Good Friday

I love this time of year, when the weather agrees, I get to spend an entire week off from work to relax and pretend to catch up on house work (when really it's nearly 11:00 a.m. and I am still in my p.j.'s)!

But seriously today is Good Friday and the more I reflect upon it I had the thought,

"Why on earth is it GOOD? Our Lord and Savior was put to death this day." 

I understand WHY it's called Good Friday, I mean....without it Jesus would not have fulfilled the prophecies and died on the cross to be risen and start a new covenant of Grace with us.

However it's the "died on the cross" part that's making it a not so Good Friday for me. 

Ever since I've become a Christian my heart breaks that the sins I've committed and continue to commit (let's face it we're all still sinners) we're the reason that Jesus' had to go through one of the, if not THE, most gruesome deaths so that I would not have to pay the price and that one day I could have eternal life. 

It seems so unfair, the price He paid for me.

 He who knew no sin, became sin so that WE could become righteous with God. 2 Corinthians 5:21

Seriously? I feel so unworthy of that phrase, I mean obviously I can try to live up to it but when compared to what Christ did.....nothing I do will ever be enough. And the crazy part is, is that He's ok with it.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are                                                                              healed.                                                               Isaiah 53:5

Why would He do such a thing for us? For ME? He was beaten by soldiers with a weapon called a flagrum which I have read is similar to the British cat o' nine tails. 

This hits me hard.

1. Have you SEEN a soldiers arms? They're HUGE from working out and lifting heavy equipment and their weapon that probably weighed more than me! With a normal whip it would have been torture enough. 

2. The flagrum. Just thinking about this gives me chills and makes me want to weep with anger and pain for our Lord. When researching the Flagellumm or Flagrum I found this description.

"the flagellum was not designed merely to bruise or leave welts on the victim. The flagellum was a whip with several (at least three) thongs or strands, each perhaps as much as three feet long, and the strands were weighted with lead balls or pieces of bone. This instrument was designed to lacerate. The weighed thongs struck the skin so violently that it broke open." (McAllister, 2000).

Upon further reading about it, it's stated that at times the flagrum would tear the skin open so much that main arteries were exposed. I cannot even imagine such pain!

Then He had to carry His own cross, a death sentence, and wear a crown of thorns that bit into His skin every single second causing pain and blood to run down His face.

This is what I think about when I think of Good Friday, not the crawfish boils, the seafood or the superstitions  of the day (seriously guys...not digging or planting today?), but rather that there was a price paid for my redemption, for our redemption and it was a high price indeed. 

But we can take heart in the fact that because of His selfless act, Death was beaten and no longer has a hold over our lives, that we can be forgiven of our sins, get right with God and live to serve Him. 

So today, as your feasting take a moment to remember just why and who we are in debt to for this day. 

Things I've Learned from a Horse

This is Lilly.

She's one of my bestest four legged friends around.

Sometimes we disagree on the course of action for the day when we are together but most of the time we highly enjoy each others company.

I was there the day she was born and have watched her grow and become more beautiful than I could have hoped! Every little girls dream horse...and she's mine!

She's got large ears for listening to my troubles and big eyes to see the world in ways I never could even imagine.

I'd like to share some things that she has taught me over the 13 years of our friendship. 

1. It's OK to be the boss.

Lilly is really my alter ego in this area. She's what we in the horse world call a "Boss Mare" if there are younger (and sometimes older as well) horses in the pasture with her she dominates and threatens with ears pinned back to be the first in line for water, food and my attention. I feel like this is an important point because there are so many times when we allow ourselves to be pushed aside by another "boss mare" and our dreams and wants are pushed to the side while they plow through. NOT OK. We need not let others' thoughts and opinions of us keep us from excelling in life.

2. It's OK to roll around and get dirty.

Sometimes I have a hard time with letting loose and having fun. I feel like I need to be on a regiment and have everything in my life planned out the way I need it. Pretty girl up there? Yea...she always throws a wrench in that by ROLLING in the dirt RIGHT AFTER A BATH! But you know, most times I just laugh it off and smile at her antics, because in the grand scheme of things life should be so serious that we forget a simple joy like rolling around in the dirt (symbolic here of course, not literally!)

3. Sometimes all you have to do is listen and not speak.

Lilly is perhaps the best listener I know....she doesn't give me advice I don't want or need when I'm upset, she just looks at me with those big brown eyes like "I have no idea what you're saying but keep brushing me please." Many times we want to give people a solution to "FIX" their problems....they don't need us to fix it! They just sometimes need a willing ear to listen and not judge them about it. Sometimes by giving advice or your own opinion you are potentially giving them advice that will break a friendship or end wrongly, even putting your own friendship with them at risk because then you'll be looked at as the one who "told them so". Don't be that person, listen first and then if you are asked give your opinion or advice, don't give it unless they ask for it.

4. That sometimes taking life slow is a good thing.

Lilly doesn't like to be ridden. Even more so, she hates running while being ridden and will do anything and everything not to do so. The only thing she really runs for is her food bucket, ha!
Seriously though, in the hustle and bustle of everyday life we need to slow down and appreciate the things that are worth a second look or a time to be appreciated.

5. Sometimes people just need to get off of your back!

As I said before...Lilly doesn't like to be ridden, she doesn't like people to tell her what to do, when to do it and how to do it. Many times we go through the motions allowing others to dictate our lives for us. Not cool. The only entity in charge of our lives is God and He has the final say. This does not however mean that you can tell your boss, "No, I don't think so today!" No, this is not meant for professional work places or places where you are not in authority. This is meant for things such as your sister trying to tell you who you should or shouldn't date, or your friend telling you that you really should go on a diet and try this one, or someone coming in a telling you how to clean your house or that you should do this or that every weekend to be socially acceptable. Phooey on them! Live your life and as long as what you are doing is pleasing in the eyes of God...why do something just because someone tells you to without a good reason?


There are many more things that she's taught me over the years, but I thought I would mention a few that stood out to me.

What has an animal you've had teach you? I'm sure there were some important messages in there!