Pruning may hurt, but the new growth always produces abundent fruit!

In the past month I've done a lot! Gracie got Champion at her last horse show at the New Classic show in Cartersville, so that was exciting! I went to the Bahamas to just celebrate my new found happiness in life, and I am now kicking in gear for another horse show at Rivermont this weekend. The horse shows just continue to grow with an exceptional quality of people and horses from all over. We are now expanding by doing a winter series at the Tri State Facility in Cleveland, TN starting in November. I have an awesome new boarder moving in Friday from Atlanta. I am getting more and more judging offers all the time, and have 4 different hunter shows I'm judging over the next couple of months in Atlanta. (which has my next goal at aquiring my "r" card so you'll run into my smiling little face at the "A" shows as your judge! LOL) My girls that are at my farm are just the best! Peri is now riding with Mitzi, who is an incredible trainer, and is WINNING everything in sight! Paige has returned to the jumper ring and is WINNING everything in sight too! Paige and I rode as a team in a Hunter Pace last Saturday and placed 3rd in the Advanced group out of a bunch of horses and riders! That being said, I don't look back over the past year with sadness. I look back and say "Thank you Lord for removing what did not need to be there so you can use me in an even greater way".

All of this being said I now finally get it! The pain I went through earlier this year, I finally get it. God has removed the stuff from my life that was dead weight. He is leading me in the direction He OBVIOUSLY feels I need to go. The horse shows and judging opportunities have become so successful I have quit teaching, but that's okay! I feel it's like God said "Ashley, let that stuff go, I have something SO much better for you!". I love what I do, I know I'm good at what I do because God has given me a gift. I am so thankful that God saw the bigger picture and knew who needed to be in my life and who did not. I am so thankful for the people who have proven to be amazing friends that have shown what great character they have this year. Yes, it is painful when God prunes the "non fruit producing" branches in our life, but I FINALLY understand that those branches are pruned because God is trying to make room for new growth!

LIFE IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!