Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under the sun.

Sassy Saddles, Gate of Hope Ministry has been a dream that the Holy Spirit placed in my heart several years ago. After being a youth leader for two or three years at Eastside Baptist Church, and listening to the problems and concerns of our young people in several areas of our ministry, God put a yearning in me to establish an outdoor resource to address these troubles that He was allowing me to see. But what & how?? I was seeing drug problems, alcoholism, teen pregnancy, mental problems, broken homes, lives being ruined at every layer of society!! Kids & young adults wanting answers, and finding none!!!

 

State & Federal agencies providing little or no help. Young people completeing these programs, and most going back to the same old same old. What could be missing!!!!?? It was heart breaking as well as frustrating!! I knew God was leading me to do something, but what??? 

 

I was a member of the Tribe of Judah motorcycle minstry and thought this may be the answer!! We did a lot of Evangelism work, passed out tracts, sponsored different events and fund raisers, but something was still missing!! After several trials and illnesses, God allowed my wife Jill, and I to move to the small very rural community of Pineview. Here I was able to return to my childhood roots of owning horses! A love that has always burned deep inside of me!! As kids we had always had horses, my sister rode in horse shows doing barrel raceing, poles, and different competitions, and was very good at it!! I tried to compete a few times, but was nowhere near as good as my sister!! I just Loved horses!!! I have cousins who live here and they gave me a couple of horses to work with. After purchasing a couple more, I THOUGHT my herd was complete!! Jill and I had started attending Church at Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, and was truly being blessed by the love and friendships we had found in this small community!! Even though we were only a few miles from where we had both grown up, we felt a sense of belonging, like God was saying " this is where I want you to be."

 

Still trying to sort out what God was wanting me to do, I was asked if I would like to be a youth leader for our Church!! I was estatic,and excited!! One of the young people I had met was Katie Bennet, a beautiful young lady with the singing voice of an angel!!! She asked if her and a friend could come out to our house and ride horses. I told her of course, having no idea what the Holy Spirit was about to do!! Over the next several weeks Katie, and her friend Rachel Lilly came and rode as often as they could, and started to bring others!! After a while, they came to me and said that we needed more horses!! I jokingly advised them that they would have to pray for them, BIG mistake!!!! Being a Pastor, I knew the Power of Prayer, Knew that I served an Awsome God, Knew that some of the kids and young adults that had begun to show up at my house was in need of spiritual guidance, I knew some had had drug problems, problems with abuse, prostitution, alcohol, and other troubles!!! I had NO idea that this Awsome, Almighty God that I serve was about to turn my love for one of His critters into the most fantastic and rewarding experiances of my entire life!!!!

 

Horses started to show up seemingly out of nowhere, other kids and young adults from different Churches and groups, Handicapped people wanting to ride for therapy, I was in awe!!! One of the girls came to me and said she was wanting to do hippotherapy, and wanted my advise!! I told her that was fine, but we are having trouble feeding these horses, and now ya'll want a hippo, do you have any idea how much one of those things eat!!! And besides I have no clue where to find one!!!!! I learned that this was done by the gate of the horse, and it was a medical tequnique used by therapist!!! Some of this therapy just involved petting the horse, I had never seen anything so wonderful in my life!!!! We had Moms tell us that they had not seen smiles on their children's faces for months, until they came here!!

 

Miracles?? You had better Believe it!!! I have watched Almighty God use this ministry in ways that can only be described as miraculous!!! I have seen lives changed by having this one on one relationship with a bunch of ragtag misfits that God has put together for His Glory!!!!  The only requirement to come and join in with us is that you come just as you are, and I promise that if you will allow the Holy Spirit that dwells here among these young people, horses, cows, goats, dogs, chickens & cats to take control, you will not only be blessed, but will find a love that will take you through eternity!!!!

 

Jesus Christ IS OUR LORD, and His words are preached and taught here!! We use them for healing, and to lift each other up!!! Just as Joshua said in 24:15 "AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD "!!!!!! HOW ABOUT YOU????