Need a fun night?

Horsing Around for Jesus is hosting a neighborhood outreach night of horse tricks demos food and fellowship this Saturday October 9th. Horse show starts at 5pm with supper to follow. Spur a neighbor on, lasso a lawn chair and come on out to the NEIGHborhood!

30 Day Challenge

As our nation fast approaches disaster on every level and yet more mask mandates with power seeking and self not God seeking Governor's and vaccination papers please or you're fired, as natural disasters rise as evil erupts and what was considered wrong is now praised...Are you getting any more desperate for God? Are you asking God to rend the Heavens? Are you spending more time with Him? When you're standing before Him on Judgement Day will He know you? He wont be checking off all your good deeds.  He will be checking on if we have a relationship with Him. Do we know Jesus?

Chances are if you know Jesus, He has His own ideas for using your good deeds, talents mistakes, weaknesses everything! We just have to let Him take control by letting Him take the reins.  Horse trainers are usually hired for 30 or 60 days of training a horse consistently so I'm a little green broke (green means I pray but I could do lots better! Green broke in horse terms means they are use to the saddle but they haven't had alot of riding) when it comes to day to day consistency so a 30 day challenge seems kinda hard but I also know I can trust God to do something great because when I sacrifice something like time God blesses me in some way even if it's a tiny blessing. 

I'm not always desperate or excited or feel like I have enough time to spend quality time with God but when I make time to be alone with God or at least think about God that's when God can draw me closer to Him and our relationship grows deeper.  I told a friend that Gods love language is quality time.  God wants your time way more than your good deeds! I can say that with confidence because scripture backs me up on this! 

In order to get better at spending more time with God can be simple. Pray on your drive into or home from work....just dont close your eyes!  Maybe you have a regular boring house chore or outside chore you can talk to God while doing. Maybe it's on a horse back ride? 🐴😆 Or walk or run? Just think of one more time during your day you can include God! 

But what do you say when you pray? My prayer life has grown in the last few years and prayer is alot easier and enjoyable but I admit I still dont know how or what to pray at times! Many times I'm just burdened and overwhelmed by something or maybe in pain or exhausted or am only able to find a few words. Let me remind you that there is no wrong way to pray when you love God.

And you can always pray scripture which leads me to the challenge. Pray a prayer in scripture for 30 days in a row and see how God works! Btw you can start tomorrow! 30 days in September!!

Isaiah chapter 64 is my 30 day prayer challenge. What's yours?  Let's not be green broke when it comes to talking with God! Lets be so broke that we are able to hear the slightest whisper and smallest touch on our heart by our God. 

Even though I love talking to God on a mountain, we can talk to Him anywhere anytime because of Jesus.  Thank you Jesus for this wonderful gift!

Jump into the Holy Spirits current!

You cant mess up Gods plan for your life...you're just not that powerful.  You cant think, I've wasted my life for God doing.....this for 10 years....No, nothing you do surprises God and He uses our past hurts and failures to His advantage.  If you dont believe me, brush up on some Bible characters like Paul and Samson or Ruth or David...God only has messy sinful fallen people to work with but if the devil can make you believe God has made you to suffer because you did too much wrong or that God just doesnt love you anymore then the devil can destroy you. Then God cant use you to help others going through similar struggles or God cant grow your need of Him and how much you need to trust Him as He allows you to be stripped of your strength, pride, finances and relationships.

You're not being destroyed by God when God allows you to go through trials...Gods just rebuilding you...tearing down your strongholds or things you think you need and replacing those strongholds with the need and desire to hold onto Him!  

I cant talk much about this subject as I'm still learning to trust God but God invited me to take another step and trust Him further and share some tough things I never thought I'd ever share but when you are truly trusting God...His opinion of me is the only one that matters.  Not my family. Not the higher ups. Not my friends. Not my mentors. Not my enemies. Not my neighbors or co workers.  But what is Gods opinion on this matter...or closer still, God what do you want me to do?

Then just jump in and do it! I heard this example of the Holy Spirit...its like a raging river that many are afraid to jump in because the current looks too strong, it might be unsafe, I might even die!  We dont think about being fully swept in by God to willing go where He leads because it might get rough but man, have you ever jumped in and been amazed at the rush of the powerful oversweeping beauty of following the Holy Spirits leading? Because once you experience the current of Gods power, you'll want to jump in more and more! Despite the dangers ahead! You know who controls the current and you want to be with Him and soaking Him in everyday because He fills you with His presence and once you taste it you wont be satisfied until you experience more and more of His presence in your life! 

Go ahead and jump! 

The TEST God needs you.

Recently, I have been able to go trail riding at a local park and I have greatly enjoyed my time out in the woods with Jesus and tons of bugs! Well, kinda wish the bugs would leave. I am spending my extra time trail riding because I hope to take my horses to the mountains for a week later this summer and they need to be in great shape for the difficulties that await them. The place I ride, doesn't make it easy on them, the trails haven't been mowed so they have to push through weeds, cross over logs, go through stickery bushes and go through deep muddy creek crossings. Of course, I don't ride them on purpose through that! And no, I won't do anything to hurt my horse! I actually love the pressure and challenges this place gives my horses because they learn to go anywhere for me and do anything. They learn how to be a confident trail horse making the mountain trails and terrain an easy test to pass.

How's your test going? What's God testing you with? Is He taking you on some unmowed trail that no one seems to be taking, but you? Are you weary of picking your feet up again and again only to be tripped again and again? Do you feel like your sinking away from Jesus and what He has called you to do? Are you walking in mud up to your knees and you wonder...why is God doing this to me? Is God taking you on a path that hurts? The harder you push towards Him, the more painful the cut. Has God ever allowed you to experience a test like this?

I have to admit, I do not understand the way of my Trainer. I just have to trust that He's making me into a confident soldier. He is preparing me for new challenges that, with His help, I can conquer. He is preparing me to battle with the devil and the challenges the enemy throws at me everyday. I heard it said by David Wilkerson as he was talking at a ministry conference that the world is so dark and evil that God can't spare any of His good soldiers! He needs you! You gotta stay in the fight! Don't stop!

The first thought I had after hearing this....Wait, David.....God doesn't need me. God doesn't need anybody. I don't think I've ever heard a preacher tell me that God needs me. It's always God loves you. The reason I came to God was because I needed Him. God certainly did not need a messy, crazy, horse loving blonde....

I guess I really don't need my horses to be in good shape, I guess I could climb a mountain or 2 without them.....but do I want to do it without them? Nope! I want to do it with them so they gotta be ready!

Now, God can save sinners without you, He can control the weather and your health without you, He can minister to hearts without you and do whatever He wants without you. But does He really want to do it without you? I want to invite my horses to climb mountains with me, but God invites you and I to invite others to Him! He wants to use you and me...not because He needs us (although He needs us to trust Him, seek Him, put on our armor, fight the devil and evil, keep persevering, sweating, getting cut up, but by all means you let Him get you into spiritual shape!!)....but He longs to use us if we will let Him because He loves us.

So, I guess it's okay to say that God needs you. God needs you to stay in the fight so He can use you. God needs you to suffer now so others won't have to for an eternity. God needs you to stay in the Word so you have an answer ready for anyone who asks you why you believe in God. God needs you to come to Him for all your needs. God needs you to keep following Him! Yes, others have strayed but you keep your eyes on God! God needs you to keep encouraging others to love Him more. God needs you to keep rejecting the enemy! God needs you to stand between the gap! God needs you to confess your sins, so He can free you. God needs you to give Him your heart so that He can save you.

God, please help me stay in the fight, knowing you can use me how I am, knowing that you love me, despite how I am, and knowing you need me to go through the tough times to make me a better soldier ready to be used by you. I need you so much God. Amen.

Wake Up!

 Have you asked God these questions yet?  What's our world doing to your heart, God?   Have you ever asked God to give you His grief?  Or what burdens His heart?  Have you ever dared to ask Jesus to share what makes Him grieve with you?  Do you even want to know!? 

I have prayed for years and years to Jesus to make me more like Him.  But I never considered sharing in His burdens for the world, or standing up for righteousness or justice, or loving someone who I've never met so much that I want to share Jesus with them....until more recently.

It's not that I haven't been following Jesus, I just realized that He wants me to ask Him for what stirs His heart....He wants me to have His heart.  What breaks His heart should break mine.  What brings His heart joy, should bring my heart joy.  

Jesus recently has awakened me to actions I need to take that I never realized I should have taken!  Why, haven't I ever realized this before!  What's the church of America doing wrong that so many do not have a deep desire to know God's heart or live for Him.  We, Christians, have allowed ourselves to become content with watered down Americanized Christianity.  How can sparks catch fire from a church whose soaking wet?  I see my God being mocked openly and spit upon and cursed.  Shouldn't this grieve us to our knees?!  What can we do God?  Why do so many hate you?  Yet, this does not seem to phase us anymore.  We allow evil and injustice to prevail--we just want to protect our ourselves and live as far away from the evil people--not try to live among them and spread goodness and Jesus, truth and love.  

Just this past half year plus we have allowed walls to be built between us (Christians).  The walls may not be made of bricks but of our own selfish opinions and a piece of cloth.  Nonetheless, it's there separating us from loving each other how God intended us to love each other.  We don't visit the sick or elderly anymore or very rarely....maybe through a window or carefully distanced....Did you know that true religion Jesus states is visiting the sick and elderly?  If I had to visit God socially distant or through a window....I'd feel so separated....I'd truly think I was in hell because I'd want to be close to Him!!  I'm so thankful that He lives in my heart and that no one can take Him out!  I need Him!  I need Him so much!  

Why have we allowed so much?  Little by little we have let more evil in.....little by little we have lost our first Love.....little by little we have become more and more selfish...

Can I take a stab at that question?  Why do we allow so much... We don't let God burden us with what breaks His heart!  Ask God now.....God, what burdens your heart?  Make it burden mine too.  Only please hold back some of the weight for if you were to give me everything that burdens and breaks your heart, my heart would surely stop beating from the sheer weight of your grief and you'd shatter it completely. 

I was wrestling with the idea....Can I really ask God to burden me with what burdens Him?  I can't even handle what burdens me...or another human for that matter!  How can I ask such a request?  Then God said to my heart...Remember Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was so overwhelmed with sorrow and grief to the point of sweat drops of blood...And Jesus said, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death!" burdened by the task of what He had to do to save me and the world from sin.  He asked his disciples to sit near him and pray!  To share in His burden!  Do you know what they did?  They fell asleep!  Not once but twice Jesus asks them to stay awake and help bear His burden and sorrow, but they always fell asleep!  These were His disciples!!!!....men who swore to die for Him unable to even stay awake and pray for Him!  Then the third time Jesus wakes His disciples...it's too late....too late for His disciples to help bear His burden for His betrayer (Judas) came with a crowd to eventually take Him to the cross.  Are we so asleep today that we can't stay awake with Jesus and help bear His burdens?  That we can't desire do do even more for Him by asking Him, Lord what do you want me to do?  How can I share in what grieves you?  The disciples didn't know that Jesus would be taken away to His death.....if they had, they would have stayed awake I believe.  We know that Jesus is coming soon!  He has said this!!  He has warned us a long time ago!  How much closer it is now than it was then!  Yes, I think the least we can do is ask Jesus to give us the burdens of His heart and when we ask Him for more of His heart, He will share with us so much that we will be shocked and encouraged in a way we have never been before!  

Please, Please Lord awaken me to what your heart desires of me!  Don't let me fall asleep! Don't let me waste my time here for You!  Amen! 

The bigger picture part 1

How many of us are wanting to know the bigger picture today?  How long will this social distancing last?  How long will our lives be so different?  What affects will this have on the economy?  Will our churches be able to stand?  Will Christians stay firm in Jesus?  Will things continue to get worse?

We do have many questions....but we can also take our questions to God because He already knows and sees the big picture.  He also gives us plenty of scriptural prophecies/wisdom/readings/stories for getting through tough times like this and even warns us of the end times.

Or the everyday questions: When will God provide me strength, heal my body, my diseases, give me wisdom, help me find a job, a spouse, raise my kids, buy a new car, etc.

Recently, my brother and I rode horses into a HUGE cave.  It took almost a minute and a half to reach to where we had to dismount and explore the rest on foot.  I have never ridden in a cave that long and thought it was a pretty neat experience.  However, without a light, I would have been terrified as to what might be in the cave or perhaps something to trip us up,  Without a light, I can not see how big the cave is or what was in it I needed to avoid.  I was thankful for my flashlight.  We hiked clear to the end and turned our lights off.  It was dark. But then my eyes adjusted to a light not the cave opening but a glimmer of light bouncing off a rock that the opening could reach.  Amazing what a little light can do in the dark.  Was this enough light to see much?  Absolutely not it was just a point to try to get to since I could tell light must be that way.  It was so tiny so again we HAD to turn our flashlights back on especially since there was a part in the cave where the ceiling fell in making the footing quite tricky in places as it required some climbing!

Without the Bible and praying to God, we have no light in this dark world either.  We would be stumbling around in the dark getting more hurt and more lost.  However, when we turn to God and look to His Word for directions, we can all the sudden see the beauty even in the dark.  My brother and I could see some very pretty crystal rocks and even an orange and black spotted salemander in another cave etc.  We can also have peace and comfort in our dark world knowing that God is walking with us in this dark and evil world.  And the fact that my brother and I had each other made the exploring even more fun and possibly made us more confident in the dark.  So remember your brothers and sisters in Christ can help encourage you through the darkness as well.  We walk this dark world with Jesus and He is enough, but then He allows us to walk through this world with His other children too and this should inspire us to walk confidently through this dark and evil world.  And never forget that a little light goes a long way!  Point others to Jesus today!

This last picture is of the cave crystals we found in HUGE cave.  Not sure I have any pics of the huge cave otherwise.  lol!  too dark!

"I was throwing fiery darts at my fellow warriors...."

Everyone has their opinion on what's happening in the world right now.  Most of you, if you read my last post know which stance I have, but that is not what this post is about.  I'd like you to read this all the way through and consider carefully who you are fighting against.  I also want to thank those who are loving me through this and have different opinions. I thank you for sharing with me and I love you too!

I'll admit that I have had a much different view of this situation than what seems like most Christians.  Let me say, I have concern and love in my heart for all people so please do not say I don't.  The point here is that I have discussed concerns with others and they too have discussed theres.  We both have scriptures to back us up...so who's right? Has one of us gone mad? Are we both still Christians? (God does mention that many come and preach in His name but He does not know them) We both (I do hope so) are taking our concerns to God and researching scriptures fervently to see how God or His people should react to such a matter and not just rely on smart people and facts but upon Jesus, the way the truth and the life and upon the gospel of Jesus Christ, our ultimate source.

God then showed me in a day dream (I was not sleeping but I was listening intently) what He thought about some of my concerns.  First He mentioned that we all are created differently and for good reasons.  I may be bold as brass does that make me anymore Christian than someone who is tentative and submissive? No. God designed us differently because we as brothers and sisters in Christ can work better when we come together.  Each of us bringing our gifts and talents and our unique personal traits that God himself designed for each of us. 

God then shared with me a scene.  I won't forget it.  I saw Satan and thousands of his demons prepare to battle against Jesus and His saints.  This is an everyday occurrence.  Satan and his demons threw fiery dart after fiery dart into the saints that stood for Jesus.  Most of the time the saints came together and could fight off the Devil, but as I watched, I noticed that instead saints were firing upon saints!!!  My brothers and sisters were throwing darts at each other!!!  I couldn't believe it, Satan and his demons had somehow made us enemies to each other and now we were killing and wounding our own!!  I heard Satan's evil laugh erupt when he told His demons to hold their fire.  His smug evil expression as he said, "Hold your fiery darts, they are warring each other!  We will save our arrows for the next battle!"  In shock, I tried to warn my sisters and brothers that we can not stand if we don't stand up together!! But it was too late, division was rampant and wounds were inflicted.  Now, instead of throwing darts at Satan, I too began throwing darts at my fellow warriors.  I was throwing fiery darts at my fellow Christian warriors! Trying to persuade them to see like me, I threw dart after dart and they threw them back at me!  As I was about to give a death blow to another saint, God then opened my eyes to see that this is not the warrior He wants me to be!  The wounded saint which I had almost done in, instead I gathered up in my hands and embraced them.  I cleaned up their wounds and we sat in silence.  Dear God, where do I go from here?  For I was afraid to talk for fear we would just fight each other again.  Long silence.  Quick prayers.  God revealed to me, that love can still heal division and wounds and even anger and hate.  I got up from the battle field, now quiet somehow and looked into the eyes of the other saint and said, "Remember who the enemy is!" (Many of you may remember this line in Hunger Games) And with that, I helped my wounded warrior back up and we turned our arrows once again on the Devil and his demons.

God helped remind me that we shouldn't be fighting each other but fighting against the Devil and all his demons and schemes and wickedness and etc!  The Devil and wickedness is rampant today and we need each other more than we ever have before! Can you find it in your heart to be soft and tender towards each other...can you focus on the real enemy?  

Can you forget that you are Baptist, Presbyterian, Apostolic, Lutheran, Methodist, Catholic, Pentecostal, many etc and remember who you really are: A child of God.  A saint.  A warrior. Can you put down your accusations on all your brothers and sisters of every religion and can we come together and fight for Jesus?  Can we do that?  Can we look past differences and come together?  Otherwise, I do fear the above battle scene is happening and will continue to happen.  We need leaders of every church to get together with each other and maybe say...hey we need each other.  I will stand against evil if you will stand against evil.  Because churches you are basically dead when you have no believers gather.  That's something Satan is loving right now.  Believers aren't gathering.  Maybe our church leaders of all denominations can mark a day where they will stand up for Jesus and against evil and say this is when we are going back to church. (technically we would be submitting to our constitution because religious freedom is in it) (also our Christian founding fathers knew the importance of separation of church and state) As I heard today, sometimes the people have to remind the leaders what's right.  Can we do that, IL?  And if we all stand together, we can conquer Satan.  If we can't stand together, this hating, this hurt, this division will crush us and the Devil will win many victories.  Let's not let him win so easily!  Let's come together in Jesus's name and fight!  Let's fight for each other and let's fight for our God.  Because we are indeed in a fight.  Just remember who the enemy is.

My prayer has been to have a soft heart towards my brothers and sisters, but to have a boldness in the areas I am suppose to for Jesus.  That I can love Jesus fiercely through this and grow closer to Him! And I pray we can all heal from this. I pray this for myself first.

I encourage you to be soft hearted and be bold for Jesus!  Yes!  You can be both!  Seek God!  Stay strong in Him!  I also apologize for my many ungodly traits as I'm sure many of you are well aware of.  But I do love you all and pray that God can continue to guide me and mold me.