A Time to Smile

“A TIME TO WEEP AND A TIME TO LAUGH. A TIME TO MOURN AND A TIME TO DANCE.” ~Ecclesiastes 3:4~

It has been almost four years since I lost “My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz,” Dr. Jim Kennedy.

Life can come at times with vengeance or with peace. I have decided to return to life with a zest for volunteering at two equine ministries.

At The Son and Reins Ranch (www.thesonandreinsranch.org) hurting youth can show love to a hurting horse. Both youth and horse reap extreme benefits. (Just look at the expressions on the kids AND the horse)!

Or leadership and confidence can be experienced through basic horse training.

This 501c3 ranch uses their horses to provide support and encouragement to those ages 12-120 who are hurting for any reason.

I also partner with Combat Veterans Cowboy Up (www.combatveteranscowboyup.org and facebook Combat Veterans Cowboy Up). Hurting military veterans are helped to cope and find a way to recover from PTSD with our horses. CVCU is a 501c3 non-profit.

Our program has just been filmed to be included in the upcoming Documentary “ACRONYM: The Cross-Generational Battle With PTSD.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Od33W1eEZ8s

Created and directed by Denver’s Radio KOA Steffan Tubbs, this film premiers on Veteran’s Day, 2015 and pleads with veterans not to give up and shows some of the many organizations existing to help PTSD veterans recover!

“If life throws you hell” (as many of our veterans have said), there is still a way to go on!

Amidst daily caring for the horses and participating in these 2 program’s sessions, I barely have time to even sit down! THEN-God surprised me with a new foal on July 16! We were told this mare was not pregnant by a veterinarian, so what utter joy burst upon us by being delivered a beautiful Quarter Horse filly. I named her “Gracie” after the grace of God. My first foal. I wept so intensely I could have fallen on the floor but knowing my bionic knees and hips surely wouldn’t have allowed me to get back up, I did sit down!

Just Born … Gracie at 2-weeks-old.

This little foal may have power-packed blood lines of “Man o’ War” and “Skipper W” but Gracie will be used someday to help hurting veterans!

“Here’s to LIFE going on”! And “Yes,” you can wear a smile even if you still have a broken heart! One of my “loves,” Morgan horse “Whisper.”

As John T. Nash, Founder and Executive Director of Combat Veterans Cowboy Up says, “We’re not out of the woods yet, but we’ve found the trail.” We are to use our pain to help others. And when we do that, we are the recipients of joy and a life purpose! And God is pleased and gets all the glory.

“Taxi” one of our goofy Morgan horses.