Loving Heart Mommy: Dr. Lew Sterrett's "The Horse Whisperer"

ABOUT THE BOOK!

A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. In this book, Lew tells the stories of his work with these horses and the lessons each one has taught him. Sometimes heartbreaking and often uplifting, Lew has condensed his lifetime of learning into messages for the Christian life. Today, Lew shares these messages with more than 50,000 people each year through horse training presentations at Miracle Mountain Ranch and nationally through his Sermon on the Mount Ministry.

The author's engaging style and adroit mixture of well-tested anecdotes and thoughtful instruction make this a winning read-and not just for horse lovers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR!

A champion trainer and true horse whisperer, Dr. Lew Sterrett has used patience and a firm but gentle hand to earn the trust of more than 3,500 horses. Dr. Lew Sterrett (Ph. D) had little idea that his boyhood interest in horses would open doors internationally for speaking and training. During his years in 4-H, he savored many opportunities to train and show horses and earn national recognition. As a student leader at Penn State University he benefited from many mentoring relationships from which he received valuable training, experience and honors. This foundation provided a basis for an extensive horse career with a unique emphasis on training youth and community leaders.

Lew has served as the Executive Director of Miracle Mountain Ranch Missions, Inc. (MMRM) since 1977. MMRM, located in northwestern Pennsylvania, is home for a summer youth camp, and a leadership training center for youth, adult, and family groups. He has also promoted safety in public riding programs, serving as President of the Certified Horse Association for 7 years. A licensed pastor, certified Youth, Marriage and Family Counselor, he earned his PhD from North Tennessee Seminary in 2007.

Find out more about Dr. Lew Sterrett on his website: http://www.sermononthemount.org/

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ABOUT Dr. Lew Sterrett:

1. HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INVOLVED WITH HORSES? AT WHAT POINT DID IT BECOME YOUR LIFE’S PASSION?

I was but eight when my neighbors got horses and then my sister followed suit. Somehow it struck a chord with me, for I had already been infatuated with the likes of Roy Rogers, Stony Burke, the Rifleman, etc. I rode my sister’s horse looking more like a peanut on an elephant than a cowboy on his steed, but I was hooked. From that time on this fantasy began to become a reality. When I was 14, I was asked to train for someone else. It was all downhill after that. In part because of my intense enjoyment of horses, in part it was my safe place from family issues, and in part because I began to experience affirmation from others in what I did.

2. YOU'VE WORKED WITH AND SPOKEN TO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT AUDIENCES - AT RISK YOUTH, HOMESCHOOLERS, CORPORATE RETREATS, AND OTHERS. HOW CAN HORSES SPEAK TO SO MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE ALL AT THE SAME TIME?

Our audience is a broad spectrum. It includes all ages and ranges from very secular to very Christian, and total horse enthusiasts to non-horse observers. But we do share things in common: we are all people and we all share the same relational situations. The very principles that profit a horse/trainer relationship help humans to see their needs more objectively. Illustrating these with horses helps people appreciate God’s greater purpose for their lives from a relational and not necessarily “religious” perspective. The context is fundamentally sound, pithy, yet entertaining and non-threatening.

3. WHAT IS THE “10,000 HOUR RULE?”

When I use the phrase “It'll take a lot of wet saddle pads” my coaching audience looks baffled. However when I tell them that the only thing their team lacks is sweat equity, then the lights go on. I am very quick to emphasize that practice never makes one perfect. Otherwise we would not repeat the same dumb arguments with our spouse or kids. But it is essential to rehearse repeatedly in order for us to react automatically in crisis...kind of like forgiveness.

4. IF THERE IS ONE MESSAGE YOU WANT READERS TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR BOOK, WHAT IS IT?

Every trainer wants a relationship with the horse. Man’s ways are opposite to God’s—we are deceitful and addictively self-absorbed—but God wants a relationship with us. To get there, God often has to corral us and get us to face the futility and deception of our own reasoning. Like the horse, we can’t 'save ourselves.' The story of this book is that not only does God want a relationship with every reader, but He has already sent the trainer, the Lord Jesus Christ, into our arena to speak our language and to elevate us to fellowship with him. It is our privilege to respond to Him in humility (repentance) and trust (faith) in His offer of forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in Him for salvation.

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READ AN EXCERPT!

http://store.kregel.com/client/excerpt/978-0-8254-6316-7.pdf

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My Views on Dr. Lew Sterrett's "The Horse Whisperer":

This was a very interesting book to read. It's funny how Dr. Lew Sterrett says that he doesn't really "whisper" to the horses, he actually listens to them, its inspiring!

This book shows you not just with horses but also with people in your very own life how you can slow down and actually listen, trust, and forgive those around you. Like he says in the book about a horse named Top Cat: "What he needs,", "is to learn how to handle his fear, how to deal with his pain, and how to have hope." Those I believe are words not only meant for horses but for everyone. Do you find it hard in life to do those simple things?

Dr. Lew Sterrett has a great ministry for everyone, and I love how he incorporates what he's been doing with horses as a young man into his teachings. All it takes is hard work and trust to make any relationship concrete, not only with horses, but also with you and me!

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