Monthly Archives: June 2025

horse

Posted by justthegoodstuff in Deep Thoughts with Melissa and tagged with ,

I have deep thoughts about everything

today – horses 

(this photo is not of the horses in this deep thought, just one of the many baby animal photos I stop abruptly to snap)

there are some really pitiful gray horses on a little county road I travel frequently 

my son’s nana would say how “ugly” they are every time we passed them and to be fair, they actually are 

the living conditions are tough – junk on the unkept land, no shelter, I don’t even know

at one point these animals were pathetically emaciated and the sheriff’s department was there every other day- I’m sure answering the call of a concerned citizen

today I drove by and saw the neighbor across the street feeding them – the same man I’ve seen feeding these animals for years, driven by him literally hundreds of times with a little pail of food, on the other side of the fence, hand feeding this crew to their delight

and to his

I noticed and then realized how he always has a kind, soft expression on his face as he tenderly cares for them

scruffing their little heads as they aggressively devour the contents of his pail 

and the deep thought washed over me

maybe it’s my made up version of what is going on but i really believe it’s the truth

he isn’t judging 

anyone

not the owners of the animals

not the situation

in my mind, he’s judging nothing 

he’s also not devaluing them because they aren’t the most beautiful horses in the pasture

his one and only goal is to care for these animals that are vulnerable and can’t care for themselves 

he happily walks over day in and day out and helps a situation that needs attention with love and compassion 

he doesn’t try to delve deeply into the why

or try to understand how things got this way 

he doesn’t try to change the owners actions

or get angry because the owners aren’t doing what he is doing

or responding the way he responds

he’s not feeling superior because he’s doing the right and best thing 

he’s not on FB announcing how awful these people are and how wonderful he is 

or in the office on Monday morning yelling about his crappy neighbors 

he is simply, happily, quietly and lovingly attending to a situation that needs attention with love and compassion 

deep.

thought.  

”Humanity shares a unique bond with God, characterized by deep personal intimacy and the invitation to foster a beautiful world. The nature of humanity’s relationship with God stands apart from that of the rest of creation. We aren’t merely inhabitants of this evolving terrain but its designated stewards. Humanity is empowered not with unchecked authority, but a deep-seated duty. Our role? To protect every tree and every creature, ensuring all thrive under our care. In this way, we mirror the care, grace, and compassion that God extends to us.”- A Beautiful Year in the Bible

trail talk

Posted by justthegoodstuff in Deep Thoughts with Melissa and tagged with , , , ,

Being out of the game for basically a year, AND it being steamy hot, i was going to start slow but i decided to challenge myself. I connected two loops B and C at Tyler State Park for a 5.5 mile trek. That may not SEEM like a lot, but it was A LOT! 

Sometimes I stomp out anxiety and fear, sometimes I pray. Today, I stepped onto the trail and started talking to Him. He had the audacity to interrupt me and tell me to just listen this time and He had a lot to say. Not only was it mind clearing and therapeutic to push myself in the heat, but it created the opportunity to REALLY listen  . . . 

•Slow down when you need to, instead of continuing to tough it through life pushing Pushing PUSHING until you are “done.”  Slowing down isn’t comfortable, but if you don’t, you may not make it to the end. 

•Listen and respond to what your mind, body and spirit are whispering to you before it becomes a scream.  The whisper is easier to resolve than the scream. 

•Keep trying between each stumble. Each time you’ll realize the confidence is building up.

•If you look back, you can see where you got lost and know that you don’t want to get lost there again. And yet, don’t keep looking back, look forward to the beautiful path ahead of you with hope and wonder and expectation. 

•Some lost hikers looked at ME and decided I could save them . . . Pausing to allow plenty of time for laughter. . . 

My son has been navigating life with me for 34 years and 7 months and could fill in the gaps here, and plenty of you know the stories and know what happened next 💅🏼. Thank you AllTrails for coming in clutch. 

And the always random that never stops for me

•Does my Vault Arms hat make me look like I’m packing heat? Because people stare and I’m okay if they think there’s a pistol in my Osperey. 

•Those red shrooms in Super Mario are a real thing. I saw one. 

•The smell of dog poop on the trail gives me a skush bit of anxiety. IYKYK. ICYDK – I broke my ankle hiking in November stepping around a pile of dog poop. 

I’ll never stop saying how incredible nature, the outdoors, trees and peace are for your mental health. When you find a prescription that works, keep using it. This is my prescription. 

I have many blogs written that have to stay stored “under my pillow” for now and possibly forever, but I think my new series will each be what I heard on the trail because it is good stuff 100% of the time.  And it’s not just about the trail.