Roger Marsh: Welcome back to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh. And today on the program, we are airing part two of a poignant and powerful conversation Dr. Dobson had with Kim Meeder. The conversation took place in early 2021 and this program is part of our "Best of 2021" collection. To listen to part one of the interview, by the way, just go to drjamesdobson.org/broadcast.
In 1995, Kim Meeder and her husband, Troy founded Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. Crystal Peaks is located on over 100 acres of farmland just outside of Bend, Oregon. The ranch exists to spread the love and redeeming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ by pairing rescued horses with kids who've suffered emotional, spiritual, and sometimes sexual abuse. Kim and Dr. Dobson will be talking about the ins and outs of what goes on between these horses and these kids on today's program.
First though, I want to let you know about a special offer that we have for you, from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute and that is our 2021 "Best of Broadcast" collection. This 6 CD set features 18 of the most popular Family Talk programs from the past year. It features interviews from Gary Bauer, Pastor Jack Graham of PowerPoint Ministries, Bible teacher Dee Brestin and more. By the way, the conversation that you'll hear today between Dr. Dobson and Kim Meeder is also on the 2021 "Best of" collection. Now the Family Talk 2021 "Best of Broadcast" collection would make a great gift for someone you love or a treasured addition to your home library. And if you order by December 10th, you'll get your copy before Christmas.
To request yours for a suggested donation of $50, please visit drjamesdobson.org/bestof2021. That's drjamesdobson.org/bestof2021 or you can give us a call at (877) 732-6825. Let's listen now to the second half of this powerful interview featuring Kim Meeder right here on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk.
Dr. James Dobson: Well, Kim, it was such a joy to have you here yesterday. You had me in tears and that's not the first time you've done that. You're really good at that because I tell you what, the Lord has a way of breaking into our conversations and has done that from the beginning. More than 20 years ago when I first interviewed you, I want to give a kind of an overview of what we said yesterday about Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon for the benefit of those who didn't hear yesterday's program. And there'll be many of them because every day there's a turnover. Take just a minute or two to talk about the ranch and what its purpose is, what its mission is and how you link wounded horses and broken individuals.
Kim Meeder: Absolutely. Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch was founded 25 years ago and we exist to pair rescued horses with hurting kids free of charge. And we've done this for 25 years and that is not a testimony of how great an organization is. It's a testimony of how great our God is.
Dr. James Dobson: Right. Yeah. His blessing has been on it.
Kim Meeder: His blessing has been on it in the foundation of what we do is to rescue, mentor, hope, and empower. And what that means to us is that our ranch was founded on rescuing horses in need. And then we mentor the children that come to the ranch. We have programs that bring hope to the family, and we've helped to empower into existence over 200 other similar ministries in the United States and Canada and many in foreign countries.
Dr. James Dobson: Let's pick up on that. How have you been instrumental in starting in 200 other places the kind of ranch and the kind of ministry that the Lord has given you? Tell me the story. There's got to be a backstory to that.
Kim Meeder: Well, the backstory to that is you, my dear friend. From our interview in 2004, we were inundated with tens of thousands of communications, hundreds of which were people who said, "You are living my dream. I never knew it was possible you could connect horses and children and serve Jesus Christ for both. Will you show us how to do the same thing?" And so, the following year starting in 2005, we started teaching what we call Ignition. And it is a conference that teaches people how to use horses in ministry.
And use is the wrong word, how to align horses to walk with the truth and power and redeeming love of God's Word. And through that conference, which happens every year, there are now over 200 other ranches and there are probably twice that many that are in process of becoming a ranch. And even this year, we have had such a huge request for more ranches that we're going to have to hold potentially several Ignition conferences.
Dr. James Dobson: And there'll be more coming after today.
Kim Meeder: Yes, Yes. Go Holy Spirit go.
Dr. James Dobson: Tell me about the mental capacity of horses to recognize that an individual is hurting. How does that take place? Do you actually see it happen when a horse connects with a child or an individual?
Kim Meeder: Absolutely, absolutely.
Dr. James Dobson: What's that look like?
Kim Meeder: It's unique in each situation. Horses as you mentioned yesterday are designed by God in such a beautiful, individual and unique way. And the science behind it, a portion is that horses have more mirror neurons than any other created animal on the planet. And that is a neuron in the brain that will reflect back what it is experiencing. And so, when we pair rescued horses with hurting children, that horse will mirror back to that child what they're feeling.
Dr. James Dobson: You take that relationship between an animal and an individual, a child usually and use that to teach a love for Jesus. That's an amazing connection too.
Kim Meeder: That's the key connection. Apart from Jesus Christ, horses are just a Band-Aid. And that peace and safety that a child or an adult feels in the presence of a horse blows away by the time they reach their car. But when we connect what Jesus has created horses for to the creator, the one who made that peace and who made that hope and who made that joy, we want to introduce you to the author of redemption in love. And that's what transforms us all. And if we don't give those who come up our driveway the redeeming love of Jesus Christ, then we have failed.
Dr. James Dobson: Yeah. That is your not so well concealed secret. That when you bring people there to deal with their brokenness in relationship with a horse, you're ready to give them an understanding of the giver of life.
Kim Meeder: Straight up.
Dr. James Dobson: That's what you're there to do. That's your primary objective, isn't it?
Kim Meeder: Yes, sir. Anything less than giving people the redeeming gospel of Jesus Christ's love is a counterfeit.
Dr. James Dobson: Do people know that when they come to you?
Kim Meeder: Absolutely. And the ranch is available for everyone. It doesn't matter who you are, what you believe, what culture you're from, what religion you were raised in, just come.
Dr. James Dobson: The title of your book Revival Rising is not only an individual response, a revival in an individual, in a person. But does it relate to cultural revival, the spreading of the good news across the land?
Kim Meeder: Absolutely. It's compelling to me that this book was written a year and a half ago and it came out in the middle of a global pandemic. And the whole foundation of this book is that revival is not something that happens near you. Revival is something that happens in you. And it is the Ignition of the Holy Spirit within God's people of knowing who we are and what our calling is. And it is one-on-one. It is each individual sharing what Jesus Christ has done for them. And that goes on to the next person and the next person. And then it becomes cultural, but it always begins the same. It always begins fueled by love one heart at a time.
Dr. James Dobson: Yeah. You talk in your book about someone named Cathy.
Kim Meeder: Yes.
Dr. James Dobson: I thought that was a wonderful story.
Kim Meeder: We were having one of our Ignition conferences and this woman lives in Canada, a great distance away. And she was so excited to come. And as the enemy would have it, right before leaving she came down with a virus that left her with severe vertigo. So severe that she couldn't stand and she felt like she was going to have to pass. And yet, in all her prayer time she felt the Lord saying, "There's nothing I can't do in you or for you or through you. Do you trust me? Have faith."
And so, it was made known to her through doctors flying was completely out of the question. She wouldn't survive it. So, one of her dear friends offered to drive her 1200 miles one way to the ranch. And in that trip, she became more and more ill. They had to stop every 30 minutes so she could throw up. It was grueling. And so, they finally reached the ranch 15 minutes before Ignition was getting ready to start. She was so ill that she had to have a walker to move.
And what I loved most about her is even in this state of illness, she never lost her joy. And she was as bright as the day is long. And day by day I kept thinking, "Lord, I really want to pray with her. I know you can heal this." And I kept sensing from Him, "Wait, wait. I want her to believe that too." And that faith rose up in Cathy on the very last day of the conference where she pulled me aside and said, "I think I'm ready. I would like to pray." And so, we drove her in a Ranger as high as we could get up on the ranch property up underneath the cross, we have a cross made out of juniper wood, and we started to pray and we to identify all the fear factors in her life.
And she started calling them out by name and bringing them to the feet of Jesus and making fear be accountable to Jesus. Her arms are in the air, we're worshiping and we're singing and she's stamping and she's dancing. And that's when the Lord said, "Look at her." And she's not leaning against anything. She's standing with her eyes closed and her head back and her arms raised. "I have healed her. Not only her heart, but I've healed her body too." And that's when I tapped her on the arm, "Cathy, Cathy." And her arms were raised and this woman, she opens her eyes and I can just see like half of her nose in her eyes looking at me over her arm. And she looks at me like, "What?" And I said-
Dr. James Dobson: What's going on here?
Kim Meeder: "Honey, look at what you're doing right now. You're standing unassisted with your arms in the air and your head back and your eyes closed. Jesus has healed you from the inside out. It is finished." And she's literally got her arms in the air over her head. And she looks down at her feet and she just starts to scream. And she's like, "He did it. He did it. Jesus did it." And this incredible release of faith, there's nothing our God cannot do. And in a moment, a simple, beautiful hearted woman by faith stepped forward and said, "I believe He can do that" right up until the moment that He did.
As the conference was closing down, I offered to give Cathy a ride in the Ranger and she held her arms up and said, "Nope, I got this. Me and Jesus." And she walked down a very, very steep path. As I drove the Ranger down, her walker was in the back, we put it over by the trash and her friend popped up and looked at me across the crowd like, "Where's my friend?" And I just pointed in silence up the road as Cathy was walking down the mountain side and she screamed and started to run toward her friend who she had given six days of her life to drive 1200 miles. And now Jesus Christ has met her friend in this place and healed her completely. And they met in an embrace and went down to their knees weeping in gratitude before the one who can heal anyone who believes that He can.
Dr. James Dobson: But it's not primarily about physical healing. It's primarily about healing of the soul.
Kim Meeder: Yes, sir.
Dr. James Dobson: Well, Shirley and I've been there and we've seen the people that are touched. You allow parents to bring kids there when they've been abused. You told a story last time about a little boy; all his teeth had been kicked in by his father. That's not an unusual situation. You bring whatever children parents want to come and there's no charge.
Kim Meeder: Correct.
Dr. James Dobson: And introduce them to a horse. And the healing begins.
Kim Meeder: Yes, sir.
Dr. James Dobson: You've got a million stories, don't you?
Kim Meeder: I do. How much time do you have?
Dr. James Dobson: Well, one of them was named Christian or at least that's the pseudonym you've given to that individual to protect the identity.
Kim Meeder: Yes.
Dr. James Dobson: Tell us about that individual.
Kim Meeder: My dear friend and beloved assistant and I were invited to go to Romania to share the gospel in some of the poorest villages in Eastern Europe through Romania and Moldova. And during that time, we were invited to a horse ranch that does therapeutic riding, which is very different than what we do. We do equine ministry and they were doing equine therapy, which is working with horses outside of faith in Jesus Christ. And they wanted me to come and demonstrate to them why what we do works, but it doesn't work without faith in Jesus Christ.
And they were frustrated that what I kept sharing with them is ask the only one who knows the way. He is the Holy Spirit and the one who leads into all truth. And He will tell you what needs to happen. And so, kind of hands on the hips,
"prove it." And so went into a large arena and they brought out a horse and they led in a young man who was 12. He was born blind and he was high on the autism spectrum. And they wanted me to prove what I was saying with this little boy.
And so, I took him by the hands and we started talking. He knew some English so we developed a friendship with this horse, and then it came time for him to ride. And so, they just put a pad on the horse. And to satisfy their education, I had him ride the horse forwards and backwards and sideways while touching the horse's head and tail and giving him a good gift of love, which was rubbing the horse everywhere he could reach while the horse was walking. So that creates balance, which is what they were steeped in. But now you need to see what Jesus Christ can do.
And so, I said, "Christian, have you ever trotted?" And he said, "No." And I said, "Does that sound like fun or does that sound scary?" And he said, "I think it sounds like fun." So, I gave him some instructions and we started off at a trot and he screamed, this horse jumped into a lively trot and he rocked backward and let out this half man, half boy scream. And I looked at him and he was laughing. And what was coming through his blind expression was just pure joy pouring from heaven. And I said, "Christian, oh my goodness, oh my goodness. You're smiling. Your smile is so beautiful."
And as he's leaving me in the arena, trotting around, he would say, "Ms. Kim, can you see my smile? Can you see it from here? And can you see it from here? Can you still see it?" And I said, "Yeah, I can still see it. It's so powerful and it's so beautiful. Please don't ever stop." And so finally he comes up to me and I'm weeping and just saying, "You just gave me the best gift in the world. You have one of the most beautiful smiles I have ever experienced."
And then he wanted to know what my smile looked like. And so, I said, "Why don't you tell me?" So, I put his hand on my face and he's feeling all over the contours of my face and he whispers, "Your smile, it's like the best dream ever."
Dr. James Dobson: Really?
Kim Meeder: And then he said and we talked about many things after that and about how his smile and genuine joy comes from Jesus Christ. And what a gift he's been given Jesus and that he can give that gift back to Jesus by smiling to everyone he meets.
Dr. James Dobson: Your book ends the last chapter with a story that's difficult to describe. Tell us about it.
Kim Meeder: When it comes to revival, I have often had people explain to me that the Great Commission is not for this time or for them. And my answer would be through this encounter. I love that Jesus taught through parables taking something that we could see to illustrate something that we couldn't. And this is how I learn. And because this is how I learn; He teaches me about His Word through everything that I experience. And as we were talking before the show that my beloved husband is not only the CEO of a ministry that's going around the world, he is all also earned his license as a merchant marine and his license as a fishing guide.
And so, we had served our family and friends for a season. There were two days left, we were fishing alone and it was a big, bad weather day. The water was 49 degrees. The waves were high. The wind was high. You would be killed trying to go out. And so, we ended up fishing on the tide water, which is ocean water that is rushed up the river. And we fished until 4:15 and I heard the Holy Spirit begin to urge my heart, "It's time to go. It's time to go. Leave now and return to the marina at once. Now. "
And so, I shared with Troy, what I was sensing, we reeled up our gear, put the main down, started streaming back toward the marina. And as we made the last turn into a very wide expanse of the river that's about a mile long. It acts like a wind tunnel. And I could see in the distance something that I didn't recognize, just shapes and colors bobbing in the river where they shouldn't be. And then it moved and it was a man in the water. And instantly the picture snapped into focus that it was a capsized boat and this was debris in the water, and there was a man in the water that was 49 degrees. And I could hear myself saying, "I've got you; I've got you. You're going to be okay."
And I got the salmon net and I'm reaching for him. And he's almost unconscious. And through the wreckage, I could see that there were reams and reams of yellow nylon rope floating in the water, and they were around his legs. And this rope was connected to the boat and the boat just went underwater. And the Holy Spirit was yelling, "Get the ropes off him now." And I pulled him to the boat and I just kept hearing myself say, "I got you. You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay." His head rocked back and I could hear him whisper, "But he's not." "What? What?" And as I reached down to grab him by his life jacket, that's when I realized there was a second man in the water who had already perished because we didn't get to him in time.
Dr. James Dobson: You did save the first man.
Kim Meeder: The first man survived and the point of sharing this encounter is that he told me while he and his friend were in the water, not one, not two but three boats passed them and did nothing. They didn't stop. And because they didn't stop, he watched his best friend die. When it comes to the Great Commission, there are men and women and children in the water all around us every day that are dying without hope. If Jesus Christ is your Lord and savior, we can choose to become that life ring that draws these hurting in our midst into the redeeming love of God the Father, Jesus's Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. Or we can drive by them and say, "Wow, I hope the next boatload of Christians loves you more than I do because right now I love me more than you."
In such a time as this in the middle of a global pandemic, people are afraid and for you and I to reach out for them with the hope that we have, that is the heart and soul and the bedrock of the Great Commission. It is your commission and it is my commission.
Dr. James Dobson: You just heard it, the title of the book Revival Rising: Embracing His Transforming Fire by Kim Meeder. And this book is available in all the places where you can find books today. Would you give our regards to Troy? He did a program here with us some years ago.
Kim Meeder: Yes, sir.
Dr. James Dobson: And Shirley and I love you all and appreciate what you're doing, especially your love for Jesus, which comes through and everything that you're doing.
Kim Meeder: Well, I've had a good mentor over the years and he's sitting across the table from me. And I would wish to say thank you my dear, dear friend for staying the course and for standing unshakably on the power of the Word of God and speaking the truth. And because you did that, a generation was transformed by the love of God who is coming.
Dr. James Dobson: We serve the same Lord. Thank you for your love for the Lord.
Roger Marsh: A touching conversation to end this week of programming here on Dr. James Dobson's Family Talk. You just heard the conclusion of Dr. Dobson's conversation with Kim Meeder. Now, if you'd like to learn more about her book Revival Rising or Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch, you can find all of that information and more at drjamesdobson.org/broadcast. That's drjamesdobson.org/broadcast.
Now before we leave the air for today, I'd like to remind you of our current matching grant here at the JDFI. This means that any financial contribution you make to the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute during the month of December will be doubled, thanks to some special friends of our ministry. So, if you give $25, that becomes a $50 donation. If you give $100, that becomes $200. $1000 becomes $2000. You get the idea.
To make your tax-deductible donation over the phone, call us at (877) 732-6825 and help defend Biblical truth and the family. Remember you can always make a gift online as well when you visit drjamesdobson.org. That's drjamesdobson.org. Well, that's all the time we have for today. For Dr. Dobson, his wife Shirley, Dr. Tim Clinton and all of us here at the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I'm Roger Marsh. God's richest blessings to you and your family.
Announcer: This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.