Lost and Found

Happy Easter! I know I am a day late, but I wanted to remind you all of what we have in Jesus. Remember the Cross every single day! You were bought with the blood of the Lamb and that means you are more valuable than you probably realize. Don’t let the world and the Devil lie to you and tell you that because you don’t look a certain way or have a certain thing that you are worthless. God says you are worth the price of His Son’s life! Live in that knowledge. Whoever the Son sets free is free indeed! (John 8:36).

My family and I were in Albuquerque the other day and something amazing happened. Our youngest son has this stuffed bunny that he drags everywhere. Well, this bunny is pretty ragidy and worn out from being hauled all over the country for the last two years. As we were leaving the arena Saturday night, we dropped bunny in the parking lot not knowing it. We got in the car and headed towards our hotel. We were halfway to the hotel when we noticed that bunny wasn’t with us. Amy immediately called a friend who was still at the PBR and asked her to look around the seats and in the parking lot for it, but our friend couldn’t find him (or her, we’re not sure). Amy and I were pretty bummed, but Rylan, our son, wasn’t too worried about it.

The next day we head to the event for the final performance and I went to the “Lost and Found,” but bunny wasn’t there. We had pretty much given up the search for the bunny. On our way to the car to leave, I decided to ask the parking lot security guard if he happened to see a dirty stuffed bunny in the parking lot the night before. To our astonishment he said he did see bunny! He picked him up and put him on the hood of the ambulance near by thinking that from the looks of him he must be some kid’s best buddy. So we hurried over to the ambulance and looked all around, but didn’t see bunny. I asked the guy to check with the EMT’s when they came out and give me a call if they knew anything.

To make a story that I have already dragged out short, as we were leaving the arena we heard an ambulance siren behind us and there is an EMT holding bunny out the window! We slowed down grabbed the bunny from him and thanked him. He said the EMT’s from the night before must have put bunny in the back of the ambulance. We were pretty amazed.

My point to this story is that to everyone else, that bunny had no value whatsoever, but to my son,  Amy and I, that bunny was worth a lot. You are worth so much to God that He will never stop searching for you. I pray that you will let Him find you today. Have a blessed day!

Here We Go!

I talked to Tandy on 2/12 and he told me that my ACL is definitely torn, but everything else looks fine. So that means I don’t have to have surgery as long as my knee is stable. I will wear a brace, which I do already, and ride in Dallas on 2/20! I have to give God the credit for this good news. He hears us when we pray!

Tandy said the ACL is not necessary for riding bulls, just getting away. I guess I am going to have to rely on those awesome bull fighters even more now. Please keep praying that I stay strong in my faith and don’t doubt myself going into the biggest one-day bull riding event in history. I want to stay on five of the rankest bulls in the world. I am going to need God’s strength to do it. I know that He will be glorified if I give it my all and trust Him. I hope that you do the same.

In Jesus,

Wiley P

Waiting and Praying

If you don’t already know, I hurt my knee on February 6th in Winston Salem, NC. I got bucked off a bull and landed on my feet. My left leg twisted and I felt a “pop.” I fell to the groung in excruciating pain knowing full well that something was not right. I quickly got back to my feet and hopped as fast as I could to the nearest fence to avoid an encounter with the bull (they don’t care if you are hurt).

I waited for the Sports Med guys to help me out of the arena to the back where the examination room is. Dr Tandy Freeman came in and examined my knee and told me that I tore my ACL. I iced my knee and Tandy went back out to watch the rest of the event. I immediately began praying and praising God. I had such peace in the midst of the unknown. I was (and still am) in the middle of a storm, but I know that Jesus is right there in the boat with me and he isn’t worried in the slightest.

When Tandy came back he informed that I would be out for anywhere from 3 weeks to 4 months depending on whether surgery was necessary. He said that there was a 20% chance of me rehabbing and riding with a brace if I didn’t have any other damage to my knee that would require surgery.

So, at this point, I have had the MRI and sent it to Tandy. I am now waiting for Tandy to look at the MRI and tell me the prognosis. I am still waiting and praying knowing that God is in control. I am not in pain. My knee is swollen and stiff, but I am walking on it. I have even started working out. I am slowly gaining my range of motion back and hope to back to riding soon. I will post another update as soon as I hear more from Tandy.

Thank you for your prayers and support. I want to encourage you to keep the faith and know that God is with us all the time (Romans 8:28). If you don’t have God in your life, ask Him to be in control. Keep walking with Him and you don’t have to worry about the little “bumps” in the journey. That’s just part of the adventure!

In Christ,

Wiley P

Press On

I guess I am overdue to write something on this blog. What is the point of having a blog if I don’t write something every now and then, right?

First off, I want to say thank you to all the people who are praying for us bull riders. Your prayers do make a difference. Second, I want to praise God for His faithfulness to His people. God never lets us down. Sure there are times when it feels like He is far away or has forgotten us, but He never leaves us. Our faith is not about feelings; it is about the truth. One thing that is on my mind a lot lately is that we “walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7).  Read through that chapter in 2 Corinthians. It will encourage you to keep going in the Lord.

As a follower of Christ, I often find myself discouraged by the mess the world is in. I get overwhelmed with all the pain, suffering, and wickedness I see and hear about. I start thinking that I can’t make a difference. That we are beyond hope. But I keep praying. I keep reading my Bible, I keep spending time with other followers of Christ and something changes…my perspective. God hasn’t lost hope for humanity. He knows that all is not lost. According to 2 Corinthians chapter 5, it is a common thing to have a longing to be in the eternal presence of God Almighty. You would be weird if you lived here on earth and didn’t have that desperate longing to be with the Lord in heaven. What you must realize is that that longing is not bad. Don’t let that desperate longing turn into despair. Let it fuel your faith and passion to live everyday knowing that you are one day closer to eternity in God’s presence. Keep  sharing your faith and love with those who need to know that we will be headed home soon.

God bless you and thanks for reading my rantings.

Sincerely, Wiley

Time with the Sioux

Ryan Dirteater and I had the privilege of going to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe near Bismarck, ND on December 4 and 5. We spoke at the high school there, conducted a church service, and attended a bull riding event. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe honored Ryan and I by praying for us and giving us Lakota names. My Lakota name is “Walks with Prayer,” and Ryan’s is “Swift Eagle.” The people there were so generous and kind. They gave us so many gifts that I had to check a garbage bag with the airlines! It was the neatest experience and I will forever cherish it. Thank you to all the people at the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.

It doesn’t matter where we live or what culture we come from, we all need the Lord in our lives. We get distracted and off course when we focus on the things of this world. God has created everyone of us for a purpose. That purpose is to know Him and love Him and share Him with others. So…get out there and be a reflection of Jesus today! Do what Jesus would do.

I wish everyone a Merry CHRISTmas. Just like the word implies, we need more (mas in Spanish) Christ! It is hard to stay focused on what is truly important, but the truth is what makes us free.

In Christ, Wiley

Finals Recap

I am finally home from Vegas and now we are trying to conjure up the energy to get things back in order. I am relieved to have the finals over. It was not the performance that I was hoping for, but it was exciting to watch Kody Lostroh and JB Mauney battle it out for the World Title! If you don’t know, Kody won the World Title and JB won the Finals.

Even though I had only one score out of 7 bulls, I feel like it went well. It wasn’t for lack of effort that I didn’t make the whistle. I know that sometimes the results are out of our hands. Sometimes God has something else in mind for us. Do you ever get to thinking that God is supposed to make your life all smooth and easy? I sure do. I think that as long as I am good and do what is right that everything will work out in my favor…WRONG! Our lives should be about serving God no matter where He wants us to go and no matter what He wants us to do. That may even mean going through fire and floods. The Bible says that even though we walk through the fire, we will not be burned. So keep doing what God wants you to do and trust Him for the end result. We are living for the eternal, not for the temporary. If you find yourself forgetting about what really matters, spend some time in the Bible and prayer. You will be reminded of how blessed you really are!

Thanks for reading. See you soon!

-Wiley

It’s getting cold!

Amy, Rylan, and I just got back from Portland. It is crazy how fast it got cold here in Idaho. We’ve already had snow! I am not ready for the winter just yet, but I guess winter is not waiting on me. I actually enjoy all the seasons, but the winter is the hardest in Idaho because the days are short and there is only so much you can do in the house. Maybe we will find the time to go skiing or sledding or something. We have to make the best of what we have, right?

 I am looking forward to the Finals. I don’t really like Vegas, but being at the World Finals always has an excitement about it. It is crazy to think that this will be my 9th Finals. I have to say, “Thank you, Lord!” I never would’ve imagined qualifying for the PBR World Finals and actually winning it one year. You never know what will happen until you step out and go for your dreams. I wonder how much more I could be doing for the Lord if I would just trust Him more than I do. There are plenty of times everyday that I just do what is comfortable for me and ignore or disobey the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Things like telling the cashier how much God loves them, or paying for someone’s meal that could use the help, or even praying for a loved one when they call. Kody Lostroh told me a verse that really spoke to him recently and it got me thinking too. Psalm 118:8 “It is better to trust the Lord than put confidence in man.” God will never let us down, and I have been let down plenty of times by people. I hope that you will not let the hurts and disappointments you have experienced in your life keep you from trusting in the Father’s love for you. Trust Him for everything! He is the one who has allowed you to make a living. He is the one who provides the food, shelter, clothes. I mean obviously we get these things with the m0ney we make, but without God giving us the abilities and talents and desires and freedom to work, where would we be?

Well, enough ranting for now. I hope I have got you thinking about your relationship with the Father. Read your Bible, pray, and share His love with everyone! God bless.

-Wiley

Where did August go?

Wow! August went by really fast. Kaden is back in school and Rylan is going to preschool two days a week. It is crazy how fast time goes. I think I don’t realize it because I am so busy and distracted by the things I have to do. We have 6 PBR events left until the Finals, so it’s go time for me. September and October are going to be really busy with riding, sponsor stuff, family, and everything else that comes along with life. I also have a quarterly newsletter that will be out soon to keep you updated too with photos and what not. Keep checking back at my site for that.

Well, thanks for all the prayer and support. Don’t forget how much God loves you! Keep spending time with Him in prayer and read your Bible. The Bible is God’s love story to us! It is awesome to think that God is jealous for our attention. A good friend of mine reminded me that God is so in love with us that He doesn’t want anything to take us away from Him. So, please don’t upset God by putting other things ahead of Him.

Blessings,

Wiley

August

Hello, my friends!

I can’t believe that August is already here. We have been busy here in Idaho, and things are going good. I will be going to Nashville on the 15 and 16 of August then I will have the rest of August off from riding. JW asked me to go to Brazil, but I had to opt out. I don’t know if I can voluntarily leave my family for a whole week to go to a foreign country. I was honored that he even considered me,  but the circumstances aren’t right for me to go.

Rylan just turned 3 and Kaden is turning 12 on the 30th. They are awesome kids and I thank God everyday for my family. Are you thankful for the people God has put in your life? I would encourage you to see relationships as the most important part of life. Don’t let a day go by without telling someone that you love them. You never know what those words will do for someone. And don’t forget that God loves you!

Well, may God bless you! Shalom.

-Wiley

Keep it going

We’ve been busy that last couple weeks. How about you? It seems like everyone is so busy trying to keep up with everything. I find myself leaving God out of the mix and then wonder why I feel like crud. We need to stop and take a breath and quiet our minds to hear what the Lord has to say. That is what energizes us to get through the day.

Take a moment today to just sit back, relax, and ask God to rejuvinate you. Think about Him and His amazing love for you. Let’s try to do this every morning. Start the day off right with you Heavenly Daddy.  That should get you going again! God bless You.

-Wiley