Thursday at the Ranch

On most Thursday mornings you can find me at the Galloping Grace Youth Ranch which is run by our friends, Max and Michelle Wade. I originally volunteered to come out each Thursday to work the horses - round penning, riding out problems, whatever. However, some days you just need to do what is needed.

I could only stay until Noon today as our farrier came this afternoon. When I arrived about 9:30 AM, Max was on the phone. So, I grabbed a trash sack and picked up some trash left over from a party yesterday (Happy Birthday again, Brooke - from the looks of the trash it was a good time for all). I'm glad I got it all picked up as Max's Dad came driving up and this was the first time he had seen the ranch so it was nice for him to see it reasonably clean.

After that, I shoveled some manure which is God's way of keeping our feet on the ground - the Bible calls this humility which is an appropriate word as it comes from the same root for 'humus' which means ground or dirt.

Then I helped Max move a generator to a water tank so we could use a sump pump to pump water through a hose to water some of the trees - those the hose could reach. After getting the easy ones, I used a bucket to water some more trees. Anyone who raves about the "Good Ol' Days" has never carried water in a bucket for any length of time.

Finally, just before I had to go I got five horses from the corral and brought them out so Max could work with the kids who were there for the day.

I enjoy being at the ranch for three reasons: (1) it's great to see kids around horses, (2) Max and Michelle are good people with gentle spirits who love the Lord, and (3) God is there because the ranch is doing His work.

On Saturday, Betty and I will go out to the ranch to help out with a Birthday party. It should be a lot of fun.

Today is June 19 and if today is your Birthday then you share your day with: Paula Abdul (singer - judge on "American Idol"), Kathleen Turner (actress - "Body Heat" which I didn't see - too 'adult' for me), Phylicia Rashid (actress - Claire Huxtable on "The Cosby Show"), Pat Butram (comic sidekick to Gene Autry and Mr. Haney on "The Green Acres" TV show), Lou Gehrig (pro ball player - died of ALS and had the disease named after him), Guy Lombardo (band leader - "And a one, and a two..."), Moe Howard (comic - lead of "The Three Stooges"), and Blaise Pascal (French mathmetician and devoted Christian).