Memorably Fun Birthday!

I can't believe I'm 24, but I am!  I had a very enjoyable birthday week as so many fun things happened!!!! Maybe the best present of all was being able to spend a fun evening with a dear friend of mine (Kelsey) who had been out of country for a whole year!  So that was cool!  Kelsey let me perform some of my horse tricks for her and even took some neat pics so of course I have to show them off!!!!

The kneel

 All 4 feet on the pedestal

 Using Kitty as a slide

 The bow in not so usual position......But...whatever!  ;)

Above lounging and below Kitty coming to me

 Kitty smiling on the pedestal

 Riding Bridle-less

 Missy loves the pedestal!

 Below:  This is my favorite picture right here!!!!  Look at how cute these two are--one could NEVER resist them if they happened to run into you and tell you HELLO!  Well...least I can't!!!  :)  I think I could have Kelsey horsin around in no time!!   What ya'll think?

 Kitty getting ready to push me aside because she gets the spotlight--not me!

I hate college!

I was reminded that it is summer break for all of you still in jail-oops...college, and I didn't really post this video anywhere--I thought I posted it here, but I couldn't find it!   So here you go friends!  A heartfelt song about college!

Don't You Dare Ever Let Go!

I was just thinking about how everyone has their own unique personality--we are all so different!  I was saying to my parents how incredibly silly I must seem sometimes to the passing bystander.  Just last Sunday I was talking guns, competitively playing football with the cousins and logging all my stats--4 touchdowns/one touchdown pass/one interception, etc. so not girly right? and you can't even imagine all the crazy horse related stuff I've done--my poor neighbors--what entertaining sights they get!!!  Point is we are all different for a reason.  God made us that way.  Don't you remember what it says about snowflakes?  That no two are the same.  I believe this is true for people too.  We may have lots of similarities, but we each hold something very special and wonderful that no one else can ever hope to hold.  What do you hold?  I can't answer that question......I can only try to reassure you that God doesn't make mistakes and if you've never truly asked Him--how are you suppose to know what powers you can hold?

When I first bought my horse, Missy, I wasn't looking for a horse like her. It was certainly not "love at first sight!"   Her bratty attitude and built up hate for me seemed to shout out to me that this was not a good idea, but the back of my mind kept saying "Hold on!"  She tried kicking if you touched her belly and her legs were scratched up with fungus which meant lots of baths and scrapping scabs.  On top of that she was a bit head and alot ear shy.  I pretty much made up in my mind that this horse was hopeless!  How could I train something that hated me?  Every time I lounged her she would turn her bottom to me and kick out (very bad) at me and I remember my horse neighbor driving by exclaiming what a hand full I had gotten.  I struggled with what this horse had to offer, but something inside me said, "Hold on!"  Little by little she gave me glimmers of hope that maybe she did hold some sort of talent.  She still laid her ears back at me when I came to get her in the pasture....but she showed ever so slightly that she did love me...she started to enjoy her training and instead of hate she was starting to love me. I'm not even sure when the "Hold on" voice changed to "And don't you dare let go!"  But it did.  To make a long story short I don't know what I'd do without her! Our love for each other is still growing, and occasionally one of us is bound to lay our ears back, but we are more than just friends now--we are a team!  Why?  Because one of us chose to "Hold on" and Love even when there was little to no love back. One of us decided to "Hold on" and seek whatever talent it was that the other had.  And as I look back, I really wonder who "Held on" the longest..maybe it was really Missy who was hanging on the longest....waiting for someone to reach out and love her for what she is not what she could be if only she could do this or that.  

Maybe I'm not coming around to the point fast enough for ya, but there is nothing wrong in you being yourself for Jesus.  You don't have to compare yourself to what others are doing--you have that special something that your holding onto that you can use for Jesus.  You may not be loved for what you do.  You may be hated, but don't ever stop doing what it is that He designed you to do.  Someone else needs that "Love" that "talent" that you hold so don't you dare ever let go of what you were meant to Hold!  Because if you've let go--you are most likely missing a few wonderful "Missy's."

Camping Fun!

I know this is a bit late, but here it is!!!  The video of me and my awesome cuz's horse camping fun.  So thankful for Rebecca (who doesn't mind hanging out with a crazy kid and her horses) and my two girls!  Very blessed. Great times! 

Whose eyes are you looking through?

People's eyes will often tell you a story
But it takes a skilled eye to see
The hurt, the pain, the glory
The happiness, the laughter, the honesty.

Some say the eyes are windows to the heart.
Others claim eyes have nothing to say,
But I think they play an extraordinary part.
I'll share with you what I've learned along the way.

First, you need to get rid of your earthly thoughts
And take a deeper look at the eyes of a stranger
At first you may not see any dark spots,
But a closer look finds a bit of anger.

You see from the outside the eyes look cheerful
But from a supernatural power comes a more accurate detection
Of someone down on their luck and quite tearful
Someone who needs love, hope and reception.

I know the way that she is dressed
All that style, those fancy clothes and her pretty smile.
She doesn't seem lonely--no one would have guessed
That she hasn't ever been loved in quite awhile!  

All she needs is someone to care
But you can't see that--you're not God!
And loving a person like her would be rare
Since you're a good person and she's so....well, odd!

But this is what Jesus does for you and me
He can see past all our oddness and sin
He looked much deeper and what did he see?
A way for us to begin our lives again.

So remember when you look into the eyes of a friend
You may need to be Jesus to them
And if you can love them over and over to the very end
I think you'll be seeing through the eyes of HIM.

Why does God do that?

This year I made sort of a resolution to be happy in every situation and love deeper.  However, it was never signed in blood and deep down I didn't think I could do it.  After all, life isn't exactly easy.....my life in particular right now just got less happy....But I'm trying to remain happy--it's hard--really hard.  Even the weather is really stupid right now....  It seems like I'm just getting over an obstacle when another is there even bigger and badder <---just deal with that grammar issue---than the one I just struggled through.  Why?  A short, but simple question we tend to fall back on when we are hurting....I don't know the answer.  But here's a short story that God put in my head and made me feel better.

    It was a perfect day at the park....for everyone, but me.  My life was in ruins and I was suffering from one of the worst aches ever---heartache! I didn't want to be friendly to anyone and when my so called "friends" asked me to play games so that they'd have a sure loser I just headed the opposite direction looking for a vacant spot all to myself where my bitter thoughts and me could be in peace.  I found a quiet, secluded spot under an oak tree and under the tree there was a small two person park bench.  I sat there with scowled expressions while all the love and happiness I once had in my heart came bursting out with hate, pain and bitterness.  I thought, God must really Hate me--He never gives me a break--He just gives me one struggle after another and He expects me to love Him for that?  Why, I doubt He's ever cared at all for me!  Even my "friends" seemed to enjoy picking on me today!  I soon felt very alone, helpless and insignificant.
    As the bitter thoughts kept pouring out, I couldn't help but notice an old man, hobbling along the scenic trail I had taken to get away from my friends.  I hope he's not walking over here to come sit--can't he tell I wanna be left alone?  He slowly sat down beside me.  He reminded me of a hobo.  Everything he wore was dirty or ripped. This just isn't my day!  "You mind if I sit here?" asked the old man with a shaky voice.  I just glared at him and if looks could kill, he would have been dead right there.  I figured he'd move on and let me be, but he remained seated and said, "That bad, huh?"  The smell of his clothes made me gasp for air and I was just starting to get up and walk away from this despicable sight when he surprised me by saying, "You know....feeling sorry for yourself won't make that pain in your heart any better...."  I sat back down on the bench and said quite harshly that he had no business in my business and he couldn't possibly understand what I'm going through and no body cares about me and my life is in horrible ruins....I can never get out of these slums........and on top of that GOD HATES ME!!   I practically blew the old man over with that last part!  The old man sat quietly next to me as I awaited his answer.....I bet he doesn't have any answers just look at him--looks like life has been horrible for him too--haha I bet he'll just walk away and leave me alone now!  But the old man remained quiet and I remained puzzled.  We sat there for what seemed like an hour of silence and then he grunted quietly, "God doesn't hate you, (put your name in there)."  I froze.  How'd he know my name?  He must have heard my friends call me...ya..that's what it must be....I felt that anger and hate in my heart begin to break and all of the sudden I found myself pouring out the broken pieces of my heart to this old man.  And finally I asked him if God really loves me than why does He keep giving me so many challenges and heartaches?  Why does my heart feel broken and hurt all over?  Why does my life look like failure after failure?  At this point I had tears streaming down my face and I really could barely see that dirty, handkerchief he offered.  As I took the handkerchief, I noticed that the old man was looking down at the ground....maybe for inspiration?  I dried my eyes and waited. He replied this:  "Maybe God just wants to dig further down into your heart to where it hurts so much that He can finally use all of your brokenness and hurt for His glory......." I looked up to reply, but the old man had disappeared.  



I don't know why some of us seem to always struggle while others seem to have it altogether all the time.  It doesn't seem fair, but we really can't see past our noses anyways when it comes to the big picture.  I guess I just have to go back to counting my blessings when I get this way because I have quite a few to be thankful for and that makes me HAPPY!!!  :)   Feel free to share your thoughts.....

I'm glad I'm dumb!

  I realize my blogs can be controversial and surprising to some readers and maybe this post is one of them. Haha! But then again you don't have to keep reading.... 

  Recently, I've had to think about many things that I've never thought people even questioning!  I found myself in conversations that make me want to be smarter like everyone else.  Honestly, I'm exhausted. You see, I'm what they call old-fashioned, dumb, simple, loyal.  Why do I tell you this?  Because people ask me this, "Why do I believe that there is a God?  A hell and a heaven."  They say, there is no proof of this and they take me on some believable tangent that I could get lost in if I were just as "smart" as them!  But I am not.  I've never ever been smart!  In fact, my parents were worried about me in elementary because I was a super slow learner....but that's another story...why am I telling you all this?  Because you all are smart!  You know the difference between an ipod and an ipad, science and science fiction, pretty and ugly, what's in and what's out, and I lack smartness for even a good example here, but I ask them then.  I say...If you are well-educated in this world and do not believe in God and heaven or hell I think you are stupid.  Why even me--this dumb person-can say to you that that is a foolish decision! WAIT!! Don't quit reading yet! Stupid is such a strong word--let's use misinformed.      The smart thing to do would be to believe in God because if you are right you go to heaven, but if you are wrong you either live once on this earth and then you die and are in the ground forever or you are going to hell to burn to death forever! I'm just saying, maybe you want to re insure yourself this year....be less skeptical and more open...think less....believe more.....what do you have to lose to Believe anyways?     

  If we, believers, are wrong then fine. I'm just putting my money on Jesus and a life after death because it's a wise decision to me.  Better safe than sorry.  And better dumb than smart.