Never Giving Up! - by Justin Hatfield

Over the past month I have had a horse in training named Cowboy.  When he came to our ranch he was just plain crazy.  Over the past month I have felt that we have gotten nowhere until last Sunday afternoon!  That day, it was like something just clicked in his head and now he is really coming around and making a horse!  This made me think of how so many times it takes me so long to understand and follow what the Lord is trying to teach me.  It is so nice to know that the Lord does not give up on me when it takes a long time for me to get something.  If ya’ll come to camp this summer you will get to see Cowboy and hopefully he will keep progressing until then!  

The Ever-Loving Care of the Master - by Justin Hatfield

Cody is one of the best horses that we have in Upland’s  equestrian program, “His Reigns”.  We can take him out, put anyone on him, and not worry one bit about what he is going to do.  Three weeks ago, Cody got hurt and has been out of commission as I  work on doctoring him back to health.  Without the care that I have given him for the past few weeks, he would not recover.  With this care he will not only be to the place he was before, but he will be in better shape for the future.  

Have you ever been serving God but for some reason you were hit hard with an attack?  I know that I have; but when these attacks come and we get hurt, our ever-loving Master takes us in His care and nurtures us back to health.  So when these times come, let Him be the doctor and you will make it through!    

Serve Him With All You Have - By Justin Hatfield

This week I had the opportunity to talk with a man that just turned one hundred years old!  As we were talking, he began to show me some things that he had collected over the years.  Among this collection was the key to the city of Scottsville, Kentucky, a gun that his wife had given to him over 50 years ago and a book full of pictures that represented the past century he had lived through!  As we were talking he said that even though he had lived so long it still felt like it was yesterday that  he was in his prime.  

Our lives are so brief in the picture of eternity.  If this man, who even after one hundred years of life says his younger days seem like yesterday, than we have so much to look forward to in heaven, because it will be forever!  Keep living for Him and serve Him with all you have!

Gear Up for God to Use You - by Justin Hatfield

Justin in the Horse Arena in Wyoming

  Have you ever been in a position where you want God to use you and your talents but you are not sure how He is going to do so?  Well, I say that He can use you in such powerful ways that you would never expect.  For the past two months, I have been following the Lord’s leadership to continue my education of the horse industry, thus leading me to Wyoming!  My time there has been so wonderful because I have seen how believers across the nation still serve the Lord with all their heart.  Let me explain: I have been working for a man who has a national platform as a horse trainer. He does clinics and has a weekly television show.  You would think that a man with this kind of platform would just want to live his life, but I have found it to be very different.  This man is one of the strongest Christians that I know.  He is very open about his faith and shares it with those around him.  Being his understudy sparked a desire in me to follow after the Lord with all my heart.  Sometimes I think that to be successful I do not need to worry about my faith; as long as I can fit it into my schedule, it will be ok.  But, in fact, it is the other way around!  Keep the Lord first and He will give you the opportunity to succeed!  God is so great and we need to keep Him first in all that we do.