Before marriage, I used to live my life very selfishly, in my own space, doing whatever I wished, and believing that was Heaven on Earth. It was not, for it was devoid of the warmth and joy of sharing a home with another in a society that we had created: a family.
Cowboy
Do You Want to Love Reading Again?
I’m not going to tell you how to read. Most of us have been told how to read, what to read, and when to read for all of our academic lives, and that’s why we hate reading. Charles Belden photo, which rests on one of my bookcases. Pitchfork Ranch, Meeteetse. Try to remember the experience … Continue reading Do You Want to Love Reading Again?
It’s What You Do, Not Who You Are
I stole this mantra from a rodeo coach, albeit a coach I didn’t like very much. Still, wisdom can come from unexpected places. In the rodeo world, it is very easy to place one’s worth on one’s performance in the arena. I myself have gone through this realization after placing an incredible amount of identity … Continue reading It’s What You Do, Not Who You Are
Feature in Catholic Rural Life Magazine
In June, I was featured for my main business, equine bodywork, in the CRL Spring Edition. The response from this article has been overwhelmingly positive all over the nation. Priests from Texas could relate to the sanctity of working on animals. I hope this article helps us to find the balance between the world's two … Continue reading Feature in Catholic Rural Life Magazine
What’s to Be Done with Suffering?
The question as old as Christianity is, “Why would a good God allow bad things to happen?” It is the moment when many give up faith. It is the question upon which much doubt still hangs, even for the most faithful of people. It is true that some of us suffer greatly. Family members have … Continue reading What’s to Be Done with Suffering?
An Intersection of Traditions
I once got into an argument with a man at the South Dakota State Fair. A farmer, obviously, and slightly intoxicated, he confronted me with a rude dubiousness at the very idea of using a horse to move cattle. “Why wouldn’t you just use a four wheeler?” he said.
Love is a Gaze: How Jesus Looks at Us
As I settle into married life and find a routine in my new home, I wanted to share something seemingly minute, yet very powerful, which I was pondering for a few weeks leading up to my wedding: the gaze of Jesus Christ. Photo by Kaycee Monnens Cortner. What do I mean by that? Picture this, … Continue reading Love is a Gaze: How Jesus Looks at Us
Offering More Comfort: Reflections on Suicide
There is one pair of green, Hondo boots featured in my website’s header that are no longer with us, but will be kept there for a long time in honor of the wearer. It’s been a couple weeks since Wacey took his own life, and many of his friends and family are still reeling from … Continue reading Offering More Comfort: Reflections on Suicide
Catholicism: The Religion of “Stuff”
I’ll never forget the passage that I read in college which made me entirely rethink the religion I had grown up with. Turns out, I didn’t know much about my faith at all. Like many, I was under the impression that anything I could enjoy was inherently wrong. Drinking was bad, sex was bad, feasting, … Continue reading Catholicism: The Religion of “Stuff”
The Preservation of Fire 