"The Lord's Prayer"

I haven't ever really understood the “Lord's Prayer,” as it's called.  It seemed so wrote and insincere to me before.

Until recently, that is, when I have found it difficult to pray.  I have wanted to pray, but i've had a really hard time getting going.

My radio station does this thing they call “Pray Down at High Noon.”  All that means is that every day at noon, they stop their normal programming, and someone, intending to lead the listening audience, prays the “Lord's Prayer” on the air.

One day, I happened to be near the radio for the Pray Down, and I prayed along.  The next morning when I wanted to pray, I started with “Our Father.”  I've been using the Lord's example prayer for a couple of weeks now.  

You know, what has come to be known as the “Lord's Prayer,” was how Jesus instructed His disciples on the matter of how to pray.  I think it was meant to be a guide.  And finally, 30-something years after I first asked Jesus to live in my heart, His example prayer is starting to make sense.

Would you like to see?

Follow along in Matthew 6.

“Our Father , who is in Heaven, hallowed be Your name.”

I'm really glad that Jesus started out this way.  This line sets the stage.  First, it helps me to get my mind off of me and reminds me to whom I pray.  It reminds me of His greatness, and it is my opportunity to let go of my worries and worship Him.  It can also remind me that He to whom I pray is fully able to answer my prayers.

“Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”

This line is SO big!

What happens in God's kingdom?  God's will is done!  In Heaven, everyone follows God's rules, God's will!  This is my opportunity to  surrender my will to God's and to pray for all of the “kingdoms” in the earth.  I usually start with the “kingdom” of my heart.  It gets bigger from there.  I ask for God's kingdom to come in my marriage, then in my house, then in my family, then in my workplace, then in my church, then in my local government, then in my state, then in my country, then in my president and my governor, then in this earth.  

This line could take an awfully long time.

“Give us this day our daily bread.”

I'm no theologian.  But I can tell you that this line reminds me to be thankful.  I have my daily bread and so much more!  This line leads me to praise and thanks and get a very grateful heart for the luxurious provision I have been afforded.

“And forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.”

I almost always add a clause to this one.  “And please help us to be constant forgivers.”  I love that Jesus led us to pray a prayer that keeps us accountable.  Jesus was very clear that we don't get to accept the forgiveness of God and then hold grudges against our fellow man for the comparably completely insignificant debts that we may feel others owe to us.  It's an interactive contract, that one.  This verse reminds me to humble myself and leads me to ask for help.

“And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

This one stands on its own and is often prayed through welling up tears.   

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.  Amen.”

I love that this prayer ends giving glory to and surrendering dominion to the Father God.  I also find that by the time I get to the end of this prayer, my heart has changed, and I have realized that the importance of the  eleven other things I was going to ask God for, besides my daily bread,  shrinks away.  It seems like everything is covered.  My heart has surrendered to the will of God and has been assured of His love and His greatness.  I have asked for His will in every facet of my life.  I have been reminded of my responsibility and my need for the Lord to give me His grace to fulfill it.  And I have been reminded that I am a debtor and a transgressor who has been, and constantly is, forgiven by God.  After a prayer to be kept from evil and a final surrender to His authority, i'm just not thinking about every little personal want anymore.  I am simply assured in my heart that He hears.  And as my day goes on, and I probably do pray for those little things, my heart has been prepped, back here at the Lord's prayer, so that my requests more closely resemble His desires for me.

It has been way too long since i posted some gratuitous chicken love

One of the things i look forward to the most about having a whole day at home, is that i can feel free to let the chickens freely roam the yard, with less fear that they will end the day in sad obliteration.  Today was one of those wonderful days.  Also, it was a beautiful day, weather-wise, and a good chance to take pictures.

This is Chuck.  We got him as a tinsley teenager, and he has filled out beautifully!

Check out that pose!  I'm a sucker for a beautiful rooster.  Look at that gorgeous color!

In the nest boxes, we have Helen, on the left, and Chance, my old hen, the only survivor of our previous flock, on the right.  Helen, to my delight, has gone broody.  A hen who goes broody this early in life, often goes broody over and over and may become a wonderful, human-effort-free, chick-making machine.  It has been a long time since we made some baby chicks around here.  I'm very excited!

Here's a little more Chuck.

Another wonderful thing about this rooster, is his manners.  Did you know roosters have manners?  He looks for food for his girls, and he never approaches one of us humans (the head roosters).  He's very respectful, gentle, and gentlemanly.  I love this rooster!

Here's Chuck, escorting the youngest maiden around the yard, while the older girls lay eggs and whatnot.  Her name is Charlotte.  She's almost ready to start laying eggs.  And she's camera shy, so i had to sneak this picture from across the yard.  She's a pretty girl, isn't she?

Stay tuned!  Hopefully in 3 short weeks, we'll be watching baby chicks follow their new mama around the yard.  Yay chickie babies!

Thankful Tuesday

I'm pretty sure this is the fifth Tuesday.

And i am presently pleasantly relieved that i gracefully ducked out of all those obligations i placed on myself at the beginning of the year.

We've had a rocky weekend.  Yes, i know this is Tuesday.

On Sunday, everything seemed to be going pretty normally.  Until Sunday afternoon, when my sweet love (aka gunslinginsuperhero) bit down on something - i think it was his finger, heard a loud pop, and found that he had broken his tooth smooth in half.  Ugh.  And ouch.

When we got home, we discovered a flat tire on his truck, which had been sitting still - sans flat tire - since Friday.

On Monday, my hubby had 3 teeth removed from his head, leaving him with a LOT of pain, and when we got home from that, we found that one of the headlights on the car has gone out.

Also, the car payment is due.

Happily, and thankfully, God is our great provider, even when things go wrong.

We have a confirmed, very good dentist; we paid the car note; we were able to fix the truck with fix-a-flat; and my hubby has medicine that has rocked him away to sweet ( i hope ) sleep, so that his body can heal.

We have our home and each other and plenty of so many things.  Even in the midst of trouble, we have so very many blessings.  We have the love of God, most of all.

And even though i don't have two pictures or two recipes or any of those other things, it's a very thankful Tuesday.