Saturday, February 3, 2018

BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN - Christmas Letter 2018


TEXAS PLAINS PRESS




  The fruit of the spirit is love, joy,  peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  Galatians 5: 22-23

“You must have a vision within yourself for yourself. A vision will pull you forward. If you don’t have a vision, you will be stuck in what you know and the only thing you know is what you’ve seen.” Iyanla Vanzant’s wisdom seemed to marinade, for many seasons, in the nooks and crannies of my soul.  In  painfully peeling back the layers, it was as if my tired, broken wings had soaked up a warm, healing balm that would magically repair and restore a new pulse. Like a new pair of glasses, the torn stitches of my spirit, allowed the  perfect amount of light to rush in and  drench all that it illuminated—giving clarity and detail to my enormously injured vision.  Little did I know, while I was limping through isolation, murky obscurity and        magnificent guilt...God was choosing and preparing another soul to float into my complicated, fractured and narrowed field of view. There is NO place that God is not...the perfect kindling that was essential for this Phoenix to rise from her ashes.

 Fast forward  a few years, and all of sudden, in the space of a few shallow breaths, a fabulous miracle came raging into my universe.  A soul, wounded in all the right places, would come to reunite, heal, and help us both to understand that the gold that we were both seeking was     hidden in the darkness. 

Our story is one that few own. Someday, it will be written, but for today,  the 1st edition of the Texas Plains Press will serve as a gift, in honor of the birth of Our Savior, Jesus. 

Henry had lived his entire life among the salt grasses and coastal ranches of south Texas.  Through enduring the injustices of the times, a possession of the kind of grit needed to make something of himself, and a God-given talent in working with horses and cattle, he carved his own, highly respected and deeply special place in this world. 

Upon this massive shift in both of our lives, over many months of prayer, and frequent trips on the LONG “turquoise trail”, Henry found himself  looking at the Gulf Coast in the rearview mirror of his loaded pickup as he ventured north to the Red River Valley. Again, God had     effortlessly moved life’s puzzle pieces, and in the heat of  July, Henry accepted the Assistant Rodeo Coach position at Vernon College. He had traded the salt air for the red landscape of  Wilbarger County. It certainly wasn’t an easy feat, leaving the ranchers that had trustingly
depended on him for decades.    

He carefully tied up loose ends, until he was confident that “his” people were well– prepared for their own shift in this plan. The support that rang out in favor of Henry’s new journey was a consensus among those he had built lasting relationships with; his family and lifelong friends expressed a genuine love and showered their blessings on him.

With the indomitable spirit that lives within Henry Zarate, fences were built, pastures were planted, water troughs constructed, cattle were bought and new life was breathed into Arrowhead Hill Farm.  To see the green pastures dotted with cattle and hear the hoof beats of horses as they are trained in the red dirt, a tangible sense of reclamation, and thanksgiving began to replace our wounds.  Like a tree that has been disfigured and then produces beauty far better than it was, not only did the 100- year old farm been given another chance.. But...both of us had as well.  Our lives were now filled with things that we had only dreamed of.  Transcendent moments of pure gratitude. 

In this Christmas season before us, our prayers of hope and wishes for you, exceed the possibilities of what YOU can dream.  Be good to yourself, live humbly and give grace and forgiveness, even when it’s the most difficult, for this life is fragile and much too short to live otherwise. God bless each and every one of you, and ALWAYSremember the reason for the season.  Lift your eyes each morning and give thanks, even on the darkest days. 



Welcome to Vernon Barn Dance for Henry

BARN DANCE AT THE RANCH




SPRING RAINS!

CHECKING CATTLE

RIDING ON THE PEASE RIVER


TEXAS SUNSET

Lil' CINCO

COLORS OF THE EARTH

POST QUICKSAND ADVENTURE - Big Mama and I went down within seconds...but all is well!

Benefit Roping

Henry's good-bye party in South Texas

VISITED BACK EAST WITH MY PARENTS

A lil' tunin'

SPRING/SUMMER GRAZIN'

MSU - UNDEFEATED!!!

CHRISTMAS

NEW PATIO

TEXAS GAME WARDEN GRADUATION

MY BIG BOY


SOUTH TEXAS VISIT



LESSONS

BRANDING

SETTIN' POLES

PUTTIN' IN CORNERS







THE LAST BALL.......SIGNING WITH MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY!!










Thursday, January 29, 2015

...AND LIFE GOES ON....

Ohhh, goodness...nearly 5 months has passed...here's a montage of what's been happenin'!


January 2015 sunset after feeding

 January 2015 sunset

SLOPPY JOE 2015


 Last weekend of duck season - Zack, Evan and Guy Wade


 Fix fence....check!

 Waiting for my boys to come up to feed... Jan 2015

Here they come!


ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?




Zack's locker cover that I made for him!

Some of the guys came out after practice and helped paint lion paws on the berm! Thanks, guys!!


Zack's surprise 18th birthday...Barbies, pink, tiara...all in the coaches' office! SURPRISE!








Supper afterwards at 3 Hearts Steakhouse...CUTE JILLY!

REALLY?

THAT'S BETTER!

ZACK AND OLIVIA

My parents came to visit in September...had a FUN get-together with their "Texas Friends"!!





CROWELL BASKETBALL...GO BLAINE!!  2015


FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS!

PLAY OFFS - SEND OFF


MORE FALL BALL


BONFIRE PEP RALLY




VERNON LION VISIT TO MY CLASS!



Holdin' the Gold!


Stran Smith came and spoke at church, so a couple of us greeted everyone at the gate...






HAD A GREAT SUNRISE RIDE!

ANOTHER SUNSET OVER THE FARM

WEED CONTROL??


Zack brought me a present....nay-nay

Always ready for a party!


TALIA'S WT GRADUATION - YAY!!!! 
SO PROUD OF THAT GIRL!





WINTER 2015



COLEY AND ZACK...WRESTLING AGAIN!

SO THANKFUL FOR THE RAIN THAT PUT MUD ON MY BOOTS!!

THE HUNTER FISHERMAN...








CELEBRATING DECEMBER/JANUARY BIRTHDAYS AT 3 HEARTS!!!




SUNRISE ON ANN'S STARS

GREAT FRIENDS

VISITING MOM AT SCHOOL!

Thanksgiving at Greg and Cindy's...Greg shot the coyote the night before....How could I pass up a beautiful hide...just had to skin it!


After the Pep Rally where the Seniors' moms dressed up in hippie attire and did a dance routine! You can see the pride on Zack's face....


JILLY and I at Santa Rosa Rodeo 2014!