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No Matter Where We Travel To When God Wants To Teach Us Something We’re Going To Get The Lesson

If you’re looking for God these days, you’re bound to find him.  It seems we’re always so busy.  Even though we’re all desperately trying to find an answer for what our world is going through right now, some of us still haven’t learned that the true “answer” is found in the day-to-day.  In fact, He’s found in the EVERY DAY and the EVERYWHERE.  We can’t escape him, especially when He’s trying to get our attention.  Our adventures are lessons that God sends us on so He can teach what He needs us to learn.

Sometimes, when our minds are set in a certain thinking pattern, that He wants to change in us, He will show up in the least likely places.  Even when we travel 15 hours from our homes.  He WILL show up and you’ll learn the lesson you were meant to be taught.

Negativity is so rampant! My goodness, it’s in the news, social media, it’s even in our own homes amongst our loved ones. It seems like it’s everywhere these days.  It’s almost like we’ve lost sight of what’s most important.  In a crazy weird, way this chaos that we’re going through, right now with the Coronavirus, is in a roundabout way bringing us back to our roots and giving us a firm foundation again.

I have two extremely cynical family members.  When I’ve asked them in the past if they believe the world is a bad place full of bad people they always reply with a big, fat YES!  Every time.

I emphatically disagree.

Fearful Mindsets Will Make You A Prisoner And Hold You Captive

If you watch the news 24/7, which I used to do, then yes you will believe the world is a dangerous place full of hardened criminals just waiting for you to leave your home so that they could rob you and steal all your belongings. 

Or worse yet,  your fearful mindset stays is a place of thinking you’re always on the verge of being harmed, leaving you to figure out how you are going to recover from the trauma and get on with your life.  You become a prisoner to a negative merry-go-round of thoughts.

While I do believe there are people out there that wish us harm and will hurt us if, given the opportunity, I believe more strongly that the world is full of really good people.   Folks who just want to live their lives in a positive way helping others and just show kindness.

I’ve traveled around this great big beautiful country, even outside the U.S., and I wholeheartedly believe love trumps hate and good trumps evil.  Every time.

Case in point.  While visiting New Mexico several years ago, where my husband was working at the time,  I needed to drive up to Albuquerque to get a new phone because mine had broken.

On this particular day,  on my way from our campground in Belen, New Mexico (which is a good 35-minute drive), I stopped on the outskirts of Albuquerque at a gas station to fill up and get a drink. I might go ahead and add here that when I travel alone I am very cautious and careful.   Traveling alone as a woman I am constantly aware of my surroundings.   My husband has instilled in me to always pay attention in case I run into a situation that warrants quick action.

God Will Place You In Situations In Order To Teach You The Lesson You Are Supposed To Learn

It was early morning and while I pumped the gas, I noticed a man walking from car to car asking for money.   He was with his wife and baby.   Unfortunately, their car was out of gas.    I overheard him say that they needed to get to Socorro, New Mexico.   Socorro was at least another good hour from where we were.

I  watched him walk from person to person and prayed that he would not come over to me.  Watch out what you pray for because sometimes God has a different idea in mind for you.   

With a sincere smile, the man walked over to me, and politely asked if I could spare any money for him and his family to buy some gas.

I quickly said I didn’t have any cash on me. It was being honest.  I didn’t have any cash on me AT ALL.  That part was true.   But I did have my debit card.

Again with utter politeness, he said “Thank you and God bless you” and then he walked away.

While I finished pumping my own gas I wondered if this was a scam or did they REALLY need gas money.

My heartstrings got yanked and I mean YANKED!  I opened my console where I found a bunch of change and filled my hands and walked over to the man. I told him that this was all I had but he was welcome to it. Again he said, “Thank you and God bless you.”

It’s In The Little Things Where Adventure Lives

That little bit of change just didn’t seem like it was enough. Not just enough for him, but enough for God. Was I doing God’s work?  Was I doing what God asked me to do?  My head told me, YES but my heart was impressing upon me NOT.

I paid at the pump but something pulled me into the actual gas station.  When I got inside there was a line of people waiting to donate their money to this man’s cause.

When it was my turn at the window, I told the clerk I wanted to give the man five more dollars.   The two men in front of me were each giving him ten dollars. 

God Uses Strangers Sometimes As Messengers To Teach Us The Lessons

While I waited in line,  the young man in front of me and I started discussing the act of giving.   He said these words to me that I’ll never forget.

He said, “My mom always told me never to judge others.  And when I give something to someone I am to let it go and not worry about what they’re going to do with it. What they do with the gift is between them and God.   And our giving from our hearts is between us and God.”

Wow.  Just wow.

Keep in mind that although this young man was around my son’s age, I couldn’t believe the wisdom coming from this young soul’s words. I was impressed with knowing that there is a generation younger than my own that still believes in God.   And that still believes in giving from the heart. I wanted to pat him on the back or hug him or something but I chose to just tell him I agree and that his mother raised him right.

As I walked back to my car the man who needed the gas money came up to me with a smile and said,  “Thank you.”

Was it a scam?   Was it the actual truth? Who knows.   And really who cares. The truth is that it is between him and God. It is also the truth that my giving and the tugging at my heartstrings were between ME and GOD!!!! No one else.

As for my two negative family members I chose NOT to tell them about my experience mostly because I just didn’t feel like listening to the negative feedback I would receive. I wanted to revel in the goodness that I witnessed and just enjoy the fact that I was right.  There is more goodness in the world than there is bad.

Let us always remember this young man’s mother’s words…

“My mom always told me never to judge others.  And when I give something to someone I am to let it go and not worry about what they’re going to do with it. What they do with the gift is between them and God.   And our giving from our hearts is between us and God.“

I still believe, today, that there is more goodness in this world than we can even imagine.  And because we’ve read our Bibles and know how the story ends…we know that evil loses the battle. We should have peace about that.  That alone should give us the strength to continue the good fight in life.  We should be encouraged to travel around this beautiful world that we’re living in and spread kindness as often as we can.

Turtle Shell Hunting Is My Therapy

If I was to take a poll on how many people (let’s say out of 100) had a “collection” of some sort, I would wager that the percentage would be high of those saying “yes.”

For some reason, we, as humans, gravitate toward something that we like.  Then we start stockpiling more of that one thing.   Before we know it we’re “hoarding!”  Yes, I said “hoarding!”

We will spend hours searching for different sizes, different colors, even different patterns of whatever it is we are accumulating.   All in the name of having our compilation be complete.

As much as I hate to say it, I am just as guilty. I would have to raise both hands.   

Because not only do I have ONE collection of treasure troves, I own MULTIPLE collections.

I am a collector from way back and not the slightest bit sorry for it either.

I collect shot glasses, from all over the world and all over the country. I think I counted 250 just the other day. However, in my defense, none are cheesy and all are cool.

“I love scouting for treasures when I’m out in the woods.”

Another thing I collect is rocks. And seashells. And sand from different beaches. Oh, I can’t leave out antler sheds, deer skulls, and turkey feathers.

The Best Souvenirs Are The Ones You Find Along Your Way

Yes, I know, it sounds like a sickness.   But I believe that the BEST souvenirs you can bring back with you are the ones you find. I spend most of my time out in nature.   Obviously, it would stand to reason that I love scouting for treasures when I’m out in the woods. That’s what leads me to my favorite collection of all…old turtle shells.

During turkey season, when I’m out in the timber, you can bet that I’ll be more concerned with looking down than looking around. As much as I love to hunt turkey and whitetail, I love hunting for empty turtle shells even more.

There’s just something exciting about trekking along through the timber and then all of a sudden spotting a white circle amidst some dried leaves. I have a love for turtles anyway.   So when I find a remnant of what used to be,  I grab it up and stick it in my pocket.

Each and Every Turtle Shell Is Different

I have been known to find several on one trip out to the woods. Over the years I’ve had a number of turtle shells and although each one is totally different, they are all very special to me.

I believe each shell has a story to tell and I thankful to be the one who gets to let the tale live on through me.

When I do find a shell the first thing I do is bring it home and wash it with a toothbrush. I get in every nook and cranny and make sure it’s clean and dry before I do anything with it. I used to just leave them in their natural state but over the last couple of years, I’ve begun painting on the shells.

I never have any design in mind. I just let it come to me and then create from there. Depending on what’s going on in my life, or what I’m thinking about, is generally where my inspiration comes from. As you can see from the pictures, I don’t have one central theme…I have multiple.

No, none of them are for sale.   Although at one time I had planned on painting them and selling on Etsy. I tried to let go of them a time or two but just couldn’t. I guess, in my craziness, it just seems like no one would treasure them as much as I do. And to be honest, they were hard to come by.

You don’t just go out and find turtle shells all the time. It takes effort and perseverance in the quest for hunting them. Seeing them reminds me of the memories I made during the searching.   And I am thankful that God led me to every one of them.

“There’s just something exciting about trekking along through the timber and then all of a sudden spotting a white circle amidst some dried leaves”

To some of you reading this it doesn’t sound like this is much of anything really. And I suppose it’s not in the grand scheme of “collections.” I guess I could have more money invested like cars, or guns, or even sports memorabilia but I’m just not interested in any of that.

I am happy and content right where my heart resides…in the middle of nature. So for me,  I’ll take my pine cones, acorns, skunk skulls, Lake Superior rocks, sand from every beach I’ve ever been to.   I’m thrilled with every seashell I’ve ever bent over to pick up. It’s not about the stuff. It’s about the memories made while hunting for nature’s “free” souvenirs.

Yes, my husband wishes I could tone it down a peg or two. And yes, when I die I have no idea what my family will do with it all. But for now, I am choosing to just be glad that I have two legs that I can walk on out to my favorite hunting spot.    I’m elated that God gave me two arms and a waist that I can use to bend over and pick those darn turtle shells up.

Life is about living, not just existing. I can’t think of a better way to live my life than with childlike wonderment at times and letting myself explore my surroundings and just see what I see. I see turtle shells.

Live a life that others can look back on and tell great, funny stories. Let them remember those small but BIG things about you. And by all means, pick up that turtle shell when you’re out in the woods and think of me…The Running Doe!

 

Why Is It So Hard To Step Out From The Comfort Zone

How many of us have felt a little uneasy while walking out to our stands in the dark?  What about climbing higher than you did last season in your stand?  The answer is probably more times than we are willing to admit.  Our fears and our comfort zone are at the continual battle against each other.

For me, I live in a household full of testosterone. The mantra at my house is “suck it up.”

Growing up as an only child, my parents didn’t teach me to push past my fears. 

At an early age, I learned that if you were too scared to try something new you didn’t have to. I was taught it was okay to settle into the place that I call your “comfort zone.”

Hunting for me didn’t start until I was in my mid 40’s.   It wasn’t that I didn’t like it.  It wasn’t that I was against it or didn’t believe in it.   My dad was a hunter, but a gun hunter only.  So although it was a long tradition in my family, I just didn’t carry any interest in it.

When I got married, to my children’s dad, I married into a bow hunting family.  My mom cooked all the wild game Dad brought home. When I became the wife of a hunter I learned how to do the same.  Hunting was all around me yet it wasn’t something my tender heart was comfortable with.

Sometimes Life Will Give You A Hard Push Out Of Your Safe Place

In the fall of 2009, my mom passed away from lung cancer.  My dad had previously died from heart problems two years prior thus leaving me without any parents. 

When you wake up one morning and you’re basically an adult orphan, you begin to contemplate and question many things. Your capabilities for one. 

It was an odd time in my life. What sparked my interest in hunting was the one question that kept running through my head. Would I be able to take care of my family if I needed to?  Would I be able to kill our food if we were starving? 

Turns out that the answer to those questions would end up being YES! It’s here that I want to give all the credit to the man I NOW call me husband. It was his influence and passion for hunting that led me on the hunting journey I am now on. He helped lead me OUT of my comfort zone.

It wasn’t until the fall of 2010 that I actually pulled the trigger of my dad’s Winchester .243. It just so happened to be the first snow of that season.  I had been out EVERY day up until that point. I don’t sit still well and I will admit that I had begun to get discouraged. It was a waiting game. Both of patience, to finally see a shooter, and the discipline of waiting for a clear, ethical shot. I had both physically and mentally prepared for that moment. 

Now to make a long story short, when the 70-yard moment arose I took it.   A little “unicorn” spike came in about 15 minutes after I got to my hunting spot and I dropped him. Funny, he looked A LOT bigger from 70 yards away!

That moment was bittersweet for me because I had never killed anything in my life.   Anyone who knows me, even today, knows that I am a tender heart. Killing something is always a little hard for me to do.   But at that historic moment, I was both sad and proud.  

I think my dad would have REALLY been proud.  My mom, on the other hand, would have wondered what on earth had happened to her baby girl.   For me, it was a coming of age, almost middle age. I did it by stepping out of my comfort zone.

Over the years there have been many times I have been afraid while hunting. I have had to push past my own fears. One example is learning to use a climbing tree stand.   I’m somewhat afraid of heights. However, I am REALLY afraid of falling out of a tree and breaking my neck or back or all of the above.    

There’s something a little unsettling about inching yourself up a tree to over 20 feet. Then once you’re up you must twist your bow hanger into the bark. All the while hoisting your bow up in hopes of not falling out.

 I’ll admit, that the whole scenario has frightened me many times. However, I continue to do it and continue to push past the fear.  Am I better than I was at first? You bet I am.  Do I still sweat profusely? Yes, I do.  

But I refuse to let fear take hold of me. I refuse to let it keep me from learning further into something I love to do. 

This past season I climbed into a hang-on stand that was a little higher than I normally go.    I wouldn’t have attempted it had my son not secured it. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that the stand was completely safe.  Also, I was wearing my harness, so in the event, I was to fall I was secure.

Once I got up into the stand and my stomach stopped hurting. I calmed down a bit and relaxed into the hunt.   As I sat there, looking down, I realized that it wasn’t that high and I was okay.  And the best part was that I was looking at deer from a new view.  It was really pretty awesome and again I had the “proud of myself” moment.

Take That First Step Out Of Your Comfort Zone

Every time I walk out in the dark, to go to my stand, I am stepping out of my comfort zone.

I don’t know about you but walking in the pitch black is a little unnerving. Every time, I am basically blindly feeling my way to the ladder stand.   I know that path like the back of my hand and have made the trek a million times, in the daylight and the dark. 

There’s just something about total darkness that I think makes us all a little uneasy. 

Am I afraid of running into another person? Absolutely not!   Am I afraid of running into a skunk and getting sprayed? Or having a wild boar growl at me? YES!   I’ve been out there many a morning and hear deer blow at me and I’m okay with that.   Tripping over a skunk and getting sprayed is just something I am not interested in doing.

This year I’ve started strapping a light on my cap when I head out before first light.   I hate it because it’s cumbersome but I do it anyway. I’ve seen several skunks, and even had one hang out under my stand. But to date I’ve been lucky to have not ever been “skunked.”

It’s Actually Healthy To Push Past Your Fears

To push past your fears and step out of secure places applies to all areas of your life. It’s not confined to just hunting.

I think it’s healthy to push past your fears when you’re afraid to do something that you want to do. It’s a must when it comes to doing something that you NEED to do.

Like when I held my mother’s hand, as she took her last breath. That was waaaaaaaay out of my comfort zone. I had to literally force myself to push back against my fears. To be in the moment to comfort her, as she was about to make that transition.

Also, having run a half marathon TWICE was way out of my comfort zone because I was afraid of failure. But I “sucked it up” and crossed that finish line TWICE and improved my time the second time around.

“ I think it’s healthy to push past your fears when you’re afraid to do something that you want to do.”

We all have times in our lives when we need to take a step forward in faith. That’s why we call it faith. But we’ve got to trust that God will be there with us and he’ll work it out to our good. If we don’t, our fears will put a chokehold on us. We’ll live from a place of being afraid instead of a place of truly living. Life is meant to be lived.

All it takes is four little words…I can do this! 

And then you will.

You get to choose. It’s not a default setting.

I don’t know about you but there are times that my attitude really sucks. Life happens and sometimes it just doesn’t go the way I want it go. I find myself sinking into a pit of self pity and before I know it I’m mad at the world and they aren’t even aware of it.

Our attitudes are key to success in life and they are totally in our control. Most of the time we let out attitudes take control of us which, at times, produces negative results…depression, anger, fear, anxiety, and even doubt. But in saying that we have the capability to flip that script if we consciously take notice of the negativity before it settles in. Attitude is a choice. It always will be and regardless of our circumstances it’s our decision to ultimately make. Will we let negativity reign over us or will we take a step of faith to the possibility that better things are waiting just ahead of us if we’ll just hold on a little bit longer?

The Apostle Paul tells us in Philippians that we are to be content in all circumstances and not to be anxious or look back but to strain forward to better days.

“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:11-13

I read that and want it to be that easy but let’s face it, it’s just not. Sometimes there are situations that we go through that take us down to a place where it feels like rock bottom is actually a looking up from where we are in that moment. There are times when we feel so defeated by life and people that we just can’t see any light at the end of the tunnel and our hope fades to a color we’ve never even heard of. That’s the exact moment that we need to realize that what we are going through is really meant for us to “grow through.” When we flip our mindset from dread to thankfulness and look for meaning in our mess instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, the winds of change in our attitude shift over to the positive side. Over time of flipping the script we will release the death grip a negative attitude has over our thinking and we will slowly resonate the fact that everything really does happen for a reason and this was all part of the plan.

I know something that really helps to change my attitude into the positive is when I do something for someone else. When I take my attention off of myself and place it on showing compassion toward another person I instantly feel a little better. Sometimes a lot better. Another way I force myself to change my crappy attitude is to go for a walk in the woods and quiet myself long enough to listen to the birds chirp and all the little sounds of the critters around me. There is nothing that humbles me more that to be in the middle of God’s grandeur and remind myself that it’s not all about me and there’s greater work that’s being done and I’m not the one in control. He’s got a plan and it’s my job to sit tight and see how it unfolds.

“I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

How can I be anxious or have a bad attitude when I know God has something so much greater just waiting for me?

I don’t have the magic formula for inner peace or being content in any given circumstance, let alone all circumstances, but I do know what works for me and that is shifting my focus off of myself and my struggles and pointing them toward compassion and doing for others, even in the smallest of ways. I believe we are supposed to use our lives, the struggles and mistakes, to make someone else’s life better and to inspire them to do the same.

Show Some Love Today!!!!

It’s Good To Remember Why We Started What We Started

I was trying to remember this morning when and why I started The Running Doe blog website. I couldn’t recall when I posted that first page and as we all do, the trail through the rabbit holes began.

My first official post was in February of ’16 and although it was short and sweet it was a definite reminder of the “why.”

I think we, as humans, all want our lives to have mattered when we’re gone and I truly believe that for the most part people just want to live a good life and share what they’ve learned with others. It’s about that right of passage…passing on what we’ve learned in life to make life easier for others.

The older we get the hotter that fire burns.

I love nature. I always have. I love learning new things and exploring new places. As I scrolled through old FB albums the common denominator with everywhere Wes worked was that I had days of exploring by myself and was completely comfortable with that.

Life is not something we’re tortured to get through. It’s a journey, an adventure sorta, with bills, responsibilities, trials and tribulations but also maneuvering relationships, experiencing new places and learning new things.

The Running Doe is about those things I’m passionate about…being out in nature, hunting, hiking, learning to do new things…and at one time I was an avid runner (hence the running part). I’m even passionate about those things I suck at and haven’t mastered yet 🤣.

It’s about my love of writing. I am a lover of words. It’s about using my life to make someone else’s better and in some cases just doable. I am grateful knowing that my mistakes in life, and there have been some doozies, have actually pulled others up out of their pits believing that if I could so could they.

That’s what it all began as and it’s still that almost 4 years later. It continues to evolve. Am I a know-it-all? Absolutely not, just ask my husband 🤣🤣🤣. But have I made my fair share of bad decisions and mistakes?

Yes!

Resoundingly YES! I’m just choosing to take those negatives and hopefully turn them into something positive and let my life stand for something good when it’s all said and done.

And really that’s something we can all do. Just use our lives to have a positive impact on others.

Our Mess = Our Message 🙂

Peace and love,

Kelly