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Fellowship of Christian Cowboys- Ronnie Moyer
79 Plays5 months ago
Join us for an inspiring episode featuring Ronnie Moyer, the National Chaplain of the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys. Ronnie shares his journey of faith and the impactful work of the FCC in organizing rodeo Bible camps and supporting youth rodeo organizations. Discover how faith and rodeo intersect to create a strong, supportive community. Tune in for an uplifting conversation with Ronnie Moyer! For a full episode transcript, visit our website at: https://www.justinboots.com/en/kick-your-boots-up/podcast.html.
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Transcript
Introduction to Ronnie Moyer and His Roles
00:00:00
Speaker
Hey everybody and thanks for listening to another episode of the Kick Your Boots Up podcast. As always, like, subscribe, share this with your friends. I say this every week and I'm just going to continue to say it every week because the guests keep getting better and better and better. No offense to the last guest, but um seriously, this week's guest is just a breath of fresh air. Before I really tell you a little bit about him, I've got to say I've gotten to know him over the years and follow along everything that he's doing personally and then his family and then also the organization that he represents. So without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, this is Ronnie more Moyer with the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys. He's the national chaplain, so he has kind of a big job compared to others and the fact of he's got um a lot more ground to to cover and travel and really his mission is to just share his story and bring people to know Jesus. And um hopefully they fall in love with Jesus along the way as well. But he's more than just what you see a man in a cowboy hat. He's a dad. He's a husband. He's a survivor in many ways. And also, interestingly enough, which we haven't really gotten to talk about, Ronnie, so we'll have to get started with this, is a recording artist in Nashville. He's recorded some gospel music.
Evolution of Cowboy Church Services
00:01:12
Speaker
Not many people can say that they've their speaker and also a singer. So ladies and gentlemen, here's Ronnie Moore. you're Ronnie, it's so good to have you on the podcast. Thank you for joining us. Thanks so much for having me. Always fun to be with you. Oh yeah, no, for sure. And I remember my first experience of of meeting you specifically. I didn't even really get to meet you. I got to hear you speak and I was, um,
00:01:36
Speaker
I was a rodeo queen at maybe the national Western stock showing rodeo. Um, it was back in like, I don't know, 2013 or something. And, um, I remember thinking, wow, that man is so gifted. He's, he's bringing a lot of people to the Lord. I mean, just going to a cowboy church on a Sunday at a rodeo, which by the way, I guess if there's a, if anyone out there is listening and they're not familiar with what you get to do on Sundays on the road, maybe tell us a little bit about what you do get to do at the cowboy churches. Let's start there. Oh, um through through the fellowship of Christian Cowboys, ah things have have changed a lot over the years. They've been around for 40 years.
00:02:20
Speaker
and rodeos changed and so has the ministry to the rodeo cowboys.
Origins and Growth of the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys
00:02:27
Speaker
and Much more now it's a spectator service so you may have 600-800 people at the ah spectators at the cowboy church service like Cheyenne, Denver, Houston, um And it used to be we sat around the trailers on hay bales and lawn chairs and whatever anybody had to eat and coffee and
00:03:00
Speaker
I strum my guitar and we looked at scripture and kind of had a Bible study. Now it's almost a full blown mini concert with with special music and and worship. And we try to add in a lot. um' I was raised in in church as much as you can be when you're rodeoing. You're on the road. you know weekends is is not very conducive to a home church, but um with the old hymns. And so a lot of them, we take the old hymns and put them to our own style, but as well as some some praise and worship and and some special music and then the message. And so we've continued on doing that, but more for the spectators now. So a lot larger crowd, a lot different.
00:03:50
Speaker
different feel to it now than what it used to be. Yeah. That's so interesting, Ronnie, because I remember going to high school rodeos and I know fellowship of Christian Cowboys didn't exactly get to be at every local or state high school rodeo, but they were at nationals and all of that. And that's so big and so important whenever rodeo competitors are on the road, because yes, they might have their home church whenever they are home. But professional rodeo cowboys definitely don't get to be home every Sunday and maybe not even, you know, a fourth of the Sundays throughout the year, depending on how serious they are about traveling and all of that. So you guys having the capability to bring the church to the rodeos and then including the fans, I think that is so,
Support and Outreach at Rodeos
00:04:31
Speaker
so neat. Do you know kind of how it all got started, how you guys got the idea to even start as as like a small Bible study at the trailers, like you mentioned?
00:04:40
Speaker
Well, I think as an organization, a lot of people don't realize that the fellowship of Christian Cowboys came out of the fellowship of Christian athletes. Okay, I was going to ask if that had any correlation. Yes, it does. it We were the cowboy chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. And due to IRS and and insurance and stuff, they made them separate into two different identities. And so that's when the cowboy chapter of FCA became FCC, Fellowship of k Christian Cowboys.
Focus on Apologetics and Spiritual Growth
00:05:15
Speaker
And um my understanding is Mark Stricker and Wilbur Plogger were kind of the first guys to have the brainstorm back when it was under FCA to just do the the Bible study, the fellowship time. Somebody played guitar if they had that. If not, they just had the Bible. And that's obviously enough. But it was a fellowship more around I think the trailers, you know, behind the shoots in the arena, and it was much more small, you know, just the contestants and more of a family kind of unit when it started. And then you see it just kind of expand to what it is today.
00:06:02
Speaker
Oh yeah. And you guys have even encouraged and inspired so many others to do the same thing, maybe on a smaller scale. So most, most radios you go to, most big rodeos you go to now will offer some sort of, if they have a Sunday performance or if there's something related to like championship Sunday, there will be a Sunday morning cowboy church before. And a lot of the rodeo competitors aren't able to make that service because it's too close to the rodeo. Some of them do, don't get me wrong, but it's, you know, ah some have started their own. internally amongst the Cowboys. I remember Rodeo Houston has like cowboy camp or whatever it's called and same thing after the it's odd hours of the day and night, you know, whenever the compet the competitors can fit it in and stuff. And so I think what you guys are doing really cool, but I think I've got to talk a little bit. I mentioned high school Rodeo earlier. um You guys are really good about um getting the word out there and not expecting anything in return and really walking the walk. And so I've got to commend you there.
00:06:53
Speaker
I know um little britches rodeos in particular I think high school rodeo did this as well but um there was Santa Claus or cowboy Santa what you know what the kids know him as and ah you guys amongst also him as part of the FCC would be passing out waters and that goes a long way because anyone out there that's hasn't thought about or hasn't put into respective the summertime heat at rodeos. It's it's awful. it's um It can you know really take a toll on the way you compete, the way your horses compete, and just having that extra cold bottle of water either right after you competed or right before you go compete, um just it says so much and goes a long way. and Then also, one more thing I'm going to bring up is the stickers where it says, um God loves cowgirls, God loves cowboys. I still have that sticker on my makeup case to this day, which I'm not going to tell my age. but
00:07:42
Speaker
Um, I've definitely had it a while and it's a good reminder to to just, you know, whatever you think of whenever you see that sticker to pray for it daily. And so I know like when I was still competing, I would pray for my horses and pray for the runs that it was about to make or whatever it is. And, um, as that's evolved and changed, I've been able to take that with me as a young woman too.
Personal Challenges and Faith Journey
00:07:59
Speaker
So I appreciate everything that you guys have done. So talk more about the the initiatives that you guys do to kind of spread the word and give back and help the kids and competitors also. um You know, for me, of course, when I started, it was with the fellowship of Christian athletes and oh as a coach. And I was leading worship and leading leading Devotion Time and then became basically the sports camp speaker.
00:08:30
Speaker
And at that time, Mike Spencer was the president of the fellowship of Christian Cowboys. And I went to Mike when they were going to separate. And I said, Mike, what would you think about doing rodeo Bible camps like we do the the football, basketball, volleyball camps for FCA? And and his first reaction was we were sitting in a booth, I think, someplace eating and and he said, I don't know anything about that. So that's outside of my box and I'm really not interested in that. You know, he was a professional rodeo clown and I said, well Mike, I can do the camp part if you do the rodeo part. And um it sparked the a little bit of a flame there that just kind of continued to grow. And so we started,
00:09:26
Speaker
the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys Rodeo Bible Camps, and they took off like a wildfire. And most of the Rodeo Bible Camps that you see today are just a springboard from all of those, oh all across the country, all across the nation. And I would say, giving some of the ah credit to the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys, I think a lot of the cowboy churches that we see today, were springboarded off of that ministry that FCC started years ago. We found out once we started doing Rodeo Bible Camps that there was a fella in a small town in Wyoming that actually had been doing Rodeo Bible Camps for years.
00:10:13
Speaker
But he did them like Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and they were in, you know, he would take the semi. He would, he would haul the stock. He would haul
Commitment to Ministry and Scripture Advocacy
00:10:22
Speaker
fifth wheels. It was like the harvest crew going out. You know, they took trucks and trailers and they provided all the staff and all they needed was kids and a. and a yeah rodeo grounds to do it and so we weren't the first we thought we were I thought it was a brainstorm but actually after we did all the work we found out no this guy's been doing it for a long time oh but it was just just kind of a one-man show that got volunteers and family and friends to go with him but and so
00:10:52
Speaker
oh We just took it kind of after the FCA regular sports camps of, you know, you have chapel in the morning chapel in the evening at devotion times throughout the day. We have question and answer times where we encourage high school students to ask any question they want to, you know, maybe there's questions that they've been afraid to ask. um you know parents or or at a local church or something you know ask those questions here it's a safe environment to do so and um anyway so it's just been it's been awesome they work on their events you know during during the day and and then we have chapel at night so it's just been amazing to watch what god's done through it all
00:11:40
Speaker
Oh, without a doubt. And there's so many questions I have about that because you're exactly right. The the kids at that age are, it's just such a prominent and weird age. You know, they're they're starting to experience so many different things, especially now post COVID, 2024, all the things that are going on. They they are genuinely curious and I think it's so important that you guys have that question and answer opportunity because you're right, small towns, a lot of these kids do come from small towns and they're afraid if they have this curious question ah about the Bible, it doesn't even have to be an inappropriate question. It can truly just be like, okay, so remind me about this person. What did they do again? And feel like they're not going to get laughed at. um So that's so huge. Kudos to you guys. What has been your most impactful memory?
00:12:25
Speaker
Working these camps, seeing these camps, because I guarantee you there's been a few since the kids come in leaving a different kid entirely and and the way they compete and then the also the way that they act outside of the arena as well. oh I don't know if there's any one specific thing. It's just um here recently, we went back to Colorado where they originated, the first one we did because the national office for the fellowship of Christian Cowboys was there. And so LaVita, Colorado was actually the first rodeo Bible camp we put together. And we went back there this year. oh My passion and heart has always been to apologetics.
00:13:07
Speaker
So helping people defend what they believe and and to to abandon the subjective truth of you know so oftentimes so oftentimes we want to take scripture and we want to make it fit. our thinking, our feeling, our desires, our wants. And apologetics really goes from an objective truth where you let go of your bias and you're you're your feelings about stuff and you look at it objectively outside. And that's what apologetics does. So for me, it's more to where I came from in an education and coaching ah background to help students take the information.
00:13:54
Speaker
be learn to be critical thinkers. And you know that the world is twisted. You know, you hear the word critical and everyone's like, oh my gosh, you can't. But that's what education was. We taught young people to take information, ask the hard questions, why, what, when, how, you know, and process this information and then make, based on that information, good decisions. And I remember as a coach, um I was with junior high and high school sports, and when we did the in-service at the beginning of the year, and they said, okay, we're moving to a ah new level of education, and we don't it's not so much what kids think about this information, it's how kids feel about this information.
00:14:44
Speaker
And I just kind of had a meltdown in the middle of everything. I was like, I work with junior high and high school boys. I know how they feel and they need to stop it and and get away from feeling and go back, stay with at that time, the the mind and and being rational and looking at facts and information objectively instead of subjectively on how you feel about it. So anyway, that was a big and was ah big change for me. and probably drove me oh more passionate than ever toward apologetics, teaching on biblical worldviews, helping students develop their own theology and doctrine, which again, those two terms have become kind of bad words in the world. oh You know, people say, well, I just want to love Jesus. Well, if you don't have the right theology and doctrine, how do you even know who Jesus is?
00:15:43
Speaker
and So anyway, yeah I could spend an hour or more on that in itself because it's something I'm really passionate about. And that's why Becky and I have always remained. oh We don't have a ah denomination or an association with any denomination. We've stayed completely independent of all things. so that we can look at stuff without any bias of denomination behind it. it's Let's look at scripture and look at it from a historical standpoint and from a literary standpoint and really dig in and see what did the author's intent to the audience at that time mean? And oh my goodness, it's a lifetime of study with that, but I love it. Okay, i I'll back off now. and Just get so excited about it.
00:16:35
Speaker
Yes, no, Ronnie, I'm so glad you brought that up because there is a Lauren Daigle song that's one of my husband and I's favorite songs, and it's um called Losing My Religion. And basically it's saying like, I'm going to have a relationship with God, whatever that takes, whatever that means, it doesn't matter my religion, it doesn't matter all the stuff that everyone gets wrapped up in, the physical church being a prime example, you know, a lot of people have a lot of church hurt and a lot of church trauma from things that happened at the church because they put so much pressure on how people should be and how people should act and because they call themselves Christians this is how they should be and um and so I'm really so glad that you brought that up because that's exactly what I feel as well my husband as well um and it's easier to read the Bible and talk through things if you aren't judged or jaded by
00:17:22
Speaker
You know, any other idea and not to shame anyone out there that is part of a denomination and they're rocking it. Like that's awesome. We all have our own, you know, our own path and stuff. But no, I could I'm on the same brain brainwave with you there, too. So I really, really admire that. And and then I'm going to ask you then to As you're traveling, I mean you guys go, Fellowship of Christian Cowboys goes to all these rodeos. You mentioned Cheyenne, National Western Stock Show and Rodeo Denver, um Little Bridges, National Little Bridges Finals, High School Rodeo Finals. I'm trying to think of all the places I've seen you. I've even seen you in um
00:17:53
Speaker
Some ah different, different, smaller rodeos across the United States as well. So, um, as you're doing this, what do you notice about rodeo people, rodeo fans? Is there anything that you've noticed or recognized from your services that you just, you just can, you can set rodeo fans apart from the crowd? Um, you you know, there's, there's obvious an appreciation for what we do. Um, You know, the rodeo, your're your greatest asset is your greatest detriment. And so, um for almost 40 years now, my passion has been to reach believers with the growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Master and King.
00:18:46
Speaker
And so I'm a little bit different probably than, well, you know, I'm a lot different than most of them, but a little bit different in the fact that I think what I try to do is see that people mature in their faith. And um a lot of people look at, at the cowboy church as an evangelistic tool and yet That to me evangelism is kind of a byproduct of discipleship. And so, even in, and that's what I love about the camping and and the the camps the schools that I do.
00:19:25
Speaker
It's multiple times a day for multiple days throughout the week that you're being able to go from Genesis to revelation and help young people, especially dive in and, and grow in their faith. So it's not just this superficial, you know, I started in ministry when it was, God loves you and has wonderful plan for your life. But what happens when your lord idea of a wonderful life and God's idea of a wonderful life are two different things. they don't do they speak can oh Students become so disheartened and feel like they've even been lied to. And so um going back to your question about, you know, a memorable time, this last
00:20:10
Speaker
last summer was so special in Becky and I's life to just teach apologetics and get out of the way and let the Holy Spirit take the word of God. Faith comes by hearing, hearing comes by the word of God. And so get out of the way, just preach the word and let the Holy Spirit do his work. And I'm kind of an anti-baptized person. I really don't like to do baptisms at rodeos and oh and camps, however, saying that all of my daughters have been baptized at rodeos or rodeo Bible camps. And I do them. And last year there um in Colorado, we had a number of students. We never talk about baptism. We kind of feel like that's something for the local church to do. And we don't want to step on toes doing that.
00:21:04
Speaker
um And yet, at the same time, for so many rodeo kids, just like like my girls growing up and myself, your your church is whatever is there at the rodeo. Because you aren't home to go to a local church. right But I kind of avoid the baptism thing. And when you have students that say, I don't understand baptism, but I want you to explain it because I know it's in scripture and I'm not the man I used to be or I'm not the girl I used to be. I wanna know more about it. And and completely on the student's own, they approached the staff and asked if if we would baptize a bunch of kids. And again, I'm really hesitant. and I'm like, that's really for the church.
00:21:59
Speaker
You talk to the kids and they're in the same boat. Maybe their parents don't go to church. Their parents may not even be believers. They don't have a church to go to. And these these young people travel together. They rodeo together. They travel together. but They're always together. That's their testimony is to their peers. and to stand up and say, I want my friends to know whether they're followers of Christ or not, I want them to know that I am and I'm publicly making this commitment. And so it was a really special summer, one being back where we you know started grassroots, the fellowship of a Christian Cowboys, rodeo Bible camps, but also to just see how the Holy Spirit took the word of God. And without any prompting from us or mention of anything from us, just
00:22:51
Speaker
preaching the word, they came to, you know, the Holy Spirit, again, opens their eyes and ears, their minds to understand, to become followers of Christ, and then say that I want to be baptized as well, understanding what that means. You know, it's not just a a show. It's something that's really personal to them. If I could expound just for a minute, this is what I deal with as national chaplain. This is what I deal with a lot. I always go to the parents and I say, ah you know, I won't do this without your blessing. wow And it's been something that I've seen more and more over the past few years.
00:23:32
Speaker
went to one dad and I said, you know, would you guys like to help with the baptism? And they're like, oh my goodness, no. And I said, well, look, I'll do the talking, but you can do the dunking, right? Yeah. And um they're like, no, I really don't believe in this stuff. I just let my kids make their own decision. And, you know, it's heartbreaking. I mean, is at least they're not prohibiting it. But at the same time, there's no encouragement to you know, take on a lifetime of deny yourself, take up your cross and follow him. And so I looked at the mom and I said, well, would you like to pray a blessing over your son? And it's like, no, I agree with my husband. I don't want any part of it. And you know, there was as many that said that as said, oh, yes, I'd love to be part of that.
00:24:26
Speaker
That's heartbreaking to me. you know It's encouraging for that other half that, yes, they would love to be part of the baptism, whether that's praying the blessing or whether that's actually taking them into the water. um But that's one of the things that, for me, rodeo, you hear about this rodeo family. And that can be a kind of a generic term, but for a lot of people, it's not generic. It is their family. And maybe, sadly, you say they may be more family than blood because those are the people you're traveling with and you're you're competing with and and playing with and working with.
00:25:14
Speaker
and It just that's one of the things that I love about that the National Little British rodeo is it wasn't a fix all but um it was a place where I could raise my three girls in their age groups. of I had a little wrangler in the little division. and Then I had a junior and then I had a senior and all three could go. Becky was, was announcing or timing. Um, there were times when I was, uh, being a rodeo clown or, or helping with the shoots or doing whatever, you know, stripping shoot, whatever it was. And then, and so I took that with our rodeo Bible camps and with the,
00:25:58
Speaker
the national chaplaincy of the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys, I said, guys, if we're gonna have a ministry, we need to be boots in the dirt. We can't just be somebody who shows up on Sunday and does a church service and walks away. We gotta get involved in the dirty business. And so oh one of the things that the National Little Bridges Rodeo Association said is, If you guys want to, I think it was my wife, Becky, that had talked about maybe offering water to the contestants. And the is the National Blue Bridge has just jumped in and said, that would be amazing. And, you know, our concern has been at other places, vendors are selling water. Here we're giving it away. And the,
00:26:51
Speaker
You know, BRA just was like, no, it's, that's great. This is something we can do for our contestants and then their families. And since we've been doing this, I can't tell you how many years it's been, but we give out close to 6,000 bottles of water every year at the finals, just at the national liberators finals. And either in money or in cases of water, the vendors bring them to us. and say, Hey, we sell this, but we tell them, if you're a contestant, go see them guys. They'll give it to you for free. And we're donating money and water for that purpose from the vendors themselves. That's why that's family you and what they can do for family. And I just, I get, um I'm a fan of that.
00:27:39
Speaker
Oh, yeah. And and that and kind of makes you want to get emotional or feel some type of way too, because um you think of all the, you you just said it so well. You're giving it away for free when some vendors are charging, you know, an easy three to six to $10 depending on the need or whatever. And that's just incredible because if you think about it. All these families, no matter where they are, let's, let's talk about like, let's pretend we're at Cheyenne. Okay. The competitors, whatever it is, they've all spent a lot of money to get their families, especially whenever it's little britches, like you mentioned, all the kids are in all the events. So you've got entry fees, you've got horse, you everything with the horses, just all of it. They've already paid so much to get there and.
00:28:18
Speaker
Quite literally what you think is a simple i a simple thing, a bottle of water, it goes so far because there's a lot of times the parents have completely forgotten to eat or drink or take care of themselves because they're too busy taking care of their kids. And so them getting to stop by your tent and grab a water on their way in. That might be the only water they drink all day sometimes just depending on, um, you know, the schedules and all of it. So you guys are making a, such a larger impact than you probably even know, or even that you, that you care about, because at the end of the day, it's not about you guys and you guys are all, you know, you, you live that every day too. So that's what I wanted to have you on the podcast for to talk about is just like the impact there and, and your guys's, um, view on everything in the end, just like what you're doing for the industry. So I can't speak enough good things about it and. If anyone out there does want to learn more about the organization, you can go to their website, fellowshipofchristiancowboys.com, dot org dot org or dot com. Ronnie, do you remember? I think it's dot com. I think so too. um Either way, if you Google it, and since we're in the the Google it days, um if you Google it, it'll pop up. um There's Facebook. You can talk about, you know, you can write things. You can see what they're up to, what events they're at. But we're going to take a quick break. And when we come back, we're going to get to know more about Ronnie and his stories. So everyone stay tuned. We'll be right back.
00:29:36
Speaker
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00:30:24
Speaker
And probably not something that you want to do, which is exactly why I'm going to ask it because you're so cool and your impact is so large. So tell us a little bit about your story and how you grew up. Um, and of course, you know, you accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart at eight years old, but that's a challenge too. Cause we are very similar there. I was eight as well. And you know how life has ups and downs. So, um, how did you grow up? Was it in Colorado that you were born? Well, I was born in Colorado. Yeah. And, um, My dad abandoned my mom at a very early age. I don't think I was even a year old. And so she went back to school to get her master's degree in education. pepper her Most of my family comes from an education background.
00:31:11
Speaker
and um You know, I did, that we, we went to a little non denominational Bible Church, a little country church, and what they focused on was the word. And they talked about things I had no idea what they meant, you know. oh just Bible terms of repentance and forgiveness and, and, um, propitiation and, uh, just atonement. All these big, I didn't know anything, but I would sleep underneath the pew usually, you know, and it's amazing how years later those things connect. They're in there. Um, I know when my grandson was born, um,
00:32:01
Speaker
I sang a special song to it, you know, and every time I sing, I sing that same song and you can just see the light bulb come on that he connects with that. It's like I've imprinted him with that. And so I think that's what the word of God does. It's living, it's active, it transforms our thinking. And so um I was ah so blessed and to go to a ah summer Bible camp for youth every year. And oh through junior high and high school, I had a wonderful mentor, a guy, Rich Hanson, he's in his eighties now. I've been in youth ministries all of his life, still one of my supporters, still calls and texts all the time. wow And um just wants to know how things are going spiritually and and involved in my life.
00:32:51
Speaker
And he carried me through, you know. um And I had those summer experiences. And um I guess my my my story really began when I married my wife, Becky. We've been married in almost 40 years. How old were you when you guys got married?
00:33:14
Speaker
I don't want, I don't want to show your age, but okay. She was way young. I was way old. but She was way young. I'm just going to, I'm going to say that. That's great. That's great. I was in my early twenties and, um, and she stayed there. You know what I mean? That's right. He's 30 right now. What are you talking about? Yes. Yes. She stayed right there. Um, but, uh, That that was one of my goals. And I think partly from being raised in a single parent home, um you know, I know people say, well what do you want to be when you grow up? It's like, well, I want to be a husband and a daddy. That was my goal. That is so cool. That was what I mean, if I could make a living at that, that's what I want to do. And
00:34:06
Speaker
oh i was in I was in high school when I felt like the Holy Spirit was directing me to go into ministry. But I couldn't see myself and in a pulpit, in a church, confined in ah in a building. And so I really ran from that. I was like, I don't want nothing to do with that. And so I went on to college. I was heavily involved in sports and athletics and and rodeo.
00:34:36
Speaker
and And then ah my granddad died and I went to help take care of the home place to be with my grandma. And I met Becky, and oh she was like an answer to my prayers. he She's an amazingly smart woman. And, ah you know, we all laugh about it because she put me through college. She put, and I don't mean financially, I mean education. She wrote all the papers. I mean, i'm probably yes. Did of my girls. I mean, you know, my first one's got a master's degree. My second one's working on it. um The other one's got a bachelor's in in nursing. and And anyway, it's just.
00:35:24
Speaker
Um, I feel like my story or my life really started when I met Becky and she had the gifts that I don't have administration organization. I'm horrible with that. Becky's so good at it. Um, she's just amazing. Um, she homeschooled our our three daughters. um which you know, as you mentioned at the beginning, we had four daughters and our oldest daughter died in my arms at home. And oh and and for the first time in my life, my world really fell apart.
00:36:04
Speaker
In biblical counseling, we talk about the five things that um are most likely to to divide a marriage. And but in the top five, it's the death of a child, a change in location, and a change in occupation. And Becky and I went through all three in the same week. Oh, man. I walked away from where we lived, a seven bedroom, five bathroom house. oh And so what I thought was going to be a career, an amazing career. Becky was working as well. We had this beautiful little blue hide
00:36:49
Speaker
blonde haired girl who died in my arms. And none of that mattered. Suddenly it was like, and, and I was raised in that generation where, you know, if you have a struggle, you have a, have a problem, uh, you just work a little harder. You work a little long, man, but that doesn't bring back life. no And so life and death really became a reality and, and an important thing for me. And I remember saying, God, I don't know what you want, but I give up everything and I surrender it all.
00:37:27
Speaker
and It was like, okay, then you're going into ministry. And I'm like, no, anything but that. But there's no money there. That's what everyone thinks. Yeah. Well, and I was broken. I mean, I was so broken. That's like, okay, I got nothing else. And I, and I always say that, you know, you, you said share your wisdom and I kind of laugh at that. And I appreciate you saying that, but I don't have any wisdom. I, the only wisdom that I have comes from the word of God. It really does. Yeah.
00:37:58
Speaker
Um, I, any wisdom that I have of my own is foolishness. If it comes apart from the word of God, um, and anything good in me center comes from, from God. I, wow I learned through that, the death of our oldest daughter. I said, you know, um, when When he tells us in Romans 12, he says, don't be conformed to this world, but let God transform you by changing the way you think. I cannot be the husband I need to be and the father that I need to be to my three daughters now if God doesn't transform my thinking. The only way I'm gonna be a husband and a father that's worth a lick
00:38:50
Speaker
is gonna be if I react and respond abnormally and unnaturally. And that's through the power of God's word and the Holy Spirit who lives in me. Because left to myself, it would be ugly. You wouldn't want to know me or no hear me or see my response or my reactions if I wasn't, if I was acting natural, it'd be nasty. oh The good part is that I can react abnormally and unnaturally through the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth of God's word in my life. And the thing that I've, ah you know, I wrote this book under duress. I didn't want to write the book, but as I wrote it, the thing that the kept coming back is you go back to what's most familiar.
00:39:43
Speaker
And it's true for a horse. It's true for people. You go back to what's most familiar. And so having accepted Christ at eight years old, when your world falls apart, when, when, when you're devastated, you run back to what's most familiar and what's most natural. And I had a grandpa and grandma who read the word every day, every day. my grandma read through the Bible every year. She'd start Genesis and go to Revelation every year. She would read through the Bible. It was important to her.
00:40:22
Speaker
And my grandpa and grandma, my mom has instilled that in us. My mom was a school teacher for I think over 30 years. um When she retired, she went to seminary and she got a seminary degree. She wanted to be a missionary on a foreign field and come to find out she had no idea she was going to homeschool seven grandchildren. So. oh with all of her experience and education, she went on to do the most important thing, and that was educating her own grandchildren and instilling in them, you know, not just a secular education, but a spiritual education as well. um From there, ah you know,
00:41:09
Speaker
I learned that the more that I spend time in God's word, the more I'm going to respond and react to the things of the world, abnormally and unnaturally. And that's really what I needed to do through the death of my child. And I can't tell you, I couldn't ah couldn't even give a fair guesstimate to the number of phone calls that I've received over almost 40 years now of ministry from either parents whose child just died or children whose parents have just died. And it's something that when when in talking to people, it's not that I can sympathize, I can empathize because I've been through it. And that's what they say. That's the important part to them is
00:42:00
Speaker
And so oftentimes it's not what we say. And Becky and I have a commitment to pray before we go in into any situation or conversation to say, Lord, give me the words to say how to say them, when to say them, if the same at all. Because sometimes we just need to shut up and listen. And oh anyway, that's, you know, I, I look at it and I think Becky and I, instead of going further apart from one another and further apart from the Lord, the death of of our first daughter, Taylor, actually brought us closer together and all so much closer to the Lord than ever because we saw our need. And that's one of the things I've said with the with the chaplaincy to the other chaplains that I work with is until they see their need of a savior,
00:42:55
Speaker
They have no need for Jesus. And we live in a world that kinda wants to talk about God, you can talk about church, but but but if you wanna talk about the Bible, you really wanna talk about Jesus, he' just that's gonna divide. That's gonna be the separating point. you know Is Jesus God in the flesh? He said he was, so there's no option. If you say he was a moral man or a good religious teacher, he didn't give us that option. He said, no, I'm God. So if he wasn't God, then he was a liar and a deceiver. So he sure wasn't good. He wasn't moral. If he wasn't God, he was God, and he conquered death for us. So we have those who are in Christ and that relationship with Christ.
00:43:45
Speaker
that's That's our comfort. I will see my daughter again, not because I'm hopeful, not because I'm religious. That was one of the things that people, I got really weary there toward ah the last few years. I would hear people say, well, you you believe that or you say that because you're the chaplain. I said, no, I'm a chaplain because I believe this. That's why I'm a chaplain. It's not the other way around. oh It's the importance of eternity, and our decision I think one of the scariest and saddest scriptures in all of God's word is Matthew chapter 721
00:44:29
Speaker
He starts out, Jesus is speaking and he says, on judgment day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, I prophesied in your name, cast out demons in your name. There are many wonderful words in your name. And Jesus responded to those. Those were religious people. He responded to them. I never knew you. In other words, we got no relationship. Depart from me. He sent them in into hell. And it's scary and it's sad because I think that those religious people actually thought they had done enough. And then you have the other side of people that say, well, you know, I'm a follower of Christ or I'm accepted Christ. So God owes me this and God owes, no, God don't owe us nothing. no You know, Oh, that's a thing. All he owes us is judgment. And he took care of that judgment through dying on the cross. I love that passage in Hebrews chapter two, where the whole reason that he took on flesh and blood is because we were flesh and blood.
00:45:27
Speaker
And only by taking on flesh and blood could he die for the sins of those who would deny themselves, take up their cross and follow him. And that has nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with relationship. relationship Yes. And so that's kind of been the key thing for, for writing this book that I didn't want to write and and for the chaplaincy and. for working with young people, yeah as as you see the world fall toward immorality and and chaos,
00:46:02
Speaker
um ah sadly, you see Christianity doing the same thing. And yeah we could say even even the the cowboy, you know, um it's not enough to say, well, we're the we're the only sport that that prays before an event. Well, that's that's wonderful. And that's good. But if it's only a prayer, if it's only words, then it's just like those guys who said, Lord, Lord, we did this and this and this. He's still going to say, I don't know you.
00:46:33
Speaker
It has to be a personal intimate relationship. And I'm so thankful that that the the guys that are praying that so many of them, they have the personal understanding and you hear it in their prayers. They pray in the name of Jesus. You know, it's not some. some nebulous ah cosmic humanism that talks about a God, but it's Jesus. And that's encouraging. I couldn't think of a better place to raise my kids, but in the rural lifestyle, in the country of Colorado there, oh in the rodeo, in the NLBRA, just because we could put all three of our girls together, travel as a family, only they had one truck to go, one trailer to go, you know,
00:47:19
Speaker
no That was a real blessing and in our lives. And, um, we were thankful. That's kind of where the chaplaincy started for me was in the NLBRA. When I took over doing a lot of that was asked to do the finals when they were in Pueblo, Colorado. And, uh, I was thrilled to, and, um, just kind of felt like that was my niche. Finally, that I could find a spot, you know, in the, in the rodeo world could be a chaplain.
00:47:51
Speaker
could be in ministry, but didn't have to be in a church, be in a church building. And so oh it's been an honor to to be that. i you know You talk about national chaplaincy, I was appointed that position. wow And I told them I would only do it as an interim until they found someone else. Oh gosh. how How long ago was that? I but i don't know. 15 years. Here you are still. Well, I think I gave my, I think I gave my farewell address to the national little bridges finals. Uh, I think two or three years ago and I'm still going. We're looking forward to that. That'll be, I got two rodeo Bible camps to do with kids. And then we're off the first, the end of June
00:48:39
Speaker
the the first part of July is the National Blue Bridge's finals in Oklahoma. So we that's our next big event to head to after the rodeo Bible Camps. Wow, Ronnie, i I'm just in awe of everything you just said. And I'm so appreciative that you shared your life story with us because there's a lot of people, I know our listener demographic ranges, but a lot of our listeners are um kind of my age range, a little bit younger, some older. And no matter what our life experiences are, it seems like this is definitely a season of learning and
00:49:14
Speaker
figuring out who you are. I know I'm only in year two of marriage and I still don't know what i what it means to be a wife. you know I'm learning every day and um I'm so thankful that my husband treats treats it as like a relationship with lord the Lord first, that we keep the Lord first in our relationship and then each other and that we sharpen each other. And I feel like lately my husband's definitely been the one that's like, okay, Taylor, you need to wake up early. You need to spend an extra 10 minutes reading your Bible. you know You need to get into it. But Before we go, I do have that quick question because there's a lot of, i I just really feel like I need to ask this question because it might be something I'm going through. It might be something that one of our listeners is going through, but we had a few episodes ago now. There was a lady on here that is really good about encouraging others and whatever she feels led to do, she'll she'll definitely reach out to these friends. but
00:50:02
Speaker
We were talking about how hard it is to memorize scripture and I don't remember now if it was on on the podcast or off but either way, um I know what my husband would say my husband would say the only way to memorize scripture is to read the scripture, live it out every single day. And so now we've started a challenge where we we do a verse a week. And there's some weeks when it's I struggle. there's There's definitely ones when I challenge myself to choose a lot a lot longer verse that's a little bit more deep or meaningful or you know a shorter one. So I guess really quick, what's your best piece of advice for anyone out there that's younger or ah I don't want to use the word baby Christian, but new to the faith that is really wanting to dive in and get to memorize scripture more. What's your best advice there?
00:50:43
Speaker
You know, um it is. It's familiarity with the word. And I don't know any substitute to that. You know you can write it down. You can paste it you don't on doors and and medicine cabinet when you're brushing your teeth. and and But it's the familiarity. It's when you see it, and you see it, and you see it, and you see it, and you see it. um And I am an advocate of apologetics, I think, and Apologetics goes beyond any denomination or association. And so oh it answers the questions of why, who, what, when. And oh I give out out Apologetics Bibles to new believers. And Sean McDowell,
00:51:34
Speaker
um
00:51:37
Speaker
Sean, is the son of Josh McDowell. Both of them have for eons done apologetic stuff, you know, how to defend your faith, especially for high school college students going into a secular world. And um so graduation gifts and wedding gifts, I try to give out, you know, an apologetics Bible that they can take. And the beautiful thing about it is, is it has like questions in the front that says, you know,
00:52:08
Speaker
How do we know God exists? How do we refuse or how do we defend creation when we're when we're confronted with evolution? oh you know Where did Cain and Abel get get their wives from? you know If there's only Adam and Eve, where did where did the the girls come from? And so it it answers basic questions, but it also gets into answering the tough questions. Is there an eternity? Is there a heaven? Is there a health? One of the amazing things a year ago was was that to watch how many students would laugh when I asked them in a small group, I asked them, I said,
00:53:01
Speaker
If I was wearing my bullfighters of faith has three guys, little bridges, high school and college bull riders that dive in the arena. And one of the boys asked me about, and i he's a high school student. I said, well, do you understand what that means? And they said, yeah, they died. That's their year. And I said, yeah. And I said, you're getting on tomorrow. Where will you spend eternity? These guys, I guarantee you when they got on that pool, They crawled down that sheet. They never dreamt that that would be their last few moments on earth. They never dreamt that. No. I said, what about you? And the scoffing of, well, I believe in heaven. I was like, well, you need to.
00:53:49
Speaker
because it's a reality and through that we to watch the transformation and again it's not it's not us it's not me it's not it's it's not it's the word of god faith comes by hearing hearing comes by the word of god so i could get up there all day and tell you stories about myself or accolades or whatever you want to call it and, and maybe hold your attention and get a few laughs and, and get a while. But that's not going to transform a person's life. And that's not going to rescue somebody from burning in hell for eternity and get them into heaven. Faith has to come by hearing the word of God, not my stories, not my accolades, not my,
00:54:39
Speaker
Awards, not my trophies, not my buckles. and None of that is going to transform your life. The only thing that's going to transfer, transform your life is the word of God. That's what I think this generation more than ever before it needs to hear. Amen. Because they're not hearing that from the world. Education doesn't tell them that so many of the churches, bless their hearts. Don't tell them that. ah Parents aren't telling them that. And so. We have to stand up and take a stand that, you know, the Word of God, it's God-breathed. It's living, it's active, sharper than any two-edged sword. and And when you look at 2 Timothy ah chapter 3, starting in fact in 15, he says, you were taught the Holy Scriptures from a childhood. Well, that was me. I was. And those scriptures have given you eternal life. That's me. And then it goes on and it says,
00:55:36
Speaker
The word of God is useful for teaching us what is right, correcting us when we're wrong and training us to do what's right, to live righteously. And so there's just nothing else that's going to help but the word of God. And so I just, that's my passion. That's my desire. That's what I want to instill. I still did in my girls, bless their hearts. And now to my grandsons and, um, And that's what keeps me going in and the chapel, honestly, because I'm a retirement age.
00:56:12
Speaker
You're right. You're right. You could you should you could be full-time grandpa, but you're going to continue to bless others. And that's really what I love and appreciate and respect about you. and And unfortunately we're out of time for this week's episode, but I have just been so in awe of everything that you've laid down for us today. Thank you for speaking truth and not only just truth, but the truth into us. I feel like the the truth is hard to hear um at some time. So I really do appreciate everything that you're doing. And, um, like I said before, if you guys are interested in learning more about fellowship of Christian Cowboys, go to their website, go to their Facebook page. You can follow along to see if you're going to a rodeo that they might be at where you can get plugged in there. But Ronnie, I got to ask too, where can people donate if they want to donate to you guys? Is it on online?
00:57:01
Speaker
They can donate right there online. We bet they can. Okay, awesome. Yeah, guys, I encourage you to, if you're out there listening and you feel called to um give up a little a little bit of extra money that you have or skip Starbucks a few times just to donate to the Fellowship of Christian Cowboys and everything that they do, they are truly helping keep rodeo alive as well. So if you're a lover of rodeo, you love going to the rodeos, get plugged in with them, follow along, see what they're up to. And Ronnie, I cannot say thank you enough. This has been so, so good to hear. And I appreciate every talk that we have. And I'm glad that we finally got to have an interview that was longer than five minutes to get to dig a little bit deeper.
00:57:36
Speaker
Thank you for the format. I appreciate it, sweetie. Yes, Ronnie. It's been so good. And I wish you the best of of everything that you do this this summer with the rodeo camps, with um all the FCC events that you're doing with the rodeo. So we'll be following along and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up. Thank you so much. Thanks for joining us on Kick Your Boots Up. I'm your host, Taylor McAdams, and we can't wait to share the next story of the West. Until then, feel free to like, subscribe, and leave us a review. Follow us on social media at Justin Boots to keep up with our next episode, and we'll see you the next time you kick your boots up.