He is a God of Miracles!

While at Girl Scout camp in west Texas  (I was at camp for 16 days doing riding instruction) a "big thing" happened.  My sister's horse became ill, major colic!  I wanted to be with her, although she said "no, stay there" it didn't help my heart any.  She actually got the "surgery or euthanasia" call!  She decided with the recommendations of a friend to give him a little more time...thank God.  He was however, critical to the point of apparent needing to be "put down".  So the friend movement started and the prayer  chain moved into full force.  So God being the God that he is, provided a miracle!  A true miracle.  From death to live.  Here is Chief in his glory, just resting on a hot summer day.

While as I remained at camp, at my sister's insistence, my friends there supported me in my need to be with my sister in such a difficult time.  And in the meantime, glorious God's plan was to save Chief.  Eight days after admittance to the hospital, he arrived home, healthy, yet a few lost pounds.
He remains today eating, drinking, grazing at home and doing well.  My sister, relieved and blessed, continues to care for him and is hopeful their riding will continue soon.
My guy, who just happens to be distantly related, is waiting patiently for his healing.

You can see the resemblance.  My guy awaits his healing.  I am a gal who believes in the healing power of God.  I will not give up.  I will go down proclaiming a healing.  I pray for healing of this guy...and this guy...

Never give up...Type One, we are taking you down too!  In the name of Jesus!

Encourage One Another...
"Now you’re healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague.” Mark 6:34

"She never shook the stars from their appointed courses, but she loved her God and she rode good horses!"

Love to you and be blessed....

The Photo Shoot--One of My Best Days

Photography.  I LOVE IT!  There is just something about taking photos of things I love that make my heart happy.  God's creatures and his creations are my favorite.  I wish I knew more about Photoshop and other edit programs that enhance your photos...I'll put that on my "goal" list!

I recently had a photographer from Austin do a photo shoot with my horse and I.  I can take the photos of my horse, and do all the time, however, getting me in the photo too would be a real trick.  So I had to have someone else do it.  I would love to have taken more time, gotten more emotional shots, waited for his ears to be perked forward...a number of things.  However, when the photographer is not me, it's their call.  He did get some great shots that I love.

This one is sweet, sans the crooked halter!

This one turned out really well too.

There's a back story on this dress.  When I started planning the photo shoot and what I might want to wear I wanted a long cream or white dress.  I had one!  I had purchased some time ago from someone so it was not new, but it would be perfect with a jean jacket over it.  Well I looked and looked for it and finally believed I had taken it to a friend to sell in an estate sale.  I even emailed her and said "do you by any chance still have it?"  She said no.  So I went searching for a replacement.  I really love this two piece outfit I found at Glory Bs in Geronimo.  It's a sleeveless top prairie skirt with a very sheer beaded long sleeve top over it.  A perfect replacement.  A few days later I found the original dress!  I'm saving it for the photos with my other horse!

So I planned all my outfits, down to getting my suede shotgun leggings repaired, buying a leather belt  to put my once won Reserve Champion belt buckle on, snap cowboy shirts, borrowing a cute shorter dress and a white tee shirt and denim shorts for the bareback shot.  Hats, boots, flowers, braids, the whole nine yards!

The morning of I went to the barn and swept out the concrete floor room, not really used for anything but overrun stuff.  It worked well though for what I needed.  I took a fan and left the door open and it was actually pretty cool in there.  The day was cloudy (a little sad as there are no sunset shots) however, it made for a cooler day.  Here's all my stuff!

Seriously as this life dream was coming to be a reality I wanted it to be as perfect as it could be.  I planned it for months, from purchasing a new beautiful halter, to guessing when Mosey would be shedding his winter coat, to finding tail whitening shampoo to which socks to wear, and deciding to be barefoot in the bareback shot with an ankle bracelet I got on my last vacation with my mom.
It's often in the details that the best shots are taken, so I wanted to think things through.
 It's also often however, that the best shots are the ones you don't expect.  That's where a good photographer comes in, spontaneous photos without the pose.

 After the bath.

 Everything done at the barn...headed to hair and makeup!
Below, headed back to the barn after the final shot!

Even though he didn't perk his ears up every time, he was a champ.  He was patient and quiet and a great partner. Kisses and hugs of love to you.  What an amazing day.

The photographer sent me less than 100 photos.  I would have taken hundreds.  Some, he said, were out of focus or the light was not good.  I usually shoot on automatic.  It takes the guessing out and it also usually gives me great shots...just the truth.   I'm not sure which photos I will actually create photographs with.  Maybe I'll make a photo book.  I love that we did it.   I love that it was one of my best days.

While I speak of all the details and all the planning I did, most importantly, God is in the details.  While I speak of all I did to get it ready, I know without a doubt He's the one who truly made it all happen.  Anytime you've been dreaming of something all your life, and it comes true, God is in there, you can be sure.   The way I found this photographer, just asking for one on a public site...that had to be God.  The photographer told me "taking photos of a woman and her horse is on my bucket list!"  Really?  And he saw my post?  Coincidence is not in my vocabulary.  I thank God for this day and every day to follow where he knows my heart about something and he answers those prayers.  I'm working to line my dreams up with his dreams, as I'm sure his dreams are more than I can imagine.   (Eph 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us).  So in the meantime, I'll try to be patient to wait and see what He has planned for me next.

 And oh by the way, I'd love to get some shots of my other retired gelding, Smash.  Maybe I will just set up my tripod!!!

"The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean."  Rev 19:14

Encourage One Another and build each other up.  I Thes 5:11

Continuing the journey on fresh paths.

Blessings and love to you, xoxo

"She never shook the stars from their appointed courses, but she loved her God and she rode good horses!" 

The Sounds of Spring

Sitting on the porch.  Second day of spring.  The daytime

sounds are incredible.  Thank you God for my hearing.  After 62 years, it's still crazy good.  I can hear the birds snacking on the bird seed in the feeders.  I can her the coyotes to the right and to the left.  I can hear my cat "Birdie" purring and mewing nest to me, asking to be rubbed and held.  I can hear the windmill creaking in the pasture next door.  I can hear the flutter of bird wings, the red Cardinals peep, the dove's cooing.

It's a glorious day in the neighborhood.  Praise God.

Something Had To Bring Me Back......Diagnosis- Type 1 Diabetes

I don't really know what happened.  I just stopped writing.  With numerous things that happened, I thought...this will bring me back.  The this the that, the trip to the horse rescue, the planned trip to Wyoming for more wild horse photos, the defunct trip to Wyoming that never happened due to the emergency appendectomy ...something.  But nope, nothing did.  Until now!  God has called me back though.  He has put a message on my heart.  I love it when he calls me.  I love it when he gives me a purpose.  This one has been hard.

It's still a good life, it's just changed.  It's now looking for the good in the bad, the God finds a way and makes all things good kinda good.  And I know just based on the last 22 days, that that is true!

My adorable, lovable, Aggie lovin' grandson was recently diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes.  What the hell!  No, it can't be.  Say it isn't so.  Hell no I won't go!  You've got to be kidding me!  Are you kidding me?  Wait, he was healthy as a horse.  He's fine.  He's perfect.  He's the son of the King!  He was fine yesterday!  He's too little!  He's too young!  Wait he is perfectly healthy!  He's fine!  Thank you Jesus for a healthy grandson!  WHAT?  DIABETES TYPE 1, WHAT?  NO, THAT  CAN'T BE RIGHT?  NO HE'S FINE!

And the reality sets in.  No, it is true.  For some reason known only to God, my precious, adorable, healthy, vivacious grandson now has Type 1 Diabetes.  Don't get me wrong, he's still vivacious and living life just as vivacious, however, His (damn) pancreas has stopped producing insulin, it's shut down, it's died, it's screwed up, it's done!  What!  What the hell?  NO!

Yes, move out of the "no" and into the "ok, what do we do now" and accept the inevitable, the true, the "life as we knew it" is different now.

We will be counting every food product that goes in his body and we will be grateful it is not something else, something that cannot be managed,.  It's not something terminal, it's just a thing, a "blip" as my sister calls it.  Move on into "I can do this, I have done this, it's just numbers and a few injections".  He's the same amazing, adorable, lovable, boy who's moving on, accepting, loving God.   Jesus I love this boy.  He will make me a better person.  And For me mostly its...

Prayers for a cure..."dear Lord, I pray today will be the day of the cure, almighty God, you are in control and you know the answers and I pray you will give those answers to someone who can change the world for all those with diabetes type 1 and those family and friends who love them.  You have changed our lives and amazing things will come of this.  You will bring our family closer.  You will change us for the better.  Thank you Jesus that the cure is on the way, and it's just a matter of time.   In Jesus name, Amen".

Rom 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Blessings and love to you!
Encourage One Another!

Stepping Out of the Boat -- Engagement Photos

I love taking photographs.  I am fortunate to have a great camera and some great lens.  My subjects are horses 90% of the time.  Today it was different.
A couple of  months ago a friend came into my house for the first time.  She saw the canvas photographs I have of horses hanging on my walls.  She loved them.

A month or so later she was talking about those same photos and suggested or asked if I would take some engagement photos of her nephew and his fiance.  I was flattered, however, a bit disbelieving.  Her nephew is the son of a very old friend of mine who died about 20 years ago when Luke was 8.  While I have not kept up with Luke since that time, the possibility of reconnecting with him was very attractive.  After lots of thought and soul searching on my part I sent him and email and offered to take the engagement photos. He was very grateful and asked me to email his fiance, Brittney, since she was making all the wedding plans.  We made contact and decided to put it off a bit until hopefully it would be cooler.
So with much anxiety until now, today was the day.  I spent time scoping out the internet for poses and other photos of other engaged couples.  I googled tips and ideas.  I did my homework.  However, it's kind of like lots of things, studying about it is one thing, but doing it is all together something else.
We met at Pioneer Village or Pioneer Living History and Event Center, and attraction in Gonzales, Texas.  Numerous buildings from yesteryear have been brought here to form a little village.  There's a church, a school, a saloon, most from the late 1800s.  They also hold weddings here.  The church holds about 70 people.
So here are a couple of examples of this beautiful couple...

 Luke and Brittney!

Matthew 19 (Genesis 2:24)
⁴ “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’^[a]5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’^[b]? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

 I have not known these two long, however, I am hopeful to know them a long time into the future.

This photo session was great fun.  The day was beautiful.  The subjects were gorgeous.  The stepping out was worth it!  God blessed this day and he blessed me.  I hope they feel blessed too!.

Matthew 14:

²⁷ But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

²⁸ “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

²⁹ “Come,” he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Encourage One Another and build each other up.  I Thes 5:11

Continuing the journey on fresh paths.

Blessings and love to you, xoxo

To Grandmothers---How Will You Be Remembered?

I remember my grandmother for many things, most noteably her kindness and her faith.  However, when I think about her as I was growing up, I remember sleeping in her back bedroom under her water cooler (she couldn't afford air conditioning).  It had a loud rumbling sound that was great to sleep under.  My big sister and I spent many Saturday nights with her when our parents went to the Baylor Bear football games.  Our favorite part about Saturday night was after dinner and before bed she would make us "Black Cows", or in layman's terms, a Dr. Pepper float.  She used the same special tall glasses every time.  We didn't get many soda waters at home so this was a huge treat for us.  Sunday morning we woke up and went to church with her.  She taught us a lot about Jesus and about faith.

Me on the other hand, how will I be remembered?  Mac and cheese!  That's how I will be remembered by my grandson.

By the time he quits asking for it, I have no idea how many bowls of mac and cheese that boy will eat.  No matter what I have prepared or try to feed him, that most kids would like to have...pizza, chicken nuggets, french fries... he asked for "mac and cheese please".  And he asked for it for every meal...seriously.  Last night I said, "we are having blueberry muffins for breakfast".  He said yummy.  Then this morning when I got up I headed to the kitchen to bake them.  From the bedroom I hear..."let's have mac and cheese with our muffins ok?"  Uh, well, ok for you, but it'll just be muffins and butter for me my love.  And it makes him happy, really happy.

His mother had a love for something too, only her choice was "spaghettios".  She ate them hot or cold and right from the can was her preference.  She ate them every day in her lunch box at school...until Junior High.  Seriously.  I guess the boy is following her footsteps.  (And if I have to be honest, I ate Gerber's apricots out of a baby food jar forever.)

So if I'm remembered for Velveta Mac and Cheese, that's ok with me.  We always say prayers at night asking for his parents safe return home and for everything God gives us.  It's one of my favorite times with him.  But then every moment with him is special.

Encourage One Another and build each other up.  I Thes 5:11

Continuing the journey on fresh paths.

Blessings and love to you, xoxo

Proverbs 17:6 

Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

Psalm 143:5

I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

Ephesians 1:16

I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers.

Mutton Busted!

Well the family and all the grandparents all headed out to the county fair pre-rodeo "mutton bustin" event this weekend.  It would be the second time our little HG headed for the shoots to try his hand at riding a sheep.  Not sure who thought up this novelty of kids riding sheep but it is certainly entertaining.  And usually no one gets anything hurt except maybe their feelings.  

In the heat of the day, and with no nap due to the time frame, our little guy gets ready.

See this boy...he's excited about Mutton Bustin!  Off he goes with his wrangler (aka his mom) to wait for his age group to be called.

He and mom, just hanging out in the stands, still waiting to be called.

"Hey Annie...I see you; do you see me?  We are just watching all those kids go "splat" in the mud!  Yuck!"

My gosh this boy is beautiful!  Be still my heart!

They called his group and off he goes (behind the boy in the green plaid shirt).  The mud in this arena is more than he bargained for.  Boots are getting stuck and this is slow moving.

Here he goes behind the stands to wait some more while the 5-6 year old group finishes up.  Then he will wait until he is called in his 3-4 age group.

Some of the sheep already "busted" and hanging in the corner.  Do you see that mud...? The rest of the arena looked even worse.
Well, after all that waiting, when they called his name, HG was courageous enough to say "Na, this is not for me, not today, not in this mud.  I'll take a raincheck please."

"Did I mention I was getting really tired. Have you seen my mom?"

"Where is my mom please."  Prior to being set back on the ground he was "handed off' to at least 4 different people.  Walking in the mud was disgusting and gross.  Enough mud already.

"I hope she is waiting just around this corner.  I'm tired of this mud.  I'm ready to go home.  I'm hungry."
Around the corner was his mom.  Finally on solid ground.  When she asked him what they said to him when they handed him the white ribbon he was holding he said "nothing".  When she asked him what it was for, after thinking just a second he said "waiting".  Good point my sweet boy.
Well, there will be other "mutton bustin" opportunities for him I'm sure.  And I'm sure his parents and his grandparents will all once again be there to support him.
I personally am very proud of him for speaking up to a lot of strangers, grown ups, and speaking out that he did not want to do this.  It gives me reassurance that he would be able to speak up to anyone who might do something to him or want him to do something he did not want to do nor should he do.
Way to go HG, be a strong, courageous young man who speaks up and speaks out.  Stand strong!
We are all blessed that his parents teach him "the way that he should go" and right from wrong.  This ability he has to speak out will serve him well.
Keep that big voice HG.  Speak out for what you believe in.  Share the word.  You are amazing and your Annie loves you for it!

Encourage One Another and build each other up.  I Thes 5:11
Continuing the journey on fresh paths.
Blessings and love to you, xoxo

2 Samuel 22:14

The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the Most High resounded.

Job 37:5

God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.