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The Easy Things

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 12:30:04 GMT

The Easy Things
     One of the very first things I work on with my horses is Rhythm. To get a good rhythm the secret is to take away every thing that hinders the rhythm. With my horse I try to get rid of the superfluous tension and nervousness, I channel the energy in one direction. Like trying to find something I’ve lost in the office, I have to make little piles of papers and I clean as I go. I am not trying to get rid of things in the office I am trying to organize them so I can use them.
Sometimes Christians find their joy lost. Similarly to when we are looking for the horses missing rhythm, we need to get redirect some superfluous stuff that causes us tension.

Philippians 4

8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. (NIV)

     Just as we talked about in the chapter titled “Weeds”, we get rid of the bad by filling up on the good. With my horse I do suppling exercises that capture his attention. I don’t try to remove all the distractions that make him nervous. Today as I rode our five dogs followed me round and round. I worked on keeping my horse busy and meanwhile training a young pup which thought it would be a good idea to grab my horse’s tail or bite him on the heels. I kept the horse busy. The pup was learning to be desensitized, not by being absent, but by having to behave where he was. With young horses and dogs trying to control them by removing all the distractions is setting them up for failure. A dog will not learn not to chase (and kill) the chickens if kept locked away from the chickens, he has to learn how to be comfortable and be with the chickens in a controlled environment. The horse needs to learn how to be ridden when life is not all peace and quiet. I have to ride when the lawn mower is going and with the dogs following. The removal of things that cause problems is not the answer. Learning to focus on the master amidst distractions is. When my horse’s focus is on me he can move fluidly with joyful and graceful steps.

     We to need to keep our focus on our Master then we can start with seeing the good in things and the good that can possibly result from things that initially appear bad. We need to move our focus to the good and excellent things around us. We need to view situations as opportunities for God to demonstrate his power; what was meant for evil, God can (and does) change to good.

     We seem to forget that sometimes the easy things are pleasing to the Lord. There is a common problem of Christians of believing that if they are enjoying themselves, they are not pleasing the Lord. Just as we delight in seeing our children playing happily, the Lord delights when we are enjoying ourselves. When I ride my horse I can see my Daddy God (Abba Father, is the Aramaic way of saying Daddy God) smiling on the porch of heaven, glad that I am enjoying the present he gave me. Can you think of gifts you are ignoring while trying too hard to serve? Is the service you are performing a light burden? Is it the burden Christ has for you or one that the people you are around think you should do? Jesus said His burden was light!
Matthew 11
29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Don’t serve out of guilt. Serve in a way that causes you to be filled with joy. I love that tingly hair feeling I get when I know the Lord is smiling as he watches me.

     It is easy to ignore the wonderful gifts the Lord has bestowed upon us. We should look around and praise God for the excellence we see. A while back I was shopping in a discount store and there was a father in the next aisle playing a singing game with his very young daughter (2 or 3). He would go” la, la, LA, la, la” like a singer warming up and she would repeat it. I could hear them singing back and forth, back and forth, and the excellence of this moment of child rearing in total strangers brought tears to my eyes.

     When looking for the good in everything you will be amazed at how little things touch you. I always finish my rides by looking back and taking note of what was excellent today. I don’t focus on the difficult stuff or the areas of struggle but on what was praiseworthy.
                       Attitude is the paintbrush of the mind that colors every situation.
      A song I’ve heard a few times has a chorus that goes like this-- “She has her Father’s eyes, Eyes that see the good in things when good just can’t be found.”
There are times when I just about have to grab my mind and shake it and tell my self to look for the good. It is as hard as practicing the presence of God. This is something to work on and not beat yourself up over but to keep coming back to.
Look for the Good. Look for excellence. Whatever is praiseworthy think about these things.

Record of Wrongs

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 22:26:39 GMT

Record of Wrongs
1 Corinthians 13

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

     Breaking old habits is a difficult thing for both the horse and the human. We like to remember why we are afraid, to list our reasons for avoiding a situation. The horse feels comfortable with the set of expectations he has of man and does not desire to change. Some how it hurts us when we have to change our opinion of someone or even of a business or group. We break down the horse’s defenses with small steps of trust and lots of love. Breaking through the walls we use to protect ourselves from the pain that others can bring us is much more difficult. But as we have to change the horse’s opinion of people with small steps, we have to strive to see the good and not constantly recall the bad.
     “No record of wrongs” means, I can’t keep going over in my head the garbage I have received from this person or horse, I can‘t anticipate their doing the wrong thing. I have to look for the best in them. If I expect my horse to shy or spook at a particular place or thing he probably will.
“Does not delight in evil” means, no “Ah ha, they did it again!” this is setting them up for failure. I need to arrange the situation so my horse has to do the right thing and then expect the right thing. If my reaction is: “I knew that would happen (again)”, I have set my horse up wrong. It is up to me to make it easy for the horse to do the right thing.
“Rejoices in the truth”. This is like taking your car to the mechanic and it doesn’t make the bad noise anymore. Or you’re getting well on the way to your doctor. It is easy to be upset at times like these, when things are better not worse. Sometimes I will go to a lesson with my horse; and I will explain the problem to my instructor and then the problem won’t appear. What I couldn’t do before I can now do. I need to start looking for how the situation was set up differently. What kind of preparatory work did I do this time that I had never done before? I often find that the problem was in a totally different area then the area with which I‘d been struggling.
     Let’s try to remember to rejoice when things go right and rather then listing all the times when things were wrong in the past.

People Get Ready

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 15:43:20 GMT

People Get Ready

     Life is so much easier if we are ready. While shipping calves the other day I thought about all of the preparation steps that can make the job easier. Little things that can be done ahead of time can make things go so much smoother. My husband and I have worked on quite a few ranches, and we have learned many different ways that people prepare to ship. There are little adjustments to the corrals that can make things go smoother. Some will hold herd in the pasture and sort by sex weeks ahead of time. Anything that can be done ahead of the big day helps things go smoothly. There are little things like pre-cooking food and making dessert and laying in a good stock of beverages. There are harder things like training the cows to hold up and not run off when the horses come.

     When working with young horses the preparation work that we do before we get on the horse for the first time can sure save both the rider and the colt a lot of aggravation. Then there is the way we prepare our horses to stop or do a canter pirouette; the quality of the gate before the change is so important. If the horse is trotting along on his forehand, he won’t be able to stop in a balanced manner. The better the canter, the better the pirouette will be, We need to collect and collect, moving the horse’s weight back over his haunches so that he is in the right balance to perform the movement, before I ask.
I think this idea of preparedness really has an important message for us in our walk with Jesus.
1 Peter 1
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. (NIV)

      We need to be prepared to serve Jesus when the opportunity arises. How do we prepare? We prepare by getting to know Jesus better, through studying the Bible, prayer and by listening to what other people say about him and checking it against the Scriptures. We prepare to fulfill the great commission by knowing what Christ said and by studying apologetics so that we can defend our faith. We prepare by knowing God’s word so that we can back up what we say about Jesus with the Bible. We can show people God’s character and gently correct misinformed people when we have a sound foundation in the Word.

Matthew 25
1"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6"At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
7"Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
9" 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
10"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11"Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
12"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
13"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. (NIV)

     Another way we can prepare to shed the light of Jesus is by being full of the oil of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 4
31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. (NIV)

      If we are filled with the Holy Spirit we can boldly speak the word of God. I need more boldness and I see that the New Testament church became bolder and full of the Holy Spirit through prayer.

Acts 7
51"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! (NIV)

     We can choose to resist the Holy Spirit. Do you think that might be what the virgins who forgot to bring extra oil were guilty of?
     Sometimes I think of the Holy Spirit as a person, other times I think of him like I think of school spirit or team spirit as something that we can choose to have or something that we go along with. Just as we can wear the school colors or root at a game, we can display the Holy Spirit by being full of enthusiasm for our Lord. When we do things that show our love for people, we are exhibiting the Holy Spirit. Sometimes we sing the team song just because it is the thing to do, and it raises our spirits. Sometimes Love is an action and sometimes it is an emotion. When it is an action, it can be hard work, but it reaps great dividends. I think we must think of the Holy Spirit in a twofold manner; sometimes we have to work at letting Him shine forth in our body. I find at times I just need to sing praise songs to the Lord. When we show our faith through our gentleness and lack of anxiety we are exhibiting the Holy Spirit. Children are often told to act like ladies and gentlemen; when we act gently the peace of the Lord can shine through us.
                                    Philippians 4
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

    Our joy in the midst of a trying situation can be wonderful witness for Christ. Just as we prepare our horses step by step a little at a time, we can constantly add to our preparations for serving Jesus. If I am having a party at my house I might prepare over the course of a week or more. I do something everyday, and when the event finally arrives I can be relaxed and enjoy the event. Anytime I can prepare for things in advance I can relax more, and when I am relaxed my gentleness can shine forth. When our horses are prepared for what ever is coming up, they too, can be relaxed and enjoy their work.
     Of course the most important part of preparing for whatever comes our way, is accepting Christ as savior; it is the first of many steps, but to live the joyful life Jesus wants us to, we have to keep walking!
Attitude matters. Let the Holy Spirit reign. Prepare to serve Christ. Do your homework, get to know Jesus; and then get to know him better!

No Excuses

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 00:42:42 GMT

No Excuses

     When we ride we need to ask for the best from our horses. We want the best trot they can give or their best walk. If we accept a halfhearted effort that is what the horse will give. It is easy to go out and just do the exercises without asking for the best they can give merely doing the exercises and accepting what the horse offers. We make excuses, “I’m having an off day; this is good enough”. It is unbelievably easy to get in the habit of sloppy riding, to just accept the trot the horse volunteers or to let the horse step out in a turn on the haunches. Does your horse listen to you or does he get to the end of the arena and make the turn on his own? We can easily forgive our horses for their mistakes, but when we are not mindful of our riding it is our own mistakes that cost us. If we don’t strive for precision with our riding our horses don’t learn to do the exercises precisely right. We need to be mindful of every step of our ride and to stop making excuses.

     It is easy to make excuses when we don’t put forth the effort to serve Christ also. If we are not mindful of Jesus’ presence we can go through our days not even realizing when we are stumbling along in sin. So we need to ask, “Why am I making excuses?”
What is my excuse for treating people unkindly?
Ephesians 4
32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you (NIV)

1 Thessalonians 5
15Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. (NIV)

2 Timothy 2
24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. (NIV)

What is my excuse for being anxious?
Philippians 4
6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (NIV)

Matthew 6
34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (NIV)

   What is my excuse for being afraid?
Matthew 10
28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (NIV)

Mark 4
39He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. (NIV)

40He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
41They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" (NIV)

Hebrews 13
6So we say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.
What can man do to me?"(NIV)

   What is my excuse for judging others?
Matthew 7
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. (NIV)

Romans 2
1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. (NIV)

     When we make the mistake of not riding with our full attention, we need to go back and do it again with our whole mind engaged. We need not get after the horse for the mistake; we just need to go back and do things right. The horse’s mistakes are usually a result of our inattention. Only occasionally do we need to use a little spur or whip, and usually it is because we have not prepared the horse thoroughly and he is not listening.
It is really our mistake. We were not mindful enough to realize we had lost the horses attention.
    As we go through each day we make mistakes and come up with excuses for them. We just need to turn around and choose the action that Christ wants from us.

Romans 8
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. (NIV)

Choose each day - performance or excuses. Build on the good; abandon the excuses; strive to walk in God’s will.

Half-Halt

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 12:53:39 GMT

Half-Halt
I was read an article that spoke of how we need to make a half-halt before every transition in dressage (a transition is a change, it can be a change of speed within a gait, a change of gait or a change of direction of movement). A half-halt is a dressage term that has many explanations; I’ve heard it called a “rebalancing, a call to attention, downshifting for power, and a preparation for the movement to follow.” I use half-halts before movements and try to remember to use them after, but mostly I use them when things are not going as planned.
Perhaps we should learn to use prayer in the same way. We should pray when we switch from laundry to dishes, when we go to the store when we start to check out etc. In the book Practicing the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence, Brother Lawrence talks about turning our inner dialog to conversation with Christ. I think that that is a grand ideal. But for me if I can just start by using prayer in my transitions I will increase my prayer time a hundred fold. I admire the way some Catholics are constantly crossing themselves and I wonder, do they also turn their minds to Christ when they do? I need the constant rebalancing of prayer. Prayer is our source of power, the way that the half halt gives a horse the power to make a graceful transition; it can give us the grace we need to exhibit Christ’s love in trying situations. Sometimes a half-halt signals to the horse, “wait for my command”, since prayer is a two -way thing it can signal us in the same way (“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength“) The more advanced the rider is the more often they bring their horse into balance with the half-halt, I think as we mature in Christ we need to come to the stage where prayer is almost constant also.

1 Thessalonians 5

16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

Good Student

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:40:12 GMT

Good Student
Colossians 3
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men (NIV)

     Some time ago I decided to become the best student I could be in all areas of my life. I figured that if I were going to expend the effort to learn something I would go at it whole-heartedly. I was going to listen carefully and obey the directions, read as much as I could on the subject. I do my homework even though I don’t get graded on it. It doesn’t matter if I am studying riding or the Bible or even welding. I take notes, and I practice. I mull things over in my mind, and when I don’t understand something I ask questions. Some times I don’t understand, and then I just do what I am told.
    I am not a naturally talented rider, so I practice, a lot. And the result is that I learn. The understanding of Biblical things is a gift in some ways but there is much work involved.
It takes a conscious effort to study the Bible. It is real easy to say I’ll get to it later. Sometimes I read and don’t understand. I have a multiple track mind and I will realize that though I am reading I am not even thinking about the text. I have to pull myself back to it and read it again (often asking Jesus to help me concentrate).
I am a multi-tasker. I try to do two things at once. I answer e -mail as I cook, balance the checkbook and instant message my friends and pray while in the line at the grocery store. But I try to keep riding and bible study pure. The constant refocusing the mind on Jesus and the feeling of every movement of my horses is a huge goal.
Hebrews 12
2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (NIV)

     Have you heard the saying, “If your only tool is a hammer then you tend to think of all your problems as nails”? I think about the Bible and horses (I bet you already know that) so naturally they have come together in my mind. Quite a while back a book came called Lessons From a Sheepdog, and though I never have read, it I have learned volumes from it. I was training a stock dog at the time and had been to a clinic where they stressed setting up the stock in a way that causes your dog to move correctly. That reminded me of what Ray Hunt had told us about training horses- “make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard”. The book title turned on a light for me! I could see the Lord working in my life in that way. The right things were to be easy. The Lord seemed to set up situations again and again so that when I moved toward Him he could say “well done“.
I admit it is hard at times to put self aside, but then again it is easier then I thought. It is usually just a mater of taking that first step in the right direction. The choice to make that first step seems to be where we struggle. A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.
Galatians 5
25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (NIV)

The decision to make the first step can be painful, but when you’re headed in the right direction you hear Jesus whispering to your heart, “Well done”.
Colossians 3
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,

Getting in the Game

Sun, 13 Jul 2008 15:26:57 GMT

Getting in the Game

     When we have a job to do we choose our horses according to the work to be performed that day. If we haven’t been working them hard our horses will usually meet us at the gate eager to go for a ride. I might choose the little Arab cross if I have a long ride to make. I’ll take my big stout horse if I think I’ll have to rope a bull. A couple of our horses are real cowy and it is fun to ride them if we have sorting to do.

     I choose the horse I will ride based on the knowledge, strength, endurance, and flexibility of the horse. Often part of my choice is what the horse is ready to learn. The horse has to be in shape to play his part but part of getting in shape is being challenged to do a little more.

One of my favorite old songs has a line in it that goes like this-
Put me in, Coach, I’m ready to play
Put me in, Coach, I’m ready to play, today
Look at me; I could be; center field

     I sing this song to the Lord even though it is a secular song. To me it is a way of offering my service to the Lord. I’m telling him that I am willing to try, that I think that today I can be bold enough to serve him, not as a Billy Grahm (who could be called the pitcher), but as a center fielder. I am willing to try today even if I might fall on my face in front of the crowd.

2 Corinthians 12
10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
11I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the "super-apostles," even though I am nothing. (NIV)

     The more a horse offers to use his energy for our work or enjoyment the more fun he is to ride. If we are willing to use what we have and push the limits of our abilities, our usefulness to the Lord will increase.

Matthew 25
14"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28" 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

     When we apply this verse to people or to horses it says: make use of what you have been given. The more you use what the Lord has given you the more he will give you. When we hold back, when the Lord gives us a word of encouragement for someone, I think we grieve the Holy Spirit.
I can’t tell you how many times I have kept silent thinking it was just "me" when someone else will speak up with almost the exact same thing. Sometimes it comes down to the sin of pride. We are not willing to be fools for our GOD. If we won’t offer our pride up to Jesus by taking the step of speaking out, we can’t be the people Jesus is asking us to be. The more we sacrifice our pride to be obedient to our Lord the more our ability to serve him will grow.
2 Timothy 2
15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

     Just as I choose a horse who is ready for the work that we have planned for the day, we are chosen by the Lord to serve him in the capacity for which we are prepared. It is a good idea for us to prepare our selves as we prepare our horses. We can be prepared by knowing the Bible. We can be prepared by serving in small ways as we hear the Holy Spirit calling us to say and do things. We can prepare by putting on the whole armor of God.
Ephesians 6
13Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (NIV)

     We need to be really grounded in God’s word so that we know that what we are saying lines up with our Lords purposes. We need to be spending time in prayer so that we recognize His voice.

John 21
15When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." 18
Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." (NIV)

     When Jesus is talking here the first two times he uses the word “agapeo” for Love which is the kind of love that Jesus has for us, love that has another’s best interest at heart. This is the kind of love where you are willing to take a personal risk to serve another. Fall on your face in the mud to help another; love.
Simon Peter answers using the word “phileo” which is love with common interest. This is the love where what you do is helpful to both people, a no risk kind of love.
Finally the third time Jesus asks with the word phileo; I believe, he is saying if this is the best you can do, then at least do it. And Simon Peter, hurt, answers that Jesus knows him and that he knows that “phileo”, love that is in our own best interest also is all can give right now.

Jesus knows us. He knows what we can handle. Jesus says here three times “Feed My Sheep” I believe he is saying to encourage one another with words and action. If I feed you a choice morsel from the Holy Spirit, pass it on. If you feel blessed, pass on the good word. If a message I give you shows you a way to help someone by word or deed, use it!
1 Thessalonians 5
11Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
12Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 14And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. (NIV)

Put us in coach, we are ready to play!

Freedom

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:23:54 GMT

Freedom

     A while back I observed some people struggling to put a horse in a trailer. This is an area where there are many varied approaches. I like best the approach that people calling themselves natural horseman use. The concept of freedom plays a strong role here. If the horse doesn’t feel trapped by the trailer or that he will get in and be stuck there, he is more inclined to be a willing participant. We are not tied down to the law of the Lord but are willing volunteers. We come to Christ by are own free choice.
     I see the horse that is half in and half out of the trailer like the Christian involved in a very legalistic church. The horse is not given the freedom to back out of the trailer and so resists going any farther forward. Christians who have not made the choice to follow Christ’s laws on their own tend to tense up and not volunteer any further commitment.
     When we bodily shove the horse into the trailer and slam the door shut, we teach the horse that the trailer is a place where he is trapped. His enthusiasm for going in next time will probably be even less. For it is not the most pleasant place to start with. If we encourage the horse to get partway in and then get out again several times we can lessen the anxiety associated with the trailer. It takes quite a bit of trust on our part to let the scared horse get back out! Things are more likely to go wrong when we are in a hurry because we are more likely to ignore the fear that the horse is dealing with and trying to rush.

Romans 14
16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. (NIV)

     People will act appropriately to fit in, but the change needs to come from the heart. Often churches add tradition to scripture. Things have been added to scripture since Adam and Eve’s time when the snake misquoted God by making his commandment stricter then it was.
Genesis 3
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?" (NIV)
When the Lord had only said:
Genesis 2
16 And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."(NIV)
And then Eve added to it saying:
Genesis 3
3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die. (NIV)

     Adding to the scriptures was the tradition that made it so difficult for the Jews in Jesus’ day to follow, yet we do it today with the don’ts (don’t drink, don’t smoke and don’t go around with people who do etc.)
     I’m not saying that we are not asked to give up things in our old lives or to lay down are old selves and walk in the newness of Christ, but I am saying that our motivation needs to come from Christ dwelling in our hearts directing us and not from a desire to appear to be a good upstanding Christian.
      People who are forced to make big changes right away after they accept Christ may soon walk in rebellion. Thankfully the Lord doesn’t take away more then we can deal with when he asks us to lay down our lives, we get to lay things down piece by piece as He brings them to our attention.
Psalm 119
44 I will always obey your law,
for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
for I have sought out your precepts.
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings
and will not be put to shame, (NIV)

Recently someone quoted this to me, “We must be free to say ‘no’ before we can wholeheartedly say ‘yes’ ”. We must willingly give up things to wholeheartedly say “yes” to Christ. If we give up things grudgingly, we are not really saying “yes” but only, “I submit”.
A horse that is pulled with the reins into a submissive posture lacks the grace of a horse that willingly takes hold of the bit. If our grace is missing we cannot experience the joy we are called to. It is our joy that makes us ambassadors for Christ. Our joy should attract people to Jesus.
Galatians 5
1It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.
2Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. (NIV)

Focus

Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:38:49 GMT

Focus

    When you ride it is best to focus on where you want to go -An easy concept to understand but sometimes difficult to perform. If you are jumping, you need to focus on the other side of the jump. Sometimes we make the mistake of looking at the jump, and it is easy to have your horse stop right there at the jump if you do. It is a matter of intent; your intent needs to be the other side of the fence, so your focus should be there. You need to look where you want to go, not at the obstacles in the way.

2 Corinthians 4
17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (NIV)

    Sometimes it is hard to think of our troubles as “light and momentary” but they are if we view them in the context of eternity. It is so easy to focus on the problems and forget the goal of our journey, our finish line.

Philippians 3
13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
15All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. (NIV)

    Little kids are often fond of asking,”Are we there yet?” When it comes to riding we are never there yet. Riding is a journey just as our walk with Christ is a journey. We have a direction we are headed, but as long as we dwell here on earth we will not get “There”. We need to keep growing and learning. There should be joy in the journey and enthusiasm since we are headed toward home, and our father who loves us is eagerly awaiting our arrival.
Hebrews 12
2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (NIV)

    Have you ever noticed how eagerly your horse follows a trail when his buddy is a little ways ahead? He just follows; you don’t have to guide him much, and he doesn’t need much encouragement either. When a horse is afraid to cross over a bridge or through a stream, having another horse in front for him to follow gives him horse courage. Both of you need to focus on that other horse. Don’t look down at the water that is not where you want to go! Encouragement, the giving of courage, that is what focusing on Jesus ahead of us, heading toward home should give us.
     Sometimes our focus gets too much on the future and we can forget to take care of the business of today. We can’t see heaven, so we focus on Jesus.
There is an old horseman’s adage- “You have to ride the horse you have today.” If we focus on where we think we should be instead of on Jesus, we will have problems. We have Jesus with us so, though we know where we are going, our instructions are to focus on Jesus and not on the future. We want to go where he is and he knows the trail that we should take. So we need to follow hard at his heels. We need to keep him in sight. We don’t need to hurry, but we do need to keep following. Our goal is to be where Jesus is; he is our guide to our future.
Romans 15
4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (NIV)

    We have our road map, the scriptures, and we have our compass, the Holy Spirit, we also have our guide Jesus Christ. Sometimes we may be confused if we misread the map or the compass, but we can always ask our guide. He will get us where we are going. Sometimes when we can’t see where we are headed we just have to trust our guide and follow Him.

Exposure

Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:30:52 GMT

Exposure

     My Husband and I came across a bull snake a while back. At first I thought it was a rattler but he instantly new it was a harmless bull snake. He knew because he has run into many rattlers. I am a little wimpy that way; I generally try to avoid snakes altogether. He recognized the snake for what it truly was because of his exposure to snakes. I was reminded about a story I heard about bank clerks learning to recognize counterfeit money; they learn by being exposed day after day to the real thing (not by examining counterfeit money). They have been so exposed to the real stuff that the fake stuff jumps right out at them.

Mark 13
21At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. 22For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible. 23So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. (NIV)

     Here in Mark’s Gospel we are reminded that false prophets are going to try to deceive us.    If we have been thoroughly exposed to the real gospel they shouldn’t have a chance. We will be like the bank clerks that have handled thousands of twenty-dollar bills.

                                    James 1
16Don't be deceived, my dear brothers. 17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (NIV)

     Horses that have been exposed to a variety of things are less likely to panic when they encounter something new. If we keep them in their own little corner of the world then anything new may frighten them. If a horse has seen hundreds of different jumps, a new jump is just something to get across. If he has been exposed to bikes and tricycles and baby carriages and motorcycles, if someone comes by on an ATV, he isn’t going to worry that it might eat him.
     If we walk with the Lord and interact with him in a variety of places, when we head into unknown territory, we will understand that he is with us. If we keep our relationship with him confined to morning devotions and church on Sunday we may panic when we are confronted with a major upheaval in our lives or even a minor one. If our communication with Jesus is sparse in the easy times, we may feel uncomfortable about calling out to him when times get difficult. If we have been walking with him, we will notice the little things he does to help us through a trying time that we would miss if our awareness of his presence were dulled by lack of use.
     It is hard to learn in a vacuum. The things we teach our horses in isolation have a way of disappearing when things get hectic in a warm up ring. My cow dogs don’t listen as well when they are in hot pursuit of a cow. It is necessary for us to gradually expose the dogs and horses to high-tension situations so that they can learn to be attentive to their masters even when things are exciting and distracting.
Ephesians 6
18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. (NIV)

Martha was distracted from listening to the Lord because there was work to do.
Luke 10
40But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"(NIV)

She had made a choice to be busy working instead of sitting and listening to the Lord. Sometimes we decide that “our” task is so important that everything else falls to the wayside. It is a way of feeling important, “ I am important because I am getting this done”. This is a counterfeit belief. The world doesn’t fall apart when we don’t finish our chores. Often when we are stressed because we are doing too much, we have been distracted from listening to the Lord by our need to “get it done”. If we back off, others have the opportunity to serve the Lord. We do this with our cow horses, we give them the opportunity to volunteer the work on their own, instead of orchestrating their every move. It is a way of exposing our horses to work, if the horses don’t volunteer someone can always go get the escaping cow, but if we compel the horses to go immediately then they don’t learn their job as well. The horses learn to watch carefully for the escaping cows so that they do not have to chase them so far.
    The Lord exposes us in a manner similar to this. In the busy preparation for the event we get to learn to back off and let others serve also. We get to learn to not be distracted from our listening to Him.

Mark 9
7Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (NIV)

     Listening is such an important skill. I recently was struggling with a horse that was distracted when learning his flying lead changes. He would anticipate my asking and change too early (before I asked him). Then one day we got a new welder and my son was welding in the shop and the strange noise bothered the horse, but because this horse is in the habit of listening and obeying it made flying changes incredibly easy! He was distracted by the noise until, I told him to change and then he would change immediately and cleanly because even in the midst of a scary distraction he was listening to his Master! I want to be like my horse, I want to be listing even more closely to my Master when things are scary or distracting.

Mark 9
7Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (NIV)