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You've Got...
WAY MORE THAN
HORSEPOWER
I spotted this brand new Ford truck for sale at the Quarter Horse Congress a few years ago, and instantly fell in love. And the fact that it was white and would match up perfectly with my bay horses wasn't lost on me, either. Can I get an "Amen", ladies? Forget it, cowboys, you wouldn't understand!
GOOD LOOKING TRUCKS,
AND SMART HUSBANDS
A few years ago, my husband and I went to the Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio. It's the largest single-breed horse show in the world. It takes place each year, and lasts almost the entire month of October. I try to make the pilgrimage every year just to be near like-minded folks who not only love horses and like to watch them compete, but also to see the very latest in brand new trucks straight off the factory floor. On this particular Congress trip, we had been contemplating buying a new truck, so we decided to do a little window-shopping. At 15 years old, our old Ford dually had well over 100,000 miles on it, and had seen better days. The time seemed right. Now, I know some women must think that truck shopping is boring. But not us horsey gals! Second only to a well-built horse with a soft eye and a disposition to match, nothing grabs the heartstrings of a horse-lovin' woman like a good-looking 4x4 truck with deep leather interior, and lots of chrome!
Alright, before I go any further with my truck story, can we talk? My husband, Kim, and I have been married for over 30 plus years now. You simply can't be married that long without learning a thing or two about eachother. One of the things I've learned about my better half is that he has an insatiable need to teach me something - anything! I often think of him as my own personal "closet professor"! When we first met, I thought he was just trying to impress me with his vast knowledge of everything on the planet. But through the years, I've come to recognize that he really is this amazing, walking-talking encyclopedia. And one of his missions in life has always been to teach me everything he knows. Talk about a generous man! The truth is, my husband really does pack a lot of amazing "stuff" in that strange, handsome head of his. Now, if I could just figure out a use for some of it! Let me give you an example...
MY HUSBAND, THE CLOSET PROFESSOR, STRIKES
AGAIN
Where does my husband learn so much "stuff"? By the way, I was just thinking, doesn't the color of these books just make you want to read them? Again, it's a woman kind of thing. Okay, just joking!
Remember my truck-shopping trip at the Quarter Horse Congress, and 30 plus years of marriage that I mentioned earlier? Oh yeah, and remember my closet professor husband? Well, here's something he should have learned about me by now. When I'm shopping for a truck, the most important thing to me is not under the hood! All those metal "thingys" don't interest me much. My expertise requires much more sensitivity, and an eye towards color! For example, I like a truck that is white, beige, or black, with lots of silver chrome for a splash of contrast. Why? I know that these neutral colors will not conflict with the color of my horses, who will one day be riding in the matching horse trailer, that will one day be pulled by the matching truck. As for the silver chrome, do I really need to explain that?
Bling-bling! I'm just saying...
But alas, what seemed so obvious and sensible to me was completely lost on my husband during our search for the perfect truck. Completely disregarding the importance of my discriminatory taste in truck colors, and my penchant for a little bling, my closet professor chose to take advantage of the moment. He decided to educate me about the origination of the term "horsepower" and a man named James Watt. Everything inside of me was screaming, "Really - are you kidding me?" But instead, I listened dutifully. Yeah, right! Anyhow, since I don't know what else to do with this vast knowledge that has been passed down to me, I thought I would pass it on to you. Oh yeah, and check out the picture below of the black steam engine sporting some shiny chrome! Ya gotta love that!
HORSEPOWER 101
A beautiful black steam engine.
The term "horsepower" was invented by a man named James Watt. A little research shows that Mr. Watt also had something to do with inventing the light bulb. But that's another story. Mr. Watt lived from 1736 to 1819, and he was most famous for his work on improving the performance of steam engines.
One day, Mr. Watt was working with some ponies lifting coal at a coal mine. While having a conversation with someone (obviously not a woman), he suddenly realized the importance of finding a way to "measure" the power readily available from one of these animals. Now, if a woman had been there, she would have simply said, "Wow, these ponies sure are strong!" And that would have been sufficient. But Mr. Watt, being a man, needed to express himself more fully in numbers and ratios, in order for other men to understand what the heck he was talking about! Stick with me, ladies, I promise there's a point to this madness. And so the story goes...
After much contemplation, Mr. Watt discovered that, on average, a coal-mine pony could do 22,000 foot-pounds of work in a minute. Legend has it that he then increased that number by 50 percent, therefore pegging the measurement of horsepower at 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute. Mr. Watt's miraculous unit of measurement was so successful that it now appears everywhere from your truck, to your lawnmower, and sometimes even ends up on your vacuum cleaner. Hmmm, this really is amazing "stuff". But I still have one question. "What color were those pretty ponies?"
GOD-POWER WILL ALWAYS
TRUMP HORSE-POWER
Think about this...
Webster's Dictionary defines the word POWER
as "a position of authority". When we think of power as a position, instead of an inherent trait of strength, it completely changes our understanding of the word, and what it really means.
Samson is a big, stocky quarter horse at 15 hands, and 1250 pounds. Every time I climb in the saddle, I feel the movement of his powerful muscles working together to produce the miracle of horsepower. Yet, as physically powerful as he is, I am the true source of his power. Why? Because I hold the reins to his life!
Now that we understand a little about horsepower, let's go a little deeper, and take another look at the word POWER. It's important to understand the real meaning of this word. Webster's Dictionary defines the word "power" as being "a position of authority".In other words, it doesn't define the word as being a trait of strength in the way we often think of it, such as a powerful person with muscles, or a powerful horse with physical stamina and strength. Instead, Webster's defines power as a position. For example, we might think of the President of our country as being in a position of authority, or a school teacher as being in a position of authority. As Christians, and followers of Christ, we know that Jesus is in a position of authority. And how do we know that? Let's take a look at some scriptural proof.
"In the beginning was the Word (Jesus), and the Word was with God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him."
(John 1: 1 - 3)
"And the Word became flesh (Jesus) and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
(John 1: 14)
"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (Jesus)."
(John 14: 6)
YOU HAVE TO HAVE REAL POWER IN ORDER TO DELEGATE IT TO OTHERS
When I ride my horse, Samson, out in the pasture with other horses, I "delegate" or give him responsibility, and then I drop the reins and trust him to do what I've told him to do.
Finally, it goes without saying that if you don't have any real power, then you can't delegate it to others. Why? Because you don't have it to give! In other words, you've got to have power before you can delegate (entrust or give) it to someone else. When we accept Jesus Christ as Lord of our life, not only do we become heirs with Him, but the Bible teaches that we receive a delegated power from Him. It is not our power. It is His power that He entrusts and gives to us through the power of His name. And it is this delegated power that enables you and me to go far beyond that which was only possible to us in the natural. Through Christ, you and I have a super-natural power to go beyond the finite boundaries of our own humanity, and tap into the greatest source of power that has ever been. Horsepower can't hold a candle to it. Even 33,000 foot-pounds of work per minute by mere ponies as detailed and discovered by Mr. James Watt pales in comparison. That's because it really is the greatest power source that has ever been, or ever will be. And what kind of power am I talking about? I'm talking about the kind of power that lives in you and me through Jesus Christ. The kind of power that gives us strength, makes us strong and resilient, and fills our heart with endless hope. I'm talking about God-Power!
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
(Philippians 4: 13)
Watch For More Upcoming
Newsletters this year on...
POWER!
More Power-packed Horse Ministry Newsletters Coming
Soon...
POWER TO ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS
POWER TO OVERCOME OBSTACLES
POWER OVER THE ENEMY
POWER THROUGH PRAISE
POWER OF PRESSURE
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