HEART'S CRY

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 My son's hands after his final six day solo wilderness survival to earn this certificate.  Two and a half years of toil, blood, sweat and tears....just to get in the door.  Now he walks through it. My youngest son's first year wrestling.  Facing demons from within and opponent without.  Sticking it out.  Finishing strong! My middle son finishing strong in Chadron.  He lost every match his 9th grade year and most his 10th grade.  He began life with severe asthma but by the grace of God's healing and his perseverance...He has endured and become victorious. Sandhill ranchers.  Drought and blizzard.  Through thick and thin-good prices and bad. Family, sickness and injury.  Endurance. Taking...

I LOVE my job!  God has blessed me with the best job in the world.  I meet the  most amazing people.   And check out my office!

Monday night I found out that I am now a SERE Instructor Mom.  Survive. Evade. Rescue. Escape.  My young man after 2 1/2 years of scrapping, training and enduring has received his certificate.   He is so strong mentally, physically, emotionally and prayerfully...spiritually.  He has been tested and tried and tested some more.   I remember reading the Endurance book to the boys when they were little and all I can think of is "By Endurance We Conquer" which we decided then would be our family motto. My oldest son who worked from 6th grade on.  His first job was yard work for a friend...I didn't even know that he asked until he came home with a job.  He needed tires for his go cart.  He worked for the Extension Office and then he worked at True Value for five years.  Additionally he learned to put on gutters and take out asbestos.  He struggled in school with finding his spot and his voice and never did find a po...

 Life without passion gets nothing done.     Passion is fueled by the desires and cries of our hearts and provides the energy to break away from the ho hum.   Passion is an intense desire for something and helps get stuff done. Passion is that fight that rises up in us.  The button that is pushed to cause a change in direction.  Passion, in my opinion is as important to life as air and water. However, passion without boundaries or that is undefined is chaos.     Reaching, scattered and fragmented passion is diluted and ineffective.  Wasted passion.  Inefficient use of valuable energy leaving us deflated and in the same position. Focus.  Passion intentionally consciously and systematically fusing together to get stuff done.    Today is the day to fan the passion in our hearts.  To prime the pump and bring up the fight to break away from the status quo.     Passion...

Last night I woke up with dreams of  baby chubby fingers wrapped in my hair.    I realized my worry about my oldest followed me to bed and into my dreams.  When he was a baby he would fall asleep nursing with his fingers wrapped in my hair.  David would pick him up to put him in his crib when he came to bed, but... would have to be careful not to pull out my hair along with! He will be 21 soon and yet I can still feel those fingers and see his sleeping baby face as clear as if it was just yesterday.   So as I think about and pray for my son who is out in field training in the special forces-I can't help but hold him close to my heart and wrap him in my prayers.

Crowded and pressed?  Worry and stress compacting and deleting energy?  Me too!   I need space to grow!  I need open skies and wide open places.   Big air and quiet meadows.  Wind in my hair and sand in my toes.  Wild grasses and wild flowers. As I ready for the garden and growing season, I'm taking a new class.  Last night's lesson was Plant Pathology and Tree Diseases and Diseases of Fruits and Vegetables and Diseases of Flowers and Turf.  After three hours of lecture and learning what a pathogen is and how it destroys plants...I realized that minimizing disease in the first place by changing the environment is always the answer.   Using the common sense of my parents and grandparents...minimize stress, wounds, overcrowding, soil compaction and over-watering. "Let plants and animals do what they do."  I smiled to myself as we covered turf and I heard my Dad's voice in my head...don't drive on the field...

Jingles was his name.  He was my first "real" horse.  Of course "Cheta" had taught me to ride and was now teaching others.  But Jingles was mine.  He was as stubborn as a mule and incredibly persistent.  If he did not want to move then...he would not move.  With lead-rope in hand I would strain and pull on his head until I was absolutely furious.  Knowing as I looked in his eyes that  he was laughing hysterically at this 10 year old little girl.  "How's that working?" Dad asked simply as he looked on.  "Seriously??" I wanted to yell.  "Do you think that you are going to out muscle him?" he inquired.  The only thought going through my head can't be put on this blog.  He continued, "So if you can't pull him then try something else.  Pull him sideways to get him off balance and he will have to follow you." Jingles looked confused when I let up on the rope and stared him down.   Moving to his si...