Story Book Meadows Healing & Wellness Center

Our journey started in April 2013. I had been packing for the last month and had the household things boxed and ready. Finally, I was going home…..back to Ontario, Canada.

On the first leg of the trip I would take all the barn/horse supplies, books and heavy things that were in the storage unit. My friend Shirley had flown down to drive up with me since I was taking the truck and horse trailer. The last few days were of course very stressful but as we left Florida behind, my thoughts turned to my promised land.

Bridge to Canada….1st load with the horse trailer!

I have been in Florida since 1991. I’ve worked non-stop running a boarding, breeding, racing and training stable on 125 acres for over 15 years, mostly alone. Then I had spent the last 5 years working with at-risk youth offering Equine Assisted Learning and Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. But with several health problems and a complete intolerance for the summer heat, I knew it was time to go home. My mother had a stroke three years ago and is in a wheelchair while my father struggles to look after her. I felt an urgency in my spirit for the past few years to get back to Ontario. With the real estate market, however, it’s been tough to find a buyer for the Florida farm. All who have visited Story Book Meadows in Ocala, Florida had appreciated the fabulous facility and grounds that were immaculate and inspired. With the pond and pastures, the many granddaddy oak trees and horses, there was a beauty and peace over the property that every visitor felt.

When we crossed over the border to Ontario, it was cold and windy but there was such a sense of familiarity, a sense of coming home even though so much of the landscape had changed over the past twenty years. I had not been able to come home very often even for visits because of the responsibilities of the large number of horses on the Florida farm. The border crossing was uneventful and I received my stamped paperwork indicating I was now a returning resident of Canada. I was leaving behind my US landed immigrant status. After unloading the trailer a few days later, I immediately returned to Florida for the 2nd load.

The Horses leaving the Ocala farm with Perry Horse Transport

Taking a few weeks to finish packing the house and grounds and preparing the horses for the long trip, towards the end of May we were ready for our adventure. I’d been so anxious to leave for so long I couldn’t believe it was finally happening. My health was better, and I knew everything would be great once I got out of the heat. We loaded the horses on the large Perry Transport van with lots of equipment and waved them off. Three days later we had finished loading the horse trailer, the flatbed trailer (with corral panels and lawnmower), all five dogs and away we went. I had such mixed feelings as I drove down the driveway for the last time. Florida had been good to me but also there had been much pain…

Gary and some of the dogs on the way

I’d been through a divorce; I’d lost my dream of the thoroughbred farm because of several injuries and adrenal collapse from the stress and overwork. I’d had to close down my non-profit when I didn’t have enough help and I was leaving behind six horses and seven dogs buried on the property who had been my very best friends. There were old friends and new acquaintances I was leaving behind and I would miss them tremendously. But I knew God was calling me back to my homeland. He had heard my cries and answered them giving us this opportunity to return to the country of my youth. It was a tiring trip but I thought “Finally, I’m going home!”

Gary’s loaded trailer arrived in Loretto

The final trip up was uneventful and tiring and we had a few chuckles with the five Jack Russell’s on the journey. It was their first time on a long road trip and staying in hotels. We crossed into Canada through Detroit on May 28th and were greeted by friendly and efficient Border Agency Officers. I felt the Lord’s favor on each part of the trip and was very thankful for the easy trip. I was anxious to get to our new home since the horses were already there. The previous owner had agreed to stay a week at the farm to look after them until we arrived. I was so thankful for her friendship and help.

The final load arrived in mid-July…finally our backhoe, tractor, Kubota 4 x 4 and bushhog…now we were farmers again!

As Gary & I pulled into the drive and let the dogs into their new yard, we were so excited! The horses greeted us with whinnies once they heard our familiar voices. I could see they were stressed and nervous in their new pastures. Gone were the wide open fields of grass in Florida…they had arrived to small paddocks that were overgrazed and overgrown with weeds. Part of the farm was three board fencing and part was four strand electric hotwire, which they weren’t used to.

We unloaded what we would need into the empty house for the first night and settled down. In the morning we had a closer look around. I noticed much more than I had when I viewed the property. All of a sudden it didn’t look as “ready” to use as I’d thought. I looked at all the work that needed to be done and the difference from the picture perfect farm I had left behind….and the doubts started!

When we arrived and before changing the fencing.

The next day the weather dropped to 36 degrees. We had to find the horses blankets and put them on. Poor Sasha was shivering. They had left 95 degree weather to come to the Canadian North! What a shock to their systems. But they were frisky and excited and running around much more than they did in that heat. More doubts plagued our minds. And the murmuring started. We were sure we had made a mistake. It was so much easier in Florida!

As we were running around town the next day, considering packing the dogs and horses back up and going back to Florida, we passed the Alliston Pentacostal Church about five minutes from our home. We looked at each other and knew that was where we needed to go. We now had so many doubts about God’s plan in leading us here that I was wondering if we’d missed His voice somehow. It was Saturday afternoon so we planned on going to church the next morning.

We spent most of Saturday night grumbling and complaining about the cold weather in May. Apparently the locals were grumbling too because it was unseasonably cold. We were putting the horses into the stalls during the night until they were more used to the facility and turning them out with blankets in the morning. I tried to assure Gary that it would only last a couple of days. We only had our summer clothes unpacked at that point so we layered to find warmth.

On Sunday morning we arrived at church to be greeted by many warm and friendly people. Of course no one could understand why we would leave Florida to come back here! I had to keep reminding myself I couldn’t take the heat anymore. As we settled into the service we found ourselves feeling very much at home. The worship was fabulous, and of course the message was just on time… the Pastor spoke about how God had you just where you’re supposed to be; that even though things seem a certain way, there is really something deeper going on…..something big that God has planned which is why He has us just where He wants us. By the end of the service, Gary and I looked at each other and knew that God had given us confirmation to silence our fears and doubt. As we spoke to people in the congregation I met several who were interested in what I did with the horses and in partnering with me. Where I had struggled in Florida to get a program going in my own strength, here God was just handing me the plans. I was so excited!

Their new pastures…how tranquil!

I realized we had acted so much like the Israelites in the Old Testament. When God heard their cries to deliver them from the brutal hands of the Egyptians and sent Moses to help them escape, they repaid God with grumbling and complaining and the constant demand to return to Egypt where life was “easier”. I knew we were behaving like them. God showed the Israelites miracle after miracle yet they still didn’t ‘trust’ Him. The great thing about having The Holy Bible to learn from is that we don’t have to make the same mistakes. The move had been hard. Packing up an entire 50 acre farm (which took about 4 four months) including horses, household furnishings, stable equipment, tractors, mowers, tools, backhoe, tack and dogs isn’t an easy task at the best of times but moving all the way from Florida over the border to Canada was exhausting. But I didn’t want to wander for forty years in the wilderness missing my promised land, so I thanked God that he confirmed His purpose in bringing us home and we settled into making this new ranch a place to do His work.

As the weeks passed and new fencing started going up, the horses became more at ease here. We tore down the wire fencing, opened up the paddocks and made larger pastures and put up the same fencing we had in Ocala. They started to feel more secure and at home as they had room to run again and grass to eat! The weather was fabulous all summer with very few hot Florida days. Justice and Noah, the two oldest, were so much better with the cooler summer. We’ve been so blessed with God’s favor and the friendliness of the community. I’d forgotten how wonderful the Canadian people are. It really feels like home now!

Now we look forward to the exciting things God has in store for us here in our Promised Land as He brings those in need of healing down our driveway and into His arms through His angels in horse hair. As we open our farm and our hearts to our community we hope they will find the comfort we did as His creatures greet them and the peace of His presence encompasses them.

Praise and Glory be to God our Heavenly Father!

As I write this, we’re in the middle of Tropical Storm Debby. We’ve already had 9 inches of rain in two days and the end is not in sight. The skies are grey, the wind is whistling through the trees as boughs bend and branches are falling from the weight of wet moss. The ground is soggy and we can no longer use the golf cart to feed without getting stuck. There is a small lake at the back of the property that wasn’t there yesterday and the swamp is overflowing. The frogs are singing loudly while the birds are hiding in their nests. I’m sure an alligator or two will wander through our property looking for a bigger pond. The bands of rain keep sweeping through with a steady downpour. The weather channel tells me there is a tornado warning and that this will last another few days. Flooding is everywhere and the thunder is deafening. We’re thankful our home and barns are high and dry. We’re thankful the pastures drain nicely so the horse’s feet stay healthy. We’re thankful the storm doesn’t have hurricane winds.

When the first rain starts falling, depending on the personality of each horse, they have several reactions. Sasha starts rearing, bucking and energetically showing her dislike of the elements. Then once she settles down and realizes she isn’t going to stop the rain with her antics, she runs to the shelter. In the next pasture, Rose throws a few kicks and bucks while Chief calmly walks to the shelter and stays inside until it stops. Rose follows shortly and they huddle together in friendship. Hollywood gets down and rolls, trying to dry himself as quickly as the rain falls. Justice, Patch, Ares and Athena continue grazing as though the storm around them cannot touch them.

When the storms hit our ranch here in Central Florida, we “hunker down and ride them out.” We’ve found it is a waste of time to rant, rave, scream, get angry or otherwise complain and waste our precious energy, trying to show our dislike of the unchangeable situations. After all, what can we really do about the weather. And if we’re honest with ourselves, what can we really do about the storms of life. The disappointments, tragedies, lost chances, broken dreams, ended relationships, financial ruin and many more all envelope us at various stages of our lives. These are the trials and tribulations that Jesus talks about in the Bible. Things that happen that could very well destroy us, if we don’t learn how to deal with them.

Since horses have a very high level of emotional intelligence (a high EQ), meaning they’ve learned how to keep their emotions level and calm, let’s look at what they do, and see what we can learn from the herd…

1. Sasha threw a fit at first then ran to the shelter while the storm raged. These are the drama queens. Every time there is trouble, we scream, cry, blame everyone else for our troubles, get angry and generally carry on at emotional levels that far exceed the trouble. Eventually we get to the point of realizing that the past is over and we must pick ourselves up and carry on. By the time we get to this point however, we’re exhausted, stressed and have generally made everyone else exhausted and stressed. We’ve destroyed our own joy and the joy of everyone around us. As we go to our “shelter” to ride out the storm, we’re depressed and looking to medicate our pain. We try drugs, alcohol, shopping, eating or hiding to overcome our pain at whatever ‘storm’ has invaded our lives. Our health suffers. Disease attacks our bodies and our strength is weakened. But Sasha rebelled for only a few minutes before running for shelter. How long do we stay in the storm, tossing every which way before we finally realize that we need to seek the shelter of the MOST HIGH GOD…see Psalm 91. Unfortunately, some of us never grab hold of the joy that can be found in Jesus and the freedom He offers.

2. Chief calmly walks to the shelter but Rose, like Sasha, throws a few kicks at first then follows Chief to shelter. It’s interesting to watch this pair as Chief ignores Rose’s antics and leads the way to shelter. On her own Rose would continue to stress for awhile but with the steady influence of Chief, she settles and follows his calm leadership. In families and relationships, many times we need the guiding influence of a steadier person to help us ride out our storms. Accepting help can be a difficult thing for many people for many reasons. They may feel unworthy of help. They may have too much pride to accept help. But sometimes they’ve simply never had someone offer them help and don’t really understand how to accept it. Many people don’t understand that a helping hand is a blessing from God. It is the answer to their prayer. Rose trusted Chief enough to know he would not lead her astray. When you have confidence in the person offering you help…let them bless you and in offering a helping hand, they will in return be blessed. It won’t change the trouble, but it will give you comfort during those darker days.

3. Hollywood rolls trying to dry himself and minimize the effects of the storm. While Hollywood tries to dry himself, he is looking to evade the storm. He tries and tries to dispel the discomfort and cover up the situation. He races around the pasture trying to outrun the storm, until finally, it is too much and he knows that isn’t the solution. Many times we also try to minimize the damage of the trials in our lives. We hide the problems we are facing and put on a happy face all the while hurting inside while we carry the burden ourselves. But while the storm is raging around us, there is damage to everyone involved. While we hide our true situation, families are hurt by the lack of truth, our own health suffers in living a lie and frequently any others who are involved are hurt worse than if we were right up front in the beginning. In the end, the darkness comes to light while the storm still rages outwardly. How many of us rage against God, blaming him for our troubles instead of seeking him in repentance, knowing that He is right there beside us waiting for us to come back to Him.

4. Justice, Patch, Ares & Athena calmly graze while the rain pounds down and the water rises up. These four horses (my EAL herd) show the deep sense of peace that comes from knowing their creator is in charge. Although the other horses take a little longer to remember the truth that these four have already conquered, this wise herd faces their trials by calmly engaging in their everyday routines. They turn their hindquarters to the storm, as the relentless rain continues to drench them, secure in their knowledge that after the storm the sun will shine again. The wisest of us have learned to go through the storm while hanging onto our peace. We have learned to turn our butt’s to the trouble and pray in faith and wait in peace for the storm to pass. In knowing Christ as our savior, we are able to meditate on His many promises as our boat starts to sink…knowing that He is with us. He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. We must learn to recognize which storms have come upon us because of our bad choices and which ones surround us because God is allowing our trouble in order to build our character to become more like Christ. And sometimes He allows the problems in our lives so we will return to Him in repentance…it is a loving form of discipline to believers. No matter what the reason for our trouble, we can rise above our emotions and, with wisdom, trust God.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4

“No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to us all. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

In knowing that God is always with us and loves us we can rest in His presence as the wind blows and the rain falls around us. When we have built our house on the foundation of Christ, we know that each problem is a chance for us to grow our character into the image of Christ. We know that He is ultimately in control and we are able to put on “a garment of praise, instead of a spirit of despair” Isaiah 61:-3. “And we know that all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28. Let us remember that this is a NARROW promise. It is only for those ‘who love him, who have been called.’ This promise is for children of Christ, for those who have been born again. For without Him, there is no hope. If you don’t know Christ but would like some spiritual coaching, please call for a session. If you are ready to give your life to Christ, please contact us to pray with you. Then find a Christ centered church to attend and begin your new life.

So sisters and brothers in Christ, the next time we face a situation that causes us to feel despair, sorrow or anger, let us not forget who is ultimately in charge. The next time we feel we won’t survive the storm, let’s remember these words of comfort from our Creator. Let’s get control of those thoughts that rule our emotions. Let’s remember He holds each of our lives in His hands and if He is allowing us to go through a trial, it is only to lovingly help us grow into better human beings; to seek Him, to honor Him and to worship Him….for that is the reason He created us! The sun will shine tomorrow!

PRAISE GOD FROM WHO ALL BLESSINGS FLOW,
PRAISE GOD ALL CREATURES HERE BELOW,
PRAISE HIM ABOVE, YE HEAVENLY HOSTS,
PRAISE FATHER, SON AND HOLY GHOST.