Learning Curves

    I am learning how to deal with conflict as I'm here. It's a good thing to learn. I'm realizing just how little conflict I had to deal with growing up and coming into this ministry and having to deal with it 24/7 is definitely a learning curve. God has been so gracious to me  in giving me people who have dealt with this stuff for years.

    I think one of the cool aspects about the ranch is that all of the staff here are here to help the interns. They help you through the conflict that goes on and either affirm you in the choices that you take or help you to figure out what the next steps should be. They are also here for the interns spiritually too. They are constantly working to build us up as individuals and drive us towards Christ. I think that this is so cool and such a beautiful picture of the 1 Peter passage in the Bible:

     So as I'm on this journey I not only have the other interns who are struggling alongside me (and who have lots of wisdom from thier own life experience) but those who have gone before me and can speak wisdom into my life. The students who come here come from some pretty intense backgrounds.
     I'm here to tend the lives that God brings here. They come here with a lot of baggage but as we work through that God is gracious to allow us to see change in the students. It gives me hope that what is happening here is not in vain and spurs me on to keep entering into the conflict even when I would rather not.
     Here is a video that one of the current interns created. It gives you a little bit of a sneak peek into the kind of students that come here.