Moonlight Ride

Nathan came over tonight when he got off work. We had decided to go for a ride, so I had the horses ready to go by the time he got here, although he wanted to saddle up for me (how sweet is that). We went for a long ride, watching the sun go down behind the Sangres and the moon slowly peep up over the hills. It was quite romantic, and loads of fun. It's getting really cold here though, and since I know my ears were freezing I'm sure his must've been as well. Also, and totally off subject, but rejoice with me cause one of our "friends" got saved yesterday! Hoo-yah!

September 11, 2007

The grand opening of Dave Roever's Eagle's Summit Ranch. What a priviledge to be invited! The morning of fun started with a "fashion shoot" by our very own Chaplain David W. Taylor!


My darling mumsy sent me a "little black dress" just in the nick of time...



Dave insisted on a "sexy" photo...


And one of gorgeous Hopie!


Then we drove over to Eagle Summit, about 20 minutes from our house. They did a beautiful job with the main gate. I don't know if you can see, but there is an eagle statue on either side of the gate, and a moose statue by the pond.


We had a time of visiting...


...and then the official ceremony started with the honor gaurd from Peterson AFB. In these pictures they are performing the 21 gun salute, and the flag ceremony to honor the wounded warriors and the veterans who died in combat. It was extremely moving to see these men with no hands putting a stub over their hearts for the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem.




John Ashcroft was one of the speakers, along with several other officers, one of whom read a personal letter from President Bush. It was awesome to hear the leaders of our country praising God and talking about their personal relationship with Him.


John Ashcroft


Dave and Brenda Roever

Once the ceremonies were over we took a tour of the lodge...






...and then back outside. I'm standing on the edge of a cliff, which is also the edge of the Lodge's parking lot.


We ended our time at Eagle Summit with a Luncheon where all of the wounded warriors who were there at the time shared a little bit of their story.

The Lion and the Lamb

Yesterday as I was sitting in session with a client and we were praying, David told the client to ask Jesus to come walk with her. As they prayed Jesus gave me the most beautiful mental picture. I was out in the middle of a grassy green meadow, and the sun was glowing. There was an overwhelming sense of peace and contentment. As I turned I saw a tiny lamb bedded down in the grass, with a great tawny lion standing over him. The lion turned his head and his piercing eyes looked directly into mine. I heard "well done, my girl". Then the lion was beside me, and we were walking with my hand twisted in his mane. I don't know what we were talking about, but the most incredible feelings were washing over me. I never wanted to leave. I knew I was in Jesus' presence.

Cherish

I was trying to explain the other day what I meant by "you cherish me". I was having difficulty expressing what I meant by the word, so I decided to study up a little and write something that we could use to show clients what the word means as well. The result is what you see below. This will be my wedding vows when God brings me the man who is worthy of them.


The Art of Cherishing

I will cherish you, my beloved; I will hold you dear, and treat you with tenderness and much affection. My vocabulary will consist of "you"; "me" will be nowhere to be found. I promise to be loyal to you no matter what the cost to me. I will always believe in you, always expect the best of you, and always stand my ground in defending you. I will choose to keep no record of wrongs, and I will always forgive you and trust you. I will always see the best in you. I will appreciate you my treasure, the protector of my heart. I will hold sacred my love for you, for love is the language of heaven and the face of God on earth.

Local Wildlife

We have some amazing trout up here...Dave got this one up in a high mountain lake



Saw this loverly rattler while riding with Dave Roevers guys



We have tons of pronghorn around here...just yesterday I saw one stuck on a barbed wire fence. It took him about five minutes of struggle to get through. He was a little...how shall we say...hefty ;) lol



We have a hummingbird feeder right outside our back door, and at any point of the day we have about eight of them drinking. Occasionally they get in the house, and we have to help them find their way out.




This is what we call a "Demon Squirrel"...see the horns?




I love the elk...we saw these on our way to go fishing in the Arkansas one day.

Testimony

Yeah, Yeah, I know, I have to do better at updating this thing. Sorry. I'll work on it. So what's been going on lately? Hmmm...Well, I broke up with Jon-Michael. There were a lot of reasons, but I know it was what God wanted and it feels like there's a huge weight off my shoulders. And since I broke up with him, God has brought me a really strong christian friend that is actually my age (gasp! rare here in the valley), and I'm also trying to start a bible study since there are some interns over at Horn Creek that I know are around my age. Plus, I found a church here in Westcliffe that I really enjoy

One of the things I wanted to do today was to write a "Client Testimonial" that we can use when we call people to try to get support. It's basically the same testimony that I use when I speak in churches or to people, but in a format you can read over the phone. Mom, please don't cry. I love you, and the girl that all of this happened to isn't me anymore.





Client Testimonial


March 29, 2006

Slowly I popped the little pills out of their foil and let them plop into my well-used coffee mug. One hundred and sixty of them. One hundred and sixty little ways to end my pain. Methodically I picked up the bits of foil and threw them into my otherwise empty trash can. My room was immaculate. My three page letter entitled “My Last Will and Testament” was written, and placed exactly in the center of my desk. There was only one thing left that I wanted to do before I died.

I went down the hall to collect my friend, and together we walked upstairs to another friend’s room, where we spent an hour getting high. All I could think of was, It’s ok. Soon it will all be over and I won’t hurt anymore. My arm throbbed where I had a few weeks earlier spent an hour burning nine perfectly round cigarette holes into it after my boyfriend got through raping me. As we finished toking up and left the room, my friend called after me, “see you tomorrow sunshine!” No you won’t, I thought. Not ever again.

Back downstairs, I locked my door and called my roommate to make sure she was spending the night with her boyfriend. Then I sat at my desk and began to swallow handfuls of pills. I swallowed pills until I got dizzy, and then I watched the printed words “Last Will” grow blurry before my eyes. I will never know why I did it, but in my last moments of consciousness I picked up my cell phone and called my mother, asleep in bed 100 miles away.

“Mommy,” I said, my speech thick and heavy. “Mommy, I need help. You have to call *****.” I dropped the phone and stumbled to the lower bed: my roommate’s bunk. As I lay there, drifting in the semi-conscious place between waking and sleeping, I heard the phone ringing and the campus police leaving a message. I tried to go get the phone, but my limbs were numb, asleep, dead. Just like me, I thought. Dead. I fell asleep.

I woke up, three days later, in the ICU. Nobody knew why I was alive. I should’ve been dead. The doctors were amazed. I was sent to the psychiatric unit. Thankfully I have almost no memory of the time that passed between falling asleep that night, and several weeks later. It is a blank spot in my mind.

When I got out of the hospital my family and I went to Colorado to an amazing place called the Ranch of Hope. There my life changed. At first I refused to talk about God, or allow Hope or Dave to pray in front of me. But as they began to talk to me and care about my pain, my heart began to soften. On Good Friday, April 2006 I recommitted my life to Jesus. My counselor helped me deal with the pain of my past that caused me to want to die. They helped me see that with God, I still have a future. The fire in my heart was rekindled, and once again I have joy, peace, and hope for the future. In the months since I left the Ranch of Hope, God has worked miracles in my life. I used the tools that I was taught at the Ranch of Hope to let God to heal my heart. I am fulfilling a dream of helping people, in a ministry that I believe God is directing. I am a child of the King, and He wants better for me than I could ever imagine for myself.


For more information on how we can help you, please contact the Ranch of Hope at (719) 783 9642