April
2,
2003
HAPPY SPRING!
Things are looking
up at ASAP in many ways. We see all the blessings around us,
even though we have encountered a time of hardship with the
horses who were down and out for the past couple of weeks. I
think that it shows that my faith life is growing stronger when
I can count more blessings than curses in every day life. I
try to be careful about how much I say that is negative - and
have to remind myself to see the happiness and goodness in each
day! It is so easy to grumble and moan (just ask my husband
what he has to put up with at 5:45 every morning when I wake
up!), but it takes a person of integrity to willfully have a
mindset of optimism and true gratitude for another day and its
possibilities. I am working on it!
So, the past couple
of weeks have been tough, but people have jumped right in to
help out in time of need. Sara, Andrea, Adrienne, and Bryan
and Kim have seen me at my worst - I believe that every day
last week I came home in tears, with the stress of the illness
at our farm and the horses it affected on my conscience. Sara
and Adrienne - what would we have done without your willingness
to step up to the plate to ship horses for us? You guys are
my heroes! Mary - you jumped right in to provide foster care
for the healthy horses that were placed into our program and
had to be moved quickly - ASAP thanks you. Andrea, you have
been faithful in coming to the farm to help care for the horses!
Bryan and Kim - as always - there and ready to serve the horses
in need through web site service. We need to communicate to
all of you that Bonnie will be very happy up at the office now...........because
Mary also donated a BRAND NEW COMPUTER AND MONITOR to ASAP this
week! We have had incoming donations of show bridles to raffle
(thanks Dale!), lead ropes (thanks Lynn!), and products from
everywhere including Rio Vista products and a State Line Tack
sponsorship. Carol C. - time is long overdue to thank you for
your donation of an Australian saddle to our organization as
well! So, see how quickly the negative is consumed by the positive?
If I have left anyone out, please please let me know! Also,
a non-profit rescue group in Minnesota recently donated $750
to our organization, specifically thanking us for the kindness
we showed them a few years ago in helping them get established.
We were not forgotten! Kim and Linda in Minnesota - thanks as
well for helping get things set up for the Minnesota Horse Expo!
Glad to hear that
harness racing is back in Illinois. Balmoral is dark ,however,
and that was our main track for public exposure. Now we will
have to continue our efforts at Maywood, and Balmoral has offered
to help bring us in when they have live racing in the near future.
The Iowa Horse
Fair is this weekend and we are looking forward to it.............
Janimal and Randy will once again be around to show people the
versatility and gentleness of the breed. I promise to get pictures
posted by next week at this time.
We have been riding
quite a few horses during the week and on weekends, including
JD, Chance (just a little bit), Dolly's Delight, R Quick Sketch,
Chief, Janimal, Randy, and Asha. Basically all horses have been
ridden except for Hasty Roan. He is just one whole lot of horse,
and he is a bit timid in new settings, so taking him out past
the pot-bellied pigs wasn't the best of ideas the other day.
When he jumps, get out of the way! It must be so difficult to
weigh about 1200 pounds and be 16 hands high and be so young!
LOL..............maybe I need to cut back on the grain? Naaaaa.....
but he will probably be going into training at Ray's before
too long.
As for Thank God
For Granny, she is back at Amy's foster farm and slowly gaining
weight and recovering from her visit to horsie intensive care.
Now to pay the vet bill! So far we have only had one donation
for her vet care - and the bill did exceed $1100. Any ideas
for the horse fairs on how we can raffle something off to pay
this bill? Anyone have anything to raffle off?
I am busy researching
and writing grants, and I have to believe that I am able to
do this. I want to depend on other people to write grants, but
I love to write myself (can't you tell by my lengthy farm updates?),
so am making a great effort at it. I now have my first grant
written and almost ready to submit. Keep your fingers crossed.
I will write again
after the horse fair. Here's a word of encouragement I heard
on 700 Club this morning:
Proverbs 14:26-27
- "In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and
one's children will have a refuge. The fear of the Lord is a
fountain of life so that one may avoid the snares of death."
Proverbs 14:23
- "In toil there is profit but mere talk leads to poverty"
(amen to that!)
Proverbs 14:31
- "Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, But those
who are kind to the needy Honor Him".
"I am not
perfect - just forgiven!"............... another oh-me
to that one!!! LOL
Until next week,
Susan
Nonobadfilly soaks up some attention
