Jack Terry - Cowboy Tales Along the Trail: Meeting God in the Wide Open Spaces

EUGENE, OREGON

Parts 1, 3, 5: Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. (www.zondervan.com) Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org)

Parts 2 and 4: Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. (www.Lockman.org) Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. (www.zondervan.com) All rights reserved worldwide. Quotations marked MSG are from The Message, copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Harvest House Publishers has made every effort to trace the ownership of all poems and quotes. In the event of a question arising from the use of a poem or quote, we regret any error made and will be pleased to make the necessary correction in future editions of this book.

Artwork designs are copyrighted and reproduced under license from Jack Terry Fine Art, Ltd., Georgetown, Texas, and may not be reproduced without permission. For information regarding art prints featured in this book, please contact:

Art Trends Fine Art & Licensing
1-800-223-5020; 931-261-8956
www.arttrendsfineart.com

Cover design by Koechel Peterson & Associates, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota

COWBOY TALES ALONG THE TRAIL
Previously published as Harvest House gift books with artwork by Jack Terry: Wide Open Spaces (2004), Prayers Along the Trail (2003), A Cowboys Faith (2001), and The Great Trail Ride (2000)
Text copyright 2012/2004/2003/2001/2000 by Jack Terry
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Terry, Jack.

Cowboy tales along the trail / Jack Terry.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-7369-4581-3 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4582-0 (eBook)
1. CowboysReligious life. I. Title.
BV4596.C65T464 2012
242'.68dc23

2012007744

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

To my grandparents
Bill and Maggie Mason and R.L. and Etna Terry.
They were pioneers into the West, and
their lives of hardship, dedication, and faith
helped shape generations.

To my parents, Frank and Della Herring,
who have been my lifelong
encouragers, supporters, and fans.

And especially to my wife, Anita,
who keeps the fire in my heart burning to
always be the very best I can be.
I love you.

My thanks to Harvest House Publishers. You have given me a decade of opportunities to share my stories and paintings. Thank you for your love and dedication to the gospel.

L ife. Why are we here? What are we doing and where are we going? The mystery of our being, the necessity of our actions, the dependence of all things upon the other, the magnitude and beauty of creation itself, and our desire to know the answers to these mysteries assures each of us that life has a specific purpose that everything points to.

The psalmist David wrote, You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever (Psalm 16:11 NASB ). Everyone wants to experience joy and happiness on the trail ride of life. As a cowboy controls the movements of his horse with a bridle, the trails of our lives must be guided by this wisdom: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path (Psalm 119:105 NASB ). God has not only given us His Word to guide us, but His Spirit to lead us and prayer to communicate with Him while on this great trail ride of life.

I was initially guided down that path riding in the saddle with my grandfather on the bay horse we called Old Dan. Granddad was a working cowboy from the early age of 13, and he rode on some of the last great cattle drives from Texas to the northern railheads. He ingrained in me the code of ethics that the hero known as the American cowboy adhered to. I listened to stories of business transactions and trades completed with mere handshakes. A mans word was his bond. I learned firsthand of the rewards of a loving family guided by principles of faith, responsibility, honesty, and integrity.

My other granddad was a jack of all trades, living on his own and surviving alone in a cave in West Texas while still a child himself. In his later years, when I was just an early teen, he was a true inspiration and reminder to me that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). No matter how bad the drought that devastated his business or how painful the disease that claimed the life of one of his young children. Granddad always kept his faith in God. Prayer always saw him and his family through lifes most troubling times.

Now, my granddads were not the most educated and eloquent individuals, as was true of most cowboys of that era. But they knew that life had a purpose directly linked to their relationship with their Maker. This wasnt something to be discovered from fortune, power, or personal fame. They believed we are all put here to be caretakers of Gods creation, stewards of the land, livestock, and people we love. They also believed we are to enjoy life and have a little fun while were here. A little hunting and fishing, a good rodeo, and a ball game were always welcome.

Both of my granddads would be the first to tell you that it was their wives, my grandmothers, who led them to church and kept them there. My earliest memories of these great pioneering women are best summed up by Proverbs 31:26-29: She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all. What a wonderful heritage I have enjoyed! These great women were the mortar that held our family together through many hard times and who fed, taught, and encouraged generations.

My family was always known for loving the outdoors, whether it was pushin cattle along a dusty trail or baiting a hook to land a big one from a nearby stock tank or river. I grew up knowing and loving the outdoors and the cowboy way of life. Many folks understand the spirit of the cowboy even though they may know little of his actual profession. Nature has a way of blending the majesty and beauty of Gods great creation into a language everyone can understand if he or she will only take the time to listen and observe. There are many who enjoy fly-fishing for trout or chasing giant redfish in the Gulf of Mexico, who pursue the great sailfish in the ocean or the mighty bull elk atop a snow-covered mountaintop. While I enjoy so many of these activities and sports as well, the blood of the cowboy runs deep in my veins. Often I find myself lost in dreams of being a cowboya true cowboy.