Just as God has established seasons in His creation, there are also seasons in our lives. Sometimes we can get so comfortable with where we are that we resist where God is wanting to take us. Everything that’s alive is in a state of motion, and our daily walk with God should always be moving us forward and upward. We are to be content with wherever God has us now, but not stagnant, or so locked in that we never progress to the next level of spiritual growth or miss the moving and leading of His Spirit.
There are also seasons in our physical lives — infant, childhood, teenager, young adult, middle age, and the senior years. With each of those seasons come various changes that can either be resisted or embraced. We are somewhere in the middle age years quickly approaching the senior ones. Our children are grown — both of them now married and on their own. We have discovered that grandchildren will totally steal your heart and cause you to ignore the fact that children need discipline. The needs of our aging parents are now a significant consideration in all our decisions. And we are becoming more aware of the fact that one day our bodies will not allow us to do everything our mind thinks we can. So we have decided to go ahead and order off the senior menu, stock up on reading glasses, and grow old gracefully, making a conscious effort to stay habitually sensitive to God’s voice for changing seasons of direction, correction, and instruction. Our future is secure in His hands and our heart’s desire is for the perfect will of God to generate and orchestrate all that is done both in us and through us.
In June, we were back with the Southern Rodeo Company for their event in Shady Dale, GA. This rodeo draws lots of contestants so we’re thrilled to be there each year to minister to them. Also in June was the 26th annual Mountaintop Rodeo in Dahlonega, GA at the R Ranch. I don’t know exactly how many of those 26 years we’ve been there with the 4L Rodeo Company, but at least 22 of them.
In July, we returned to the rodeos in Ringgold, GA and Savannah, TN before making a long overdue trip to Texas. We have some long-established relationships there, and it was both needful and wonderful to touch base again and spend some fruitful time together. We were also asked to do a church service before the barrel race at the Circle T Arena in Hamilton while we were there — an added bonus!
By August, we were back in the southeast for the rodeos in Rome and Villa Rica, GA. September began in Dalton, GA, as it has for many years, before the Harris County Cattlemen’s rodeo in Hamilton, GA.
The first of October, our entire family traveled back to Texas for the Carson James Horsemanship Clinic at the KAC Ranch in Jonesboro. Butch, Me, Carson, Brooke in one truck with a horse in tow — Jared, Rebekah, Anna, and Lucy (the dog) in another car. The whole crew worked together to make the clinic a huge success and the Sunday morning church service was excellent. We’re looking forward to more of these clinic opportunities that are a new avenue for us to share God’s unfailing love and eternal plan of redemption.
As you may or may not be aware, our two sons, Jared and Carson, grew up living on the road full time in an RV. We didn’t have a place to call ‘home’ from the time they were 4 and 5 years old until they reached college age. It was always a concern of mine that their unconventional childhood would have some residual negative effect as they reached adulthood and sought to establish their own careers. After a few years of college, Jared entered the workplace where he used and developed his technical skills for jobs in the video production and marketing fields. Carson worked for some ranches and horse training operations developing his gift as a horseman. They recently brought their skills together and formed Carson James Horses — a joint venture to market horse training products to the equine world. What began as a ‘test’ quickly turned into a ‘business’ that continues to grow and grow. So, as usual, my motherly fears were unfounded, and I can now look back and see God’s hand in each step of their lives to prepare them for where they are now.
So this season of our lives has turned out to be a busy one —– ministry travels, weekly Bible meeting in our home, broadcasting Bible teaching online throughout the world, helping our parents as needed, helping out with the shipping and customer support for Carson James Horses, all while still finding the time to maintain our home, our family, and ourselves. The Lord is GOOD to those who seek Him!