Those of you that know me personally know that I LOVE horses! One of my favorite things about traveling in Arizona and New Mexico is that I get to see horses.....lots and lots of horses. I can literally hop on my bicycle at The Encouragement House, ride one block and I can see horses. Oh yeah, horses.....lots and lots of horses!
It has been my dream for the last year that I would be able to find a place to ride close to The Encouragement House. Every time I would come to The Encouragement House I would tell myself that I would look for a ranch close by where I could ride. There are trails everywhere surrounding Apache Junction that wind among the Saguaros, around and through the mountains. The Arizona desert is an amazing place to ride a horse. Well, a whole year went by without me having any time to even look for a place to ride.
And then this past week, it happened! Quickly! So quickly that it took me by surprise. I heard of a ranch just 5 minutes from The Encouragement House, made a phone call and before I knew it, I was riding a horse among the Saguaros at the base of the Superstition Mountains. And it was amazing.....everything I had dreamed it would be. Wonderful.....just plain wonderful! Truly a dream come true for me!
So now that I'm riding again, I'm really getting into horses.....REALLY! Twice this week I went to the Arizona Arabian Horse Show in Scottsdale to watch horses and riders from all over the country compete with their Arabians. Today, as I was watching a pleasure class of Arabians and their riders, I began to think about what it was like to compete in a horse show. I used to do that when I was a teenager. I didn't have an Arabian but I had a hunter/jumper horse that I rode in horse shows all over Indiana. And let me tell you, it was fun.....fun to ride, fun to compete and fun to win those trophies. Way Fun!
As I watched the show, I began to think that I would like to show horses again. I began to think that I could show horses again. I began to think that I could win trohpies again. I began to think.....
And in my thinking about showing horses again.....God began to speak to me. He said, "Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:21. When he said that to me, I looked at the horses in the ring. I looked at the equipment in the ring. I looked at the people in the ring. As I looked at the horses and the equipment, I realized the massive amounts of money it takes to own and show horses. As I looked at the people, I saw how important showing the horses was to them. I saw great joy in the faces of the winners and I saw great disappointment in the faces of the losers. I saw the ribbons and the trophies the winners received. As I looked at the ribbons and the trophies, God reminded me that one day those would all burn up. God reminded me that all the money invested, all the time invested, all the work invested would one day all burn up.....unless it was done for the glory of God.
So tonight, God has asked me to spend some time evaluating where my treasure is.....is it in horses or is it in Him? And I've come to the conclusion that as much as I love horses, I love Him more. He is the One who created the horses! He is the one who created the Saguaros and the mountains that I ride among! He is the one who created me so that I can ride among the Saguaros and the mountains. He is the One!
Soooo.......... shoud I just stick to riding my bicycle with Rick?????
LOL!!!!! Uh.....NO.....I don't think so! LOL!!!!! I will keep riding horses. Riding horses among the Saguaros at the base of the Superstition mountains. Riding horses.....Praising God all the while for the beauty of his creation. Riding horses, riding horses, riding horses.....cause that's what God created me to do. All the while riding horses, giving Him my Heart.....because I am His Treasure, He is my Treasure! "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenants, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession." Exodus 19:5
Encouraging You In Christ!
All Praise, Honor and Glory to God!
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