Allen:  I want to start off this month by reminding everyone that the topics and conversation that is relayed through our articles come from our life experiences.  Almost all the things we talk about are things that Clay, JD or myself are experiencing or have experienced at some point in time.  With that said, this months article stems from me reflecting back on my career!  I have been blessed with longevity in this sport and the thing I contribute to that is the ability to NOT GIVE UP!  A year of rodeo gets to be so long and demanding that it can be tough at times to keep going!  I have heard people say “I’m going to the winter rodeos and if I don’t do well I might go home.”  For some of us that have been out there for a long time have learned to kind of laugh at that because during the winter you only go to about 10 to 12 rodeos.  If we would have given up on the year after the winter run there is no way we would have made it to twenty some NFR’s.  I can only remember a few times when the winter rodeos were good to me and I had a lot of money won! 

Clay:  You know it is funny Allen because I can look back and remember doing it both ways!  I think it starts with your commitment!  If you start out and you are not fully committed, when you hit some trouble you will probably turn back!  Here a few years ago David Key and I started roping and we went all the way through the winter and started the spring and hadn’t won hardly anything!  We were in Laughlin, NV having breakfast one morning and we started talking!  David initiated the conversation.  He is just so awesome about being up front and laying all the cards out on the table!  We had a really good talk and what came of it was that we reaffirmed our commitment to one another and reaching our goal!  The first thing that usually happens with guys roping together is you want to change partners and find a new solution.  Instead of doing that we reconfirmed our loyalty and commitment to see it through together!  From that moment we started winning!  This is just a confirmation of what we are talking about!  That is something I learned from Allen!  When you start, make a year long commitment that you are going to see it through all the way to the end.  If you do that from the start then you are locked in!  If you go into it saying “I’ll go for a little while and see what happens” then most of the time the first sign of trouble you will turn back! 

Allen: Rodeo is just like life.  You have to depend a lot on your mental toughness and your fundamentals become so important because you can’t practice and get sharp so you have to mentally do it.  Throughout the season you notice how many people quit in the winter then how many more give up in the spring, summer or early fall.  Somebody that is designed to persevere through the whole year and is really committed and dedicated to their career will stick it out.  They will ignore circumstances and keep applying themselves to the goal they have set.  I have tried to keep the Lord in the middle of everything that I do and I contribute that to my success in the arena and in life.  There is no circumstance that comes your way, whether it is in your marriage, work, or even in ministry, where the circumstance is bigger than God!  You have to keep your eye on God because God is above every circumstance.

Clay:  This topic is so basic and fundamental that you see most successful people have applied this to their life.  People that are successful are usually diligent, hard working and persevering!  These are key fundamentals to success.  The bible shows us in different analogies and stories where to place our faith to be truly successful in all aspects of our life!  One of the best examples is the story of the Israelites.  You have God’s people, which He is delivering from slavery, and all they can do is complain and talk about turning back!  God fed them and supplied them with water and all He asked of them was to place their faith in Him.  What I get out of this story is the same thing that happens to us during hard times.  The Israelites wanted the easy way out!  It was easier to do nothing and be enslaved and have a little bit rather than to have God’s abundant blessings!

Allen:    The Bible is a book filled with real life examples of how God wants us to live our lives.  The story of Moses and the Israelites is one that parallels our everyday life! When God parted the Red Sea they experienced their first break through in there whole lives!  They rejoiced but it was short lived because now they were asked to totally trust God.  They found themselves in the desert by God’s perfect will.  They were to trust Him for 11 days.  He was delivering them to Canine where they would have their own land and plenty of food.  The minute they were put up against tough circumstances they started complaining about being hungry.  Mosses prayed and God gave them food.  But He only gave them enough food for each day.  He done this so they would have to learn to have faith and trust in Him.  If He would have given them enough food for an entire week they wouldn’t have to put their faith in God.  We are always doing this in our lives! We want that 11 days worth of food.   Instead we should be developing that personal relationship with God and building our faith in Him!

Clay: For them it was easier to do nothing and be enslaved!  As slaves they were given at best the minimal requirements for survival but they knew they would have this provided!  God wanted them to have the best and have abundance but that required them to believe and trust in God! I think we are all challenged with that.  We know of the good that is out there but it takes some pressing in and takes a commitment to stay hooked to see it come to pass! That is the hardest part!

Allen: Clay is right! When we are faced with tough circumstances we can either believe that God has that breakthrough ahead for us filled with blessings or we can resort back to our old ways.  We have to have complete trust and faith in God so we can keep pressing on!  Anyone can get through the good times but not many people can get through the tough times.  I want to encourage people and let them know that it is at the hardest times in your life that the break through is right around the corner!  The enemy knows that and he will poor on the heat and put pressure on you to try to get you to turn back!  

Clay:  One thing Allen said that really hit me was that when the going gets the toughest is usually when your breakthrough is right around the corner!  But yet sometimes we turn back and give up!  What we don’t realize is that if we would have hung on a little longer we would have pressed right through it!  Some of the most monumental things that I have learned in the past 10 years is that faith is of the heart and NOT in your HEAD!  The thoughts that go around in our head are contrary to what God is telling us!  Our head tells us sometimes that it is too hard and we can’t make it happen but if our heart is connected to God then we have faith in Him to help us make it happen (IN HIS PERFECT TIME!) 

Allen:   I believe the willingness and determination to get through tough times is one of the most important secrets of success.  Not giving up when times get hard and learning to look at God and not the circumstances.  Faith comes by hearing Gods word so we have to arm ourselves with His word.  If you get discouraged press closer to God and have faith in Him…The Hope and the promise that we have of heaven for eternity; that is the big NFR that we have to look forward to!  I know there are people out there going through tough times but I want to encourage you to stay focused on God and keep pressing on!