Caption #5

Wow! I got so many cute comments on this one! Thank you all for your guesses but the one by Erick Reinstedt was too cute to pass up! Calamity Rene, Amy, and Rebekah R. yours were super cute too!

Real chickens always ride bareback!

Choosing the Best.

Lately at the youth group that my dad teaches, he has discussed several topics that I found interesting and useful. The first is about being inspired versus inspiring. In this case being the one inspired could be good or bad. Are you setting a good example and inspiring others for the work of the Lord, or are you being the one who is inspired, looking up to people who are perhaps not a good influence? Being able to recognize which category that you fall into is valuable to see whether you are either being a good example and influence for others or making sure that you are only being inspired by good and Godly examples. It's not bad to be influenced but you need to make sure that if you are, you are by Godly people such as a pastor, youth leader, Children's Church teacher, or Godly parents, friends, or even older siblings who are following Christ. Ever since Dad talked about this I have been noticing a lot more, who is influencing and who is influenced.

The other topic my dad pointed out which I found interesting was that we can never outgive God. I have seen this even in my life. Maybe I will donate a few dollars toward this or that, and a few days or weeks later I will get a few extra dollars than I earned working for a friend. Instances such as this has occurred time and time again in my life and in others' lives around me. Maybe I will simply give some of my time to help someone move, and then when I need help, they will help me. Or I might volunteer my time at a rescue horse sanctuary and then when I need wisdom with my family's horse, someone knowledgeable will be willing to check on her and help us out. Other instances could even be as simple as someone getting us something at a grocery store and not allowing us to pay them back. So remember that God will honor a Godly and giving heart. A line that I really like in the movie, God's NOT Dead, says, “God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!”

Take a look at your life. Are you the influenced or the one influencing or both? Do you need to change who you are inspired by? Also, remember that you can never ever outgive God. He loves you and wants the best for you.

Caption This #5!

Here you go...your next caption this picture! The chickens name is Teeters by the way, she is a several month old chick.

Sheer Joy!

As most of you are aware, last November our horse got an injury that eventually made her lame. Long story short, my sister and I could walk and canter (lope) her but we were unable to canter because we had to pass through the trot to get to the canter. The trot was what would have made it worse and become dangerous to us as the rider. So we were stuck with a walk. Of course, I was glad for a walk rather than nothing but it was hard since we got her mostly to really ride. Anyways, we had the vet come out to give Dream her annual shots. When he did, he also looked at her leg. He clarified for us that her injury is just like arthritis; sometimes she'll be a little stiff and limping, other times she'll be right as rain and on those days we could go through the trot to the canter. He briefly lunged her and told us that on this particular day she looked “right as rain”. So, later that day, my sister and I saddled her and then worked toward a canter. After several tries I was able to get her to a canter on my cue. My sister also had several good canters. 

Now, this wasn't even the best part! Well, I guess that the best part was that we can now canter her, but my post title is actually based on an event that happened the following day. Up until this point, I had both walked and trotted bareback but cantered only in a saddle. I had been thinking about trying to canter bareback since in all your movies and books they do canter bareback. (Yes, I know that they are not always the most reliable sources but I know that people do.) After making sure that this was one of her “right as rain” days, my sister and I worked her a bit and then rode bareback. Once again, after several tries, I was cantering bareback! When I came back I was absolutely speechless. It was an AMAZING feeling. I was flying! Sheer joy. That's just about the best way to describe it. Both my sister and I had several more bareback canters and we both agreed that, that . . . I don't even know how to describe it! It was wonderful. As I said, sheer joy!

Sorry, but I was unable to find any pictures or video of cantering bareback so this one picture will have to do! (A BIG thanks to my sister for capturing this beautiful moment on camera!)

Caption #4!

So sorry that I haven't been very consistent lately. I have been very busy with lots of things—mostly school. I have a list of about 12 posts to do so I'm hoping to become more consistent or most of it will be outdated! Thanks for your patience! And now, without further ado, onto the caption winner!

This was a lot of fun for me to see your captions for such a crazy picture! After some thought and debating between the winning one and the caption by Amy, I decided on the suggestion by Jesseca Dawn!

Dog: It's alright. I'll always be here for you.
Girl: aww your so sweet!

Caption This #4!

Alrighty! Hope you all enjoy this one too! No, this photo has not been edited. The dog is my friend's Giant Schnauzer! Thanks for playing, all!

Canyon Trip

2.8 mile hike to the bristlecone pines at Great Basin.

Grand Canyon.

About two weeks ago my family and I returned from a twelve-day trip in the western United States. As a family we dubbed this trip our “CT2” or “Canyon Trip.” It's CT2 since last year we visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and studied evidence for the flood and creation and called that our “Creation Trip” or “CT” so we just had to start a tradition. LOL.
   On this year's trip we visited Great Basin National Park in Nevada, Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, and Zion Canyon National Park back in Utah again. We camped in a tent every night except for three, when we stayed in hotels. We had some real quality time as a family. I especially enjoyed all the time around the campfire talking. We covered about 2,325 miles in all. The new states for me that we went through were Utah and Arizona. Here are a few pictures to introduce you to our trip but I will try to post more in future posts about our trip!

Bryce Canyon National Park.

Beautiful Bryce Canyon!

Zion Canyon National Park in the Narrows.

Biography of Pete Fleming.

Here is biography number two! Enjoy!

Pete Fleming

Pete Fleming was originally from Washington state. Over time, Fleming became friends with Jim Elliot. Together, the two men traveled to Ecuador along with some others to get training for missionary work. God removed every obstacle out of their path. They were dropped off in Ecuador on August 29, 1952. While training to be a doctor, Pete and his friends lived like the people of Ecuador that they might be better equipped to help them. Together they built an airstrip and a school for boys. While Jim was good at nearly everything, Pete struggled against many illnesses as well as in physical jobs. One time Pete was sick with malaria and went to the nearest hospital. Here he met with God and was strengthened in his spiritual life. A time when they questioned their work in Ecuador was when floods washed away their house, clinic, and school. Trusting in the Lord, they re-built. Many people were saved and many baptisms were held. Through all this, the Lord was burning a desire into their hearts to bring the gospel to the dangerous Auca Indians. Finally they located a Auca village that was know to be particularly violent. Regularly they would fly over the village and lower gifts from the airplane to earn their trust. Soon, they began to receive gifts back. After much time of doing this, they landed not far from the village and stayed hoping for a friendly visit from the Aucas. Soon their patience was rewarded by some of the Aucas coming to “check them out.” Shortly thereafter, the Aucas returned, this time not so friendly. Every one of the missionaries, although they could have defended themselves, didn't and were killed. Through their brave deaths, word was spread throughout the world. Many people became missionaries encouraged by these people's faith. Both Jim Elliot's and Pete Fleming's wives later returned as missionaries to the same tribe who had killed their husbands.

Although I had personally heard this story many times before, I was inspired by their love for these Indians, their love for God, and their bravery. If this biography also brings you inspiration, you can read a good biography series published by YWAM that includes at least four of the people involved in this event: Jim Elliot and his wife Elisabeth, and Nate Saint, the pilot, and his sister Rachel Saint. This series, Christian Heroes: Then and Now, was written by Janet and Geoff Benge. Have you ever faced a time when you needed to trust God, really, really trust Him? Have you ever faced a situation where you had to stand up for God and bear His name?

Caption #3!

This was a really hard decision for me. Every single suggestion was wonderful but after much consideration I chose Amy's caption. Great job, Amy! I especially enjoyed reading Jesseca Dawn's, Calamity Rene's, Grandma's, and “Bethany's Little Sister.” Thanks to all who played and I hope that you have been enjoying these and will continue to! Sometime in the near future I will post your new picture. God bless you all!

"Who turned off the gravity?!?"

Biography of Dwight L. Moody

Here is the first biography from LIFE Camp that I will post. May you all be inspired!

Dwight L. Moody

• He was born in Massachusetts in 1837
• At the age of four his father died leaving a wife, seven kids and twins in the womb.
• The children had to work on farms to earn their living and support their large family. They worked Monday to Saturday weekly.
• Moody worked for his uncle in Boston.
• His uncle's requirement was that Moody went to church with him. Eventually Moody became willing and often read his Bible.
• He accepted Christ through a Mr. Gemble who (I think) was a Sunday school teacher.
• From then on Moody fervently spread the gospel.
• Then he moved to Chicago.
• His two life goals were to make $100,000 (which was back then A LOT of money) and to preach.
• In Chicago, he reached out to the street children. He rented a pew in his church and brought random street kids.
• Eventually he was paying for four pews a Sunday.
• He reached out to 12 year old girls and brought them to Christ.
• Moody gave up his goal of making $100,000.
• At the age of 23 he left his job in 1860.
• He worked for YMCA (while it was actually Young Men's Christian Association and lived up to its name) and became a missionary.
• Traveled to England.
• His home was a victim of the Chicago fire in addition to his church.
• He built another church, but yet another fire destroyed it too.
• At the age of 54 Moody developed a terrible cough.
• He had been preaching three times a day but four times on Sunday.
• The doctor said that he needed to slow down or he'd die.
• On the way back from a trip to England, his ship began to sink with both Moody and his son aboard in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. At this point Moody had been considering what the doctor had said and thinking about minimizing his preachings.
• While aboard the sinking ship, Moody realized that God did not want him to slow down. So Moody trusted God to get him through his sinking ship and simply went to bed. Some time later his son awoke him to say that they had been rescued by another passing ship.
• Moody continued to work hard trusting in the Lord for seven more years. Then at the age of 63 Moody died.
• During his lifetime he had brought hundreds of people to Christ, started numerous Bible schools, etc.
• Most of all, Moody is a great example of trusting in God even in very hard times when your life is at stake.

I hope that you all were inspired by the brief explanation of Dwight L. Moody's life. I would love to hear your thoughts!