Christian Character - For love of God and Horses
Lynn Baber
Published by Lynn Baber at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 by Lynn Baber
Smashwords Edition, License Notes
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Introduction
My first blog, “For love of God and horses” debuted July 19, 2009. Since then I have added two additional blogs, had one book published and a second is now in production. Recently my online articles about God, horses, and Christian character have actually started to produce paychecks!
I can tell you that this new gig of authorship is new and was a bit unexpected since I spent the past forty years learning the ropes of business and most things equine. Before my complete immersion into the horse industry as a trainer, breeder, judge, and consultant, I was a business consultant and motivational speaker.
My life now revolves around Amazing Grays Ministry. Horses are still major players in my life and career. What has most changed is in Who judges our performance. If these short articles inspire a grin, a tear, or serve only to remind you of a truth you already knew, then we did well today.
This eBook is a collection of posts, including my very first as well as twelve others that netted quite a few comments when first published.
Our Christian character both defines and blesses us. Remember to pass that blessing along to others.
Let’s begin with the truth…
July 19, 2009
For my first post on this new site I believe a good place to start is with a few words about truth. Horses are direct. They do not dissemble, they “say” what they mean. You will never get more honest feedback of your leadership ability than from a horse.
Customer service success is based on truth. Tell the customers what you will do, and then deliver 110% on your promises.
Truth in Washington, DC? Don’t make me laugh. When is the last time you heard a politician give a simple declarative sentence in response to a question?
You will always get the truth on this blog, to the absolute best of my ability. Practice truth… especially as your aging memory begins to forget just what it was you said to Aunt Norma last week after Sunday dinner.
Success is a series of moments - stringing beads
July 28, 2009
Success is nothing more than all the beads called ‘now’ strung together. Each bead is itself a goal, a blessing, a purpose. There can be no string of beautiful beads if each one is not properly made and securely tied to the others.
If we learn to get each ‘now’ right, our eventual string will be both amazing and distinct from all others. Success is not a destination, it is the journey itself. There is a fine balancing act to create a successful ‘now’ while still keeping your feet on the correct path.
Cherish Your Own Beauty
There are many beautiful beads: beads made from glass, stone, silver, pearls, gold, gems, wood and clay. All are lovely, unique and distinctive in their character.
The daily balancing act we have is to create one wonderful bead and keep it in the proper style of and relationship to the whole of our string. If we have a string of colorful clay beads, we err if we think the glass bead in our neighbor’s string is better than ours and try to string a similar one for ourselves. We As a result we lose the beauty and unity of our own string by copying another’s.
Beware Distractions!
Concentration on even the smallest thing gets more difficult when we begin to gradually create more intricately decorated beads. As distractions multiply, discipline is needed to maintain the character of our ‘nows’. If we concentrate too hard on the bead we plan to make tomorrow, we will probably mess up the one in our hands at the moment. If we worry tomorrow about the flaws in the bead we made today, well, there’s a good chance the next bead will also be flawed.
Christians are ever mindful of the straight path that leads to the narrow gate to Heaven. Each day is a complete life in itself, from the birth of morning when we awake, to the end of the day as our eyes close in sleep. Each day is a bead in our string. While our concentration is on ‘now,’ we still need to be aware of how our string progresses.
Are you stringing your own beads or trying to string someone else’s? Enjoy the process. Live in the now. Stay true to your purpose. I’ll meet you at the gate.
Being offended or being offensive
August 9, 2009
Have you ever discovered that someone took a comment you made in a completely different way than what you intended? Perhaps you made a good-natured attempt at humor and someone interpreted it as a judgment or criticism. I was reminded this morning that the view from our side of a conversation isn’t always the same as the view from the other side of a conversation. This is not a new lesson, but like so many other lessons we learn over a lifetime, occasional refresher courses are good things.
In our society today there is an ever-expanding litany of how one person or group has been offended by what another person or group said. The sense of balance between being offended and just being a grown-up has been greatly skewed over the past several decades. How many of our national issues today result from the decline of personal responsibility?
There is a direct correlation between accepting the opportunity to be master of one’s own fate and not taking offense. If you pursue your dreams regardless of what your neighbor or Aunt Lucy says, you probably aren’t easily offended. On the very few occasions when I am tempted to be offended, whether it was intentional or not, a neon sign goes off in my head that says, ‘Get over it.’
Likewise, if you are honest in evaluating your own motivation and behave with only good intentions, you will probably not be guilty of being offensive to others. That may not save you from the accusation, but you will know that it is undeserved.
Know what a person with great character looks like, and do whatever it takes to make that the reflection you see in the mirror each morning.
Assigning blame and seeking solutions - A remedial lesson
September 14, 2009
I went into my study this morning after taking care of the horses in the barn. Usually I don’t have to go out before showing up for my daily study and devotions, but we’ve been blessed with rain for four days and the ponies have not been out in the pasture. So, today it was out first, to the books second.
The morning is a gauzy grey, providing little natural light for reading, so I turned on the torchiere bulb in my lamp and then turned the switch to light the bulb that shines directly on my books. The first bulb lit but the second did not.
I
turned the switch again. No light.
I
checked to see if the compact fluorescent bulb had somehow become
loose. Nope.
How odd that the fluorescent bulb had burned out so
quickly – aren’t they supposed to last nearly forever?
Since I didn’t have a replacement fluorescent bulb I decided to troubleshoot with a spare incandescent one, to test the lamp to see if it was the bulb that didn’t work or the lamp itself. New bulb. Same result. No light.
This lamp isn’t even a year old. Okay, it’s a cheapie from Walmart, but still – how disappointing that it failed already. Could this be another example of today’s shoddy foreign manufacture?
Having eliminated all other possibilities I did one last thing: I turned the switch the other direction. Light!
How often do we exhaust every conceivable explanation for failure before we take that first look at ourselves?
We blame God for disappointment and failure. We blame the government. We blame each other. We even blame inanimate objects. Beyond any common sense we assign them human motivation, believing they possess the intention to deliberately annoy us.
Finally, we look within. There it is - or rather - there we are. The true culprit.
Not surprisingly, “my bad.”
Success: Timing is important, but sooner or later you have to take a risk
September 27, 2009
There is a time for preparation, to study, to practice and refine our skills. However, the time must come when our abilities are tested. If you never step out into competition, you remain only a theoretical player.
In order to be a player you are required to actually step onto the field and show everybody what you’ve got.
Remember the much-used saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach.” I am not disparaging teachers, but when we’re talking action, the teachers we revere are the coaches who learned their lessons in the trenches. These are the folks who either mastered the game and won – or, they were players who may not have won top honors themselves, but they learned what it took to help others shoot for glory.
Are you waiting for the opportune time to make a significant change in your life? Are you still studying the books? Still asking questions that begin with ‘if’?
There is a time when you must make the switch from studying to on-the-job training. Just how many practice balls will you need to drive before you sign up for a tee time and play the course?
What needs to happen before you decide to launch that online business you’ve been considering for the past five years?
You and your horse have spent hundreds of hours in preparation for the local play day events; when are you just gonna haul over and play?
Your friends tell you how great your artwork is; when will you show it to the public?
The day will never come when you will get a guarantee of success. Never. What’s the worst that can happen if you don’t succeed immediately? You will learn. What will happen if you never step out in faith and try?
Nothing. Nothing. Nothing.
Entertaining angels unaware…
October 13, 2009
If you are a regular reader you know that I believe we are never truly alone. Of course we are never out of sight of the Lord, but we may also be under the watchful eyes of those in the angelic realm. We read in the Bible that we encounter angels in our daily lives without recognizing who they are.
Last Saturday was the annual Lord’s Acre festival and BBQ at Poolville United Methodist church where we used to be members. We still go each year for the fellowship with so many people we grew to love and, yes, for the baked goods too.
This day there was a pair of half grown pups, probably a mixture of Australian Shepherd and Heeler. Actually, the Aussie part is a pretty good bet; any guess about what else contributed to the puppies’ breeding is only a shot in the dark at best.
These were the most adorable Disney-esque dogs you have ever seen. They were nearly identical twins and stayed next to each other on a corner of the sidewalk. There was carpet and a little shelter from the wet, cold day just ten feet away, but the pups just stayed in their place.
When a child would approach, the two darling pups rose up, and with tails and thin hips wagging heroically, went to the children for pets, then returned to their vigil on the sidewalk corner. Because the pups sported such thick lustrous fur coats it wasn’t immediately apparent how many meals they must have missed. Once you ran your hand down their little backs in a light caress it became obvious; they were desperately in need of rescue.
At times when the puppies were alone, they sat side-by-side as if harnessed together, or lay down along side each other like sardines in a can so you couldn’t easily tell which was which. And all this with two bounce houses constantly in use not more than twenty feet away.
We learned that the pups had been there for at least one day and night already. They never moved from their place. When the children or people who had been petting them moved on, the pups did not follow. They seemed anchored to that corner.
The expression in the eyes of the brother was far older than his tender age; the sister more open and hopeful, but hardly confident. The talk of the kitchen and fellowship hall revolved around the pups and who might take them home. Nearly everyone had a reason why they could not.
And the pups waited on their corner.
One of the couples we see often just lost their dog tragically and had determined there would not be another. After some negotiation, they agreed that if the pups were still there at the end of the day they would take them home. I was so relieved… because there was no way they could be left there alone one more night.
Soon after, I noticed another couple feeding scraps of BBQ to the pups and figuring how they would get them to the car when they left. I sat and talked with them for quite some time. I suppose you could say I was interviewing…
They were wonderful. I don’t know the couple, but they are mature, settled and had their grandchildren with them to enjoy the outing.
The adoptive couple had two part Labrador sisters at home who would welcome the new additions. Plans were made to expand the family to include this pair of pups.
As we sat with the puppies we remarked that sometimes you just know you are in the presence of angels. The decisions we make at times like these are of the utmost importance in our lives and prove whether we walk the walk or simply talk about it.
No dogs ever behaved as did these. It was supernatural how they simply waited, never getting frantic, retiring to lie together when the action left their corner of the sidewalk. Such expressive eyes.
I think our friends who didn’t get the pups were actually a bit disappointed. What matters most is that they made the commitment to act. They were prepared to take the pups home. That someone else actually fed and tucked the puppies in that night doesn’t reduce the credit due our friends in the slightest.
Abraham was ready to bring down the knife to slay his only son. That he didn’t have to brings him no discredit. He was the first to be counted righteous by faith and obedience to God.
When there is need, our commitment to act is what matters. Whether we actually have to follow through is not the point.
There will be a day soon when you may have to make such a decision. What will you do? Perhaps you will find yourselves where we did last Saturday in Poolville, entertaining angels unaware.
It’s unanimous - everyone is over committed
November 6, 2009
I did my last business seminar a couple of weeks ago. I was a panelist at the Women in the Horse Industry conference this week. Seminar participants, conference attendees, my friends and associates all bring the same issue to our conversations – over commitment and lackluster performance; too much stress and not enough joy.
The answer is to limit the number of irons you have in the fire and make the most of what remains. You cannot experience limitless vision if you do not limit your mission.
Read that sentence again. If you do not limit the realm you call your own, you hog-tie your potential for attaining higher and higher peaks in performance and experience. Pretend for a moment you are an octopus. You have arms with tentacles extending out from your core. As you add each new arm (area of interest or work) the others atrophy to allow for the new member. The more arms you have the weaker each becomes.
The number of hours in a day will never exceed 24. The amount of energy you have to exert will always be limited. Set priorities. Determine what is truly important. Decide where you want to make a difference. Concentrate. Be disciplined. Succeed.
Everyone is overloaded. We have all been over committed. The only way out is to set limits. In the same way love and education are only enhanced the more we share them, so our success is only greater when we limit the areas in which we participate.
Wait until you see the freedom and expansive vision that can be yours when you limit the areas you work in. Family? Business? Faith? Horses?
Find your place. Occupy it. Claim victory!
Washington D.C. - The Game of Fantasy Monopoly
December 16, 2009
The inhabitants of Washington DC do not live in the real world. They live in a make-believe world where they spend their days and nights playing fantasy Monopoly using other people’s money, where there are no actual consequences for going bankrupt. When the players run out of money they just start the game over again with fresh piles of fantasy cash.
Every couple of years a few players at the table change; but the number of seats at the table doesn’t change. The game continues.
So, what’s the problem with this pursuit? The money being thrown out on the table is not Monopoly money; it is the treasure of the citizens of the United States.
The gamers appear in the media and tell us how their play is progressing. Sometimes they are joyful, having just landed on Boardwalk with cash at the ready. At other times they preach the impending end of the game, as if it might truly be over. But they know they can always begin again. Selling their different strategies of play to any who will listen is just part of the game.
If we listen to them we hear dire predictions. One player threatens that if they lose control of the railroads and utilities they will not be able to keep the houses on Madison and Baltic Avenues. Properties are mortgaged. Foreclosures are made. Assets change hands – and the game continues.
In Monopoly there is one rule that never changes. The bank is a completely neutral party. Do you remember what triggers the end of a Monopoly game? The play ends when one player has all the property and all the money.
Washington DC won’t stop playing until the federal government owns all the property and has all the money. Citizens will have nothing. Unless something changes, play will continue, without a neutral bank, and without real representation for the citizens who provide the money, build the houses, and run the railroads.
The folks who created Monopoly included rules. The reason for the popularity of the game is that anyone can win if they play well enough. The game of Monopoly embodies the essence of the American Dream.
The game of fantasy Monopoly doesn’t have rules. The bank isn’t neutral. The players have no risk. The game will continue unless the people of the United States quit giving their money to the players.
It’s no longer a fantasy – it’s a nightmare. We must wake up.
How do I hate computers? Let me count the ways…
January 6, 2010
This morning I was composing an introductory email at the request of someone else. The person to whom I was writing has never heard of me. (Most people haven’t.) So, I was trying really hard to be deserving of the recommendation.
My right index finger was poised on the SEND key, ready to strike, when a new window popped up and informed me that I had been logged out of my email account. The message suggested that someone else might have logged in, thus kicking me out. Certainly the fault couldn’t be with the email provider. The only other soul in the house with opposable thumbs didn’t even have his computer turned on.
The first comment out of my mouth was, “I HATE COMPUTERS.”
Before taking my next breath I realized what an inaccurate statement I had just made. I actually love computers. I couldn’t do what I do without them. You wouldn’t be reading this without one. So, what did I really mean?
The correct comment would have been, “Computers frustrate me!!!!”
I was immediately reminded of a conversation I had at church last Sunday. The gentleman professed to not like horses. Perhaps he didn’t use the word hate… but many folks have. I bet a more accurate statement of their feelings would include an emotion more akin to frustration than hate.
What do you hate in your life, if anything? Do you really? Or are you just gut-deep frustrated?
Wanna share?
Wild horses and hungry children…
February 3, 2010
How often has the question been asked, “Why does God let bad things happen?” Pictures and reports of the torture and abuse of both children and animals tear at our hearts. The most normal reaction in the world is to turn away, to change the channel, to mute the volume, until the evidence of horror disappears for the moment.
The nature of my work brings me reportage of gross cruelty to animals daily – especially horses. I, too, click frantically to remove the evidence from my computer screen. Like most others, I find the images hard to deal with. I don’t have enough money to save them all. We can’t rescue every pair of innocent eyes that seem to look directly into our soul, hoping for a connection that will bring a savior.
Our hearts are meant to be torn
Humans and animals were created by God to live together in peace and harmony. It was the free will of man that caused the blood to flow, both literally and figuratively.
As Christians our hearts are meant to be torn, to bleed, when we witness the cruelty of man. But even in this, there is a promise; that our hearts will never be broken beyond repair. Should we not react viscerally to the evil perpetrated on the innocent, we would not be truly human, chosen members of the family of God.
God offered paradise. Man rejected God’s plan, thinking he had a better one. As is always the result, the innocent suffered, beginning with Abel who fell by his brother’s hand.
Video of hungry children anywhere is painful. The tragic circumstances of the wild horses of the western United States is currently front and center in the picture of man’s failure. The commercials that air on TV to request donations for the tortured and abused dogs and cats of our nation are painful to watch. They are meant to be painful.
We are not home yet
Children of God don’t run from this pain. It serves as a reminder of our failure; evidence of man’s arrogance, pride, and revolt. It also reveals a higher nature, one that is connected to a higher Spirit. Our present pain only reminds us that we are not home yet.
Character, conviction, and the actions they birth are the result of overcoming failure, both ours personally and that of mankind’s history. How do we do that?
First, get in right relationship with God. Exchange the failure of man for the promise and glory of the King. We will live in His kingdom. Only then will the original creation return – peace among all of God’s creatures. Joy will replace sorrow in that morning.
In the meantime, do what you can, when you can, for the children and the animals. Yes, your heart will be torn, but know that no one person can do it all, and God doesn’t expect you to. Bless those around you, both two-legged and four, with love, relationship, time, and care. You are not God. Man has delivered us to this place, but only God can get us out.
And He will. He promised. We have a Savior… that promise has been kept.
How to get what you want - Step One
February 16, 2010
There’s an old joke about a man who prayed to win the lottery. God’s response was, “Help Me out… buy a ticket.” Step One in achieving success, or having your dearest wish come true, is initiative.
You will never get to Step Two without addressing Step One first. The manner in which this truth has been stated time and again is as varied as the speakers, but the essence is eternal. I can’t say it any better than did these, so I’ll step back and let you consider the matter in the words of others.
Success and Initiative
Eighty-percent of success is just showing up. – Woody Allen
God helps those who help themselves. – unknown
Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do little. – Edmund Burke
I prayed for twenty years but received no answer until I prayed with my legs. – Frederick Douglas
Action is the antidote to despair. – Joan Baez
“Do so” is more important than “Say so.” – Peter Seeger
Preach the gospel constantly. Use words if necessary. – St. Francis of Assisi
Action is Step One in achieving success
God will never do what we can. He will wait until we take the initiative and will only step in once our ability is exhausted. If we fail to even try, well that pretty much ends the matter at the outset.
Jesus always required personal initiative before He healed anyone. They had to “Arise” or “Stretch out your hand.” The requirement has not changed.
“God does not give us overcoming life, He gives us life to overcome.” (Oswald Chambers) Praying for an end to our apathy is fruitless. Apathy says we don’t care enough to try. If we don’t care enough to try, do you think God will? Nope.
Action and inspiration are two sides of the wheel that leads to success. The more action the more inspiration and we travel further. The physical principle of inertia tells us that it takes more energy to get a wheel rolling that to keep it rolling.
So, the first step in achieving success, no matter what it is, is to get your wheel rolling. You can’t train a horse without movement, and it is silly to exhaust your energy considering which direction to go if you aren’t already moving.This is an objective matter, no guessing required. Act. Move. Try.
Give God a chance to answer your prayers. “Buy a ticket.”
Why is spring cleaning so hard?
May 4, 2010
Have you ever tackled a spring cleaning project then just kinda walked away, waiting for either more inspiration or more energy? I finally started cleaning my tack room yesterday. Cleaning the dirt away is easy, but the stuff continues to be a problem for me.
The floor is now clean, the buckets full of dirty polo wraps and quilts have been emptied and the horse laundry is now at least within spitting distance of the washing machine.
All the horses in the barn got worked just before the rain hit. Fine, but the tack room is a disaster area this morning. I knew when I walked away yesterday that something was up; I hate leaving a project like that unfinished. Yet, I had flat quit.
From Horse Trainer to Horse Owner
I’ve been clearing out excessive stuff from my tack room(s) for years. We went from three large tack rooms in Arizona to two in our first barn in Texas. Our place now has one. I’m not a horse trainer anymore, just a backyard horse owner with history.
Every time we go through all the stuff we think, “This is too good to give away,” or, “We’ll never be able to sell this for what it is worth.” Then there’s the ever popular, “We made need this someday.”
It has been more than ten years. We’re not going to need those amazing silver halters that saw duty at World and National Champion shows, or all the paraphernalia a trainer needs to have just the right bit for a specific lesson, or sizing options to fit nearly any horse. All I need most days is a saddle, snaffle bit, rope halter, and long lead rope.
Denial, Hoarding and Poor Stewardship
So, what’s the real problem? Denial. My days as a horse trainer are over. I didn’t accept it, so kept hanging on, packing the stuff away again and again. Yesterday I knew the gig was up.
This morning I recognize what the gig really was.
There was still cleaning to do in my spiritual tack room. It was just too hard to get rid of the stuff that served me so well in the past. So I packed it away just in case it might be needed once again.
All the stuff in my tack room may be valuable to someone, but not to me. I was either guilty of hoarding or a lack of faith. It doesn’t matter which. By letting go of all the stuff I don’t need any more I am also letting go of all the guilt of not using or properly caring for it.
Freedom!
The old training stuff has been hanging on me like a weight. By throwing it off (or out), the weight of these past few years will be removed and I will be freer to concentrate on what is truly important in my life today.
Why is spring cleaning so hard? In many cases because we are of two minds, one wants to hang on to all the old ‘good’ stuff – the other says get it off my shoulders!
Now that I’ve resolved that conflict, I expect it will be easier to finish the job right this time.
I’ll let you know.
A tribute to Miss Sally San on her passing…
May 14, 2010
Days like today occur in the lives of most horse owners sooner or later. The vet arrives, and when their truck pulls out to leave, your equine family has lost a beloved member. Today we lost two; our 30-year old mare Sally and her pasture-mate Finale, the last donkey we raised.
Sally the Caretaker
Sally earned two Register of Merit awards in AQHA competition in Reining and Roping. Sally produced many gorgeous foals for us over the years. But what we will remember most is not her accomplishments in either the show pen or foaling barn, but her service to those she lived with.
Any newly weaned foal that needed maternal security could count on Sally, even if it meant sharing the milk supply with the foal at her side. We’ve had to wean a foal first from its own mother and then again from Sally.
No other horse is my experience lived such a peaceful life as did Sally. She never once offered to put a hair or hoof out of line. She never fought others for food or status. She was an easy keeper and an easy breeder.
Sally and Sky
Sally made it past one appointment with the vet over two and a half years ago. After having her teeth done she lost hundreds of pounds and was scheduled to take her final trailer ride the next day. Sally had never offered an opinion or much overt personality. She was just as calm and steady as they come – until the morning of the appointment.
That morning she met us at breakfast time, whinnied for her food, and gave every indication she had decided to actively participate in life. And she did.
Finale already shared a pasture with Sally when we had to turn out Sky, my most beloved horse of all time, due to blindness. Sky went to live with Sally during the period when she was losing so much weight. Somehow it made sense to me since Sky had sired Sally’s best foals. Perhaps she knew she had to care for one more charge. Sally gave Sky security and served as his seeing-eye pony until he was no longer able to find water and food. Even though he was sound, strong, and otherwise healthy – we knew that he could not survive without Sally. Surprisingly, he went first.
Sally and Finale
Over the past year or so we wondered what we would do with Finale when we lost Sally. Finale was only four years old, but had suffered from multiple lameness issues his entire life. We had been aggressively working on him for the past year and thought we were doing really well. His gait quality was nothing to write home about, but just a few weeks ago Finale was trotting and running in the pasture. We hadn’t seen that for a long, long time.
Finale went swiftly downhill over the past two weeks until he could do nothing more than lie flat on the ground. Bute and Banamine didn’t help much and it became clear that a call to the vet was necessary.
Sally’s Work Was Done
Did Sally really know her work was complete, her service finally ended? Did Finale know Sally was nearing her end? I don’t know, but they left the pasture together, and are together still.
Saying “Thank you”
In the case of Miss Sally San I will choose not to say good-bye, but instead to say thank-you to a mare who cared for all who needed it. And, I will miss hugging Finale’s magnificent ears and adorable fuzzy face.
Sally, thank you, and tell Sky hello until I get there, too.
About the author
Lynn Baber is a retired national or world champion horse breeder, trainer and judge. She is a director of Amazing Grays Ministry, author, frequent blogger and article producer. The posts in this eBook were originally published at www.LynnBaber.net (For love of God and horses.)
Connect to Lynn online at:
http://AmazingGraysMinistry.com
