Monthly Archives: January 2015

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We’ve added a new member of our family & a Kua’aina Ranch update

January 27, 2015 11:40 pm , 3 Comments ,

I have been MIA for a really fun reason this last week. We have added a new member to Kua’aina Ranch!  My reason stands taller than me, has wayyyyy better hair than me and weighs about 1000 pounds more than me…  His name is Maxwell Kailua Pratt or “Max” as we call him.  We are in love… all of us!  This newest member is an 8 year old Quarter horse gelding, and he is a dream come true for our family, one we have been praying to find for a few years now.  We have been getting into a routine with him, trying to remember how to do the simple things like groom, saddle up, and where Max likes to be scratched best!  Most of this comes back like riding a bike… but not all.  I am super thankful for a mom that got me right back up on a horse, one that remembered how to tie up a cinch, etc…  I hadn’t been on a horse in about 18 years, and it is once again AMAZING!!!  I am hooked!  All three of my kiddos are taken by him, and my hunky hubby handles him better than all of us combined.

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We still need to get a full family photo with Max… but it was dark when I finally got him back home over the mountain! So, Cory snapped this quick pic! They were so surprised and thrilled!

I’ve been learning through having Max on the ranch just how therapeutic time with a horse can be.  He is always there in the paddock, stall or the pasture.  Max rarely has his own agenda, unless he’s super hungry, so he loves to just hang out.  My 9 year old starts her morning by throwing some boots on, grabbing her favorite book, and running down to feed a flake of hay and just spend time talking to Max.  She’s spending hours worth of time reading to him, sharing her heart with him, and building a beautiful relationship.  He is building trust in her, and she in him.  They yearn for time with each other, time to talk, listen, or just be silent together.  Sometimes I hear him crying for her when she’s out playing on the property… he whinnies for her attention and keeps an attentive eyes and poised ears towards her most of the time.  They have a special bond.  One worth tending to.  Investing in.  A bond worth fighting for.

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Lucy finally has her sweet horse! You can honestly watch their love for each other grow…

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She could do this for hours…

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Grooming

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Lucy’s first ride on Max!

I love this analogy of how a relationship with our Father in Heaven can be so very much the same as that between Lucy and Max.  Our God is always here for us desiring just this kind of a relationship with each of us.  He has a flexible schedule, but treasures each second with us.  He loves it when we talk to Him, not just at meals and bedtime with our littles… but when it’s our M.O. for any reason at all.  He wants us to read with Him and enjoy each handpicked story in His word.  He wants to hear our hearts and live in it.  He desires us to think on Him 24/7, and just like Max; He keeps His eyes on us always.  His ears are always ready to hear our worries and He promises to carry them too.  This bond with Jesus is the MOST precious relationship we can ever have and yet often times we don’t tend to it, invest in it or take time with it.

For me, having Max join us last week has been such a joy.  It has also been such a great reminder of the need to tend to my heart.  To invest in time with my Savior, to talk to Him as my very best friend, for He is just that.

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Hayden was actually just working out… but Grammy got him out there to work through some newness with Max! Instantly bonded!

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And now Hayden can’t get enough riding in… too bad someone has to be responsible and can’t take kiddos on rides all day long! 😉

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Hayden, Max and Me! Thanks for the pic Lu

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And then there was Grey… she had a little bareback ride and experienced a horse for the first time ever! The love was mutual!

 

We are going to continue loving on and investing in Max.  And I find myself intensely thankful for the simple, sweet, subtle, yet serious reminder to keep loving on Jesus, building a relationship with Him, investing time in Him, and keeping my eyes fixed on Him.

~Sincerely, Dani

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Family, God, Kua'aina Ranch, Life, Prayer, Update

Worth Fighting For!

January 18, 2015 11:30 pm , Leave a Comment ,

This life is full of so much.  So much of it is wonderful and good.  But there is an awful lot of it that is not so pretty, that is full of hurt and darkness too.  There is a lot of evil in this world, and there is an orchestrator of all things evil.  He has come to steal, kill and destroy as it says in John 10:10: The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Satan wants to steal your children, soul and joy, kill your salvation, and destroy your marriage.  But Jesus came to give, bring life, and restore!  Obviously, there are things to fight for and those to ignore… and while as a mom I am constantly learning to pick my battles carefully; I have found that there are certain things that are ALWAYS worth fighting for!  Here are some of the ones that have been on my heart heavily for some time now.  These seem to be heavier than ever recently, and whether it is personally, or for a friend or family member… I would ask you to join me in this battle against the evil one in these:


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Salvation-  For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.- Romans 6:23 

-That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.- Romans 10:9 
-Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.-
2 Corinthians 5:17 
-For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.- Ephesians 2:8 

Marriage-   Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.- 1 Peter 4:8

-Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

-And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: – 1 John 5:14

My Sons’ heart-  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.- Proverbs 4:23

-My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways.- Proverbs 23:26

-Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.- Psalm 51:10

Restoration-  Be completely humble and gentle; Be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace.- Ephesians 4:2-3

-Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.- Luke 6:36

-Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?- Jeremiah 32:27

Commitment-  Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.- Mark 10:9

-Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.- Genesis 2:24

Marriage and Work

My Children’s Purity- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.- Matthew 5:8

-No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.- 1 Corinthians 10:13

-Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.- Galatians 5:19-21 

-Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.- Romans 12:2 

-For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.- Galatians 5:13

I know there are many more battles worth fighting for… but these are the ones that I am on my knees for right now.  God has been showing me fresh, new ways to battle some of these topics and I am excited to share these with you here soon!

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What are some of the battles you face daily?  Which ones are you choosing to fight for?

Let’s stand together and fight… will you join me?

Sincerely, Dani

Posted in: God, Prayer

Western Medicine, Eastern Herbs, and My Ever Present God

January 15, 2015 11:14 pm , 1 Comment ,

Endless options, countless routes, a million different doctors, practitioners, and specialists, diagnosis dripping from their tongues, and a girl spinning in fear…  this was my life since I delivered my oldest, over 11 years ago.  I could go into all the details of these past years, spilling my guts about all I have experienced, the endless tests I had run one after another, after another…  There were the tests where I had to collect urine for 24 hours while trying to continue living life normally (looking back I am sooooo very thankful for the amazing friends that let me stay with them in Portland for all of these appointments, fed me, walked around with me in between appts. and tests all while carrying around my potty bag!… Josh and Camilla, you are dear and loved- xo).  The ones where long needles were stuck into my muscles and then electric pulses were sent into them and I was shocked from the inside basically (while I had my then 3 and 4 year olds watching a movie on an iPad in hopes they wouldn’t hear/ see/ remember any of what their mommy was going through)… I am sure these tests all have names, and are necessary.  I was thankful to have them and to have ruled so much out.  I could talk about all of the drugs I have been on to put me to sleep, wake me up, keep my anxiety from not sleeping under control, and keep me in a dull state daily.  I have seen naturopaths, endocrinologists, medical doctors, hormone specialists, had sleep studies, and spent years of time at a health and science university.  I have had diagnosis delivered.  I have had them taken away.  I have bought into the hope of each of these people stating there was help and we would find an answer… that I would be better soon.  That my husband would have a normal- functioning wife again.  That my kids would have a mommy that could play and run with them again.  I have been told that my body was shutting down, that I was dying, it was bleak, it was scary, it was overwhelming.

I could spend days telling you all about ALL of these things and soooo, so much more.  But there is little value in it that is of wasting my typing fingers on… you see; all of these people, tests, and drugs are important.  Sometimes they are needed.  I am not saying that I don’t value doctors, or that I think that tests are obsolete.  I am definitely not saying that drugs are not needed at all!  What I am saying is that I without a doubt respect western/ eastern medicine and practices in their place.  But without relying on God I was stuck in an endless spiral of living in continual fear.  You see, I knew His truths, I have lists of God’s promises on my phone, I read His word, talk to Him, and hide His word in my heart.  But when it came to my health, it was entirely overwhelming and I bought into the fear that was not of God.

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I am not currently taking any medications for anything.  I have found that using essential oils are just as useful as the drugs I was on, yet without the side effects.  I have found a sleep spray that definitely helps to calm my mind at night, and I am ready to sleep.  I am ready and excited for God to heal my body!  For now I am spending a lot of time resting when I cannot find sleep and I get to spend a tremendous amount of time in prayer.  I am really working on just relying on God to meet my needs daily… as simple as they may seem:  getting out of bed, having energy to do simple housework, having a smile on my face, being joy-filled, and to bring restful, deep, long, hard sleep!

I am constantly hearing of new things to try, or a doctor to see, etc…  and I am not opposed to these options.  I am however, cautious.  I have seen how I gave into fear of the “what- ifs” and diagnosis’ in the past.  I acted on this fear without first taking it to my Savior.  I said yes to pills, treatments, and men who had good intentions for sure.  But I committed to these all without first relying on Jesus.

Aside from explaining where I have been, what I have tried, and where I am at now… what I really, really want you to know is that relying on God is where it is at.  In the true trusting in Him, resting in His promises, and giving Him all of your worries whether big or small…  He is there for you.   He will carry you through when you cannot go on!  I have LOVED this poem since I was a young girl and it still paints a picture for me of true reliance on the Lord:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed 
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

“LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you’d walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me.”

The LORD replied:

“My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you.”

Psalms is bursting with encouragements for us in relying on the Lord.  Here are some of my faves:

Psalms 121:2  My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.

Psalms 9:9  The LORD also will be a stronghold for the oppressed, A stronghold in times of trouble

Psalms 18:2  The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalms 27:13-14  I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalms 55:22  Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Psalms 56:3-4  When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid What can mere man do to me?

Our God does not lie in just the Western or Eastern… He is EVERYWHERE, He is so much bigger than our problems, sicknesses, diseases, and fears.

Rely on Him!

Sincerely, Dani

Posted in: God, Health, Life

Learning to say “NO”, so that my “YES” means more…

January 13, 2015 8:55 pm , 2 Comments ,

It is the single hardest word for me to say.  It is even harder to just say the word without justifying why I said it.  The little word “NO” is so powerful, yet using it comes with the dis-illusion that it is a mean word, un-kind, un-fair, and flat out selfish.  It’s quite the opposite however.  Saying no opens up a world of being able to say “YES”!  It allows you the opportunity to say yes to things that really, really matter!

These two little letters are quickly becoming a dear friend of mine.  Not because I don’t want to do, go, help, bless, attend, etc… but because I want the things that I say yes to, to be those that God puts on my heart, and the ones that best fit into our family, schedule, finances, spiritual resources, and all aspects of our lives under the submission of Jesus.

I, just like countless others have bought into the lie that being ever-ready with a yes to answer is always best.  Having been a self-described “people pleaser” for so many years now, I can attest to the ragged way it makes you feel.  I can share countless stories with you of how saying yes flippantly has cost me precious time with the ones that needed me most.  It can rob you of what God actually needs you to do for Him.  When your energy is consumed by all these wonderful sounding commitments, it leaves small amounts of the resources needed to do the big things that God is calling you to.  In my recent Bible study and favorite one so far…  Lysa TerKeurst said it best: “When a woman lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule, she’ll ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.”  This resonated deeply with me, and I knew change had to start right away!

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So, how do we turn this around?  How do we begin speaking honestly with those around us when they are so used to our inevitable yes?  How do we get over the fear that we will be seen as mean, heartless, and crazy?  I will be honest with you, I don’t know yet.  But I have started with these things:

  • Not answering immediately (the hardest part for me… so it helps to get it over with quick 😉  )
  • Re-evaluating my priorities and making sure that they are not compromised in saying yes.  (Is my Lord and Savior first, my husband second, and my kiddos third?  Because all else has to come after!)
  • Asking my husband.  (Not because I have to, but because I married my best friend, help mate and he is my covering.)
  • Does this fit financially for our family?
  • Do I feel well enough to take this commitment on?  (see past blog posts for more info on this)
  • And of course, the most obvious… yet not always the one that I go to right away:  Bring it before the Lord.  Ask for wisdom, guidance, direction, and wait on Him!  Pray.  Pray.  Pray.

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When I have to say no.  I have to say it in honesty.  Sometimes I give a reason, and more often I am really trying not to.  I want to speak in love, kindness, grace and utter honesty.  I am finding that when people know your heart, they respect your answer.  I try to surround myself with family and friends that know me, trust me, and love our family enough that they want to help protect my health, our family time, and even if they don’t understand the reasons… they support our decisions.  There are bound to be those that don’t understand too.  And in those situations, I have to rest in the reasons behind my NO.  Keep loving on them and be confident that God has a really great YES ahead that I need to be ready and prepared for, while praying for Him to bring someone with their “yes” to fill that need!

Our words are so important that the Bible talks about them over and over… here are just a few of them:

Proverbs 18:21a says  Death and life are in the power of the tongue.

Proverbs 21:23 says:  Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Psalms 19:14 says: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

I have such a long way to go in learning where to give my yes.  I am excited to see how God can use me better when I save my “yes” for the things He has for me!

Are you struggling with saying yes?  Saying no?  Priorities?  Schedules?  

I would love to hear how you have seen your “yes” moments  value increase by guarding them… Please share and encourage one another here… I can’t wait to hear from you soon!

I am praying that you have His strength, His wisdom, His understanding, and truly lean on Jesus in this “yes/ no” journey!

Sincerely,  Dani

P.S.  Please subscribe to my beautyfull mess blog and let’s stay in touch… hugs

Posted in: God, Life

When the sleep doesn’t come… He is still there

January 11, 2015 11:24 pm , 78 Comments ,

IMG_9302_1You know those times in your life where you feel like you are stuck in an “ugly rut”?  Nothing seems to go right, there is more dark than light, more yuck than yummy, more saying NOOOOO than yes, you get the picture!  These seasons are REAL.  They are not fun.  In fact, sometimes they are simply awful, terrible, and seem unbearable.  Yet, God allows us to walk through them.  He brings us out on the other side.  He uses this time to refine us, teach us, change us, bring us closer to Him, and ultimately to show His glory!  Sometimes it is truly the worst that brings out the best… like the saying “beauty to ashes”.  We’ve all heard it.  When you look back on these times of trials, have you seen the truth in the saying?  He is still there… cling to Him, His promises, His word.

I know that it seems like nothing new… but I am not sleeping again.  I am not even sleeping a wink some nights… like not-at-all.  It is horrible.  I hurt, ache, and am overly emotional.  These last two weeks now have been the worst I’ve had in about two years.  I feel desperate, upset, and simply tired.  I told Cory just the other day that I know God knows how much longer I will have these three kiddos at home before they are off on their own adult adventures.  But I am upset that I have to feel like I do during all of this time in these special moments of their youth.  I want to feel good.  I want to be able to go run with them in our fields, shoot hoops with Hayden, build forts with Lucy, explore with Grey, and be fun!!!  He knows all of this, and yet I am still in this mess…    Because even when the sleep doesn’t come… He is still here!  He will not leave me, He will not leave you.  He is here, and I will bring my praises and my worries to him.

So, for now; I am earnestly praying for healing, sleep, rest, answers.  I know that my recent posts including this one sound so ugly.  I have been wanting to write and yet haven’t because I want to write about happy things, easy times, and FUN!  So, I am going to do two things in my upcoming posts.  I want to share with you about how much I am sleeping at night, and would ask you to join me in praying I can sleep!  (Not sleeping will kill you… it is vital…  please, please, please pray).  And I am also going to share with you some of the beauty that I have seen through these last 11-ish years now that I have been dealing with this!  You see… that is the greatest thing about all of this.  The amount of good, beauty, and blessings that God has given during this season have wayyyyy outweighed the ugly.  Let’s dwell on the good while we pray for the bad… I always feel better when my attitude is fixed on praise even when the world around me may be spinning in muck!

These three have stolen my heart… their laughter is contagious and their love is overwhelming!

These three have stolen my heart… their laughter is contagious and their love is overwhelming!

Some specific prayers for our family include:

Sleep for me… obviously!

(energy to teach school, keep our home tidy, be creative and think ahead with our meals)

More jobs and retainer work for Cory’s business  www.lonemill.com

Continued guidance in parenting  these three incredible kiddos

We are searching for some calves and a special horse to add to our ranch.

I need to be dedicated to working out again… hard to start over… AGAIN

Thank you to each of you for praying… They are each heard, and we are sooooo thankful!

 

Posted in: Family, God, Health, Life