I know that He knows the final plan and that it is to prosper the girls, not to harm them, but I also thought about how it must have hurt His heart the night before to see them sad. It was hard to drive and hold back the tears after this thought.
After sharing it with the girls, they got to talking about the fact that they let their purpose and thoughts stray from the original one He gave them. It became more about winning.
Then DD #2 shared some words to a song that she thought should become their debate theme song. It is by TobyMac and is called "Steal My Show." We agreed that was the perfect song and motto for the rest of the debate season!
At this time, we were driving through a very desolate part of Oklahoma and were not picking up a radio signal. I told the girls it would be cool to hear the song, so suggested that we try to find a radio station. DD #1 pushed scan 1 time and it landed on a Christian station and guess which song had just begun?? Yes!! Steal My Show!! It was as if the Lord was letting them know that this was the way He wanted them to proceed!! Well, then tears were had all around and we jammed out to the following....
Some of the lyrics to Steal My Show :
No matter who we are
No matter what we do
Every day we can choose
To say..
If you wanna steal my show
I’ll sit back and watch you go
If you got something to say
Go on and take it away
Need you to steal my show
Can’t wait to watch you go oh oh oh
So take it away
My life!
My pride!
My heart!
It’s all yours now
Take it away
My fame!
My feet!
My family, my career
Take it away
Take it away
It’s all yours now
So take it away
Take it away
It’s you I wanna live for
This is me talking again, and I just want to say....GOD ROCKS!!! I am making a sign that says Steal My Show and hanging it on my bathroom mirror. What a great way to face each day that the Lord gives us!!
I told you guys yesterday that I am having a bit of trouble adjusting to our move, but I am not the only one. DD #2 is struggling to find her place here as well.
Of course, we kinda suspected that would be the case! She does not like animals, dirt, or anything that has touched either. So..... we knew there might be some trouble there as there is nothing here that has not touched either an animal or dirt!! That being said, she is a trooper and works each day to find the blessings.
Our other three daughters as well as Farmer Willie appear to have been born for this life!! DD #1 has worked really hard to get a garden plot ready for planting.
And DD's #3 and #4 spend every available minute outside. They have loved the cats, snakes, dead mice, dirt, trees, etc!!
I had a friend come by yesterday and she had read my blog. She suggested that part of the problem might be because I don't know the area well enough yet. I think she might be right!! So next week, she is taking me on an exploration trip!! I am really looking forward to that :)
In the two months that we have lived here, we have all been forced to learn some life leasons, many of them revolving around animals.
First, about a month ago, we were out of town on a college exploration trip for DD #1 and some of our neighbors were watching our chickens. A dog got into one of the coops and killed all four of our youngest chickens. We were devestated, while at the same time trying to remind ourselves that we knew, sooner or later, we would lose some.
After the dog attack, our sweet rooster became really depressed. He stopped crowing immediately after the attack and we seemed to lose more of him each day. Finally, in the last two weeks he started losing his balance and it became difficult for him to walk.
In our research, we figured that he had a stroke, so we took care of him, and prayed for him. DD #3 would catch bugs for him to "hunt" for and she exercised his legs for him each day. We carried him in and out of the coop, making sure he was protected and had food and water. DD #3 would even clean him each day as he could not get around well for going potty.
In the last couple of days, he seemed to be improving! He walked more and we saw him really fight to stand for several minutes. He even tried to give himself a dirt bath!! But unfortunately, yesterday, when DD #3 went to let the chickens out of the coop, she found that he had died during the night.
One of the biggest lessons we have learned on the farm is seeing the hand of God in everything. It is easy to see His hand in the beautiful sunrise and sunset, the running water in the creek and in the beautiful song of the birds.
But when things happen that seem to be contrary to all that is good, it is more difficult.
We just happen to be reading through Job right now, which just increases the question of...why?
I can't answer that question, but I have asked it plenty of times. I do know that I have learned that during the "why" times, I can cling to the fact that:
My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. Psalm 62:5-8
Bet you thought I fell off of the face of the earth!!! Sorry I kinda ditched all of my blogging responsibilities the last month. I have been struggling with the moving blues.
Now, you might wonder why in the world I would have the moving blues and honestly....I can't tell you!! Our move, new house, new property and new neighbors all testify that the hand of God has been on this all of the way! In fact, I feel a little guilty for feeling down and especially about writing about it. Buy Farmer Willie and my daughters think this might help, so I am willing to give it a go!!
I have struggled since moving. Almost every day! I am not really sure why or what is wrong, I just know that it is a struggle to get through the day and get the things done that I know need to be done.
I am doing everything I know to do...praying, getting lots of sunshine, talking about it with Farmer Willie. It will seem to get better for a day or two, but comes back with a vengeance.
So, I am going to write about it. I am going to share it with all of you for three reasons....
1. In hopes that it will help me feel better
2. In hopes that it might help someone else know that they are not alone
3. To show the glory of God's hand when I feel better!!!
Each day I try to remind myself that our family is going through some really hefty life changes right now. Not only have we just moved for the first time in 13 years, but we made a drastic move and lifestyle change. The other thing is that we are getting ready to send our oldest daughter off to college in a few months. Lots of changes for us all!!
I know that God is in control of it all and I rest in the fact that no matter how I might feel, He is there. I am just ready to "feel" better...ya know??!!
There has been a lot going on around here lately and I will share more tomorrow!!
My prayer is that you each have a wonderfully blessed day today!!
