Our three french hens are lovely Lily, Julia, and Ava. What fine young ladies they are becoming and what a blessing they are to have at Joy Ranch! In the song, the three hens represent "These birds represent faith, hope, and love. This gift hearkens back to 1...
Talk about creative! Chloe and Cheyenne in their turtlenecks - aren't they cute? According to our source, "These twin birds represent the Old and New Testaments. So in this gift, the singer finds the complete story of the Christian faith and God’s plan for the world....
Our sweet "partridge" is John in a Bradford Pear tree we have on campus. Don't you love that smile? He climbed right up in that tree like it was no one's business! According to this article, "The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God, whose...
What a holiday season it has already been! We had this fun idea that we would come up with 12 Days of Christmas photos for our annual Joy Ranch Christmas card, but we didn't quite get it all done in time. SO, why not use it on our website and social media? Get ready,...
It’s that time of year again: lots of candy, stuffing ourselves with turkey and that “most wonderful time of the year” - Christmas! As we have told you before this time can be both fun and challenging at Joy Ranch. What kid (no matter how old) doesn’t love...
The days are getting shorter, the air has turned cool and crisp, and the leaves are showing off their colors. Fall is upon us and with it, all the fall festivities. Admittedly, I love this time of year because it means the Christmas season is near. And while we're...
I have a rescue cat. At the time I got Lilly, I didn’t realize the effects of trauma are similar amongst animals and humans. Don’t get me wrong, people’s brains are far more complex, but the fear, tendency to fight, and distrust are the same. Lilly was dropped off on...
God is always calling us to “love the last of these” no matter who we are, where we are, how old we are or what we are doing for work.
Although I'm not a houseparent, I was invited to contribute to our blog since I work part-time at Joy Ranch. I love being part of the "family", even though I don't get to spend nearly enough time with the kids we serve (as a homeschooling mom of my own three,...
This summer, a team from Mt. Zion UMC worked hard at Copper Crest Farm, the wonderful facility where our kids engage in horse therapy (and have for years). Pam Umberger was overwhelmed with gratitude that the team was able to complete so many tasks! We are so thankful...