Lessons Learned

Well, we got the sad news that the oak tree that stood near our mobile home on our property in North East Texas crashed over from the roots with the weight of the snow and destroyed it.


We are very blessed to own 50 acres in such beautiful country and we have been working on our mobile home on and off for about three years now - it was our hope that it could be a place that we could use or offer to other people to use who needed to destress and enjoy the country as a getaway. This is our dream property - where we'll one day bring Dylan and our other horses and live full time.



We are praising God that nobody was hurt. And as we struggle to make sense of why this happened, we can only find that God in His infinite wisdom is providing for us in ways that at first don't seem to make sense, but when one starts looking deeper...one can clearly see His care for us. The tree fell over at a time when nobody was living there. It is only material things that was destroyed or damaged, not precious human lives. Praise God!!!! We have been putting our finances into this project for awhile now. While the initial loss is dismaying, it still occurred before we continued to put more labor and money into it.

And I think there was another lesson for me personally. I have always had a fear of harsh weather - especially tornados. My biggest fear of moving to our property is that of tornados taking out our mobile home. I NEVER expected the oak tree that we sought for shelter and shade would be the vehicle for the destruction of our home in the country. So my lesson is, to not be anxious about things beyond my control, but to put my trust in God. He has a plan for each one of us and the only shelter I need to seek is in Him. I was so busy being afraid of the tornados when the real danger was something I never suspected. Life can be like that too. We need to keep our eyes open for the real dangers instead of taking false security in avoiding the ones that have not even materialized. Does that mean don't seek shelter if a tornado comes? Of course not! But don't waste time worrying about things beyond your control when a God that loves you so much that He sent his only son to die for you, is in charge. Praise God!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

We have had quite a stretch of wet and snowy weather - very unusual for Texas this time of year. Dylan is originally from a ranch in Montana and lived in Minnesota for four years, so he is probably feeling much more at home than his native Texas friends. My kids and I decided to be adventurous and make the trip to the barn this past Thursday despite the constant snowfall and Dylan was there to greet us - looking adorable in it. He has a loafing shed with plenty of shelter but would rather be out in the snow - silly horse! Two nice big round bales are keeping him and his pasture mates in plenty of hay - essential for them to keep warm.

Looks like it will be awhile before we'll be doing any riding or working on our Golden Cross Ranch products at the barn - it is going to be very muddy for the next couple of weeks. But like I told Josh - that just gives us something to look forward to and helps us appreciate the time we do have to do our outdoor activities. And you can't help but be in awe of God's beautiful creation covered in a beautiful blanket of white. Nine inches of snow in Texas - now that's a miracle!