Today's readings, thanks to the little fat monsignor, all focus on God's will.
I just love this. Most especially because of the Blessed by Down Syndrome post from last night.
If Kevin can adhere to His Will, how much then can you and I?
Don't get me wrong, it's difficult. But try this. The next time you get moved to do something for Him, look around. If everyone you know thinks you're crazy, you're probably on the right track. ;)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Blessed by Down Syndrome.
A very satisfying day of leaf raking has just been wrapped up. The rakes and scoops have been organized just so for retrieval tomorrow morning and a cold, frothy I.B.C. rootbeer just got popped open.
"You sure do good work Kevin," I said as I walked over to see my new helper and give him the 5:30 soda he craves.
He smiled and said, "You know I do." And only in a way that you have to hear to fully appreciate. He was happy, feeling generous and totally believed that he had done a fantastic job. And he did. He's a leaf raking magician. It was blowing 20 miles an hour half the time he was working. Patiently, methodically, he layed out his plan and executed.
Kevin was born with Down Syndrome and just happens to live across the street from my wife and I just south of San Antonio, TX. He approached us the day before yesterday with a proposal. He needed some leaves to rake. Trust me when I say we have PLENTY to rake. We have three huge cottonwoods in our front yard and they produce one heck of a leaf crop.
He came over with his father, so I knew it was OK with them, but I still had reservations. I told them that we certainly did not expect him to do all of that, but he insisted. His dad was just smiling and shaking his head.
"Nope, it was my idea and it's my treat," Kevin stated when we tried to talk him out of it.
Long story short, Kevin is a worker. I wish we could hire him to feed horses and clean the barn. These high school kids these days don't know what work is. Kevin does.
Kevin knows alot. He knows that you should be able to look around at the world surrounding you and see where you're needed. He knows that you shouldn't have to be invited in order to go there and provide your help. He knows that you shouldn't expect anything from people when all you're doing is what the Lord expects of you. And he knows how to smile.
Wow. And make people smile. The farrier and a good rodeo friend of mine were here today. They met Kevin and conversation revolved around him for the next hour or so. All three of us smiling the whole time.
He knows how to spread the Lord's compassion and love. One kind act at a time. Thanks Kevin.
How about you? Notice anything in your life lately that could use your touch?
"You sure do good work Kevin," I said as I walked over to see my new helper and give him the 5:30 soda he craves.
He smiled and said, "You know I do." And only in a way that you have to hear to fully appreciate. He was happy, feeling generous and totally believed that he had done a fantastic job. And he did. He's a leaf raking magician. It was blowing 20 miles an hour half the time he was working. Patiently, methodically, he layed out his plan and executed.
Kevin was born with Down Syndrome and just happens to live across the street from my wife and I just south of San Antonio, TX. He approached us the day before yesterday with a proposal. He needed some leaves to rake. Trust me when I say we have PLENTY to rake. We have three huge cottonwoods in our front yard and they produce one heck of a leaf crop.
He came over with his father, so I knew it was OK with them, but I still had reservations. I told them that we certainly did not expect him to do all of that, but he insisted. His dad was just smiling and shaking his head.
"Nope, it was my idea and it's my treat," Kevin stated when we tried to talk him out of it.
Long story short, Kevin is a worker. I wish we could hire him to feed horses and clean the barn. These high school kids these days don't know what work is. Kevin does.
Kevin knows alot. He knows that you should be able to look around at the world surrounding you and see where you're needed. He knows that you shouldn't have to be invited in order to go there and provide your help. He knows that you shouldn't expect anything from people when all you're doing is what the Lord expects of you. And he knows how to smile.
Wow. And make people smile. The farrier and a good rodeo friend of mine were here today. They met Kevin and conversation revolved around him for the next hour or so. All three of us smiling the whole time.
He knows how to spread the Lord's compassion and love. One kind act at a time. Thanks Kevin.
How about you? Notice anything in your life lately that could use your touch?
Monday, March 23, 2009
Get back on that pony and ride - Chris LeDoux
Update:
Here's the song if you want to play it.
[audio:http://www.spiritualhorseman.com/audio/GBOTPAR-Chris-LeDoux.mp3]
Today's Old Testament reading from Isaiah shows us that even our Heavenly Creator starts fresh.
Isaiah 65:17-21
"Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind."
You can't expect spectacular results every time you do something. Especially when you are brave enough to venture outside your comfort zone. Every time I throw my leg over one that has never been ridden, it's a new experience. Of course, for the colt, but for me as well. Every single one of them reacts different than the last one. And if I did the same thing to every one of them every time, I would end up on the ground half the time.
But here's the deal: Let's say I did end up on the ground half the time. Is that failure? Is falling the failure?
Nope. Walking away is the only failure. If you're back up and riding again, you're creating something new. A new experience, a new opportunity, a new you. Failure makes us grow in ways success can never compare to.
Be a creator. The picture is a real photograph from the Astronomy Picture of the Day website. Now that's creativity. We can't even come close, but who better than God to inspire us?
Trust in yourself and trust in the fact that even our Creator started anew and banished the thoughts of the past.
Here's the song if you want to play it.
[audio:http://www.spiritualhorseman.com/audio/GBOTPAR-Chris-LeDoux.mp3]
Today's Old Testament reading from Isaiah shows us that even our Heavenly Creator starts fresh. Isaiah 65:17-21
"Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth; The things of the past shall not be remembered or come to mind."
You can't expect spectacular results every time you do something. Especially when you are brave enough to venture outside your comfort zone. Every time I throw my leg over one that has never been ridden, it's a new experience. Of course, for the colt, but for me as well. Every single one of them reacts different than the last one. And if I did the same thing to every one of them every time, I would end up on the ground half the time.
But here's the deal: Let's say I did end up on the ground half the time. Is that failure? Is falling the failure?
Nope. Walking away is the only failure. If you're back up and riding again, you're creating something new. A new experience, a new opportunity, a new you. Failure makes us grow in ways success can never compare to.
Be a creator. The picture is a real photograph from the Astronomy Picture of the Day website. Now that's creativity. We can't even come close, but who better than God to inspire us?
Trust in yourself and trust in the fact that even our Creator started anew and banished the thoughts of the past.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Rest and Relaxation
Luke 12:25-26
What a beautiful day that was gifted to us today. Here are today's readings in case you missed heading over to the church house.
They don't really talk about rest and relaxation, but with Spring right around the corner, everyone is making a kazillion plans and doing home projects and scheduling kids and . . .
Be sure to take some time for yourself. Quiet time. Calm time. You'll quickly find that this isn't time for yourself, but for you and Him. He'll bring you strength during these quiet moments. His light will shine into your life and clarity will find it's way into your chaotic schedule.
BUT, first you have to make time. Make time for five minutes to get away. Do it now.
Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest.
What a beautiful day that was gifted to us today. Here are today's readings in case you missed heading over to the church house.
They don't really talk about rest and relaxation, but with Spring right around the corner, everyone is making a kazillion plans and doing home projects and scheduling kids and . . .
Be sure to take some time for yourself. Quiet time. Calm time. You'll quickly find that this isn't time for yourself, but for you and Him. He'll bring you strength during these quiet moments. His light will shine into your life and clarity will find it's way into your chaotic schedule.
BUT, first you have to make time. Make time for five minutes to get away. Do it now.
Saturday, March 21, 2009
It's Ringing...Answer Him
Well, sometimes things just don't work out. Or do they?
Proverbs 3:5-6 says
..."For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. Discussing God's ways is like talking Nuclear Physics with a Penguin...it doesn't make sense and the penguin's not gonna understand anyway.
But, It's so easy to look back at situations I was in years ago or even months ago and see how what I thought was a bad situation was the only circumstance that I could have been in at that time that would have lead me to where I needed to be.
The hard part, though, is this: Trusting in His plans for us when we have yet to experience that end result.
Many of you put so much effort into work, or maybe extracurricular, or a relationship, or whatever. With me it's time and effort into training a horse. Guess what. It's not always going to work out. Sometimes everything is just right and there's no possible way you could be more prepared. There's no possible way you could be more dedicated. And there's no possible way that anyone wants it worse than you. Then you fail. What next?
I started showing horses in registered AQHA shows for the ranch in 2005. I grew up rodeoing and let me tell you horse show calf roping is a whole different ball game. My first one was at the San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo. Nothing. Then Stephenville. Another nice run and nothing. I was furious. Why weren't these guys placing me. You hear the same tired old stories about how 'you have to have a name' and 'the politics are so bad' blah blah blah. The bottom line is I didn't deserve to be placed.
Well, I finally got some video and started analyzing my performance vs. winning performances. I break things down and study them on an all to regular basis but, that's another story. Anyway, you can't argue with what's staring you right there in the face. So I worked with Bobby Lewis and C.R. Bradley a little bit and got 'Roany' to show quite a bit better. The very next year, Quail Bar Quincy (aka Roany) and I won Reserve World Champion Calf Roping Horse.
Now here is the interesting part. I was just getting into training horses professionally. If I had been placed right off the bat and gotten Roany's performance Register of Merit pretty quick, (that's a recognition of ability that the AQHA awards after winning a designated amount of shows for those of you unaware) I would have sold that horse within the year and moved to the next one. His ways, though, put me in a position to become a better calf horse trainer and win a Reserve World Championship in only my second year of showing.
I was clueless at the time. Well, I'm back. But this time it's rodeo. The funny part is that the horse, Joe, is Roany's full brother. I'm mad. He's awesome. And my Lord and Savior is probably up there laughing His butt off right now.
He's performing on his home turf and does pretty good away from home too. However, he's bug eyed and overworking at the rodeos. I'm entering up and, in some cases, don't even get to finish my tie since he's draggin them out from under me.
So, I pray. Am I really supposed to be rodeoing right now? Am I leaving the path He's layed out for me and that's why it's getting difficult? All I got was laughter.
Of course not. It's the times that we are walking with Him that bring the most challenging work into our lives. If we're with Him, He knows we can handle it. So I'll stick with it. If he had a Reserve World Championshiop in store for the horse showing, who knows what's in store rodeoing.
Find that thing in your life that rings true in your heart and fans the fire in your soul. It won't be what you do to earn a paycheck in most cases. And it won't be easy. What it will be is fullfilling. What it will be is a chance for you to get closer to Christ. That's why He puts those desires in your heart, to bring you to Him. They are not childish dreams. They are a calling. Answer Him.
Proverbs 3:5-6 says
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
..."For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. Discussing God's ways is like talking Nuclear Physics with a Penguin...it doesn't make sense and the penguin's not gonna understand anyway.
But, It's so easy to look back at situations I was in years ago or even months ago and see how what I thought was a bad situation was the only circumstance that I could have been in at that time that would have lead me to where I needed to be.
The hard part, though, is this: Trusting in His plans for us when we have yet to experience that end result.
Many of you put so much effort into work, or maybe extracurricular, or a relationship, or whatever. With me it's time and effort into training a horse. Guess what. It's not always going to work out. Sometimes everything is just right and there's no possible way you could be more prepared. There's no possible way you could be more dedicated. And there's no possible way that anyone wants it worse than you. Then you fail. What next?
I started showing horses in registered AQHA shows for the ranch in 2005. I grew up rodeoing and let me tell you horse show calf roping is a whole different ball game. My first one was at the San Antonio Stockshow and Rodeo. Nothing. Then Stephenville. Another nice run and nothing. I was furious. Why weren't these guys placing me. You hear the same tired old stories about how 'you have to have a name' and 'the politics are so bad' blah blah blah. The bottom line is I didn't deserve to be placed.
Well, I finally got some video and started analyzing my performance vs. winning performances. I break things down and study them on an all to regular basis but, that's another story. Anyway, you can't argue with what's staring you right there in the face. So I worked with Bobby Lewis and C.R. Bradley a little bit and got 'Roany' to show quite a bit better. The very next year, Quail Bar Quincy (aka Roany) and I won Reserve World Champion Calf Roping Horse.
Now here is the interesting part. I was just getting into training horses professionally. If I had been placed right off the bat and gotten Roany's performance Register of Merit pretty quick, (that's a recognition of ability that the AQHA awards after winning a designated amount of shows for those of you unaware) I would have sold that horse within the year and moved to the next one. His ways, though, put me in a position to become a better calf horse trainer and win a Reserve World Championship in only my second year of showing.
I was clueless at the time. Well, I'm back. But this time it's rodeo. The funny part is that the horse, Joe, is Roany's full brother. I'm mad. He's awesome. And my Lord and Savior is probably up there laughing His butt off right now.
He's performing on his home turf and does pretty good away from home too. However, he's bug eyed and overworking at the rodeos. I'm entering up and, in some cases, don't even get to finish my tie since he's draggin them out from under me.
So, I pray. Am I really supposed to be rodeoing right now? Am I leaving the path He's layed out for me and that's why it's getting difficult? All I got was laughter.
Of course not. It's the times that we are walking with Him that bring the most challenging work into our lives. If we're with Him, He knows we can handle it. So I'll stick with it. If he had a Reserve World Championshiop in store for the horse showing, who knows what's in store rodeoing.
Find that thing in your life that rings true in your heart and fans the fire in your soul. It won't be what you do to earn a paycheck in most cases. And it won't be easy. What it will be is fullfilling. What it will be is a chance for you to get closer to Christ. That's why He puts those desires in your heart, to bring you to Him. They are not childish dreams. They are a calling. Answer Him.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday Reality Check: Working Cattle and Riding Colts
Well, I thought that I was done with the jackets and vests till next year until about half way through feeding this morning. It was 57 degress.
What!?!
That's cold.
It was humid.
There was a heavy fog.
Fine I hate the cold. Or cool, or whatever. Anyway, I got my vest, everybody got fed and I started loading the youngsters: One 'four' I can rope on that I call Bugsy, one 'three' I just started calling Luke and three two-year-olds, or 'twos'. Only one has earned a name. We call him Mellow Yellow. After a quick stop through the house to kiss my lovely bride and grab a fresh taco, I headed south. Like a freight train through it's tunnel of fog we rolled through the towns barely able to see the blurry greens and yellows till we were through 'em or the reds till we were to 'em. It was slow goin the whole way.
I pulled into the house a little after eight. Morgan had already headed over to the pens so I went to meet him. Just as I pulled up I could see a little brehmer heifer get sorted through a gate inside the pens and head into the fog. Then I saw Mick. Crap I'm late. About that time I heard the fire start up. These lady's were gonna get some hot iron on there butts today. I wasn't too late 'cause Doc Williams wasn't there yet and nobody had saddled up just yet either. They must have been sorting them just to get ready to start moving them through the pens.
Dad picked out a little Poco Bueno bred grullo mare and asked me to ride Mr. Koehler's bay mare, Lilly. She is in the it's-time-to-grow-up part of her life so she gets used pretty regular. Mick was on a little sorrel mare he just started team roping on and Dick was on Tommy Boy, a younger sorrel gelding that he has riding around pretty nice.
Just then it hit me. We're not going to get to rope today.
Oh well. It was a fine run of Thursday's for sure. So Jesse, Felix and Tony were ready and waiting. Kelley had his grease and pour-on de-wormer like Doc Freakin Holiday. Just say when baby. Mick looked like he was at the bar chillin even though he was about to have to get the heads of every heifer that came through there so Dick could get them steady for the tattoos and bangs vaccination tags. Oh, and there is no head gate. One big squeeze shoot. Old school. That's the way we do it down here. For all it's glory...and faults, that's just the way we do it. Anyway, Doc was ready so I started sending them through.
It's really something to see I bet. From a distance. The group, like a machine, just works. Everybody has a job. They execute and the machine keeps running. Anybody faulters and the thing comes to a screeching hault. Or somebody gets hooked. That's the thing about these first crosses. They make good cows in this rough country, but lets just say I'm a hell-of-a-lot more sore this time than I was when we ran all those blacks and black baldies through a couple of weeks ago. Those tiger-stripes can get kind of rough with the personell. ;) But when everybody's percolating, it goes pretty smooth. We're united in a way.
Something else that makes me feel tied to every rancher that's ever tried to make a living with horses or cattle is that smell. To stand in that crowd pen somewhere between Beeville and Refugio with hot branding irons sending smoke to join that heavy fog laying on us really takes me back. I don't know where, but I'm there often. It's a lonely place, but it's where I belong.
We wound up things around lunch time, but not after needing to rope one that slipped through the cracks. Mick pushed them out of the corner and I peeled them off the fence. As they headed toward the center of the large pens, Morgan eased into the herd and one swing later it was over. She never saw it coming. He steered her out into the open and Dick immediately had another rope on her feet. I went to her and down she went. Doc and his vet tech took care of her right there. The hands brought the fire and one O-B and one 8 later, she was off with the rest of the bunch.
After lunch we delivered some cattle to the auction barn and I wrapped up the day riding colts. Between the trip to the barn and my riding, we moved some round bales for cattle over at the Murphy and fed alfalfa to the broodmares. What a site. Babies have been hitting the ground for a couple of weeks now. The mares are pulled down a little bit since we haven't been getting any rain, but the foals are still looking great. As soon as I get a new camera I'll post pics. Today would have been a good picture day. Sorry about that. I'm going to wind this up since it's getting a little long-winded, but I wanted to be sure to mention the foals.
Everything is just starting to green up a little. The babies are coming and the replacements are getting branded and turned out. It's new beginnings everywhere. It's never to late to start over. It's never to early to start over. If you think you're headed the wrong way, start fresh. Now's the time.
What!?!
That's cold.
It was humid.
There was a heavy fog.
Fine I hate the cold. Or cool, or whatever. Anyway, I got my vest, everybody got fed and I started loading the youngsters: One 'four' I can rope on that I call Bugsy, one 'three' I just started calling Luke and three two-year-olds, or 'twos'. Only one has earned a name. We call him Mellow Yellow. After a quick stop through the house to kiss my lovely bride and grab a fresh taco, I headed south. Like a freight train through it's tunnel of fog we rolled through the towns barely able to see the blurry greens and yellows till we were through 'em or the reds till we were to 'em. It was slow goin the whole way.
I pulled into the house a little after eight. Morgan had already headed over to the pens so I went to meet him. Just as I pulled up I could see a little brehmer heifer get sorted through a gate inside the pens and head into the fog. Then I saw Mick. Crap I'm late. About that time I heard the fire start up. These lady's were gonna get some hot iron on there butts today. I wasn't too late 'cause Doc Williams wasn't there yet and nobody had saddled up just yet either. They must have been sorting them just to get ready to start moving them through the pens.
Dad picked out a little Poco Bueno bred grullo mare and asked me to ride Mr. Koehler's bay mare, Lilly. She is in the it's-time-to-grow-up part of her life so she gets used pretty regular. Mick was on a little sorrel mare he just started team roping on and Dick was on Tommy Boy, a younger sorrel gelding that he has riding around pretty nice.
Just then it hit me. We're not going to get to rope today.
Oh well. It was a fine run of Thursday's for sure. So Jesse, Felix and Tony were ready and waiting. Kelley had his grease and pour-on de-wormer like Doc Freakin Holiday. Just say when baby. Mick looked like he was at the bar chillin even though he was about to have to get the heads of every heifer that came through there so Dick could get them steady for the tattoos and bangs vaccination tags. Oh, and there is no head gate. One big squeeze shoot. Old school. That's the way we do it down here. For all it's glory...and faults, that's just the way we do it. Anyway, Doc was ready so I started sending them through.
It's really something to see I bet. From a distance. The group, like a machine, just works. Everybody has a job. They execute and the machine keeps running. Anybody faulters and the thing comes to a screeching hault. Or somebody gets hooked. That's the thing about these first crosses. They make good cows in this rough country, but lets just say I'm a hell-of-a-lot more sore this time than I was when we ran all those blacks and black baldies through a couple of weeks ago. Those tiger-stripes can get kind of rough with the personell. ;) But when everybody's percolating, it goes pretty smooth. We're united in a way.
Something else that makes me feel tied to every rancher that's ever tried to make a living with horses or cattle is that smell. To stand in that crowd pen somewhere between Beeville and Refugio with hot branding irons sending smoke to join that heavy fog laying on us really takes me back. I don't know where, but I'm there often. It's a lonely place, but it's where I belong.
We wound up things around lunch time, but not after needing to rope one that slipped through the cracks. Mick pushed them out of the corner and I peeled them off the fence. As they headed toward the center of the large pens, Morgan eased into the herd and one swing later it was over. She never saw it coming. He steered her out into the open and Dick immediately had another rope on her feet. I went to her and down she went. Doc and his vet tech took care of her right there. The hands brought the fire and one O-B and one 8 later, she was off with the rest of the bunch.
After lunch we delivered some cattle to the auction barn and I wrapped up the day riding colts. Between the trip to the barn and my riding, we moved some round bales for cattle over at the Murphy and fed alfalfa to the broodmares. What a site. Babies have been hitting the ground for a couple of weeks now. The mares are pulled down a little bit since we haven't been getting any rain, but the foals are still looking great. As soon as I get a new camera I'll post pics. Today would have been a good picture day. Sorry about that. I'm going to wind this up since it's getting a little long-winded, but I wanted to be sure to mention the foals.
Everything is just starting to green up a little. The babies are coming and the replacements are getting branded and turned out. It's new beginnings everywhere. It's never to late to start over. It's never to early to start over. If you think you're headed the wrong way, start fresh. Now's the time.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The little fat monsignor.
My two two-year-old's were not cooperating this morning and they almost made me miss the 8 am service. Actually, I guess they did since I arrived just in time for Fr. Ed's homily. He delivered a great message about looking within that I'm glad I made it into town for. During this time before Easter that we call Lent, we practice introspection. This is the process of self-observation. Basically asking yourself, "Where am I in my relationship with God?" or "How am I at granting forgiveness?" or "Why did I come into the kitchen again?" Just kidding with that last one, but it happens to me all the time now. ;)So it was a good message, but what struck me today was a little different than the actual message itself. Since I missed the readings, I came home and read them online and began to wonder. . . Who orchestrates these readings for the daily masses?
In the Catholic church, every three years the bible gets read to the congregation in it's entirety. No, there's not a meeting where we go to listen to somebody read the whole thing. Readings are structured in a book such that by attending mass regularly, one will listen to the entire bible every three years. That's not the amazing part. What amazes me is how the old testament readings, psalms and new testament readings support one another so strongly. Every day. Every week. For 52 weeks.
I imagine there's this little fat monsignor (pronounced - mon-see-nyer) sitting in Rome at the Vatican. He's praying and probably eating some ridiculously expensive cheese and sipping wine or something. ;) He is ripping pages and shuffeling them around and making notes. Constantly pushing his little spectacles back up onto his nose and telling people in a very nasal little-old-lady-voice why one passage fits better than the other. Anyway, good job little fat monsignor. You never cease to amaze me.
Really, go to this link for today's readings, read through it and think about how they fit.
Reading 1 - Moses teaches Israel.......Teach the Law
Psalm - Praise the Lord, Jerusalem......Praise Him who delivered the Law
Gospel - Jesus teaches the disciples...Fulfill the Law
Through teaching us, the physical Words of God, Christ is still fulfilling the Law through the inspiration of each and every day's readings. In this case, maybe the inspiration of a little fat monsignor in Rome. But crack open your bible. It will be your inspiration...and who knows what He'll have to say to you.
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