Busy time of Year!

I’m so sorry I’ve been absent for the last couple of weeks. I haven’t fallen off the globe or been sucked into some kind of black hole. Well, I guess maybe, the black hole of lambing.

May is our busiest month of the year, like by a LOT. We’re finishing up calving, going to brandings and then throw in lambing out about 500 head of sheep in 3 -4 weeks too.

I promise I’ll be back with more regular blog posts in June but I just wanted to touch base quick.

Life is good. The weather has been outstanding for lambing. The ewes are in the best shape I’ve ever seen them in. Both of my sons are around to help and I couldn’t ask for better help.

Every year I think I’ve seen it all when it comes to sheep. Every year I’m reminded that’s simply not true. I keep my little notes app handy as I’m driving through pasture’s to record the lessons God teaches me through this amazing season. As a side note my talk to text feature on that app makes it quite a game to figure out what I really said from what it recorded!

Here’s a few picture’s from lambing so far. To see more of them regularly follow me on Instagram (@LauraAHicks) where I share more frequently.

God Bless!

Represent Who's We Are

It’s that time of year again. Spring is in the air. New baby calves are running and bucking with excitement. Lambing season is knocking at my door.

I’m blessed to train and use Border Collie’s to help with ranch work. They’re born with the desire and instinct to work livestock. We also select for dogs that are eager to work as a team with a person.

There’s nothing quite like working with a dog to accomplish a task. 

Communication is crucial. The more we work together the better we read each other.

Sheepdog trial season is just around the corner! It’s time for me to shake the cobwebs out of my dogs training. I want to be ready and have my dogs represent well.

In all honesty I really want them to be able to shine. I want our relationship and communication to be on point.

It's the same with how we represent God. I personally want my relationship and communication with God to be evident to those around me.

We can talk about how how we’re following Christ until we’re blue in the face but if our life doesn’t reflect it, we’re fooling ourselves.

My dogs, like us, aren't robots. They have free will and like us can make choices. Sometimes their choices aren't the best but when we work together the outcome is best.

The same goes in our relationship with the Lord. We have free will to make whatever choices. God does not call us to be robots, He wants us to come willingly.

When we are in a right standing relationship with God we are in continual communication with Him. 

The closer we are to the heart of the Father the more our choices will reflect our relationship with Him.

I want my life and my choices to reflect the love of Jesus.

The analogy of my dogs and me is not perfect because I am not perfect and neither are they. Fortunately for us, God IS perfect so we can trust Him all the time. Whereas I make mistakes in my relationship with the dogs and so do they.

I'm blessed that my dogs really desire to hear my voice most of the time. They lean in to listen and want to please me. Sometimes they believe they're right and I’m wrong. At that moment a correction is necessary.

The same can be said for us and we will need a correction to steer us back in the right direction.

God corrects us with love and mercy to get us back on the right track. How we respond to that merciful correction speaks to our trust in our loving Father.

Let’s lean in and keep our heart eager to hear to our Lord’s voice!

Ready to respond to the slightest whisper from Him. Submitting quickly when we’ve made a mistake and head the right direction.

In all we do and all we are, let’s represent Who’s we are!

I'm sharing this post with several other blogger's at these Faith Linkups. I encourage you to check them out. If this post resonates with you and feel it would help others please feel free to share. Easy to share buttons below. ~Laura~

Real Dedication

This may seem a little off topic for me but please humor me. This dog taught me so much about unconditional love and as such opened my heart to a deeper relationship with our Lord.

I've been training and competing with Border Collies in sheep and cattle trials since the summer of 2000. Zac was a gift from God right at the beginning of my career in the stockdog world.

I recently wrote a short story about him and shared it with 

Chicken Soup for the Soul. It was selected for their new book 

Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Dog. 

I'd like to share it with you as well as giveaway a free copy of the book. See below on how to enter!

Zac was a working Border Collie. He was also my teacher and partner. Some people would say his life revolved around working livestock, but he loved working with me even more.

I had just started training dogs to work livestock when Zac was born. The minute I looked into his big, brown eyes, I knew he was put on the earth to be mine. The connection was immediate.

Step out of the Comfort Zone!

Sheep need sheep.

They’re designed as a herd animal. Isolation literally causes them to panic and eventually shut down.

Maybe I've been spending a little too much time with sheep, but there is a ton of information we can learn about ourselves and our walk with the Lord by observing sheep.

Sheep are a prey animal and as such are wired to be quite fearful. It's self-preservation.

It can also make it downright challenging to get them to come out of their comfort zone.

Is it any wonder in scripture we are so often referred to as sheep?

Family Ties

Sorry for I’ve been so absent lately. I have been super busy with hosting a sheepdog trial as well as fall ranch work. I'm trying to me consistent with blogging but ranch life is a lot of things but consistent or on any kind of schedule isn't one of them!

Working daily with family is such a blessing but can also be a challenge. For some reason we have a tendency to be the hardest on those we love the most. Maybe it's because we feel safe with them. In ranching we spend SO much time with each other that there can be times when you just need a break. Unfortunately at certain times of the year that's just not possible.

Fall is a busy time in the ranching world. Hay needs to be hauled home and stacked, ready for the all to quickly approaching winter. Lambs need sorted off  and sold as well as ewes dewormed and flushed to prepare for breeding. Booster shots need to be given to the spring calves. Fall calvers are busy having their babies. Pregnancy testing spring cows happens as well as selling spring calves. A whole year of work comes down to what can be a volatile cattle market most days.

Saying life can be stressful is an understatement.

Way to many times that stress comes to a head and boils over with harsh words cast too quickly at our loved ones. Never even a thought given to how much damage those words are causing.

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer deflects anger,but harsh words make tempers flare.

I've been married to the same man for 23 years and we have ranched together and worked side-by-side every year since I was 18 years old. We spend a lot of time together! Don't get me wrong I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world but sometimes when you're in the heat of the moment real life can be tough.

So when that cow jumps over the fence and my husband is screaming I can either scream right along with him and escalate the problem or I can remember what God says about getting rid of all harsh words and choosing the gentle answer. In the moment I can often feel like I’m entitled to an outburst but I know God’s ways are best. Oh, how I wish it was easy but my flesh screams to have it’s way.

Ephesians 4:31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

I have found that my flesh’s solution to tense situations with harsh words does nothing to help the situation. God knows best as always. Harsh words make tempers flare. There is no way my anger, rage or harsh words will help diffuse any extra emotions my family is feeling from a stressful situation.

On the other hand by being kind, tender and gentle I can help deflect more tension, anger or harsh words. I truly love my family and don’t want to make those closest to me suffer because I think I’m “safe” to say whatever I want. They deserve my best!

The only way that’s truly going to happen when you’re in the middle of a tense moment is to intentionally take a deep breath and ask God for help. Our flesh will fight against it but take our thoughts captive and make our flesh submit to the spirit.

Our loved ones deserve our tenderness and forgiveness that Christ showed us!

Then God Made a Cowboy

  

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child.

But when I grew up, I put away childish things.

1 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT)

The picture above is of my oldest son, Dustin. He will be 21 right after Christmas this year. I miss the days of him reaching up to grab my hand as I answered endless questions about why bugs are the way they are. I’m so blessed though as he’s grown into a man and I'm so proud to call him my son.

He epitomizes everything that comes to mind when I hear the word cowboy. He's hard working, honest, tough and gritty. He stands up for what he believes in and can be stubborn to a fault. He has a huge respect and genuine care for animals. He tries hard to listen and learn from those who have been ranching longer but is also finding his voice to throw new idea's out.

He comes from a long line of people that work hard and joke around just as hard. He didn't fall far from the tree on that one either! He's not bashful about who and what he is and you can either like him or not, your choice. It won't change him. I love that there is no shame for him to hug me or tell me he loves me in front of others.

We have our disagreements, as families will, but he's quick to apologize if he needs to. Just as quick to point out if it's me that needs to do the apologizing!

We were gathering cows a couple of years ago and I was telling him what he needed to do way more than any kid needs. He waited, with more patience than I could have ever mustered myself, until we got to the corral to say, "Mom, when you look at me on this horse, do you still see a 7 year old boy?  Cause that's what you're treating me like." He didn't say it snippy but very matter of fact and it was a reminder I needed.

There’s something to be said for being called out in truth and love. A bit of an abrupt wake up call out of some sort of dreamy fog we’ve dragged our heels on leaving. Our eyes are finally wide open and we fully grasp the truth and realize it’s a beautiful thing to see.

It’s an immense challenge for many of us mama’s to see our children growing up and maturing. On one hand, we know what’s best for them and cheer them on to maturity and independence. On the other hand, how sweet would it be for them remain little's forever.

Spiritual maturity is of the utmost importance however. As a parent we guide them and show them what a relationship with God looks like but it’s up to them in the long run to walk out that relationship in their own way.

Children grow and mature and we bless them as we watch them walk forward into adulthood. Supporting them to the best of our abilities, all the while, stepping back to allow them to make their own decisions. Prayerfully trusting God through it all.

Faithful in the Little and the Big

For every beast of the forest is mine,

   the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know all the birds of the hills,

   and all that moves in the field is mine. 

Psalm 50:10-11 (ESV)

God has blessed my family to live out our earthly lives as stewards of His land. We get to see the glory of His handiwork each and every day. What we do for a “living” is take care of His living creatures. We’re ranchers.

It isn’t always easy. Many people have the idea that it’s always an idyllic and peaceful lifestyle. There are challenges each and every day just like any other job.

There are often times of extreme fatigue, frustration and endless demands laced with glimpses of God’s glory at exactly the right moment. He’s so good at providing exactly what we need right in the moment when we think we just can’t go on.

There are different seasons of each year that are more labor intensive for us. Some are just tedious and time consuming. Like putting up hay! Other times are fast and furious and it’s all a person can do to keep up with the breakneck pace. Such as calving and lambing.

You can find me many times singing worship songs while pulling a lamb with a leg back in a ewe and five minutes later fighting back screams of frustration over losing one I tried so hard to save.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26 (ESV)

I’ve been given dominion over the animals and the earth and I don’t take the responsibility lightly. We make our living raising and selling livestock. It’s our sole source of income. We don’t have any other jobs outside of ranching. This IS our day job. So of course we try to be smart about our “business”. There is more to it than just business for us. God has given us a great responsibility. We started from scratch and tried to be faithful with the few things in our care and rise to the challenge as He has increased those responsibilities.

"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!' Matthew 25:21 (NIV)

God has called each of us to to be good stewards over what He has entrusted to us, such as our family,  finances, and time. He’s calling us to be faithful in the “little” day to day things as they add up to the “big things”.

I love what I do. I’ll be the first to admit I don’t love everything about ranching but I love that I’ve been entrusted with God’s creation and creatures. It is so exciting to be able to share in my Master’s happiness!

We’re each merely a whisper in time here on this earth. I want to honor God with that time and what He has placed in my care. I, for one, long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Earthly Love Notes from Our Heavenly Father

The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Psalm 19:1 (NLT)

The hills all across the horizon were dotted with ewes and their new baby lambs.

The sun kissed different parts of the pasture with sparkles of beautiful light. I could feel the presence of the Lord all around me sitting on the hilltop.

I knew he was speaking to me through His creation. Reminders all around me of his handiwork. Love notes from our creator for His created!

Even amongst all the struggles of the last year, I could feel God’s love and presence permeating every part of me.

When people talk about where I live they most often say “way out in the sticks”. When I tell people where I live I always say, “In God’s country”.

The Lord has been so generous with his love. He lets me be a part of his daily miracles. He sends me little love notes throughout the day.

A calf bucking and playing across the pasture.

The shadows dancing in tree lined canyons.

A new foal just figuring out his wobbly legs.

An early morning, golden sunrise across the vast horizon.

A long, hot day in the hayfield surrounded by my family.

God speaks to us in many ways. Through his word, by the Holy Spirit and love notes wonderfully placed just for us throughout God’s creation.

Even in the middle of heart wrenching issues God has a way of reaching out and reminding me how much He loves me. When I have felt like I’m drowning in worry and fear the Holy Spirit gives me a gentle reminder of how much I’m loved by the creator of all this splendor.

I realize life this side of heaven can be very difficult and the thought of a sunset helping us through our problems might seem farfetched. When that sunset is a love note from the God of the universe it more than possible.

Father, I’m so blessed by the glorious love notes you help open my eyes to throughout the day. Help me to always stay sensitive to Your glory all around in me. In Jesus name, amen.

The Maker's Hand

We're going to switch gears here just a little today. I'm super excited to share some of my brother's poetry with you. He's talented in so many ways and has a powerful testimony that God is using for His glory. I hope to share it with you in the near future. 

I’ve traveled all the world and seen a lot of land,

And boys I’m here to tell ya I’ve seen the Maker’s hand.

I’ve seen it in the spring time with baby calves on the ground,

Watching mom lick em off let em suck, and get em comin round.

And in the fall way up high when the huntin is the best,

In that wild free old country we call way out west.

I’ve seen it in the eyes of kids from India to peru

And heard it in their laughter playing with folks like me and you.

Now boys don’t think I’m going soft, and I ain’t always right.

But I’ll tear up when I look to Him and see His starry night.

See there’s choices I have made and seeds I have sown,

And often they leave me feeling I’m still all alone.

But by His grace I’ll cross over into that promised land,

And meet Him face to face, to shake my Maker’s Hand.

(An original work by Elgin Hines  Oct. 31 2007)

Lens Of Truth

My vision is okay. The eye doctor hasn’t prescribed any kind of vision aids for me at this point.

I see clearly.

Well, maybe in the natural anyway.

I find my vision can be out of whack when it comes to my spiritual eyes sometimes.

The other day I was out checking tanks for the sheep to make sure there weren’t any problems with the wells. You have to stay on top of water for livestock at all times but it’s very crucial during the hot summer months.

There are quite a few miles to cover and it’s a lot of quiet time. So I spend a lot that time just talking to the Lord. I would say I’ve done more praying and learning from God out in the middle of a pasture than anywhere else on earth.

On this particular day I had my sunglasses on as it was quite bright out. I like these particular ones as they aren’t very dark and don’t change my vision much. Or so I thought!

I was thanking the Lord for my family and praising Him for all the moisture we’d been receiving. As I drove into a pasture that has a different kind of grass it looked quite brown.

I couldn’t figure out why all of a sudden it was looking so brown. This much grass drying out this fast runs the danger of wildfires in our country. My prayers turned from thanking the Lord to asking for protection against these wildfires that seemed imminent.

Not sure what prompted me to take my sunglasses off right then – probably an itch. Possibly orchestrated by the Holy Spirit. When I did though my vision changed completely. The grass was green and lush again.

I really doubt the grass changed that quickly, but the lens I was seeing it through did.

God spoke ever so gently and clearly to my heart.

Our perspective can be skewed by the lens of our past experiences.

I’ve seen a lot of drought in my life. In the natural as well as the spiritual. My mind has been prepared to see the worst so when the lens I was looking through changed the truth my mind was all too quick to agree with it.

How many times have you been in a circumstance where past experiences cloud your vision for what’s truly happening?

Are you quick to recall times of drought in your own life and then see the negative in the new situation?

When we look through a lens of hurt, fear, and negativity that will be the vision we see.

God has given us the lens of truth. We just need to put on the glasses of His word.

And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever – the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. John 14:16-17 (NLT)