Cowgirl Up

The dictionary defines words by their current and historical use.  Who would have dreamed a few decades ago that the words “bad” and “sick” would mean that something was good?   So, we as a society tend to redefine words.  If the usage of a word prevails long enough, it will appear in the dictionary at some point.  For example, the slang expression “cool,” as used since the 1950s is now defined in Webster’s dictionary by reference to temperature, demeanor, and as something that is good.  The online Urban Dictionary helps to give a current picture of that evolutionary process. 

Although some have attempted to sexualize the expression “Cowgirl Up,” I prefer the most frequently used Urban Dictionary definition of the term as being your own woman, accepting a challenge, taking charge of a situation, making your own path, and taking responsibility for who you are and what you do.   It is an empowering expression that lends itself as analogy to what cowgirls actually do.  

Being a cowgirl usually requires the following: 

·       Having responsibility for the care of a horse. This would include feeding, watering, grooming, cleaning stalls, and ensuring that the horse is getting exercise and is properly sheltered. This is done every day in all weather conditions.  Remember, cleaning a stall requires having to step into manure.

·        Learning to ride a horse.  Learning to properly ride a horse takes persistence, discipline, skill, attention to and respect for the animal, confidence, and the courage to get back in the saddle after a fall. 

·       Caring for equipment.  Saddles, bridles, halters and other tack require cleaning, conditioning, repairing, and properly storing the equipment after each use.  This is important because damaged tack could break and harm the cowgirl, the horse, or both.

·        Making decisions in certain situations in order to protect both the cowgirl and the horse.  If riding into an uncertain situation in which the horse may become frightened, choosing a proper path, or maintaining distance from certain objects, a cowgirl is required to assess, decide, and accept responsibility for that decision – right or wrong. 

·        Knowing how to handle the horse properly.  Horses are powerful creatures, and a cowgirl respects that fact.  The cowgirl teaches the horse to respect her. Expressing anger or being abusive to a horse is not only cruel, it is unproductive and dangerous.  Knowing how to guide, encourage, and reward the animal is essential.  Hours of patience reaps great rewards. 

Being a cowgirl requires taking responsibility, patience, persistence, discipline, learning to respect and be respected, having courage, making decisions that not only effect the cowgirl, and remaining calm and in control during unexpected events.  It comes with knowing that some things (such as manure) are not always pleasant – you just have to deal with them.  To “cowgirl up” is a great expression in today’s lexicon.  The values it extols will hopefully make the expression one that our society embraces and causes it to earn a place in Webster's.  Besides, it sounds cool!

Coping With Loss

Most of us, at some point, have or will have suffered a loss.  Whether it is the result of death, the end of a relationship, divorce, theft, job termination, or some form of catastrophic destruction, it ultimately involves processing that loss in some manner.  My purpose for this blog is to ask you to share the transitional moment(s) – what brought you to a place of peace, understanding, or healing.  It is my hope that someone will be helped by reading your posts.  Proverbs 25:11 says, “Like apples of gold in settings of silver is a word timely spoken in right circumstances.” If you could share that one special thing with someone, what would it be?

 

I’ve experienced several major losses in my life; however, there is one in particular in which an individual shared something with me that helped me through it enormously.  It may not be true for everyone, just as some of the responses in this blog may not ring true with you at the moment, but it was my golden apple at that time.

Although we had been divorced for years, my first husband and I remained close friends until the day he died.  The loss of him in my life was gut-wrenching.  I found myself dwelling on certain things for hours, or days. I cried often for weeks, and there seemed to be no end to the grief. I tried, unsuccessfully, to push the thoughts out of my head and just get on with it.  I heard that grieving was a process and I kept feeling like I had gotten stuck, somehow, in that process.  I felt I needed help, so I called my pastor who also had his Ph.D. in psychology, and shared my concerns in that emotional storm. 

He told me I would not have to worry about getting stuck if I allowed myself to think all of those thoughts and feel all the feelings associated with them.  The worst thing I could do, according to him, was to not allow myself to do so.  He said that “the heart knows where it needs to go to heal,” and I needed to allow it to take me on that journey of memories, thoughts, and emotions.  I left my counseling session with him and began doing just that.  I will never forget his advice.  It was a long journey of the heart, but a very healing one.  Soon, regrets were replaced more frequently with thankfulness.  Anger was replaced with forgiveness for me and him.  Sadness and crying were replaced with joy and laughter. Peace began to rule in my heart again.

It was most definitely one of the, if not the, saddest times of my life. Of course, because of the fact that he was a Christian, I knew I would see him again.  If that was true, why was I so sad?  Here is where I gained a valuable insight based upon my human experience.  Through the years, I was never good at saying goodbye to my parents, daughters and grandchildren when visits came to an end.  I always cried, yet I knew I was going to see them again because it was my practice to plan the next visit before the then-current one ended.  It was my way to take the sting out of the inevitable goodbye, knowing I would be missing them but looking forward to the next time.  Admittedly, I still miss my former husband and dearest friend; but, God’s word promises a reunion with those who have gone before me, so there will be a next time.

If you are reading this, I ask you to please post your thoughts and/or experience; and if you know someone who is coping with a loss, direct them to this blog.  Hopefully, they will find it full of golden apples that you helped to place here!

Who Do You Say That I Am?

The foundational rock of the Christian faith is based upon Peter’s response to Jesus’ question, “Who do you say that I am?”  Jesus said that Peter answered correctly when he stated, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!”

In Matthew 16, Jesus began this dialogue by first asking, “Who do people say that I am?”  To this day, as they did then, responses vary.  Some say Jesus was a good man, a prophet, a teacher, and the list goes on.  However, each person must answer the question that Jesus asked. “Who do you say that I am?” 

For those who think Jesus was just another prophet, such as Muhammad; the fact is that no prophet ever made the claims that Jesus did.  So, who did Jesus say that He was?

• The Christ – He is the Messiah, the Savior  (Matt. 16:13-18; Matt:14:33)
• The Son of God – He was unlike any other man (Matt. 3:17; Matt. 8:29; Matt. 16:16; Matt. 17:5; Matt. 26:63-65: John 3:16)
• He is God (John 1:17-18; John 10:30-33; John 20:28)
• He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life – no man comes to the Father but by Him (John 14:6)
• He would be crucified and rise on the third day (Matt. 16:21; Matt. 20:17-19)
• He would come again in power, glory, and in judgment (Matt. 26:63-65)

To those of you who believe Jesus to be someone lesser than who He claimed to be, I pose the following. Whoever you believe Jesus to be, was He good? If you believe He was good, I suggest you consider this.  If Jesus was a good man, then He was not a liar.  If He was not a liar, then He must be who He claimed to be.  In fact, Jesus said He was the Truth and said that the devil is a liar and the father of all lies. 

If you accept that Jesus was not a liar, was who He claimed to be, and not the perpetrator of a cruel hoax upon all of humanity, it is reasonable to assume that you would seriously consider His instructions.  Jesus said that you must be born again. You must pass from death to eternal life by repenting of your sins, confessing with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believing that God raised Him from the dead.  In doing so, your sins will be forgiven, and you will enter into salvation and eternal life that can only come through Jesus Christ.  In fact, you will have responded to the most important question you will ever answer.

Note:  The scripture references above are not exhaustive.

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog site, No Blah Blogging, where I plan to offer my readers commentary on social, political, religious, and sometimes personal or relationship issues. 

I am not looking solely for readers who agree with my suggestions or conclusions.  As a matter of fact, the pooling of ideas is at the core of blogging.  I want to know what you think, and hope that my blogs are sufficiently provocative to keep you coming back for more.

The concept of No Blah Blogging is the hope that you, the reader, and I will have a place of dynamic dialogue -- no more of the blah, blah, blah, meaningless drone of robotic thinking with no original thought. 

I ask that all comments posted on this blog site be respectful.  Meaningless rants and name-calling only indicate that you really have nothing constructive to offer.  If that is your style, there are many blog sites that will accommodate you.

I am not creating this site because I think I know everything.  I am doing this because I believe it is what God has called me to do -- communicate.  I pray that God blesses everyone who visits No Blah Blogging.