My Beloved Husband, James A. Kennedy, DVM, MS
The Lame Little Deer and it’s Lesson
Everyday, four does and their four babies come right by my front window on their “daily path” to check out my bird seed in feeders and on the ground. Bringing up the rear is one buck. There used to be either a young one with a very small set of antlers or a full-grown one with a large rack.
At a holiday party last week, I heard stories of the police out on the main road picking up a dead, gored and bloody buck. I assume it was the young one, for this past week the adult buck was back as the caboose of the herd. This distressed me but it is the way of nature.
Sadly, there is one baby who is lame with his hind leg crooked at the hock. He can hobble-walk and keeps up with the others, but I can tell he is in pain for he holds his leg up. I have shed tears for this little one.
However, the other night at dusk, after his mother ate some of the sunflower seed off the frosty ground, resolutely keeping an eye on her baby, I witnessed an act of great tenderness and love. When she was done, she softly walked over to her waiting, crippled babe. She reached down and nuzzled him, licked him gently, almost like she was kissing his little muzzle. I took a deep breath as I was witnessing the care of this parent for her hurting son.
As I pondered all this, I thought of grief being like a lame, hind leg. It can cripple you so you are stuck in grief, not being able to cope with life. Or you can pretend it’s not there, but it will re-surface, sometimes in a split second. Grief will always be with you, but you must learn how to adjust and go on. Hopefully, you have friends or family members or best of all, the church to aid you, to nuzzle you with encouragement to go on. If you have no one, go help someone else! It is guaranteed to make you feel better.
This hind leg of grief you carry may allow you to function. You may be able to keep up with the world, but that hurt can be a permanent part of your heart. It can keep you off balance. If you let grief, hurt or bitterness rule your heart, you will be in danger. Your life is about more than your hurts and losses. When you stay close to God, you can move on.
Don’t let the hurts of life be a thief, to take away the good things in life. Don’t let your attached or dangling pain rob you of hope. Don’t let the thieves of life – anger, bitterness, pain, loss, rejection, steal from you anymore than they have! “Plow to the end of the road,” as Jim Kennedy would often say. (page 331 My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz). 
Cartoon Characters and Cheese Corn
Page 240 My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz
“One night, Jim was lying in bed with his belly hanging out and stoutly pronounced that he was “Porky Pig.” I could have fallen off the bed if not for hanging on to him for rescue, for my resulting laughter was so powerful that it could have pulled me to the floor. I then entitled myself “Petunia.” “Porky Pig” and “Petunia” laughed all the way home to Rocky Ford.
In Chicago on the way back, we treated ourselves to a scrumptious bag of warm, cheddar cheese popcorn and devoured it in quick time before boarding our connecting flight.
Once seated on the plane, I looked over at Porky and discovered he had cheese all over his nose. I started laughing hysterically. People around us were looking at me, but I didn’t know what to say or do. I selfishly wanted to not tell him so I could laugh some more, and I’m not proud of that, but I eventually said, “Porky, you have cheese all over your nose.”
He wiped it off and laughed about it. We had a great trip home. We called each other Porky or Petunia or _________ for several weeks. What a blissful thing this was–to have a best friend as a husband and to laugh at and with each other. What a love trip.”
Where did this happen, why were we there and what other fictitious character showed up?
Chapter Twelve My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz
Stripe or Solid?
What happens when stripe and solid meet?
Take a man who is stable, steady, sturdy, sound and substantial. He is stalwart in character. He is consistently humble. He is as genuine as they come. He is filled with intelligence, diligence and honor. His heart is dense with servanthood. He is an air force pilot, a top veterinarian, a professor and national speaker. One could say, “He is solid, Dude.”
Take a woman who is narrower than this solid man. Though she has some of the same qualities as the “solid”, she is streaked with other characteristics. She has different variegations. Her strokes are for children and horses. Her lines are shyness, peace, and also promptness to help.
She is distinctively marked with bionic hips and knees.
The solid and stripe are both lonely.
They are seeking.
They are praying.
They both have hope.
What happens when their foundation of love for God and love for each other unite?
They are melded together to form one!
Who are they?
My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz by Barbara A. Kennedy
Are you chained?
Do you feel chained to your life? Either feeding off the adrenaline of climbing the job ladder or just trying to make it through one hour or one day?
Do you want to give up or do you love life and can’t wait for tomorrow?
Read any good books lately?
Do you want to read a live-action book or a tender love story? Do you want to learn some secrets to a good marriage or relationship? Could you care less but just want to escape into a can’t-put-it-down true life story? What if it was about a famous veterinarian? Or a shy girl who just wanted to one day find some happiness with either a horse or a Knight-of-a-husband?
If you are in a rut, how about getting out by reading and laughing out loud?
Want to read a mushy love letter or poem and roll your eyes and say, “Are you kidding me?” Or do you want to be ambushed by a story where every paragraph is like a roller coaster? Do you want to read a story and ask, “How could that have really happened? Come on, no way could that have happened! And how could the author have had the guts to put that in print?”
How about taking a chance and picking up a memoir that reads like a magnetizing novel and when done you sigh deeply saying, “I can’t believe I read the whole thing?”
You can find it all in My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz. Two real life loving beings whose diary’s quips and traumas were not spared.
My Little Chickadee
The Black-capped Chickadee has always been my favorite bird. For some reason, I’ve always been drawn to their appearance and acrobatics. What cheery little things with black hats and bibs. Their faces are white-sided and feathers a beautiful slate-gray. They flit, hop, hover, cling and catch bugs mid-air. I have sunflower seeds out in the bird feeder year long. They get a seed in their beak and then flit over to a tree to eat it. What personality!
How enthralled I was then to get an e-mail from Jim calling me his “chickadee.”
Page 135-137 My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz
——-Original Message——-
From: James Kennedy
To: Barb Voss
Sent: Tue Aug 2, 2011 4:18 AM
Good morning to you my chickadee.
Heart throbbing, Jim
12:34 PM
Barb you know some nudges push you forward while others push you back, and others move you when you are high centered so you can go on, that is all confusing, isn’t it. I will call you at 6:45 and we will have our evening chat.
Jimmmmmmmmmmy
5:35 PM
I know better, better, best. How many of those shields are left? Hope you say none my voluptuous young chickadee.
Jimmykins
——-Original Message——-
From: bvoss
To: jameskennedy
Sent: Tue Aug 2, 2011 3:38:47 AM
Voluptuous (not quite) … push up bras do wonders; young, uh, I don’t think so; chickadee … I like that, my favorite bird is the Black-capped Chickadee! So that is good … You are funny and are making me laugh
10:17 AM
You ARE my HERO, Jim Kennedy. Always wanted that knight to show up, just like the movie with Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney/White Christmas …the girl was looking for her knight! (there I go again opening up) oh brother.
——-Original Message——-
From: jameskennedy
To: bvoss
Sent: Tue Aug 2, 2011 5:06:29 PM
So what would you like this knight to rescue you from, I’m pretty good at handling dragons and evil men. I don’t do witches well nor warlocks I leave those to my friend.
I have got some work done today believe it or not, I have just about got my presentation for New York done after that I will just be thinking of Barb.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
What thing did Jim say next that would “almost kill me”?
You will find that answer on page 138 of My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz.
THANKSGIVING PRAYERS
On this Thanksgiving Day 2013, I am thankful I met and married an amazing man named Dr. Jim Kennedy.
I never thought I would meet a man such as this. A Godly man. A man who knew how to be a husband! A man who knew marriage was a 100-100 relationship, both giving all to each other. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for giving me this greatest of gifts on earth, a Christian husband, Dr. James A. Kennedy, DVM, MS. There was never a deeper love between a man and wife.
Excerpt from My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz page 140
——-Original Message——-
From: James Kennedy
To: bvoss
Sent: Tue Aug 2, 2011 12:06:39 PM
Dearest Barbara,
Your heart is open and all you need to do is invite me in, I am standing outside waiting. I won’t go where I am not invited. I know you want someone to be the spiritual leader and to take care of you the way a man should take care of a woman, but you have to be the one that extends that invitation to let that man into her heart so here I am waiting. Barb here is what I have been praying in the morning when I awake and maybe it is time I share it with you.
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon me and especially for Barb. She is second only to Your Son who You gave so that I could be forgiven of my sins, she is the greatest gift I have ever received. I pray that you will be with her through out this day guide her, protect her, heal her, and fill her with your strength. I pray that you will bless this relationship and let it be by your design and your design alone. I ask that you forgive me of my sins and be with me help me to say the right things and glorify you in all I do. In the name of Jesus Christ my Savior. Amen.
Barb have a wonderful day I hope you are rested and can see your way to invite me into your heart.
Jim
Cherished Chuckles
A Few Funnies from My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz
page 25
——-Original Message——-
From: bvoss
To: jameskennedy
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 12:32 PM
Joke of the day:
IT’S SO HOT TODAY, I SAW A ROBIN PULLING A WORM OUT OF THE GROUND WITH A POTHOLDER!!!!!!!!!!!!
page 27-28
——-Original Message——-
To: jameskennedy
From: bvoss
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 4:40 PM
Joke for the moment: “It’s so hot today, the chickens are laying hard boiled eggs.”
(Really corny)…heard it on Christian radio today.
Signed, Bionic Babe
——-Original Message——-
From: James Kennedy
To: bvoss
Sent: Thu, Jul 21, 2011 12:50 PM
OK bionic babe I am laughing almost until my side aches, stop it I am a professional and have to be very straight you know.
page 37-38
——-Original Message——-
From: James Kennedy
To: Barb Voss
Sent: Fri, July 22, 2011 3:57:56 PM
I am so excited, it makes me glad they made Depends. Kidding about the Depends. Jim
page 223-224 The Pastor and the Purple Shower Cap
Pastor Chris and his wife, Jennifer, are a wonderful couple who radiate kindness and servant’s hearts. I really liked them from the instant I met them. We now needed Pastor Chris to visit and finalize the re-vow ceremony planned in Denver on October eighth. We agreed that he’d come over after dinner one night.
I never could wear a shower cap when taking showers with Jim. There was just something about wearing an ugly, plastic, purple shower cap in front of my husband. I couldn’t do it. Vanity, oh vanity. So I usually just wrapped my hair in a towel on those times when it wasn’t hair-washin’ night. Jim thought it was silly, but he never chided me.
Jim just loved me.
One of the major components to our marriage is exorbitant laughter. Jim made me laugh until my belly hurt. Then I laughed so hard that it made him laugh even more, and round and round we went on the laughter merry-go-round.
But what happened when Pastor Chris came over took me to my knees with hysterical, almost howling hilarity. One night the doorbell rang. Jim was upstairs, so I let Pastor Chris in. With the precision of a veterinarian’s and/or pilot’s timing, Jim walked down the stairs with my purple shower cap over his head. I started gasping in shock and shrieked with laughter.
Poor Pastor Chris didn’t know what was going on, but the situation was so extraordinary and infectious that he chortled with us. It was a difficult meeting that evening, for we all three sat at the table and could barely speak any words without cracking up.
page 273 No Crows during Church
One Saturday night, Jim fell asleep on his back with an open mouth and emitted new sounds of snoring. It was exactly like a crow’s caw. He would inhale normally, but the exhale was a consistent long caaawww. At first I grabbed a pillow and put it over my mouth to muffle my laughter.
Respecting his need for sleep, I didn’t say anything to him until morning. We both laughed heartily about it while we dressed for church.
After the hymns were sung and announcements read, Pastor Chris started his sermon. At just that perfect timing of Jim’s, he leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Caw, Caw, Caw.” I burst into laughter, and as much as I tried to contain myself, I couldn’t. He repeated the snoring language again in my ear. This was so rude of him, and I knew he was doing it purposely to make me laugh. It was so funny I did not know what to do. I glanced around and saw that people were looking at us. I am sure they saw a couple in love and not a couple being rude during church.
After church, I asked Jim to please never do that to me again, and then we both let out more cackles of laughter, all the way home.
How important is your ox?
___________________________________________________________________________________________________
Excerpt from My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz: page 122
——-Original Message——-
From: jameskennedy
To: barbvoss
Sent: Mon, Aug 1, 2011 3:21:56 AM
Barbara Ann, I know I am premature but thought I would share this with you and you might have a little interest. There is an organization called Christian Veterinary Mission I have been a member in the past but what it is about is sharing and helping other vets and people usually in underdeveloped countries. You can google it and look at some of the opportunities, maybe when you are healed and if we are an item we could look into doing a short-term mission. Some are in the U.S. but most are out of country several right now in Mongolia. In those countries a man’s ox may be his lifeblood so animals become very important. Good luck to your relative.
I am beginning to work on Barb’s gift for this week it is a short week so I best get busy. Jim
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
WWW.CVMUSA.ORG
“Christian Veterinary Mission (CVM) exists to challenge, empower and facilitate veterinary professionals to serve others through their profession, living out their Christian faith. CVM was founded in 1976 by Dr. Leroy Dorminy, who came to realize the impact that veterinarians could have by integrating their faith with their practice, both locally and around the world.
At CVM, it’s all about relationships.
Animals are a bridge to relationship. Whether at a clinic in urban America or the countryside of Mongolia, a veterinary school in Bolivia or the Cherokee Nation, relationships are formed over the care of an animal. Trust is built, hearts are shared, and a seed is planted for the Kingdom of Christ.” (taken from Christian Veterinarian The Journal of Christian Veterinary Mission, Autumn 2013, and website/www.cvmusa.org/about/our-heart/).
What servant’s hearts these veterinarians must have to go to Africa, Central and South America, Asia and other countries to serve. I do wish Jim and I could have participated in some way. What a way to use talents, skills and experiences to help people with their animals.
CVM is part of the “Christa Ministries Family.” Their address is:
Christian Veterinary Mission
19303 Fremont Avenue N
MS 50
Seattle, WA 98133
Their website is: WWW.CVMUSA.ORG.
Teams help with all animals, whether they be dogs, cats, pigs, cows, horses, mules, donkeys, goats, sheep or oxen or maybe even a camel. Just like Jim said, “it is about sharing and helping other vets and people.” I admire this organization and am glad it exists. What a sacrificial way to show a veterinarian’s heart.
An Inner Heart for Dogs
Veterinarians are schooled in many varieties of animals. Most vet schools do not permit students to engage in species specialization; students must be expert in veterinary medicine covering a wide range of species rather than just one or two (such as dogs, cows, or reptiles). Most vet programs do allow students to take electives which will permit them to specialize upon graduation.
My personal veterinarian was a bovine genius. 
A nationally known bovine specialist.
But his love of dogs dug down deep. He loved all kinds of canines. Beagles and weimeraners were among his favorites. Surgery on dogs was his preferred thing to do as a vet. 
What does it say about a man/woman who loves animals this much and who truly cares for them and their owners? Have you ever thought of that?
CSU (Colorado State University) School of Veterinary Medicine, Ft. Collins, CO. has been ranked #2 in the country by the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (veterinary-schools.findthebest.com). The 2011 U.S. News and World Report “Best Graduate Schools in Veterinary Medicine” ranks CSU as #3 (grad-schools.usnews.rankings and reviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-health-schools/veterinarian-rankings).
Dr. Jim Kennedy worked for CSU as director of the Rocky Ford, CO Diagnostic Laboratory. He spent his days doing lab work, consultations, diagnostic case results and the serving as a liaison between the Colorado Department of Agriculture and the CSU Diagnostic Lab. (He whistled happily during the entire cow necropsy he did in front of me)!
He also served as the state coordinator of the Colorado Voluntary BVD (bovine viral diarrhea virus) Control Program. It was his work in this field of study that earned him the Colorado Veterinary Medical Association service award as Colorado’s Veterinarian of the Year in 2007. This award recognizes a distinguished CVMA (Colorado Veterinary Medical Association) member who has contributed to the advancement of veterinary medicine in the state of Colorado in the areas of organization, education, research, practice or regulatory service. Dr. Kennedy set out to establish Colorado as the first state in the nation to be certified as BVD-free. Jim was also widely published and called upon to address various professional and academic endeavors.
But his favorite part of the day was coming home to his weimeraner, Annika, and his new wife. How Jim’s demeanor turned to delight when he stepped in the door after work. I am so happy he had such a good life for that remaining section of his time on this earth.
What joy Jim had for the blessings in his life. He loved his family, his wife, being a pilot, being a veterinarian, his dog, serving at his church and his God. He could make you laugh in a split second. What talent, what devotion, what a compassionate and humble heart. What a man this world was given.
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.” Proverbs 17:22 (KJB)
Side by Side/Joy and Grief
True love can transport one to ecstasy. It can invade every cell. I had never known such a phenomenon until I met Jim Kennedy. We both were so full of joy we flaunted it. He nicknamed himself “Jovial Jim” on page 139 of My Cowboy Knight, My Boaz. He stated, “OH MY I am so Smitten.” (page 106). We were both ultra-magnetized in this thing called love.
Jim’s love of flying also oozed out of his entire being. It was easy to see he thought about flying his plane constantly and we tried to get to the airport as often as we could. If it was too windy, we went anyway, just to dust his plane off, check it over, or just rub our hands over it. That little plane was a piece of Jim. He had flown jets in the air force and had ridden in a B-17, but this little 1950 V-tail Bonanza held a special attraction to him. I could have been jealous, but seeing and feeling his “flying joy” just made me love him more.
Jim was filled with joy for his new wife and for his atmospheric vehicle. Jim and I lived in the best marriage two people could have. How then can joy and grief co-exist? Because they are both part of life.
- “She opened the dresser drawer to get out some jewelry
- to pack for her upcoming trip to see
- her husband’s town and friends.
- She is risking all the curves and bends
- of the emotional ups and downs of grief
- like a craggy reef.
- As she reached in the back of the drawer
- she found her husband’s wallet and almost dropped to the floor.
- What memories gushed into her brain,
- what tears poured out like rain.
- Will this heart pain ever lighten
- the weight of loss’s pain, it can not be forgotten.
- Another day of being a conqueror,
- and not merely a survivor!
- Oh, sweet Jesus, thank you for lightening the load
- and helping me go down this road.
- I will move on and laugh again.
- I just want my Doc Jim and to see
- joy returning itself towards me.
- I will “plow to the end of the road” as Jim would say!
- And be thankful for what blessings I have today!
- For I do have hope
- and I will honor Jim and his ring.
- How blessed I am to have had a man like this
- Who taught me attitude is everything.” August 24, 2013 8:44 PM
Washington’s Mt. St. Helens (on the left), was the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic eruption in the history of the U.S. in 1980. Mt. Rainier next to it hasn’t erupted since the 1800’s. They both have beauty but also hold potential anguish that could happen at any time. This is what I thought flying by them in a 1965 Bonanza V-tail in June, 2013 as I took this picture.
Two close-by created eruptive cones, both beautiful, but with unknown endings. This is like life. We all want love to last forever. Only God’s love is eternal and we can have this love if we just believe in Him and ask Him to be our Lord and our first love.
Jim and I will be together. One of us has erupted into eternity. The other will some day soon. Then we both will have eternity with each other and our Lord God.
