Stories of Hope

Ellie was playing with Sydney, the therapy dog, and I was at my desk, about 15 feet away. A Ranch staff was in the hallway with her, but it was clear she was directing her comment at me. “I have an…

Wonderful people everywhere find so many ways to support the healing of the children at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. First and foremost are their prayers. I always ask that everyone keep the children and staff in their prayers. Those…

Our blessed United States of America is 250 years old this week! What courage, ideals, and passion it took to create this great place! How fortunate we are to live here. It is our job to continue to build this…

Chaplain Rick Jones, VP of Spiritual Life at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, has a really big job. He takes care of the business side of things, including budgets, hiring, strategic planning, program development, curriculum development, schedules, supervision, contracts… all…

Early in my career, I had the good fortune to hear the recently deceased Notre Dame football coaching legend, Lou Holtz, speak. If you haven’t heard of him, suffice it to say he won a lot of games and did…

Essie has only been with us for a few weeks. She is a lithe, young teenager who wears very comfy clothes…usually in wild patterns and shades of pink. Essie has struggled her whole life against caregivers and schools and peers who…

“Write something that will bring them joy. If you have a grandparent you love, imagine you are making this for them.” Deaconess Kelly Bristow, Spiritual Life Coordinator on the Minot Campus of Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, truly carries the…

At some point in their childhoods and teenage years, my three children started bringing home “hardware.” Their ribbons, medals, and trophies filled drawers and hooks and shelves. Some indicated excellence, others celebrated teamwork, and a few were for showing up!…

I write this on the anniversary of my own high school graduation. Never mind what year. Suffice it to say that kids dress like people of that decade when they are “going retro.” My emotions on that day are easy…

Jerry, a former president of the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch board of directors, used to talk about how the Ranch’s work was similar to one of his grandchildren’s favorite books, “How Full is Your Bucket?”. Jerry saw the children who…

Deaconess Kelly Bristow, Spiritual Life Coordinator on our Minot Campus, explains our need to feel loved in this way, “Feeling loved is one of our primary human emotional needs. Along with feeling loved comes our need for security, self-worth, and…

I was eating lunch at my desk – I know, it’s not the best way to work, but I was – and Principal Shayla Leinen came bubbling into my office with her phone. “I have to show you,” she said….

I don’t know why. I am sure I could ask a lot of questions and find out, but I don’t really think it matters. I couldn’t attend Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch chapel services last Thursday afternoon because of an…

“Excuse me, does your coat say Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch?” I had just bused my dishes after a lunch meeting in a funky downtown coffee shop. The question came from behind the counter, where a young woman, not yet…

At 20 years old, Arraya has lived through more trauma than most people face in a lifetime. Arraya was born in Oklahoma to a mother who abandoned her as a newborn. Her father abused her. By the time Arraya was…

A couple weeks ago, I wrote about the importance of building trust with each child who comes to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch. My point was that trust is the foundation of the healing journey for these precious children who…

Tomorrow is Good Friday, then Holy Saturday, and then the blessed celebration of the resurrection of our precious Lord, Jesus Christ. All across our Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch campuses, folks will wish each other “Happy Easter,” smile, and say…

I love words. The subtleties, nuances, and sometimes downright silliness in our attempts to express ourselves delight me. One thing that I have noticed lately, in at least what seems to me to be a faster pace, is an effort…

The children who come to Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch have endured so much. They have been neglected, abused, trafficked, and/or lived with difficult psychiatric issues. Their behaviors and world views have been seriously distorted. The Ranch’s teachers and doctors…

If you had the opportunity to attend college, how many times did you change your major? If you had children who attended college, did they end up with the degree they were pursuing at the start? “Best laid plans…” and…

Most of us work to make ourselves “better” in some way. Humans seem to have some level of desire for self-improvement, either small or large. We all, including you and I, have an innate desire to be taking steps towards…

Sometimes data is frustrating. The percentage of high school students who graduate in the United States is somewhere between 80-90%, plus or minus. At around 17 million high school students in this country, the 10% swing amounts to 1.7 million, plus…

The dog didn’t bark. I admit it. I have been a Sherlock Holmes fan since I was about 10 years old. I have multiple copies of the books. I especially like the ones with the original Sidney Paget drawings that…

I know there are lots of good things about social media. Heavens, we even use social media at Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch to celebrate, talk about our thrift stores, and recruit employees. My oldest daughter runs a very successful…