Category: Papa

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Papa

What is Your Legacy?

Circle L Ranch
Leaving a Legacy Like Papa

Leaving Legacy’s like Papa

Circle L Ranch
Leaving a Legacy Like Papa

On Saturday, December 23, Cade dug a hole for Papa’s ashes. As the snow was coming down, our family stood on a hill by the ranch house, beside a statue of a cowboy on a horse; Mama read the following verses:

When a man’s ways please the LORD, he taketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. Proverbs 16:7 KJV

I will lift up  mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. Psalms 121:1 KJV

After reading the verses, Mama asked us to remember Papa.

As the boys were burying Papa’s ashes, I thought about how he lived his life and how he left his legacy for all of us to live by.

I came up with eight ways that he left this cowboy boot footprint:

Life is best lived in service to others. Papa always wanted the best for everyone. He didn’t do it for himself. He made sure that we were all taken care of before himself. The best way to leave a legacy is to look out for others.

I love that Jesus told us all to love each other. But he never told us to we had to like them. Liking people really has to do with our emotions, right? Loving people has to do with our actions, right? Papa loved people and he doing good things for them. When we do good things for people and love them, we find ourselves actually liking them. Papa showed this over and over.

What can we take to our grave? There are very few things that we can take with us. Our reputation. Our name. When Papa died, he didn’t take any earthy belongings. He took his reputation and his name. I remember Papa as being honest. I remember Papa doing right, no matter what the cost. I find myself dealing with temptations to cut corners but I was left with a great reminder of why never to do that.

Papa was a rancher. Papa was a friend. Papa was a neighbor. Papa was a grandpa. Papa was a father. Papa was a husband. Papa was a cowboy. In Papa’s life, he took risks in order to gain a reward. In ranching, for example, you must risk your capital in order for you to gain a profit in your bank account. The end of it, is that when we gain, we have more to leave for others.

Papa always reaped more than he sowed. Meaning, he gave what he got. What he put into the ground grew out of the ground. Papa loved and received love. Papa gave his time and he gained time. I believe that we must decide what we want out of life and then begin to sow it. It is black and white and I am thankful for Papa’s example of this.

Papa was a hard worker. He gave life his all everyday. Papa was a true example of “hard work never hurt anyone..” He left a grand legacy for all of us to follow.

Papa never gave up when he failed. I can remember stories that he told about the 1980’s and ranching. It was not a good story, I mean, drought, high interest in banks, cattle were worth nothing, these were just a few of the bad things that happened to Papa on the ranch. They had to sell cows in order to stay in the business. But in all that bad, there was good, Papa never gave up. Ya, it was a failure. Everyone has failures. It’s just a fact in ranch and in life. But he succeeded because he did not give up. He keep going and going. He left a legacy that Cody and I am proud to carry on.

Papa never stopped pursuing his legacy. I can remember Papa, he was sick with cancer, the cancer was all over his body and he would never let that ruin his day. He never stopped his legacy. In fact, it is still growing today through us and his grandkids. He never stopped helping, he never stopping learning, he was achieving things until he died. His example left us with a reminder that there is always time to do more and achieve more, to help more and to serve more, to teach more and to learn more. I can hear him say, “Keep going and grow your legacy!” He definitely left us a lasting legacy.

You see, our lives changed when Papa left but he left us all with a job to do. This post is for him and for everyone that was near to him.

He truly left us all with great example to follow.

I am going to leave you with a few things to think about.

We all want to leave our footprints on this world-to know that our life mattered.

What does leaving your legacy mean to you?

I know that I want to leave my footprint, and I want to make contributions to my future generations. I know that I have started leaving my footprint but in 2018 I want to make sure that it is deeper than 2017!

Are you with me?

Happy 2018!!

New Year’s Day is every man’s birthday! -Charles Lamb

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Circle L Ranch Godly Grief In Remembrance Papa ranch life thankful

In Remembrance.

In Remembrance. A Tribute. What Papa Taught Me.

Missing Papa gets a little easier everyday
because even though you are one day further
from the last time we saw him, we are one day
closer to the next time that we will see him.
It really is hard to believe that a year ago we said “Goodbye” to our Papa.
Even though we said a “Goodbye,” we all know that it wasn’t our last. In that I find comfort in.This year we have laughed, cried and remembered. We have told stories and more stories. We see our Papa in our kids and in our nieces and nephews.

Today I wanted to write this blog to honor and share my list of “What Papa Taught Me!”

1. To be Godly… sometimes praying for others when they have no idea that you are praying for them.
2. Have Faith. Papa had faith and he showed it everyday.
3. Be an example…. You never know when someone is watching.
4. Have kind words, especially when you don’t want to.
5. Smile.. It makes life so much easier! Still today I can see Papa’s smiles everyday.
6. Be Helpful. Papa was all about helping others out; from the kids to the neighbors he was there.
7. Care about others more than your self.
8. Tell Jokes… We often talk about all of Papa’s silly jokes, and we all laugh and cry remembering what he would say.
9.Always be Happy.  Even in the bad he didn’t complain.
10.Celebrate others’ successes. I can remember when we bought our first semi load of heifers.  Cody and I were nervous, and scared and excited. Papa was excited. “Those will make you some fine cows,” Papa said.
11. Don’t waste time feeling sorry for yourself. I can never remember Papa feeling sorry for himself or complaining.
12. Invest our energy in the present.  Papa were always thinking of the positives of everyday life, even though there was rough days at the ranch, Papa always made sure that the day was bright.
13. Work never hurt anyone.  Even in Papa’s last days, he wished he could of been out haying and checking the cows.  I am thankful for his example of his work ethic.
14.  Be a role model.
15. Love. Papa loved all of us. He showed it everyday and for all the Love, I am thankful.
A Memory is a way of holding onto things you love, the things you are, and the
things you never want to lose.

Today, even though I could question God about why Papa had to go, I am simply thankful for the time that we all had with him. I am thankful for his example and I am grateful for all the memories we have. I don’t have to look very far everyday to see the legacy he left.

I am sending a birthday wish to heaven.
This was a few years ago, on August 23.

I would like to end with this, it is for all of us with heavy hearts today:

“You know what, you’re right, it sucks and I hate that we have to go through this, but I’m here for you all…and I’ll still be here for you when you want to cry or when you’re angry. If you need to yell about it to feel better, I’m here.  If you want to vent, I’m here.  And, if you need a laugh, I’m here.  I understand what you’re going through, and I’m here to listen, and I’ll still be here days or years from now.”

My other blog about Papa!

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Circle L God Papa praying Sunday Thoughts

A Sunday Thought from the Circle L!

A Sunday Thought from the Circle L!

Cody, Nichols and Roany taking Papa on his last ride.

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For those where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Matt 6:20-21

The above verses were read at Papa’s funeral.  Where is your treasure?  These past weeks, I have been really trying to focus on my own treasure.

Struggles may hinder us from laying up treasures in heaven.  None of us enjoy going through struggles, but we have to understand that our struggles may be an opportunity for us for advancement.  Have you really thought about struggles?  My struggles often become springboards that catapults me to a new level. Struggles often stop me from laying up my treasure but they also make me think of the treasures that I am laying up.  I am not talking about earthly treasures, I am talking about our heavenly treasures.  We will take nothing with us, when our final day comes.

Our challenges may become one of our greatest assets.

Think about an eagle, without the resistance of air, the eagle couldn’t soar.  Without the resistance of water, a ship can’t float.  Without the resistance of gravity, we couldn’t walk.  Without the opposition or resistance, there is no potential for progress. There are no shortcuts; there is no easy way to mature physically, emotionally, or spiritually.  We must remain determined to lay our treasures and work with God.  We must remember that salvation requires prayers everyday.

My thought is this; life is to short to not think about our treasure.  Our treasure needs to be where only God can see it.

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Circle L God Papa Sunday Thoughts

A Sunday Thought from the Circle L!

A Sunday Thought from the Circle L!

I will miss this Cowboy but I know that we now have a angel
watching over us.

The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Psalms 18:2

When my heart is heavy burdened……
Dealing with the loss of Papa is hard but I am thankful for the life that Papa lived.  I have been thinking about his life and making a list of what I learned from him.  I will share a few with you.

1. To be Godly… sometimes praying for others when they have no idea that you are praying for them.
2. Be an example…. You never know when someone is watching.
3. Have kind words, especially when you don’t want to.
4. Smile.. It makes life so much easier!
5. Be Helpful.
6. Care about others more than your self.

Losing Papa has been hard. But I am thankful for God’s promise that I will have the opportunity to see him again. That is my goal.  I have made the decision to remember Papa’s example, his kind words, how he laughed, how he rode a horse and how he played with the grand kids.  I want to remember his smile and his good advice.  It is something that I am going to have to work at because it doesn’t come naturally. Our human nature wants us to be sad, and to be mad, it wants us to ask questions but I know that God has a plan for each of us.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Matthew 5:4

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faith Papa peace Sunday Thoughts

A Sunday Thought from the Circle L!

A Sunday Thought from the Circle L!

Papa as a toddler.

For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they anymore a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.
Eccl 9 : 4-5
My thoughts are scattered, as I write this blog.  My father-in-law is losing his battle to cancer. I love him like a dad.  He is an example.  He is Godly.  He is tough.  He is strong.  He is gentle. He is thoughtful. Yesterday he asked to hold my hand and as tears rolled down my face, I was thankful for him.  I am thankful that God put him in my life. 
God has a plan for each of us.  As I sat by his bed, holding his hand, I wondered if I am ready to meet with God. I know that someday it will be my turn to die.  I thought, when my friends gather round me and remember my life, what will they remember? Are they going to remember a cowgirl that has given herself to Jesus, that has turned to the light in every experience whatever might come, in joyful experiences, in sad experiences?  I think that I need to work on my life. 
When we live trusting GOD, we don’t have to struggle.  We can be at peace, know that at the right time, God will keep HIS promise.  That is how I felt yesterday, peace. I wasn’t scared for Papa but scared for myself.  
If we are truly living by faith, we can relax in the “rest” of God.  This week is going to be hard, and tears are going to flow, memories are going to be left. I want to have peace and rest.  I want to hold God’s hand and trust him more. 
I want to remember Papa with respect for who he was and what Jesus and the God of heaven was able to accomplish in his life. 

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou are my God.
My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.
Psalms 31: 14-15