THE WAR ON FOOD?

The war on food.

Or does that even have anything to do with it?

So the other day I was making donuts, listening to Pandora and an ad comes on. Something about a protein bar to stop hunger cravings while living your busy, fast paced life. Ok… I kept listening. And then they said, “and the best part is that our protein bars are gluten free, vegan, dairy-free and non- GMO”.

Those kind of ads always kind of ‘get me’ anyway. And today was no exception.

Let’s take a quick look at those words.

Gluten- A mixture of two proteins, gluten is a substance present in cereal grains, especially wheat, that is responsible for the elastic texture of dough.
Did you know that just 1% of Americans have Celiac Disease? And did you know that it is even more rare to truly be allergic to wheat?

Vegan- A recent study said that as much as 6% of U.S. consumers say they are vegan — a 6x (500%) increase compared to just 1% in 2014. ( hum.. noted.)

If you look at the rise of “Lactose free” products in the last couple years you would see a big reason why small, family run dairy farms have been annihilated.
And now the announcement of Borden Dairy having just declared bankruptcy, the second large milk supplier (Dean foods) to do so in just 2 months, it makes one wonder if our bones are gonna hold up at all! Things like “non dairy milk” (which I think is an oxymoron) have taken over the “American fad” charts and now are the #1 hit single coming in to take away family farming. (BOOM. Also noted.)

And GMO. Do you even know what that means??? Yeah. Most people don’t. And that is the problem. Hitting the #2 spot on the billboards and crushing American society with its “Fake news”, GMOs are more important and less of an ‘issue’ than most people care to study.

And that is where our problems begin. The world is entirely uneducated outside of those who actually are living in the industry.
And the ones that have been talking the loudest are the ones that are getting heard. The Greta Thornbergs and the Joaquin Phoenix of the world are talking and making the world take notice. Why? Because people no longer think for themselves. Oh, yeah, Mr. Phoenix is the star of Joker (may also want to note that). And when headlines like “Golden Globes Dinner Will Be Vegan for the First Time—Get the Soup Recipe the Stars Will Be Eating”.
It’s a wonder we even have any imagination left! Good gracious.

So what do I see when I hear ads for an “11 Grams of Protein - Protein Bar?”
(Fun fact: that steak I ate the other night had 62 grams of protein.)
What I see is The Almighty Dollar. I see power players and “wanna be Influencers”.
It’s not about food. It never has been! It’s about taking out the those who stand on principle, those who provide for the world in the most ethical way and most sustainable ways we have ever seen.
Emissions from cows??? Holy smokes! I learned about smog in first grade and the pollution in our cities, that if we aren’t careful could very much become a problem! I learned that after I got inside after doing my chores in the fresh air of feeding calves and milking the cow and getting the eggs.
If you think it’s cows, you’re buying a lie!

The ad finished with... “food made from food.” Well, they got that right. We’ve been doing that forever here in America.

No. It’s not a war on food. It’s a war on the foundation of America, the heart and soul of what drives the American patriot.
War started by the same ones that kill babies and say “feed the homeless” and save the planet. Oh yeah...Hug your tree Goodnight. That’s sweet. It will do an amazing job running our country in the next generation. You know. After you’re dead.
And you feed those homeless. Go pick mushrooms and make them soup. I’m sure the homeless man on that bench will love that it’s the same recipe that was used by Hollywood the other night. All while driving your car to the airport to fly a jet to the Caribbean for your paid vacation.
Yeah, you save the planet. You save it.
While you destroy those that are saving your livelihood. Yeah. You do that..

ENCOURAGE GREATNESS

I think our society took a fall when we started giving out participation ribbons.

I went to town today with mom to get some stuff done and on our way out of town we passed a kid walking on the side of the street. Aimlessly, hood up, hands in pockets, skinny jeans hanging way lower than I could handle and looking like he was looking for a reason to live. He probably was.

What does participation ribbons have to do with that?
Motivation to do better, encouragement to Be the best you. And the will to strive to be great.

For when everyone is the winner. No one is. So why try anymore?

Encourage Greatness.

WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE TO TAKE AMERICA BACK AGAIN?

Every day we hear new and agonizing stories and reports about another circle that America has taken in a downward spiral of doom. Sound bad? Well It is. My heart aches at some of the things I have seen and heard in the last decade. But when did it start? Well, it’s been a slow fade for quite a few years and I believe that slow fade has recently turned into a rapid retreat to the dungeon. You know... when you want to hide from the light. From the truth. Hiding because of guilt.

Oh, America, how I wish I could reach out and pull you back to where you once were when you were founded upon principle, when your people had fled foreign lands to establish a Great Country built upon the Word of God. The voice of Truth, where in other countries just before they fell, was banned from Government and therein banned from the family and the home.

The truth is, the Homefront in America now lies in shambles. Family does not exist as it once did. Drugs, immorality and instant gratification are all that one holds to. And when that moment of satisfaction is over, those who reached for it now give up entirely, wasting away as if they were never born. For when there seems to be nothing better... why try to merely exist?

Children have grown up in a “me” society, an entitlement society, where everything is owed to us because we are. And so? We just expect to be made happy, and if we’re not? We whine and complain and become the victim. Jobs well done and work ethic have sunken to the floor in the back row. And while we’re here, would you bring me a decaf latte with almond milk?

Things that our Great Grandparents would have never questioned are now preached as unhealthy and bad for the planet. Hogwash!! That’s not their agenda at all. We must wake up to their sly misconceptions and hidden schemes and teach what we KNOW to be true. And if you dare to tell me that change is good, I am here to stand up and say, “Not always”.

How did we get here? Does history repeat itself? Is there any hope? Is there a chance at a redemptive rise from the ashes of defeat? Is there a chance at a Savior for Survival?

I don’t know all the answers, but what I do know is that it is going to take a lot of work in an uphill battle against the face of a reality that we have created ourselves! We will fight alongside of and against those we grew up with. A fight to the death in a Civil war of sorts that the world may have never seen.

Can it be done? I believe, for God’s sake, we will fight and we will conquer!

So how do we take steps to take our Great Country back?

1. We recognize the problem.

2. We acknowledge that we have a problem and we need to take a stand.

3. We do it.

4. We quit letting someone else do it!
That is a big one.
Be it teaching our children or running for public office! It’s going to take an army and it’s time for the army to rise!

5. We quit letting our children be the trial version.
Their lives are worth so much more! THEY are the future of America and the generation set to take over! So we quit sending them out as sheep among wolves. At least give them some armor. Goodness knows I know you can’t protect them forever and I don’t in the least tell you to lock them up so they don’t get hurt! I’m saying that we need to be the ones they look to. Not Oprah or Ellen, not the late night shows and not even the public universities! Yes, I said that! It’s not worth it. And neither is soccer at 6am and 9pm including weekends. They aren’t meant to be a trial version!

6. (And last on the list only to finish with the Main Point.)
We put God back.
If it’s any encouragement at all... He never left. We moved Him. Out of our government. Out of our schools. Out of our family. Out of our lives. We called ourselves by the Christian name when it was convenient. After all, we are America: God, Baseball, Chevy and Apple pie! (And that’s not just a Christian speaking. Ask around. Other countries consider Americans Christian whether they like it our not.)

America as it was once known does not exist.
But I believe that hope lies just around the corner. What I question is “will we need to fall all the way before we can start to pick up the pieces and put it back together again?”

Our generation knows no hardship. What we want and what we need lies just inside our reach. At the touch of a button we have it delivered to our door. And we know satisfaction only until we see the next big thing. Do we need to crash and burn before we see how desperately we need to reroute?
It was a slow fade that nobody even knew was happening and it’s going to be a slow climb back to the top. But let’s do it. Let’s take on the mountain!

My friends. It starts at HOME. It starts in your own life. YOU must be responsible for the person that YOU are and then strive to better yourself and raise your family and/or encourage those with whom you interact. It starts at HOME. It’s time for a Revolution. It’s time we become America again.

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

©️ Rachel Reinhold
December 2019

PURSUIT

I walked about 2 miles through the breaks this morning looking for a deer that I’ve been after for the last week and a half. Walking through 7 foot tall dried up sweet clover and frozen, tracked up gumbo there is cover everywhere and I don’t even know how many deer I’ve passed over this season. I haven’t been able to get this deer off my mind as he is literally even in my dreams at night. 🦌
But this week the thought hit me. And on my walk this morning I had lots of time to think about it.

“What if I was pursuing God with the same passion and anticipation and desire that I have been this deer?”
What if I was seeking after His Heart and striving to know Him more as much as I have been after this deer?

Truth is...God is constantly pursuing us. He wants our heart. He wants to bless us. He cares about every detail of our lives. Our relationships, our future, our today, our hopes and our dreams and even our quest for the big buck. More than anything He cares about our eternity.

If He is after our heart shouldn’t we be desiring a closer relationship with Him?

To be honest I haven’t seen this deer since last Friday. But somehow I still have faith that he is still out there somewhere. So I keep pursuing.
Isn’t that the definition Faith?

My walk was completely unproductive and unsuccessful this morning as far as deer season goes. But I had a good morning walk and talk with my Savior in His beautiful creation. And Isn’t that really the point of the hunt in the end anyway?

•Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8

•For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. Luke 19:10

•Seek the Lord while He May be found, call upon Him while He is near. Isaiah 55:6

•The Lord is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, and He will make me walk on my high hills. Habakkuk 3:19

•As the deer pants for the water, so my soul longs for You, O God. Psalm 42:1

Happy Thanksgiving my friends! I hope you enjoy the journey!

"But not just a horse..."

I’ve said goodbye to a lot of special friends in the last 20+ years. I’ve had friends that I thought would always be there move on and out of my life for the most part. I’ve met hundreds of kids and when saying goodbye added “see you next year!” Only to never see some again. It’s life and life moves on.

But today I said goodbye to one of my best friends. I saw him up on “the hill” and I knew.

We are the same age. We basically grew up together. He listened to me so many times and even let me cry sometimes. He would take the horses out with me in the Summer sometimes and we had some really special times and memories together. Times that I am thankful for. Times I will cherish.

He’s a horse. But not just a horse.

Named Mr. Tige like my Grandpa he was my dads horse for a few years. He became famous for the 100s of times that my dad has told the story of “Riding the Storm”. Thousands of people have heard about Mr. Tige.

He survived Atlas in 2013. One of nine.

He was the go to horse for whenever there was a kid at camp that was scared and never wanted to ride again. “Here!” I would say, “let me put you on my favorite. I PROMISE you that Mr. Tige will take the best care of you.” And he always did. And I never ever saw one of those times not end without a smile on the face of that kid.

When I got back after going out to check on him and finding that he had lived his last day I met dad in front of the shop. I still had some tears in my eyes. And dad did too. “He taught alot of kids...” Dad said and all I could do was nod. We both knew.

I don’t think it ever gets easier. I mean shucks if it ever does I think I might need to make a career change.

I am so very thankful and will ever be grateful for the way that God has used those “missionary horses” in my life.

One of My best friends lived his last day on the ranch today. But he wasn’t “just” a horse. He was a horse that changed lives. And I know of a pasture full of them that are still doing just that.