How about our relationship with our earthly parents? Being a single adult, and having a retired Mom, I take more time to devote to calling her. "How R Ya?  How was ur day? What'cha got planned for tomorrow? Need anything? (Dad is deceased - Boy I wish we could have made a better relationship together - But, it takes 2) ( Kids are busy with their lives, as was I for most of this life of mine.) Oh, how much we take for granted!

Yes, I work ridiculous hours. Horse stable, small farm, dog kennels, store, life coaching, executive coaching, business consultation, preaching, continuous edu, ...    I know me. If not doing something I feel worthwhile, I'm thinking thoughts that I should not. (Apostle Paul had the same crap in his mind - Why do I do / not do stuff I know better?)

Yet, (Carol Dweck) - yet is a huge word. What has our journey through life taught us?  What is the meaning of life for you, today? What would you like/ prefer this meaning to become? Scale of 1 - 10 with 1 sucks & 10 is everything we hoped for in life?  What small steps can we find to move closer to that 10? (if yer a 2, closer to 2.5 or 3?)

I'm 70 plus now. Legacy?  Technology? Life?  Don't we prefer. like I, to try to stick to,  what is comfortable, familiar - most times. YET, ( that word again), to enable growth, I have to stretch the realms of comfort - into the uncertain, into the "how can I know?".

Ever remember a time you felt betrayed, dishonored, left alone, criticized, beat up, lonely, distraught for whatever life threw your way?  Most of us have. Didja turn to prayer then? Didja then wonder if there was a real god, or just hope there might be?  Scriptures tell us to look at the return of Spring life. Look at the miracles of birth - both plant & animal.  Remember you made it this far. YET, what if these difficult emotions lead to understanding? What if watching ourselves grow through these difficulties might encourage us to try again? To become our better "Self"?  What if we made it this far in life - both as the "hero", the person people see as having the easy life, and the "doubting Thomas", (knowing who we really are), because there is purpose in our journey? (Sentence intentionally too long to make ys read it 3 X and overcome immediate satisfaction in yer brain. Look up Richard Bandler) 

SO - Do you share in the joy of your children? Your parents? Friends? Teams? Organizations? Hope?  So better if we share it with the One, the Creator?

I have a "Rico" Husky that lives to see me come home. He loves to run into the warehouse, run up stairs & back. It's like he feels he needs to inspect this "human cavern" protect me. ( He looks for praise / approval after every "protective search". I give it to him.) 

I have a "Hugger" Husky that is always so happy to have my attention. Hugger insists on trying to jump into my arms every time I go into his "territory". He exudes enthusiasm. (all 50 + lbs of him) I have to brace my body as I go into his pen. Hugger looks deeply into my eyes as he jumps, holds me, hugs me.  (How could I ever avert my eyes from his gaze. So much love - So much want - He doesn't understand his Strength. I do and I encourage it.) He's in an area with a very pretty female Husky. No puppies yet, but he is teaching the female (by example) to become more accepting of my love. (She wants loving but doesn't know how to accept love - and she too, came to me as an older dog, unsure of human love. What a pity to go through life not accepting love?)

The prettiest Husky I have is a female that is so submissive, happy to see me, YET so cautious of being hurt. There is only one place in her pen that she will stop to be petted, loved, (her comfort zone). I have to gently lift her head and look into her eyes every time. It's as if she feels not deserving. She runs just out of touch so much! Stops in her comfort zone. Gets my loving. In the pen with her mother. I switch attention to her mom, (who currently sheds like crazy). Then shy "Beauty" jumps excitedly / shows such gratitude. Mom loves to be petted, although seems to want to keep all that excess shedding hair on her body. (Likes her familiar, even when there are better options?)  

Lady, my "shaggy" Husky came to me with 1 eye swollen & blind, & 1 eye not damaged. When she came. her fur was in so many knarls; so matted to the skin that she could not be clipped without hurting her. It's been 2 yrs and the matting is almost all out now. Months have been spent untangling her life story. She no longer has to live a knarly life. Maybe because of the one eye, she will always have a home with me. (What I see is unique affection through both eyes. What she sees is love & affection.)

Pups!  My goodness! I have 2 that are from different litters. Over 1 yr old now. Snowball is so enthusiastic! Came from maybe a confused mother. Taken away from her mom asap. I and the county animal control guys found her mom another home. This female (mom) caught & drug up a deer from the woods to be shared with which ever dog might partake. Next minute, ( not around that deer- just mom's nature - bipolar?)  I had to pull her off another dog before they killed each other. Mom was human ridiculously human / child loving. YET, might be friendly with other dogs 1 time & jump them the next. The Mom's unpredictability was more than I could deal with at the time because I was left with 85 dogs of several breeds from the woman who started the kennel at my farm. (The woman who started the kennel did the fentanyl thing which killed her. )

So Snowball is s'possed to be white as she was as a pup. YET, she loves digging deep into SC red dirt. (Guess her color!) Her Dad is Hugger. She jumps aggressively into me. Then once I correct, loves to roll onto her back & have her belly/chest rubbed. ( Apple dropping far from the tree? Which tree? She is not dog aggressive - loves her kennel mate. )  

Her kennel mate is sister to "Beauty". "Blacky".  Small for a Husky. YET, doesn't know her size is any smaller than every other in the yard. Blacky loves to tease, to false fight. Loves to grab a hind leg and let it go, jumping in enthusiasm afterward. The other dogs just try to ignore her. But she will not be ignored!  When I let her out for a time, she always takes at least 2 days to catch. She will run, dart close to me, then before I can hold her, athletically run back and look for approval for her abilities.  We have an abundance of possums and feral cats. Blacky loves a challenge. Although I wish she were not "cat aggressive" it's nice to have that possum population reduced. ( these possums eat my pears, apples, veggies in gardens. - They take a bite out of everything then leave the rest. Wouldn't be so bad if possums would just eat the whole of ... )   

SO - what's this about?  Just as my dogs have differences, so do we.  If I can love all these "personalities", how much more, our Lord can love our ideosyncrities?

Which one am I?  A little bit of all of the above!  How about you?  

OK - This is a "horse store".  At one time I had 33 horses at the stables.  85 dogs. So many personalities, quirks, arguments, explorations, successes!   Sometimes, psychology says use third person metaphors to have people explore possibilities. We haven't even approached those cats. Nor the pasture Paints. 
    Are there any personalities / relatives / friends / pets / horses here with which you can identify?  "Even the crazy ones have purpose!"    

And if you can identify with a little crazy, maybe our store is a perfect match for you. I believe God loves crazy pets, crazy people.

SO, OK, I'm mixing some of my training in personalities / life coaching / psychology / Sprirituality here.  I love this life. All the weird, all the good, even all the not-so-good can help us become who we are to become!. 
 

   Love you guys!  

C Taylor, Jr
04/210/2026

PS: If ever, you need a compassionate partner to listen, an almost miracle to pull back together a disintegrating relationship, just a prayer for your guidance through best hopes for your, or another's future, call or email.  

PS2:  If ever ya need a boot or belt or hat  !!!