Indiana Rodeo Ministries

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Three Steps For the Champion

Practice—Confidence—Courage

You’ve probably heard the saying; “It’s not practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect.”  How true!  I always looked at practice as a friend, not as something that I had to do if I was going to improve. 

As a youngster in Northern Idaho, I didn’t have a lot of expertise or knowhow concerning roping, but I did have a tremendous want-to.  This drove me to practice all I could with what I had to work with.

When I came home from school, I would lay a calf down on the ground and tie and tie and tie.  I loved it!

If practice seems like work to you, you’re probably not that interested in what you’re doing.  Practice is an amazing thing.  Not only are you becoming proficient at what you’re doing, but something else begins to take place that is even more important.  You begin to build an inner confidence. 

Not only are you getting skilled at what you’re doing, but there is an inner knowing growing in your heart.  “As a man think in his heart, so is he.”  (Proverbs 23:7)  Once you know in your heart that you can do something, confidence set in.

When our confidence begins to grow; something really special happens next; we get courage.  Courage is what we need when we are given a challenge of some kind;  it remains to be seen whether we meet that challenge or whether we buckle under the pressure of fear of man, fear of failure, or whatever else.  Courage stays cool under fire and gets the job done.

Sometimes we look at people that have the ability to come through under pressure as if they were super humans.  Well, they are real people just like you and I,  but the key is they’ve done their homework.  They’ve prepared behind the scenes when no one was watching, until a strong confidence was built in them.  The confidence brought the cook, courageous spirit that isn’t afraid.  It’s ready and anxious to overcome whatever challenge to gain the victory.

Our walk with God is the same situation!  We need to be practicers of God’s word; practicers of righteousness.  Listen to these scriptures:  1 John 2:28-29, “And now little children, abide in Him; that when He shall appear we may have confidence, and not be ashamed at His coming.  If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone that practices righteousness is born of Him.”

“Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”  (2 Timothy2:15)

“But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”  (James 1:22)

“Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, then we have confidence toward God.  And whatever we ask we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those tings that are pleasing in His sight.”  (1 John 3:21-22)

• Practicing God’s Word means we read it and then we do what it says to do.
• This brings confidence toward God.  Jesus wants us to have confidence in Him in every situation. 
• Confidence towards God builds courage in your heart—to stand for the things of God, to live a holy life, to remain strong, to walk a championship life!

Three Steps for you, Champion.

Practice—Confidence—Courage!

Writtten by Jeff Copenhaver—God Wants you to Win!

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THINK  

                                    There was
A blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She
Hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always
There for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see
The world, I will marry you.'
                                    One day,
Someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages
Came off, she was able to see everything, including her
Boyfriend.

                                    He asked

Her, 'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The
Girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The
Sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected
That. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life
Led her to refuse to marry him.
                                     Her
Boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her
Saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before
They were yours, they were mine.'
                                      This is
How the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before, and who
Was always by their side in the most painful situations.                                                                            Life Is a
                                        Gift 
                                      Today
Before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't
Speak.                         

                                      Before
You complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone
Who has nothing to eat..

                                      Before
You complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone
who's crying out to GOD for a companion.

                                      Today
Before you complain about life - Think of someone who went
Too early to heaven..

                                       Before
Whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who
Walks the same distance with their feet.

                                      And when
You are tired and complain about your job - Think of the
Unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your
Job.                                            

                                      And when
Depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on
Your face and think: you're alive and still
Around..

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What kind of pick up do you drive?

A pick up is an important part of most of our lives. Some people use their pick up for running errands and such, others need to pull a heavy equipment trailer. We buy our trucks by the load we need to carry. Many can get by with a mid size, others a ½ or ¾ ton, and others may need a 1 ton.

When you look at the pick up you need to buy you want to make sure it will be able to pull the load you need moved. It must also be able to control the load. Maybe most important it must be able to stop the load you are carrying.

God knows the load we carry. Some days the load is not so bad other days we feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders. Whatever we are pulling, whatever we need to control, whatever we need to stop God is there to help us with the load.

Do you have the confidence to trust God to help you? Are you trying to do it all yourself? Have a little faith and ask God to help you carry your load in life.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 11:29  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.11:30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Borrowed from Heart of Oklahoma Cowboy Fellowship—Richard Boyanton

“Logan the Sky Angel Cowboy”

Here is a link to "Logan the Sky Angel Cowboy"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh5Fa6vZuFo

BULL RIDING

I admit I watch professional bull riding.  It amazes me the courage the young cowboys portray on the backs of those huge bulls.  They grit their teeth and climb aboard the stomping beast.  When the cowboy nods his head, the gate opens and the bull charges out into the arena.  They attempt to stay on for eight seconds. Most are thrown off before the timer sounds.

Bull riding is dangerous. Many times when they show a close-up, I can see the solid hoof come down on the chest of the ejected rider. Fortunately, most cowboys wear a vest. This vest not only absorbs some of the shock, but it also helps dissipate it over a larger area of the chest.  These flak jackets also protect the rider against being gored by the bull’s horns. They are made from the same material as bulletproof jackets, and work as armor against the brutality of the bull.

As believers, we need protection too.  1 Peter 5:8 states, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” (NIV)  We do not have to worry about our enemy though, because God has provided us with the availability of a “flak jacket.”  It is the armor of God.

Our Key Verse is found in Ephesians 6.  Let’s look at what we can discover from this chapter concerning our protective gear.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. (Ephesians 6:10-17 NIV)

With this type of protection, we can be as courageous as any daring bull rider.  Plus, we do not have to attempt to hang on for only eight seconds.  We can stand strong for all eternity.  God tells us, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (NIV).  Satan will be like the bull heading for the exit gate.    He will hightail it out when he knows you are bold and dressed for battle.

So let’s strap on our spiritual flak jackets and get ready for victory. 

This devotional came from www.christianity.com by Susanne Scheppmann.

03:58 PM (UTC -4)

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Two Horses 

Just up the road is a field not far from here, 
with two horses in it. 
From a distance, each looks like every other horse. 
But if you stop your car, or are walking by, 
you will notice something quite amazing. 

Looking into the eyes of one horse will 
disclose that he is blind. 
His owner has chosen not to have him put down, 
but has made a good home for him. 
This alone is amazing. 

If nearby and listening, 
you will hear the sound of a bell. 
Looking around for the source of the sound, 
you will see that it comes from the 
smaller horse in the field. 
Attached to her halter is a small bell. 
It lets her blind friend know where she is, 
so he can follow her. 

As you stand and watch these two friends, 
you'll see how she is always checking on him, 
and that he will listen for her bell and then 
slowly walk to where she is, trusting that she will not lead him astray. 

When she returns to the shelter of the barn each evening, 
she stops occasionally and looks back, making sure her 
friend isn't too far behind to hear the bell. 
   
Like the owners of these two horses, 
God does not throw us away just because 
we are not perfect or because we have problems 
or challenges. He watches over us and even brings 
others into our lives to help us when we are in need. 
Sometimes we are the blind horse being guided by 
the little ringing bell of those who God places in our lives. 
Other times we are the guide horse, helping others see. 

Good friends are like this ..... 
You don't always see them, 
but you know they are always there. 
Please listen for my bell and I'll listen for yours. 
"Be kinder than necessary, 
for everyone you meet is 
fighting some kind of battle".

What Makes a Cowboy?

Over the years there have been a lot of different ways to describe a cowboy. Some tell you the way they dress; if a person wears a hat and boots the must be a cowboy. Others would say it’s the way a person acts or talks, saying yes ma’am and the such.

 What really makes a cowboy is not how you dress or talk or even how you act. Being a cowboy is about how you live life. Life is tough most days and on the other days it’s tougher. A cowboy is a cowboy no matter what life throws at him. A cowboy is a person of commitment. Commitment is something you don’t see very often these days. When a cowboy signs on he’s there to do a job; if he tells you he is going to do something, it gets done. A cowboy is a person of compassion. Some people will tell you that the cowboy is a bully and out to hurt animals. Rodeos are protested as being cruel.  Those people don’t have a clue; the animals are well taken care of. The fact of the matter is that it’s the cowboys who take care of them. The modern cowboy is a reflection of the ranch.  On a ranch you’re there for one reason. Take care of the stock. Without good healthy stock, you won’t have a ranch or cowboy. A cowboy is not going to intentionally hurt an animal or for that matter a person. A cowboy will go out in the blistering heat, the icy cold, the driving rain to take care of his stock. The cowboy has compassion. The cowboy is a person of courage. Courage is required every day we live life. A cowboy will not back down from what life throws at him.  A cowboy will face each challenge with a “we’ll get it done” attitude.   As a Christian I should have these same qualities in my life.              When I make a commitment I should stick to it, no excuses.              I need to have compassion, for those who don’t know Jesus.              I need to have the courage to take a stand for my faith.

I Corinthians 9 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

 24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.

 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

 Borrowed from Heart of Oklahoma Cowboy Fellowship—Richard Boyanton

Trouble Getting Started...

by Michael Johnson

No matter who we are, we all have trouble getting started in life.  It’s hard to get going.  Even being born is really difficult for goodness sake.  We have all sorts of problems just coming into the world - then life gets even more difficult.  We have to go to the first grade!  That’s really scary; then junior high is like a Stephen King novel, and high school?  High school can be a killer. 

And later as we enter adulthood, doesn’t matter if you’re a golfer, roper, actor, college freshman, or new business owner, when you begin…things are hard.  Everybody has trouble when they start.  Even Elvis, Garth Brooks, and even Jesus – all had trouble getting untracked.  Elvis heard, “Go back to Tupelo, kid, and drive a truck.  You ain’t got it.”  In his first ever performance as a high school freshman at Yukon, Oklahoma, fellow students laughed Garth off the auditorium stage.  And long ago on the other side of the world, everyone knew, “Nothing good comes from Nazereth.  Who is this Nazerene?”  Why is that?

http://www.michaeljohnsonbooks.com

‘Cause we’re all like old Sport – that’s why.    

Trust me when I tell you Sport came from a poor family.  He said they were so poor when he was growing up, they had a three-legged pig… ‘cause they could only afford one ham at a time.  Sport – in that little Texas town - said he heard words like “white trash” all the time, and the words hurt him deeply.  Naturally, the young man came to believe those cruel descriptions of himself and his family, and all his early years were filled with embarrassment and pain - and that caused him to suffer from a deep lack of self-esteem. 

“Nothing hurts worse than that,” Sport said, looking out the window remembering.  For years, Sport conformed only too well to the expectations of those around him.  “I couldn’t look at people,” he said.  “Couldn’t talk to a girl or an adult,” he laughed.  But when he spoke those words, I noticed his eyes were not smiling.  Then something happened…    

Sport had a friend.  “My only friend,” he said.  Even though the friend lived in another town, this other young fellow had been observing Sport’s treatment from others for years.    

One day the friend said, “Why don’t you come and live with us in our town?”    
“What good would that do?” asked Sport.  “It will be just like it is here.”    
“Maybe – maybe not,” said his friend.  “People won’t know you there.  You can start over.”  Sport agreed to consider the offer.    

A short time later, he tried out for the football team.  When the team’s star player saw Sport, he sidled over to the coach and said, “We don’t need his kind.”  Naturally, Sport heard that.  Later the coach told Sport, “We have all the players we need.”  Sport asked if he could try again next year, and the coach advised it might be best if Sport tried another sport.  “I was devastated,” he said.  Then, he remembered the offer of his friend for a new beginning.    

Sport moved to a new town and a new school.  Mindful of how he had been treated and how that made him feel, Sport made a point of being kind to everyone in his new surroundings.  He smiled and spoke to the popular kids and he smiled and spoke to the unpopular as well.  He treated every person as if they possessed great dignity.  As he began to mature physically, Sport grew taller.  He lost his awkwardness, practiced basketball for hours on end, and eventually tried out for the team at his new school.  Seems while Sport may have been poor as a church mouse, he was rich in heart.  The coach was impressed with his ability to follow up after missing his first shot, retrieve his own rebound, and make baskets on his second – even third – attempts.  Sport not only made the team, but became so valuable he was named captain in his junior year.  And then another miracle…as a senior, Sport was named “Most Popular Boy” in the school.    

“It was because of my friend,” he said.  “He said things over and over to me.  Things like, ‘You have not been short-changed.  Those other people were wrong about you.  You have not been ill-equipped.’”  Sport added, “In time, because of his encouragement and acceptance of me, I began to believe in myself.”  Sport wasn’t through with miracles.  Not by a long shot.    

Because of his caring spirit, a shy girl noticed Sport.  They began to date and she told him her secret dream.  “My parents don’t have much money,” she confided.  Sport said he understood.  “But I’m smart,” she said.  “I want to be a dentist.”  The two made a plan.  After they were married, Sport worked two jobs saving every penny.  His wife worked her fingers  - and mind - to the bone, and one day their dream came into the world, no longer just a vague hope, but a beautiful piece of paper with her name inscribed and three little letters after that.  The letters DDS – Doctor of Dental Surgery.  Sport and Mrs. “Dr.” Sport began to make prosthetic devices, sold them, and made a fortune.  And Sport wasn’t through with miracles.    

Sport bought condos cheap and sold them high.  He bought real estate cheap and sold it at a premium.  Sport’s sharp mind analyzed stocks and helped him select dependable blue chippers, and Sport made millions.     

And on this day, I sat with him in his home all these years later – his mansion – filled with antiques, statues of angels and paintings from all over the world, and flowers, flowers, and more flowers.  Such beauty, and the most beautiful of all?  The kind and caring spirits of Sport and his beloved.  And I thought to myself, “How on earth is all this possible?”     How could this poverty stricken kid, the one every single person looked down on, how could he do all these unbelievable things?  Then he spoke…    

“It was my friend,” he said.  “He told me I was well-equipped.  He told me it was so important to believe…and I did.  He helped me to see I had been given abilities and that it was my choice to believe all those others who said I was nothing, or to go into the world and try. Things began to change in my life after that.”    

I guess all miracles come through a caring person.  The people who change us tell us over and over we are more than we think.  One in particular said it best…         

“I tell you the truth.  Anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing.  He will do even greater things than these.”                                                                                    Jesus - John 14:12

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I wanted to share with you a letter that I received that was written to the IHSRA as one of the contributors to the Jake Hodge memorial scholarship last fall.  It is rather long, but well worth the read.

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