Training for the Cross - Blog
Friday, May 22, 2009
On the Road for the Summer
Wade and Amaia are in Idaho for the summer. They loaded up nine (yup, nine!) horses and headed to Homedale, which will be their base "camp." Here's Wade checking out all the features on the "new" trailer he bought. Looks like they're ready to hit all the brandings and do some day work!One of the first stops was the Jordan Valley "Big Loop" rodeo. Wade was up Friday afternoon in team roping and Big Loop (horse roping). Ty was there as well. They all enjoyed the chance to see friends and family, and catch-up after a busy winter of hard work.
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| Photo by Ann Black Rutan |
Wade rode in the Saddle Bronc on Sunday, and tied for 2nd/3rd/4th with a score of 74. Good job, Wade!
Wade has a particular call to minister and witness for Jesus Christ at rodeos and to cowboys. He has God-given gifts of horsemanship, roping, and bronc riding that allow him to travel and meet many who might not step foot in a church. Here is his expanation of his calling.
The Lord opened my eyes and showed me a vision concerning the hearts of the men behind the bucking chutes. The Lord showed me how many of them had received a little spark for Him, but the spark had never been fanned giving it the opportunity to grow. He told me to "fan the flame." The Holy Spirit is like a mighty wind and will bring life to a tiny spark, igniting an all-consuming fire. As the Lord began to speak to me giving me direction for my life, I became sanctified by the word of God, "For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer" (1 Tim 4:5), and empowered by the Holy Spirit. "For you shall receive power after the Holy Ghost has come upon you" (Acts 1:8).
God has not called me to preach the Gospel, but to demonstrate the Gospel. I am only called to prepare the way for the Teacher. I am called to help people come into the fullness of the New Covenant and be taught by God. I am called to introduce people to the Holy Spirit and God has showed me He will do the rest. Just like a person must prepare a colt before he can start to communicate with them, I am called to show people how to prepare themselves so that they may start communicating with God. God wants to communicate with us, we just need to be "willing" and then able. It is so simple; the same things that hold us back from communicating with our horse are the things that hold us back from communicating with God.
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| Photo by Ann Black Rutan |
Training for the Cross is on the road this summer working to act upon Paul's advice, "...Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it" (Col 4:17), and to fulfill Jesus' charge, "But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee" (Acts 26:16).
We are all directed to be ministers of Christ, each in his own way, according to his own gift, "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen" (1Pe 4:10-11).
Labels: bronc riding, discipleship, horsemanship, Jan, Ty, Wade
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Branding
Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep....(Exo 9:3).
One of our favorite "chores" is branding. Friends and neighbors come to help, and we get to have a part social, part recreational day while getting the needed work done.
Branding starts with gathering all the cows and calves, and then sorting the calves away from the cows. Sorting is fun work when it's done horseback. We run the cows through the chute and vaccinate them. Then the branding fire is started up, cinches checked, ropes uncoiled and swung, and the branding begins.
Branding is important, not only for the brand, which is the only legal identification for cattle, but also for the vaccines that the calves get. Waiting too long to brand can result in some sickness in calves that haven't been vaccinated yet. This year we kept having to put branding off due to wet, snowy, and rainy weather. You can't brand a calf if it is wet! Fortunately we haven't had much sickness in the calves, so the delay didn't seem to hurt. We finally got a beautiful, sunny day.
Since we had waited a while to brand, some of the calves were pretty big. Heading and heeling worked well for the bigger calves, and reduced the amount of help needed on the ground. Calves that were smaller were heeled. Two "wrestlers" on the ground were needed for the calves that were heeled. Each calf got two vaccines and any other individual attention it needed, along with its permanent brand.
Good horsemanship on the part of the ropers is important. That means watching the calf carefully and slipping your dally if it starts to choke. Being able to move your horse in any direction willingly is also important, for the welfare of the calves, but also to avoid a collision with the ground crew.
There is really much more to good horsemanship at a branding than you might imagine. Stockmanship by the ground crew is critical. Making sure that each calf gets all of the shots it needs, and that they are administered correctly, is important. Being able to work quickly so that the calves are not restrained any longer than necessary is also part of the ground crew's job.
Proper branding etiquette involves each roper also taking a turn "wrestling" or being part of the ground crew. That way everyone who wants to gets a chance to do the fun job, and improve their horsemanship skills and their horse.
Branding is fun, and would be impossible without neighbors and friends being willing to help! This makes me think of Paul's instructions to us about working together and helping one another.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another (Rom 12:10). That there should be no schism in the body; but the members should have the same care one for another (1Co 12:25). Nothing through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others (Php 2:3-4).
One of our favorite "chores" is branding. Friends and neighbors come to help, and we get to have a part social, part recreational day while getting the needed work done.
Branding starts with gathering all the cows and calves, and then sorting the calves away from the cows. Sorting is fun work when it's done horseback. We run the cows through the chute and vaccinate them. Then the branding fire is started up, cinches checked, ropes uncoiled and swung, and the branding begins.
Branding is important, not only for the brand, which is the only legal identification for cattle, but also for the vaccines that the calves get. Waiting too long to brand can result in some sickness in calves that haven't been vaccinated yet. This year we kept having to put branding off due to wet, snowy, and rainy weather. You can't brand a calf if it is wet! Fortunately we haven't had much sickness in the calves, so the delay didn't seem to hurt. We finally got a beautiful, sunny day.
Since we had waited a while to brand, some of the calves were pretty big. Heading and heeling worked well for the bigger calves, and reduced the amount of help needed on the ground. Calves that were smaller were heeled. Two "wrestlers" on the ground were needed for the calves that were heeled. Each calf got two vaccines and any other individual attention it needed, along with its permanent brand.
Good horsemanship on the part of the ropers is important. That means watching the calf carefully and slipping your dally if it starts to choke. Being able to move your horse in any direction willingly is also important, for the welfare of the calves, but also to avoid a collision with the ground crew.
There is really much more to good horsemanship at a branding than you might imagine. Stockmanship by the ground crew is critical. Making sure that each calf gets all of the shots it needs, and that they are administered correctly, is important. Being able to work quickly so that the calves are not restrained any longer than necessary is also part of the ground crew's job.
Proper branding etiquette involves each roper also taking a turn "wrestling" or being part of the ground crew. That way everyone who wants to gets a chance to do the fun job, and improve their horsemanship skills and their horse.Branding is fun, and would be impossible without neighbors and friends being willing to help! This makes me think of Paul's instructions to us about working together and helping one another.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another (Rom 12:10). That there should be no schism in the body; but the members should have the same care one for another (1Co 12:25). Nothing through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others (Php 2:3-4).
Labels: branding, God, horsemanship, Jan