Pause for the little things

Life at Shelterwood is still in the fast lane but sometimes it's nice to slow down. Like on Thursday mornings for chapel. Today was our weekly chapel service and it was nice to worship with the students and staff. The band has been progressing nicely and even though I have more work than I know what to do with, having 30 guys in the lodge and all, I still try and carve out time for music with the kids. The time commitment is a challenge but it's worth it.

By the way, with an Intake this past week, we are now at 3o boys and 25 girls. Yes, 55 total.

The family is doing well. A few weekends back, Jena and I took Kaiden to Santa Calligone Days in Independence. An annual festival with live music, merchandise booths and carnival rides. It was everything you would expect from such an event. Cotton candy, hot dogs, country music, and lots of locals.

Settling into Fall

It was quite a scene last Thursday as we held our first chapel of the year. We set up over 90 chairs in the Guys Lodge and they were all full. It was good to worship with the kids and the rest of the staff. On Friday, we celebrated another graduation. One of the kids I had the pleasure to spend time with on the worship team. A great family. Earlier in the day we received another family through the Intake process. The two extremes of Shelterwood life. A new chapter for two different families.

Fall weather here in KC is getting plenty of attention. We had some baseball size hail on Saturday that actually broke out one of the back windows on a Shelterwood van. The weather has cooled down and the leaves are starting to accumulate. There doesn't seem to be any mild seasons here in the Midwest.

From Mexico to Shelterwood

Jena and I had a great time during our vacation. I actually celebrated my birthday in Progresso, Mexico this year. I have to admit, I enjoyed being in a place where no one knew who I was on my birthday. We also made some new friends on our trip too. Some great folks from Knoxville, TN who are in ministry, close in age and have shared many similar life experiences. We ended up spending quite a bit of time together relaxing, laughing and sharing stories. That was a blessing. Amazing how God orchestrates those things.

Re-entry into Shelterwood was a slap of reality. With all the changes taking place I walked into a whirlwind but things are progressing. There is still much work to do but it's one step at a time. The model of ministry is completely changing and it's no small task to implement. The new school year is underway and chapel begins next week. I have new musicians to work with and the worship will be great. We have started practicing the kids are excited. New big brothers and sisters, new kids from Branson, new kids from the intake process, and a new vision and paradigm for the Guys House that I am developing and teaching. I have lost track, but I think we have 28 boys and 20-something girls in the program with a staff of approximately 13 in each house and 3 house directors in each house. Plus me. I think I may need another vacation soon?