Notes From a Cowgirl

As you know, I’m a college student. You probably also know that college can be hard work. Finals were last week so this morning I checked to see if my grades had been posted online. Seeing my grades made me realize that my effort really WAS worth it! I had some difficult work this semester but I was persistent and ended up having the highest grades of my college career.  A couple weeks ago, just before finals, I was starting to feel the stress of the end of the semester. I realized that I couldn't do everything at once and had to focus on getting one thing  done at a time. Now that the fall semester is over, I've been having a great time. I've been riding my horses… baking… (Try this delicious recipe for  Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies ! You'll be glad you did!) walking with my dog, Missy… and even taking some fun pictures of frost!    I hope you, too, can find some relaxation at Christmastime!  ...

I’m one of the lucky ones who got to grow up as a horse girl.  I started taking lessons just before I turned 8 and bought my first horse when I was 12. This horse, Zoee, is my pride and joy. When I bought her, she was a 14 year old Arabian mare who foaled several times and had barrel racing training (read about barrel racing here ). Zoee and I worked very hard at turning her into a horse that could run barrels and do well in pleasure (slow) classes. A few years ago we were in a discipline rail class with over 30 other horses (read about discipline rail  here ). Many of these horses were obviously show horses, not middle-aged-barrel-Arabian-turned-pleasure-horses. I rode in the first group of about 10 horses and Zoee was great. She listened to my commands without delay and was actually slow , in a good way! To my surprise, our performance stood out enough to make the cut and perform in the final group of horses. That class was one of the most nerve-wra...

This picture I took in June makes me think of the song “Down to the River to Pray.” I love that song. It’s mellow and heartfelt and paints a picture. I can close my eyes and feel that song in my soul, especially when  Alison Krauss is singing.  Have you heard Carrie Underwood’s song “Something in the Water”? It’s fairly new and fairly catchy. Her first verse says “I followed that preacher man down to the river and now I’m changed.” I thought the concept for that song was pretty cool until I heard “No Power in the Water” performed by The Purple Hulls. This songs says “There’s no power in the water, to take away our sin the power’s in the blood.” The fact that these songs exist is neat. Some lines contradict each other while both songs, as whole works, agree that Jesus saves. Jesus set the example of water baptism, but salvation comes from Jesus’ blood and resurrection. Which song do you like better? I’d love to hear what you think!

I can’t accomplish everything today. In fact, most days I can’t do everything that I really should do. We all have busy schedules, some busier than others. But to us, our own schedule usually seems to be the worst. I have homework to do and tests to study for, you know, the usual college routine. In addition to that, I have animals to take care of, errands to run, and one more meal to eat.  I won’t be able to finish everything today but I will be able to finish some things and start several others. Often times, getting started is the hardest part. Starting something that I know will be challenging and take a long time is a struggle of mine. So, start small. I realized that committing to 10 minutes of half-heartedly studying psychology terms is better than no studying at all. Once you start, doing more doesn't hurt as bad as you thought it would. Today I know I can study. I have made time and will continue to make time for it. I know I can do this. ...

I find beauty in all sorts of things. First of all, animals are beautiful. Watching wild or domestic animals interacting outside really is wonderful. Some say that you can’t attribute human characteristics to animals, but I beg to differ. I think that animals have unique personalities, all beautiful in their own ways. Trees and leaves and grass and crops are beautiful, too. Think about it, this thing starts out as a tiny seed, gets the right amount of water and nutrients, and before you know it, this thing is giving shade or being harvested for food.  Trees and leaves and grass and crops also provide us with brilliant colors. Nature is art. That, my friends, is beautiful. Smiles are beautiful. Some people underestimate their own beauty without realizing the power within a smile. Smiling is a beautifully contagious, friendly thing to do. We all ought to smile more. I often find beauty when I’m quiet and alone, like when I’m riding a horse through a fie...