Waymaker’s Meadows

05/31/2026

"There it is!" I said pointing to the day old calf hidden in a thicket of trees. "I knew she had a calf somewhere," my husband said, referring to a cow we had just seen on our morning rounds. I quietly approached the sleeping calf, and to my dismay, I noticed quite a few blow flies on it's back. Fly strike can occur if a mother doesn't clean a newborn thoroughly, or even if she does, if it still smells like after birth, blow flies are attracted and lay eggs. The larva then hatch and can cause minor damage, or in worst case scenarios, death depending on the situation.

"Well, I've got some fly spray on the gator. I can spray him if you want me to," I said to my husband. We both knew it was a tough call. Of course you want to get rid of the flies, but if a newborn gets startled, he may run so far that he can't hear his mother calling.

After weighing the options, I decided to spray him. Unfortunately, he jumped up and ran out of sight, deep into the woods, and sadly, in the opposite direction of his mother.

The next morning, I heard the unmistakable, frantic bellowing of a mama cow searching for a lost calf. My heart sank as I knew the odds of finding a newborn calf on 400 acres was close to zero. The grim reality of the situation, coupled with the guilt I felt because of my decision was overwhelming.

As searched through the woods, I thought about what Jesus said in Matthew 19:26 (NKJV)- “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” As I claimed that promise, I prayed out loud: "Lord, I know you can find this calf. I know you can fix this situation, and I am trusting that you will!"

God heard my prayer that day, because after hours of searching we had given up, but God is still in the miracle business. As I drove back towards the once frantic mama cow, I could not believe my eyes. The calf who was last spotted a half a mile away was back with his mother and was nursing!

If you are facing a seemingly impossible situation today, remember that God can make a way.

Jeremiah 32:17 (NKJV)

‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.

05/17/2026

Ginger Spice the sheep wasn't happy. Two weeks prior, I moved 5 sheep into an adjacent pasture, and left Ginger with 19 other sheep. As her shepherd, I put Ginger in the place that was best for her, but for whatever reason, Ginger wanted to be with the smaller group. One day, as Ginger begged to get in with the smaller flock, I let her. I opened the gate, and finally, she was exactly where she wanted to be.

Everything was great for a few days. Ginger traveled with her friends, she grazed new, green pastures, but after the first week, Ginger realized she had made a mistake. She wanted to go back home. The day that I opened the gate for her to return to the larger group, all of the sheep were gone. Ginger looked bewildered and began to cry out to her sisters who were out grazing and couldn't hear her.

"Ginger! Follow me! Let's go girl!" I said as I drove the Kubota to the pasture where the others were grazing 1/2 mile away. She followed her shepherd without hesitation, and soon, she was back where she belonged. Like Ginger, we too can fall into the "grass is always greener on the other side" trap. We often do not appreciate what we have, until we don't have it anymore.

Just as I allowed Ginger to experience life on the other side, our Shepherd will allow us to as well. Thankfully, once we realize that we need help, we can call on Jesus, our Shepherd. He will always be there to guide us safely back to the fold.

Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV)

Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

05/10/2026

Safe in the Shadow

The late afternoon sun felt like August instead of April. The sheep were hot as they had not finished shedding their fleeces yet. The lambs wanted to rest in the shade, but their mothers knew the flying insects were worse in the shade, so the mama ewes chose to rest in the sun. One particularly wooly little lamb could not grasp this concept, and seemed determined to convince her mother that shade is what they needed.

As the lamb would wander toward the trees , the mother would call her back while she calmly chewed her cud. The little one would flop down, and then get up, she would paw the ground, and pace back and forth as if to say, "It's too hot! This is not where I want to be".

Finally, the irritated youngster realized that there was a cool place where she could rest and be sheltered from the intense heat. Her mother's shadow provided the perfect resting place that was both shady, and free from insects. As soon as she got close enough to her mother to benefit from the shade, she relaxed and fell asleep.

How many times have we asked God "Why"? Why do you have me in this uncomfortable place? Why can I not just go over here? Why can I not have it this way, or that way? Even for mature Christians, it is not always easy to see the shade tree, but to realize that for some reason God has us standing in the blazing heat. It is hard to remember that just as this mother ewe knows what is best for her lamb, our Heavenly Father knows what is best for us.

Psalms 91:1-2

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.

05/03/2026

Pushing Through

Spring is lambing season. As a shepherd it's an exciting time, but it's also tiring keeping an eye on the flock. Most of the time the birthing process goes smoothly, but once in a while, tangled twins, a folded front leg, or a true breach presentation requires the Shepherd to assist in the delivery.

Several years ago, as an inexperienced Shepherd, I decided to "help"a mother deliver twins although her labor was progressing normally. It was difficult to watch her push through the painful contractions so I thought I would ease her suffering and pull the lambs as soon as their front feet and heads were visible. What I did not realize at the time is that slowly moving through the birth canal and the pressure of the contractions helps to express fluid from the lungs of the lambs. As the lambs coughed and tried to clear fluid from their lungs, I realized that ending this ewe's pain prematurely was not a good idea.

When we go through difficult times, we often feel that God should intervene. That He should make the pain go away. But unlike me, our Shepherd doesn't make mistakes. I'm sure it's difficult for him to watch us struggle, but Jesus understands more than anyone, that there is often a purpose for our pain.

If you are in a difficult time right now, keep pushing through. Although it's not always obvious, sometimes pain is just part of our plan, but thankfully our Shepherd is standing watch and is there for us through it all.

1 Peter 5:10 (NIV)

And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast

04/26/2026

Wayward Words

"Here kitty kitties! Time to eat!"I said as I emptied the cans into several bowls. At the sound of my voice, five furry kittens scurried from underneath the old trailer that sits on the fence line that separates the horses from the sheep. "How is everybody today?" I asked the wide-eyed kittens who were staring at me. "Not ready for me to touch you yet? That's ok. Just eat your food," I said as I hopped on the Gator to get to my next stop.

After finishing my rounds, I pulled up to the house and as always, glanced out to count my sheep. I stopped in my tracks when I realized that BB (my blind sheep), was not with the others. I scanned the pasture. No BB. I started to panic as I ran through the gate imagining that he was hung in the fence somewhere. "BB! BB! Come on boy! Where are you?"

"He must be in the barn", I prayed. I peered into the cool darkness of the repurposed to***co bulk barn but no BB. My heart sank. There was only one other place that he could be....behind the barn, wedged against the fence. "But why would be there?" I thought. Sure enough, BB had squeezed himself between the barn and the fence but he couldn't figure out how to get back out.

Relieved, but out of breath and pouring sweat I said "BB! Why are you over here!? " I was startled as suddenly the 5 furry kittens appeared on the other site of the fence. As I looked at the kittens who were curiously staring at me, I understood exactly how BB ended up here. "You heard me calling the kittens earlier and you came to me instead of following the others didn't you sweet boy?"

Holy Spirit moment: Our words matter. ALL of them.

We never know who is listening and how our words may affect them. What we say and how we say it, matters. I was convicted as I realized that my words (or the "passionate" way that I deliver them), can cause others to alter their course, not only for the good, but unfortunately, sometimes for the bad.

Colossians 4:6 (NKJV)
Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

Proverbs 15:4 (NKJV)
A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,
But perverseness in it breaks the spirit.

So as we start a new week, I will ask for forgiveness for my shortcomings, and I will ask the Holy Spirit to remind us that we never know who is listening when we speak. I pray that our words will be healing, and not harmful to others.

04/04/2026

Well springtime or summertime…. They all run together…. One thing for sure the animals appreciate the warm weather in more ways then one!!!

01/25/2026

01/05/2026

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01/04/2026

Standing Alone

Cows are herd animals and are typically very social. It is rare that you see a cow by herself for an extended period of time, but if you do, it warrants investigation. The most common reasons a cow will isolate are: illness, labor, and to hide a new calf.

While tending to a sick lamb, I noticed a Charolais heifer standing alone in a nearby pasture. I scanned the landscape for her roughly forty pasture-mates, but they were nowhere in sight. After I finished with the lamb, I decided to make sure that the young cow was alright. "Well girl, you don't look sick, you don't have a calf, and you don't look pregnant, so I guess you don't need my help."

The next day I didn't see the light colored heifer as the sea of mostly black cows filed through the narrow alleyway that led out of the main pasture and into the cool woods. "Maybe she went through first," I thought as I headed toward the sheep pen. As I placed the lamb back into the pen with his mother, I glanced up, and there she was. Standing under the same tree, alone.

That night I asked my husband about her. "She won't follow the others," he said. "She isn't comfortable walking through the alley because I put up a cattle rub and it doesn't seem right to her. She is the only one who won't go." (A cattle rub is a piece of fabric that has fly spray on it).

As Christians, shouldn't we be willing to stand alone just as this young Charolais heifer is? Rather than following the crowd, shouldn't we be willing to stand up and stand out when we know that something isn't right?

I pray that the Holy Spirit will give us discernment to know when we should walk through the alley, and when we should chose to stand alone.

Matthew 7:13-14 (NKJV)

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.