09/23/2026
OK, so first I need to share about a visit we made a few weeks back to a senior center where I recognized one of the residents as a sweet lady who had hosted a wedding shower for my husband and I from his parents church. Little did we know how that precious interaction with Jasper and her would be our only interaction that we would have with her. She fell and passed away within the week. It’s taken a while for me to process and see the blessings the Lord gave in such a tragedy reacquainting with her after so many years, seeing her beautiful smile and the joy on her face getting to share the ministry I’m still humbled to my knees that the Lord allows me to do for him with her and her last few days on this earth.
[I will share pictures of myself in Jasper at that visit, but out of respect for a grieving family family, I’m not going to share photos of her]
And this past weekend was a rough one for me physically I could not go to church Sunday so we listened to a phenomenal sermon by the way by Pastor Jeremy [anyone interested in listening to that sermon can go to Ridgecrest Baptist Church Springfield, Missouri’s YouTube channel or I’m not sure if I can put it in the comments but if I can link it in the comments I will] But starting with some wonderful worship music led by Ridgecrest celebration choir. And one song just kept playing over and over in my mind and yesterday morning I had an amazing time of worship while in the paddock with my horses one of my younger horses that is still new-sh to his training and still somewhat shy of humans when he chooses to be. But, I realized as I was singing this song over and over and over and over this little horse kept coming over and nuzzling me begging for hugs and kisses and I realized it was my singing well probably more the song and the worship than my actual singing LOL
I told my husband the way to get the horse to love on him come to him freely rather than just when he has food was for my husband to sing to him and I explained that Cooper loved being sung to and of course my husband ‘Negative Nelly’ didn’t believe me so I kept singing and Cooper kept coming close and nuzzling. When I did the nighttime feed, I wanted to do the same thing just to see if I got the same result and it did. I got lots and lots of Cooper kisses!
Now, why do I share that? I guess you will have to go listen to the sermon! Actually serving God‘s people, it is so different for every person but there’s one constant and that’s the love of Christ. Last night when I was back out there, I had to stop and take pause because I believe the Holy Spirit was saying you’re tending to these horses the way that Jesus tended to his sheep the way of pastor should tend to his flock, and I felt the comparisons surreal but when we go on a ministry visit, I’m tending to my herd the way Jesus did his flock, but, as well as a Christ follower, I feel I’m tending to the people in the facilities we are in is comparable to the way pastors tend to their flocks.
I don’t know maybe it just is my random thoughts and the way my brain works, but I found several parallels and now if that doesn’t make sense to you maybe if you listen to Pastor Jeremy’s sermon, it’ll either make it perfectly clear or as clear as mud.
Regardless, my prayer for you today is that you find joy in worshiping the Lord and tend to your flock or ministry the way Christ’s own examples from the Word.
Be BLESSED
Sheila
PS Aforementioned sermon posted in comments ✝️
