Posts Tagged ‘Seeking God’

Riding out the Storm

Monday, June 25th, 2012

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.

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Seeking His Protection

Sunday, October 2nd, 2011

The purpose of this blog is to share the things I’ve learned from the horses in my lifetime. The other day I was speaking with a friend of over 30 years about seeking God and how hard it is when we are surrounded by worldly ways. We talked about why her life was filled with trials and how she felt it was more than she could handle. We talked about why it was happening to her and when I hung up from our conversation, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind a memory that serves as a wonderful example of the teaching I had just shared with her. The memory is such a strong visual that I felt moved to write this story for you in the hopes that you will gain some insight too….

In 1974 my sister and I both owned horses and kept them at a large boarding facility in southern Ontario. We were both teenagers and rode our horses most evenings after school and on weekends. Her horse was a beautiful chestnut thoroughbred gelding named Golden Ontario and his barn name was Fred. My horse was a palomino gelding named Moonshadow. At this stable, all the horses were turned out together during the day in a large pasture of about 10 acres in size. There were geldings and mares mixed together of all ages.

Within the first week of moving to this stable, Fred had become the herd boss. To those of you who don’t know herd dynamics, there is only one Alpha horse in any herd and all others follow a pecking order down the line from the highest to the lowest. The order is determined by the substance of the horse. It doesn’t matter what breed, age, size or color the horse is. Their inner strength, ability, dominance and integrity or their total character is what determines their order. This is a rule of their species. As a leader is selected, all of the others bow to their position and authority.

Even years ago as a teenager, I remember noticing something interesting about these herd dynamics. When Fred was in the field he was Number 1, the boss, the leader. At 5:00 when the horses were being brought into the barn to feed, Fred was first at the gate. And who do you think was Number 2. Yes, it was Moonshadow. But knowing my horse, and his more laid back personality, it surprised me to see him right there next to Fred. However they were the best of friends and had always been so. As soon as Fred was taken out of the field, Moonshadow’s place dropped almost to last. In a heartbeat, without Fred, he was lost in the crowd. I realized that Moonshadow was basking in the power and presence of Fred as his leader. Once he was no longer beside Fred, he lost that protection and the power that had been reflected on him.

Fred and Moonshadow

I’m sure by now you see where this story is going and the metaphor. Yes, Fred is like our Lord Jesus and Moonshadow is like each one of us.

Once I noticed this amazing phenomenon in horse behavior I started to look for more interesting information about the herd hierarchy. Whenever Moonshadow was out with Fred, he was grazing within a few feet of him. If any horse were to come near him, Fred would just look at the other horse and it would walk away. When Fred wanted to move somewhere else in the pasture, he would move to Moonshadow’s flank and push him to direct Moonshadow to where he wanted to go. Fred was always guiding Moonshadow from behind. He didn’t lead him, but nudged him quietly and gently in the direction that Fred decided was best for both of them. If Moonshadow refused to obey him one of two things happened. Either Fred was more forceful and would nip him in the haunches or Fred would walk away in the direction he had urged Moonshadow to go. Once Moonshadow realized he was no longer within the protection and safety of Fred’s presence, he would find other horses starting to pick on him and would quickly catch up to Fred again. I noticed over and over that Moonshadow was rarely more than a few feet from Fred. He had learned that it was the safest place for him to be. He also found out that when he was next to Fred, he had power. Other horses would listen to Moonshadow much as they listened to Fred. Of course Moonshadow never tried to tell Fred what to do. In that huge herd of thirty horses, Moonshadow found safety next to the alpha. The only time Fred was ever away from Moonshadow was when we took him out to be ridden. And again, I noticed that Moonshadow became lost. It took only moments for other stronger horses to pick on him and push him to the rear of the herd. He would be chased and kicked and had to run away from the danger. He no longer had the privilege or the power of being Number 2. Moonshadow would become just like the rest of the herd. He fell into the order established by the other horses. I noticed once Moonshadow walked away from Fred, and other horses chased him, Fred did not come rushing to his rescue. Instead, Moonshadow would have to choose to come back to the safety of Fred’s influence. What I also found interesting was that Fred only befriended selective horses. Only those horses who came humbly to Fred would be allowed into his circle and those horses would also bask in his power. While they were around him, there was peace in the herd because they all knew who the boss was and the natural order of things. The constant fighting and bickering between other horses did not reach the herd boss. He was the King of the Pasture.

So with this story, it is easy to see the parallel of our seeking and aligning ourselves with our Alpha. Jesus is the King of our lives and it is only while we stay close to him that we can bask in his power and protection. When we walk away from him or we refuse to follow his direction, we have lost that safety and in the end, we will lose the ability to find the life that He promised us. For Moonshadow it was easy. Just hang out with Fred and don’t get distracted. But for us, the world (or the rest of the herd) is very persuasive. It is easy to believe that small things won’t matter but in each step we take away from God, we lose Him. He will never leave us, but we are so easily persuaded to leave him. It is so hard to stay with the King when the rest of the herd is having so much fun and creating such a distraction for us. We find it difficult to stay focused on only one god. But we have to choose. We cannot have one foot near our leader and one foot in the world and still expect our lives to be safe. We wonder why our lives are so hard yet the answer is right there in what we are thinking and doing. Once we step away from His safety, what else can we expect than to get kicked? We have an enemy who is waiting for us to step away from our Savior. Just as the other horses immediately attacked Moonshadow and pushed him back the moment he was no longer near Fred, we have an enemy that will take control of our life once we step away from Jesus.

The problem is most of us do not realize we have stepped away from Him. We think as long as we believe we’re good. And that is true, believing will get you to Heaven. But it is your day to day relationship with Jesus that will bring you an abundant life in this world. Even small steps away from Him allows the influence of the world to intrude. We think it is okay to praise him one minute and continue with our worldly pursuits the next. It is the little things that our enemy uses to distance us from our protector. Whether we choose to disobey our leader or we lack the knowledge of His kingdom, either way we become caught up in the consequences of our choice. It is not okay to live without integrity. It is not okay to say you will do something then not do it because you don’t ‘feel’ like it. It is not okay to not return phone calls. It is not okay to be late and disrespect another persons time. It is not okay, to engage in intimate relations without the sanctity of marriage. It is not okay to bully another by speaking harshly to them. It is not okay to fight with your spouse when no one else can hear you. It is not okay to emotionally or physically abuse your children. It is not okay to let your children think the ways of the world are acceptable. It is not okay to accept what the world accepts as truth because we know that the only TRUTH is God’s way. It is not okay to settle for what everyone else does. It is not okay to eat a poor diet and abuse your body which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is not okay to leave a marriage because you don’t love your spouse anymore. Love is a decision! It is not okay to get drunk or take drugs behind closed doors. It is not okay to allow your children to spend time with ungodly people. It is not okay to be “yoked” with unbelievers. It is not okay to gossip, lie, cheat or steal. It is not okay to blame others. It is not okay to wallow in guilt and condemnation. It is not okay to text when you are driving. It is not okay to run up debt on your credit card that you cannot pay. It is not okay to think, speak or act in a way that would cause Jesus to weep. All these seemingly unimportant little things are the tiny steps the enemy uses to take you away from Jesus. God’s truth is ‘you reap what you sow’. Each time you choose to step away from God’s direction for your life, there will be consequences, just as Moonshadow found out. It is okay to set boundaries to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Learning to listen to the Holy Spirit’s counsel and guidance requires time and effort on your part. Studying His Word, spending time with those who are more mature in the Lord, Hearing His voice and obeying it, fasting and prayer are all tools to keep you near God. It is not okay to walk away from the protection and love of your God. You need Him in your life at every step. We are living in tough times and, like Moonshadow, I hope you learn how to fight the evil one and take the authority that Jesus has already given you through His resurrection at the cross. If God has called you to him, He wants you to stay near Him. And sometimes, God will ‘nip’ you in the haunches to get your attention. The wonderful thing about Jesus is His grace and mercy to forgive us each time we come back to Him. He will always love you. There is nothing so wrong in His eyes that can’t be forgiven if you repent and turn away from it. Yes Moonshadow gave up the freedom of interacting with the rest of the herd, but he gained the power of the Alpha. He knew where the safest place was to have a blessed life, DO YOU?

Trish & Athena at the Cross


Recommended reading…. Victory in Spiritual Warfare by Tony Evans…..

We at Story Book Meadows love you and pray that this story helps you seek your true leader. And believe me, I am right there with you, constantly stepping away and wondering why life is so hard. God says in the bible “I am the Alpha and the Omega”. That is TRUTH. If you’ve not yet joined up with Jesus, there will never be a better time than NOW! Learn how to live in the shelter of the Most High God and receive the Blessings He has waiting for you.

Blessings, Trish

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Lost Dogs

Monday, March 7th, 2011

Last week I learned some very important life lessons from the ranch. I’d like to share them with you.

I’ve always prided myself on taking all the precautions and going above and beyond what most people would do to keep our animals safe on our property. Yes you could say type A, perfectionist and obsessive about their safety. I spent thousands of dollars when we built this farm five years ago to put non-climb wire with a board on top around the entire perimeter of our 50 acre ranch. And for the last few years I lived in this place of knowing our dogs could not escape this large yard I had created for them. They loved to run, chase squirrels and whatever else crossed their paths. I felt secure in my little bubble that they were safe. Well that bubble burst with a loud pop last Tuesday morning when some animal in our woods ran and all five of our little black and white Jack Russells ran after the critter. The animal had dug a hole under the wire fence and it knew to run out that escape hole. Unfortunately, the dogs were right on it’s tail and ran through the escape hole right after it. As I hurried after them calling (more like screaming) at the top of my lungs, I could hear their yips as they ran deeper into the woods hot on the trail of whatever they were chasing. Jack Russells are hunters after all, but of my five, really only two of them were authentic at it. The others just followed the pack. As I stood at the fence calling and calling with no result, Seth (the doberman who is way too big to go under the fence) and I could no longer hear them. I went from annoyed to angry pretty quickly. It was about 10 am and I had just lost all of my little dogs.

I had lost these same five a few weeks ago in the same manner when they went under the fence chasing four deer. They had all returned about 30 minutes apart within a total of 2 hours. So at this point, I was predicting their staggered return and although I was concerned, I wasn’t panicking.

About 30 minutes later, Sheba showed up and ran to me all happy and very dirty. I had no idea where she had come from since I was still standing near the hole they’d gone out and she hadn’t come back in that way. Obviously there was more than one hole they were coming in and out from. I took her and Seth to the wash rack and gave them both a bath. While I was doing that, Zoe arrived back at the barn with blood all over her. I brought her into the wash rack and bathed her looking for the source of the blood. It was easy to determine as the blood poured out of a tear in her ear. I tried bandaging it but that didn’t work and eventually it did stop bleeding. Her ear was split in two. After I put those three into their yard, I went back out to the race track where our woods start and continued to yell and honk the golf cart horn trying to help them find their way home. With hundreds of acres of woods behind us, I knew there was a good chance they could get lost or hurt out there. After about another hour of that with no results, I had to leave to go to the feed store. I left the field gate open hoping they would return on their own.

When I returned from buying feed, Tyler was back at the yard gate. I hoped that Candy and Puddles would be close behind. I was getting worried because they were not hunters and I wasn’t sure they would find their way home. Candy, after all, had done this before since she was lost when I adopted her as a stray 8 years ago. As the hours passed with no sight of them, I started to drive around the block every hour to see if they had come out of the woods anywhere. Still there was no sight of them. I ran off fliers and dropped one in each mail box of those on our street so anyone seeing the dogs would know where they lived. By dark I was panicked. My little dogs did not know how to spend the night in the woods. There were coyotes, wild hogs, bobcats and who knows what else. I was thankful at least that it wasn’t to be a cold night. Gary and I prayed continuously and I sent our prayer request to all those I knew. I looked at the two empty beds where they slept each night and I felt very sad, like a piece of me was missing.

As I lay in bed that night I thought about families whose children have been lost or stolen. I wondered how they could bear it. Although these two are only dogs, they are my family and we love them. I have never had children and my animals have filled that void. How much worse would it be to not know where your child is. To imagine all the horrors that they could encounter out on their own. I realized I had thought I was keeping them safe with my fencing and protected environment but I also had to admit, I had seen a few holes over the last few weeks but had not taken the steps to fill them in and maintain the ‘fortress’. I had gotten lazy about protecting them. I had just figured they wouldn’t go out the holes because they don’t dig. I had forgotten about the influence of the world outside their yard. There had been a warning to me when they had escaped chasing the deer a few weeks ago but I had ignored that warning. I thought about how many times in our lives we try to keep our children, our animals, our lives safe but we don’t always take the necessary steps to do just that. We find it easier to just go along with what everyone else is doing instead of listening to our own intuition and the voice of God. I’d been warned to take the necessary steps for their safety, but I hadn’t listened. And now, I was feeling guilty, scared and worried. I loved them both but Puddles was my favorite. I was feeling guilty because I was thinking if only Puddles would come home, I’d be okay with that. It was a long and restless night.

In the morning, I looked outside hopeful that I would see two little dogs waiting by the yard, but they weren’t there. We attached fliers to the STOP signs on all the roads around our property. I started cruising the roads again. I put fliers in all the feed stores, HITS, and the Kwik King’s. I headed to the pound to give them a picture of the two and give them their micro chip numbers so if anyone turned them in they could call me immediately. As I drove down Hwy. 27 my phone rang. It was Gary. “Do you believe in miracles?” he asked me. “Absolutely”, I answered.

“Puddles is home!” he informed me, “I came out of the house and there she was sitting at the gate to the yard”. I cannot describe the overwhelming joy I felt. Tears started pouring down my face as I thanked God for being so merciful. I had begged Him to show Puddles the way home. She had survived one night in the forest and had found her way back home. I was sure Candy would be close behind her but I continued onto the pound to report her still missing just in case. As I toured the pound and looked into the faces of all those hopeful dogs I felt so bad that their owners didn’t want them or hadn’t come to claim them. Candy was not there and she had not been reported as found. On my way home, I placed more fliers in feed stores, tack stores and Publix, hoping someone would pick her up, see a flier and call me.

When I got home I was so excited to see Puddles. She seemed a little distant and disoriented but was happy to be back. She gave kisses and rolled over looking for my love. I wondered when I had started taking these guys for granted. I wondered when I’d started to live so much in the future and all my grand plans that I’d stopped appreciating each moment I shared with them. I wondered when I had stopped living every moment to the fullest and enjoying the here and now with each of them and the horses and my husband. Now is really all we can ever be sure of. I finally understood that life could change in a moment and that we should live in such a way that there are no regrets. God has given us this moment and we never know what will come next. As I make my plans, God directs my steps. Finally, I understood how to truly appreciate each and every moment of my life. I knew I should call my elderly parents more often. I needed to stay in phone contact with friends and other family. In this day of texting and emails everything has become so impersonal. But any moment could be the last one you have to spend with a loved one. I wondered if Candy knew I loved her.

Just after feeding that Wednesday night I got a phone call from a person down the road. He told me he’d seen Candy at 5:30 that morning on someone’s lawn near his home. Even though it was twelve hours later, I jumped in the truck and headed to where he’d seen her and called and called but she was nowhere to be found. I drove back home in the dark not knowing if someone had picked her up or if she had gone back into the woods still trying to make her way home. She was obviously disoriented and lost. I realized that by keeping them in my protected bubble I had not prepared them for life outside their yard. They didn’t know how to find their way home. I decided then that I would start taking them for walks down the road and around the neighborhood so they would learn how to find their way home if this ever happened again. I think it was the not knowing that was so disturbing. Had Candy been picked up and was enjoying herself in someone’s home? Was she still lost in the woods and trying to find her way back? Was she lying dead somewhere in the woods? We kept praying for her safety and health and return. So many people were praying for her that I knew God was listening. But fear was in my heart.

By Thursday morning and still no Candy my optimism was starting to waiver. I had canceled all visitors to the ranch. The other dogs were restricted to the yard while we worked on boarding up all the holes around the 50 acre perimeter. Something that should have been done weeks ago. I couldn’t help thinking it was like “shutting the barn door after the horse had run out”. I was equally begging God for her safe return and praising Him for bringing her home. I wanted to harden my heart and tell myself I didn’t care what happened to her just so the pain and fear would stop. I had posted fliers everywhere, called the pound and the Humane Society and I didn’t know what else I could do. Then around 4pm I received a phone call. My heart jumped with hope. But the lady who called just informed me that she had seen Candy on the side of the road in the same area as the other man at 2pm on Wednesday afternoon. She was heading to the HITS show and had wondered why she was out there all alone. I asked her why she didn’t pick her up and her reply was she didn’t want to get attached to any more animals. I understood her emotions but I wondered why someone seeing a lost little dog wouldn’t pick her up to keep her safe and take her to the pound. Any owner having lost a dog will always check the pound first. But the lady had left her there and when she returned two hours later she said she didn’t see her again. This time I took the golf cart around the neighborhood honking the horn hoping she was still hiding in the bushes somewhere. I got calls from people who offered to come out and help me search. It was so amazing the kindness of strangers when I asked them to keep an eye out for her. As I drove around I couldn’t help but think of Matthew 18:12-13 “If a man owns a hundred sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off. In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish”. If I could never give up on finding Candy, how much more determination does God have to save all of those who are lost? I gained a totally new perspective on the urgency of helping those who are lost to see the light. But darkness came again and still we had not found Candy.

I will admit by Friday morning I was filled with fear. Candy, it seemed wasn’t coming home. I was finally in that place, where as they say “the rubber meets the road” in my faith. My heart said God was big enough to do this and “All things are possible”. But my head was telling me after four days, the chances of her coming home were slim. I had done everything that I could and now it was up to God. I happened to watch Creflo Dollar that morning on TV as he talked about fear. He taught that when you have fear about one area of your life it is because you’ve stopped believing God for that area of your life. I had to think for a moment about why I was feeling so fearful. I did believe God could bring Candy home after all that was easy for Him, but the fear was because there was a question in my heart, “Did I truly believe God would do this for me?” This was what was causing the fear. I immediately prayed to stop the torment of the enemy on my mind and the fear lifted. I told God I did believe He would do this for me and I knew in order to move this mountain, I had to truly believe in my heart…….and so I did. I meditated for the rest of the day on scripture Mark 11:22-24 “if you say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and do not doubt in your heart but believe that what you say will happen, it will be done for you. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”

Friday evening just after feeding as it was getting dark, my cell phone rang. “I think I have your dog” said the voice at the other end of the line. I started to cry from the relief and joy of her words. She gave me directions, Gary and I drove the five miles to their home and I held my breath as we got out of the truck. In her arms was my sweet Candy. As I took her into my arms, she covered my face in kisses. She too seemed disoriented and shocked but she was so happy to be back with her mom. The couple told us the story of how Candy came to be with them. She had traveled down our road to the far end about two miles. When their grandson had gotten off the school bus on Wednesday afternoon, Candy had followed him home but it was on the intersecting road and we had not put fliers down that road. I had not imagined she would have gone so far. Candy had then been taken to the grandmother’s home. When she had driven back over to see her daughter and was returning home, she finally saw the flier I had put on the stop sign at 115th and CR 326. That was Friday night and she’d called me right away. So in truth, Candy had only spent one night in the woods and had been well looked after since then. We brought her home, removed a couple of ticks, gave her a bath since she was full of fleas and watched her reunite with her children. (She is the mother of the other four JR dogs we have).

Candy & Puddles

Once our little family was safe again in the house that night, we knelt down and thanked God for bringing her safely home. And in my heart I felt a soft voice asking me “Why did you doubt Me?” I knew that this lesson from our ranch would stay with me whenever other storms headed our way in the future.

The next morning, I started teaching myself how to stay “present” in each moment and to enjoy the day as it unfolded and to praise God for it! I had learned that the safety of my world was only by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus. And I learned that all the ‘head knowledge’ I had from sitting in church each week was not the faith that the bible speaks of. I learned that my personal relationship with Jesus and my ‘heart knowledge’ is really what makes the difference. God hears our prayers and if you really believe in your heart, without doubt, He will move mountains.

Blessings to all from our family,
Gary & Trish
Candy, Puddles, Tyler, Zoe, Sheba, Seth

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A Story of Hope and Healing

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

This is my story. For those of you who know me well, you know I suffered a bad head injury in August of 2003. A horse trailer drop down window dropped down on my head causing a compression of the C-5 vertebrae of my neck. For months I was fuzzy, incoherent and unable to do my daily chores of looking after 40 horses on my thoroughbred farm. Then on December 24th of that same year I was riding (you can’t keep a horse woman on the ground) when my horse let out a huge buck (my error) and I endured a total whiplash. The pain of all 44 muscles in my neck being torn (I was unable to hold up my head without support), was indescribable. So I took a lot of pain meds and had to close down my business. By selling part of our farm in 2005 and rebuilding on our existing acreage, the next two years went by in a blur of constant work I couldn’t do, pain, non-stop chiropractor appointments and several trips to neurologists to try to find relief from my neck injuries.

Although the whiplash had healed, I was always in pain, sometimes severe enough that I would spend days on the couch with ice packs, and other times just an annoying ache that never really went away. I couldn’t lift anything anymore (this coming from a woman who could unload 40 bags of feed from her truck alone in about 5 minutes), I couldn’t clean stalls or hammer boards or do any of the things I’d always done around the farm. I could no longer lead a thoroughbred because if they pulled, my right shoulder and neck could not take the strain and I would have to let them go. I couldn’t ride anymore because the pain would last for days afterwards. I had spent hours and hours going for chiropractic treatments and thousands of dollars to get relief that would only last a day or two but never really got to the problem. The neurologist said my neck was perfectly normal for a 48 year old. (I looked at him and wondered how any doctor could say that with a straight face to someone in as much pain as I was). I spent thousands of dollars more on acupuncture treatments that would help ease the pain enough that at least I could do normal daily chores. But the worst of this journey of injury and pain was the depression.

As a Christian, I knew my hope was in Christ but I had to wonder where He was. Each morning I would wake up with severe depression and tears running down my face. I would pretend everything was okay to get through the day but the hopelessness endured. Through all of this, I could hear God’s calling for me to start a ministry with horses and I tried. I would take the steps of obedience but the depression would catch up with me. I thought it was hormone imbalance, I thought it was from the pain. I thought I could just read God’s Word and get over it, but it was still there each morning. I asked the doctor for help and they prescribed anti-depressants which I threw away. I knew that wasn’t the answer. I spent many sleepless nights watching the clock all night long getting no sleep at all then having to go through the next day. I put on several workshops and welcomed guests to the ranch having had no sleep at all the night before. I went to the doctor for help and they prescribed sleeping pills. I tried those because I was desperate to get some sleep but they didn’t keep me asleep through the pain throbbing in my neck. So I went back to the doctor and explained they weren’t working because of the pain and they prescribed Celebrex for pain. So I took them and the pain was reduced enough to sleep but my stomach got upset and my depression worsened. I could no longer welcome friends to my home because I never knew when I would have a good day or a bad day. My husband stood by me and took on all of my work through those trying times but he never truly understood what I was going through. Neither did friends and family. There were days I no longer liked myself.

I was ready to quit so many times. I wanted to close down Story Book because I couldn’t do it alone in this state of health. But I could hear God telling me NO that there were trials we had to endure and our faith had to grow. He was with me yet I couldn’t always find Him. So I spoke words of defeat and felt defeated all the while knowing I still believed Jesus would deliver my healing. But I am not a patient person so I would study patience knowing that was my lesson to be learned at His feet. So instead of quitting Story Book, I signed up with iPEC Coaching to become a Life Coach knowing I wanted to help others with the trials they would go through. I wanted to be equipped to Empower, Engage and Evolve others through the teaching of the horses and the Holy Spirit here on the ranch. I struggled through the training still in pain and with cloudy thinking many days. I knew I couldn’t go any further until I found the healing that Jesus promised each of us.

Previously I had begged for healing, I had cried, I had been very pitiful. But this time I got on my knees and told God I was angry at him. He could heal me but He wasn’t. At 51 was my life really over? Was this all that was left for the rest of my life? I wanted a miracle. I wanted the parting of the Red Sea. I wanted my life back. I wanted to use the horses to help people. I wanted to share the Blessings God had given me with others. But I needed healing first.

But His miracles never come about in the way that we expect. And my miracle was there waiting for me all the time through all those years of pain and suffering. He just had to lead me there in His timing. In May of 2009 we had started holding Fellowships at the Pond through our church and because of that gathering I met another wonderful Canadian woman, Micheline, who had also had a neck injury falling off a horse a few years ago. We bonded, as people who have shared in the same type of suffering do, and became friends. Over the next year we shared our stories of attempted healing with chiropractors and she continued to look for an answer. Her symptoms were somewhat worse. Although she wasn’t in the pain I was in, she would suffer seizures and stroke like symptoms and her life, like mine was unpredictable because we couldn’t count on our health. Then one day she told me about a different type of chiropractor, one that was trained in NUCCA which is the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association. She went for a free consultation and found out that this technique involved adjusting the C-1 Axis (the top bone of the vertebrae) and that once it was adjusted, the rest of the spine just fell into place. It sounded too simple to be true. So she went for her initial x-rays to see where her neck was deviated. When the chiropractor studied the measurements of her C-1 he found she was out and twisted by 1 1/2 degrees. He adjusted her while I watched and I observed Micheline’s miracle. By moving and untwisting her C-1 that little amount, the pressure was taken off the nerve and she has since not been back for another treatment and has not had another seizure. She bought a motorcycle and is now living her life to the fullest!

With new hope in my heart, I booked an appointment for myself. When he took x-rays of my C-1 he found it twisted to the right (where I carried all of my pain) by 8 1/2 degrees and also twisted up on the left side so I was not level. Whether it was the trailer door falling on my head, the whiplash, the time I fell off a motor scooter and got knocked out without a helmet on, the fall off a galloping horse when I was in my twenties and got knocked out again with no helmet on or the very first bad fall off a horse when I was sixteen, I don’t know how the bone in my neck moved so far. But with a ten minute adjustment and a day of reaction to the bone moving that far back into alignment, I was finally free of pain. The C-1 bone is the base of the brain stem so not only was it realigned to relieve the pain, but the cloudy thinking, the depression and the inability to reason at times was also completely healed. It has now been two weeks since my miracle. Dr. Thomas has been in business for years. He was there all along. It just took God’s intricate leading to get me to his office.

HOW AMAZING IS OUR GOD? I want to dance in the streets and yell from the mountaintops that I am healed. I will have my life again and continue the calling on my life using horses to help people find truth. I’m sure I’ll knock that bone out again, but now I have the answer to put it right back in.

If you have suffered with neck pain or injury, please don’t hesitate to go and see Dr. Thomas. He is a Christian who is working God’s miracles on a daily basis. His office number is 352-245-6169. His procedure is very non-evasive and gentle.

As for me, I’m ready to go forward with God’s Ministry here at the Ranch. There is a miracle just around the corner for each and every one of us. It just takes faith, truth and persistence to watch it manifest in your life. NEVER GIVE UP, there is always hope. Watch for future emails and blogs about upcoming events, workshops and ways to help at-risk teens here at Story Book Meadows.

We love you all,

Trish & Gary

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