broken ankles, cancer, and life.

Three years ago I sat quietly in our arena and watched one of our mares foal.  Within an hour the beautiful little sorrel filly was up and about showing of her socks and fancy moves.  I believe it took maybe two hours and she started to lope around the arena, if that’s what you wanted to call it. Watching her that morning her feet seemed to never touch the ground.  Within a few minutes of seeing her, my friends’ grandchild named her Gracie, a very fitting title.  Just a year ago it took me all of five minutes to have her saddled and moving around the arena once again, this time I was enjoying the view from her back.  Every day she is a joy to ride, she can already slide a good 15 feet effortlessly, and her flying lead changes are often undetectable to even a trained eye. Four days ago she pulled up lame on her right front foot.  Yesterday my vet confirmed all the pain and fear in my gut, she had fractured her ankle.

Ten years ago I sat at a church in Rancho Cucamonga California, waiting for a young man from Montana to arrive.  Stepping through the door was a 6’4” ranch kid, who was built stronger than the church.  His smile went from one big ear to the next, his hug was enough to crush anyone, and his laughter was just part of his normal conversation. For the next six weeks I would train him how to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.  For the last ten years he has taught me how to live it.  No elegant sermon I have given has come close to being as powerful as his smiling humble witness of the power of the gospel.  A few days ago I was prompted to call him and see how his surgery to remove his cancer tumor had gone.  Time got away from me but last night my wife reminded me of the need.  My call was answered by the same smiling voice filled with joy.  His body was battling infection; his spin now had four tumors, his lungs three, and two on his left leg. His only negative comment was the light at the end of the tunnel seemed to be a little farther away than last time we talked.  I hung up the phone turned on the computer and started to look for a flight to Seattle to see a dying friend.

As we look into the eyes of Gracie and Kirk, something is present that is amazing to me.  Threw the light that shines out is hope, happiness, and life.  Some times in life we look too much at the cross and the crown of thorns.  We forget to peek into the empty tomb were an angle reminds us not to look for the dead when they are among the living.  So affixed on the suffering we don’t let the fire burn within us on the road to Emmaus.  So worried about the heaviness of the sand we forget we are being carried by the Christ who overcame that cross.  I have personally witnessed the prayers of faith kill cancer, and comfort those who are on final breaths. I have seen foals born to run and play and win great prizes, and seen foals laid to rest. Yesterday a vet and phone call reminded me of the pain of life.  The two suffering in that pain let me gaze at the eyes of the Savior. One set of x-rays showed a broken ankle, one phone call expanding cancer.  Yesterday I had a horse pass a vet check and bring me enough extra money to buy a flight to see a friend who is living, and treatment to a great filly.  His arms are stretched out to us still, his tender mercies are abounding.  This is life eternal to know the living God; I know Jesus Christ is alive! We had a good talk yesterday and everything is ok, he just needs my help holding a horse and a friend the next few months.  It’s amazing what you can see in the eye of a horse, and hear in the voice of a friend.

sliding stops and bumper stickers

It was that quiet time of the afternoon, when the air is calm and peaceful.  The sun was still sharing her warmth but falling softly into the caress of West Mountain.  The stalls were all clean and the fresh scent of shavings filled the barn.  I had finished my lessons for the day and it was once again just me and my horse.  We rounded the end of the arena and hit the strait line and started to build speed.  By the middle of the arena we were at a good gallop and within a few strides we reached a full run.  Just a few strides away from where I wanted to stop my horse jammed on the breaks; I jammed my back and poked him in the belly.  He then grabbed his hind end out of the dirt and leaped forward, I slammed the back of the saddle. He grabbed the bridle and then I intentionally kicked him into the fence in front of us, pulled him around a few times and off we went again. Rounding the end we hit the strait line and did the same thing all over again, and again then one more time.  Now both our kidneys hurt and the air expelling from our lungs was filled with silent anger.  I took a deeper breath then urged my horse on; we turned the corner hit the strait line and built speed.  This time I communicate well, he listens, the rhythm is perfect and when I say whoa thirty feet later the slide is over.  We came together trusted one another and got the desired result.  To perform a great sliding stop a rider and his horse must travel on a straight line, build speed, and be in sync.  When these things happen in good footing conditions the results are amazing.

Right now our country is in the quiet time of the afternoon when some amazing things can happen.  We just have to come together and insure good things do happen.  We have to stay the course of a straight line to fiscal responsibility, start with small reform and build on it, then stay in sync to the finish.  If we don’t everyone will get jammed around, hurt, and in the end be angry.  It is time to start coming together.

For the past thirty years spending by our national government has been out of control with one exception.  For a brief period in the 90’s we put together a contract with a Republican controlled congress, Democrat President, and balanced the budget.  That flat spot in the chart is beautiful, especially when compared to the skyrocket spending of the last three years.  We must balance the budget, create a fair tax system, and then have the discipline to stay the course.  No one has ever used a credit card to pay off their mortgage and gotten ahead.  The government has never given anything to us but what they have first taken it away from us.  The government cannot give us free health care, housing, food, bail outs etc...The money they spend is ours. We pay them what they give away, and they are spending more than we give them.  I will not just surrender and give them more!

 I firmly believe by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.  It starts with you, be involved, go to caucus night get people on the ballot that will stop the spending.  Get them elected in your district.  When we have a black congress again the blue President can’t shove things down our throat like healthcare reform, auto bailouts and out of control budgets. Course we would have to pass a budget if he did bother to send one, but that’s a whole nother blog.  It’s very simple we just have to be active and start to build speed.  Get the right person elected in your area and let’s have a black November.  Yes that’s right black like the numbers on a balanced checkbook.  I don’t care what party, we need people who can work within a budget, say a good housewife, business owner, accountant most everyone except a lawyer we have enough of those already.

This next thought could be dangerously honest but here we go.  Growing up I think I knew one “African American” aka black kid, she was a foreign exchange student.  I went to high school with 3500 people, I was prejudice but not racist.  In my mid twenties the Lord sent me to southern California for two years.  I actually met, talked, and worked with a lot of black people. I also met one very inspiring former White Supremacist T.J. Leyden.  As a result of this I was no longer prejudice.  Now in my mid thirties every time I hear Barak Obama talk about how everyone that disagrees with him is racist my blood boils.  When his wife goes off on how he could get shot at the gas station because he is black, it makes my blood boil.  Every time he plays the race card it sparks the fires I had put out a long time ago. Unfortunately our first HALF black president has made me more prejudice, his race propaganda is dividing.  Every time he tells me how closed minded I am because I am conservative and then in the next breath says he will not back down or compromise because his way is the only way.  The blood is so past boiling.  I am sick of the divide he strongly helps create.

The best way to help the most people is somewhere in the middle it always has been always will be.  When the founding fathers were in a fight about how many representatives for each state they came up with something called the great compromise.  We don’t need to reinvent the wheel we just need to start using it again.  The time has come to find something good and common in all of us as Americans, we need to unite.  The best place to start is within the Republican Party.  We need to stop hitting each other in the knees so we can win the gold medal and just start putting our best skaters on the ice to win first and second.  If we always disagree on when to stop we will just bounce around.  We have the power in our own little town, county, state and nation to pick a good strait line, build speed and make something great happen.  The time to start is this quiet afternoon.  Let’s figure out how we can get rid of people who divide us and replace them with ones who unite.  It is a challenge and in my case the place to start is with the hands typing the words your reading.  I hope we can stop fighting the rhythm of liberty and start sliding into happiness once again. Makes me think of my favorite sister in laws bumper sticker that says coexist.  With our current leadership neither side is willing to do that.  It’s time to stop running in circles and get some things lined out.  If we start with the finances the rest gets easier. The way to fix that is to hire responsible people who can work together this November and fire those who will not. I want a new bumper sticker that reads “Retire Hatch, Fire Obama”.  Now I just need to figure out how to fix my back after the jamming stops, feel free to send me some ideas on that.

Farm kids and cursing congressmen

The flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Washington D.C. was long. The movie was boring, and an excited teenager was eager to get out of a very confining seat.  It was late July and an empty savings account, and some very helpful parents were left behind.  In front of me was a week of leadership training and the opportunity to touch and see the majesty of America’s capital. I rushed to the doors of the airport eager to breathe the air of the east.  The doors slid open and the air pushed me back and then took my breath away.  A minute passed as I tried to figure out why my arm pits were wet from standing around.  I look back now at a seventeen year old sweaty, 130 pound kid searching for a taxi, air conditioning and remember the power of a trip.  I had a wonderful week and still draw upon the things taught at the conference.  However three events from that journey weigh heavy on my mind and have created in me a desire to work to preserve the country I believe in.

Wednesday morning started at Pennsylvania Avenue, the white house was white and a lot smaller than it looked in pictures.   Unable to go inside because of a security threat earlier that morning, I made the walk to the capitol. It seemed larger than life.  Inside the rotunda the statues seemed to stand guard, while the architecture welcomed the spirit of the great western democratic thinkers.  As I turned to the senate chamber I was overcome with a spirit I had never before felt.  It was calm, empowering, and visionary.  As I look back it was the spirit of liberty, the idea of freedom whispered so long ago by thirteen states trying to come together.   I had been taught all my life that God had inspired the founding fathers, and was the true founder of this country.  As I sat looking into the senate chamber I knew that God was indeed the one behind the creation of the United States of America.  Inside those sacred walls I had an amazing spiritual experience.  The spirit of freedom that called my ancestors to this land, was working on me.

As the last light of morning gave way to the heat of noon I made my way across the street toward the office of Orin Hatch.  For the past few weeks I had studied parts of the current farm bill and had scheduled an appointment with my senator to discuss it.  I don’t recall the details of what we talked about but I did talk.  He was a good politician, polite, and considerate of my feedback.  I am not sure my lobbying had much effect but it was certainly a great experience. I have a voice and he heard it that day.  As I prepared to leave he thanked me for the visit and complemented me for already being involved in the process.  Of the visit his desk left the greatest impression, I can still picture it perfectly in my mind today.  How the light of the window shown on it, and the papers neatly arranged.  The man behind that desk had power to write amendments to a bill that was important to me.  I had made sure he heard my voice, I felt strong as I left his office.

After the experience in the capitol building and my appointment with Senator Hatch I was a few clouds higher than number nine.  I walked down the hall with an amazing gratitude and respect for our government.  Then two men, one I recognized as a congressman, kicked me off the cloud.  They were discussing of all things the farm bill as they walked in front of me, the congressman made one remark I will never forget, “Fuck the farmers all a bunch of hill Billy assholes”.  Even in writing it seventeen years later it still crushes me.  Not so much his fillings toward farmers but his disrespect for where he was and who he was.  Did he not fill the spirit I had felt in the capital? Did he not realize he was a representative of men and women who eat, who fight, and who die for liberty? Was he so disconnected with reality washed up in ideology?  Congressmen are to be educated and wise, my parents taught me only the uneducated and fools speak in such a way.  Only a fool would disrespect the greatness of a nation with such language.  To curse is human but a nation established by God deserves better of the Stewarts in her halls.  It was the disrespect toward the people of America that crushed the high spirits of a young man that day.  It is what drives me to work to get rid of those people in Washington today.

On Friday evening of my trip I sat near the Jefferson memorial on the banks of the Potomac River.  After an afternoon of touring the monuments I was covered in sweat, hot, and tired. I looked at the cool waters and longed to go for a swim.  Knowledge of the pollution kept me on the bank yearning for the clean rivers of my Rocky Mountain home.  When the founding fathers would have pondered at the river it was clean, and inviting.  The problem with the Potomac and Washington is not that the river is bad or the water no good.  It is what we have put in her that has polluted and made her unsafe.  There is no nation greater than ours, no constitution more empowering to people than ours. The spirit of Washington is strong and alive; we just need to do some janitorial work on the trash in the hall. Saturday evening brought the protective Wasatch peaks of my beloved mountain home.  More than ever I look at Mt. Timpanogos and remember the need to speak loud enough the Potomac can hear me.  Just need to figure out how to not curse when I do.

Pony rides and family

As my daughter led her pony into the arena she stopped, gave him a big hug, then turned to me and asked “can we take red to the temple so he can be part of our family forever? Cause I love him!”  The tender expression from my little angle brought a tear to the eye and warmth to my heart.  As I watched her ride I could not help but fill overwhelming gratitude for my family and the blessing it is to know that through the grace of Jesus Christ we are an eternal family.  There is a power in family that we can find nowhere else on earth.  It is the building block for success in life and society.  For a long time it has been under attack.  The burden is now upon us to stop those who would destroy it.  If our country and civilization are to progress it must have traditional family as a cornerstone.

Life for the past few years has been challenging, especialy on the economic front.  Changes in the economy have affected all of us, and horse trainers have certainly not been exempt.  Several months ago we were in the process of a short sale on our home in town, almost all of our steady clients had not paid their bills and the month was coming to a close.  Just after coming in the house for the day and seeing an empty inbox, my sweet wife handed me a letter from the IRS saying we had underpaid in taxes two years ago and now owed them an additional 10,000.  As I walked to our bedroom I was done.  I had no more hope, was all prayed up, I was finished. Having forgotten something in my truck I walked to the edge of the stairs and looked back at my family.  Then running with her smile my little girl begged to walk with dad to his truck.  She crawled on my back and away we went.  She talked the whole way and although I don’t remember anything she said that little parasite on my back made all the difference in the world that day. I kept going.  Our house has sold, clients have caught up on past due amounts and the IRS issue was over a mix up on my social security number and my dad’s and neither one of us owed them anything. (I am grateful for a good CPA).  My family and our love is stronger than anything the world can throw at us. No matter how dark the day may seem there is a power in a loving family that shines bright when all other lights go out.  A power found nowhere else on earth.

In his studies and writing the evolutionist Darwin observed something interesting.  Family has been the basic building block from the time the Neanderthals picked up a club and drug around a woman.  Interesting the creationist see it the same way, the Lord just started with a couple named Adam and Eve.  From the dawn of man it’s been a man and a woman coming together to create life and make things like civilization grow.  There is a great story of a man who was told of a priceless treasure and given a key to unlock it.  Excited he hurried to the cave it was in and found a chest.  When he put his key in the chest unlocked but would not open.  As he sat in his sorrow a women came to the cave.  She had also been told of a great treasure.  When she put her key in the chest unlocked but would not open.  As she sat down next to the man they realized the chest had two key holes so they went together and at the same time put in their keys and unlocked the chest.  When it opened the gift of creating life was given to them.  It takes a man and a woman to come together to create life.  Two men or two women can love each other all they want but will never make a child.  Do we realize the sacred nature of this priceless gift?  Without man and women coming together creating life and providing a positive safe environment for children to grow in we cannot progress as a society.  Don’t listen to the “progressive people” on this one.  Marriage is ordained of God and nature, on this Jesus and Darwin agree.  Family is the foundation.

Shortly after mans mortal experience started on earth Evil came to one of Adam and Eves children.  That sly old serpent, who started the fall, would unleash his first attack on family when he convinced Cain to kill his brother.  He has not stopped his relentless efforts to destroy family ever since.  The methods have changed and remained the same.  Rotted in selfishness family is torn apart by abuse, adultery, envy, jealousy and so on.  Now those who fight against nature would also have it torn apart and the definition changed.  We must never sleep in our defense of its divine role in our lives and its effect on our world.  We are armed with a great weapon of love, with the virtues of patience, kindness, charity, longsuffering, meekness, humility, and most of all grace serving as arrows in our shaft.  Anything that attacks and destroys the sacred balance of family created by a man and woman, endowed from God, is Evil.  This must not be tolerated and we must use the good in the entire world to protect this sacred unit.  If we want to survive and have something immortal we must have family.  No matter what the end of our life brings if we leave a strong posterity we have immortality and eternal life in them just as our ancestors continue to live on in us.

Progress is an interesting thing; we look at it in phones that are hardly phones.  We drive it a hundred miles an hour in climate controlled leather seats.  Certain basic things make it all possible.  Without electricity we would have no phone you would not be reading this blog and your fridge would be some ice blocks down by the river.  Without family, without a man and a woman having come together you would not be.  It really is that plain. If we want to continue as a species, to have progress in society, we must have family. It takes a man and woman rearing offspring to the best of their ability complementing each other in divinely appointed roles.  If we allow the evil ideas of gender neutrality, homosexuality, and a myriad of other lies the outcome is guaranteed, we don’t live forever, there is no more us.  Just like there is no more computer if there is no more electricity.  I took my wife to a sacred place in Salt Lake to be married for time and all eternity because I know family is forever.  My little girl who is three understands that we take the things we love, that we want to have forever and we treat them special. We do this because they are special.  Nothing is more important than the work we do within the walls of our home, it echoes in eternity.  Family is power, family is the fundamental framework of our existence, and family is under attack.  We will progress only to the extent we embrace and continue traditional family. You can ride the pony to the Temple on that one.



**Temples for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints a.k.a. Mormons are holy buildings.  Here members participate in sacred ceremonies like marriages, which bind or seal a husband and wife for time and all eternity.  This practice is based on the biblical teaching that God has given authority to man to seal on earth and that sealing is valid in heaven. Along with the idea that what God has joined together man should not separate. ( see Matthew 16:19 and Mark 10:9 ) For more information on temples and the teaching of eternal families visit www.mormon.com

broodmares and capitalism

As the frosty morning air filled my lungs, the tractor stopped at the last manger in the back pasture. Filling it with the final bales of hay, I jumped back on the tractor and started toward the gate. As I turned to check the mares one last time I noticed the same mares at the same feeders going through the same shuffle for power and food that goes on all winter. Interested in this economic plight for the best feed I began to see the opportunities and miracle of capitalism. At the first feeder were the same three mares, the one percenters as the new world would call them. Every morning and evening they claim their spot at the top. Scattered at the next five feeders are groups of the good old middle class. These mares shuffle from feeder to feeder and while working to assure their fair ration they tolerate the company of the neighbors and generally avoid conflict. Then piled up at the last feeder are the occupants of the mobile estates. These mares are a little thin but getting by. Some spend the whole time fighting instead of just eating afraid someone might get more than them. While others just simply put forth no effort.

We all know of those at the first feeder, the wealthy, rich, snobby, well to due crowd. Of course when we get to know these people we find they are actually people. Many came from the middle class at some point, some from the poor outcast, some from the top parents. They all however came from something and gained the desired position by work, ambition, determination, greed, righoutness, wickedness, trickery, intimidation, brilliance, you get the point. In my little herd of mares one is the Alpha, she physically dominates any who would take her food, she is strong, athletic and aggressive. The other is the best friend of the Alpha, she is smart, and also aggressive when needed. A few years ago when we introduced her to the herd, she was in the lower end of the middle class. But she made the right friends worked, and fought her way to the top. The third mare is interesting, she is clever, she never challenges the other two mares and outside of feeding time does not spend much time with them. She is however not afraid of them, when the alpha chases her off she just circles around and comes back. Her persistence is what gets her a place at the top table. Different talents different skills but successful results.

My middle class, how I love them. Most the time they have a good bit to eat, sometimes, like right now, pickings are slim. But they work, eat, and enjoy life. Interestingly enough this is were the best are really born. From my band of mares the most predictable solid horses are from this group. This little cooperative band raises their young to help one another to take and to give. When needed they fight to better their lot but have no problem sharing the goods with those around them. In this group are all ages, colors, and sizes. It is the heart of my heard. It is the heart of our great country and economic system. Filling the walls that build the houses of the middle class are faith, laughter and hope. Different talents different skills but fulfilled lives.

My last feeder is a scary one some days. The skinny horses in this group spend most their time fighting one another or standing looking at the other groups at their feeders with some kind of bitter hatred. These mares fall into a couple sub groups. First are the “newbie’s” the mares who have spent most their life in the Marxist system of stall life. They grew up on welfare and cant figure out a way off. Some are old, having spent their life without developing good social bonds while in the middle group, they are now left to fend for themselves. Others are just lazy a couple of these mares have no interest or desire to do better and put forth no effort. There are times they will stand at the back gate looking for a sympathy handout when there are feeders with food and no other horses at them. You have meet them, they hold the sign saying “will work for food“, but offer them a job cleaning stalls and see how fast they leave the car window. Different talents different skills but poor habits.

The greatness in the social economic system in the back pasture is the possibility to be fat, to be at the top. While only a few will make it each have that chance. Inside the stall barn everyone is fed a ration and all are healthy in their 12 x 12 stall surrounded by concrete and bars. The amazing thing is when they see the horses outside you can tell that’s were they want to be. They want to be free to pursue happiness.

I never want to be stalled, I fear our government is moving in a direction to do just that. To take away capitalism and the opportunity to be great. It is not always a “fair” system but it’s a free one. How great it is to be poor with the chance to be rich, instead of fed and starved of the chance for greatness. The back pasture that houses my broodmares is a place where a horse can be free, fat and happy. America is still the land were a dropout can become the CEO of apple. All because of capitalism, lets not rob our self of the opportunity to eat at the first feeder because we fear some might be stuck at the bottom. I firmly believe 90% of our sucsess in life is related to our own actions, not our circumstances. Remember there is plenty in the middle and there always will be as long as we are free. Happiness is in the pursuit, the pursuit only comes with freedom, capitalism, and a broodmare to remind us fat is beautiful.