Dropping Like Flies

So you may know that out of the total 12 people who have been part of my LeadTime class since August, two (guys) have already left. So, it has kind of become the running joke, when things are hard that we are going to "run" (a term use for when the Littles run away)- If they can run, we can too! Just pack up our stuff and leave :o) But all joking aside, life at Shelterwood is tough, and so it is a very real feeling that people often want out. Thus, before Thanksgiving break, I very seriously looked around the table at everyone in my class and told them that they all had to come back! No one else was allowed to leave! I guess that my admonition didn't work. Today is my last day off- I haven't been back to property yet, but I just got back to civilization, and in my inbox had an e-mail from my classmate Jodi saying that she wouldn't be returning...Man...I love Jodi, I wasn't super close to her, but she was a lot of fun and I know a lot of the Littles really loved her...this is probably what's best for her- I know its what she feels like she's supposed to do right now...I just don't like it. I don't like inconsistency- and to me, commitment that for whatever reason isn't followed through with, is inconsistency....Pray for her as she moves home to work through some things she's been avoiding. Pray for the Littles who have a really hard time with change and "abandonment". Pray for our class as we experience yet another loss to our family...Lord show up in this place once again.

How to Save a Life

Many of you have probably heard this popular song by the Fray. Did you know that it was written about Shelterwood? It's playing at the coffee shop right now, which is what made me think to post it.

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Catch Up

Property covered in snow!

The Flatirons covered in snow!

Ok, so I apologize for my lack of posting on this blog for the last month. Now that I have a little time off, I'm going to try and make up for it.

Most of the Littles are at home for their 10 day Thanksgiving break. As they hit the half way point and things are probably very difficult for most of them, please keep them and their families in your prayers.

M's counselor, Dawn, is actually flying out to stay with her Friday to Monday, so please pray specifically for them during this time.

Its been really quiet around property the last week. There are only 3 girl Littles still here. K, K2, and J - these are the newer Littles that aren't allowed to go home yet. It's so weird to sitting in the front room of the house with maybe only one girl and no yelling! The Bigs each get 5 days of for Thanksgiving, so we're just rotating whose here and whose home for their break. We're trying to take the girls out to do something fun each day to make the time go by faster and get their minds off of being away from home. We've hung out in Denver and Boulder and Estes- watched an extreme ski movie, driven through Rocky Mountain National Park, toured the Celestial Seasonings factory, gone sledding and ice skating, and watched lots of movies and eaten out a lot. :o) However, K and K2's families came out here to visit them for yesterday and today, so they are spending time with them. Today we're having a big Thanksgiving lunch on property.

Above: K ice skating in Boulder

J is my new Little. She is 15, but seems younger because she has some learning disabilities and mild cerebral palsy. These things also make her really socially awkward, but she is precious! She was so excited when it snowed Tuesday night and Wednesday. She sledded and ice skated for the first time! Here's a picture of us with a tiny snowman we made:


Another girl little, D, was supposed to be here for break, but her parents decided to bring her home and in so doing, take her out of the program. She is now the 3rd girl Little to leave since we arrived. (AMS left a couple weeks ago after the court placed her with her Aunt and Uncle, which was a praise, and C is doing well in her new program) The constant coming and going of kids is just part of life at Shelterwood, but I am not quite used to it yet. Another little, SJ's parents will be taking her out of the program at Christmas break too. She is 18, has been here for over a year, and they just can't afford for her to stay any longer. Please be in prayer for her as she makes plans for where she will live and what she will do in 4 weeks. More than that pray that God would really cement some important truths in her heart before she has to leave.

Mom's visit

Mom flew out and visited for her birthday. She got us a little cabin in Estes park to stay out. Other that some crazy ATV riding and me pelting things with my slingshot, it was a quiet weekend in the mountains.


My childish antics

The impossible puzzle

Our little cabin

ATV extreme fun

Me and mom on our hike around Bear Lake

Narrow Roads

Narrow Roads was a spiritual retreat that took place at a little camp outside Estes Park. We took a really neat group of 12 Littles- they were fun, they did really well with a lot of quiet/contemplative time, they were very honest, and there were no boy-girl issues (which makes everything better). It was also nice to have more Bigs/staff then Littles around - this completely changed group dynamics and gave us time together too. God was clearly at work there. Just the maturity the kids showed and their honesty about hard issues was huge.


All the Littles at Narrow Roads


Jodi and M during our "easy hike". We went on an afternoon hike that proved to be longer and more difficult than expected. Jodi and M were tired and hung out together while the rest of us finished the last part of the hike.


Ashley and T on the hike. "Cool!" "Wow!"


A & SJ (roomates) at Narrow Roads. "A", who was in my small group, "doesn't believe in God". She thinks there's a higher power of some sort, but because of life experiences has decided that whatever it is, she wants nothing to do with it. Its funny because she chose to come on this "spiritual retreat" (probably mostly because other people wanted her too), but then the whole time she was there she was trying very hard to tune everything out and not really enter into it- like she's afraid of ending up believing in God again. So much so that she had to make a list of all the reasons she hates God, because she was beginning to forget and be unsure...it was obvious that although she was pretty closed off to the whole thing, a major battle was going on inside of her. "SJ" who really struggles with self hatred and feeling like she should be a boy was met by the Lord during a worship on day at the retreat and assured that he made and loves her the way she is. This is huge and I'm excited to see what will come as she embraces this truth!


Jeff, Jodi and Jason by the nice fire place in the dining hall that served us great food that we didn't have to cook or clean up!


All the bigs: Ashley, Julie, Pam, Sarah, Jason, Jeff, Jenna, Katie, Jodi, Becky


The mountains were beautiful!