Faith is Greater Than Fear

Man, the world is scary these days. It's lock-yourself-in-the-house and don't-interact-with-strangers scary. I have two small kids and I fear for them every day. I make sure I'm able to protect them from all kinds of danger. One day, though, I won't be able to protect them. They will be adults and have to take care of themselves. That thought makes me want to panic a little, but I learned from an early age that you can't let fear rule your life. If you do, you don't have any control. Anything or anyone that scares you will have the control. And that should scare you more than anything! 

I am a great believer in God and patriotism and personal freedom. Why? All of these things breed COURAGE. Sure, the 'Rona is a bit scary. BLM (black lives matter not bureau of land management y'all 😂🐮)  is scarier than hell because these people have no regard for human life. Human trafficking? Been afraid of that for years. I'm afraid to go into town because I'm a little white girl with two little kids. Like I said though, I don't let fear rule my life. Sometimes you just have to let go and let God. 

I feel as though the folks who are extremely panicked right now are missing the bigger picture. The way I see it, if you're so afraid of being killed by the 'Rona that you keep yourself from living your life, you're missing something fundamental. You've missed learning how to weigh risks and don't know how to balance the give and take. You haven't been out on a skittish colt in a lightning storm trying to get cows off the mountain enough to realize that anything could take you from this earth at any moment and you can't control that, no matter how hard you try. God is in control y'all. These are the last days, and we've been told we will have to fight for our freedom. I believe in prophecies and I believe many are being fulfilled right now. I also believe Christ is coming and if we focus on Him and His end game, the world climate is a whole lot less scary. We already know who wins the war. If we focus on Christ, it's very clear who is on the side of evil. Just let go and let God! Have faith instead of fear. Everything is going to be okay!

XO, the Cowboy's Wife 

How Horses Have Influenced My Life

I often think about all the ways horses have influenced my life.

When I was a little girl, they taught me the value of hard work and also caring for something other than myself. They taught me about devotion and true friendship. They taught me about heartbreak and the importance of letting go when I lost the first horse I ever loved.

As I've gotten older, they've influenced my friendships and who my 'people' are. They brought me to the love of my life. They helped me find the truest friends I've ever known. 

They've given me a passion for life, they've cured my blues and motivated me.

They make me smile when they're gentle for my babies and make them fall in love with horses the same way I did when I was small.

I've liked a lot of horses, and loved a few. This gal right here is one of them. I thank God every day for her for giving me my confidence back and getting me in a good mental state after two long, rough pregnancies. She's the first horse I've had a real relationship with since before I was married. She's my go to gal and my right hand man! Thanks @laramiedawn for catching a few amazing photos of us! 

Unconditional Love

 

I saw this picture today, and the quote got me thinking. It made me think how the unconditional love of a mother is the closest there is to the love Christ has for each of us.

He loves us not in spite of what He had to endure for us, but because of it. Those scars and pierced palms are a testament to His love, just like a Mama has to endure sickness, pain, and the intense pain of labor for her babies, and her stretch marks, scars and body parts that will never be the same are a testament of her love for her babies.

Our Savior gives us unending grace, and don't Mamas do the same for their babies? Who loves you no matter what when you mess up? Who gives you advice and helps you clean up your mess? Your mama and your Savior are always there with understanding hearts and a big hug.
I think of how intensely I love my boys, and how I would do anything in the world for them, and it brings me so much comfort that every single one of us has a Savior who loves us even more. His hands and arms are outstretched, waiting for you to reach out and fall into them. He is the safest place you could ever hope to find. Finding the Savior is just like going back home and getting a big hug from your Mama.
None of us are alone in this world; your Savior feels every worry and pain you feel. Seek him and you will find more joy and comfort than you have ever known.
XO, The Cowboy's Wife 

Tell is Two

Dear Tell,

I can't believe you're two!! There are so many things I want to remember about this age. You are so, so smart. You can count to 5, spell your name out loud, speak in full sentences, and have such a good memory.

You love people. LOVE them. I'm not sure where you got this quality but it makes me have to grow as a person (I'm such a hermit!). Everyone you meet is so taken with you. You have the funniest little personality and you just HAVE to know about the people around you.
You keep me on my toes my boy! You run absolutely everywhere you go. You never. Slow. Down. You are completely fearless and I can't keep you off a horse. You're never without a rope, either. You were definitely born a cowboy..that's just in your blood.

You parrot everyone and you can say everything. Really. I taught you the Pledge of Allegiance and you manage the big words pretty well!!

You have a wild imagination and tell me all sorts of funny stories...not that I can understand the whole story but it usually has something to do with Darla fighting a bear!
I gave you a teddy bear the other day and you gave it a big hug and said "I love it!"

You have the wildest heart and the sweetest soul. You are stubborn and determined. You are smart and funny and everything good that I want to be.

You give me so much grace every day. Being a mom is so hard sometimes and I don't always have as much patience as I should. Everytime I mess up, you're always there with your sweet smile and "hi, mom". I'm so grateful for you.
You keep me laughing and remind me not to be so serious all the time. You love me so much even when I lose my temper. You always come to give me a hug and I don't know what I'd do without your neverending grace.
The light of Christ shines so bright in you. Your love for everyone you meet and your sweet, thoughtful personality just show that light in a big way. Don't ever be afraid to love big and wear your heart on your sleeve the way you do! I love you more than words can say, sweet boy.
Love, Mama

A Woman's Strength

She is a Goddess, a daughter of a King. She is divinely and inspirationally made. She was made to shoulder the mental and emotional weight of her family. She gets her boundless strength from her faith in her Savior.
That thing you're afraid to tell her? She values honesty over all else and she has enough grace for whatever mistake you made. Even if it tears her to pieces inside, she can also see how it tears you up. She will forgive you and help you overcome any obstacle. She has enough love and faith for both of you.
She is an empath, and she feels everything you feel. Your emotional burden is also hers, and she will do whatever she can to help you be happy.
She always finds a way to pick up the pieces and keep going, no matter how hard rock bottom gets. She keeps her light burning inside, knowing that faith and hope can get you through anything.
Hold onto her; she is the pillar of strength that will get you through life's storms. She is unbreakable, because Christ is her foundation.
Never forsake her, because she will always be by your side, there to hold your hand or catch you if you fall.

Maybe It's Different This Time

   
     Maybe it's different this time. But that doesn't mean I love you less! Maybe I have less time to sit and hold you and stare at your perfect face because I'm chasing your brother around, but those little moments with you are just as precious.

Maybe I don't have the new mom obsession quite to the same degree, because well, I've done this before. It doesn't feel new. But you do. I am obsessed with your tiny self.

Maybe I don't cry when you move up a clothing size, but that's because I'm so excited to watch you grow and see who you become.

You see, I didn't know what to expect the first time around. I was so sad watching your brother grow so big that I didn't get to fully enjoy his babyhood.
So I'm enjoying this time, ALL of it. Including the growing and the changing.

I don't mind that you hate being set down, because I know I can always mop the floor later (probably). I don't feel the same pressure to get everything perfect and right because I've learned to let things go and pick my battles.

Lucky you little one, you're not the Guinea pig. I (sort of) know what I'm doing. You're getting a much more relaxed Mama than your brother did.

Learning how to juggle two is proving a challenge, especially since your whirling dervish of a brother absolutely never slows down. Again, though, it's teaching me that I have to sit back and just enjoy the ride. After all, if you can't beat em, join em!

Maybe it's different this time, little one, because I'm different this time. The one thing that isn't different is that I love you with my whole heart, and that's what counts.

Before You Marry a Cowboy

I know, girl. You've been dating him for quite some time. You finally broke through those emotional walls and it turns out, he actually CAN be a little bit romantic. Maybe you always have to drive to see him and you spend most of your time there cooking and doing his laundry, but you don't mind. You've even grown used to the fact that you'll probably never go on a "normal" date. He's such a good guy, and you have dreams of life on this ranch with him. Before he puts a ring on it, though, there are a few things you should know!

Before you marry a cowboy, you should know that you will suddenly find yourself his personal secretary. You will be in charge of scheduling appointments, doing the taxes, keeping track of family birthdays, etc. Make sure you have a good planner or keep everything in your phone calendar.

Before you marry a cowboy, realize that running the household is totally on you. Keeping groceries stocked, cleaning, doing laundry, cooking, and eventually caring for the children.

Before you say "I do", make sure you know that along with these other responsibilities, you are now his right hand man. If he needs to doctor a sick cow, or needs someone to drive the truck to wherever he ended up on his horse, or needs help pulling a calf, or got stuck in the muddy pasture while feeding cows, you are who he will call. This means you should know how to rope, drive a standard transmission and pull a trailer, know that running in the heifer to pull her calf can get kinda hairy, and you might need the tractor to pull him out of the mud.

Before you marry that cowboy, know that when you get pregnant he will make jokes about you being a replacement heifer. He will also joke about the fact that he's pulled a lot of calves, so living 1.5 hours from the hospital isn't a worry when you go into labor. When the baby finally comes, he will be shell shocked. It will be MUCH different than he expected since he's only ever been around newborn calves. However, he will transform in front of your eyes and amaze you when he's better at swaddling the new little ranch crew member than you are.

When that baby starts getting a little older and daddy is his favorite person in the world, you won't be the least bit surprised, because he's your favorite person too.

Being married to a cowboy isn't for the faint of heart. You will find yourself alone with the kids most of the time, especially during the winter. However, you know none of you could dream of a better life. Those days you all spend together calving heifers, or riding the four wheeler to go check water, or those wonderful branding days in the spring make the rest worth it.

The best part? That man you married will be your rock through the inevitable hard and scary parts of life. He will stand strong and true through the storms and you will always have him to hold on to. He is strong and faithful, and is the hardest working person you know. As far as husband material, you can't find anyone better!

These are all important things to know before you marry a cowboy!