Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Letting go.

Have you ever had something happen to you that you couldn't control?
Have you ever had something happen to you that you weren't expecting?

I know I have. I think all of us have if we really take a step back and look at everything that has happened in our lives. I always find it hard at times to let go of things when they are beyond my control, or when I don't expect them. I find it hard to give them to God. But once I give all of that to God, I feel free, I feel at peace.

The other day I was at the barn with my husband to see our horse Clementine. I was having a rough day, it got to a rocky start, and I needed some time with God and what better way to spend it with him than with Clementine. God uses her to soothe my soul. So we have Clementine in the arena and we are exercising her, and she is just going with the flow. Then, suddenly, when asking her to canter, she lets out his HUGE buck, and a squeal. As I was watching Mark work with her in the moment, I saw her freeing herself and it reminding me of well me. That day, I was let go at my job, and I couldn't give all my frustration and hurt to God. I wanted to hang onto it for some reason, but when I saw Clementine just let herself be free in that moment, I knew that I had to free myself from what I was feeling. So at the barn, I gave God my hurt, my anger, my frustration, and my confusion. And after I fully gave myself to him in that moment, I felt peace. I felt free. I felt like squealing and kicking up in the air along with my horse.

I felt good.
Thanks God for using Clementine for yet another life lesson. And for meeting me where I was at that day.

"A horse loves freedom, and the weariest old work horse will roll on the ground or break into a lumbering gallop when he is turned loose into the open." ~Gerald Raferty

Thursday, December 9, 2010

quiet

Is it hard for you to sit in the quiet? I mean like really sit and not let your mind be distracted with the stress of life. Have you ever just layed there, in the quiet...Have you ever just sat and waited for God's whisper? I feel that most of the time I want to hear God's whisper, but I am not patient even to let Him speak. I become selfish and wrapped up in my own stresses...Have you ever thought to share your stress with God? I know I have thought about it many times, but never done it. But God wants to take our burdens and He wants to carry it for us.

In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus spoke of this,"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. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Let Him take your troubles. Sit in the silence and surrender them to Him and maybe you will see a new light in your life.

Monday, June 14, 2010

The hard stuff

I thought starting my own business would be much easier than I thought. There is definitely more time involved than I thought, and over the past couple of weeks I have realized that how much you put into your own business is what you are going to get out of it. It's hard because my heart has such a passion for horses; and I want to use them to heal the broken. I want children and adults to be able see that there is hope through the horses at High Hopes Farm. But the journey has barely just begun; and I definitely have to kick it into high gear; otherwise the farm will not go anywhere and I will start to reap what I sow.

I am just continually amazed at how precious the horse is; and what a phenomenal creature it is. It amazes me how God could design the horse to be such a fierce and powerful animal; but yet such gentle spirit and emotional creature. There is nothing I love more than hoping the fence to the turnout pen to see my horse Clementine. And when we meet each other in the field; eyes gazed and hearts open as we walk closer to each other I feel at peace. And there is nothing I love more than when she lets out a soft nicker to say hello as she holds her head low enough for me to hold.

I recently was in the pen with her the other night. It was about ten thirty; and we were just walking around together staring up at the stars. I would walk around the pen and I'd hear her behind me; and when I'd stop I would feel her breath on the back of my neck before she plopped her head over my shoulder looking for a treat. When she realized I didn't have one; she just stood next to me playing with my zipper on my jacket pocket. It is in those quiet moments where I hear God's whisper. It's in that moment I realized that having my own horse farm is not something that is for me; it is something that I am going to use to heal broken hearts; just like Clementine healed mine.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Horse Quotes

I've been processing over the past couple of days what I want High Hopes philosophy to be; and I came up with a couple of quotes that symbolizes what the farm means to me.

"My goal is not to teach the student to ride; it is to show the student and the horse the relationship they can have with one another."

"My goal is to teach the horse and rider to connect in a harmonious and balanced way."

"Horses give me hope. After a rough day I know I can sit in their stall as they eat; and in the silence with them I feel hope."

"Horses bring hope and healing. No matter how deep a wound may be, horses reach inside us and heal a piece of our heart."

"Horses can captivate you before you realize it. They are much like the wind; one day you are galloping in the field and you feel them."

"What amazes me is how God created the horse. He made this very large and powerful creature, but gave them such a gentle spirit."
©Ali Robinson