I guess the enemy's good at pulling a blindfold over your eyes and making life seem like it's okay

where you're at, but it wasn't. And so that's when I knew I needed the change and I knew I couldn't do it without him.

Welcome to the Jesus Calling podcast.

Today's guests share how their lives have been uniquely blessed by friendships with both humans and animals, and how these special

connections have helped them understand and strengthen their relationship with God.

Bull Rider Cody Nance and Lori Bear and Janice Larson of his haven ranch.

First up, Cody Nance has lived nearly his whole life at the rodeo

and is ranked to number 25 in the world for his skill as a bull rider.

He recounts how, in his younger years he

lost track of God but then found his way back to him after realizing how hard it was

to make life work without him. My name is Cody Nance.

I'm a father, I'm a husband, I'm a boy writer by profession.

And so where I grew up in Paris, Tennessee was a pretty small town and we didn't have a lot of cattle and I didn't rodeo, but my stepfather did.

He's the one that got me into rodeo and I used to team rope and got into riding bulls at about 14.

So that's what I've been doing ever since where I grew up at.

We trained a lot of horses though and

and messed around with a lot of horses. I think that helped me establish that

foundation. The first thing that during me to Bull Riding was my stepdad. He was my

hero when I was my stepdad. He was my hero.

When I was a little kid, I was two years old

when he and my mom met, and he rode bulls,

and I just thought that was the best thing ever.

...