Individuality comes in many forms. How we think, how we act, what we wear, and what talents God has given us are just a few, but they are all important. After all, what would this world be like if we all were exactly alike?

If every person in the world thought alike, we probably wouldn’t have electricity or different varieties of dance. Bored and uninterested, we would be able to know the whole story in a book by looking at the first page. What use is there to reading if the books are always the same way? What use is there in talking if we know every word the person is going to say?

Action tells a great deal about who we are. If someone is loud or gossips about their friends constantly, you may not want to be their friend. People who are rude or harm others usually end up with few friends. Most people (in my opinion) search for friends, who have good qualities, such as kindness, respectfulness, and responsibility.

Who would you be more willing to approach, someone in a skimpy outfit that is barely there, or someone wearing a t-shirt and jeans? When I am faced with that decision, the latter seems the better choice. I just feel more comfortable around someone who isn’t showing off as much skin as they can get away with, but respects themselves greatly. Those who can’t respect themselves probably won’t respect anyone else either.

Talent is a wonderful gift. Everyone has his or her own talents. Each and every person on this earth should find out, what they are good at and love doing; everyone has a talent, whether they know it or not. We can all impact the world with our gifts in some way, if we ask God to show us how. All the different gifts people have allow us to survive. If no one knew how to build anything we would probably freeze or overheat

and might not survive.

By: Scott Klopfenstein

Most people think of a missionary as a person who goes to “deepest, darkest Africa” to share Christ with savage natives. Although some people may be called by God to do that, there is much more to being a missionary.

One thing that a lot of people forget is that God has called us to be missionaries not only to the uttermost parts of the earth, but also to our hometown and country. Jesus’ disciples had to preach to Jerusalem and then to Judea before they moved on to the rest of the world. (Acts 1:8)

You may wonder how you can be a missionary to your town. Well, there are infinite ways to spread God’s Word. One of the best ways is to simply live according to God’s standards. You will turn some heads when you live differently than the rest of the world. They will become curious as to why you are so different, and that is a perfect opportunity to share the gospel.

Another good way is to start a youth outreach program in place of missions trips. I have nothing against missions trips, but instead of going to Mexico and being a missionary for a few weeks, you could minister to the people of your city all year long.

Your city is the perfect missions field. Do your neighbors know Jesus? Do the people around your church? You could make an incredible impact by simply telling people who Jesus is and what He’s done for you. There is nothing more powerful than personal testimony. So go out and tell your neighbors, tell the bum on the street, or the kids that skate in the church parking lot. You can be a missionary in your own town if you make the effort to be different.

Many times in my life I have heard people say things like “never give up”, which I had always taken as good advice. Yet, this year at Rainbow Bible Ranch I have decided on a different (although stranger sounding) slogan: Know when to give up.

Most of you are probably already disagreeing with my theory, so lets pretend you came to camp desperate for a fun, easy, and relaxing vacation. What happens when you find out that Rainbow can require hard work, little sleep and a willingness to grow in Christ? If you’re like me, your goal still would have been to have as much fun as possible during camp, and then go home and continue with normal, daily life.

What is seriously wrong with that idea? I needed to focus on God more and myself less. I needed to give up the reins of my life to Him. Letting God have control of your life can be hard for anyone, but I seemed to struggle especially in this area. When a problem came my way, praying never came to mind. I would handle it myself until I could no longer deny that I needed God’s help. I would almost reluctantly shove God my life in his hands through prayer, as if it were my last resort. I would have to continually remind myself to stop worrying and leave things to God. Over time He healed and fixed whatever I had messed up while I had believed in my own strength. It seemed He would patiently wait for me to come back to Him and give up the reins again and again.

Where did I go wrong first? When I used prayer as a last resort and didn’t turn to God until it seemed too late. But God says He will hear and help us when we call, like in 2 Chronicles 7:14 “If my people will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

A common question I’m asked going into my senior year of high school is “What are your plans for college?” My answer: “I don’t know. I really don’t know what I’m doing after high school. I had a college and classes picked out as of my junior year and God changed my heart.”

It was a struggle at first letting go and realizing that my plan wasn’t God’s plan for my life, and it was a very humbling process. A verse that’s really stuck out to me lately, in light of questions about college, is Psalm 37:4 “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

Shhh! Be quiet! Do you recognize these words? I know I do! I tend to talk a lot, not because I have so much to say, but because others are quiet. Part of healthy relationship is not only talking but listening as well.

Silence is also an important part. It lets you think over what you just said, what you’re going to say next, or how you’ll respond to what was said.

Silence can also be a message to say, “Hey, you can get this.” It is most of the time best to figure out stuff on your own because you may understand better than if someone told you.

As I said earlier, I talk a lot, and don’t really listen to what God has to say. What about you?

One thing I love about Rainbow is its isolation. When I come here I get time to be by myself and just talk to God and not just during Quiet Time either. I go outside to the pond, or just lie down on the grass and look at God’s creation.

I look at me, too. Where am I at with God? How can I work out this problem of faith? And I listen and look deep into myself and I grow.

I really believe Rainbow takes me out of my neighborhood and my life that seems to take up forever and sets me out to a place where I can leave everyone else to be alone with my Savior.

This isn’t only at Rainbow; I get this at home, too. I can feel God’s presence everywhere. But the isolation, the wildlife, the silence . . . that’s just one thing about Rainbow that is just . . . different.

In the Bible it says to go into an empty room and lock the door so you can be alone with the Lord (Matt. 6:6). Group prayers are wonderful, but my most fervent and growing prayers have been just me and God, alone.

Have you ever heard the expression, “Two’s company, three’s a crowd”? Silence is the most beautiful thing. It’s a time of meditation, relaxation, understating, growth and freedom.

What is a friend? I have been forced to ask myself this question recently when I foolishly opened my mouth on this subject, and probably hurt someone’s feelings.

When asked what a friend was, this is about what I said, or would have had I not been taken so off guard: “Someone who is kind, and has shown a genuine interest in getting to know me. Someone who cares about me, my dreams, and my fears. A friend is someone who I can talk to, and they listen not because they have to, but because they want to, and I don’t have to worry about anyone else hearing about it. A friend is someone I can laugh with, or cry with, and not worry about being laughed at. A friend is someone who will forgive my faults, and love me even on my bad days.”

This question forced me to ask another; how do I make friends? I was surprised to realize that I don’t make friends; I simply let others befriend me. I sit back, and wait for someone else to make the first move, I guess supposing that anyone who wanted to be my friend would automatically talk to me, and that those who didn’t talk to me must not want my friendship. But I realize now that that isn’t true. If it were, then I would talk to all the people I would like to be friends with, and I don’t. Why not? I guess I would have to admit that it is fear. Fear of being rejected, fear of being a tag-along, fear of people thinking I wanted to be more than just friends, etc.

Other times, people did try to be my friend, and once again, fear stopped me from accepting their friendship, even though I truly wanted it. It hurt to do so, and the results are still hurting, but that pain has taught me a lesson: I don’t need to be afraid to make friends, and I shouldn’t be afraid to let others be my friends.

Another thing I realized, is that if it hurt when people passed me by, not making an effort to get to know the real me, I must be doing the same thing to others, as I ignore them and hide behind a wall.

I don’t know if any of you can relate to what I am saying, but this is the message I want to send: Don’t be afraid to make friends, and remember how you feel when you get passed by or rejected.

There are many different animals at Rainbow Bible Ranch. There are many horses, cats, dogs, geese, ducks, and roosters. The horse I like the most is named Blue; she is a quarter horse. She is white with brown spots all over and when she gets wet she looks blue. There are four kittens, seven moms and at least three dads. They did have some billy goats, but they died. Now they have three dogs named Kiesha, Hatti, and Lucy. They also have a lot of cows and calves.

In Matthew 6:25 it talks about worrying. It talks about how you shouldn’t be anxious about your life; what you’re going to eat or drink, about your clothes, or even your body. It splits it into two parts: what you’re going to eat and what you’re going to wear.

What am I going to eat? In verse 26 it talks about the birds, they don’t sow or reap, they don’t have storehouses or barns, and still the heavenly Father feeds them. It then asks a very good question, “are you not more important than they are? And who by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life?” That is when you have to ask yourself, “What will I gain by worrying all the time?”

So if you don’t have to worry about food, I don’t think you should have to worry about clothes either. It says in verse 28, “and why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.”

So why would you ask, “ what are we going to drink or wear or eat?” God knows that you need them all. Verse 33 says “but seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” Like Tyler said, God does know what you need and desire, He just wants you to come to Him.

Now I’m going to leave you with the last part of the chapter, which is one of my favorite verses, and oh man, is it deep!

For me it has always been a struggle to stay on fire for God. There are so many temptations, alluring things, or ways of sinning, whatever you want to call it, that its amazing.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, “and God is faithful, that He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.” We sometimes misinterpret that verse thinking it means that He will never give us more than we can bear by ourselves. That is where we mess up. What it really means is that he will never give us more than we can bear with His help. Say it is the death of a family member or the betrayal of a friend. Just think how horrible it would be if we could not go and lay all our worries and cares at our Lord’s feet, but rather have to keep it all inside.

How could we not stay on fire for a Lord so great as this, you may ask? Well that is where human nature comes in. We were all born with a sinful nature. It goes back to Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden. Our punishment for disobeying is that now we have to work the ground for our food. Pain, sadness, and anger exist, and childbirth is painful. But instead of looking at all the things that are hard we should look at how easy it is to be saved through Jesus Christ.

I’m not saying our earthly walk with Christ is going to be easy, but just think after our earthly life is over we’ll see God in all His Majesty. John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world”.

What’s the difference between a recital and a rodeo? Air conditioning. Both include some of the same stuff. They have participants, a performance, an audience and judges. Pianists have a talent that God gave them. They develop it with hard work and practice. They have to want to get good. They enjoy playing.

The same thing goes for rodeo participants. It takes effort and practice to be in a rodeo. They develop a talent and a relationship with horses. It takes knowledge to work with horses. They know what they’re doing.

Pianists or cowboys/cowgirls are relevant to a phrase that Larry reminds us of from time to time. “No pain, no gain.” It’s so very true. When they perform, they do it for their family, themselves, the ones that taught them, and anybody who supported them or just want to watch or listen. It brings happiness to parents and grandparents when they hear you play a beautiful song or succeed in a team penning competition.

I finally figured it out. It’s because Rainbow is such a fun, nice, and exciting place. They teach you about God, ranch life, and how to ride a horse. You also get to meet new friends and grow a stronger relationship with God. There are so many people that you meet there. Like Larry and his family, the owners of the ranch. I loved Rainbow so much that I went there another year for Legacy II. Well Legacy I is a one week camp, and Legacy II is a two week camp. At the end of each camp you have a rodeo. At the rodeo you have the Rainbow pattern, team penning, double mugging, and steer riding. (It’s so much fun to watch steer riding).

I have always wondered what other campers think of Rainbow Bible Ranch. So, for my article, I’ve decided to do an interview and ask a few people what they think is the best part about Rainbow, or why they like it here. Melissa, a camper this year, says that, “I love it here because you always feel comfortable with the other people, amd you know they will treat you with respect.”

Erika, also a camper, loves “just being able to learn about other people and meeting new friends and being able to support each other.”

Kelli, a camper and in her first year of Legacy 2 states, “The sessions are my favorite part because they are really inspiring, and they help me grow closer to God.”

J.J. loves “the challenges of Rainbow.”

Max likes to “be around Christian friends and draw closer to God” here at RBR.

Mishell, a staff member and also a camper, says: “Rainbow is my favorite place in the whole world. God’s presence is definitely over this camp, and just watching Him work through the kids has been extraordinary. As a team leader, I’d have to say that the best and most rewarding part of camp is seeing the campers come to Christ.”

Rainbow Bible Ranch has always been the place that I love. The first time I came was in 2003. In the middle of the week I started to question my faith.

Not knowing what to do, I turned to Larry. So Larry, my friend Ashley, and I sat down and prayed.

That very night I accepted Christ into my heart. Soon enough, the word went around, but I didn’t care; this was the best thing that ever happened to me.

After that week was over I was sad, but I new that I would be back the next year . . . Only, I didn’t make it.

Then soon enough I realized how much I wanted to be back. One week just wasn’t enough; there was more for me to learn. So, I pulled the money together with a lot of thanks to my neighbor, and I found myself here again.

I grew up in a Christian home, and go to church every Wednesday and Sunday night. This year was so hard on my dad because all of our crops got hail damage, or it was too muddy to plant. Every night I pray for all of the farmers that wouldn’t have very much income this year.

A few weeks ago, I was at a colt starting demonstration with the main points being: Pressure, Release, Reward.

When somebody goes to work with a young horse, or any horse, one of the first things you learn is that a horse responds to pressure. If you are working it around the pen or anywhere else, you need to be sure to give the right kind of pressure. If you are pushing it from behind, it will usually move away from that pressure.

It is very important that when the horse responds to that pressure, you release it. This rewards the horse and encourages it to respond to less and less pressure every time you work with him.

I’ve been to three different camps, including Rainbow. The two other camps didn’t affect me like Rainbow does. Here, I feel Christ. Here, it’s not just about you, it’s about your relationship with Christ and how you can honor Him and the gift(s) he gave you.

The first week at camp I accepted Christ into my heart. It was an awesome and extraordinary feeling; I’ve never in my life felt like I do now! Rainbow has such an effect on me; that’s why I came back for Legacy 2 this year.

I like Rainbow because it’s different from any other camp I’ve been to. It’s really about God. It’s not just an “I’ll read to you and you listen.” Also, Rainbow mixes God with everyday things like Q.T.’s in the morning, riding, devotions, and sessions.

Have you ever stopped to think about how similar horses and humans really are? I’m not talking about the physical traits, but in the way both horses and humans face and have to deal with various hardships and trials.

For example, on Tuesday of the first week of camp, Larry was working with two horses, one named King who was a little hard to catch, and Chance who is a tall, gray horse who didn’t like people touching his ears or trying to put a bridle on him.

Larry started off with King first, who turned away from Larry and tried to get past him. Despite his several attempts to get away, he gradually let Larry get closer and closer until he was able to catch him and put a bridle on him without any trouble at all.

Chance, on the other hand, was a different story. Even though he allowed Larry to get close to him, he didn’t let him touch his head without trying to pull it away or trying to raise it up so Larry couldn’t reach it.

That reminded me of how we can ask Christ into our hearts, but not give him all of us. What good is a horse if you can’t even touch his head to put the bridle on? Likewise, what good are we if we don’t let God totally take over our entire life, not just part of it? He wants more than just our Sunday morning or Wednesday nights and our occasional devotions and our prayers only when it’s extremely desperate or we really want something.

Just like Chance struggled against Larry and fought against him to the point of Larry having to tie a rope around his neck and back foot so that every time he tried to turn away he would be pulling on his back foot and going through a little pain, we try to do things our own way and turn away from God. The more Chance struggled to get free, the more he hurt himself and the more we try to do things on our own, the more we realize that we’re just hurting ourselves.

God doesn’t want us to go through all of this pain, but we choose to, just like Chance and King chose to turn away from Larry and try to do things their own way, which only ended in failure and disaster. Their struggling and running away reminded me of how I was running away from God and not letting Him have all my problems and trials.

The more I think about this, the more I become aware of all the things I’m trying to do on my own. Whether that be not telling my dad about some really bad movies I’ve watched or trying to get into God’s Word every day by myself instead of letting God take that and allowing Him to get me into His Word and fulfill that promise I’ve made to Him, rather than me miserably struggling and trying to do it by myself and getting nowhere, just like Chance.

Ever been to a branding? Felt the heat of the stove, or smelled the smoke from a freshly branded calf? Even if you haven’t, I’m sure that you still know that a brand is a permanent mark of ownership. That brand will remain on that critter as long as it lives.

At Rainbow Bible Ranch (Lonetree Ranch) it is common to hear the sounds of different projects that are always going on at Rainbow.

The latest project that has taken about 8 days and is still under construction is the windbreak. It has taken most of the boys and some of the girls. “Tamping posts and lining up the lengths between each post can hurt and be frustrating, but it needs to be done,” says Clint, a Legacy 2 camper. The windbreak is being built to stop the cold winds of winter or the scorching winds of summer for calves, cows, colts, horses, and any other animals who will stand behind it.

We are here at two week camp. It’s been fun this past two weeks. But I just found out that my grandfather passed away. I want to tell you this because Grandfather was not a Christian when he died, and I want to try to keep others from the same fate.-Ryan Shellito

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him will not perish, but have everlasting life.”-John 3:16

Have you ever thought about how amazing horses really are? We defy most of their natural instincts every day without realizing it. Just think about the predator versus prey relationship for a while.

What side are horses on? Prey. They have two choices to protect themselves: flee or fight. If there is any possible way to flee from a predator, horses will try to find it and when they can’t escape, they fight.

Think about even the simplest things we do with horses. Just by approaching a horse we are testing them. In a horse’s mind, our body language usually seems like a predator nature.

Most of the time, we don’t even realize what signals we are sending off just by the way we walk, how we carry ourselves, and the sounds we make or don’t make.

A horse feeds off of us and how we act makes a difference in how they act. Of course, some horses are different than others, but just think about it.

Now, think about saddling a horse and riding him. A horse sees this object with straps that are moving and making noise. What does a mountain lion do to a horse when they try to attack? A lot of the time, they will try to get on its preys’ back to get away from kicks and such. Just take that philosophy back to saddling a horse. Think and connect the dots.

Now going on to bridling. First off, a horse’s head is one of their most important body parts and definitely one of the most sensitive areas.

The poll, or as some of you might not know, the area right behind the ears, is extremely sensitive, as are the ears. If you apply pressure there, a horse usually reacts to it in some way.

Now, you put straps across the poll and under the throatlatch, once again, a vital part of a horse’s survival. Then, to top it all off, you put a cold, steel bit into a horse’s mouth. How would you feel if somebody came up to you and tried putting a bit in your mouth? I’m guessing you would try to fight it.

I am writing this letter to you in order to voice my opinion about some issues I have. I’ll start off with a little story. This story starts off you having just made the most wonderful, most beautiful creation possible. You are very happy with your work, but then your creation does something stupid. It tries to paint itself to make it look better in its own eyes, and it’s not near as beautiful as when you first created it. Now, for the moral of the story. God is the Creator, you are the creation, and the paint is makeup. Now I know some of you are thinking that you look terrible without makeup, but trust me—you’re beautiful without it. I’m not saying you all look ugly with makeup, but I would rather want to look at what God made perfect than at what you think looks good.

The next thing I wish to say deals with clothes or lack thereof in some cases. When I see a girl in tight clothes showing too much skin, it triggers lustful thoughts, which is really bad—as bad as committing adultery, as it says in Matthew 5:28. So, please . . . help us guys out and dress modestly.