Can't wait to see you here in Appalachia October 19, 20, and 21!  

News from Revelation Ranch in Letcher County, Kentucky

We have the horses, God has provided the 40 acres, and all we need now is a barn!  Mark your calendar and bring your hands and feet to our barnraising on October 19, 20 and 21 in Letcher County, Ky.  The horses in the photo above--Malachi, James and Paul--and all the rest!  will be glad to greet you and be grateful for your labors.  Other activities will be provided for children and those whose skills are inclined to giftmaking rather than barnraising.

If you want to show your support of our efforts but can't attend, donations can be made to Boggs' Builders Supply in Whitesburg, Ky at 606-633-8446.  Speak to Julie!  She will be glad to let you know what we need and will accept your donation to our non-profit organization.

More information about our permanent location will be coming soon.  It's a done deal--God has provided generously, and we hope you will join our prayers of thankfulness and prayers for guidance as we  begin to settle in to serve here. 

--Peri and Ricardo Pardo

**Revelation Ranch is the ministry of Peri and Ricardo Pardo.  In an effort to support their work for the benefit of the children of Letcher County, I am pleased to keep you updated about their ministry on my blog.  I don't live in Letcher County, but I sure will be attending the barnraising!  --Pam Richards

*** You can register for the Faith Works Weekend here!

Everyone knows there's more work on a ranch than just two people can do!  We are responding in faith to  God's call  for the Revelation Ranch to move to a more self-sustaining location, and now your help could make all the difference!

In the spirit of  St. James, who wrote:  "Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works," the Ranch is holding a Faith Works!  Weekend.

There will be plenty for everyone to do.  Those who are strong and clever, those who are wise and have skillful hands, even
children who want to learn Sign Language can all participate.  For more information about the weekend, click here. 

October 19, 20, and 21 will be the height of Fall color in the Appalachian mountains.  We plan to provide live music, a visit with the horses, home cooking, a witness from the Revelation 22 Drama Team, and more!

Follow this link to find a form you can print out to invite friends, family, and church.

We'd love to see you this Fall!  Come make yourselves at Home!

If you are unable to attend but would like to contribute, donations to the Building Fund are gratefully accepted.  Revelation Ranch is a non-profit organization.  To support our move, please ask for Julie at Boggs Builders' Supply-- 606-633-8446.  She will be glad to take your donation for our building needs.


 

Much obliged for the kindness. . . 

Gratitude is a central part of our experience as children of God.  Clearly, there are some ways of expressing gratitude that are more useful than others.

Saying the magic words,  "Thank you," and experiencing heartfelt gratitude are not the same thing, but  sometimes it's reassuring to imagine that they are.  Although we've all been  taught from an early age promptly to thank people who give gifts or favors,  there are times when we prefer to remain indebted than to thank verbally and  profusely.    To be truthful, when we thank someone promptly and emphatically,  often we are effectively cutting off the bonds of obligation that bind us to  them. 

Ignoring the significance of a gift is not  healthy for our spirits.  Mothers instictively know there are many good reasons  to teach a child to say, "Thank you."  We've all watched a mother coach a child  to thank a stranger, and seen the obvious relief of tension the mother feels  when the child finally complies.   The mother is not instructing the child to  experience a deep bond of gratitude toward a stranger.  In this instance, the  words, "thank you" are a formula that serves to release the child from his bond to a stranger who has given a gift.  

Thanking is for strangers.  Obligating is for those we wish to deepen our bonds with.  

We obligate ourselves to those we are prepared to act gratefully toward.  Obligation is more than talk, it's a promise that we'll do something about our thankfulness.

There are some cultures  that prefer not to thank--both American Indian cultures and those of some  Southern areas of the United States come to mind.  This is not an indication of  rudeness. It may be based on a belief that thanking is only appropriate for  limited life-giving occasions, or a preference to deepen bonds of obligation  within a community.

Jesus taught us to pray, but he never taught us a prayer with the phrase "thank you" in it.

So many of our more superficial prayers begin, "Thank you, God for. . . "

 I wonder what would happen if we stopped treating God like a stranger and prayed, "I am obliged to
  you, God, for . . . "

And then if we began  to act on our obligations, what would happen next?

Benjamin A. Simpson impressed me as someone with a deep understanding of and appreciation for creativity and spirituality.  He agreed to review Singing from Silence, and I am thankful to have his well-balanced remarks.  You will find them published in full on his blog.  Here is an excerpt:

". . . Richards tells of Mullins' deep love for God, the ways in which this  expressed itself in his relationships to other people, and how the intersection between the two informed his music."
 
"This book provides a perspective on Rich Mullins I had not encountered. For fans of his music and those interested in his life, Richards gives us much to consider, both in specifics relating to Mullins, but also more broadly with regard to art, the Christian life, truth, relationships, and hope."


To read more reviews, click here.