Why did Masters Creek Move to Missouri? A true story of love and trust.

 “The Sweet Lesson Of Trust“   ( click on photos to enlarge )                  

The corn festival came to town and set up its booths for the upcoming weekend. The booth in front of the paint store housed all types of exotic birds including different species of Parrots  and Macaws. Joe was very interested in a certain Macaw they had for sale however when he finally had the time to  inquire the bird had already been sold.  Looking at the disappointment in Joes face the rep told him where  he may be able to find a Macaw for sale through a breeder in the city. Shortly after the festival left town Joe made contact with the breeders of these magnificent  birds and purchased an unborn baby Macaw.  He had been eagerly waiting what seemed like a year for the baby bird to arrive. Finally the call came, it was time, he drove to the city and brought his new baby Macaw home, About six months passed and he became very ill. It was found he had a rare hereditary disease unknown to the sellers, he died while in surgery. Joe was heart broken. He fell in love with the dependent nature and pure loyalty he had brought to his life, Joe knew one day he had to have another.  One afternoon he was window-shopping in a local shopping center and happened upon a pet shop, inside he noticed a bird sitting in a cage chattering away. Joe instantly noticed the coloring of Green Gold and precious Blues it was definitely a Macaw. The man in the pet shop saw his interest in the bird and asked if he would like to take a closer look. He talked with him for quite awhile and found he was about 9 months old and had a small defect in his wing, which made him incapable of ever flying. Remembering old feelings of his baby he lost he really longed for another. At that time in his life things were extremely tight, the economy was not booming, business was slow and every penny counted for every business.

It was Friday evening, weeks had passed, and Joe had pondered on the purchase of this newfound Macaw long enough. Should I?  Shouldn’t I? He had decided it was enough frustration; He finally asked for guidance, if anyone would tell him if he should have this bird it was going to be someone bigger then himself.  He earnestly prayed and asked for the Lords guidance. The next day he went to church and the bulletin for that day had photos of two birds on it and a verse below saying ““ Birds teach the sweet lesson of trust “ Inside of the bulletin was a few scriptures. Detailed as Lessons in Trust and Perseverance "Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee: . . . and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee." "Go to the ant; . . . consider her ways." "Behold the birds." "Consider the ravens." Job 12:7, 8; Proverbs 6:6; Matthew 6:26,

With this and the headline reading “ Birds teach the sweet lesson of trust “ along with the sincere prayer the day before, Joe took it as his prayer answered. He shortly after brought Rickie home; what a beautiful Macaw Rickie is, striking blues, greens and a beautiful gold chest, he talked and chattered he was a joy to Joe. 

Joe framed the front of the church bulletin (left) with the two birds and he mounted it on the wall next to Ricky’s cage in front of the big picture window. Time passed and life became so busy you sometimes forgot to notice all the little things, thus the photo now became like any other photo, just another picture of two birds on the wall.

Things happened to Joe and I in our first years that most couples never have to face in a lifetime.  Joe being a Painting Contractor owned a Painting business for 26 years; debt in a business seemed to be a normal occurrence. Joe hired a book keeper to keep his books, she embezzled an undetermined amount of money from the company, before he realized what had happened he found himself in a very Vulnerable spot. We continually struggled from one job to the next to pay off the never-ending debt to find it only grew with each passing day. Before you know it you find yourself faced with the frightening reality that it is time to change the situation as  it was only getting worse. We were painfully aware that self employed businesses must pay their own retirement and when you pay others before yourself bid jobs so low that you just pay your employees,  its hardly enough to put even a small amount away for the debt his bookkeeper left him with. There just had to be a better way.

The closer Joe and I found ourselves drawing to the lord the more we learned that only he could help us out of this impossible situation. We knew he was our only answer for our huge debt. We didn’t know how or what he would do, we didn’t think it was possible ourselves but we knew if we asked, he would hear our prayers, he promised and his promises are true. We had exhausted all our possibilities for the issues we were faced with. We told ourselves daily, Only he knows the answers  we just had to have faith. So we continued to pray and asked for guidance.

 Inside our home we had a huge picture window overlooking the pasture in the back of the house.  Every morning before our busy day started we would sit and have a half hour or so to just relax with a hot cup of coffee before heading out to  work.  Everyday from the very first year until this year we had a visitor join our morning coffee. 

A small bird would fly and hit the picture window, then perch on the tree next to the window until we noticed him. At least 10 times a day he would fly and flap into the window with a fervent motion to be noticed. A few times we rushed to the window to open and let him in but he was not interested in coming inside. This bird joined us for over four years, mostly in the morning when we were having our quiet time and coffee. There were many trees he could perch on, and no other bird would hit the window except the same little bird day after day. If ignored he would occasionally go to the front window of the house and fly into the small round window above the porch but mainly the picture window was his glass of choice. It was the strangest thing we had ever seen,  we know that birds occasionally will try and fly in a window but he would sit on the branch of the tree right next to it and wait for us as if every flight was carefully planned. After doing this for a number of years we always looked for him to be there, and he was. He was actually sometimes very annoying, and surprised he didn’t hurt himself. But he kept it up day after day after day for all those years. Because we both worked quite often and needed someone to help every now and then, family would help us with inside projects and the little bird was always a topic of conversation. We were not the only ones who noticed his odd behaviors.  

This particular Friday morning was a real tough morning for us, Payroll was due this Friday and the funds to support the payroll had been delayed for an undetermined time frame. In other words, it was not coming. Over come with worry we had no hope of resolving this at least not this day, we had exhausted all other possibilities Joe was overly beside himself he had no ideas left in him as to what to do.  He was pacing back and fourth in front of the picture window by the Macaw  (Ricky’s) cage. “What are we going to do?” He said. Life had always been up and down for us but we always made it through with the Lords help and guidance. I told Joe it would be ok that he had helped us out of some much worse things than payroll; we just needed to keep our faith.  At that time though he seemed lost, and lost in faith, it was a hard year, he began saying the people had families to support they needed to be paid. The more I tried to encourage him the more frustrated he became. In his frustration he said Jane you live in a dream world! You need to get real we needed the money today! He was standing in front of the picture window frowning at me about this when the little odd pesky bird started flapping at the window as he always did 

Joe continued groveling and ignored the bird and the bird became more and more aggressive at the window, flapping more fervently then ever. Finally he was very annoyed at the noise and the bird, so he turned around facing the window and said “WHAT DO YOU WANT” in a very loud frustrated voice!  The little bird stayed flapping on the window for a few seconds and just slowly flew away, almost like slow motion; I had seen it with my own eyes. Joes eyes followed his delayed flying and turned towards Rickey the Macaw and faced the picture on the wall of the two birds he had placed there so long ago, he went over and picked up the picture, and read the words again, many years later.  “The birds teach the sweet lesson of trust “ he showed it to me.  His head dropped low;  humbled as he remembered the lesson of trust. Saying goodbye he headed out to work.

After he left I went down to do some work on the computer and found an email from the local bank. Someone had bought one of our horses and paid the full amount, the amount was equal to that which we needed for payroll.  I called him and said someone just paid full price for our Colt we had for sale, exactly enough for the payroll we needed. It was a true miracle. After that day, the little bird never came back not even once. It has been along time since the little bird flew away.

Of all the prayers we sent to heaven for our plight, we continued to receive the one answer we really did not want to hear. Sell our home, the business, the paint store, everything must go.!. We  both knew that was the answer the lord had impressed upon us both and even how he wanted us to do it. It was time to let everything go including our beautiful home that Joe had built not long ago,  It was really frightening to think all the things you had to do, your mind starts to create fear. You want to trust its the right thing but like Jonah you want to just run away.  Where do we go, we had 30 horses, 5 dogs and 30 acres worth of belongings, a paint store, a paint business. How do you move your life and where do you go? It took a lot to just leave our life in Gods hands and have faith he would meet our needs, But we had to have faith to do this life changing move.

Joe always liked Tennessee, but on our many travels to and fro with horses West Virginia was equally beautiful. We were tired and worn,  it was time to be serious. We went to the Internet and did a USA search for Land at a price we felt we could afford and not many with our specific needs were available. We wanted woods, pasture, a nice climate, affordability, and location was actually last. We searched for days, and finally found one; the first one we found was in West Virginia, I had been telling Joe how beautiful west Virginia was and it just so happened our search led us right to that exact state. After contacting and talking with the agent we had our hopes that this would be the new place, it sounded like the paradise we were looking for. No buildings but affordable and we could build something very modest, electric was at the base and water was sure. The biggest feature would be, we were out of debt. We had not seen it yet but we were sure its was what we wanted. We had been shown enough photos we knew the whole property up and down, it was our paradise hand picked for us.

Our home was on the market for a week when we started searching for a new place. We did not want to pursue the other until we had a serious offer so we just kept it on the burner of our minds and hoped it didn’t sell before we sold ours. Everyone said it was impossible what we were doing, we knew to well what impossible things God had done for us already, perhaps things do seem impossible to man but thru Christ all things are possible. The store sold first and in one month of listing the house we had a buyer at the price he impressed upon us. We did what the Lord asked and he led us through to this point, we could not stop now, everyone including our own families and friends said it was impossible to ask what we needed for our home, the person that appraised our property the year before said you are 3 times higher than it will bring. It sold for the exact amount God impressed us to list it for. Even at closing our closing agent said it was the smoothest sale she had ever been to, no questions, all things were perfect. it was an unusual event for that amount of money. God was surly with us.

When we accepted the offer we decided we better visit the property in West Virginia, we were only given 30 days to move, we were actually both sold the West Virginia property was already ours! Did God have a different plan.  When we arrived it was not at all what we had imagined.  The road to get to our new place was 7 miles of straight drop offs with no room for one car let alone a huge horse trailer. It was way back in the sticks on a one car road,  when we finally got to the property you had to climb a mile straight up on an old un drivable logging road to get to the part that could actually be built upon. It would take all the money for rock to even be able to drive up let alone haul 30 horses up it.

No electric and no road. It was not at all as we were led to believe, or what we wanted it to be. We ended up climbing the mile hill and once we did make it up, the photos were real but how can you get up here with 30 horses, how would you bring building materials ,horse panels or even a driveway for a home?  It was beautiful but most of the pastures were all hills leading up to the top. I told Joe and the Realtor, You needed a helicopter to live on this property. Joe looked around and we tried to find good things but at this point we found few and  we were now lost. It was  starting to rain and getting dark, we wanted to go home. Joe was leading now as the realtor and myself continued to go the wrong direction. Finally after what seemed like days, Joe found the way out of that horrible place.

Joe did not talk much , I was the designated driver as he did most of it on the way to the property. On the way back through the 7 miles of narrow roads and cliffs my mind was going through how horrible that whole event had been, how something that was suppose to be a blessing could be the complete opposite. It was almost totally pitch dark and Joe was oddly silent, suddenly like a siren he yells STOP!!  I slammed on the brakes and only by a second, to see the back of the trailer tilting down the cliff. One quarter of an inch further it would of been over. Joe backed the trailer up and we were able to make it safely out with one inch to spare , the trailer would of pulled the truck, myself and Joe down a very steep cliff.  God showed his favor to us that day , the Lord yelled stop through Joe, we believe God saved our lives that day, He must of had a plan for us.

On the way back down the hills of West Virginia it hit us both at once, "Joe said it loudly, We sold our home , we have no where to go!!. The new buyers wanted to move in to our home in 30 days. We were both pretty upset about the lay of the land but Joe took it exceptionally hard. I assured him everything would be ok that we would find something else. He wanted to go home and get out of the sale of our home, I told him that was not possible. As soon as I could get a signal,  I began looking on the Internet again for land for sale as he continued to drive home.

The rain was getting worse we could hardly see going down the hills of West Virginia toward the interstate. It started hailing and the first chance we were able we stopped for the night and decided to sleep a few hours. Before I fell asleep I had found a few things I wanted Joe to see. Every time I mentioned some other land I had found on an Ad he mumbled, it was obvious he didn’t like it. Then I finally caught his attention. When daybreak hit we started driving towards home. I began reading to him some Ads I had found while he slept. We were both very fatigued, neither of us slept well on the side of the road, we were tired, wet and frustrated. Joe decided we needed to stop and rest, get cleaned up and then head home. Joe was actually becoming interested in some of the Ads , when we stopped at the hotel,  I started calling  real estate agents about the different properties I had found.

One of the places I read to him was in Kentucky, it sounded great!  We had hope again and were beginning to feel really exited. We called to see if we could see the Kentucky property and left a message. It was early so we thought it would be ok if we waited until we cleaned rested and showered. Later in the morning the realtor called back and said someone had just came and gave him cash for the property that morning. I didn’t even want to tell Joe, he would be disappointed all over again. We actually felt physically drained over this whole deal. “How could that happen it sounded like exactly what we wanted” All the while he was talking I continued reading more Ads to him, one of the properties was in Missouri. He blurted out; I don’t want to live in Missouri. Confused I looked and said why not? He said he had heard through out his life while living the next state up that Missouri was very muggy and a buggy state. I continued to read more about the property and looked over at him. He was pretending to ignore but you could see his ears were perked like a horse ready to run from an unknown intruder. Eventually his chair moved closer and closer to mine and he was glancing at all the photos of the property. It had electric, water, a barn, a home and creeks, pasture and fencing. It was ready for horses as none of the others were. I called and actually reached an agent, after talking with the agent about the property we decided we would go see it. About an hour later the agent for the property called and said someone was coming from Tennessee to look at it, it was first come first serve. We just lost the place in Kentucky by seconds and we didn’t want to loose this so we put an offer on it contingent on seeing it. If we didn’t like it we didn’t have to buy it.

We finally were able to see it and it had everything we needed. Pastures for the horses, forests, and beautiful hill mountain like settings something we both wanted, it was affordable, the house was a much older home, a lot smaller than we were use to but at least it had a home, the property in Virginia did not even have a drive way let alone a house, yes it was not like my beautiful home I was leaving behind  but it was in great shape. The owners spent an afternoon with us showing us around the place, they said they prayed for a younger couple to come and work the place, it was too much for them they were both getting older. It had ponds and creeks, woods and pasture. It was better than Virginia. We both loved it.

After the tour of the property we were leaving and Joe pointed to the entrance gates and said we will have to change the name of the farm, the name was painted in big letters on the two entrance gaits to the property. The name was “The Red Bird Ranch.”  My eyes were staring at the gaits, and turned to Joe,  “ Joe we can’t change the name’ I said.   His eyes followed my eyes, at the end of the word Ranch were paintings of two birds, two Red Cardinals. The bird that hit our window for all those years was not just any little bird it was a Red Cardinal.

The red cardinal left never to return after that day of learning of trust.  The two birds are not on the wall as in our old home, but on the entrance gaits of the Red Bird Ranch they sit again. We know we were led to this place and we have been here now almost 5 years. Every day in front of our picture window of our new home in the living room is another tree, and though none have hit the window every morning  we watch at least 4 to 6 red cardinals play in the trees.  Ricky’s cage is facing the picture window so he to can watch the new red birds play, no the house is not a new home, nor is it the mansion we our promised in heaven, but its home and its where the lord has led us hand in hand. Joe and I feel blessed to have heard his voice on this great adventure.

 

If you haven’t already just hold up your hand to the lord and let him lead you to your Red Bird Ranch as he has led us to ours, he is waiting to know you if you don’t know him already. All you have to do is say Jesus I know your lord and Savior please forgive me an I want to know you. Ask him into your life and he will come in ways that only you will know. If you have been away awhile, don’t worry he is not angry, he wants you back home with him. Just ask him back in your life and he will come. He loves us so.

Thank you for letting us share our faith and story of our move to the red bird Ranch. From Masters Creek Appaloosas.

 If you would like to hear what the lord has to say to you right now here is his letter to you  Before you play the youtube video, turn the lights down and pray for a refreshing in your life, and let Jesus speak to you. Click Here To Listen

Update  - It has been almost 3 years now and we still believe God has moved us here for his purpose. Although we are not sure exactly at all times what that purpose is to be we are still being patient that he will continue to protect and guide us. 

 

Changing Life Music Videos. These are some of our favorite all time music videos. The words come alive as they talk about love for Jesus  Click to see the list of  Music Videos we love to listen to when you feel the need to be close to our Lord.