Many things to be thankful for...

Well another Thanksgiving shared with my Ranch family. We all were blessed by an annual group who has been faithfully coming to the Ranch to prepare all 50 of us a delicious Turkey dinner with all of the fixings. I was thinking about many different places I have experienced Thanksgiving (Spain, Cancun, Canada, Whittier/CA, Coeur d' Alene/ID, Friday Harbor/WA, Louisville/KY, and Aspen/CO). In all of these places I have enjoyed a great meal with friends from all over and with each Thanksgiving the best thing shared are the memories. I appreciate Thanksgiving this year because we had several of our staff's family come share their favorite part of the holiday. It is always a great time to reflect on the numerous blessings that God has given us all. This year I am just privileged to be surrounded with people who share the joy of serving others. I love my job and I am thankful that I get to love on 31 kids everyday. I wish everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving with the ones. Giving thanks each day!

Psalm 33

The steadfast love of the Lord. The staff devotion today was about God's love and how it is present before us all, and he desires to be connected with us. A love that endures forever and ever, and I am the only one that can get in the way of that love. (verse 22- let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.) A short story from this devotion shared by a wise man who serves with us at the Ranch.....each day we sit in these plastic chairs (the picnic ones) these chairs are used by all of us for 3 meals a day. We sit in them and really we trust that these chairs won't break. If we rock in these chairs or lean back we are taking a risk that they could break or even making them worse for the next person who uses them. "Faith-Chairs" We need to sit solid in our Faith, because if you tip back you're going to fall....sit up straight. Thank goodness our faith isn't made out of plastic, but instead our faith is in a God who is the ultimate creator, who knows all the hairs on our head, who watches over us at all times, and who never leaves us or forsakes us....a steadfast love.

Sharing my classroom and house with mice

Mice....not three blind mice, but 1 in my classroom and 2 in my house. So now I have 2 new roommates who are really quite, but not so clean. They don't know how to clean up after themselves once they have well you all probably get the idea. These mice are just looking for a warm home and I can't blame them we are getting cooler weather here at the Ranch. The mice may come as a bother to some, but even though I have caught a few and released them....I think they have made a home for themselves here. The other day the kids were tearing the classroom apart just to catch this mouse...it was a zoo. We were successful with capturing one mouse and then we took our new found friend on a trip to visit our Directors pet snake. It was a short chat and then the conversation ended with silence. Our own little adventures at the Ranch.

Daylight savings....get up and get going

From my daily devotional..."Strive to see God in all things without exception, and acquiesce in His will with absolute submission. Do everything for God, uniting yourself to Him by a mere upward glance, or by the overflowing of your heart towards Him. Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inward peace for anything whatsoever, even if your whole world seems upset. Commend all to God, and then lie still and be at rest in His bosom. Whatever happens, abide steadfast in a determination to cling simply to God, trusting to His eternal love for you; and if you find that you have wandered forth from this shelter, recall your heart quietly and simply. Maintain a holy simplicity of mind.

- Francis De Sales