It’s all good…

September 2, 2010

After a sweltering summer and vicious schedule I finally had the opportunity to spend an extended period of time with my horses yesterday.

The Training Plan

What a delightful time we had. Bo and I enjoyed both warming up and cooling down without a bridle and Swizzle was finally saddled again after I don’t know how many weeks without seeing a girth. Swizzle and I had an glorious ride. Bo and Swizzle are my amazing grays.  [Click HERE for more on them...]

Bo

I spend a little time with the horses every day, but we haven’t had a chance to play or really maintain our sturdy training foundations, much less build upon them. Yesterday was the day we were going to begin a routine once again that included under-saddle activities. After my rides on Bo and Swizzle I got Shiner out and we played together. I’ll share more about Shiner’s special role in our family and in our barn when my next book gets a bit closer to its publication date.

Swizzle

The plan began well. All were blessed.

The last time we started a training schedule I got two days in and then the rains came. At the moment I have no all-weather place to work so got shut down pretty quickly. Oh, well. I don’t run up and down the roads to shows anymore, so it’s all good.

The Plan Interrupted

About 3:15  this morning I awoke to the crack of thunder, quick flashes of lightning, and the sound of rain pummeling the glass window above our headboard. I pulled on a slicker and rubber boots and headed to the barn. The three horses in the pasture were under the shelter, but I do not like them out when there is frequent lightning.  During an oh-so-brief instant when a flash of lightening lit up the pasture light daylight,  Swizzle caught sight of me up at the barn. She cried (and I mean cried…. she did not whinny and she did not holler) all the way to the barn as fast as her little legs could carry her.

Bo made sure that Shiner followed Swizzle and within a moment or two they were all tucked into their cozy stalls.

The past month or so has seen the lush green pastures and road sides of north central Texas begin to burn from a lack of rain. We sorely needed rain. We got it. One of our rain gauges read 2.60 inches and the other between 4 and 5 inches. Having two rain gauges is like having two watches; you never really know what time it is and you never really know how much it rained. But, what a blessing to the parched land and trees!

Well, there goes my training schedule again. There is a lake of mud where my arena should be. Bo, Swizzle and Shiner will be getting the day off.

But you know what?  It’s all good…

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Posted in: For the love of Horses, Understanding Life – No Comments

When Authorship Turns to Doubt

August 30, 2010

The path to authorship is paved with inspiration, editing, good intentions, drafts, editing, myriads of empty printer ink cartridges, editing, too much confidence in what we write and then too much doubt about the value of our words.

Teetering Between Confidence and Doubt

These last two are like the two ends of a teeter-totter. Let me ask all the other authors out there – and there must be a bunch, because there were more than 1,000,000 individuals titles published last year alone – if you, too, suffer from this almost vertigo-inducing swing from confidence to doubt. So, do you?

There must be some fraternity or sorority for writers that allow us to share our word-ly insecurities with each other. As each successive email arrives at my inbox promising ways to make $100,000 in book sales if I buy their deal, or get booked on Good Morning America or Oprah if I sign up for their seminar, my doubt quotient begins to rise.

Doubt is a Uniquely Human Quality

Have you ever seen a dog made immobile with indecision as it looks first to a plate of hamburger and then to a dish of dry kibble, wondering just which would best satisfy its culinary desire of the moment? Nope. Sure haven’t.

Have you ever noticed your horse staring at the rack of saddle pads trying in consternation to decide just which would best suit them today? Would the black wool be better, or the gray felt? Nope. Sure haven’t.

Disabled by Doubt

The task of marketing books can become a disabling force in the lives of authors who make the mistake of comparing their experience with that of a more ‘successful’ author. Popularity and quality are not synonymous.

For the non-fiction writers out there, popularity and truth do not necessarily describe the same thing either. As an inspirational writer my goal is to inspire. If I was just after a big paycheck you can bet I wouldn’t have picked “author” as a career goal. The probability of success is far less than becoming an astronaut. So, the benchmark is one of “Do I inspire?”

If you write to serve, to help, to inspire, to teach – then the only question you need to answer is the one relevant to your purpose. Do you serve? Do you help? Do you inspire? Do you teach?

Choose Inspiration over Defeat

Failure Deserved

If your only goal in authorship is to gain fame and fortune then the benchmarks are clear. You will learn to adjust your prose, poetry, and style to meet market demand. You are a commercial writer.

If you have a different purpose, one of service, assistance, or inspiration, then you deserve to fail should you leave what you know to be of value and stray instead into the “message for dollars” camp.

Stay true to your vision. When inspiration fails walk away from the computer and go back to reality. True blessing seldom arrives with a dollar sign attached.
Remember the first time a reader said this to you, “Your words changed my life.”? Take that to the bank of blessings and push hard with both feet to send that confidence/doubt teeter-totter back up to a place of vision.

Heading to the Barn

I believe I could use a little inspiration myself about now. So, I am folding up the keyboard and heading out to the barn to spend some time with my amazing grays, Bo and Swizzle. Blessing awaits there.

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Posted in: Understanding Life – 3 Comments

Older women, older horses, white wine…”

August 20, 2010

“When I am Old…

I shall wear turquoise
And a straw cowboy hat that
doesn’t match and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my social security
on white wine and carrots
And sit in the alley way of my barn
And listen to my horses breathe.
I will sneak out in the middle of a summer night
And ride the dappled mare
Across the moonstruck meadow,
If my old bones will allow.
And when people come to call, I will smile and nod,
As I walk them past the gardens to the barn
And show, instead, the flowers growing there.
In stalls fresh-lined with straw
I will learn to shovel and sweat and
wear hay in my hair as if it were a jewel.
And I will be an embarrassment to my only child
Who will have not yet found the peace in being free
To love a horse as a friend,
A friend who waits at midnight hour
With muzzle and nicker and patient eyes
For the kind of person I will be
When I am old.”
PATTY BARNHART

Getting older, but I still have a mounting block!

May your days with horses always be blessed.

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Posted in: For the love of Horses – 4 Comments

Corporate America Warned Against Conservatism by the Generation of “Me”

August 13, 2010

The minutae of personal belief has reached a new level in the USA. There is a demand for balance (balance being a completely subjective concept anymore) in all things as long as the balance leans in the favor of those with other than traditional values it seems.

The Target Corporation is addressing this issue now as a contribution to the campaign of a conservative and pro-business candidate has outraged some in the gay and lesbian community to the extent that Target may have some expansion plans squashed.

Read the story by clicking  HERE.

Corporations and Politics

There is a legitimate question about whether corporations should be writing big checks to any campaign. Once the check is cashed corporation leadership has now stepped foot on the political stage and is vulnerable to all the pot shots that come with the territory.

So Target, “man up” and take it. Either don’t make political contributions or be willing to stand on principle. Just because the “liberal groups” that protest want equal cash and a big mea culpa doesn’t mean you have to deliver either.

The Generation of “Me”

There’s an old saying (actually originated in scripture) that a country divided will not stand. The United States is now divided into a nation of a bunch of ones. Everything is “Me, me, me.” Give me. Recognize me. Unfortunately the ‘me’ part fades quickly when issues of responsibility and accountability come up.

The foolishness and selfishness of ‘me’ groups is bringing our country down. Look around you; the evidence is piling up in every corner of the nation from Key West to Mauna Loa, from Alaskan glaciers to the bayous of Louisiana, and from Maine to Baja.

The saddest element of these ever-so-self-righteous promoters of “me” is that some may even admit that they are willing to see our nation perish if that’s what it takes to get their own way. They are playing a game of chicken. They consider their self-interest to be an equal wager against the whole and history of the United States of America.

I do not consider it fair game. Our representative government was formed to protect us from just such destructive and selfish elements. The United States and all her citizens are worth far more than your desire to flaunt your sexuality, your preference in food choices, your love for the snail darter, or any other single-issue cause. Our government is failing because the people who sit on their behinds in the chairs in Congress are afraid of the power of  “me.”

The collective foolishness of Washington DC is that most of those elected actually believe they can find a balance of both appeasement and bait that will let them continue to serve their own “me-ness.”

United We Stand

For the citizens who still consider the good of the nation to be of greater importance than their own, who serve in uniform, who weep during the National Anthem, who know that history is relevant if taught without bias, who hope to raise children who will be blessed by God as they stand under our flag, who recognize some power greater than their own – I call on all of you to stand together against the “Me Generation.”

Symbol of Unity and Not Self Interest

And on the subject of that Greater Power… the Constitution and Declaration are the foundation of the United States. If you don’t believe in any power greater than yourself then I understand why you don’t care if the nation perishes. All you’re looking for is opportunity. Fine and good. But even if that’s all you want, at least admit you are here because this is the best place to find opportunity. Killing the goose also shuts down the factory that makes the golden eggs.

Let us stand together, shoulder to shoulder, regardless of race, age, income, religion, sexual preference, height, weight, or anything else that presently divides us. Put away the “me” in favor of the ‘we.’

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Posted in: Politics - the real world – 1 Comment

Did the puppy learn respect today?

August 12, 2010

Our very bold and independent dog, Squeak, may have had her first major lesson in respect today. Thankfully she still lives…

Source unknown for angry horse and dog.

Teaching Respect

Over the decades we have had quite a few dogs and hundreds of horses. One of my biggest challenges is little Squeak. Both parents and pet owners know the head-scratching challenge when the tips and practices that have worked for years fail with the one little child (two- or four-legged) that just doesn’t respond like all the rest.

No Fear, No Respect

Squeak has insisted on running at the hooves of the horses, yapping as she goes. I have given the horses permission to defend themselves. Until today Squeak harassed them without incident; respect not being even a glimmer on the horizon.

This lack of respect is evident wherever Squeak goes. I can change her demeanor in the same way I do horses, by controlling her feet and body. But she never quits. She never learns. She is persistently a pain.

Respect: a new concept

As usual, Swizzle was first to go into her stall this morning from the pasture. Swizzle always makes sure she gets my first attention. Bo and Shiner followed a bit behind her and Ace currently spends the night in the barn. Squeak was in the pasture being her usual irritating self as I pulled a long cobweb off Swizzle’s eyelash. Suddently I heard a YIP and turned to see Squeak running at full speed away from Bo and Shiner, making a beeline out of the pasture. Squeak disappeared in the direction of the house and did not return.

Whether today’s instructor in the finer points of respect was Bo or Shiner I don’t know. But the lesson appears to have taken, at least for the moment. Squeak is holding up her right front paw and looking for sympathy. Nothing appears to be broken and the sympathy account is empty. She still ran for the front door a moment ago when a visitor arrived.

Squeak the Formerly Fearless

Education always has a cost; time, money, or pain. Squeak read the part in the book that says respect must be earned. I think she may have connected the concept with reality today.

So, is fear a bad thing? Not necessarily. Fear that leads to healthy respect is a good thing in my book. I hope Squeak masters that chapter today. If she does, we’ll link it to other aspects of her little life, like having respect for her elders and siblings.

Did Squeak learn respect today? We’ll find out tomorrow…

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New Voice in Christian Country Music

August 11, 2010

Wes McMillian’s recently released CD, I’m Not That Way Anymore, would be a chart topper if he was already a household name. Through a series of happy ‘coincidences’ we met a few months ago.

Wes has a unique voice that is both simple and complex at the same time. My husband says it almost reminds him  of a cross between George Strait and Alan Jackson. I just know I like it. The CD isn’t one of those where every song is just another version of the same tempo, key, and feel. Each one is fresh, different, and proves just how versatile Wes is as a songwriter, an arranger,  and as a performer.

The Christian messages of his music are inspirational, scriptural and topically spot-on for the days we live in. While the focus of his music is service to the Lord, Wes is also just a really, really good singer!

Wes McMillian

Living in the Weatherford, Texas area, Wes is open to booking engagements. Visit his website, Wes McMillian Ministries [click on title] for more information and to take a listen to this great release.

When you get your CD… it has a big finish. You will be blessed.

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Posted in: Christian Relationships – 2 Comments

Heroes in a town without water

August 4, 2010

Weatherford, Texas spent two days without water earlier this week. There was a break in a coupling in a critical spot where treated water started in to the distribution system. There was plenty of water, but no way to get it to the folks.

Restaurants can’t open without sanitation facilities. Hospitals can’t do procedures and surgery. County offices were closed. Motels cannot operate. There wasn’t a working bathroom for miles. Not in the stores, not in the homes, not in the nursing facilities, not in the jail, not in the animal shelters. There was no running water anywhere.

No running water anywhere.

Did I mention this is the hottest week of this Texas summer? It has been 102-107 degrees of hot this week. And – no water in Weatherford.

Weatherford Heroes - Weatherford Star-Telegram

Heroes

This was a set-up for disaster. Not only was there near record heat, there was no water anywhere. But, like many other small to mid-size towns throughout the United States we have an ample supply of heroes. City workers, county workers, Red Cross volunteers, fire fighters, law enforcement, businesses and members of the community all came out to help one another.

Over the course of these two days I was out amongst the folks a number of times. My husband and I closed on a new piece of ground. I attended my weekly Rotary meeting.

We did all the errands that make their way to our list when we go in to town from the country. My husband worked his day at Center of Hope distributing groceries to client families that come in for assistance and a meal. Groceries still went out to those in need and the usual hot meal became a sack lunch, but the hungry were still fed. These are heroes in action.

No matter where you went in the area there were bottles and cases of water being distributed free to all comers. Outside one of the local banks I saw a truck packed with cases of water and a very hot, but dedicated bank employee sitting in a tiny plot of nearby shade waiting to give that water to anyone who needed it. We offered a shower to folks who thought the 25 mile trip worth it, but they all found help much closer to home.

Weatherford Texas, like many communities in our weary but wonderful nation, is full of heroes.

Texas Tough

Not only are the folks here in the Weatherford area Texas tough, they are Texas cheerful. Everyone we saw from those attending to the closed lunch rooms to those just looking to help someone else were in bright spirits, even if you could see just a touch of ‘glow’ that the morning’s missed shower didn’t remove.

Employees weren’t able to work. Businesses didn’t get to sell. Hungry folks couldn’t get served in a restaurant, and you had to plan sanitation events in advance, if you get my drift.

The economy is tough enough without an unexpected two day enforced ‘vacation’. Yet, to date, I haven’t heard one murmur about such issues. The only concerns I heard were about taking care of the folks and getting the water turned back on. Maybe there was a Grinch out there somewhere, but I sure never met up with him.

“We will not rest…”

A frequent statement heard from Washington DC these days is that “We will not rest” until the issue of the day is resolved. Somehow golf outings and vacations fail to qualify as ‘rest’, but I’m sure there must be some material fact I haven’t been briefed on yet.

Weatherford city management got on the ball Sunday night before anyone else knew what was coming. County officials and non-officials ran onto the playing field in socks and pajamas. (Maybe not literally, but darn near.)

A soon as the problem came up there was a passel of responders who did not rest until a solution was in place.

Happy Endings

Texas is a great place to live. Weatherford is a wonderful community, as are the others nearby who were front and center helping out their sister city and fellow Texans during this could-have-been crisis. There was no crisis because of the actions of all those who cared. And, the water is back on today.

Thank you Weatherford.
Thank you Parker County.
Thank you Red Cross.
Thank you fellow Texans.

May God bless America, and may He richly bless Texas.

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Posted in: Christian Relationships, Politics - the real world – No Comments

Why is being simple so complex?

July 29, 2010

Everyone has an Achille’s heel; a stumbling point they continue to jam their toes into time and time again. One of mine is simply forgetting to be simple. I won’t share the details of my week, but assembled these quotes on simplicity to remind myself and to entertain you.  Enjoy.

Simplicity Quotes

If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.~Albert Einstein

We humans lost our simplicity as we become more educated in worldly things. – Lynn Baber,  Amazing Grays, Amazing Grace

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. – Annie Dillard

Horses and children, I often think, have a lot of the good sense there is in the world.   -Josephine Demott Robinson

All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. – Winston Churchill

Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated. – Lou Holtz

Educators take something simple and make it complicated. Communicators take something complicated and make it simple. – John C. Maxwell

Lynn traveling in the simpler days.

They criticize me for harping on the obvious; if all the folks in the United States would do the few simple things they know they ought to do, most of our big problems would take care of themselves. – Calvin Coolidge

Like many intellectuals, he was incapable of saying a simple thing in a simple way. – Marcel Proust

My pitching philosophy is simple – keep the ball way from the bat. – Satchel Paige

Make it simple. Make it memorable. Make it inviting to look at. Make it fun to read. – Leo Burnett

And on that note, I hope that Mr. Burnett would consider this post simple and fun to read.

Have a wonderfully blessed and simple day!

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When not everyone loves your book…

July 26, 2010

Terry Cordingley of Tate Publishing turned me on to a new opportunity at Goodreads.com. I had no idea such a website existed. So, I happily tapped in the address and went to check it out.

Humility

I have long said that it is best to plan a little humility into your day rather than be surprised when it shows up. Its perennial little presence will appear sooner or later.

There were already two evaluations of Amazing Grays, Amazing Grace up on Goodreads.com. Okay, that was great. Then… two stars. Out of a possible five stars one person had given the book two stars. On Amazon.com we were 100% five stars so far. What happened here?

It is a fact of life that we can not meet everyone’s expectations. I was disappointed that somehow I had failed to meet Amy’s. But wow, two stars…

Blessings in Disguise

There were actually two hidden blessings in this two-star rating. The first is that I must redouble my efforts to precisely explain what Amazing Grays is about to let folks make great decisions when considering it. (You can read a bunch of it by using the ‘Search’ function on Amazon.)

But when describing it in person I need to do a better job.

The second blessing is I had just come off a fantastic week of personal appearances, and my head was still full of wonderful moments with the folks I met during the presentations and clinics. It would be fair to say they were successful and I was still basking in the memories.

Not everyone will love you...

Authority is Balanced by Humility

Over the week I was center-stage as the authority, giving messages and demonstrations about relationship with both horses and Jesus Christ.

God is always faithful and He simply provided the balance of humility in that two star rating.

It’s All Good

Authors, take heart. Learn from your readers but remain true to your message. Make adjustments when needed, and realize that we can’t be all things to all readers.

And to Amy, “Thanks for reading Amazing Grays. I’m sorry you didn’t find what you expected. If there’s a question left unanswered, send me an email and I’ll do my best to get it right. Otherwise, have a blessed day and I appreciate the time you took to share your opinion.”

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Posted in: Uncategorized – 1 Comment

A thought about obstacles…

July 23, 2010

We have been trying to buy a particular piece of property. Our goal? Downsize just one more time. I know, I said that last time. It’s been a little over three years since we started over from scratch which must be just enough time to have forgotten how difficult such a project can be.

Obstacles

There are two reasons we encounter obstacles; to overcome or to be re-directed.

Overcome it or change directions?

The sticky part is knowing which situation you face as you encounter the latest roadblock. Well, we were supposed to close the deal on the new piece of ground last week. We didn’t.  Without going in to all the details I might offer this analogy (after all, I am known as the Analogy Queen…)

We have been standing in a crowded room. There is a huge rogue elephant in the middle. Everyone says, “There is no elephant present.” We reply, “Look at the elephant. There it is.” The response is, “Our records indicate there can be no elephant in the room.”  Sure, they see it, but there “can be no elephant in the room.”

"It can't be an elephant."

Our ‘elephant’ is a gas pipeline(s). It may be dangerous. Yet, it does not seem to exist. YET – we can see it!

Re-Direct or Overcome?

We figured, okay, this obstacle pretty much seems like we are being asked to change course. But, we continued to try and find something that has been completely elusive: a fact. Today we found a fact. I could almost throw a party. In fact, I may, I just don’t want to do it prematurely.

So, now it looks like we will not only overcome, but come out the other side in a much better position than we thought initially. I see a party in the future…

Blessings Will Follow

Regardless if we actually build on this property or another, we know that the blessings of relationship will follow us no matter what our physical address. There isn’t a single piece of ground for us. We will use our new place to serve Amazing Grays Ministry wherever we are led.

In the meantime, I hear the band tuning up… party time after all? I’ll let you know.

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