It’s summer! Are you ready for some cool water? How about Jesus’ cool living water? Welcome back to the Hope & Horses Bible Study Devotions series. I filmed this video at Silver Creek Falls river. The water was cool and refreshing, just like Jesus.
There are two Bible verses I want to encourage you with. The first is from John 4:14. Jesus says, “But whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The second is from John 7:37-38. “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.'”
I hope you will find some Living Water, too. That Living Water is Jesus! Click below to watch and learn more.
Let’s continue in my series called “The Herd Behind the Healing.” I want to share the story of Ben with you. In this series I share the stories of the horses who help make Happy Success Ranch Retreats such a special place full of happiness and healing.
Ben is a Tennessee Walker. We believe he is about 18 or 19-years-old. Lisa passed away from lung cancer, and her horses Sweet and Ben needed a home. They were from Washington. Lisa used to do Equine Gestalt work with Ben under a tree in Washington. We think Lisa used to ride him English and Western style. We think he was ridden in the mountains and on the beach. Ben is best friends with Sweet, Tater, and Chevy.
Ben is an incredible healer. He is all about Chakra balancing. When we first got him, my husband Dave would say how peaceful he felt after being around Ben. Ben is incredible at making sure people’s energy gets in alignment and balanced again.
Did you know that President Harry S. Truman once said, “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Reading is one of the greatest investments you can make in yourself. Every book has the potential to teach you something new, challenge your thinking, encourage your heart, or inspire you to take your next step. Every page helps you become a little wiser than you were the day before. Use this reading log to keep track of the books you’ve completed, the authors who have inspired you, and how you would rate each one. My hope is that this printable encourages you to read more! Click below to watch and learn more in the YouTube video. Keep scrolling for the link to download the printable.
My Favorite Books
Do you need some reading inspiration? I love to read personal development books. Here is a list of the books I would save if the boat was sinking. I would also love to know your favorite books. Email Kellie@HappySuccessRanchRetreats.com to let me know what I should read next.
Don’t forget you can also listen to these books on Audible. I also want to encourage you to start a book club and read these books together with others. There is something so powerful about gathering as a community and discussing. Your life will be changed if you read these books!
Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen
The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins
The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins
Let Them by Mel Robbins
The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson
The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy
The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster by Darren Hardy
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
1st Things 1st by Stephen Covey
Do Less by Kate Northrup
The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
7 Strategies for Wealth and Happiness by Jim Rohn
Business is Personal by Bethenny Frankel
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Faith Driven Entrepreneur by Henry Kaestner, J. D. Greear, and Chip Ingram
The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John Mann
Rework by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson
The Connector’s Way by Patrick Galvin
The Trusted Way by Patrick Galvin
Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen
The TenX Rule by Grant Cardone
Happy For No Reason by Marcie Shimoff
Warrior: My Path to Being Brave by Lisa Guerrero
The Bible
This reading log is designed to help you build a habit of lifelong learning. Each time you finish a book, record the title, author, the date you completed it, and give it a rating. As your list grows, you’ll have a wonderful record of the ideas, stories, and lessons that have shaped your life. Every book is an opportunity to learn something new. Challenge yourself to read at least ten minutes a day or at least one chapter a day. Little bits add up over time, which is an idea I learned from one of my favorite books, The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. You might even choose a reading goal for the year and use this tracker to watch your progress one book at a time. There’s a second page with the list of my favorite books, and a spot at the bottom for you to add books you want to read. Be sure to write them down so you don’t forget!
Let’s continue in my series called “The Herd Behind the Healing.” I want to share the story of Harry Trotter with you. In this series I share the stories of the horses who help make Happy Success Ranch Retreats such a special place full of happiness and healing.
He is a Saddlebred horse, which is why he’s named Harry Trotter. They are famous for trotting. We call him our goofy giraffe. He is 22-years-old. He has a sad story. We got him 12 years ago. He’s from up near Seattle. The people who had him were not going to keep him because they didn’t have a shelter for him. He was only 10 years old and in perfect health and they were going to put him down along with a 35 year old mare they had. They had the backhoe come in and dig two graves. At the time Dave was hunting with our truck, so I didn’t have a way to get him. I pleaded with the people to spare his life and said we were going to come get him.
He loves it when you rub his teeth. It’s like a soothing pacifier for him, but we try to not encourage it so he doesn’t get mouthy and nibble on everyone. It’s like his bad little habit.
He has worked with some women doing the equine gestalt work. Harry Trotter is very high strung, and he has done some healing work with women who have also been high strung and needed to learn to slow down and take life at a different pace.
Harry Trotter thanks us every day of his life that we rescued him and that he did not end up in the hole in the ground. We are glad to have him here at Happy Success Ranch Retreats. Click below to watch and learn more.
Can you believe you’re already halfway through the year? 2026 is known as the “Year of the Fire Horse,” a special year that only comes around once every 60 years. It’s often associated with momentum and moving forward with purpose. Now is the perfect time to pause and check in with yourself. How are you doing with your goals, dreams, and deadlines? Have you kept the momentum going, or has life gotten in the way?
One thing I’ve learned is that momentum works a lot like laundry. When you stay on top of it, it feels manageable. But when you let it pile up, it can feel overwhelming to get started again. The good news is that it’s never too late. If you’ve lost momentum, today can be your fresh start. Revisit your goals, give your dreams a deadline, and take one small step forward. Before you know it, you’ll be building momentum again, one intentional choice at a time.
Click below to watch and learn more.
Grab your journal, head to your favorite spot (coffee shop, park, your backyard) and take a few moments to reflect on the questions below since we are at the mid-year point of the year of the fire horse!
What are you most grateful for so far this year?
How’s your momentum on projects you’ve wanted to accomplish? Where do you need to pause and change course?
What lesson has this year taught you?
What challenge helped you grow?
What has brought you the most happiness?
Are your daily choices aligned with your core guiding values? If not, how can you improve?
What’s one dream you want to pursue during the rest of the year?
What’s one brave step you can take this month?
Who can you encourage this week?
What do you want to look back and celebrate at the end of this year?
