This last day of 2008 conjures up many things in my mind, and in my heart, as I sit and write this final blog for the year.

It is still the day we have come to know as Wednesday, the sun will rise, the sun will set. We have given structure and meaning to what the days of the week hold and deliver to us because of our beliefs and what we have come to know as facts. What in fact is the meaning we attach, to a day, to a week, to a year?

We give life structure through all collectively agreeing to give inanimate things, such as time, meaning. What if we try something drastic this year, and include our own heartfelt meaning. Using not what media bombards us with, not what government very carefully structures for us to believe, but what comes from our own place of knowing. We are told by the media, and all others, who do not trust in a higher power, that we are skidding out of control in the world. Trusting in what the media has given meaning too, sure doesn’t make me feel good. Trusting in God, trusting that all that is happening, is taking us closer to each other again. And trusting in the possibility, that moral values, will be important again, does.
Trusting that having a Cadillac Escalade, isn’t as important as having the love of your family. (Even if advertising tells you it is what brings you happiness.) Trusting that if we all help each other, we will find our way to a better world. We live in a world full of love, if we choose to see it. These are thoughts to ponder.

What is important to you? Are distractions more important, than seeing someone smile in their heart, because you took time to connect? We have a huge opportunity to use the collective meaning of the first day of the year, to make a commitment to begin changing our world.

Many, many, blessings on this glorious day. Connecting with God and all of his creatures, feels good.

Happy New Year from Freedom Reins!

I would like to give a very simple and heart felt thanks to all the clients I have been blessed to work with this year, and in years past. I am very grateful for the wonderful spirits that have ignited a piece of Divine light, during our sessions. Your courage to go forth and heal, touches all of us.

I would also like to thank all of you who have read Freedom Reins blog. I have been touched by your comments on the blog, and on the phone.  Know you have brought much light, love, and joy to my life.( By the way, I am keeping it.)

Have a very Blessed Happy New Year!

 

Love Karen

Ps. I know there is still one more day in this year, but I couldn’t wait.

I thought I would ask my Persian cat, High Light, for inspiration this morning.

“People manipulated my genetics, but my spirit couldn’t be touched.”

“I adapted to the world that wanted to change me, but my spirit couldn’t be touched.”

“I have had to live with less than perfect breathing, but my spirit couldn’t be touched.”

“I am perfect, my spirit never was touched.”

 

 

Today’s interview is with Diane Whetsel and her Border Collie, Sage. This interview will be slightly different than other weeks. Sages’ biography is important information for background to our conversation. The bio was written for an award that Sage recently received.

 

Sages’ bio written by Diane Whetsel:

In 1999, K-9 Sage arrived into the USA from the UK at 10 weeks of age. By 16 weeks I had already begun her training to become a disaster specialist for FEMA. Working on the basics of obedience, I could immediately see that she was going to be an exceptional dog. Sages’ enthusiasm and intelligence made training an absolute joy for me.

By the time she was twelve months old, she had already completed all of the FEMA requirements for the FEMA certification however, FEMA had a rule that disallowed the formal evaluation of a K-9 until they were at least 18 months of age. When she reached FEMA’s legal age, we headed to Phoenix for her certification. Sage, true to form passed on the first try. This was unusual at that time and it is still a difficult evaluation for any dog to pass esp. on the first try at any age. Just before her second birthday, Sage gave birth to seven wonderful Border Collie puppies.

It wasn’t long after that we experienced the largest national disaster in our time. 9/11 came as a shock to the nation. Sage served at the Pentagon in the aftermath of the attack. Although her training was primarily for live find, I had done some training with her for a cadaver search so she was well suited for the task.

After the Pentagon deployment I became more serious about cross training her for a cadaver. She took to it very well and learned two different alerts easily. One for cadaver and one for live. That way I could relate the rescue team where to prioritize the excavation efforts to rescue live first and mark where we needed to come back later.

Over the years, K-9 Sage has worked with several law enforcement departments in South Eastern New Mexico and Southwestern Texas for missing persons and as a forensic dog in homicide investigations.

In 2005 Sage served again in a high profile case in Aruba searching for Natalie Holloway. Shortly after the Natalie Holloway search, K-9 Sage was deployed to Mississippi for hurricane Katrina, then for Rita.

As an NNDDA Advanced Certified Cadaver Dog, we were called on to serve in Iraq. There where several soldiers that had been captured and may have been killed by insurgents. The US Army, not having cadaver K-9’s, were requesting assistance. In September of 2007 we were flown out to Ft. Benning for our country orientation before deploying to Iraq. Sage and I were gone for about six months searching near the area the Soldiers had been ambushed. We searched farm fields, homes, and industrial areas. Sage became as comfortable riding in a Blackhawk as she is in her own car at home. We were involved in several air assaults, water assaults and ground operations during our tour there.

K-9 Sage is in an on going veterinary study for our 9/11 dogs. Once a year Sage has her blood drawn and chest X rays taken by Dr. Walker here in Roswell. It is all sent to the University of Pennsylvania for study and results. The AKC is one of the major sponsors of the 9/11 K-9 health study program. It is hoped that by studying the 9/11 dogs, we can diagnose and treat any health problems associated with their deployment to these toxic disasters. It is also hoped that the results of this study can also alert us to any health problems that may potentially manifest for the human responders as well.

The book is still being written as Sage continues to serve New Mexico and her country. I’m sure that there are still chapters yet to write in K-9 Sage’s career.

B. Diane Whetsel

Owner/ Handler for K-9 Sage

NMCD, RCC K-9 Officer

PS, Remember those seven pups Sage gave birth to? Well, two of them are Certified FEMA K-9’s today and one grew up to become a certified service dog for the disabled.

Sunday Morning Interview:

I was contacted by a friend to talk to Sage, after Diane had undergone extensive reconstructive knee surgery. Sage, during Diane’s surgery, stayed with a woman she knew well. She had often visited her when it was necessary for Diane to be away without her. On the day I received the call, Sage had walked in the house, coming home to be with Diane, with her tail between her legs. She would not go near Diane.

I had spoken to Sage on one other occasion, and knew she was a very self assured dog. She took her cue from Diane and now the ground rules were different. Since the age of 10 weeks, Diane had been her partner, mirroring all her strength and intensity of focus. As a Border Collie, Sage relishes the job of being equal to all the strength Diane embodies both personally, and professionally. Sage due to her intense connection to Diane, knew this separation was different. Her mirror was in pain and vulnerable. Sage had no point of reference in which to channel this information and what she was feeling. They had not been in this position with each other before. Sage had been trained to deal with the pain and death of others, but always with Diane at her side. Sage works well with a handler. She had no handler for this. Sage and I spoke for a few minutes and I acknowledged what she was showing me. I conveyed it to Diane how this was not something Sage had reference for. Being as highly intelligent and strong as she is, it was hard to recognize in Sage a place she had found that didn’t hold information from previous training. When Diane began to realize what, Sage was feeling, Sage went over and sat on the couch next to her. It was a beginning. She was going to figure this out in her own time. Sage would wait for Diane to resume her role. They would build the next steps together.

Diane and Sage have a solid relationship that has the skill to move through any vulnerability that they encounter in each other. Vulnerability by how it is viewed, can and is, a wonderful tool. Building deeper love and appreciation, in any relationship.

As Diane states, Sage’s story is still being written. She is a multi faceted hero. They both are.

I thank you both, for all that you do.

 

Kathy, Sage, & Diane at the awards ceremony

Goals are to be attained and then moved beyond. Somehow growing up I received the message, goals were something unattainable.

I never questioned the validity of that information, I just lived it unconsciously. I received mixed information, I was a child of God, yet I was a sinner. I was only to attain what meager things came into my life, yet I could have anything. So many more conflicting beliefs have lived inside the same space inside of me. Resulting in a constant storm, a shutting down of self and of trying. I was taught, God had stipulations as to how I could find my peace and light. It came in the form of interpretation by others, as to what I was to believe. It was never suggested I should talk directly to God. I felt as if I was left on a gerbil wheel going round and round, or at best chasing my own tale. Yes that is correct, tale. I was writing my own story but I was always chasing it, it was always out in front of me. Until one day I thought flew by so fast I was still scared to look at it.

What if the beliefs I had been fed as truths, were not God’s truth? What if God made it so simple, and man had set it up to be difficult? What if the simplicity of love could help me live in light and love? That all I felt as desire inside of me, could be my reality. I had to begin to trust myself. I recently was asked a question that made me see how much I trusted God. It was presented to me that if I could trust myself equal to how I trusted God my life would change. It stopped me in my tracks. I knew I didn’t trust God at all the way I was living, and I trusted myself even less. I decided to try it. It is work to keep at bay, what the world would like to distract me with. Yes there is peace in trusting God and myself, and beginning to act on what I feel I am to do. It took me all these years of distrust to build the world I was living in. The rest of the years I have, will be lived consciously, believing in a God that loves us all. Not giving up because I have to work my way to an existence he is offering us all. Not to give up when I slip and find my focus elsewhere. Working through what, we created when we limited ourselves. Feeling the anger and greed, that was feeding our fear, kept us distracted from balanced truth.

What do you have to lose, to peruse your trust of self, and your trust of God?