If I Fly or If I Fall : Are you Free?

Easter weekend was wonderful...

Lots of Family...

Great Weather...

and Professional Bull Riding...

For my birthday this year mom, Shane, and I went to New Orleans to watch the PBR... and despite multiple criticisms of my driving... I really enjoyed the weekend. Bull Riding was something that Daddy and I shared interest in... and I really appreciated mom and Shane joining in and seemingly having a good time!

We didn't make it to church on Easter Sunday, but mom and I did go to Cowboy Church on Saturday. During the service, the PBR Pastor and one of the bull riders talked about their visit to Angola State Prison. Despite the fact that (I believe they said) 80% of the men in Angola are there for life... the riders talked about how so many Christian men in Angola seemed to be free. Free as in Freedom. The big question of the day was, ARE YOU FREE? As they talked about the things that hold us back from freely worshipping and doing the work of the Lord without abandon... I immediately thought about my life... what holds me back from doing whatever He asks.

1. my goals for myself... the things I plan for myself without considering His plan. It is not bad to have goals, but one must be flexible in seeking those goals to accommodate the will of God.

2. bills... I simply need to make enough money to pay for myself to live...

3. Job... do I invest too much time in something I simply get paid to do or is my job a ministry opportunity? I seriously believe that God has called me to work with college students... but am I meeting the potential that He expects?

4. Others' perception... whether it is my mama, my boss, or the guy I pass in the grocery... am I limiting my outward expression of praise and worship for the Lord because of what other people might think?? The only person I need to please is God... to heaven with the others...

During Cowboy Church they referenced the parallel between breaking a wild horse and a Christians relationship with sin. I found the video online and it was such an amazing visual example of how we as Christian have to become broken to trust the Lord. It's about 20 minutes long, but well worth the watch. Please check out the video at: http://www.ridinghighministries.org/ , look for the "Born Wild Created to be Free" square at the bottom of the page in the list of videos. There are testimonies from some of the Bull Riders as well...

On Sunday afternoon as we were sitting around Mawmaw and Pawpaw Cole's gallery (the front porch), and I looked around at everyone and realized that it just didn't feel right without Daddy there. For a moment it felt like he was just gone to work, but then I figured... if he wasn't having a good conversation in Heaven (which I am sure there is a lot of), He was probably just sitting around the porch observing the rest of us...

Here are a few pictures from my weekend at home.