Equipping women to use their gifts for God, doing what they love & prospering in all areas of life
Beth Jones, International Speaker/Author Need a dynamic keynote speaker for your women's conference or retreat? Contact Beth Jones to speak for your event! As soon as she takes the stage, you can feel Beth's passionate, sincere devotion to Jesus Christ. Her direct, tell-the-truth-like-it-is style, combined with a heart of compassion and humor, appeal to audiences large or small.The two most frequent words used to describe Beth's presentations are "intense" and "real." Beth is now … Read more
Me on quarterhorse Western show horse Ace
Yesterday I recorded the last training video for my Just Write! No Excuses Virtual Summer Bootcamp students. I wanted to make it a special surprise, so I prayed, talked to a friend about what I wanted, and then God made it happen! He’s so good!
The surprise was a horse in the video! My friend Diane Bishop knew a woman with horses, Sandy Lowrance. She and her husband have an amazing ministry called Gentle Hands Horses Ministry in Pleasant Hill, MO, using horses with autistic children and teens.
I made an appointment with Sandy yesterday to use one of her horses, and then she recommended her friend Chris, who actually lives in Butler, where I do. It would be a lot closer and save gas…and it turned out to be a blessing!
I love horses. I used to take English riding lessons when I was pregnant with our daughter Leah, and then had to stop a couple weeks before I had her by planned C-section (I had pre-eclampsia.) As my doctors Leanne and Dr. Hull put me under anesthesia, I dreamed of laughing, riding on a beautiful, running horse. There were other horses in my dream, too.
Years later, Leah expressed interest in riding horses and when I went to a barn in Harrisonville, MO, that advertised riding lessons, to my shock, there was my riding instructor Tina, who had taught me years ago when I was pregnant with Leah!
I knew immediately I could trust her with my child’s safety and that Leah would be in excellent hands being trained. Tina had won national awards doing English riding shows.
Leah learned fast and became an excellent rider. Tina told me she thought Leah had the ability to be a champion show rider. The day Leah won first place in her second English show, I was overjoyed and so proud!
Several years ago, we went through a financial crisis and horseback riding lessons was one of the extra costs in our budget we had to cut. My heart was broken for Leah, because she loves horses.
Yesterday was the first time in years that Leah and I had been on a horse. This put a beautiful smile on Leah’s face, and on mine.
The owner, Chris Cumpton of Butler, MO, not only allowed me to record the video on a horse, but also let Leah get on the horse too – and has offered to let us ride the horses this fall when it’s cooler!
I am SOOOO excited about this! This is a huge answered prayer for me and Leah both!
The horse who starred in my video was Ace. He’s a beautiful white quarterhorse, and is about 10 years old. Chris has had him since he was about 6 months old. She shows him in Western horse shows.
Our daughter Leah on Ace
Ace was very gentle, an answer to prayer because I needed a horse who would cooperate standing still while videoing. He amused me looking at the camera once while videoing.
Ace and his owner, Chris Cumpton
I was on Ace first, and then Chris let Leah get on. The stirrups were too long for her, so she had trouble keeping her heel down. I reminded Leah later, “Remember, boot heel DOWN!” This is something that Tina was constantly emphasizing to me when I took lessons. But Leah had so much fun being on a horse again. Me, too!
Chris also has other beautiful quarterhorses. They show as well in Western riding shows. Leah liked the pretty mare in the middle best.
Chris’ quarterhorses
Leah thought this mare looked really sweet.
Pretty mare quarterhorse
I love horses and was so happy being on one again! Horses inspire me.
What inspires you? Do what you love. Leave your comments below.
You can view the video of me and Leah on Ace that I created for the Writing Bootcamp students, Inspired Living, Inspired Writing, by clicking here.
I made apple crumb dessert with vanilla ice cream last week. The first time I’ve ever made it.
Competitive with Epicurious, it was delicious and Ray and Leah (and I!) loved it.
My friend Diane Bishop blessed us with the cinammon-sprinkled slices of apples, fresh grown from hers and her husband Herb’s trees on their beautiful property in Appleton City, MO, and preserved in a Mason Jar. She invited me over for lunch last week and gave me her recipe for the apple crumb dessert. I made it that day for supper. Ray and Leah wanted more.
At her house, Diane and I chatted while enjoying her chicken salad sandwiches, chips, and home-made cookies, then walked around their property. She showed me their acres of 750 pecan trees, an assortment of fruit trees, their garden and pond, and all the canning and freezing she’d been doing this winter.
I’ve never done canning or freezing, and it intrigued me. This excited Ray (the man loves to eat!) and today he brought home 2 sacks of corn for me to put up in the freezer.
Diane and I picked raspberries while talking about my new book, the books she and her husband Herb want to write, my recent Just Write! No Excuses Summer Virtual Bootcamp, their ministry, our kids and grandkids, and more.
While I’d eaten blackberries off a bush before, I have never actually picked berries to take home. It was fun picking raspberries and talking. Diane gave me her large bowlful, too. I made raspberry crumb dessert using her same apple crumb dessert recipe, which Ray said was “incredible.”
A recipe for success!
A great recipe calls for the right ingredients, the right oven temperature, and the right amount of time.
What ingredients do you need to move your business forward?
If you need help and encouragement, I offer 4 types of coaching packages here for speakers, writers, coaches, and entrepreneurs just getting started.
