Hello from Ft Worth Texas. I've been here for a week and two days, and I have about 2 more weeks to go. This place keeps you pretty busy but this is the slow week. We only have one perf a day until Thursday, then 2 fri, 3 sat,and 2 on Sunday. That's SEVEN performances in 3 days! 

I brought 9 horses plus I am riding 2 of Rafter Gs horses. I am putting a lot if miles on all of them. Not only am I picking up but working the back pens too. It's like a feed lot in the back. I saddle a horse at 6:00 am and move the bulls and bucking horses and jog them while they are feeding. We also load and unload trucks during the day . 2 hours before the perf I drive the timed event  cattle to the arena and then the bulls and horses. 

45 minutes before the perf I go see the Justin sports medicine guys and they ice, stretch, and tape my leg. 

Working this deal is kinda like working at a big corporation. It's kinda neat. I have to turn in a list of the horses I want to ride and they put it into an excel spreadsheet. They wash and saddle my horses and hang the proper chaps from the saddle and bring them up. They also hay attendants that stay with the horses and clean the stalls every time they poop and keep the water full. 

It's a lot different and takes some getting used to but it's a pretty neat experience. 

The Lord has watched over me and I've held together pretty good despite my injuries. I really miss my family and can't wait to see them. 

Well we are here in Alexandria la for our first stop on our 2013 rodeo season. 

Last night was the first perf of the rodeo and the first time I've picked up since I broke my leg 8 weeks ago. It was really painful but not as bad as I thought it'd be. 

I told Anna this morning I was pretty sore from where Miss Rodeo smacked me. I thought she was going to go fight her. Then she realized I was talking about the saddle bronc horse Miss Rodeo. Lol.

We have 2 perfs today one at 2:00 and one at 7:30. I don't get much of a break because I have to be in Ft. Worth tomorrow night. Well leave in the morning to head home stop swap trailers and pickup the rest of the horses then head to the rodeo. 

Been thinking a lot about my buddy James who lost his girlfriend Rylee earlier this week. The funeral is today and I wish we could be there. I pray from comfort him and her family 

Jeremy

 

Well here I am sitting in my living room drinking coffee and watching the cows outside with their new babies. I love early mornings on the ranch. This is my last weekend home for a while. My 2013 rodeo year starts this week. I am still pretty nervous about my leg, I'm getting around alright albeit with a pretty noticeable limp, what I'm worried about is riding a horse. I have been riding the last couple of days but it is plenty painful! I can go all day in a left lead but the right lead is muy malo.

I have a couple more days to work on it. We leave Thursday for Alexandria slack is Friday morning, then a perf Friday night, and a matinee Saturday afternoon then the last perf Saturday night. The two-a-day will be good practice for Ft Worth.

We'll get up early Sunday morning and make the 5 hr drive back to Elkhart then change trucks and trailer and pickup more horses and turn around and head to Ft Worth the same day. I will have 4 horses in Alexandria but will be taking 9 to Ft Worth. Our living quarters trailer will haul 5-6 horses max thus the trailer swap.

Once we get to Ft Worth the marathon begins...

Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:5-6.

If They Come for Your Guns, Do You Have a Responsibility to Fight?

I feel a tremendous responsibility to write this article though I am a little apprehensive. Thinking about the possibility of rising up against our own government is a frightening thing for many of us. I am not Johnny Rambo and I will be the first to admit that I do not want to die. The reason I feel compelled to write this, however, is simply because I don’t think the average American is equipped with the facts. I feel that a lot of American citizens feel like they have no choice but to surrender their guns if the government comes for them. I blame traditional media sources for this mass brainwash and I carry the responsibility of all small independent bloggers to tell the truth. So my focus today is to lay out your constitutional rights as an American, and let you decide what to do with those rights.

About a month ago I let the “democracy” word slip in a discussion with a fellow blogger. I know better. Americans have been conditioned to use this term. It’s not an accurate term and it never has been a correct term to describe our form of government. The truth is that the United States of America is a constitutional republic. This is similar to a democracy because our representatives are selected by democratic elections, but ultimately our representatives are required to work within the framework of our constitution. In other words, even if 90% of Americans want something that goes against our founding principles, they have no right to call for a violation of constitutional rights.

If you are religious you might choose to think of it this way… Say that members of your congregation decide that mass fornication is a good thing. Do they have the right to change the teachings of your God? The truth is the truth. It doesn’t matter how many people try to stray from it. Did I just compare our founders to God? In a way I did, but please note that I am not trying to insult anyone. For the purpose of the American Government our constitution and founders who wrote it are much like God is to believers. It is the law. It is indisputable.

Our founders did not want a “democracy” for they feared a true democracy was just as dangerous as a monarchy. The founders were highly educated people who were experienced in defending themselves against tyranny. They understood that the constitution could protect the people by limiting the power of anyone to work outside of it much better than a pure system of popularity. A system of checks and balances was set up to help limit corruption of government and also the potential for an “immoral majority” developing within the American People. We have forgotten in this country that we are ultimately ruled by a constitution.

Why is a democracy potentially just as dangerous as a monarchy? Let’s look at something that Benjamin Franklin said because it answers that question more fully and succinctly than I can.

Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. -Benjamin Franklin

Even 230+ years ago our founders were perceptive enough to realize that democracy was a dangerous form of government. How so? Because the citizens of a country can become just as corrupt as any government. We have seen evidence of this throughout history. Ask Native Americans and African-Americans if this population can become corrupt.

I think in 2012 we are seeing evidence of what Franklin was trying to tell us. Just because a majority of people may support certain ideas it does not mean that those ideas are just. In simple terms, just because most Americans love our president and voted for him, it does not mean that he has the power to go against our constitutional rights.

Next I’d like to review the text of the second amendment. It is very clear. This is the law of this land. So when Senator Feinstein or President Obama talk about taking your guns, you need to think about something. Are they honoring their sworn oath to uphold the constitution?

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

This is a pretty clear statement. The fact is that it took 232 years for the Supreme Court to even rule on this amendment because it has never been successfully challenged. In 2008 a case of Columbia v. Heller the Supreme Court ruled that a handgun ban in Washington D.C. was unconstitutional. One also has to take this into consideration. The Supreme Court supports your right to own guns. If you want to research this decision further you can start here.

For those who try to debate the spirit of the 2nd amendment, they are truly no different from people who will try to take Biblical quotes out of context to try to support their immoral decisions. The founders were very clear on the intent of the 2nd amendment. Let me share a few quick quotes here:

The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government. -Thomas Jefferson

Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and keystone under independence … From the hour the Pilgrims landed, to the present day, events, occurrences, and tendencies prove that to insure peace, security and happiness, the rifle and pistol are equally indispensable . . . the very atmosphere of firearms everywhere restrains evil interference – they deserve a place of honor with all that is good. -George Washington

The Constitution shall never be construed….to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms. -Samuel Adams

I could find hundreds of quotes like these. This country was built on the right to bear arms. It was built on the rights of an individual to bear arms, regardless of what his government or neighbor happened to think. This is crystal clear. Ironically the people who voice their opinions against this right have their free speech protected by your guns. Without guns in this country, all other amendments become null and void, simply because “We the People” will lose our power of enforcement.

We need to keep this in mind as our “representatives” try to push gun bans. I don’t care if 99% of people are in support of gun bans (which is far from the case), it is a violation of our constitutional rights, plain and simple.

A constitutional republic protects the rights of the individual even when their ideas are very much  in the minority. If I were the only person in America who believed in the 2nd amendment, I would still be within my rights to call upon it. You would all think I was insane and possibly celebrate if I was gunned down, but in the end I would be the only true American among us.

Our framers were very clear on this. If my government comes to take my guns, they are violating one of my constitutional rights that is covered by the 2nd amendment.

It is not my right, at that point, but my responsibility to respond in the name of liberty. What I am telling you is something that many are trying to soft sell, and many others have tried to avoid putting into print, but I am going to say it. The time for speaking in code is over.

If they come for our guns then it is our constitutional right to put them six feet under. You have the right to kill any representative of this government who tries to tread on your liberty. I am thinking about self-defense and not talking about inciting a revolution. Re-read Jefferson’s quote. He talks about a “last resort.” I am not trying to start a Revolt, I am talking about self-defense. If the day for Revolution comes, when no peaceful options exist, we may have to talk about that as well. None of us wants to think about that, but please understand that a majority can not take away your rights as an American citizen. Only you can choose to give up your rights.

Congress could pass gun ban legislation by a 90%+ margin and it just would not matter. I think some people are very unclear on this. This is the reason we have a Supreme Court, and though I do not doubt that the Supreme Court can also become corrupt, in 2008 they got it right. They supported the constitution. It does not matter what the majority supports because America is not a democracy. A constitutional republic protects the rights of every single citizen, no matter what their “elected servants” say. A majority in America only matters when the constitution is not in play.

I just wrote what every believer in the constitution wants to say, and what every constitutional blogger needs to write. The truth of the matter is that this type of speech is viewed as dangerous and radical or subversive, and it could gain me a world of trouble that I do not want. It is also the truth. To make myself clear I will tell you again. If they come for your guns it is your right to use those guns against them and to kill them. You are protected by our constitution.

Most of the articles I am reading on the subject are trying to give you clues without just coming out and saying it. I understand that because certain things in this country will get you on a list that you don’t want to be on. I may well be on that list. This blog is small and growing so I may not be there yet, but I have dreams. I also have my own list of subversives and anyone who attempts to deny my constitutional rights is on that list.

I am not the “subversive” here, it is the political representatives who are threatening to take away my inalienable rights. If they come to take my guns and I leave a few of them wounded or dead, and I somehow survive, I have zero doubt that I will spend a long time in prison and may face an execution. But I would much rather be a political prisoner than a slave.

If I go down fighting then I was not fighting to harm these human beings. I was simply defending my liberty and yours. It is self-defense and it is what our country was built on. We won our freedom in self-defense. We would not be ruled by a tyrannical government in the 1770′s and we will not be ruled in 2012 by a tyrannical government. There is no difference.

This is a case of right and wrong. As of now the 2nd amendment stands. It has never been repealed. If Feinstein or Barack have a problem with the constitution then they should be removed from office. They are not defending the constitution which they have sworn an oath to protect. It is treasonous to say the least. They would likely say the same about me, but I have the constitution, the founders, and the supreme court on my side. They only have their inflated egos.

I am not writing this to incite people. I am writing this in hopes that somehow I can make a tiny difference. I have no idea how many of my neighbors have the will to defend their constitutional rights. 2%? 20%? I am afraid that 20% is a high number, unfortunately. When push comes to shove many people may give up and submit to being ruled. I believe that our government is banking on this.

What I do know is that this country was founded by people who were tough Texas and Patriotic Americans take crap off of no one, especially our own government. For evidence of that, you might research the Revolutionary War. My question is how many Patriots are left?

I would hope that our officials come to realize that, regardless of our numbers, we still exist because they are calling Patriotic Americans to action. They are making us decide if we want to die free or submit to their rule. I can not tell you where you should stand on that. I do know that it may make the difference between living a life of freedom or slavery.

You must start thinking about this because I believe that the day is coming soon and I personally believe it has already been planned. Not all conspiracy theories are hogwash. They may throw down the gauntlet soon and my suggestion is that you prepare yourself to react.

I mean no disrespect to our elected officials but they need to understand that “We the People” will not be disarmed. If they proceed then it is they that are provoking us and we will act accordingly. We are within our rights to do so.

For those who are in support of taking the guns, you need to ask yourself a very important question, and I am not just talking about the politicians, because if you support them, you have chosen your side.

Are you willing to die to take my guns?

This blog post was copied from the The D.C. Clothesline blog written by Dean Garrison

Well 2013 is coming along pretty slowly for me right now. For those that don't know I got kicked by a horse and broke my leg back in November. I was in a full cast from my toe to my hip for a month, then a short leg cast, and now a brace. This experience has been pretty humbling, not being able to do things for myself is a BIG problem for me. I am, by nature,a very independent person and don't typically like to ask for help so this situation has been frustrating to say the least. My wife who is like a beach angel (One of our favorite commercials http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSVEQHDyC9A ) has been great, she has been doing all her work and mine.

Anyway, I guess this is like therapy... it hurts, but I guess its good for my character. I always get kind of a weird feeling when I hear preachers and other people telling Christians that God wants them to all be healthy, rich and happy all the time. I have always felt that God was more concerned with our character than our comfort. I personally believe that he uses pain, trials, and discomfort to sculpt his people into useful tools.

I am at the point in my rehabilitation that I can start doing things. I am just now walking without crutches, not very fast but I am doing it! I am also starting to ride a horse again.  I have for the past two days been riding a little and its been super frustrating. I am at the point now where I can lope circles without too much pain but stoping is really hard. When I load my weight up in my sturrups it is very painful. My muscles haven't been used for that in a long time and they are weak, the process of strengthening muscles hurts.

When you don't use a muscle you loose it. If you know anything about muscles you know that building muscles is done by exerting enough force and strain on them to cause lots of tiny microscopic tears, tears that by the way hurt! The body healing the tears it what causes the muscles to grow and thus increase their capacity. Your muscles cannot grow with some pain and discomfort. 

Why would our spiritual body be any different. When preachers and evangelists tell prospective Christians that if they say this prayer, they will have joy, peace, health, wealth and happiness then die and go to heaven, is misleading and setting them up for failure. The bible doesn't promise Christians a happy healthy wealthy life devoid of pain and discomfort, it promises them tools to combat lifes problems and eternal life after this life is over. If a young Christian doesn't know to expect trails and tribulation and was only told how rosey life would be how do you think he will react with the problems ensue? 

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Our comfort should come from knowing we serve the God that has overcome the world, not from health, wealth or wordly treasures. Expect trials and tribulation, and to grow closer to God through them. 

I know I'm going to be hurting trying to get ready to rodeo again but its part of the process, the only way to not hurt is to stay home and do nothing, I wouldn't have to deal with the pain but I would miss the reward! 

T minus 10 days until my first rodeo back in Alexandria LA.

2013...Lets do this!

Well here it is the first day of 2013 and I have been wanting to start posting on this here blog for a while but couldn't get motivated ...but now I've got the weight of a New Years Resolution pushing me to do so. 

I don't know much about blogs but I would think the danger of posting on a blog when you're not motivated to do so would be that you would make a boring post, and if you make more than one or two of those your would probably loose readers. I'm going to risk it this once even though I don't have anything particularly exciting or funny to post, but I will tell you my plans for this blog in 2013 and maybe that'll bring you back one more time.

2012 was one of the greatest years of my life, and I think 2013 is going to be even better. This year we will be rodeoing full time and traveling all over the country. I plan on sharing it with you guys via this blog. We get to go alot of places and see alot of things and have alot of fun.

Our first stop is in Alexandria La in two weeks for the Amicus Club PRCA Rodeo. For those of you that don't know I broke my 6 weeks ago at the Southeast Texas Barebacking School and have been crippled up since then. Me and my horses are fat and out of shape so it ought to make for a good story.

Here is the our schedule so far this year:

Jan 18-19	Alexandria LA	Amicus Club PRCA Rodeo
Jan 22-23	Ft Worth TX	PRCA Extreme Bulls
Jan 24-Feb9	Ft Worth TX	Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo
Feb 27-Mar3	Bay City TX	Matagorda County Fair and Rodeo
Mar7-9	Marshall TX	Marshall Pro Rodeo
Mar 12-16	Mercedes TX	Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show & Rodeo
Mar 20-23	Nacogdoches TX	Nacogdoches Co. Championship Rodeo
Apr11-13	South Haven MS	Rodeo of the Midsouth
April 19-20	Longview TX	Longview PRCA Rodeo
April 26-27	Athens Tx	27th Annual PRCA Stampede Rodeo
May 9-11	Crockett TX	Crockett Lions Club Pro Rodeo
May 15-18	Jacksonville TX	Tops in Texas Pro Rodeo
May 23-25	Killen TX	Rodeo Killeen PRCA Rodeo
Jun 4-8	Silver City NM	Wild Wild West Pro Rodeo
Jun 12-15	Weatherford TX	Parker County Sheriffs Posse Rodeo
Jun 20-23	Crosby TX	Crosby Fair & Pro Rodeo
June 28-29	*********	Tenative
July 4-6	Belton TX	Belton's 4th of July Celebration and PRCA Rodeo
July 31-Aug3	Abilene KS	Wild Bill Hickock Pro Rodeo
Aug 7-10	Ponca City OK	101 Wild West Pro Rodeo
Aug 14-17	Denton TX	North Texas Fair and Rodeo
Aug22-24	Altus OK	Great Plains Stampede
Sept 24-28	Texarkana TX	Four States Fair and Rodeo
Oct 4-6	Rosenburg TX	Ft Bend County Fair and Rodeo
Oct 9-12	Bellville TX	Austin County Fair & Rodeo
Oct 17-19	Henderson TX	Rusk County PRCA Rodeo
Nov1-2	Sherevport LA	State Fair of Louisiana
Nov 15-17	Waller TX	Southeast Texas Bareback Riding School

I'm not a theologian but....

(Continued from last night) After a few minutes of nervous silence from the kid I thought I would let him in on the fact that I was joking. There was a visible relief in the boys character. The thought that I would let him get ate was extremely uncomfortable for him, but afterwards the ridiculousness of the notion illustrated how absurd it would be. This helped galvanize the point I was trying to make. I took a few minutes to explain that he should not be afraid of anything when I am with him. As long as I am there nothing will get to him, unless it eats me first. And no matter how scary things get he needs to trust me. I think he understood.

When I was riding bareback horses, I prayed every time before I rode. I would tell God that I was there to glorify him and that he had free rein over me and my rodeo career BUT I asked for him to keep me safe. I know that sounds like a normal prayer and there is nothing technically wrong with it. But I said this same prayer every time I got on. As time went by I thought more and more about the prayer. I was basically giving God free rein over everything except my safety. I gave him permission to allow me to ride good or fall off, win money or lose me fees, But in my prayer I didn’t give him any leeway when it came to keeping me safe, at first it wasn’t that big of a deal. But after I noticed and thought about this, I realized I was consciously not trusting him with the choice of whether or not I stayed safe. I was not trusting him 100%.

It was a tough change when I changed my prayer from “Lord let your will be done through me and keep me safe” to “Lord let your will be done through me whatever the cost”. It’s a hard prayer to pray when you really think about it. Telling God he can do whatever he wants with you as long as he keeps you safe is a lot different than Telling God he can do whatever he wants to you in order that he may be Glorified.

"The remarkable thing about fearing God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing. When you don’t fear God, you fear everything else." - Oswald Chambers.

This quote is so true. I can honestly say that 90% of the fear in my life went away when I decided to trust God with everything. Just like I was explaining to my boy, even if things look scary as long as I am with him I will do what’s best for him. I think God was saying thesame to me. It may not always be comfortable and I may not always understand but as long as I trust him he will be there to take care of me.

There are people who will tell you that its Gods will for everyone to be rich, healthy, and comfortable. I personally tend to think God is more interested in growing your character and shaping you into a tool, than he is in your comfort. God has promised that we as Christians will be with him in heaven, but if you think that God owes you wealth or prosperity here on earth you are reading a different bible than me. God loves us and wants to bless us but he wants what he knows is best for us not necessarily what we think is best for us. Comfort is not always the best thing for us. Sorry if this offends you but I think “Your Best Life” should come after you die, not “Now”.

Bottom line trust God always in every situation whether it make since or not, he won’t let you down. If someone says your not rich because you don’t have enough faith, Ask them about how much physical health and wealth Paul, Peter, Stephen, and basically every follower of Christ in the Bible, had. Pray for God to mold you into a tool however he chooses to do so then trust him when he does.