Sometimes God says no

The night we got Ava

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and I have some sad news to share. For those of you who have been following the journey of our horse, Ava, I'm sad to report that she colicked and passed away as a result earlier this month. It's been a difficult month for us, in a lot of ways, and Ava's loss had been harder on us than I would have thought.

The morning of her passing, Hubby went out and found her struggling. He got our daughter, and they quickly realized it was colic. She was rushed to the vet, and the vet did everything she could, but sadly, Ava did not make it. To make it more difficult, we had to leave Ava at the vet to take my husband in for a routine medical procedure. I had to make the decision about Ava as they were taking him in for anesthesia. Neither of us got to say goodbye. But I did call my amazing father-in-law, and he picked up the girls and took them to say goodbye. The extra blessing in it was that a dear friend, who'd been there with us during Ava's leg injury, was the vet tech on duty all day, so he was with Ava the whole time. And he was there for my girls to say goodbye.

I have been so touched by the outpouring of love and support for our family during this time. I still get weepy from time to time, and I still dream about her. Who would have imagined that the horse I jokingly told everyone was "the last horse before the divorce" would steal such a big part of my heart?

When hubby took Ava to the vet, I prayed for her, as I did before. I asked my friends and loved ones to pray for her. But God said no. I don't know why. And I don't know why, after all we've been through with this horse, and all the miracles we've been given, why we weren't given another one. But I still choose to trust in God, and I still choose to believe that God is good.

Ava in the pasture with the others. 

Our vet tech friend told us that when his horse colicked and died, his boss told him that the only way to never have a horse colic is to never have a horse. Colic happens, and it's one of those crazy things that sometimes has a reason, and sometimes doesn't. It's nothing you can predict, and even if you do everything right, your horse can still colic and die.

It's a good reminder of how fragile horses are. They seem to be these giant, tough beasts, but they are actually very delicate and require special care. When something goes wrong with a horse, it can go really wrong, really fast. And get really expensive. We'll still be paying off Ava's vet bill for months to come.

And so, you might wonder again, "why?" I've thought a lot about this, because it's been such a struggle, such a hard season, and after so much hope, for it to all be lost. But God knows, and it goes back to trusting God and believing in His goodness and love. Just as importantly, I've looked for the good that has come from our tragedy. We have been surrounded by a lot of love and a lot of compassion from the people around us. Ava was surrounded by love. In her short life, and the short time she was at our house, I know she knew we loved her. I can still picture the love and trust in her eyes all the times I sat with her and loved on her.

Maybe that is the point. Choosing to love, knowing that at any moment, something totally beyond your control can take whoever or whatever you love away. But that is life. And for me, faith is about believing and loving God even when none of it makes sense.

Ava back in the corral after her leg healed.

Matthew 5:4 is a verse that spoke to me years ago during another painful time of grief. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." I have found great comfort, not just from the amazing people around me, but also from God. Ava is not the only loss I've suffered, and I know she will not be the last. But I am grateful for the time she gave us, for the miracles God showed us, and for the chance to be part of her life.

Thank you all for being part of Ava's story. The love and support you all gave our family has meant a lot to us.

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
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There's nothing like a happy ending!

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and I have to tell you how much I love a happy ending! That's why I write romance. Today's happy ending is special to me, and I had to share it with you. You might remember in previous blogs that I asked for prayers for our horse, Ava. I've been keeping you all updated, and today's update is the best of all.

Ava is completely healed!!

She'll always have scars on her legs, and we have to slowly work her back up to where she was, but my daughters rode her again for the first time this week. We didn't get pictures in all the excitement, but I'm sure there will be plenty in the future.

 It's so amazing to me, remembering how we weren't sure she'd even make it, and to just hope that we'd have a pasture horse, to know having hope of her being ridden again. We still have to take it slow, and she's still not yet fully back with our other horses, but we're working on it. So, soon.

But here's the other wonderful part. The vet thanked us for not giving up on Ava. I didn't know what that meant, but then I found out that most people would have put her down, especially with how grim things looked. I had asked about it, but only in terms of whether or not she'd needlessly suffer. It had never occurred to me that some people wouldn't have wanted to take care of her injuries and nurse her back to health, not knowing if she'd ever be able to be ridden again. Some friends of ours were at the vet's, and another horse had come in, with similar, but not as bad, leg injuries as Ava. The people didn't know what to do, and the vet pulled out pictures of Ava and her recovery, and our friends joined in, and they all told the people about how, with a lot of love, and a little patience, their horse can recover, just like Ava did. We didn't just save Ava, but we saved this other horse, and countless others who go in to one of the few horse surgeons, looking to save their horse.

I know people don't always get happy endings, but can I tell you that there is nothing like the feeling of participating in one.

And that is why I write romance.

Speaking of romance, my first release for Love Inspired is out this month, Her Cowboy Inheritance. I'm very excited to share Three Sisters Ranch with you, and it should come as no surprise that those stories are all about getting a second chance.

About the book:

A new life. A new start.
And a new love at the Three Sisters Ranch

Inheriting a ranch with her two sisters is the fresh start widowed mom Leah Holloway desperately needs. The problem? Leah knows nothing about ranching. And the only person willing to teach her is Shane Jackson, the handsome and oh-so-infuriating cowboy next door. Trusting each other means they’ll risk everything—including a connection that might just blossom into something dangerously real…

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor  
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanicaFavorite/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite

The Reluctant Cowgirl

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here, and today I want to tell you about my new series! As many of you know (and we're all sad about), Love Inspired Historical closed down, leaving a lot of us authors wondering what we'd do. Many of the authors did find homes in other lines, so I'm pleased to be writing for Love Inspired now.

True confession: I originally wanted to write for Love Inspired, but after many rejections, I ended up writing for Love Inspired Historical, so it's kind of fun, being where I originally wanted to be.

However, being an *ahem* older, wiser writer, I spent a lot of time thinking about where I'd position myself in Love Inspired, and when I talked to my editor about making the move, she told me she wanted me to write cowboys.

For those of you who don't know, my daughters are heavily involved in an equestrian program that has me around cowboys on a regular basis. It's also important to note that I am allergic to horses, hay, and dust, so basically everything having to do with this cowboy lifestyle thing. Which is why it's terribly funny that we now have four horses. And I kind of like them. A lot. But let's not tell anyone, okay?

So when it came to writing cowboys for Love Inspired, I thought, how can I be genuine about writing cowboys as a reluctant cowgirl myself? Which is how I came up with Three Sisters Ranch. They're city girls who inherit a ranch, but unlike me, have dreamed of living on a ranch their whole lives. They are completely inexperienced in running a ranch, but are determined to make a go of it. And so, I used a lot of my same mistakes, difficulties, and weird things that have happened on this journey as fodder for the series.

In Her Cowboy Inheritance, which releases in February (but there have been sightings, so let me know if you see it!), the hero and heroine are dealing with a highly contagious cattle disease. We've had to deal with something similar with the horses in the past, and as crazy as it sounds, our horse organization is dealing with a highly contagious horse illness now. Scary times, but I've learned a lot, and it's definitely reflected in my books.

In The Cowboy's Faith, which is out in July, my heroine is training a mustang with the help of the hero, who got his training as part of a prison program to train mustangs. Guess where we got ours? More on THAT story closer to my release date, because there are some really cool pieces in my life still developing.

I might be a reluctant cowgirl, but it has definitely been useful in my life, and in my writing.

And, for those of you wondering about our horse, Ava, her surgery went better than expected, her cast is off, and her prognosis is really good. I'm sure you'll see a book starring Ava in the future!

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj
Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite
Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor  
Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanicaFavorite/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite

Wishing you peace for the holidays

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here. Some of you may remember my last post, When the Holidays aren't Happy, and I wanted to share an update!

Ava finally had her surgery yesterday, and she is home and doing very well. She will have about a year of recovery, but she was in much better shape than what the vet had originally told us. So, from our family to yours, thank you for all the prayers and good thoughts you sent our way. Ava thanks you, too.

Ava just before surgery

For our family, we got the Christmas miracle we were all praying for, but I know that doesn't always happen for a lot of families. I want you to know that if that is you, and you are praying for a miracle that doesn't arrive, God still sees you, and He still loves you.

This Christmas, what I wish most of all of you is that you find the peace of the Lord in your heart. It's been a hard year for our family, though there have also been some bright spots. But as I reflect during this time of year, closing out 2018 (really not sad to see it go, I'll be honest!), the thing I am most focused on is the love of God and God's peace, which, if you keep your eyes fixed on God's love, is easy to find.

We haven't filled our holidays with a lot of activities this year, and the space under the tree will be a little bare (hello, vet bills!), and that's okay. It's given me the opportunity to focus more on the peace of the Lord, and to more fully know God's love.

I hope, as you close out this year, you take some time to recognize what a truly loving and amazing God we have, and allow that love to bring you peace.

About Danica:
A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor   Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanicaFavorite/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite

When the Holidays aren't Happy by Danica Favorite

My girls in the hospital with our horse, Ava

Hi Everyone, Danica Favorite here. And, when I was thinking about this post over the weekend, I had an entirely different post planned. But life has a funny way of interfering with those plans. And, as we've been dealing with some crazy stuff at our house, I realized that it's not going to be the holiday we'd hoped for, and that's true for a lot of people.

Yesterday, one of our horses, Ava, was seriously injured. She'd gotten herself stuck in the horse shelter and cut herself on the metal siding. If it wasn't for the fact that my daughter was off school and training one of our other horses, we would likely have not found her in time, and she would have bled to death. It was a horrible day, and my daughters and one of their friends worked tirelessly to help the horse until the vet could arrive. We also had some other friends who came over to lend a hand. At one point, I asked the intern, who is a good friend of ours, if our horse would make it. He told me it was 50/50. She did well through the night, and today we got to see her, and everyone is encouraged by her recovery so far. She is not healthy enough yet for the surgery she needs, and only then will we know her prognosis. We've already been warned there will be a lot she won't be able to do in the future. But the fact that she has a future is enough.

We got home from the hospital today to find three of my chickens, including my favorite rooster, dead. It was a new level of pain and sadness for our family.

As we've spent time mourning as a family and dealing with the ups and downs of not knowing what will happen with the horse, how we will pay for it, and all the other details, like figuring out how to make a safe place for her when she gets home, fixing the chicken coop, etc., the thing I told my kids as we all alternated breaking down in tears, was that it's okay to cry and not be okay right now. We get to feel however we feel, and it's safe to do that in our house.

So what does this have to do with the holidays and everyone else?

I think about all the others who are also not having a great holiday, and I know that not only are we not alone, but so many others have it worse.

You may not know what the people you meet are going through, but you can make a difference in their lives, even in just a small way.

After we took Ava to the hospital, I still had things to do for Thanksgiving. I was a harried woman in bloodstained clothes (which you couldn't tell because of the color), trying to pick a few things up from the store before I had to take my daughter to dance, and I hadn't had a moment to breathe, let alone cry, and I still didn't know if my horse was going to live. But as I was trying to find what I needed, I stopped and noticed all the harried people in the store, doing the same thing I was. Maybe none of them had the horrible day I had. Maybe some of them had it worse. But we all needed the same thing: to get our stuff done and on to the next thing.

There was one lady, very beautiful and professional-looking, who kept blocking my path in every aisle. Actually, I think she was blocking me at the moment I had my ah-ha. Despite how pretty and put-together she was, she looked super stressed.

When I found everything I needed, I got to the checkout, and they were all really busy, long lines. My turn finally came, and that lady got in line behind me. She only had one thing in her hands. So I turned and asked her, "do you only have the one thing?" She said yes, so I told her to go ahead. The way her face lit up made me realize just how beautiful she really was.

I have no idea what kind of day she'd had, or what had been troubling her. Or why it had taken her so long to find a block of cheese (which she had to go through every aisle for!). But I know, from the way she looked at me, I'd been a bright spot in her day.

SPREAD KINDNESS WHEREVER YOU GO

There's a quote about being kind, because everyone is fighting a battle, and it's especially true around the holidays, when people are dealing with losses, grief, having to be around difficult family members, trying to do everything perfectly, and they're trying to get all the same stuff done you are. So give them a little kindness. 

Over the past few days, the thing that has meant the most to me is the kindness of others. I thanked a friend who'd been texting and calling me with info as we tried tracking down someone who could help us, and she told me she hadn't done anything. The very fact that she'd been there was a huge gift to us. Countless people are praying and checking in to see how we're all doing. That means a lot.

If you know someone who is going through a rough time, show them some extra love. If they're like, "ew, get away from me", give them their space. And if it's you who needs a little extra love this holiday season, don't be afraid to reach out to the safe people in your life and let them know you're hurting and need TLC. Take time to take care of yourself. It's okay to say no, and if you need an excuse, say you're not feeling well. Because it's absolutely true if you're feeling beat up by the holidays.

It's okay if the holidays aren't happy for you. Like I told my kids, how you feel is important, and you get to feel how you feel. So if they aren't happy for you, that's okay. You're not alone.

About Danica:

A self-professed crazy chicken lady, Danica Favorite loves the adventure of living a creative life. She and her family recently moved in to their dream home in the mountains above Denver, Colorado.  Danica loves to explore the depths of human nature and follow people on the journey to happily ever after. Though the journey is often bumpy, those bumps are what refine imperfect characters as they live the life God created them for. Oops, that just spoiled the ending of all of Danica’s stories. Then again, getting there is all the fun.

You can connect with Danica at the following places:

Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/7HCXj Website: http://www.danicafavorite.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/danicafavorite Instagram: https://instagram.com/danicafavorite/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanicaFavoriteAuthor   Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/DanicaFavorite/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Danica-Favorite/e/B00KRP0IFU BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/danica-favorite