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    New Trail for Life: A Guide for Spiritual Adventure and Fulfillment
    New Trail for Life: A Guide for Spiritual Adventure and Fulfillment
    New Trail for Life: A Guide for Spiritual Adventure and Fulfillment
    Ebook139 pages2 hours

    New Trail for Life: A Guide for Spiritual Adventure and Fulfillment

    By Jeff Smith

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    New Trail for Life is a great next step for new believers. It is also a valuable resource for seasoned Christians. Jeff Smith has the unique ability to write about the deep things of God in simple to understand terms. Its a bit cowboy-flavored, but itll point you to a rich life with the great God of eternity. It is the perfect book for those who wish to learn how to

    build strong faith; resist temptation; study the Bible; talk with God; walk in the Holy Spirit; share the gospel; and live life for the glory of Jesus!

    If youre sick of riding the fools trail, turn around and start riding with Jesus today! New Trail for Life serves as an exciting trail guide to lead you out of the thicket of sin and into fellowship with God. It can help you to understand spiritual principles that can lead you to a life of spiritual fulfillment.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherWestBow Press
    Release dateDec 4, 2013
    ISBN9781490817439
    New Trail for Life: A Guide for Spiritual Adventure and Fulfillment
    Author

    Jeff Smith

    Jeff Smith is Professor of Communication Arts at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, and the author of The Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music.

    Read more from Jeff Smith

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    Reviews for New Trail for Life

    3.5/5

    114 ratings4 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Written in 1847, this is an eye witness account of the prairie and the natives who lived there. Unlike our romantic view of native life, this is somewhat disdainful, and yet he admires them in a way too. It's hard to swallow the wanton killing of buffalo and other animals, yet this shows the prevailing attitude of the time, right or wrong. Quite an interesting book.
    • 3/5
      This narrative describes 23-year-old Parkman's travels west in with fellow Boston Brahmin Quincy Adams Shaw. Together they travel with settlers adventurers through the future states of of Nebraska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Kansas (the title is a misnomer as they never go to Oregon), and spend three weeks hunting buffalo with the Ogala Sioux. It's a well-written narrative that captures the flora and fauna of the prairies, the lives of settlers, soldiers, and Native Americans, and the uncertainty of so much change happening in the region at one time. Unfortunately, the huge problem is that Parkman is deeply prejudice against the native peoples, which yes is a characteristic of the time, but there were more sympathetic contemporary white American writers of the time as well. Parkman also is dismissive of a number of white settlers he encounters. I kind of imagine that Parkman and Shaw were like Charles Emerson Winchester haughtily looking down on those around them. So, yes, this is a terrific descriptive narrative, but there are a lot of aspects that will be hard to stomach for modern readers.
    • 4/5
      While not currently favored by historians, this is one good read. Keep in mind the conceits, prejudices, etc. of the man and his period and all will be well. Sometimes the language is a little too flowery (sp?) but other times you will be captured by the descriptions. Try not to get too upset about the buffalo carnage but again keep in mind the historical times that these people inhabited. The illustrations, mostly early american western painters is up to the usual folio society standards - that is to say excellent.
    • 4/5
      Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see the frontier, as a well-educated young Eastern man, in the days when you really would need to worry about Indians taking your scalp, and there were no showers or electricity back home to miss? This book pretty much shows you.The author is a twenty-something Harvard educated man - think of John Adams or Robert Gould Shaw here - in the 1840s, who enthusiastically roams the world in search of adventure and edification and things to write home about. He lies to his mother and tells her he's taking the safe route to Fort Bridger, all he knows about Mormons is that they're really religious and people in Missouri hate them, and his attitude towards hunting buffalo can be summed up with: "they're stupid, you can kill a million of the males and not hurt the species since Indians kill only cows, they're stupid, we're hungry, they're stupid, when they're all dead the Indians will die off too, they're really, really stupid, and killing is fun, whee!" He also, by the way, is really ill for most of his adventures - he details many weeks of lying on the ground unable to function, trying to ride a horse without falling into unconsciousness, and taking drugs he suspects will poison him just because there was a chance it'd make him feel better.The author is judgmental and, from our perspective, remarkably unkind. He's also brutally honest, especially considering that the insults and criticism of fellow Easterners was always written for publication. Later in life, he went back and changed a lot of the things he said in this book - that was after the Civil War, after polygamy scandals and the invention of the telegraph, after he was respected and married and so forth. The Oxford World's Classics edition is pretty much what he first wrote, so it's rougher and there's a lot more "look how smart I am, quoting ancient Latin poetry from memory" silliness than are found in other editions. He became one of the most famous and influential Western historians in the later 19th century.I definitely recommend it for people who are interested in the period, especially since it's first person. Someday everything you write today will be 160 years old; a certain amount of sympathy and understanding will, I promise you, take you a long way.(about the buffalo: no buffalo dies before page 220 or so, that wasn't killed for a good reason and put to the best usage it could be; some of the later stuff is gross and beyond excessive from a 21st century standpoint, but seriously, guys, this was the 1840s, and there were no grocery stores on the plains.)

    Book preview

    New Trail for Life - Jeff Smith

    Copyright © 2013 Jeff Smith.

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

    Cover photo & author photo by Whitney Dena’ Photography

    Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

    WestBow Press books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

    WestBow Press

    A Division of Thomas Nelson

    1663 Liberty Drive

    Bloomington, IN 47403

    www.westbowpress.com

    1 (866) 928-1240

    Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

    Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

    Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

    ISBN: 978-1-4908-1742-2 (sc)

    ISBN: 978-1-4908-1744-6 (hc)

    ISBN: 978-1-4908-1743-9 (e)

    Library of Congress Control Number: 2013921496

    WestBow Press rev. date: 12/3/2013

    Contents

    Preface

    Introduction  My Short Story

    Chapter 1    Mount Up for a Faith Adventure

    Chapter 2    Watch Out for the Ol’ Sidewinder!

    Chapter 3    The Ambush: Temptation

    Chapter 4    Double Promise

    Chapter 5    Bit by Bit Into Bondage

    Chapter 6    Study the Trail Guide

    Chapter 7    Whisper in Secret

    Chapter 8    Attend the Gatherings

    Chapter 9    Live in the Power of the Spirit

    Chapter 10  The Strongbox in Heaven

    Chapter 11  Pony Express the Gospel

    Chapter 12  Worship God All Day, Every Day!

    Conclusion

    About the Author

    I dedicate this book to my mother, Evelyn Smith. She always told me I could accomplish anything if I set my mind to it. She proved it by raising her five children on her own. She put her mind to it, and she got the job done.

    Watching her dedication and determination through the years gave me the confidence to dream big, to get at it, and to get it done. I thank God for her example of love, dedication, and integrity. My mother is my hero! I love you, Mama!

    Preface

    New Trail for Life was written for those of you who have realized the trail you’ve been traveling has consistently taken you places you really didn’t want to be. You’ve found that the old, worn-out path of least resistance leads to a life of broken dreams and lost opportunities, and you know something has to change. You cannot continue to ramble along that same old, dirty trail of dysfunction. The time has come; the time is now. You are ready for a new trail for life.

    Well then, reach way down deep inside and pull up all the faith and courage you can muster. I want you to ride with me along the life-changing trail of spiritual transformation. This New Trail for Life will lead you to a stronger faith in God and help you avoid the snares of Satan and overcome the temptations that stalk you. New Trail for Life was written to serve as a step-by-step guide on how to discover the gold of God’s Word and how to walk in His Spirit. It will help you find real power in secret prayer. You’ll even learn how to add value to your own eternal experience.

    Take your time to read this book. I think you’ll enjoy the many exciting stories and life lessons I mix in with spiritual truth. The illustrations are based on true accounts of events, even accidents, I’ve experienced over the years. I include stories about my horses, my farm, my family, and cowboy churches. I wrote each story to demonstrate some eternal truth that might help you ride into a more meaningful relationship with God.

    I want to thank my wife, Kim Smith. I couldn’t have written New Trail for Life without her support. She’s been so gracious and understanding during the many hours I was stalled up in my office writing. She’s sacrificed many hours proofreading and editing this book. It takes a very special woman to be married to a preacher; it takes another very special woman to be married to a cowboy. My sweet wife is married to both—a cowboy preacher. She’s rode along with me through life’s tough trails. I’ve never had to worry about her commitment to me, the ministry, or our Christian faith. She has always stood faithfully by my side. I love her more today than I did the day we tied the knot over thirty years ago. She is my life partner.

    Thanks for being there, sweetheart. I love you.

    I want to thank the Cowboy Church Network of North America, its executive team, and the cowboy church pastors who have encouraged me to write this book. These men are the modern-day heroes of the faith; many of them work full-time jobs in addition to serving as pastors of their cowboy churches. My hat’s off to them. They’re a great inspiration and encouragement to me.

    Most important, I want to thank my Lord Jesus Christ, who has led me to write a book that will introduce nonbelievers to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and inspire believers to shake off the dust of carnal living and ride out on the ledge where the wind of the Holy Spirit blows. New Trail for Life is that book. My prayer is that God will use it far and wide to draw people to walk with Him.

    Introduction

    My Short Story

    I was so sick of being me. Oh, if only God would give me power to change.

    Years ago, I found myself at the end of my trail. I had traveled many paths hard and fast, but it was always the same old story: Try this, and you’ll be happy, Do that, and you’ll have fun, Say that, and you’ll be accepted, or Go there, and you’ll be fulfilled. I went at it with all I had, but with each new path, I rode deeper into darkness. I was so lost and entangled in the thicket of sin that I was as pitiful as a cow in quicksand. I needed help, and I needed it fast!

    I went to work one Thursday morning, and my boss invited me into his office. He told me that the company was shutting down and that I no longer had a job. Wait a minute! I thought. I just bought a car! That was a big deal to a young man, of course. How am I going to make the payments? I went home and in desperation got down on my knees and asked God (whom I did not know then) to please help me find a new job. That’s what I call cowboy religion. You know what I mean—when I needed my horse, I’d jump on and ride him, and when I was done with him, I’d leave him in the pasture. That’s what I was doing with God—calling on Him only when I was in tight spots. Once the trouble passed, I’d just forget about Him, as though I were leaving Him in the pasture until I needed Him again.

    But God had not forgotten about me. The following Monday morning, I started a new job at Carolina Steel in Greensboro, North Carolina. And get this: I was making a dollar an hour more than I had been at my old job! God had answered my prayer. Little did I know God was setting me up on a new trail for life.

    The work there was dirty and dangerous, and the crew included a tough sort of guys. I remember Rocky, an older man built like a bull. He wasn’t mean, but he wasn’t nice; he was just there to do his job, and he did it faithfully. One day, Rocky accidentally cut off two fingers in a press. He simply bent over, picked them up out of the dirt, and walked into the supervisor’s office. Holding up two bloody right fingers in his left hand, he said, Boss, I need to call my wife and tell her I’ll be a little late for supper tonight. Of course, the boss just about lost his lunch!

    All kinds of characters worked there, including the loud braggarts and the quiet, humble guys. They were all hard workers. One man, an experienced fitter named Steve Wagner, always had an encouraging word. He was a Christian, but he was different from other Christians I had met. It was as if he knew God personally.

    Every day, he talked to me about my crummy life. He knew I was traveling the wrong trail, but he never held that against me. He talked to me about how much God loved me. He gave me gospel tracts and quoted Scripture to me. I wanted to be a different kind of man, but I thought there was no hope for me. I was lost, and I didn’t have any willpower. I’d tried changing in the past, but I always went back to the old, familiar trails of self-destruction.

    One Friday afternoon, in frustration, I told Steve to just leave me alone. I couldn’t help who I was, and I hated who I’d become. I knew if I could have started my life over, I would have. But I couldn’t, so I wanted him to leave me alone. Steve said, Jeff, if you’ll place your faith in Jesus Christ, He’ll give you that fresh, new start. Steve reached into his toolbox and picked up his old, worn-out Bible. He flipped through the pages and read, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17).

    Jeff, he said, Jesus Christ took the punishment for all your sins the day He died on the cross. He rose again to give you eternal life. If you’ll turn to Jesus by faith, He’ll take away your old, sinful life and give you a new, godly life.

    I thought about that all the way home. I went to bed thinking about it. I woke up thinking about it. Could God really change a guy like me? I was so sick of being me. Oh, only if God would give me power to change. I wanted that new life!

    As soon as I clocked in the following Monday morning, I told Steve I wanted to give my life to Jesus. He told me that his church was having a revival that night and asked me to go with him. At first I thought, I don’t want to go to your stuffy old church. I just want to get saved! But later in the day, I agreed to go.

    That evening, while I was driving to the church, it was as if the Devil were in the car with me, saying, Jeff Smith, you’re about to make a fool of yourself. You’re going to stand in front of that church and tell the people you’re saved, but I’ll have you back doing the same old stuff within two weeks!

    I knew I couldn’t break free from the bondage of sin, but while driving to the church, faith swelled up in my souls and I reached out to God. I told Him, I’ve lived for the Devil long enough. Now it’s time to live for Jesus Christ! I meant it from the top of my head to the bottom of my soul. From this day forward, I’m living for Jesus Christ!

    Steve was waiting for me outside the church. As we walked into the sanctuary, I felt that everyone

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