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
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