“When I had something that I felt was just insurmountable and beyond me, I would physically reach my hand up and pretend like He was holding my hand.”
The Eagle Mama’s got together last week at Stonebriar Country Club for the final luncheon of the year. This quarterly event, hosted by the Parent Teacher Fellowship, gives Legacy moms and their guests an opportunity to get to know one another, enjoy a delicious lunch, hear from our guidance staff, and absorb an encouraging message. Legacy’s Director of Guidance, Jena Lamse (pictured right), gave a personal testimony that was heartfelt and refreshing for our moms to hear. Following Jena’s message, Jerica Olson, a parent to third and fifth-grade boys, delivered her final message this year. We have been honored to have Jerica take the reigns as our speaker for our Eagle Mama luncheons and she looks forward to returning next year. She has done a remarkable job putting together meaningful and applicable messages for our moms, and the takeaways have been countless. Listening to Jerica speak, you can tell her heart is in it and she has a deep desire for everyone to feel known.
Tying all of her messages together over the series, Jerica spoke on the importance of having a focused finish. While striding to the finish line of yet another school year symbolizes the end of a season, it also the start of the next chapter. Our lives are really just a series of starts and finishes and how we navigate those will largely impact our successes and shortcomings.
Jerica looked to the verse in 2 Timothy 4:7-8. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. She posed the question, “How can this verse help us in our everyday lives?” As mothers, we are continually faced with making strategic choices about which battles we are going to fight. The importance of choosing your battles wisely cannot be understated, and a strong finish is possible after a life of consistently showing up for the right fight.
To reinforce her message, Jerica referenced the story of Mary and Martha in the Book of Luke. Mary was calm and quieted, she kept things simple and remained faithful and steadfast in her fight to be at the feet of Jesus. She kept her focus on Jesus. She was present and she was content. There is great freedom in gaining that worldview and applying that perspective to our lives.
Special Thanks to Eagle Mama and photogrpher Vanessa Corral for photographing the event. You can view her work and photos from Eagle Mama by visiting her website- just click any photo.
Martha, on the other hand, was engaged in unnecessary battles. She continually tried to earn validation through everything that she did. She was overly concerned about the approval of man and constantly compared herself to her sister. As a result of this, she was distracted and troubled by many things. How much of what we do every day is to prove ourselves to others? Whether we are looking to impress family members, colleagues, mentors, or friends, what are we getting out of that? It takes great strength and stamina to filter out the toxic information and take control of the messages we are receiving. So many of those messages lead us down the path of anxiety and frustration…comparison is the devil, there to steal your joy. At the end of the day, take inventory of those messages and prioritize truth over all others. Don’t worry about what other people are doing…don’t be a Martha. Strive to be a Mary. Run your race, fight the good fight, and keep the faith…always. We look forward to seeing all the Eagle Mama’s when we start up again in the new school year.
Legacy Christian Academy is Frisco's preeminent Pre-K through 12 Christian school committed to educating students in a college preparatory environment balanced in academics, athletics, and fine arts–all within the context of a biblical worldview. For more information on Legacy, visit our admissions page.