Join us on Family Talk as we delve into the powerful and inspiring story of Kim Meter, co-founder of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. Discover how this incredible ministry has paired rescued horses with children in need, fostering healing and hope where it seemed lost. In Part 2 of this profound conversation, Dr. James Dobson and Kim Meter share transformative stories of lives impacted by the unique bond between child and horse, offering a glimpse into God’s capacity for profound change.
Hello, everyone. You’re listening to Family Talk, a radio broadcasting ministry of the James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Dr. James Dobson, and thank you for joining us for this program.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, welcome back to Family Talk, the broadcast division of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. I’m Roger Marsh, and today we are bringing you part two of Dr. Dobson’s classic conversation with Kim Meter, co-founder of Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch in Oregon, where rescued horses are paired with herding children free of charge. For over 25 years now, this ministry has witnessed God working miracles of healing through the unique bond between a horse and a brokenhearted child. On the last edition of Family Talk, we heard Kim Meter share from her own story of tragedy and redemption and how God used a little horse to help heal her shattered heart after losing both of her parents by the time she was nine years old. That personal experience became the foundation for a ministry that now serves thousands of families each year. And through their Ignition Training Conference, Kim and her husband Troy have helped launch over 200 similar ministries all across North America and beyond. On the last edition of Family Talk, we heard Kim Meter share from her own story of tragedy and redemption On today’s edition of Family Talk, you’ll hear incredible stories of God’s transforming power, moments that reveal how he meets us in our deepest pain and brings hope where there seems to be none. Let’s rejoin Dr. James Dobson now and Kim Meter for the conclusion of this uplifting conversation right here on today’s edition of Family Talk.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, Kim, it was such a joy to have you here yesterday. You had me in tears, and it’s not the first time you’ve done that. You’re really good at that. Oh, dear. I tell you what, the Lord has a way of breaking into our conversations, and He has done that from the beginning, more than 20 years ago when I first interviewed you. Yes, sir. 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.
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch was founded 25 years ago, and we exist to pair rescued horses with herding 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. Yeah, his blessing has been on it. His blessing has been on it. And 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 have helped to empower into existence over 200 other similar ministries in the United States and Canada and many in foreign countries.
SPEAKER 02 :
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 back story to that.
SPEAKER 03 :
Well, the back story 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, how to, and use is the wrong word, how to align horses to walk with the truth and power and redeeming love of God’s word.
SPEAKER 02 :
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? Absolutely. Absolutely. What’s that look like?
SPEAKER 03 :
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 herding children, that horse will mirror back to that child what they’re feeling.
SPEAKER 02 :
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.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 and 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
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. Straight up. That’s what you’re there to do. That’s your primary objective, isn’t it?
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, sir. Anything less than giving people the redeeming gospel of Jesus Christ’s love is a counterfeit. Do people know that when they come to you? 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
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?
SPEAKER 03 :
Absolutely. 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 one. 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
You talk in your book about someone named Kathy. Yes. I thought that was a wonderful story.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 1,200 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 Kathy 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 started 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 and it’s, Kathy. Kathy and her arms were raised in 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 what’s going on here honey look at what you’re doing right now you’re standing unassisted with your arms in the air and your head back in 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 Kathy 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 Kathy was walking down the mountainside. And she screamed and started to run toward her friend. who she had given six days of her life to drive 1,200 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
But it’s not primarily about physical healing. It’s primarily about healing of the soul.
SPEAKER 03 :
Yes, sir.
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, Shirley and I have 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 whose 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. Correct. And introduce them to a horse, and the healing begins. Yes, sir. You’ve got a million stories, don’t you?
SPEAKER 03 :
I do. How much time do you have?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, one of them was named Christian, or at least that’s the pseudonym you’ve given to that individual to protect the identity. Tell us about that individual.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 there. 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 we 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, Miss 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. And then he said, as 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
Your book ends today. The last chapter with a story that’s difficult to describe. Tell us about it.
SPEAKER 03 :
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. 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 has 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 and 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’ve got you. You’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. And his head rocked back, and that’s when I could hear him whisper, but he’s not. What? 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
You did save the first man.
SPEAKER 03 :
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 the 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, 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.
SPEAKER 02 :
You just heard it. The title of the book is Revival Rising, Embracing His Transforming Fire by Kim Meter. 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. Yes, sir. And Shirley and I love you all and appreciate what you’re doing, especially your love for Jesus, which comes through in everything that you’re doing.
SPEAKER 03 :
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.
SPEAKER 02 :
We serve the same Lord. Thank you for your love for the Lord.
SPEAKER 01 :
Well, what powerful reminders today of God’s faithfulness and his ability to meet us exactly where we are. That brings to a close part two of our two-day conversation here on Family Talk, remembering Dr. James Dobson’s classic conversation with Kim Meter from Crystal Peaks Youth Ranch. This has arguably been one of the most… popular programs that we’ve ever aired here on Family Talk. And if you missed any part of this two-day discussion, you can listen to it again at drjamesdobson.org forward slash Family Talk. And while you’re online with us, you can also learn more about Kim’s ministry or her book called Revival Rising. Again, that’s drjamesdobson.org forward slash Family Talk. And if today’s conversation resonated with you, be sure to request your copy of the 2025 Best of Broadcast Collection. It’s available as a six CD set when you support the Ministry of Family Talk with a gift of any amount. And this collection features the most impactful programs from not only the past year, but all 15 years of the history here at Family Talk and the James Dobson Family Institute. It’s a memorial tribute to Dr. Dobson, featuring some of his most classic work, including the conversation that you heard with Kim Meter on today’s program and yesterday’s program. And these are definitely conversations you’ll want to revisit again and again. Also included in the set is the last interview Dr. Dobson ever recorded in the studio and literally the final words he ever spoke into a microphone here in the JDFI studios as well. So very, very sentimental moments when you listen to them on the CD. Again, you can request your copy of the 2025 Best of Broadcast Collection when you include a gift of any amount in support of our ministry. And you can do so at drjamesdobson.org forward slash broadcasts. or by calling us at 877-732-6825. And in recent months, you’ve been hearing me talk an awful lot about the Dr. James Dobson Memorial Matching Grant. This matching grant honors Dr. Dobson’s legacy and supports the only organization he entrusted to carry out his work and expand it to new generations and geographies. But this historic opportunity to double your impact ends on New Year’s Eve, which is a week from tomorrow. Time is quickly running out. Because of this special arrangement, every donation made to the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute between now and the deadline of December 31st will be matched dollar for dollar up to, are you ready for this, up to $6 million. We have some very generous donors who have made this memorial matching gift possible. Your doubled gift will help us continue bringing biblical wisdom and practical encouragement to families all across the country and literally all over the world. Now, to take advantage of this special opportunity while there’s still time, go to drjamesdobson.org forward slash broadcasts or call 877-732-6825. And to send your donation by mail, write to us at drjamesdobsonsfamilytalk.org. P.O. Box 39000, Colorado Springs, Colorado. The zip code 80949. Well, I’m Roger Marsh, and on behalf of all of us here at Family Talk and the James Dobson Family Institute, thanks so much for joining us today. Be sure to join us again right here for another edition of Dr. James Dobson’s Family Talk, the voice you can still trust for the family you love. This has been a presentation of the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute.
