Well, I’ve missed a few months and I apologize.  I was sick most of July, much to my dislike because I was looking forward to hauling my horses to all the good jackpots over the 4th.  But I was laid up in the house and could not even get outside for over 2 weeks.  I’m 100% back to normal which is going non-stop. 

I went to Waco over the Labor Day weekend and rode like a sack of manure.  I had only made 2 runs back on my good horse (Billy) and those were 3 weeks before Waco.  I had to get him injected again and could only go in straight lines in the pasture until Waco.  My back up horse(Hoyt) (the one my friend Sandy gave me before she died) was sore in his back and I did not even know it until I took Billy to the vet to get him checked out.  They are both good now  and I’ve got to start making runs on the to get my timing back with each one. 

After Waco, it rained and the only jackpots were outside and called off.  Then it was time to get ready for our clinic in Farmerville, La.  The clinic was great - even if it was muddy and hot.  We had a full clinic and had a bunch of great students. 

This past weekend I went to a jackpot and my horses worked good but I just need to get their fast twitch muscles in shape.  Sometimes I feel like I’m starting all over since I’ve not really competed for a year and a half.  I’ve got to start making some practice pen runs to get my timing back.   

I been thinking about a scripture I read in my bible study the other day and I want to share it with you.  Look at Isaiah 55:11 “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing wherto I sent it.”   This is God Speaking about His words.  Now I want you to think about all the words you have said in the last day (week/month) or so.  Were they positive or negative?  Do we really want everything that comes out of our mouths to come to pass?  I know I don’t.  I have a lot of trash in my mouth just like everyone else.  So to change that, I’ve got to change the way I think.  Look at Philippians 4:8 which says “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”   In other words, look for the good in every situation.  Example,  if all I talk about is the recession or how I always miss the angle to the first barrel, how is anything going to change?  What we say on a continuous basis is what we are going to have in our lives.  Good or bad.  So change your thoughts, then you can change your words.  Proverb 18:21 says “Death and life are in the power of the tongue; and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”  We have the power in our lives to speak our desired results.  So start speaking LIFE!   To speak “life” you have to start talking like God.  God’s word is true.  God can not lie. (see Titus 1:2)  He does not break His word.  The Bible is full of promises and stories of how God honors words!  Look at Psalm 89:34 which says “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.”   

Jesse Duplantis sums up what I’ve been trying to say.  In this months Vioce of the Covenant magazine Jesse wrote  “One time while I was praying, the Lord spoke something to my heart that I believe may help you to understand the way He works.  He said, ‘Jesse, My Word shall not return unto Me void.  But it is very possible that My word can return unto you void.’  ’What?’ I said.  “Why, Lord?’  ‘Because you don’t believe it like I do.’  That was deep for me and showed me the importance of my own personal faith.  His Word had returned to me void, but it never returned to Him void.  He always believed and fulfilled His Word.  He always did His part.  But sometimes, I didn’t really believe His Word in faith; sometimes I didn’t do my part.  So, there were times when I’d stopped my own success in receiving form God either through my lack of knowledge, lack of patience, or lack of faith.  The bottom line is that personal experiences dont prove or disprove God’s Word and will.  When it comes to His Word, there’s no such thing as whether God wants to do something or doesn’t want to do something.  He will always keep His Word, always.  Once God has said something, He will not alter the words that have been spoken.” 

We are having a Cowboy Camp Meeting here at our place November 5th and 6th at 7pm.  Glen Smith will be doing the services.  Everyone is welcome. 

In His Love,

Vicki

e of our livesYou know, to change your mouth, you have to change your thoughts.  Yes, you can think a certain way that will stop all negative thoughts.  How?  Think on God’s word - the TRUTH!  The truth is what God says about your situation.   

Well, I’m back.  I apologize for not getting the April and May blogs written.  Things got a little busy aroung here in April.  The day we were leaving for our Oklahoma clinic, I was feeding and got my right hand between the stall door and a horses hip.  Needlessly to say, I was at the emergency room getting my little finger sewn up.  It was cut to the tendon sheath.  Then Easter afternoon, we had to put my dad in the hospital for 10 days.  He had a gastro-infection.  During his stay at the hospital, we had our clinic in Iowa and the day we got home, we got my dad out of the hospital.  (He is doing great now.)  Then in May, we had our clinic in Mississippi and then we went to Pennsylvania for the 24th year.  Time sure flies.  Two days after we got back from Pennsylvania we had to go to the vet in Oklahoma and when we got home we had company for a week.  I think I’m still playing catch up since we got home.  We have 3 clinics in the fall and they are all in Louisiana.  The first is Sept. 25-27 in Farmersville, La., the 2nd is in St. Joseph, La. on October 16-18 and the 3rd is in Ruby, La. and we are still working on dates.  Now I’m in the process of legging my horses up - again - and looking forward to going to some jackpots and rodeos.  Danny’s been riding the outside horses and we’ve been doing a few lessons here at the house.

I read one of the greatest statements by Dr. Billy Graham and he said…

                                             “It is the Father’s job to judge.

                                          It is the Holy Spirit’s job to convict.

                                                  And it is our job to love.”

That is something we all need to remember.  It’s not our job to judge.  It’s God’s!  And we should never try to do His job.  Neither should we try and do the Holy Spirit’s job.  We have the job of a lifetime and that is to love.  How many times does the Word remind us to love?  Like, “Bless them that curse you”  and “Pray for them which despitefully use you”  are reminders for us to love instead of judge.  Trust me, I know it’s not easy, but if God tells us we should do it, then we can do it.  He never tells us to do something that we are not capable of doing.

When we speak the truth in love about something is not judging.  The Bible instructs us to speak the truth andtells us that the truth will set us free.  So, speaking the truth is not being critical, it’s simply being truthful.  But the motive must be in love, not judgement.

Someone once said that if you speak the truth, you can walk away and forget everything you’ve said because the truth can stand alone through anything.  Remember, Jesus said in John 14:6 ”…I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life:  no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.”   So my thought for the month is - don’t focus on what they say, focus on what God says.  Don’t get caught up in all the gossip and hearsay, even if its about you.  God is bigger than any problem and just keep your eyes on Him. 

Danny and I love you and until next time - ”Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Vicki   

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Well, it’s that time of year that our clinics start up.  We leave tomorrow for our clinic in Gay, Georgia.  We have not been to Georgia in a few years and are looking forward to seeing all our friends there.  We are looking at scheduling some more fall clinics in Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana and the Florida/Georgia line.  All new clinics will be posted on the Website as soon as they are confirmed.  If anyone is interested in hosting a clinic just email us or call us.  We are always looking for new clinics.

We have been really busy here at the house giving private lessons and riding all the outside horses.  I’ve not been going to any jackpots just yet, but I’m looking forward to getting my horse, Billy, and Sandy’s horses, Hoyt and Diesel, legged up.  I had lost interest in going anywhere because I could not figure out what was wrong with my horse.  He just wasn’t firing like he can.  I’ve tried everything the vets have told me to do and injected everything that needed injecting and nothing has gotten him back to running like I know he can.  So I just lost interest because I wasn’t seeing any results.  Then since October I’ve had so much life happening that I’ve not had time to ride.  Then I had my horse retested for his allergy medicine to see if we needed to change his prescription and we did.  Long story short, I called a vet I had had great results from before for this situation and in the course of conversation he told me he could fix my horse so I’m trying it and will let you know the results as soon as I know something.

There’s something I want you to think about.  How do you see yourself?  Honestly, how do you see yourself?  Most of us concetrate on all of our flaws and do not think much of our strong points.  We need to stop looking at the negative thing about ourselves and start looking at the good and positive things about ourselves.  

Norman Vincent Peale tells a story about a tattoo parlor in China where American sailors would get tattoos.  He noticed one tattoo in the window display that he couldn’t believe anyone would really get.  It said, “Born to Lose”.  He walked inside to ask the tattoo artist if people really got that tattoo.  In broken English the man answered, “Before tattooed on body, tattooed on mind.”  So how do you change the way you’ve thought for 10, 20, 30 years?  Romans 12:2 says, “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  What do you renew your mind to?  The word of God!!!  That must be settled in your heart.  Renewing your mind is a two-step process.  It’s getting rid of the old way of thinking and replacing it with a new way of thinking…about yourself!!  What you desperately need more than anything is to hear the Word consistently.  The more you hear God’s Word, it starts to override all those lies Satan has told you.  the Bible says that the entrance of God’s Word brings light.  What happens when the light comes on?  You begin to see things you didn’t see when you were in the dark.  If your mind is tormented with fearful, insecure, debilitating thoughts, then you’re not hearing enough Word.  If you day down at night and your mind is racing with hopelessness, fear, anxiety, painful memories, then you need to get a plan to hear the Word more today than you did yesterday. 

Next, you need to begin speaking differently about yourself.  It doesn’t matter if someone else has said, “She’s the wild one.  She’s the quitter.  He’s crazy,  He’s a loser.  She’s prone to making bad choices.  She’s a failure.”  God’s Word is final authority!!!!!!!  You need to decide whose words have more power over you?  God’s?  Or some person?  And stop agreeing with the devil!!

How do you change the way you speak?

1.)  Stop putting your own self down!  If you sas a person yeling insults at another person, you would probably want to tell them to stop.  Why do you accept that kind of behavior from yourself?  You may think it, but don’t say it. 

2.)  Avoid exaggeration - “I’ll never get that job.”  “I’m always the last one chosen.”  I always make that mistake.”

3.)  Accept compliments.  Practice saying, “thank you.”

4.)  Start speaking God’s Word over yourself.

You have to “pick up your sword of the Spirit” which is the Word of God coming out of your mouth and speak it out loud over yourself.  Yes, you’ll feel like a nut the first time you do this, but it works!!!  I promise you.  Every thime rejections tries to consume your mind and prevent you form stepping out, speak this verse out loud:  “I have chosen you nad hove not cast you away; Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am you God.  I will strengthen you (andharden you to difficulty), Yes, I will help you.  I wll uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:9-10 

I encourage you to do the following 3 things to improve your self-image and walk into god’s will for your life:

1.)  Make a list of positive confessions to speak over yourself.  (i.e. I am confident and courageous.  I am disciplined spirit, soul and body.  I am highly focused.  I am creative.  I do not procrastinate.)

2.)  Make a list of Bible scripture to speak over yourself.  (Some favorites are 1John 4:4, 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalm 94:18-19, Isaiah 41:9-10, Psalm 18:32, Psalm 116:8-9, Jeremiah 31: 3-4, Psalm 119:76 and Isaiah 40:29.

3.)  Do it consistently.  (You can’t  do something 3-4 times and expect to see changes.  Make it a part of your daily routine.)

Remember consistency is the key to change in every area of your life.

Thought of the month:  When you compare, you belittle what God has done for you.

Looking forward to seeing all of you at one of our clinics this year. 

In His Love,

Vicki

Happy Valentines Day!!!  If you are on our mailing list you should be getting our clinic schedule in the mail in the next week.  I apologize for not getting them out sooner but I’ve had a not so good last 2 1/2 weeks.  First of all, one of my very best friends died and when we got home from the memorial service, I got the crud that turned into pneumonia.  Needless to say, I was a couch potato (per doctors orders) and did not even go outside for a whole week!  Did I ever sleep.  I ought to be caught up on sleep for several months.  I’m much better now but I’m taking it slow and easy.  Poor Danny has had to take up the slack - he even had to go to the grocery store.  How Blessed I am!!

Well, February is the month of love.  I was reading something from Joyce Meyer the other day and she said “While we may feel love for others, we must show love if others are to feel it.”  What a statement!  She also said “Love is not theory. It’s not just talk or a sermon we preach.  It’s not even just a word we use.  Love is a decision we make.  It’s seen when we treat people the way God has instructed us to treat them, whether we feel like it or not.”  Henry Drummond (1851-1897) said “It is the man who is the missionary, it is not his words.  His character is his message.”  In other words, our actions speak louder than our words.  Our words are important, but our actions speak even louder. 

I was reading I Corinthians 13:1-7 (The Message) If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ectasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.  If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.  If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere.  So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

What a powerful translation.  I encourage you to take some time this month and read I Corinthians 13 from every translation you can.  You get more insight to the scripture by doing that.  (If you don’t have but 1 translation, try going to a Christian bookstore and read).  If you have a King James Version, I would reccommend the Amplified Version next.

If you want to read Joyce Meyers article for this month - go to joycemeyer.org.  

Hope to see you at a clinic this spring.

In His Love,

Vicki

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH

“FAILURES ARE NOT GOD MADE!”

It’s that time of year again - time to reflect on the events of the past year and to make resolutions for the coming new year.  I’ve made 3 New Years resolutions.  The first and most important is to continue to start each day spending time with God, studing His Word and praying.  My #2 resolution is to become more computer literate.  And the 3rd is to break and start my Firewater filly.

I can not express how important that you start your day with God and not try to work God into your schedule.  Nothing is more important in your life than to spend quality time each day with God.  I get up at least one hour earlier than I normally would to study and pray.  There are definitely some days that I don’t want to but I do it anyway.  I’ve learned that the days that I don’t, nothing seems to go good.  When you put God first, your day goes so smooth.  I always get done what is truly important.  

One really good resoultion for 2009 is to only listen to God’s Word and not to the news media.  God’s Word will bring you peace and confidence.  The news media will only bring fear and doubt.  Why?  Because listening to anything other than the promises of God’s Word will cause you to worry. 

This may surprise some of you but God is not surprised by what has happened in the past months and neither have His ways changed .  Faith, no matter what is happening, is the key to answer every need in your life.  Romans 1:17 says The just shall live by faith.  That’s the answer for every believer.  Your faith is your key possession.  More important than your bank balance, car, home, or job.  The law of faith works for anyone who believes.  Just like the law of gravity, the results are the same for everyone, what goes up must come down.  Faith works because God doesn’t love one person more than another, He loves us just as much as He loves Jesus. 

Satan, your enemy, wants to put limits on your faith, making you doubt it and never use it.  The best way to “stick it” to the devil is to remember that great faith is simply the Word - nothing added but belief.  So get into God’s Word and start finding the answers to all your needs because there is already a “Word” prepared for you.  Every answer to every problem you face or will ever face is in God’s Word.  As Rufus Moseley wrote in PERFECT EVERYTHING - “Everything is done for them (the children of God) that can be done, and nothing but receiving and responding is expected of them.”  So start 2009 off right by spending time studying God’s Word and praying God’s Word over every situation you face this coming year.

Danny and I wish you all a Blessed and Happy New Year. 

In His Love,

Vicki

Merry Christmas!  I wanted to get this up the first of the month and things have not worked out as I planned.  I have just about finished moving my Dad into his new home across the drive from us.  I have packed and unpacked, rearranged furniture, hung pictures and drapes, sorted through all kinds of stuff and I only have to hang one more curtain and put up one mini blind and I am done.  I think?  Besides all that, I’ve tried to get ready for Christmas.  Thank God for mail order!  I just have to wrap all the gifts and do a little cooking and I’m ready.  Along with all that my laptop went on the blink for a few days.  Sooooooo, I’m finally writing this. 

I want to share a few things with you this Christmas season.  Remember that Jesus is the reason for the season.  You know the world wants to get us to say happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas.  What they don’t understand is the reason they are holidays, or holy days, is because of what our Lord has done for us.  John 3:16 say “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  So not matter what the world does it won’t stop those of us who really are thankful for the reason for the season or from giving Glory to the One who made the holidays. 

This time of year everyone puts on a happy face and begin to focus more on others and are nicer than normal.  Do you know why?  Because of Jesus.  Christmas is about much more than giving and receiving of gifts.  It’s about remembering our Savior’s birth.  In Isaiah 9:6 it reads, “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”  Notice the words “unto us”…that’s you and me!  That’s the greatest gift ever given. 

I love the descriptions of His names.  It says His name shall be called “Wonderful!”  We needed someone Wonderful.  We needed someone who would be our Counselor.  A mighty God for us!  An everlasting Father!  We nedded someone to step in with salvation and be our Prince of Peace. 

Remember that the spirit of Christmas that permeates the holiday season is the nature of Christ.  It’s the nature of His love.  Consider it an offering to God when you share His nature with others. 

Our 2009 schedule should be up in a couple of days.  I’m still working on 3-4 more.  I hope to have the schedule finished in a couple of weeks and mailed out by the end of November or first of December. 

We have been busy playing catch up around here.  I’ve been staying close to home lately because of my dad.  He was in the hospital last week and tomorrow we will have a double wide trailer delivered here for him to be closer to us. 

Danny is now leasing light towers.  We have 1 and he is picking up another 4 this week.  I’m so glad to see all the gas well coming to our area. 

I will keep everyone updated as to what we are doing, hopefully every other week.

Until next time - Vicki