BANDERA, Texas — You could be forgiven for thinking Ryland Engelhart is religious. 

“This is very me,” the 45-year-old says as he maneuvers his golf cart past a massive, three-dimensional heart he carved out of wood using a chainsaw. Like his forearms, the heart is emblazoned with two words: be love. Across from it sits a wooden cross Engelhart says his family erected on a Good Friday without realizing the day’s significance. They are “spiritual seekers,” who dabble across traditions. 

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“The heart is the vessel in which we receive messages,” Engelhart says as he turns the wheel, heading deeper into his 200-acre property in central Texas. This place, Sovereignty Ranch, is his message received. 

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