~Sheika's first ride

We did it! Yesterday I rode Sheika for the first time! It was awesome, she did great. No problems, no bucks. NOTHING! I felt like I could just pick up and go with her...but you can't it's only her first ride. Correct training and preparation for the horse is sooooo worth it! We walked in tight circles first making sure she's calm and thinking and gradually quit circling and just walked straight. After that we cantered! She's more on the lazy, laid back side so it was harder to keep her going. At the end I got her to canter two complete laps without stopping. So I was pumped!
Lesson learned - Don't rush, take your time and wait for your horse to tell you it's ready.
  I did it Clinton Anderson style with my dad directing from the middle. Down Under Horsemanship all the way!! I am so happy with the results. Crazy to think I actually trained her!

It was windy as you can probably see. Poor girl is very dirty. Light horse problems. :(  

Just got off and soooo happy

~Thankful

Ya know, I'm not a very thankful person. I just simply take everything for granted. Like each day. I simply wake up expecting time to continue on. But we aren't guaranteed a set amount of time, or even days. Life is so fragile...so fleeting. What am I doing to make a difference? What lasting value will there be from my existence? Am I glorifying God right now? Do people see Christ through me?
Makes me think of a song I really like (one of hundreds!) "Lord I need you all the time." My sisters and I sing it together a lot. You should learn it too! (The Wissmanns sing it)
So I did a project that I thought might help me remember to be more thankful, and to praise God more often.

See? I decorated a jar and wrote on it "God is so good." So now I write things down that God has done or blessed me with. After I use up all my paper pieces I'll open up my jar and read what all God did. If I don't write them down I'll just forget about them. Also when ever Satan tries to come around with lies like ''God doesn't care about you" or "He isn't even listening" I can just dump out my jar and prove Satan wrong!

~Hurting

People aren't really all that strange when ya think about it. People are hurting. And because they are hurting, they react. We look at them and think "They are really messed up." And they are! But what can we expect from people who are in Satan's control? They aren't being led by the Spirit of God, but the exact opposite. As followers of Christ we shouldn't be the ones looking down on them or turning away in disgust. They need Christ. They need love but they also need truth. Sometimes they will just need someone to listen and show them love. Sometimes they will need to understand that their lifestyle is sinful and separating them from God. But ultimately they need to know that there is a better way, a higher way. And that God does love them, but that He has so much more for them if only they will allow Him to do the molding.

Will you tell them?
Will you help them?
Will you show them?

~Follow Christ

I'd just like to address a saying I've been seeing a lot lately. I'm surprised by how many Christians even live by it. 

  "Follow your heart"

It's a very popular phrase and belief. It sounds good. To just do what you feel is right. Yes it sounds good, but it's terribly wrong. 

Jeremiah 17:9 says "The HEART is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"

Did you get that? The heart isn't something you can trust. Sometimes it will be swayed by feelings. Sometimes it will be dominated by the will. I would just like to emphasize to you DON'T FOLLOW YOUR HEART. If not given wholly to God it will lead you astray and away from God. Follow Christ. He will never lead you astray. 

~Who is Lord?

 My family sometimes listens to sermons together in the evenings. To help consentrate on the point, I started drawing pictures of what I think is the main idea. So I started doing these castles. I like to think that the castle is standing for my life or my heart.
  This one is to help me think about "Who is Lord?." But unlike the picture we can't give half our lives to Jesus and then keep the other half for ourselves.

Who is Lord?

~Riding Dunny movie

This is my first attempt at putting a riding movie on so hopefully it works!

~Your Heavenly Father

My Dear Child,
  I love you. Do you know that? Sometimes I have to wonder. Like when you look at yourself in the mirror and frown at the reflection. Or when you mess up on something and call yourself names. Do you realize I made you? I created you? I love you? And I glory in you even with your failures! I gave you your strengths to bless others with. But I also gave you weaknesses so that they will reveal your need for me and point you to me. I want to be your strong tower, your refuge! I love how I have made you! I never make mistakes. So can you trust that I have made you just right? Can you thank me for it?
  Love,
Your Heavenly Father