When To Say When

I usually try to respond to most comments as they come in. This is usually done under the corresponding post. However, Arlen Walker's will be handled slightly different. It brought back some memories and also struck a chord with today's readings.

Here's Arlen's comment in response to the post I titled - UP
James, I may or may not have taught you anything about roping, but everytime I sit down to catch up on your blog, your messages hit me right in the gut. I’m often with your dad when he stops to talk to someone he does’nt even know for 20 mins. I wonder what in the hell he is doing talking to that guy. I’m going to work on that. Thanks for the post and tell your pretty wife hello. Love Arlen

P.S. I’m stepping out of the box with that four letter word. [love] Working on that also.

Amen Arlen. It doesn't take Morgan but a minute or two before he's going to find somebody to talk horses with. Even if it's in Colorado... on a city bus... TO THE BUS DRIVER?!??! Seriously, Dad. It's snowin' and the man has a job to do. ;)

But the driver was genuinely interested and the next day we're going to look at horses in Colorado. It's a small world if we'll just open up to it.

Back to the post at hand.

Growing up roping with Morgan O'Brien, Mick O'Brien, Dick O'Brien, Phil Lyne, Rusty Carroll and Arlen Walker blessed me with the fortunate ability to say that learning "all I know" from any one of them would be quite a stretch. However, Arlen did teach me plenty. One thing in particular.

---

James loved to rope. He was a high school kid living twenty miles from town on a ranch in South Texas. Let's call it Quincy. ;)

Well, everyday James left Quincy pretty early on in the morning to get his sister dropped off to school and still make it to class himself. More often than not, punctuality was lacking. Everyday at lunch James and Justin, a close friend of his, headed over to Justin's house to catch the horses. They even rode them back to school on occasion. Mostly, they were just getting them ready for the afternoon calf roping session.

As soon as they were able, they warmed up the horses and got after it. James rode Sonny. He is pictured above at the High School National Finals in Gillette, Wyoming back in 1995. Sonny was James' A-string-number-one-primo-mount and probably the best horse James ever had the pleasure to ride. And Justin was riding a little mare called Super Chicken that belonged to James' twin uncles, Mick and Dick. She was awesome, too. They ended up selling her to George Strait for his son to rope calves on. The Straits later retired her and kept her for a brood mare.

Anyway, on one particular afternoon Justin was unable to rope. Since Arlen and Ms. Cody (Justin's parents) had pretty much adopted James as their while-he's-in-town-son, James roped anyway. Arlen helped James quite a bit and today he was turning out and untying calves just like any other day.

One pen of calves probably had ten or twelve calves in it. After the first set Arlen asked James if he wanted to bring 'em back. (that meant re-pen them and rope another ten or twelve head)

Well hell yes he did. And he loped off down the pen to bring the calves back. Everything went smooth again. James put together some very consistant, solid runs.

"Want another pen?" Arlen asked again.

"Yea, I think so, " James told him. As he re-penned the calves he was thinking, "Man this ALL..RIGHT. Good horse. Roping well. No untying has to be done. No turning out has to be done. This must be how the pros do it."

Arlen used to rope in the RCA, that's short for the PRCA which stands for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy's Association. If you've ever been to the San Antonio, Houston or Fort Worth Stock Shows to watch the rodeo, you've been to a PRCA rodeo. If you've ever been to the NFR in Las Vegas, you've been to the Super Bowl of rodeo and I just waisted your time explaining what the RCA is. ;)

Arlen always had some helpful tips when we roped and could put things in ways that only Arlen could put them. They were funny, easy to remember, wise and helpful with a sprinkle of smartass mixed in for good measure. These days it seems his son, Justin, has mastered this method as well.

Today, just like every other day, Arlen had a few tips for James as he went through each round. What James didn't know was that he was right smack in the middle of one of those lessons ever since the beginning of the second round.

At least thirty calves later after the last calve in the third round James rode back toward the box where Arlen met him with his question of the day.

"Wanna pen 'em again?" he practically begged.

After giving a fourth round some serious thought, James finally conceded.

"Man, I don't know. You think I should?" James asked partly hoping Arlen would say yes.

"He's your horse. Do whatever you want, " Arlen fired back with absolutely no help at all.

Arlen's indifference was uncommon, but whatever... James was just going to have to make the call.

"I don't think so, Arlen. I'm done," James said.

Well Arlen came unglued.

"It's about damn time, son! You've done roped thirty or forty head on the best horse in the state. You think he needs that many everyday?"

That wasn't a question James was even going to pretend to try to answer. So, he just sat there.

"Half the pros going down the road would kill to have a horse like that. I would have while I was going. You have to take care of him. Three or four a day. That's all he needs. Keeps him sharp and thirsty for it."

The longer pause was James' cue that either Arlen was regearing for another shot at James' ignorance or else he was done. Either way, James was headed for the roping box to quit Sonny. Calf roping was over for the day.

---

I told this story in the third person for two reasons:

1. It's easier to read.
2. That day made me a different person.

I'm no longer the James from the story. Many trainers/horse professionals taught me myriad tools to use with horses. But, I can also attribute a life lesson to every horse trainer I've ever ridden with and the story shared above tells of the one Arlen Walker blessed me with.

Be focused. Stay driven. BUT... Know When To Say When.

Jesus knew when to say when. One of the reasons I was so glad that Arlen wrote that comment is because the gospel reading for today matched up perfectly with this concept. Christ pushes Peter to his limits. "Do you love me?" "Do you love me?" "Do you love me?" Christ already knew. He had to show Peter. Arlen already knew. He had to show James.

Sometimes we're Christ in the story and sometimes we're Peter. It really doesn't matter which one we happen to be. What matters is that we are aware of the fact.

Do we have the fortitude it takes to push someone or something to their limit?

Do we have the wisdom it takes to know where our limits are in order to keep ourselves and others 'sharp and thirsty for it'?

Duty Calls

I am honored to get to post today as a guest. This is Tonni and I am filling in for James as he serves our government as a juror. As you read the other day, he was summoned, and surprisingly he was just what they were looking for! While I think both he and I would rather him be at the house going about daily business, I am glad someone with his moral compass is sitting in the juror's box. How long will this take? That is the million dollar question. Hopefully it will wrap up soon and he will be back to daily posts to Spiritual Horseman as usual. Stayed tuned...

In the meantime, I wanted to share with you a few of my favorite posts from Spiritual Horseman. If you are a vetern to the blog, I'd love to hear which are your favorites.

See the Miraculous in the common
The Struggle
Comfort Zones
Blessed By Down Syndrome

Up

The Ascension, usually celebrated the fortieth day after Easter Sunday was celebrated the following Sunday here in San Antonio. This is the celebration of Christ ascending to the heavens in the midst of the apostles. It was last Sunday and this Sunday is Pentecost. Pentecost, as most of you know, is when the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles as described in Acts:2.

OK, enough history lesson already. What does this have to do with us? Our lives.

UP: Looking up, gearing up and opening up.

Most of us run around with our heads in the sand, unprepared and withdrawn. It's OK, life tends to push us in that direction. We pile things on our plate in an effort to feel accomplished and provide for our families. Before long we're bogged down in it. We take a step back to look at the big picture only to realize that we have truly accomplished nothing. And we've failed to provide the one thing our family needs most... Ourselves.

Look Up
Like the apostles during the Ascension, spend more time looking to Christ. Sometimes just going outside and looking up can help you put your priorities in order. Get some perspective. That's no accident. He sees you and speaks to your heart. Actually looking up is quite the literal translation. Sometimes, we just need to quit focusing on ourselves, the money, the whatever and look to Christ. When the apostles saw Christ ascend toward the heavens, I gaurantee you they didn't have anything else at all in their minds other than awe. I can't even imagine. And this is the world we live in. It's full of inspiration and awe. Find it. Find Christ in your little corner of the world and look toward him.

Gear Up
Take time to prepare yourself for life. I know that sounds a little grandiose, so let's break it down a little. Everyday is a prayer. We are the Word of God. How will you speak for Him today? Take a second each morning and ask Him for a little courage, wisdom, clarity. He'll be there and it will FREAK YOU OUT. You may not hear what you want to hear. But it's not about you. When He prepared the disciples to present The Word to all the people gathered around that house, do you think they were ready. Heck no. They were scared to death. They're just people, like you and me. The last thing they wanted to do was make speeches to hundreds of people. And in languages they couldn't even speak?!?!?

I doubt that tounges of fire will light upon your head tomorrow morning. However, all you have to do to be ready to truly achieve is to ask Him what you should be achieving and how. He'll prepare you. Get ready.

Open Up
This is the hardest one for me personally. I'm naturally introverted and enjoy time alone. I guess that's why I'm so at peace with the horses. But, that's no excuse. It's our job to spread the good news.

Yes, THE good news is Christ's Resurrection. But, your good news on a daily basis may be something else. And no, it's not the latest town gossip. Just because you were first to know does not make it good news. ;) There's a fine line between opening up and not missing a good chance to shut the hell up.

Recently a jury summons arrived for me. I went yesterday, all day, and got picked. (but that's a whole other rant) While I was there, I made myself just walk up and speak to two total strangers. Those of you who know me know that this is crazy talk for me. But it's something I've been working on. And He rewarded me. One of the young men I spoke with was a computer engineer and I checked out his ASUS and we talked tech for quite a while. Enjoyable.

Next I chose an older gentleman figuring that the young guy with the sweet laptop was a subconscious cop out. Well, Wilson was recently employed by AMD and now works for Sony! He maintains the fabrication equipment used in the production of microprocessors. Score. We alked tech for a while, too.

As I reflected on this, I could not figure what His purpose was. Had I elivered whatever it was I was supposed to deliver to these men. Should I have mentioned something specific. Nope. Now I realize that the whole purpose was for Him to give me confidence in stepping out of my comfort zone. He opened me up. Just a little, but who knows what's next.

Get out there and open up. You are a treasure. Someone deserves to feel your greatness. You deserve to feel the greatness of someone else. You never have the pleasure if you stay in the corner with your head down.

Further Reading:
- Be Somebody!
- Advocacy

Jury Doodie

That's right, I've been summoned to the Bexar County courthouse this morning for jury duty. They really should spell it the other way. It would be a bit more acurate. They take your whole day and give you a $6 or $8 stipend. And in San Antonio it'll cost you $10 just to park. Ugh . . . frustration.

Well, I've counted today out and I've got to run, so no post for today. There's a good one cookin' on 'opening up' for tomorrow though, so stay tuned.

Truth

Happy Memorial Day!

Please remember the veterans and active military in your prayers. We are truly blessed to have soldiers such as these protecting our freedom. Special thanks to:

Dr. Allen Lasiter
Louis Balas
Joe Biancalana
Morgan O'Brien
Stoney Portis

Several days ago a great message was shared with me in the same time it took you to read this sentence. Sermons can run short, long or in between. Sometimes they're gripping, deep and even funny. Sometimes they're boring. You may rather be watching the big game. Guess what. . . the padre may also.

Well, this particular day was running slightly on the long side when the gem fell forth like a star in the night sky.

"What is truth?" he asked rhetorically. Then he answered, "When you let the spirit guide you. . . The result, is truth."

I spent the rest of the mass thinking about that statement. That statement, and a couple of friends of mine. Stoney and Alison Portis. They take Christ by the hand and walk through life. The spirit guides them and the result is Truth. True dedication. True faith. True friendship and True love.

Stoney is a Captain in the United States Army. Alison is a serial entrepreneur. The nature of her passion coupled with military travel arrangements creates the need for her to launch her career in intervals. See, she's a photographer - an extremely talented photographer. And with the assistance of her business minded husband, she's usually grabbing market share before her new neighboring photographers even know she's there.

OK, so he's military and she's a photographer. How does that make them so special. It doesn't. Christ does.

As the supplanter at the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority the summer of 2002, it seems that Stoney's military training at West Point was already paying off. When Alison met her field replacement, the whirlwind started. She got the bad end of a summer gig and loved every minute of it. Time would see her to New York City as often as she could get there as she traveled from College Station and her home in Seguin to see Stoney at West Point.

Stoney graduated from West Point in May 2004 with a degree in international relations. He has been trained as a cavalry reconnaissance scout and has been a platoon leader, executive officer (second in command of a company) and staff officer. He proposed to Alison in February of 2006. She graduated from Texas A & M University in May of 2006. The couple were married in July of 2006 and Stoney deployed to Iraq October of 2006. He was gone until January of 2008.

I could try to explain their marrital success despite their lifestyle, but I couldn't do it justice. I recently contacted them to get permission to write this post and to get a little info from them. This is what Stoney had to say about Alison:

• Alison makes the sacrifices for our family and our country... not me.


• I deploy away to Iraq or Afghanistan to do my part as a soldier for a year at a time. She accepts the fact that I'm gone, not always necessarily understanding what I'm doing or why I'm doing it.


• I feel called to serve the military, she never asks why or tries to talk me out of it; instead, she is patient, supportive, and prayerful.


• I'm given orders to move every couple of years to a new military base to fill a new position or receive training for progression. While I'm consumed with the new job, she's busy making a house a home, finding a new network of professionals and friends, and restarting her photography business.

Alison is more of a friend than I could ever ask for, an angel of a wife and a gifted photographer. I define a photographer as someone who captures a moment of significant importance. Alison is certainly that by trade, but she is also that as my wife and best friend. She's captured my heart and filled my life with memories covered with smiles.

Not a word about his military activity, nothing about his rank. Not even one sentence discussing the heritage of West Point. Stoney will deploy again soon. Details won't be shared here, but please pray for him and his lovely bride. Nothing in his return email mentioned that either. His love for the Lord, Alison, and Country. That's it. This is a man with his priorites in order. A man lead by the Spirit.

His bride is no different. Here's what Alison had to say about Stoney:

Stoney has always been so supportive of my passion for photography, and I am truly thankful for that.

Looking back at how Stoney and I met, our time spent courting and the engagement, every single day we are blessed with as husband and wife, I realize that I fall more and more in love with him every single day. He has a huge heart. He cares so much for me, for his family, friends, and soldiers. Stoney is such a hard worker. He puts countless hours toward his work...a job he truly feels called to do. I know he's the best at what he does. There is no doubt in my mind that he can't accomplish anything he put his mind to... I love that he puts the Lord first. I love that he is an amazing, loving, Christian husband. He is my spiritual leader. That's more than I could ever ask for.

Being in the military we have to both be committed to his service. We feel it's a calling. Deployments suck (to put it bluntly), but we know that it's what we are called to do. I think being apart ( while, of course, we would much rather be together) makes us that much stronger. Through the last deployment we learned that every moment we are able to spend together is so precious. We try not to ever take those moments for granted. Stoney always makes life interesting... I love that!

So, what is Truth. Christ is the Truth. He is the Way and the Life. These guys have it figured out. What's number one in your life? Do you trust in the Spirit to guide you always?

Stoney's response when asked about the importance of military service:

The most important thing to me about my military training is what I got inscribed on the inside of my ring when I graduated from West Point: Isaiah 6:8 - Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying 'Who will go for us? Whom shall I send?' and I said here am I Lord, send me!

That's what this is all about to Ali and me (and always has)... the service. Service to country, soldiers, family and friends.

WORD.


______________________________________________________________________
Further Reading:

• Read Stoney's poignant comment on The Journey.


• Check out Alison's photography.


• Please visit Alison's Blog and leave comments.

Thursday Word - Mr. Miyagi

Update: I think the Thursday Word Contest got me in trouble with Google. It has been canceled and the page has been pulled down. Sorry Google. Didn't mean to violate anything.
I will still have a Thursday Word just for kicks. It's always interesting to see what's going to come up on Thursday's.
We want this.

NOT THIS

Today I was up and at 'em. Not sure why, but it just felt like a good day for a Thursday trip south. Oh, and our hay truck was supposed to arrive around 7:30 am. I ordered the hay this time and it shipped from Wyoming. It's the same operation that sends hay to Keeneland. I know, whoop di do - just thought it was an interesting side note.

So I loaded up three of the two's and one older gelding and got on the road early.

Upon arriving at the ranch I noticed two things.

1. The hay truck was not there.


2. And J.M. was pimpin the long, untucked shirt tail.

Yep, it was going to be a good day.

Well, since I ordered the hay and the hay had not arrived, I was the lucky guy who got to hear all of the silly a$$ questions about where the hay truck was. That's just how it is. Plenty of ribbing goes on down there. Anyway, I'm quite certain that everyone, including myself, was secretly glad that over 560 bales of timothy/alfalfa was missing in action.

Everyone went about their day. Morgan and I got everything fed and then returned to the ranch to catch and saddle horses. Then right before lunch we penned one of the broodmare bands in order to pick up the black Gay Bar King stud. When that went smoothly and he was back in the stud barn we headed back to the Murphy pasture for some cow work. Dad took the little sorrel mare Fritz Linney rode for a while and I was on the bay paint gelding I've been starting in the heeling.

We penned the cattle out of the west trap on the south side of the Murphy and then started shaping them up. Morgan planned on sorting the older cattle out of the bunch and then sending them through the barn. The little rain they got down there was a blessing, but the pastures aren't ready for what's in store. Pick up the studs and ship the old cows - The dog days of summer are upon us.

We got all of them situated and cut the calves off so we could mother 'em up after lunch. Still no hay truck.

After lunch we headed back to the pens and mothered those calves. Morgan figured one of them had a calve and turned out she did. So we loaded the pair along with the rest of the shippers and were about to head for the Bee County Livestock Commission.

Tonni called. She told me she just got some strange message where a guy said, "Yea I'm sitting out here with a load of hay and . . . nevermind, somebody's here." No other info. Dadgum truck drivers.

Then Dad's phone rang. Yep, our hay was here.

We left the cattle parked in the shade and headed for the hay barn in the roping horse trap. Then I was introduced to a new way of hauling hay. A 53 foot Midway Line eighteen wheeler trailer, or van, was parked at the barn. WHAT!?!?!

That's right, slowly but surely we unloaded those bales from inside that dang hotbox. Over 560 bales of fun.

The only thing that kept us moving was Kelley's comedic honesty about how much he was hurtin' and Mick's coverage of his latest horse. Mr. Miyagi.

Yep, Mr. Miyagi. I have no idea why he's named that and he may have received the name that very second. And he may have a different name tomorrow. But today it was Mr. Miyagi. Dick once had one he called Captain Kirk - Star Ship Enterprise. Yes, he said the whole thing every time he talked about him. I have no idea where they get this stuff. So the Thursday Word is Mr. Miyagi..

Mathew 18:3 I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Our Lord blesses all of us with a child like demeanor. Don't wipe it out. Embrace it. It will make the good times great and the bad times bearable. There's nothing like hitting that 400th bale and then trying to figure out why anybody in their right mind would name a horse Mr. Miyagi. Just like those bales, sometimes life just keeps landing punches. One after another after another. Keep that child-like spirit with you always. And if you ever need a pick me up, come see the cuates.

Possibilities