The winter weather in southwest Missouri has just been gorgeous so far this year. We've had a couple of bad icy days but for the most part, really, really nice. I know, I know, I hear the rumors of the bad weather a coming but don't rain on my sunshine right now. I know I have at least one more day and I have faith more will follow. It's been so beautiful in fact, that I feel guilty when I'm inside. I know I'm wasting precious warm temperatures working on book work and "book" work and I don't like to "waste" anything. That's the "R.K." in me, holding firm. (Thank you grandpa for the "I can't sit still or waste anything" gene.)
The animals are loving it too. You can see them playing and running and soaking up the sun. Unfortunately, the warm winter days can reek havoc on baby calves. It can hurt all the cattle really. Hot, cold, hot, cold, hairy, slick, hairy, slick. It's a little nerve wracking for us too. Blankets on, blankets off, blankets on, blankets off. Don't even get me started on the blankets. I really think horses should ONLY have them on when they've just been ridden and are sweaty and it's cold outside. Otherwise, I believe God knew what he was doing with the hair. He knew they weren't going to be inside and therefore, provided for them, as He does for all of us and all of them. Emma loses her mind when they get a little fuzzy. I personally think they look precious and it's just another really cool "God" thing. He thought of everything.
You can learn a lot from animals when you pay attention to them. It's sad but I believe I actually might own animals that are smarter than some of the people I've encountered They are certainly kinder and some work harder, even if it's chasing a stick. Sometimes I think animals might be luckier too. Especially if they are owned by people like us who take good care of them. Somebody brings them food and water each and every day, provides them shelter, doctors them if they are sick, plays with them on occasion, monitors them daily, hugs and pets them, and all they have to do is eat, run, play, poop where they want, nap, and lick themselves. It's kind of an awesome life. Some days, I wouldn't mind that set up for myself.
Of course on the ranch, some of our animals even have jobs at times. Horses are ridden and dogs taken along to gather cattle. And the cattle, well some of them have jobs too. They are eventually turned into hamburger but until then, it's not a bad gig here at K&T Cattle Co and after all, we've all gotta go sometime. At least they don't just die and rot in the ground. They are feeding the hungry. They actually live on in a way. It's kind of a wonderful thought when you think about it like that. Maybe I'll donate my dead body to some starving canibals. I'm sure I'd be delicious with all the Christmas fat I've packed on. Okay, I've completely creeped myself out with that scenario. Bessie is with me always because... BEEF...it's what's for dinner.
Emma and I were sitting in the living room the other morning watching Max, my little Jack Russell. He would go from place to place in the house, trying to find a place to lay down. He was looking for places with rays of sunlight, shining in the windows and he'd only lay in those spots. He would seek out the sun and lay in it. I sat there and thought about it for a minute. He would seek out the sun, and lay in it. What a smart dog. What if we did that each and every day? What if we each sought out the "son" and just sat there in Him, soaking Him up. What a profound thought and what a way to start each day. Good dog Max.
Sometimes there is no sun and there is just terrible wind. What do we do on those days? It seems we have a lot more of that in Missouri than we used to. Wind is an interesting thing. You know it's blowing in something, good or bad, you don't know but you can feel it, even if you're not directly in it. Something is coming. As we drove home from Oklahoma last week, we noticed all of the cattle were hunkered down on the sides of the hills. They all stayed together in a group on the sides of the hills, out of the wind. There is strength in numbers and the hill blocked the awful wind. Nobody told them to go there. Nobody showed them the way. They just instinctively knew where to go. Another God thing. So why don't people do that? You know that God equipped us to do so. So why don't we get out of the blowing wind?
I was listening to a preacher on Sunday talk about the birds. He was funny and brilliant and I wish I could remember all that he was saying but my brain fog has permanently set in and so now I just have to make up my own stuff. Think about how smart a bird is for a minute. They literally gather their food each day. They don't go to Walmart and store up for a storm or for an entire week. They know that God will provide for them and they literally only take what they need, each and every day. They trust that they will be provided for and furthermore, they only use what they need. And the Bible tells us that they don't worry about what they will be wearing either. I don't know about you, but I've never seen anything more beautiful than the color of blue on those bright blue bluebirds. Red too. They didn't spend 30 minutes deciding what to wear folks and nobody is making fun of them for not wearing name brand. They are God's design, and so are you.
Do you think birds ever worry? I don't. I know that unfortunately Max worries. He has morphed into a human somehow. I think captivity probably does that to animals and therefore, they lose some of their natural instincts and become lazy, comfortable slugs like we are. He knows if I'm leaving because I put on my shoes and get my purse. He immediately hides under the bed because he doesn't want to be locked on the back porch. He knows if I take off his collar that it's bath time and he immediately starts shaking all over and fighting me like a tiger. Sometimes, he's too smart. He also knows he's not in danger, he's just a spoiled little brat of a dog. I have every intention of him eventually going to live outside but with my girls both gone, he's become good company and until he learns some discipline and quits chasing cars, he is staying in. (Not so smart in some areas.)
In my Bible study last week, Beth Moore stated with regard to God that "Whom He loves, he chastens." I originally thought she said "chases" and I absolutely adored that idea and I believe He does that too. When you start to learn more about Him, he starts chasing you. But "chasten" is much different isn't it. Webster's Dictionary describes it as "to correct by punishment or suffering. Discipline." Does this remind you of anything? Your children perhaps? Bingo!
We love our children more than anything. If we want them to learn to survive, we must discipline them. Sometimes, punishment is the only way. "Spare the rod, spoil the child." It's just true. I know a lot of children today and young people too that had the rod spared and let's just say, they won't be employed by myself or the Cowboy. Not disciplining your children hurts them a whole lot more than a couple of whippings when they are small. The sting is just for a minute but the outcome is huge. Your failure to discipline them now is destroying their future to become good and honorable citizens. No discipline makes them unemployable and frankly, un-marriable. God knows what He's doing.
Today was chastening day on the ranch. Max has to learn to stop chasing cars so he doesn't die. Unfortunately, my old dog is the reason he does this. He's taught him to do it. He's hanging with the wrong crowd. That is another disciplinary problem. LOL! Like a child, I can spank my dogs when they do something wrong but unfortunately, unlike my children, I cannot always catch them. Dogs are a bit quicker than the fatted Trish. I can yell and scream at Max and Buster and tell them no, but in the heat of the moment and the chase, one wrong move and they are gone. They are run over and my heart is broken into a million pieces. I've watched it happen too many times out here and so today was "chastening day." I got out the shock collars. To see Max right now is the funniest thing ever. He literally looks like he's on house arrest. That thing is as big as his head. I love him too much to let him get hurt so has his mommy, I must discipline him. Buster is wearing one too. I defy you two to chase a car!
I waited for the first car to go out of the driveway so I could zap Max good and hopefully the one and only time and I'll be if he just sat and watched squirrels. Seriously? Of course Buster was in his pen at the time so of course he wouldn't do it. Bad crowd I'm telling you. And, this dog is smart. I think he knows it's on there. I think he heard me talking or reads my blog. He did get zapped once when he had a cat in his mouth earlier so I know it works. I thought surely that would be all it took but literally 30 minutes later, he was at it again. Children need discipline. We are God's children. Sometimes when bad things are happening to us, we might to assess our situations. Have we been ignoring our Father?
I have three other dogs that stay outside. They have a huge barn full of hay and their own houses full of hay if they choose to use them. They aren't in our heated house with us but they have a pretty wonderful life and a nice shelter. And a couple actually do have heated beds so they are fine. Better than any homeless person out on the street for sure. However, last night Max and I were playing and I have a new all glass front door. Bubbles, my blue healer, could hear him barking and so she was up on her back legs, looking in the door at us and it was pathetic. "Why can't I come in and play Mom?" Oh man, talk about get your down. I'm not letting all of those stinky dogs in my house so Max may be out sooner than later. I can't take the stink eye.
If dogs sense danger, they bark. If birds sense danger, they fly away. Horses run way and so do cattle because it's their natural instinct. So why don't we? That alone is a reason to have relationship with God. God gave them the ability to know danger and He does the same with us. If you hear that little voice in your head telling you to flee, walk away, RUN AWAY, folks, that's Him. If you don't ever hear a little voice inside your head, you better break out your Bible for 2020. And if you need one, let me know.
We sometimes put ourselves in crazy wind storms of nonsense each day with drama and social media certainly can fuel that. The hate and gossip run deep. But sometimes it's just life and we have to deal with it. We didn't do anything wrong. Bad things happen to good people. The news alone is enough to make me want to flee. I swear, last week I watched the news for five minutes and was completely stressed out. Between the impeachment hearings, the near WAR with Iran, Iraq, China, Russia, whoever, wherever and always someone, and the BURNING KOALA BEARS, I was in fetal position, rocking back and forth, sucking my thumb in the corner. Sweet Stephanie over half a million burned animals? That's just awful! And I'm sure those animals knew to run away but it just spread so fast that they had no where to go. That happens to us too. Some things we cannot help. But some we can. Instead of walking away, or running away, we get sucked in by gossip and greed. We fuel the fires instead of putting them out. When we should be gathering with friends on the side of a hill, waiting for it to blow by, we are looking for another match. Shame on us.
Let's take some lessons from the animals. Let's be content with the things God has given us. Let's not hate but love. Let's use self discipline so God doesn't have to use his shock collars on us. Let's gather together in peace, not war. Let's use the brains God has given us for good things not bad. Let's work to make this world a better place. We could start with one act of kindness a day. Can you imagine if everyone did one nice thing for somebody else each day? Just one?
Find the Son everyone...and bask in Him. And pray for Max. May one shock be all it takes. ;)
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