Trail Tails

Pony Express Ministry

"Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us" - Hebrews 12:1

Trail Tails

2005

God is GOOD! Wow! What a summer! I quit my full time job as a Customer Service Representative with a Propane Company on May 24^th. What for? Because the Lord was ready for me to “saddle up” for the next phase of my life. Was it easy? Are you kiddin’? It scared the fire out of me…..Good Benefits, Good pay, Great people to work with….was I nuts?! :)

This account of the summer is a LONG one. So, you may have to revisit this page to finish reading it :). Just warnin’ ya.

My purpose for writing it is this. As we live in these last days, we as Christians simply need more Faith. We turn on the news and everything and everybody seems to have just plum lost their minds. You can’t even watch a decent show (if there is one on anymore) without being bombarded with provocative commercials. Or, someone trying to talk you into “popping a pill” to solve everything. Yipes! Where do you turn for sanity?

I am always encouraged by the Faith stories, the Love stories, the Compassion stories. People that aren’t afraid to share how God spoke to them, healed them, loved them. So many wonderful things happened to us this summer, I wanted to share my stories too. My hope is that one or more of these will encourage you in your walk with Him. In writing these stories down, it also helps me to keep in mind that God is ALWAYS faithful. When I face a new situation, I can go back and read how God was there for me in the past. He never changes (Hebrews 13:8).

So, c’mon… let’s ride for a bit……..

A few months before I quit my job, I had been getting a restlessness in my spirit that God was going to move me. I started praying for CLEAR direction as to going full time in the Ministry. The last thing I wanted to do was to get ahead of Him. So, knowing that I’m a bit hard headed, I asked Him to REALLY make it clear…a burning bush, writing on the wall, something like that. Well, I didn’t get the Bush or the Wall, but God spoke through a trusted friend of mine and that was all I needed. God’s “still small voice” spoke to me all through the next week, encouraging me to take that first step of Faith and actually tell my bosses.

My husband, Bruce, is already in full time Ministry (Calvary Cowboys) and God has never let us down financially. However, with BOTH of us being in full time Ministry….whew! It was a real test of FAITH. I had about two things “on the books”, a tiny savings, a BIG truck payment, etc., etc., etc. But, the Lord kept telling me “I am your Provider…..period. I was the One who gave you such an awesome employer for three years. They were good to you, paid you well, etc. How much more do you think I am going to take care of you as your DIRECT “employer”? I am your Provider! (He had to talk to me on my level of understanding).

He also “hot-shotted” me with “How can you minister about Faith and then shrink back when I ask you to “step out”?” Oooooooo, THAT got me! “O.K. Lord,” I said, “I’m goin’ for it. I’m willing to trust You and step out in the most courageous move of my life. I’m literally taking You at your Word”. When I made that decision, however, I knew that Satan was right there wanting me to fall flat on my face. So, I dove into the Word to make sure I stayed strong. I looked up the word “Faith” in the Concordance of my Bible and read every verse under it. The Lord made it clear through His Word that He would take care of me in my decision of Faith, just like He did Abraham, Moses, Noah, David, etc. (the list is a “mile” long). He says in Hebrews 13 that He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He wouldn’t let me down either.

The adventures He took us on this summer were incredible. He answered prayers, granted the desires of our hearts, showed up in ways that blew our minds.

Those of you who live in Texas, know how HOT and HUMID it can get in the summer. The first blessing He continually gave us throughout the summer, was to send us to areas of the country that had COOL, DRY air! Now, for those of you who have beloved animals, you will really understand this. My concern was not only for mine and my husband’s provision when I stepped out in Faith, but also for our “boys”. Nocona and Tari are my two horses and they’re part of the family. Tari has been with me for 16 years, Nocona for 6. God in His ultimate love for us, understood our love for our pets. He also provided a place for them in our absence…..17 acres of grass and a pond to swim in. Yep, they were in their happy place!

The first place God sent us to was Colorado. The Calvary Cowboys had a couple of Ministry dates up there and I was able to go along for the ride. After the three year pressures of a demanding job, it was like someone opened the corral gate and let me go! We were able to spend some awesome time with Bruce’s family up there and we met some wonderful new friends at the Cowboy Churches.

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We were totally blessed when we were invited to a VERY remote area of the Rockies where the family owns property. It was a place that Bruce had been wanting to go to for years and a place I was longing to go to after they told me where it was…….heart of the Rockies, right by a stream/river, wildlife everywhere…….wild! We hiked, shot targets with the bow and arrows, explored, ate like pigs…..wonderful! I even realized a dream I had "forever” of finding an Indian Spearhead. We were exploring and there it was…..blackened by possible centuries of campfires, it now has a special place in my house as a testament that God indeed cares about our “little” dreams.

Hittin’ the road again, we headed for Wisconsin. We had a very blessed time singing at the Cup of Joy Café in Green Bay and then at the Wisconsin Gospel Music Festival in Marshfield. From there, we were to travel cross country through the United States to California and then back through the southern states to Texas.

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Now, keep in mind, Diesel prices had just started to soar beyond anything we dreamed imaginable. All in all, that trip put about 6000 miles on my truck…..you can imagine what the diesel bill was. However, God NEVER tells you to do something, without Him already knowing how He’s going to provide for you. Our job is to walk out our Faith in those promises. Kind of like the Pony Express. You were given the provisions you needed to start out……a horse, gear, food, water…but you actually had to get on and RIDE, before you saw the provision down the road…….

Our desire was to travel cross country, simply because we wanted to explore, see and meet people from other parts besides our own little world. We prayed about it because we knew it would be expensive. God gave us the “go ahead”.

Bruce and I love to stay in and explore National and State Parks. After our concerts in Wisconsin, our first stop was The Badlands of South Dakota. Oh, how I wished my horses were there……I could have ridden that place for WEEKS! We arrived at the campground very late (yes, we were quite popular with the other campers as we traipsed through with our diesel truck). We decided to camp at the extreme far end of the place, so if there was any wildlife, we would be right there……little did we know…….

That night a dangerous storm had been brewing in the distance and actually was quite fun to watch…..until it changed course and headed right for us. Now in South Dakota, there’s ALOT of open ground. And, here we were in a nylon pup tent, with little to no protection at all. The line of that storm stretched so far and wide that there was no way it would miss us. About the only thing we could do at that point, was pray. And pray we did! We rebuked that storm in the name of Jesus. Then, prayed and thanked the Lord for our protection.

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The more the lightening became brighter and the thunder louder, the more we thanked the Lord for our protection and that the storm had no authority where we were.

Here’s the cool part. The minute we finished our prayer….the wind came up……blowing THE OTHER way! The first thing I thought of was the verse in Psalms that says: “He makes His angels winds”…….I told Bruce what I was thinking and the Lord had just told him the same thing. Right then and there, we knew all was well. That storm stopped within a few miles of us and went around us in a circle. THAT’S the Power of the Almighty God!

The next morning was beautiful. We woke up to the strange sound of snorting, munching, stomping. Now, remember, we were camped at the FAR end of the campground. Ok, we wanted to see wild life, but we were beginning to think we got a little more than we bargained for.

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I opened the flap of our tent and looked out at a scene from 200 years ago. Everything from the 21^st century was completely erased from view………by about 200 Bison! They were everywhere and ALL AROUND our tent and truck! Two little calves came up to me through the opening and I tried to touch their noses, but that was a little much for them and they scampered off.

I was having great fun…..until I heard their Mama snorting and pushing her nose against the back of our tent. Bruce and I looked at each other and realized that we could be in a very tense situation. But the thrill of the moment took over and we were mesmerized by the scene outside.

We realized our potential danger when a HUGE bull walked by our tent, swinging his head and grunting…..and with every swing…..giving us the “stink” eye. Now, I’ve been around animals, wild and otherwise, my whole life. I’ve never been afraid, but always respectful. But, when I looked in that eye, instinct told me that this bad boy meant business. Bruce and I shrunk back inside our tent and prayed that this brute would move on. After a couple passes he finally did, as well as the rest of the herd, and we were finally able to get out of the tent.

After that experience, we came across literature with warnings about how dangerous these animals can be. Probably a good thing that we read this stuff AFTER the fact.

Thoroughly “in” to our trip now, we headed for Yellowstone….stopping off at Mt. Rushmore on the way. God has given so many talents to mankind, it’s amazing. The key is to realize your talents, work in them, and give glory to Him. How the men carved out the faces of these Presidents on the side of a mountain is nothing short of a testament to the awesome talents God can give us. Those Presidents reminded me that our Great Nation was indeed founded on one nation UNDER GOD!

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Off we went again towards Yellowstone. WOW! In parts of this awesome place, it was like how one would imagine walking on the moon. Craters, bubbling mud pools, hot brilliant, gem colored “bottomless” pools everywhere, geysers, clear rivers, lakes…..oh, and OF COURSE, Old Faithful Geyser! God’s power, majesty and beauty were everywhere. We saw bald eagle, bear, mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, bison and even heard a wolf pack that night (that was kind of spooky….but VERY cool!). As I was born an explorer/adventurer, I was reluctant to leave that place. But, we’ll be back.

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Off to Yosemite! Now, I do want to mention here, that through all of our traveling, the weather was absolutely awesome. Nasty storms that we’d see and seem to be heading right for, suddenly seemed to part and give us a “window” to go through. Or, as we noticed later, some storms would come through AFTER we had already broke camp and headed down the road.

Now, remember I told you that God cares about the details of our lives, the small as well as big dreams. I have a card that says “If it matters to you, it matters to Him”. This is very true. I saw this profoundly in Yosemite.

Let me take you back a “few” years. When I was 16 years old, my family and I went to Yosemite. It was an inspiring, soul refreshing, life changing experience for me. The year we were there, heavy rains had caused the waterfalls and rivers to be full to over capacity…..gushing and thundering down the mountain sides and cliffs. There were waterfalls where there usually are none. It was spectacular! One of the places we camped was a place called Tuolumne Meadows. This was a particularly special place for me……no houses, no fences, no inhibitions. . just wide open, wild, free……

With the abundance of water, I felt then that we had seen something very rare and I probably would not see that again in my life time. We took tons of pictures to capture those memories.

Unfortunately, about a year and a half later, we lost our home in the Panorama Fire in Southern California. We lost everything. We basically just got out with the clothes on our backs. The pictures, of course, were destroyed. From time to time, I would think about those Yosemite pictures and wished there could have been some way I could have saved them.

Now, 26 years later, I felt so blessed to be able to come back to this awesome Park that held so many good memories. As we drove through, I almost couldn’t believe that I was back again.

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And then I saw the sign……..”Tuolumne Meadows”. “We have to camp here!” I told Bruce. But, as we drove up, we saw that the Camp Office was closed. We also saw the other Camp statuses throughout the Park…..”FULL”. We were stuck. It was already late in the evening and the only option was to drive through the Park and hope there was somewhere to “hole up” or we’d just have to sleep in the truck right there in the parking lot. All we could do was pray that the Lord would provide somehow. I told the Lord, “I believe You can pull this one off…..but, man, this is going to be interesting!”

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I told Bruce, “Look, I know we may not be able to stay here. But, let’s drive through the Camp, just for my memories sake. I have to see at least the Camp again.” (Oh, me of little faith). So, we swung the truck around and pulled in. Just as we started through, we noticed a booth in the middle of the road. No way!..hee,hee!!! Two Rangers were manning that booth, for latecomers like us. The camp was full…….but NOT for tents! We ended up getting a site RIGHT ON THE RIVER! Needless to say, we made the most of that stay. We hiked up and down the River and back in to Tuolumne Meadows.

As I sat on that River, I thought back through my life. And, although I haven’t had it easy a lot of times, the Lord was always there and provided. I felt like a kid again and I felt like I had come full circle.

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Now, that was the first amazing thing. The second was that Yosemite had gotten rain…..and LOTS of it! When we traveled through the Park, I could barely believe my eyes. It was like I had stepped back 26 years and was again witnessing the spectacular beauty and the awesome scenes that I thought I would never see again. On top of that, I retook the pictures of the scenes that I had lost in that fire many years ago. GOD IS GOOD!!

From there we headed down the State Of California to Salinas where the Calvary Cowboys were to be in Concert that Friday night. After that, we took our time and headed down the California Coast – Highway 1. We were blessed to be able to spend a few days with my family in Southern California (I only get to see them about twice a year at the most).

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For the last leg of our trip we headed for Texas to sing and minister at Rising Star Cowboy Church and then at Mound Cowboy Church. On the way to Texas we hit some minor delays, but they’re worth mentioning. Sometimes in life we get so frustrated when we get held up in traffic, our order isn’t ready, the check-out line isn’t going fast enough. Stuff that is just plain irritating and just holds us up. Next time that happens, instead of compounding your frustration with stress, think about this. We were at a truck stop in El Paso. There

were so many cars and trucks going in and out of that place that it took us “forever” to get out on the road. We were on a tight time constraint because we had to be at Rising Star that evening. We were frustrated and stressed. Then, we just decided, look, this just ain’t no good. We’ll just chill out and pray that God will redeem the time and not worry about it.

It had been raining pretty heavy on the road ahead of us, and as we neared a certain stretch, we noticed that there were cars strewn out everywhere. Eighteen wheelers were flipped in the bar ditch and on the road. Cars were banged up and jumbled beside them.

Had we not been delayed back at that truck stop, we would have been in the middle of that mess. This scenario actually happened twice. But, you better believe that we were less stressed the second time. We knew God had His hand on us. The concert at Rising Star was His from the beginning and He would get us there on time and in one piece. We prayed for the people involved in those accidents and thanked the Lord that He had spared us.

Just remember, some things that happen seem bad. But, when looked at closely, they’re just an inconvenience and they may have been put there to save your life.

By the way, I know finances are an issue to a lot of people. So, being as that we sometimes have the same Faith struggles in this area, I’ll share this last miracle.

As I said before, we were trusting the Lord that He would cover the finances for this trip. We also had other big financial needs that were coming up. We had NO idea how God was going to provide. We were trying not to look at the love offerings and the CD sales. But, even though that’s not why we sing and minister, it’s hard when you have bills and the money just isn’t there yet.

During the trip when I started thinking about what I could see (the circumstances), I would rebuke those thoughts by speaking out the Word Of God: Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33); Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6). Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7). The Lord started speaking to my heart throughout that trip, telling me things like “it only takes one”; "I am your Provider", etc. AND, He would ask me questions like:

"Are the bills due yet?" My answer: "Well, no". "Have you paid your truck payment already?" A: "Yes". "Is the NEXT one due yet?" A: "Welllll, no". "Do you NEED that money now?" A: "O.K., no". He told me “I am not early, I’m not late, I am right on time!"

Although the Lord uses people to meet others needs, we are not to look at the people to meet those needs. We’re to look at the Lord Jesus, who is the One who provides.

Well, the Word says that if we put our trust in Him, we will not be disappointed (Romans 10:11) He confirmed everything in His word that was spoken to us and then some. At the end of our journey, God used one person to meet ALL of our needs. The Word says He will give us beyond what we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20) And He did so……right on time!

Sometimes He makes us wait for stuff, because we need our Faith strengthened. But, He will never give us more than we can handle. He knew that our Faith in Him needed to be toughened beyond what we thought we had. I’m so glad we serve a God who loves us so much that He wants us to strengthen and grow. We never have to worry about the provision, because it will be there……and right on time!

I hope you enjoyed riding this trail with me. But, above all, I hope you were encouraged. Our God is an impartial God (Ephesians 6:9). He loves His kids all the same. If He did this for us, He will do it for you. We need to just believe that He will. And, just like the days of old, He is still the great “I AM”.

OUR GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!

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		2006 2006 proved to be an interesting mix of challenges, changes, and wild rides. Saddle up and ride with me as I take you through 2006! Things went zippin’ along after I quit my job in 2005 and hit the road with the Ministry-full time. It was an exciting time of Ministry, fun and faith-building (as you can read above). I was looking forward to what the Lord had for my Ministry in 2006. My songs were being played all over the world by the radio Djs. “What a Friend We Have In Jesus” took the No. 1 spot several times on the charts. I had been given many prophesies over the Ministry that were sooo exciting, I couldn’t wait to see what would happen. By the way, food for thought. If the Lord is giving you a prophesy or a word through someone, or if he just speaks directly to your heart on something, I encourage you to write it down. Also, write down the result or manifestation of that word. I am SO thankful that I did. I have gone back to my Journal so many times when I felt doubt or needed encouragement. It’s amazing how reading the thoughts of the Lord revs you up again! When that word is manifested or you see the results ….oooooohhhh! That’s totally exciting!! Manifestation is SO cool! Anyway, about the time your mind is heading in one direction…….urrrrrrrrrr (car tires screeching)……CHANGE happens. And you stand there wondering…o.k.….what’s going to happen now. The Calvary Cowboys suddenly disbanded in March. I was still rockin’ and rollin’ in my Ministry, but Bruce (my husband-the other part of the Duo) and I had a decision to make. We both, together, got with the Lord and asked Him what now? Well, quite frankly, I’m sure the Lord was smiling when He said “no brainer”. You two are a new Duo… (and yes, as I look back at the prophesies of my own Ministry…God knew what was going to happen….they all were to be a part of this new Ministry).
		Soooo, a bit of work on my part with learning harmonies on the Calvary Cowboys songs and Bruce practicing the Electric Guitar and harmonies on mine….and we were off. We finished out the dates the Calvary Cowboys had booked, I finished out mine and we quickly became comfortable with each other as a newly formed Duo. Boy, are we havin’ a blast! Changes are what they are, but thank the Lord, nothing takes God by surprise and, if we look to Him, He will always be there with His answers and to walk us through. Jeremiah 29:11-13	You never know who'll show up at a cowboy church!
		Oh, by the way, in the “2005” Trail Tails, I mentioned our stepping out in Faith as akin to riding for the Pony Express. Little did I know at that time, that the Lord, a few months later, was going to give me that name for our new Duo. Cool, huh? Anyway, we continued to tour all over. We even were able to visit my relatives up in Illinois. I hadn’t seen them since I was 13. We had a great time catching up.
		I need to mention at this point that the Lord has been so gracious to not only provide for our needs in the Ministry, but He also (according to His will), provides for our “wants” too. Every year my family takes a houseboat trip on Lake Powell. The Lake holds special meaning for me, as well as just being able to spend time with my family who I only see about twice a year. The Word says that “Seek first the kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
		When I first stepped out in full time Ministry, I knew that, financially, the Lord would have to miraculously “make it happen”. My jobs always paid for the trip, but now I was really stepping out into the unknown. Praise God, we have not missed a trip yet. In fact, the Lord made it possible this year to not only go for one week, but for two. The second week was all expenses paid, without us having to spend a cent. Bruce and I were able to spend, not only time with my Dad, but also with some good friends of ours…Ru and Jason Hargrove and Dub and Deb Shelton.

The Lord, again, showed even more of His Grace when He allowed us perfect weather and a chance to see wildlife that we’d been waiting to see for years (i.e. the ringtail cats and wild donkeys!) It was awesome!! James 1:17

		O.K., now for the “come to Jesus meeting” part of the story. We were invited to go to a revival church meeting up in Odessa, Texas. Now, usually, I’m not real comfortable in a situation where there seems to be a lot of hype and emotionalism. In fact, the whole thing usually just ticks me off. I don’t like being manipulated via the emotionalism and I can’t stand fakes. Unfortunately, I’ve seen many fakes and, unfortunately again, had become jaded. Not good. I love my Lord with all my heart and I know that speaking in tongues is very real and also “falling out” in the Spirit is too. I prayed during that meeting “Lord, if this is the real deal…no faking…show me”. Now, I’m not being disrespectful in any way as I’m telling you this story. I’m being straight out honest. We all need to be honest with each other. Well, let me tell ya, He showed up! At the time of my prayer, a man we had picked up on the way to the meeting was standing up talking to the Evangelist. The man used a cane and could hardly walk, due to a debilitating disease. The Evangelist laid hands on him, said a few words, and to my amazement…the man began to dance! Unknown to me, Bruce was praying the same “real deal” prayer I was (we compared notes later). His prayer was answered when the Evangelist looked right at Bruce and said “You, come on up here”. I thought, “whoa, what’s goin’ on here?” I thought I was off the hook until he asked Bruce if I was with him…..I, too, suddenly found myself “called to the front”. Now, I don’t mind singing in front of hundreds of people because you know what you’re there for. Standing in front of hundreds, not knowing what in the world (or out of this world) is going to happen…is a whole other deal. The Evangelist started out asking us what we did, we started to tell him and then he started saying some things that, frankly, I can’t remember because it all happened so fast. I remember thinking…nothing’s happening…oh, man, I’m beginning to like this person and I really don’t want him to be embarrassed if I don’t “feel anything”…and then, oh, man, if I don’t “feel anything”, I hope there’s nothing wrong with me. About that time, something like an electric current went through me and I went down so fast that the big ol’ boy behind me that was standing there to catch me…missed and I landed flat on my hind end. I looked up at that Evangelist with saucers for eyes and blurted out “whooaaaa!!” He smiled and promptly said “You’re in the Ministry. This should not be a surprise to you”. O.K. that one stung. Me landing on my hind end didn’t hurt, but that comment did. But, he was right. How much are we missing of God’s greatness, revelations and knowledge because we’re jaded, offended, ignorant or just plain self-righteous? Truly, we all need to drop the blinders. The same thing, only more intense, happened to Bruce and we left that night awed and changed. God is here, He’s real and He wants to show us mighty things, if we’ll only put ourselves aside. So, on that note, little did I know that I would need my Faith in a big way very shortly. In October, I received a call from my brother. My Dad was very ill. He was diagnosed with a disease that attacks the muscles. His eyes and throat were affected. He was in a dangerous position. He was at home at the time my brother called, so I called and talked to my Mom. While on the phone with her, my Dad suddenly motioned to her to call 9-1-1. That was only the beginning. I flew out to California to run his construction business and to help my Mom. My week and a half planned stay turned into two months. I finally just quit booking flights home, because I kept having to cancel them. My Dad would get treated at the hospital then be released. A few days later I’d either be calling the ambulance or rushing him to the hospital myself. It was a very trying and scary time. My Dad is a very strong, resilient man and I had only seen my Dad really ill probably once in my entire life. It was beyond hard to see him in a hospital bed with a bunch of tubes hooked to him. I want to share with you a couple of the many times that the Lord let me know that He was not only there right beside us, but that He was in control. The first was when I had to rush my Dad to the hospital. I was sitting next to him in the ER room while he was hooked up to a breather. Now if any of you have ever been in an emergency room, it’s not a very fun place. It can be chaotic and it adds to the stress of having to be there with your loved one and not knowing what’s going to happen next. Praise God, I had brought my Bible in my bag. And, as I sat there, scared and feeling very alone, I reached out to the Person I knew would be there. All I could say to Him was “help me”. Literally, I just opened my Bible and numbly, randomly just started flipping. On my second “flip” it opened, miraculously, to 1 Corinthians 2:5 – “that your Faith should not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God”. I flipped one more time and again, miraculously, the pages fell open to 2 Corinthians 5:7 – “for we walk by Faith, not by sight”. The Lord knew that I would need these two verses that night and throughout the entire two months. I grabbed a hold of those two verses with a white-knuckled grip. When you have doctors telling you all kinds of distressing stuff and you’re seeing things that could give you nightmares, God’s Word saved me. God’s Word in more ways than one, saved my Dad. One powerful instance happened one night as I was sitting there with him in the hospital. All of a sudden, for no reason, his blood pressure shot up way past 200. In fact, as I recall, in the high 200’s. The Lord grabbed a hold of my heart with His voice and told me to start reading His Word….out loud! As I was reading, the nurse came in with a shot. I remember praying…Lord, no! No more medications for my Dad. I felt in my spirit that shot was the wrong thing to do…but I’m not a doctor or a nurse and I couldn’t have told you why, but I was close to a panic as the nurse stood there with the needle poised. All I could do was sit there and pray. But, curiously, the nurse wasn’t moving. She quietly watched the monitor and I kept reading the Word. As suddenly as the blood pressure rose, it started to drop. I sat there in amazement as my Dad’s blood pressure recovered and he was safe. The nurse said “good, I really didn’t want to give him this”. She also told me something very interesting. She said that she felt quite sure that when I started reading the Word, that’s what brought the blood pressure down. She said she had seen powerful things happen when someone would start reading the Bible to a patient. Isn’t that something? The Word of God, as it says, is life. John 1:1-5
		Today, my Dad is recovering very well. In fact, his doctor says that “it’s a miracle”. She called the Mayo Clinic and other big name outfits that have dealt with this disease and my Dad is the first person that they have ever heard of who has recovered this quickly. Praise God!...”Don’t rest on the wisdom of men, but the Power of God” and walk by Faith, not by sight”! Hallelujah!!!! Romans 15:13
		The last comment I want to make about this situation is this. I grew up a lot spiritually during this time. But, I also was taught a very important lesson. Yes, I was called to be a singer/songwriter/evangelist. That is how the Lord is using me to reach others for Him. But, we have to remember that is our main goal…reaching, encouraging and helping others in their time of need. The talent is just a means to get there. Sometimes the Lord will call you to do something that doesn’t require “the stage” or the physical talent you were given. It requires a simple willingness to serve, no matter what the venue is….. Hebrews 3:13; 10:23-25
		The Lord released me to come back to Texas on December 16th, just in time to pack up, rest and “hit the road” again. Our first stop was God’s Learning Channel (GLC) out of Midland, TX. We’ve been blessed to sing on that program several times in the past, but this time (December 21^st) the Lord “took it up a notch” and opened up an awesome door of Ministry.
		We were only supposed to sing that night, as they had a speaker already scheduled. At the last minute, the speaker cancelled, and we were given the entire two hour program. We were interviewed at great length, as well as being able to sing. We were able to give our personal testimonies as well as present what our Ministry, Pony Express, is all about. The show airs several times after the original live show. Little did we know, the Holy Spirit was waking up an Apache pastor in the middle of the night, during one of these re-airs. He turned on the TV and GLC was on. He heard us sing one song, then heard part of our interview. The Holy Spirit spoke to him and said “These are the two people I want to come to the Reservation for your church revival. Not a minute later, Bruce, during the interview, said that we wanted to go to the Indian Reservations with our music and Ministry. Confirmation! We received a phone call a couple days later, inviting us to the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation in February, 2007. My heart has always been for the Native American (First Nations) People. We were thrilled!! You can read about our exciting time on the Reservation, in “Trail Tails-2007”). John 16:13-14
		Well, we’ve pulled off the saddle and gear for 2006. And we’re taking out fresh horses for 2007….come ride with us again and share the adventures of the Pony Express!

2007 Well, it’s a good thing we saddled up with fresh horses for this year! We’ve been hearing that the year 2007 is “The Year Of The Open Door”. They weren’t kiddin’! 2007 started off with a bang with a full schedule in California and New Mexico. In California, the Lord was so awesome in bringing us into contact with friends, old and new. We really saw the Lord moving in the encouragement department. We were encouraged in our new Ministry. And, we were also able to be used to encourage others in theirs. God’s Word says “iron sharpens iron”. That is so true when believers get together in total unity and work together for the goal….leading others to the Love and Grace of Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13; Hebrews 10:24-25; Proverbs 27:17).
In California, the folks we got together with were of all different nationalities, with different gifts and talents. We were all so different, yet we were all flowing as one in Jesus Christ. I thought to myself, now this is how it’s supposed to be! This is what Jesus is talking about in the Word when He talks about total unity! Soooo awesome!! (Acts 2:42-47; Philippians 2:1-2)
	We left California and headed for Roswell, New Mexico with a large storm chasing us down the road. A few flakes hit us as we drove along the lower breaks of the Guadalupe Mountains, but we safely made it to our hotel. We woke up to snow the next morning. It was too cool!
Now, we get to one of the most exciting adventures this year! Remember at the end of the 2006 Trail Tails when I wrote about how we were called to go to the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation? We went at the end of February, and it was awesome! Wow! God was really moving! We just hung on for the ride and let Him go! The People there are so awesome! They accepted us right in and we felt very blessed to be with them. During the Services throughout the weekend, people were delivered, saved, they prophesied…..it was exciting! The Pastor there delivers his sermons partly in the Apache language and partly in English. Very cool.
In one particular service, after we had sung the song “Still In Love”, God moved on one of the Apache women and she started speaking in tongues and Apache. She kept saying over and over…….”Come back to Me!” I get teary eyed even as I write this. God was telling the Apache People to ‘Come back to Him’! Come back to Him. Later the Apache pastor told an awesome story about Geronimo: He and his band were being chased by the Cavalry across the plains. The Cavalry were on horseback, but the Apaches were on foot. There was no way the Apaches were going to outrun the Cavalry. Geronimo stopped in his tracks, as his band anxiously wondered why he stopped. Geronimo lifted up his voice and asked for protection…...from God. Not a god. The God. All of a sudden a thick dust cloud came up, surrounded the Apache band and completely hid them from sight of the Cavalry. The Cavalry turned from the cloud and rode the other way. There are other gods worshipped on the Reservation, just as there are outside the Reservation. The Word from the Lord….‘Come back to Me!’ Awesome! At the end of our stay with the Apaches that weekend, we were invited to go back during their Ceremonial time in July. The excitement and prophesies continued……
	Well, the Lord kept us busy through March. Then, in April, we hit the Studio! Whoohooo! We’d been writing songs for this album for the past couple years and now it was time to record. Praise God we were blessed to have the same musicians, etc. on this Album as we did on the last Calvary Cowboys album and my own “Don’t Look Back” album. What I so appreciated about all these guys and gal (Amanda), was that they all have a sweet, professional…no ego…personality. They are so good, yet they are so humble. They love the Lord and we had, yet another,
	anointed, great time with all of them. Steve Palousek owns and operates Awesome Works Studio and is a musician, engineer, etc…..extraordinaire! He is a good friend of ours and we had a great time hanging out with him for the two weeks of production.
Now, before I go on, I have to tell you about the awesome promise that the Lord kept for me (which, of course, when I met Bruce extended to him as well). In the year 2000, I received a Word from the Lord that He was going to provide me with a living-quartered horse trailer. At the time of that Word, I was singing with a friend of mine. My self-esteem in the Lord was quite low at that time and I thought that the prophesy was for my friend, not for me. Frankly, I didn’t think I was good enough or worthy enough to really receive something that cool from the Lord. Well, I talked to the pastor that gave the Word and he told me the Word was for me. Talk about a turning point in my Faith! I felt so obscure and insignificant and the Lord showed me that to Him, I was “on the map” and He loved and wanted to use me.
	To make a long story short, I stood in Faith for 7 years and the Trailer finally manifested itself this year, along with a brand new Dodge truck to pull it! God is good!! There were times when I wanted to “take the bull by the horns” and get another job, etc. to “make it happen” or to “help God out” with His promise. But, one day, He spoke loud and clear to my spirit and told me “I said I was going to give you that Trailer”. Well, He didn’t have to tell me twice. I was working hard enough at the job I had. I really didn’t want to go out and get another one and make it hard on myself! As you can see by the pictures, it was worth the wait! And God gives the very best….on time and in excellence! Romans 4:19-25; Hebrews 13:20-21.
Well, with open doors comes change. Isn’t it funny how the Lord doesn’t ever want us to stay the same? Sometimes during that change, you get that “deer in the headlights look” and a pounding in your heart, but Praise God we never get stale! In saying that, we felt the Lord leading us to give up our rent house in New Ulm and hit the road full time in our new Rig. We were running full out, non-stop…..putting away, stowing away, throwing away and Ebaying away just about everything we owned (and singing in between). Yeehaw, what a rodeo! But, we got it all done. We were a bit glassy eyed when we drove out of our driveway for the last time, but it was all worth it. Isaiah 43:18-19
	When we hit the road, the Lord provided free places for us to stay all the way through. Not only that, He knew what my horses needed in the way of turn out pens, grass, water...you name it and that was provided too. No matter how much I studied and compiled info on long distance horse travel, I was still ignorant. Praise God, He had our back and worked everything out. I'm so overwhelmed as I write this, at the goodness of God. We were absolutely exhausted by the time we drove out of New Ulm and the Lord provided times of good sleep and rest where we could catch up with our sanity! Philippians 4:19
	One of the awesome rest times was in Colorado with Bruce’s family. Boy, did we have a ball! We were able to river raft down the Colorado, take a train up the Royal Gorge, and go back to South Fork. We also played the card game “Hand and Foot” to all hours. Bruce’s family is a blast!	Cathedral rock - South Fork, CO
	Remember the Apache Indian Reservation? Check this out. God has a huge plan for all Native American (First Nations) People. We feel honored to be a part of God’s great move with these noble, spiritual and full-of-heart People. While we were there, we sang at the Ceremonial Parade on the back of a flatbed trailer, with the kids riding on the back. We flipped burgers at the church concession stand, loaned out our horses and did whatever the Lord had us do to help. We loved every minute we were there and cried when we had to leave. Check out this prophecy that came out during a church service through the Apache Pastor and confirmed by an Apache woman in the congregation: Apache People! Take courage! The Lord wants to do a new work in you- Isaiah 43:19. God will pour out His Spirit on you and there will be a mighty move of the People through the Spirit. Get ready, prepare…it’s coming! He will raise up the People. He will make something out of the base. Out of small beginnings, come great things! Native Americans are a sleeping giant! Hallelujah!! I can’t wait to see this Prophecy come to pass!! The Lord has been faithful in showing us the doors to walk through in our Ministry. Usually, we have advance notice. But, occasionally, he’ll do a little faith-check and not reveal the door until we’re trying to find “the knob”. Hebrews 11:8
It was cool how the Lord brought us to Midland, Texas. The church grounds there are our "hole-up" place when we're passing through. When we passed through there on August 5th, the pastor and his wife said that if we weren’t doing anything on the 17th-19th that we'd be more than welcome to come to their women's conference as their guests. I thought that would be very cool, but we needed to be open to where the Lord wanted us to go sing/minister. Well, we left the Guadalupe Mountains from a Cowboy Camp we ministered at and headed down the hills. We had no phone coverage up there and the Lord had not confirmed to us where we were supposed to go when we left the Camp. We thought: "Well, when we finally get phone coverage at the bottom of the hills, we'll probably get a phone message from someone and we'll know where to go". We got to the bottom of the hills....nothing. We said: "O.K., Lord. We're just going to keep driving towards Midland and if the women's conference is not where you want us to be, or it is...please confirm it". We drove all the way to Midland with no confirmation yet and pulled into the church grounds. It was amazing. I hadn't even unloaded the horses yet and the pastor's wife came up to me, half in tears and said: "I can't believe ya'll are here. I had to take a double-look to believe it. Our music minister just quit this morning and we have no leader or guitar player for the women's conference! And then, here ya'll are!" I smiled to myself as I unloaded the horses. God is so faithful. The women's conference went really well. We were also able to help them behind the scenes getting ready for it, as they were short-handed. God is SO good! It was a faith-building example of, even though you can't see what God is doing right then, He's always working behind the scenes on our behalf! II Corinthians 5:7 Well, God had us in Midland for about a month and a half and then we were off to California. Wow! In route, while we were holed up in Flagstaff, AZ, we received a phone call that set our schedule on fire! God opened an amazing door and we jumped that threshold, “galloping” on through…..more to come……		Cowboy Camp sign - Guadalupe Christian Camp - Queen, NM Bruce and a borrowed mule riding in the Guadalupe Mtns. Lots of rattlesnakes in this country! View from the Indian Vista towards the broke-offs - Guadalupe Mtns. View from the Indian Vista -Guadalupe Mtns., NM August 2007 Bloom where you are planted
Shara exploring the pictographs and petroglyphs in the Guadalupe Mtns. Sky over Mayhill, NM	Well, here I am looking back at the last three months of 2007. When I told you there was “more to come”….oh, man…I’m not so sure that we didn’t grab onto a tail of a comet! The phone call came from Coy Huffman…rodeo announcer extraordinaire, but first, foremost and altogether more important, an apostle of the Lord. He and his wife Donna have been a total blessing to Bruce and I and the Lord has greatly used them in our lives and Ministry. We have met the most awesome people through them that will forever be life long friends and fellow comrades as we go out and tell people about Jesus Christ.
As you can tell by our schedule, we’ve been mostly in Central to Northern California and into Oregon. What a blessing to meet these down home folks that love the Lord. One of the gatherings that we all went to was a Cowboy Camp, put on by Merle and Sandy Newton. They are in the top of their field in training working cow dogs. We had the privilege of watching their dogs in action that weekend. There were also other folks that presented their talents as well: goat tying, barrel racing, roping, singing, horse training, ATV instruction and riding, etc. We even had a stick horse rodeo complete with National Anthem, a clown and kickin’ music! The little kids got to ride stick horses and stick bulls and buck out of the PVC pipe bucking chutes and show us their stuff! It was a hoot!		Bible Camp in Prather, CA - praising the Lord! A snowy Mt. Shasta
I got to perform with the Glory Riders for the first time too. What an honor! They are a precision drill team that rides for the Lord. It is an awesome ministry (for more info, see our “Friends” page and click on their logo)! As we’ve traveled around this country, we are seeing a gathering of the Lord. A coming together of believers that are of the same mind and Spirit. Hallelujah! The Lord even brought some of our brothers and sisters from Sweden! What a kick they are! They taught us how to dance….we taught them how to ride….and we all sang and fellowshipped together for about a month. What an awesome time! The Lord calls for our Unity….One Lord, One Faith, One Spirit. What joy! What an awesome example we had in Unity of the Faith. Having FUN with our brothers and sisters, as we focused on the One Who brought us together….Jesus! (Ephesians 4..the whole thing!) The Joy of the Lord is my strength…..Whoooohoooo!! Can’t wait for 2008!!

After all these years you can still drink out of the stream Bruce and Shara on the Tule Indian Res. Pastor John on the Tule Indian Res. Boy are we glad for progress! Riding the boy (Nocona) in Arizona Casa Grande Ruins Bruce at Lake Tahoe Shara at the Gila Cliff Dwellings Elk and Mule Deer on our Sunday drive thru the Guadalupe Mtns. Easter Sunrise in Sonora, CA Tom Modrell and Bruce - Easter sunrise Encouragement for weary Road Warriors Guadalupe Mtns. Shara ridin' the bull at Faith Country - Midland, TX What style! Shara and Tari Tari and Bruce Storm above the buttes Smile in Sedona - Oct 08 Shara, Danna and Bruce - Juvenile Detention Center - Nogales, AZ The Glory Riders! Shara and Gladiator Mt. Shasta Mt. San Jacinto - view from rest area Hawk on the wing - Chino Valley, AZ Truckee River - CA Baptism Cowboy Style Cowboy & Indian Meeting - Washington State Native Friends we met in Washington - Gary and Pat Walker - Firestarters Ministries Graham, WA Bow and Arrow Cloud-God's Nature is Cool!	*Trail Tails – 2008* Well, as of this particular writing, it is now September, 2008. The dust is settling and I’m looking around going “Wow!” We were hoofin’ it! I told myself that I was going to write updates to our travels every month to keep up. Well…..NOT! As you can see, that didn’t happen! Oh, well. But, at least I’m back now. However, with the arduous task in front of me of trying to remember all the exciting things that happened to us this year. A word to the wise…procrastination is a bummer! Don’t do it! Anyway, (Lord help my memory)…here goes! I’m sitting in the back of our Rig (in the horse stalls). I got back here to our “camp” earlier than expected from watching a barrel race and realized I didn’t have any keys to get into our living quarters. Bruce, with the keys, was about an hour away trying to find an Internet signal to check e-mails. I looked around me for something to entertain myself with….let’s see…I have my I-Pod! ...no earphones…Bible!..nope..in the Rig and with Bruce in the truck….ANY kind of reading material (the back of a feed bag would have sufficed). Oh yea! I can saddle up Nocona!….tack room…locked. I finally resolved myself to calling friends on my phone that had one bar of coverage…chancing being able to hear them, as I busted the volume key on it when I dropped it on the asphalt at the Salinas Rodeo. After calling my friends and leaving messages, I suddenly realized that our hay pod was unlocked and I had pads of paper up there. Whalah! I have got to update Trail Tails!....... Wow! What a growth year! We kept hearing 2008 is a year of new beginnings. However, eight also means “to put off”. You have to “put off” the old, in order to “put on the new”. Old thought patterns, old ways of doing things… We hear the term “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Well, in some things that’s true. However, in other instances, even if it does work, there may be a better way that God is trying to show us. The plow still worked and the horses were still healthy, but that didn’t stop the farmer from eyeing and buying that new John Deere! Personally, it would have been hard to see the horses go, but the old ways just weren’t efficient enough to keep up with the times and the needs of the people. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We’ve heard some crazy things being on the road. Church splits are pretty common, unfortunately (look at all the denominations). We’ve heard the usual reasons…doctrinal issues, hostile take-overs, arguments over what kind of flooring needs to go in the bathroom…she/he looked at me funny….whatever. However, this one was pretty amusing. Not, of course, to the people involved, but nevertheless fascinating because it shows just how far Satan can take us, if we let him. (1 Peter 5:8) This one was over an Elk. An Elk, you say? Surely, a metaphor, right? Nah, a real Elk. Apparently, someone unwittingly shot an Elk that someone else in the church was tracking. Granted, that’s a bummer. I used to hunt and there definitely would be some disappointment there. But…. Now, all the people involved are really nice, solid people. But, it’s “funny” how Satan can wreak havoc by working people into a frenzy over things that aren’t going to mean anything after we leave this earth. (1 Corinthians 10:31-33; Ephesians 4:29-32; Colossians 3:12-17) A thought-Satan can only dangle the “carrot” of offense in front of us. However, he has no power over the situation or people until we take the bait and run with it. He laughs over the impending destruction - - while God’s heart breaks. Guaranteed, if the offense is not taken and forgiveness is chosen, a much better reward will be given….a bigger, better Elk maybe for the person who chose not to “take the bait”? (Matthew 6:33; John 10:10; Ephesians 5:1-7; I Corinthians 13:13; Philippians 4:19) We all need to focus on the really important stuff….putting God first in our lives, loving others and finding out what our destiny is and working in it. Satan has done a really good job in distracting us with all kinds of stuff. It’s time to get our focus back and start walking in the love and power of Jesus Christ and claiming our heritage in Him. In so doing, honoring what He died for. Well, this year held a lot of joys and adventure, as well some pain….that’s life. We met so many people on the road that have now become good friends. We got to see territory that we probably would never have had a chance to see. We traveled from Texas to Arizona…on to California…up to Oregon through Washington…traveled to Nevada via a stop back through California. Hit Arizona and New Mexico again and then back to Texas. Whew!! It would take too long to tell everything, so please look at the pictures….they really do speak a ton! In January, we went to our first International Cowboy Ministers Conference in Las Vegas, put on by Coy and Donna Huffman. We knew it was the Lord telling us to go because Bruce and I both loathe Vegas. But, we’ve both learned that when the Lord says go, no matter where it is, it’s to our best interest to go for it. After all, I’m pretty certain, he can handle the spiritual riff-raff. I am so glad we went. We had a blast! We met up with past friends and made new friends….even from Sweden! We danced, sang, received encouraging Words from the Lord about our Ministry. It was awesome! We left there ready to start the new year. And what a year it’s been! (Psalm 133; Ephesians 4:1-6; Proverbs 27:17) But along with the good, we had some sadness too. One of my horses, Tari, who I had for 18 years, passed away. He was 24. We were all in shock, as he seemed in perfect health. We were totally grieved. However, even though it was hard to understand, the Lord and His Grace was right there. Mine and Tari’s heart was always in the mountains, no matter where we were…even when we lived in Texas. The Lord provided a burial place on a ranch in a mountain meadow in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A good friend of ours Grandparents own the ranch and were so gracious to provide that place for him and for us. It truly is a beautiful place. (John 16:33; Romans 8:28) Thankfully, our schedule was packed and we were on the road right after it happened, so we were able to get away and heal. It still stings sometimes, of course, as he and I went through a lot together (good and bad) in those 18 years. And, of course, Bruce loved him dearly too. So, it all takes time. We’ve had the privilege of traveling with Coy and Donna Huffman to a lot of their rodeo Cowboy and other Cowboy churches from California to Oregon and from Arizona to Nevada. We headed off for Arizona for a big run of Rodeo Cowboy Churches in Arizona. A really cool thing happened to us on the way to the rodeo in Yuma, AZ. God moves in so many different ways. I was driving our Rig down through the Cajon Pass in Southern California, looking intently for the turn off that would take us on a shortcut along the base of the mountains. I looked at every sign as we traveled down the highway, but somehow I missed the turn-off. Feeling very stupid and frustrated, I drove on through San Bernardino and right smack dab in the middle of traffic, which is what I was trying to avoid in the first place. I tried to put a cap on my frustration, by bringing to mind the detours that we had endured in the past, only to find out that we were saved from something. That and the traffic kept my mind occupied until we saw my Dad whiz past us on the freeway. It took our minds a second to register that it was his truck and then we were both grabbing for our phones. We ended up having a much needed and joyful time with my Dad. We well knew “the signs” of a God thing and knew that we would have missed my Dad entirely if I had not “missed” the turn off sign. Take life in stride and enjoy the ride! (Proverbs 16:9) In between the Rodeos, we were invited to Nogales, AZ on the border of Mexico to sing and minister to the kids at the Juvenile Detention Center. What a privilege! When you get to encourage kids in this type of facility, brought in there for various reasons, it is indeed an honor. These kids have gone through a lot of hurts. Some of them going right back into the situations they came from. They need hope. They need to know that they’re special and that God loves them and has a plan for their lives. It meant a lot to us to be able to bring that message to them. We set up our sound system in a little classroom and let the Holy Spirit roll. Word to the wise...never gauge what’s going on in someone’s head by their face. We sang and spoke what the Lord told us to, regardless of what we thought we saw on their faces. Oh wow! The beautiful notes we received in the mail from those kids! Jesus was speaking directly to their hearts.(Matthew 25:34-40; Mark 12:30-31) The next month we were privileged again to be able to minister to the boys from the Elkhorn Boot Camp in Fresno, California. It was a work day for them up at the Steidley ranch, along with fellowship with the Glory Riders and hanging out with the horses. To see hardened kids from the streets go from being apprehensive and defensive, to trusting and just plain having a genuine, good time was amazing. I remember one kid in particular. He was petrified of riding a horse. Finally, after much prompting and light-hearted jesting from his friends, he apparently decided it was less scary to get on the horse, than to face his friends. We helped him mount up and then watched a miracle. Encouragement abounded in that round pen….his buddies supporting him, while we worked with him on controlling the horse. His confidence was building with every hoof beat and we watched the transformation before our very eyes. I still get emotional as I write this. I will never forget his face when he finally dismounted. His face literally looked like it had a light bulb in it. He had faced his fear and he had conquered it. You could see the realization of self-worth all over his face. To be able to look him in the eye and tell him “Well Done!” was a joy I will never forget. (2 Timothy 1:7) We are so tempted in life to “jump on the band wagon” and point fingers at these kids who have made poor choices in their lives. Yes, they have to be accountable for what they do. But, when you see what simple acts of love can do to melt a heart of stone, you realize that these kids are a product of their environment and they’re just trying to survive. They are worth reaching out to. They are not a lost cause. “Love covers a multitude of sins. Love conquers all”. (John 3:16-17; 1 Peter 4:8-10; I Corinthians 13:1-8; Proverbs 10:12; James 5:19-20) It’s also been an honor to ride with the Glory Riders this year. It’s funny how the Lord “brings things around”. I remember years ago in Ft. Worth, TX seeing the Glory Riders Ministry Drill Team from Denison, Texas. I was sitting on my horse (Tari), lined up to ride with a Sheriff’s Posse on the parade route. I saw all these white horses, rider’s dressed in white, with big red cross emblems. I was a Christian, but I was not really living like it and kinda lost. When I saw those Riders, it was a gentle reminder from the Lord that I needed to “come back”. I still get tears in my eyes when I write this, because God is so good. He doesn’t beat us over the head, but He’s always trying to talk to us, reach us in His gentle way. 15 years later, as I sat on a white horse with the Glory Riders-(California team) getting ready to “run” our drills in a rodeo arena, I realized and was so grateful how far the Lord had brought me and how much I was blessed. I was able to ride with them a couple of times last year and Bruce and my schedule opened up for me to perform with them several times at various rodeos this year. (Revelation 3:20) The biggy rodeo was the Salinas Rodeo in Salinas California. Wow!! What a blast we had! We were short on white horses, so I got to ride Nocona too. A dream come true! Thousands and thousands of people were at that Rodeo! Nocona did awesome! He’d never been in a rodeo or in a parade before. Nothing like “throwing him in the deep end” right out of the chute! He took it all in stride and he had fun too. He did drills, ran with the sponsor flags and and we rode in three parades and grand entries. (Psalm 145:15-21; Psalm 37:4-5) It was a miracle that he could go at all physically. We had been dealing with a lameness issue with him for a very long time and the Lord was healing him (more on that story “down the trail”). As believers, we have far more authority through Jesus Christ than we take or believe. It’s actually our commission from the Lord to live in that authority, (Ephesians 6:10-18; Matthew 28:18-20; Proverbs 29:2) even as spectators in a seemingly fun, everyday event. We learned a good lesson to always be alert. Sometimes we take for granted that life will go on-day by day, business-as-usual. How things can change in an instant! Our friends and we were watching the Red Bluff Rodeo totally unaware of a bull that was charging through the back alley way. With the effortless agility of a gazelle, this two-ton bull leaped over a 6 ft. high railing right into our section. He proceeded to run over the laps of the people in the front row, box seats. As we stood, open mouthed and slightly paralyzed with disbelief, we witnessed a wave of people running, pushing, jumping over each other and bleacher seats towards where we stood. There was no where for us to escape, unless we wanted to swing over the back railing and drop 20 feet to the concrete. Thank God the pick-up men were able to rope him and flip him out of the stands. A few people got banged up pretty good, but by the Grace of God, no one was seriously hurt or killed. I was reminded of a couple of good lessons that day: 1^st Lesson: Walk by Faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). When I got faced with that sudden “in your face” fear, I froze because of what I was seeing. What I should have done was start taking spiritual authority over the situation. (Joshua 1:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:7; Proverbs 3:25-26). 2^nd Lesson: What would have happened if we prayed over the rodeo event, etc. while we were sitting peacefully in the stands? Could this had been prevented? (Psalm 91; Psalm 103; Hebrews 1:14; 1 John 1:7; 1 John 4:4) Walk out your Faith and do what you know to do (James 2:26). Lord, help me to pass the next test! The Power of God’s spoken Word is powerful! (Joshua 1:8). When your back is against the wall and you’re desperate, it’s amazing how suddenly we get a clue and think “maybe I should take God at His Word and give it a go!” In Santa Maria, Calif., I woke up in the middle of the night with a bad migraine and was up the rest of the night, white-knuckling the porcelain. We had to sing that morning at 10:00 and it wasn’t looking good. Praise God for Bruce! We have some Kenneth Copeland CDs with Kenneth reading the Psalms (Psalm 91; Psalm 103; Isaiah 54, etc.). After praying over me, Bruce turned him on. As the Word of God was read, I could feel my headache and nausea start to leave. All of a sudden, the symptoms were gone. I literally jumped up and flew around the trailer, throwing on my clothes, etc. as I only had a ½ hour until the church service. As I walked up to the tent, I prayed the whole way that I could even sing. My vocals were stripped from…well, ya know…and I had no voice and needed a miracle to have one. I stepped up next to Bruce and grabbed the mic in total faith. God is faithful, even though I still kind of had that “deer in the headlights look”. My voice went off without a hitch and my test was over. Even though the Lord didn’t cause the sickness, it was an opportunity he used to teach me some Kingdom stuff. He walked me through it. Bruce and I even spent the day at the Rodeo afterwards. Whooohooo! (I Corinthians 1:9; 1 Thessalonians 5:24; Hebrews 10:23; James 2:26; Hebrews 4:12). We are so honored to be right in the middle of what God is doing. He’s teaching us so much about His Kingdom and, in turn, we’re being able to teach and show others that Kingdom. We’ve seen people give their lives to the Lord, healed from their sicknesses, demons being cast out, miraculous provision provided….on and on and on. God loves us so much. He longs for the people of this earth to see His Power and Lovingkindness. He knows this world and its systems, thanks to man, is messed up and scary. If you are a Child of His, you don’t have to live according to this messed up system anymore….”My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in Glory” (Philippians 4:19). God uses the things of this world, but he certainly doesn’t depend on them. In this age of complete uncertainty…I’m glad that, because of Jesus Christ, we can live Purpose-minded and not Provision-minded! Our Purpose? To have a relationship with Jesus Christ first, then show others the Kingdom and the King. Isn’t that what Jesus died and rose again for? I’m so glad He did what He did, so that we could do what we do! God is good!! As we wound up the year of 2008, we were able to spend a lot of quality time with family, both in Texas and in California. We’re getting rested up for the Year of Harvest…2009! Whoohoooo! Bring on the ride in 2009!!	Tule Indian Res. Tule River on the Tule Reservation A friend we met in Donner Pass, CA Shara and Bruce in front of the Pony Express statue in Reno, NV Shara and the wild ones - Comstock wild horse band The Black Stallion of the Comstock Band of Wild Horses Gila Cliff Dwellings - New Mexico Rainbow over Payson, AZ Bruce and Shara - Lake Powell Negotiating the slots at Lake Powell Stuck in the mud - Lake Powell slot canyon The Swedes dancing at the ICMC Conference Praise and Worship team at the ICMC Praising The Lord at the ICMC Conference Dad and Me Nocona & Shara - Grand Entry - Salinas Rodeo - CA After the run - Shara & Nocona at the Salinas Rodeo Rodeo Clown jumping a wagon team - Reno, NV Stagecoach at Reno, NV The One Armed Bandit - Red Bluff, CA The Budweiser Clydesdales The Lord's Prayer - Tohono O'odham Rodeo Skydivers in Yuma, AZ Skydiver in Yuma, AZ Camp Thunderbird, NM Horse Program-Camp Thunderbird Nocona getting a makeover!-Camp Thunderbird God Bless You!
	2009
	Being written as you read this! :) Whoooohooo! :)