Tag Archives: horses

Mounted shooting, a cross, and a message…

April 12, 2010

The Texas Smokin’ Guns state shoot is now history after a 2 1/2 day event in Decatur, Texas. It was the first on-site appearance of Amazing Grays Ministry. In the past we brought horses and guns, this time we brought a cross, books, and a message.

Shooters at the in-gate

Shooters at the in-gate

Proper Perspective and the Message

After walking away from it four times, I bought a cross to display in our Amazing Grays Ministry booth. It is an amazing work of art and engineering design. No matter how you look at it the message is the same. I hoped it would draw attention and offer a blessing – it delivered.

Good Shooters and Great Sportsmanship

Congratulations to the dozens of shooters who took home paychecks last night, and safe travel to all who are continuing on to competition in Tunica. It’s nice to get a check, but many times when competition has money on the line tempers flare and disputes occur. This weekend was simply delightful. There were a number of spills, but there were always more than enough hands to lift up, and guns and horses were shared when other shooters found themselves in need. If there was any tension present, we sure didn’t see it. This year’s event was 20% bigger than last year’s, but it felt like a shoot among friends.

Chip's Single Action .45

Chip's Single Action .45

Book Sales?

We exceeded our hoped-for goal of selling copies of AMAZING GRAYS-AMAZING GRACE by one! Thank you to all who packed up theirs in the truck for the ride home. We hope you (and your horses) are blessed by the message.

By far the highlight of our weekend was the conversation shared with others in the family of Christ. You all know what happens when “two or more are gathered together” – and those moments were magnificent.

The Journey Has Begun

This week finds us continuing on our new journey. There are two events scheduled and two bigger ones to prepare for next week.  It’s an adventure, and we’ll set one foot in front of the other. Sure hope we meet you all along the way…

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For information or to read excerpts from AMAZING GRAYS, click the book cover on the right. You can follow the links there or simply visit us on Amazon.com.

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What, me worry?

January 28, 2010

A blogger friend recently described his secret to staying positive and finding joy daily. His wonderful post is the inspiration for this one.

This is from the beginning of the fourteenth chapter of AMAZING GRAYS-AMAZING GRACE: Pursuing relationship with God, horses, and one another.

A Horse in the Light

Changed by Relationship

Each day is a new life, from the birth of morning and waking up to the death of evening and sleeping. We are made each day to come to God for our daily bread (Luke 11:3) whether the food is spiritual, mental, physical, or actual nourishment for our bodies. It was once said that if we live each day as if it were our last, one day we would most certainly be correct. Jesus cautions us not to worry about tomorrow; today is all we are guaranteed. Horses do not worry about whether the grass will still be green tomorrow or if the water barrel will still be filled.

Are horses wiser than we are?

To visit the AMAZING GRAYS website, click HERE

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The spring in my step isn’t as high as it once was…

January 7, 2010

It’s cold. It’s windy. I feel great, but I feel older. Actually, it’s not so much that I feel older, but my body just doesn’t want to do what it used to, and certainly not for as long as it used to.

When I first started training horses I appreciated each bright sunny day for the blank canvas it was; ready to be used to record new and exciting elements of my relationship with horses. I rode when the mercury registered a balmy twenty degrees below zero. Okay, I was inside a small metal building, but the ice hung six inches off the walls.

Today both the temperature and wind speed are at 20-something. Do you think I even considered saddling up? Nope. We’re just hoping to make Sunday without freezing water pipes (it’s Thursday.)

Things have changed

There is spring in my heart; but the spring in my step has a flat tire.

There is a lithe, powerful athlete that still lives in my mind; the mirror has a different opinion.

I remember the summer in Minneapolis I slept less than 40 hours in an entire month; now I don’t remember this morning.

My red hair always attracted attention; now I just wish folks realized my hair is red…it is… really… look closely.

I used to look at a trendy new fashion on TV and think, “Wow.” Now I look at the latest creation and think, “Oh my…”

Change is good

Let’s leave politics aside for the moment, shall we? Change is good. Change presents opportunity. What matters is what we do with the opportunities we are given. Use yours well. There is much about being as I am today that I didn’t even know enough to dream about years ago.

“If opportunity knocks while you are distracted – what was I saying?” – unknown

I think I’ll just stay inside until it’s time to tuck the horses in. They are warm in their blankets, enjoying the sunshine. Even they, however, will be ready to go to bed early tonight.

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The delight of a balanced day…

November 14, 2009

Today was one of those wonderful days. We drank our pot of coffee before getting out of bed then went about our morning routines; I to my study, my husband out to feed three barn cats and front pasture horses.

Two new chapters seemed to write themselves, and then I went out into the beautiful late autumn morning to feed the barn horses and one more needy cat. The grass is still green, the trees still wear most of their leaves and the sun was just barely on the lacy side of bright as it began the day’s journey from east to west.

Back in from the barn I grabbed another cup of coffee and returned to my desk for real study time. Each new day is a gift and today was no exception. Having been dismissed from lessons, we both headed to the barn to saddle up.

Three-year-old Swizzle had a bit of an issue, got locked up, and for the first time I rode her through what had always resulted in a rodeo-worthy bucking fit in the past. Swizzle has finally learned to “hear” me when she freezes mentally. Her trust in me seems to have exceeded her need to express herself when she gets stuck. After a few moments she sighed, relaxed, and off we went. Our time together was well spent, we had a delightful spin around the pasture to cool down and I think we claimed higher ground.

After all the horses got some attention we turned them out for the day. Baber got the tractor and went out to do some re-leveling in the front pasture. I cleaned the barn. I love cleaning the barn. We don’t always have enough time to give each horse every day, but I feel better about that when I make certain their houses are clean, neat, comfortable and fresh when they return at dusk.

So far the day has included rewarding work in my study, a bit of scriptural revelation, success with Swizzle, shared minutes with the other horses, the daily horse-keeping chores and we’re only just past noon!

After a lunch break Baber went back out again and so did I. My dog and at least two cats kept me company as I primed and painted the new kicker, bracing and welds on front gate improvements. Imagine being out in short sleeves and shorts in the middle of November. Does it get better than this?

Our two new geldings came over to see if I needed their supervision while I painted. I scratched their ears and faces over the fence and assured them I had it under control.

Okay, the three loads of laundry wasn’t all that rewarding or exciting, but clean clothes are a necessity. I went back to the study and finally finished a few tasks that had been sitting there giving me the eye for the past week or so.

My husband, our three dogs, and I took a togetherness break to sit on the deck looking at our horses grazing or playing in the pasture. The shadows were getting pretty long and it would soon be time to let the horses back in for dinner and rest in their cozy bedrooms.

All the important aspects of my life played well with each other today. There’s no need to mention the additional details that would not be of the least bit interest to anyone else, but to me this day was a crown of jewels that left no setting unfilled.

I wish for you all delightfully balanced days, with work, play, love, learning and peace – all in each 24-hour span.

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Being fearless – the radical difference between Christians and non…

September 4, 2009

The subject of my book Amazing Grays-Amazing Grace is how to discover a right relationship with God. Many illustrations use horses and what we can learn from building a correct relationship with them. One of the messages of Amazing Grays is that of the radical change in perspective, in life itself, that a right relationship with a leader begets, be the leader a horse owner or God Himself.

Horses in strong relationships with their owners or trainers gradually abandon the natural mindset of prey animals. The relationship with their trainer overcomes the ‘fight or flight’ response horses are born with.

Often a particular set of circumstances will cause a ‘natural’ horse or person to react in fear, to run or fight, seemingly for their lives. In contrast however, the secure horse, the secure Christian, may not even acknowledge that same stressor as being anything of concern at all. It just wasn’t a big enough deal to consciously register as an issue. What is the difference?

The Christian is not unaware of these situations – the Christian is undaunted by them.

Confident horses and Christians seldom react in fear. We consider, we process, we lean upon our understanding and confidence in our leader. God is responsible for those really big things, as is the horse trainer. We are calm because our leader is calm. We are secure because our leader is secure.

Christians drift off to sleep each night knowing that God is awake, keeping watch over us. My grays, Bo and Swizzle, gently chew their hay, carefree and fearless, knowing I will keep them safe.

Are you fearless?

 

(To visit the pre-release site of Amazing Grays, click the link in the Blogroll at the bottom right of this page.)

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My personal season of change

August 31, 2009

Tomorrow is the first day of meteorological autumn. I have waited for this day all summer, and now it is here. Actually, all of 2009 has been a journey from one life to another. The path I was on has been radically altered and these past three months have been packed with change for me personally.

I started the year as a business consultant; I am entering fall as a Christian writer looking forward to a ministry through Amazing Grays-Amazing Grace. This has been a summer of political activism, at least in my blogging and articles. That assignment is nearly completed and another looms ahead.

This weekend proved that my approach to my horses must also change. The signs have been there all year; I received the final ‘lecture’ Saturday night. For more than two decades I have been learning how to train and lead horses, teaching them to mold their response based upon the frame set by my body position in the saddle. I can no longer give that direction well due to the rapid deterioration of my right knee. My horses react to my weight and balance. My balance is no longer reliable.

In the future I must share the responsibility with Bo and Swizzle, allowing them to assume some of the load. Obedience will still be required, but I must let go of some of the control and cede it to them. I ask my horses to trust me from the moment we first meet. Now I must return the favor and trust them more.

God will bless this change; indeed, He engineered it. He continues to teach me through my relationship with my gray horses. It seems that as we walk ever closer with the Lord our need for control, and our connection to the physical realm, must gradually fade.

My lesson? Faith. God will establish us if we let Him. Once He has, we are required to walk out in faith. Now I get it.

Do you wonder how you could possibly do the work God suggests to you? I did. But, I promise you; He will not ask you to do anything without also equipping you. He’s still loading my backpack… but the contents are wildly different than they would have been last year, or even yesterday.

Today is a pivotal day for me. I haven’t graduated yet, but I am being measured for a cap and gown. Like all education, we complete one level only to begin a new course of study. New assignments will be given tomorrow. It seems odd that I am not excited or filled with anticipation. It feels more like a simple fact, just as unremarkable as my expectation that the sun will rise in the east again tomorrow.
How can that be? Oh, yes…trust.

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Let’s begin with the truth…

July 19, 2009

For my first post on this new site I believe a good place to start is with a few words about truth. Horses are direct. They do not dissemble, they “say” what they mean. You will never get a more honest feedback of your leadership ability than from a horse.
Customer service success is based on truth. Tell the customers what you will do, then deliver 125% on your promises.
Truth in Washington, DC? Don’t make me laugh. When is the last time you heard a politician give a simple declarative sentence in response to a question?
You will always get the truth on this blog, to the absolute best of my ability. Practice truth… especially as the aging memory begins to forget just what it was you said to Aunt Norma last week after Sunday dinner.

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