Amazing Grace Stables

08/23/2026

🐴 Stable Thoughts - My Weekly Devotional
Apparently horses do interesting things when they are penned. The last few weeks have definitely had me questioning their life choices. "Why are you doing that?!" and "What have you done?! have become normal questions for me to ask them as I enter the barn. I try to give my girls as much room as possible. They are not kept in 8x10 stalls but rather have access to the barn with a 75 by 100 ft paddock to move around in. Still, it's just not enough to satisfy their natural instincts, hence the troubles we found ourselves in lately. We have dealt with broken fences on multiple occasions. We have had competitions of who can reach furthest through the fence for the grass (also leading to broken fences). We have had broken buckets. We have had scrapes and scratches that I have yet to fully discover how each one came about. Apparently finding little areas to wedge yourself and then running forward can result in non-critical injuries... But I understand their boredom. Horses just weren't meant to be kept in small areas. Their nature is to move, to graze, to cover ground, moving together as a herd. That is how I love to see my horses, living naturally and peacefully. Which makes it all the harder to have to keep them in most of the day, pending the all clear from the vet. Until then, I'm afraid the horses will continue to find interesting and often alarming ways to entertain themselves. They will keep looking at me like they are starving no matter how much hay I give them. And I will keep trying to stay one step ahead in finding ways they could hurt themselves and preventing it before it happens again. I cannot wait for the day when I can see them having unlimited access to the pastures once again!
We, humans, have a tendency towards the same problems. We are not created for the sinful world we live in. Our souls have a piece of eternity in them and the brokenness of the temporary ways on us. We were meant to live freely connected to our Creator and God. We were meant for Paradise, where peace reigns, joy is permanent, and hope isn't hard to hold on to. So in a world full of chaos, depression, and broken hearts, there will be problems. Just like the horses, we begin making questionable life choices. We get ourselves stuck, injured, and are forever wanting for something just out of our reach. We try to find things just to fill our time, something to fill the emptiness where purpose should be. But unlike my horses, we don't have a legitimate reason for being stuck where we are, and we weren't put there for our own good. Instead, we were the ones who ran in from the abundance we were given, shut the gate behind us. We locked ourselves away from what we needed, and then desperately wondered why we don't have it. This is our condition when we choose sin. We've all been there. Maybe we didn't even realize it at first; maybe we're so used to fences and problems that we forgot where we were supposed to be. We stopped realizing the ache in our heart was the need for eternity and started thinking we could fill it with the temporary and be satisfied. But eternity still weeps within our hearts. It cries out for the freedom it was meant to have. Yet our Lord is ready to free us - He has paid the price for our sins on the cross and offers us the only way to return to Him. That's what salvation does for us - it removes all the barriers we've given, releases us from the chains of sin. Freed not that we might destroy ourselves in sin once more, but that we might gain victory in Jesus! Have you experienced this freedom? Are you living unbound to the world and its lies? If not, you can be set free today! Jesus, our Savior, stands poised to throw open the gate and let you run into His love and grace!

"Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed." John 8:34-36

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:1, 13

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. The creation itself will be set free from its bo***ge to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Romans 8:15, 16, 21

08/23/2026

NEW BLOG POST (Finally!!!)

Let's look at getting a hay supply! No matter how hot and humid it might be right now, horse people have to plan for the cold. This is our time to make sure our beloved horses will be warm and well-fed when winter arrives.
Click the link or photo to see the whole blog!

If you look into my barn right now, you’ll see bales and bales of hay stacked almost to the ceiling. The small loft is filled too, and the sweet smell of new hay rests in the air like a light perfume. I always rest a little easier when I see the stables filled with hay. No matter how hot and humid...

08/16/2026

🐴 Stable Thoughts - My Weekly Devotional
If you've ever wondered how far a Halfinger can reach through a fence, you can see it pretty well in the picture here. This is the result of having to keep them penned for several weeks. While my other three horses nibble at the little bits of grass within the paddock and wait for turnout, little Dixie has gotten creative in her attempts to get just 'one more' bite of grass. And contrary to what they may tell you, they are still getting enough to eat with several feedings of hay a day, plus limited time on the pasture. I feel sorry for them, having to see the grass beyond the gate and not being able to graze. But they are closed up on the advice of both my trusted farrier and vet, after we noticed the early signs of grass sensitivity. First it was Dixie; so I simply penned her. But just as that cleared up, Dolly had a problem. Hence, I had kept the whole herd in now for both required and preventive measures. This wouldn't usually be an issue in the summer, but this year the grasses have been richer. It is always my goal to have my horses live as naturally as possible, which includes 24/7 grazing and turnout most of the year. But because I love them, I'm also willing to make the harder choice to keep them healthy. They have all been pretty patient about it, I think. But I know that as they stand looking out at the pasture, they must be wondering why the paddock gate stays closed so much.
Is there a closed gate in your life right now? Do you feel as though you are just left looking at the future and dreams you so desperately want - yet they remain just outside your reach? You have waited. You have prayed. You have believed. You know that our Lord can open doors, and you have claimed His promises. But nothing has happened. You're still in the same spot, asking God for the one-and-one-thousandth time to carry you forward. There have been sleepless nights, painful tears, and heavy hearts. The thing you are asking for isn't bad; it isn't selfish or unreasonable. So why doesn't He answer? Why are you left with your questions? Why does that door blocking your way remain unbudgingly shut? Maybe the door isn't there to keep you from something; perhaps it is there to protect you from it. Not because it's the wrong path; not because it will never be yours. But because we are simply not ready for it yet. My horses are not wrong to want grass - it's in their nature, a part of who they are. And they will absolutely have it again. Just not right now. Is this the very answer we've been given by God but somehow missed? That while we stand knocking on a locked door, He whispers, "Just not yet." We don't know or understand all that our Lord is doing, but we do know His character: we know that He is love (1 John 4:16), that He is good (Psalm 149:9), that He is faithful (2 Thessalonians 3:3). The only reason He blocks our paths is for our own benefit. He placed that door in our way, not to disrupt us, but out of love and care for our souls. And in His perfect timing, He will swing that door open and lead us into those answered prayers. But until that day comes, let's trust Him, even when the door stays closed.

"The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord." Lamentations 3:25,26

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

08/09/2026

🐴 Stable Thoughts - My Weekly Devotional
The first time I laid eyes on Reina, she was in a weed-filled, rusty barbed wire fenced pasture with a big, lanky gelding that liked to bully her. She was timid. She was scared. At some point in her life, people had abused her - and there was a seven-inch-long scar on her hip that hinted at a story I'll never fully know. I discovered that she'd been separated from her mother when she was quite young, so she didn't even fully 'speak' her own language of equine behavior. She was just trying to get through each day: to eat, to sleep, and do it all again. She didn't know that there was any other way to live. I watched her cower back away from the gate. This huge, beautiful mare was trying to disappear. There were several other horses in there with her, but it was as though she was all I could see. She lifted her head and looked back at me. Her big brown eyes were full of questions she didn't dare ask. She wasn't being offered for sale for a lot of money - but it was definitely more than I had. But I knew I couldn't leave her where she was. I borrowed the money, and we showed up within a few days with a trailer.
"By the way, she doesn't load well." The owner told us as we brought her out of the sagging fences.
Yet she loaded into the trailer within a short amount of time. She must have somehow sensed that she was going to a better life, and she was ready to leave the old days behind. In the time I've owned her, it has been a blessing getting to watch her personality blossom. She is my curious, goofy, sweet girl with a lot to say. She has grown more confident and expressive with each year that comes.
Do you see yourself in Reina's story? I know I do. We too were trapped in a life with boundaries and fears we could not escape or avoid. Perhaps we tried to just survive, thinking that if we could almost disappear, we could make it through another day. But unlike Reina, who played no part in why this had happened to her, we are guilty. Guilty of the choices that put us there. Pride, selfish ambition, tearing others down, giving up on ourselves, accepting lies over truth. The sins are endless and so are the roads they take us down. Maybe on the outside our lives looked fine, even enviable, but on the inside - within our hearts and souls - was that weed-filled, rusty barbed wire confinement, where dread, sin, and fear bullied us and beat us down. That's where Jesus found us: in that helpless, dreary reality that we allowed to claim us. He looked through time and saw you and me in our sinful conditions and said, "I will not leave you behind."
So He paid the price, the debt for our sins, the cost of our willful disobedience. Nailed to a cross, beaten, broken and taking the punishment we all fully deserve, He made the ultimate sacrifice, one that we cannot fully comprehend: the Sinless taking the place of the sinful; the Immortal dying the death we condemned ourselves to; the Perfect bearing what the broken had done. And when He hung there is agony and carrying the sins of the ages on his shoulder, He saw you. We were all that He could see. And then He said, "It is finished!" Paid in full stood ready to be stamped on the bill of our sin debt, if we'd only surrender it to Him. And when He rose victorious on the third day, He threw open the gates that had held us back and invited us into His heavenly family. Doesn't it take your breath away? The awe. The wonder. We are bought with a price beyond all comprehension. And now all we have to do is walk into His arms and allow Him to empower us to become all that we're meant to be. We're walking out of darkness and into a better life than we could have ever asked for.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

" For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit," Peter 3:18

"For you were bought with a price. So glorify God," 1 Corinthians 6:20

08/02/2026

🐴 Stable Thoughts - My Weekly Devotional
The ground rushed up to meet me as I landed flat on my back in the frost-browned grass. I instinctively raised my head so that even in a helmet it wouldn't absorb the impact. I found myself staring up at Popcorn, the buckskin gelding we were training. I sprang to my feet, bits of dried grass and fallen leaves clinging to my hair and sweater. I reached out to grasp the draping reins.
"What happened, Popcorn?" I asked him.
His wide-eyed, bewildered expression said he was just as confused as I was. I ran through all the moments leading up to the fall. Our grooming and saddling had gone smoothly. The warm-up had been fine. We had just barely started our ride. I had ridden along the paddock fence, crossed the first driveway, gone through the backyard, and had just crossed the second driveway when we went from calmly riding to me flying through the air. Popcorn had been doing well before he'd suddenly jumped seven feet sideways. There was nothing dramatic - no bucking, no rearing or bolting. Just a jerk and a jump so sudden that I found myself on the ground with this tall, timid horse staring down at me. Back on my feet. I looked around for anything out of place or something new that might have startled him, but found nothing out of the ordinary.
"Was it a bird, boy? Or maybe a sound?"
He looked around and sighed sheepishly, as though he were a little embarrassed by his outburst of fear. I reached out to stroke his neck and assure him that everything was alright before climbing back into the saddle. We continued on our ride and made small but good progress through little but meaningful steps.
Though this event took place several years ago when my brother and I were offering horse training, I often think back on moments like these and find so many spiritual truths revealed. Don't we often have this very same thing happen in our Christian walks? One minute everything is good - your prayer life is alive, you're consistent in your Bible study and Sunday devotion. The next thing you know, you've stumbled. It wasn't dramatic - no rebellion, no trauma or fight. It's simply a sudden tumble out of peace; a moment when your eyes looked at the waves instead of the Savior. Maybe no one else around even knows. Maybe outwardly all seems well. But you know better. You felt the wind whistle by you; you felt the impact that left you stunned and confused. What happened? Why did this hurt, after I've walked through so much worse? Why did this happen now? But as I've learned with horses, it's often the small triggers that bring on the biggest reactions. It's not the big storm we saw coming that rattles us. It's the unexpected crack of thunder after the rain has stopped that makes us jump. I could name off a long list of things that cause this in us, but if you've been here, you already know what it was for you. And you know the pain, the shock, the fear that makes your faith tremble. Perhaps you are there right now, pulling yourself back to your feet and wondering, "What happened? And what do I do next?" Know this, friend: God does not leave you here. He doesn't stand there shaking His head in disapproval or disappointment. He reaches out His hand to lift us up. He imparts to us His own strength and invites us back into the peace we lost. And from there, He carries us forward, small steps at times, but ever in love and compassion, as our Savior and Friend.

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down;
For the Lord upholds him with His hand." Psalm 37:23, 24

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." 2 Corinthians 4:8,9

"So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." John 4:16

07/26/2026

🐴 Stable Thoughts - My Weekly Devotional
Some people might say that horses are hard to communicate with, that they're difficult to read. But just because we don't immediately hear something doesn't mean it's not there. And it's not that they don't talk; horses have so much to say and actually do want to talk with us. They don't have a lack of desire to communicate, but rather that we need to find the right way to listen to them. And when we discover how to communicate with them, we will be amazed and blessed by all that they want to give and share with us. So many doors open, wonderful things happen as we work with them, ride them, and just spend time with them. It's not hard, it's not complicated, though we as adults can sometimes make it that way. But children, they see life more purely. They open their eyes and their hearts in a way we so often have forgotten how to do. They don't see the barriers; they see opportunity. I was reminded of this while doing a lesson with a very talented young teenager. We were doing groundwork exercises at the time: she was leading Dolly in stops, turns, and over poles. Watching her easily communicate with Dolly as they navigated the many different obstacles made my heart smile. She would talk to Dolly, and Dolly would clearly 'talk' in return. I have watched many adults struggle with this concept, and here was a young lady making it look easy. It was beautiful to see them moving in sync and truly enjoying each other's company. She had attained this in only a few lessons. And the more time she spends with the horses, the more we will see their communication continually getting better and better.
Unbelievers might think that God does not speak. And even as Christians, we might have times in our lives when we just can't seem to hear Him or even feel that He isn't hearing us. But nothing could be further from the truth. The Lord has never stopped speaking. He wants to talk with us. It is we who so often lose our ability to listen. We try to fit God into our way of thinking, into our little boxes of how things should be and how He should reveal things to us. And when it doesn't happen as we'd planned, we are left thinking that God didn't say anything. Yet we are the ones who put barriers up. We may be trying to make talking to and hearing from God into a complicated ritual that leaves us tired and confused. We make it complicated and then protest that it is. That's why Christ told us that we need to come to God as little children. He wasn't saying to be naive or without experience in life; He was telling us to come purely with open eyes and heart. Because that is where the beautiful communication takes place. We have to let go of our own ideas and see things as they really are. And when we do, we will find that the doors of heaven have been open to us all along. We will hear God, we will feel God, and we will finally be able to be in sync with Him. And the more time we spend with Him in this state, the better and better our line of communication will become. And it all begins with knowing how to listen, instead of doubting God's desire to speak with us.

"But Jesus called the children to Him and said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Luke 18:16

“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.” Hebrew 4:7b

"Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you." James 4:8a

"You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

07/20/2026

Horses are for everyone! Come let horses bring magic into your summer and your heart! Call/text (Madison) today with any questions or to book your lesson! #660-214-4139
Check out my website! https://theamazinggracesta.wixsite.com/letsride
Half hour $30
One hour $50
Group lesson $75

07/19/2026

🐴 Stable Thoughts - My Weekly Devotional
Dixie stands at the stall gate. Her ears pricked forward; her eyes fastened to my every movement. She's giving me the attention usually reserved for feeding time. But Dixie isn't looking at the feed bowls; she's watching me pick up a halter. Reina comes walking into the barn, her expression filled with interest as she gives a happy nicker. The horses know that I'm there to ride - they can always tell long before I actually reach the barn. And I talk a lot about the wisdom and gentleness of my two older mares. They've been with me for years; I can trust them to make good decisions and lead with understanding. But there's something to be said for the eagerness and excitement of the younger girls. For while Dolly watches willingly from where she's been napping, Reina and Dixie are competing to see who can be the closest to the gate.
"Pick me! Pick me!" Their actions shout with exuberance. "I want to go! Let me do it!"
I laugh as I promise them that they will both get a turn today.
Seeing them truly wanting to be with me and go out to learn and work always blesses my heart. And in their excitement, I find a beautiful lesson in what it means not only to say yes to God, but to eagerly want God to use me as He sees fit. We see all throughout the scriptures those who loved to serve the Father. From Samuel as a boy to Isaiah's vision before the Throne and beyond, we see people who didn't have to be called twice. They were poised; they were ready; they were eager. They didn't step up because they were qualified. They weren't running to kingdom work because they had all the answers. They came because they had one thing figured out. Their God was big; His Will was perfect; His love was eternal. And because they had lived out their faith in these truths, they were blessed to hear His Voice, see His wonders, and be a part of His story of redemption. And I'm convicted. I'm not always that courageous, not always that confident or even that trusting. I'm not always the one who is that ready and willing. But seeing my horses so happy to come with me - a flawed, still-learning horsewoman - I'm humbled and challenged. For if they can feel that about coming with me, how can I not feel that way about answering the call of my Savior? He is just as big, just as perfect, and just as eternally loving today as He was in the pages of our Bibles. And He is still calling us, His children, to be a part of His beautiful story. And when we answer that call with no hesitation or second thoughts, we will get to experience blessings and wonders beyond compare. So when I need an image of what "Here I am! Send me." looks like, I picture Dixie waiting at the gate, prancing and hoping, so ready to get to work. And in the moment I whisper, "Pick me, God, pick me."

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8

"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10
"Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 1 Samuel 3:4

07/13/2026

🐴 Stable Thoughts - My Weekly Devotional
I could feel the nervous energy building in Reina. At this moment, it was taking all of my strength and focus to keep my big, red mare contained. She couldn't bring herself to stand still, so we were doing large circles at a fast, choppy walk. This is where we began to have a conversation as horse and rider. Reina was speaking to me through her body and energy. But with her expressive action - pawing, jerking on the reins, and desire for speed - it wasn't hard to translate. Here's a 'transcript' from our ride that day.
Reina: Can I run home? Can I? Can I?
Me: No, there is uneven ground, rocks, and washed-out areas up ahead. It's not safe for speed.
Reina: But I want to go! I want to run home!
Me: Running could cause you to slip and fall, or at the very least, you'd be limping from a stone bruise.
Reina: Well, if I can't run, I'm going to trot!
Me: We have to walk, Reina. See, you slipped right there. Slow down, girl. Let's stop for a minute.
Reina: I don't want to stop! I'm going to paw the ground until I dig a hole!
Me: Relax, girl. You need to be still. Just breathe.
Reina: NO! I'm going in circles!
Me: You're tripping over your own feet, Reina. Let's stay on the path.
Reina: Oh, okay... Can I just trot a little?
Me: Stay at a walk, my girl.
Reina: Fine! Can I... just go this way instead?
Me: Reina, you wanted to go home. So we have to go this way.
Reina: Yeah, that makes sense. But let's run!
Me: Reina....
This continued for most of the ride. The constant back and forth, Reina trying to hurry, me trying to keep us safe. It was like she was trying to bargain with me in an 'if I can't do this, can I do that?' kind of way.
But don't we do that very same thing to God? Our Heavenly Father sets us on a path, promising that He is with us and is working all things together for our good. But in our anxiousness, in our own ideas or fears, we have different plans. We want to get through it faster, find a ,shortcut or just go a different way. In our minds, we don't see why we have to do this or why it has to take so long. So we begin bargaining with God. We say no. We suggest other ways. We make deals - If I can't have that, can I have this? But our all-wise, all-knowing God sees the path ahead, every turn, every rock and gulley. He knows every place where we could stumble, all the things we need to be prepared for in life. And He is asking us to trust His love, His goodness, and His perfect will. The more we fight it, the more we try to do it on our own, the longer that part of our journey will be. But if we will only place our faith in the Savior, resting in His promises, we will find that He is faithful every single moment, every single time.
Reina and I did make it home safe that day. She finally gave in and listened to me, and oh, how much easier it was when she followed me! Let's follow that leading of our precious Jesus, knowing He will carry us through whatever we may face.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

(I'm posting this late due to a family emergency. Prayers appreciated!)