Spiritual Food From Gods Feed Truck

                                

The New Bay Mare

I was watching a pretty bay mare today and the way she was acting caused me to stop and think. Now there wasn't anything she did in particular that got my attention it was much bigger than that! You see she had been turned loose into a new pasture. There were other horses in with her but they had there heads down grazing in the lush green grass of fall and they weren't the least bit concerned about what she was doing. The bay mare acted as though she hadn't even seen the other horses. Nor had she stopped long enough to even take a nibble on the green tender grass! It appeared that her focus was on something on the other side of the fence from her.  This mare had her head up over the top of the fence and was pacing back and forth, almost a quarter of a mile one way and then back the other. She kept her attention focused on the thing she couldn't get to because of the fence and as far as I could see there was nothing in sight to capture her attention either.

I felt sorry for her because she had herself so worked up with this worry that she had kept this pacing up quite sometime.  Her obvious internal turmoil was what caused me to stop and reflect.  It occurred to me that sometimes we humans live our lives like this bay mare is acting. I mean after all as far as horses are concerned this mare should be as happy and content as a chippie in a fresh pile of horse manure, the grass is good, she has the companionship of other horses, the temperature is ideal, the air is clear and she has clean water to drink , why she is in horse heaven. But, the state of mind she is in and the worry that is driving her has the potential to creating undesirable stress. 

Worry is like mental suicide and that is why Jesus tells us to not do it! We do have a choice when it comes to worry and that is we can choose to or not to. The choice to not will allow you to see your situation for what it really is and you can make wise decisions on how to deal with it. You might find that the reality is you have everything you need and are in a pretty good spot after all!

Worry is like rocking in a rocking chair.. you can do it but it will get you nowhere.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, love and a sound mind. 2Timothy 1:17

Out of the Auger,

Dennis Cappel

Hope Givers Working Ranch

HOPE... we all hope for  today, the future to become increasingly better than yesterday.
we hope by what we think. Thank God he gives us a new day everyday to have New Hope!

A day is never wasted if you think with hope.

Being the month of Mother's day I have been blogging Letters to my Mom  on
                                                    http://www.cindycappel.com/herbalists-blog.html .

My mother has passed several years ago but what I am discovering has been very healing for my heart. 

It is true.... Feelings Buried Never Die....

So join me if you are looking for any kind of Hope in life to be all you can be..not changing others as it will never work, I tried it and failed miserably causing me more misery, frustration and anger. LOL

So lets have HOPE  inside ourselves and reach up to our God given minds and lets search out more for this day that we had yesterday.

It might just help you turn a page of your life with peace and confidence to face the next.

I sincerely Hope So!!

Cindy Cappel

Hope Givers Cowboy Church short message from today by Dennis Cappel...

A moment between two thieves really just means to become aware of the Right Now!
Not letting yourself get stuck from the thief of the past or the worry thief of the future.   
When you refuse to let yourself focus on reasons why things can not work and you place all your energy and attention into the reason why things can work, what you focus on multiples.  Every time your thoughts try to drift you to the negative be quick to go to your NEXT thought and make it an encouraging and productive  one.
                                                                  Try This....
Set a mental alarm inside your head, and when you hear your thoughts drifting towards the reason why something can not work hear the word NEXT, sounding in your head.

This is practical  tip to help you live in this world in the HERE and NOW!

The scripture tells us we are to live in the world but to not be of the world. As scripture tells us that when you  believe Jesus died, was buried and rose again, to pay all of your sin debt and make you righteous in Gods eyes, at that Moment you are positionally seated with Jesus in the Heavenly's,  however; you still have to live here on earth.  There are principals such as gravity that apply to us while we are on earth. 
These are just a couple of examples,  
1. Think only on the reasons of the HOW instead of the can't 
2. Refuse to focus your attention on the reason why it can't work
Another practically earthly principal is to not get stuck in the past, you
  live in the now and don't worry about the future.
Scripture says the future has enough worries of its own. 

Look forward to next weekend as we will make a special day of the resurrection of 
 Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior!   April 20th sunrise service 6:30 with breakfast over an open fire following.  Regular service 10:30 am.    See you there!!! 

When somebody says something or something happens that has you headed in a wrong direction or has you upset.........

Try this. STOP! and take a few minutes to be grateful for what you have.

This is a powerful tool that can be used anytime you need to have a mental adjustment.

Gratitude is a process of atonement and mental adjustment. 

Atonement is defined as a satisfaction or reparation for a wrong or injury.

To make amends. It is the reconciliation  between God and people brought about my the death of Jesus Christ.    

Gratitude is the  attitude that hooks you up to your source and supply. The closer you get to the source the more you will be supplied.

I am grateful my family,  I am grateful for new day , I am grateful for Jesus, I am grateful for the air I breath, clothes I have, food to eat, the work I have, eyes to see, ears to hear, table to sit at, green grass, horses to ride, etc.    

Start your list and keep it in your mind and pull out from time to time. 

It will take your focus  from  the negative to the positive. You then will have regrouped with a new outlook on life.    

I am grateful your reading this, I hope this encourages you as it has me.!!!

Hope is Alive,

Dennis    

Sample message in part from  Hope Givers Cowboy Church

Can you recognize the truth or a lie from a distance.

I was driving down the road the other day and I happened to notice a gathering of horse trailers and it was in my view for a long enough period of time as I drove by that I noticed something's happening.  Obviously these people were preparing to go on a trail ride. It was a fairly cool morning and the scene that I saw a from a distance was petrifying  to me.  Those horses looked like a bunch of scared cats that were puffed up either ready to strike or flee.

There were two or three horses that seemed to have people around them trying to defuse what was happening. The sad thing was these people had already placed their children on top of these life time bombs.  This kind of thing only happens when ignorance abounds. 

I am not trying to be judgmental of the people, simply stating facts. The ignorance I am speaking of this is this.... They really don't know that they don't know. !!  and that has them and their children in harms way.  The reason that I could recognize that from a distance is because for my entire life I have been a student of animal behavior and I make a living by defusing the time bombs so that they can become useful willing companions. 

11 Timothy 2:15 says ...   Be diligent to present yourself a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth.   

Last Sunday March  30th I answered 3 questions.

1. What is prophecy...

predictions of future by a prophet

 2, What is the goal of prophecy....

The coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His kingdom in the last days  

 3. How does it concern us today.... It has been interrupted for a time by this dispensation of Grace . 

I Corinthians 13:8-10  Love never fails but whether there are prophesies they will fail whether there are tongues they will cease, whether there is knowledge it will vanish away.

 9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10) But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

 The letters from apostle Paul who was appointed by God to be a messenger of the mystery are all words inspired by God directly to us today. 

 Colossians 1:26 The mystery which has been hidden from all ages and from generations but now has been revealed to his saints.   

Grace to you,

Dennis 

  Horses and People….

It has become more and more clear to me why people like to use horses to work cattle. There are obvious reasons like the fact that on foot cows can easily out maneuver us but with a good horse we have the advantage back on our side. However; I think the reason we like it so much goes much deeper. I don't believe most people are aware of the reason either.  For the past few months I have been holding classes on working a flag to prepare for working live cattle. It has been through observation of people and horses often both out of their comfort zone that I am learning why we do what we do. I believe these horses often provide a mirror for us to explain our reactions in our own lives.
   When a horse is working a flag for the first time they can become very emotional. They lose their confidence and become insecure. The manifestation of these insecurities is where we see ourselves and I think one of the reasons we relate to these animals so well.
      One observation I have noticed is that when a horse is standing still and the flag moves it almost always startles the horse and they will jump or squat and some of them want to run away from it. This is an outward expression of the battle that is taking place between the horses ears. In reality that flag is no threat at all to the horse. How the horse perceives it is causing him to react to it.  However; if the horse is in motion when the flag moves they seem to handle it much better. Another observation has been that if the flag is going away from the horse he gains confidence but when the flag is moving toward the horse they often become very fearful.  So what does this have to do with us? The monsters in our own lives that's what.  We all have insecurities of some sort in relationships, finances, etc... The list is different yet the same for all of us, we all have some sort of mountain to over come in our lives and that is why we can relate to the trials that a horse goes through while being trained to do anything.
    We can learn a lot from these horses. On those days when crawling back into bed seems safer than getting up remember the horse that has his feet moving handles things better than the one not in motion. The one that moved toward his problem was far better in his emotional comfort zone than the one who waited for his problems to come to him.

 So I  Encourage you to get out of bed every morning and get your feet  moving toward your mountain and know that when you believe in the resurrection of Jesus that greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. So just as the rider is there to comfort and to add courage to his horse so God is there for us when we believe. His promise to us is the peace that surpasses all understanding in all things.

Hope Is Alive!

Hope Givers Working Ranch

Dennis Cappel

The First Canter…

Isn’t it fun to watch a new born foal? In a normal birth the foal comes into this world, wet with the means of his former world which was inside of his mother.  He comes out shaking the birth water off of his eyes and out of his ears and usually within a few minutes his mother is licked him dry and he is attempting to stand on his wobbling legs.  He might stager or even fall a time or two but most of the time within an hour they are up sucking and on the move.

It is not unusual for a new born foal to be loping circles around his mother within the first few hours of his life.  They seem to move effortlessly with their little feet softly floating on top of the ground.  They are almost always on the correct lead and most of them can change leads effortlessly.  It is fun to watch.

So what happened from birth to when we ask for the first canter under saddle when they are 2 or so? Did they forget how to canter? Why does there seem to be so much resistance? 

Just like us humans it seems that when we have to do something someone else wants us to do we have internal resistance to the suggestions of others.  I believe this is partially the cause for the seeming amnesia the colts see to acquire when we ask them to canter for the first time when we are on their back.  That coupled with the physical challenges of the additional weight of a saddle and rider plus the lack of understanding from our legs and hands at first often creates confusion, and if not handled properly can cause numerous emotional responses to our suggestion from frustration to anger.  Fear is another common emotional response.

For the good hand who understands what the colt is experiencing the emotional reaction is not the issue at all. In fact the good hand is always preparing for the next ride.  Horsemen with furutre rides are always on watch for the slightest try from their colts so they can reward it with the peace that comes from the colts discovering of the right thing.

This peace becomes the colts way of escaping the pressures of the world and it builds his confidence in his rider and when the feel is experienced by the colt consistently, a return of his memory on how to canter shows up!

For the rider with limited understanding of this feel they usually get evolved in the negative emotional response and punish the animal for having them.  Thus making an issue of the emotion. When the emotion becomes the focus point it will usually get worse and can trigger often unwanted issues to surface and can even give a lot of really good horses a bad reputation and all because of a lack of understanding from their riders. 

I am so thankful that when it comes to God and his dealing with us that he understands us far better than we understand ourselves.  He assures us that once he starts a good work in us he will take it to completion.  He tells us that we can do all things through Christ that gives us the strength and that he will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory and he promise if we come to Him we will find rest and that no matter what we are going through we will can have His peace that surpasses our understanding.  Now, that will give you the confidence to try his suggestions, they will always come with peace not confusion.   

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. 7; And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Dennis Cappel

Hope Givers Working Ranch

I am blessed to be able to work with horses almost everyday and sometimes it seems to become routine and I find myself doing things and not giving much thought to what I am doing, other words operating what has worked in the past. Personally I don’t like to stay in that mode of thinking of operating for very long.  Learning new concepts or new applications of old concepts and becoming more aware of why things happen when they happen becomes the fuel that keeps me pressing on.  The thirst for that fuel is fed by visiting other horseman and farriers and listening to their thoughts and watching them work with their animals.  One interesting thing I have noticed over the years is that people are honored to share their knowledge and it is a winning situation for both parties.  The one sharing the knowledge and the one receiving it. 

Last week I got to spend couple days with an old friend and partner in the horse shoeing world, Mike Walsh.  We spent most of our time together talking about balancing feet and shoeing horses in ways the help better their lives.  But in the afternoon Mike was going to put a ride on a horse that he was starting to work with.  This particular mare was a nice looking mare that appeared to have a quiet demeanor but as Mike began to work with her, he pointed out something to me that caused me to reflect on other horses that I had worked with in the past and I found it interesting because it opened a door of understanding for me that allowed me to apply the concept in other situations both human and horse.  Mike said “this mare is an artist at drawing you in to her world”.  She had a quiet expression on her face and she gave the appearance of being relaxed. A horse like this will draw you in if you let them and once your inside their world that demeanor and attitude changes almost as if to say “ your in my world now, you will do as I say.” Especially if you go ahead and saddle them and actually get on their backs. You see recognizing that attitude and posture is the key to dealing with it.  It is a quiet form of disrespect for everyone and everything around it.  Who knows why its there exactly. The fact remains it is there. 

I believe the same thing happens to people . Have you ever noticed how pleasant it is to be around little children for the most part, there is something inviting about their innocence and their eagerness to explore and learn new things. They smile and laugh and play with ease. This posture and attitude seems to increase through the teen age years, the fresh ideas of young adults the expression on their face when talking to them, they are eager to learn. Yes, their playfulness is inviting to everyone around. But as life goes on and the world starts to step on the dreams they once had as relationships with people in their lives fail. That brightness in their eyes start to dim their expression on their face becomes more sober and that soberness increases all too often through the 20’s into the 30’s and by the time they hit the 40’s and 50’s and if their not real careful they will find themselves just like that horse we were talking about earlier with a almost blank expression on their face but beneath the surface they have become unwilling to move their feet.  They have become resistant to new concepts, they have become over cautious of new relationships with people, and you see this is what the world does to us.  It lures us in with its false promises and once we enter in, it often times has its way with us. 

When you get on a horse that is in that state of mind your in danger of getting hurt. When you are around people in that state of mind your in danger of getting hurt.  You see both individuals are relaying on their own self effort, their own self preservation, as they have bought the lie that it is based on their own abilities alone to survive. The fact is we all need a Savior. When our dependence is upon Jesus and the finished work at the cross, our hope will come back and the spark in our eye will return. Like that old song says, because he lives I can face tomorrow all fear is gone because I know who holds my future.  You will have found freedom comes when we realize that we live in this world but we are not of this world. Jesus paid the full price.

Hope Is Alive!

Dennis Cappel

Hope Givers Working Ranch 

Over the past 30 years I have had the privilege of sharing what I have learned about working with animals to other interested people.  Each time I enter into a discussion about animal behavior I feel that I am always the beneficiary of these conversations.  I find it very true that a lesson taught is a lesson learned.  It is a very humbling experience to work with horses and humans and to help them to develop a relationship between one another.  People often come to me frustrated and on the verge of giving their horse away and buying a bag of golf clubs.  Now I know from experience that golfing is even more frustrating to learn than riding a horse. I suppose it is just our human nature to jump out of the frying pan into the fire. So then what do we do? Let’s go to a common scenario and that is the rebellious horse.  The one that seems to enjoy not doing what you want him to do.  The bully who forces his way on you.  The horse that seems to try to figure out how to hurt you. The rebel. This is the most common scenario I have experienced. Horses like this cause their owners to become discouraged, embarrassed and defeated.  Isn’t that the plan of our enemy to do to us all?  I Peter 5:8 be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. 

So how does the rebellious horse think?  I think it’s simply put, anytime a horse is allowed to rely upon   his own understanding, his own strength and uses it to get what he wants, that is the thought process of a rebel.  He has no regards for anybody or anything around him only his own self-preservation. I have found that these rogue animals use their attitudes only because they have yet to experience the opportunity of freedom from themselves.  You see if you have the opportunity to watch a rebellious horse from a distance he exhibits none of the signs of a rebel when he’s peacefully gazing by himself.  But as you approach this animal, the closer you get you can see his self-preserving behavior manifest right before your eyes. So then would it not be safe to say that it is the presence of our human nature that produces that rebellious attitude in a horse. The perception the rebellious horse has about people needs to be changed so that the rebellion can be replaced with acceptance and agreement. Agreement in the relationship is what brings about unity. It’s essential to recognize the battle lies within the mind of both horse and human. 

 Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  It is in fact an ongoing selection process that we learn to either accept thoughts or reject them.  We will be affected in our behavior by this process. Just as the horse does when he changes his thoughts and agrees with ours. It’s then you and the horse will experience a peaceful partnership. Because of this unity both parties will be better together than either would be on their own.

Like the horse we are all rebels born of the flesh relying on our own self efforts through our five senses.   God loved us when we were yet sinners. God says he will never leave us nor forsake us.   His grace and love came through his son Jesus Christ to give us hope and a future.  God is not mad at us he is waiting on us to change our thoughts our minds from our own self effort towards his thoughts, his ways. When we do we will find rest. 

If you are still in that rebellious state of mind yourself and have found your efforts to cope in this world falling short and you are exhausted without hope.  Good news it’s a new day for you by asking Jesus to take the reins and be Lord of your life.  No matter what you have done, where you have been, you will always be welcomed with open arms to his everlasting love and eternal life because it is Gods will that none shall perish.

 Lord Jesus I come to you tired and weary, forgive me and reuse me out of this self-dug pit, I give you the reins of my life. Thank you for saving me.  Amen

Hope Is Alive!

Dennis Cappel

Hope Givers Working Ranch