Book Review: Horse Tales From Heaven

I will be adding some reviews from time to time of books that I have recently read and enjoyed. Here's my first:

"Horse Tales From Heaven: Reflections Along the Trail with God" by Rebecca E. Ondov

Harvest House Publishers, $12.99

I am always impressed with someone who actually does what I only dream about, so Rebecca Ondov has my admiration for surviving in the wilds of Montana with her dog and horses. I lived in Wyoming for six months several years ago -- went out that way after falling in love with the movie "The Horse Whisperer" -- and found it to be beautiful near the Big Horn Mountains, but also very lonely and somewhat scary. The nearest Walmart was 50 miles away, and for a city slicker, that's just too dang far. So I am fascinated with Rebecca's tales of her life in the wilderness, setting up camps and kitchens and leading guests into the mountains. Obviously, she's not afraid to match wits with the weather, the land, the animals and even the people she encounters during her stints guiding pack trips.

Rebecca's devotional book, which features short and easy-to-read chapters, opens with the author assisting her horse during a birth and describes how the baby steals Rebecca's heart when it stands up and nickers to her. She notes this must be how God feels when we talk with him. The book ends with Rebecca feeling led to ask a dying co-worker if he has ever accepted Christ as his savior -- and the man repeating the sinner's prayer. What if she hadn't gathered up her courage to seek an answer and had waited for someone else to do it, she asks. In-between chapters deal with jumping to conclusions, callous hearts, the strong bond of friendship, being part of a team, getting even, listening for God and being afraid. Each chapter begins with a pertinent Bible verse and ends with a short prayer focusing on what Rebecca learned from each situation. The book contains an invitational chapter for the reader to accept Jesus as Lord, including a prayer, and offers a glossary of wilderness-related words such as greenbroke (a horse that has received very basic training) and hobbles (a wide leather strap that buckles together around a horse's or mule's ankles).

Readers will cry, laugh and hold their breath as they experience Rebecca's escapades in the untamable land she loves with all her heart, communing with a God she loves even more. Her honesty and vulnerability, as well as her desire to do what God asks of her, shine through each chapter and leave a hunger for more stories from the talented writer. It's a good thing she recently signed a contract for another book, called "Heavenly Horse Sense: Inspirational Stories that Warm the Heart." It should be out in late 2011.

For more information on Rebecca Ondov, as well as blog postings and photos, visit her Web site at rebeccaondov.com

Theology of Thankfulness

Ok, I've thought a lot, and prayed a lot, about my theology of thankfulness. Today is Thanksgiving, and like I said in my last post, I want to be more than thankful on just this holiday. I'm thankful for so many things -- my job, my friends, my family, my kitties, my car and much more. But it's easy to be thankful on Thanksgiving. Everyone's doing it. And it's expected. The problem in my life is being thankful on a regular basis, especially when things are not going the way I want them to go. But wait!!! Maybe that is the answer. I've thought a lot about this, and I've come to the conclusion that thankfulness -- the kind that Paul talked about in the New Testament -- is the direct result of obedience. Let me explain. When I'm being obedient to what God wants me to do, I'm not sitting here disappointed or aggravated or depressed because I'm not getting what I want. When I'm being obedient, it's not all about me. It's about doing what God wants, and pleasing him. There's nothing missing. Now, when it turns into a me-trip, that's when the trouble starts. I'm not happy. I'm not satisfied. I'm mad because my demanding self is not being served. And I get very unthankful, very quickly. Of course, being obedient is not necessarily easy. I want what I want. That's the sinful nature of man. I have struggled with this issue for months (OK, really all my life, but more intensely the past few months). God, you're not listening to me, because you're not making me happy. And God, being long-suffering, waits for me to understand. I think I do now. Tears have a way of clearing your eyes -- and your heart and mind. I need to do what God wants me to do, and that's all. When I do that, I will be thankful that he has given me the tools necessary to do just that. I guess that's why Paul was thankful wherever he was -- shipwrecked, beaten, persecuted and in jail. He knew he was right where he was supposed to be, doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was focused on doing what God wanted him to do, not getting where he wanted to be or go. Let me know if you have any thoughts about this subject. I'm still exploring it. And have a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Thanksgiving in reality

I'm looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Not that I'm cooking a big meal or having lots of guests over or watching football games or anything like that. In fact, it will be a quiet Thanksgiving with none of the trimmings. But don't feel sorry for me. I am dedicating this Thanksgiving to really being thankful. For everything. It has been a difficult couple of months for me, and to be honest, I've allowed myself to wallow in self-pity much too often. Emily and the kids moved to Texas, and I have missed them terribly and cried often. I've felt very much alone since they left. And things have been difficult at work -- I won't go into that except to say that I've felt alone there, too. In fact, I've felt very vulnerable for several months. So it has been with great interest that I've read about the Apostle Paul and his ability to be thankful in everything. Say what???? Everything??? I don't FEEL very thankful, let me tell you. But as I've read about Paul being in prison and giving thanks to God (Colossians 1:3) I've really marveled about it. Those prisons were pretty bad. But Paul was able to say that wherever he was, in whatever situation he found himself, he could rise above and be thankful to God. Hmmm. I'm not sure how that works, but I want to find out. I want to rise above the situations in my life and have a thankfulness that is strong. I want to know that in whatever place I find myself, I am thankful that God is with me and loves me and died for me and saved me. So I'm going to work on finding the answer to this on Thanksgiving. Don't be feeling sorry for me, because I'm not going to feel sorry for myself this time. Kim