Are you an empowering parent?

Now, that’s quite an attention-grabber!  What does it really mean to be an empowering parent?  You can read this article here.

I’ll share a few thoughts on what I have witnessed as true empowerment for a child.  This Saturday, a 17 year old girl will travel with her House Mom to St. Louis to compete for the 2nd time in the National American Miss Pageant.  After last year’s first attempt she was eager to participate again.  However, last year without the necessary funding she wasn’t able to participate in all the different contests within the pageant itself.  This was of course discouraging, so in May with the pageant a few months away, she was a little nervous to pursue her dream again.

Under the encouragement and direction of her House Mom, she wrote a personal letter requesting support.  It spoke of her love of fashion, and lack of financial excess due to living in foster care; but it also conveyed an evident eagerness to compete.  She sent it to a few boutiques in Columbia, and Coyote Hill included it in the June newsletter.  Shortly after, God provided all the funding for the competition and new outfits (including a beautiful evening gown from The Villager).

Now with the pageant less than a week away, she and her House Mom are finalizing travel details and packing.  Just last week they went to The Gown House to look at shoes, who called us with an interest in helping!

I have seen a family (especially a mom) truly rally around this girl to help her succeed in anyway they can.  They believe in her abilities, and encourage her constantly.

Soon this 17 year old will be on her own, and again I praise God that she was given parents to empower her to pursue her dreams, and live life well.

–Kari

A few days ago a young girl who had been outside riding the horses in some slightly chilly weather, came into the office where it was nice and toasty. A big smile came across her face as she turned to me and said, “It’s warm in here, and I’m happy about that.”  :-)

We visited for a few minutes, and then as I turned to go, he said, “Larry, I’m very sorry to hear about your daughter.” (We are battling cancer.) Then he continued, saying, “I know I’m probably not someone you would come and talk to, but I just want you to know that if you ever wanted to, I’d be happy to listen.”

I was very touched by his offer, and it was clear to me that he was being sincere. Here was this youth, placed in our care, who was now offering to “care” for me and my own family. Inside this “tough” exterior was a soft heart and a genuine compassion for others.

There is a lesson in this for us all. Even if we have nothing else to give, we can still “care” for those around us, and sometimes that will mean more than all the rest of what the world has to offer.

Here at Coyote Hill we teach our children and youth a lot of valuable lessons … things like having self-discipline, a good work ethic, honesty, communication skills, etc. But it is also important to know that our youth learn the value of genuinely caring for others and being willing to share their pain.

Never miss an opportunity to show someone you care.
larry

There were four of us all together, and so it was also a great time to teach the youth another valuable lesson about teamwork … you know, that concept of everyone working together to achieve a goal. The kids were reminded once again that not everyone on the team does the same thing, but everyone needs to do at least some-thing.

Sometimes kids think they have nothing important to contribute to a project. So the idea of making an earnest effort doesn’t really occur to them, or if it does, it is quickly dismissed as foolish thinking. These kids then grow up to be adults who continue to think the same kind of dispiriting thoughts. In fact, sometimes adults do not hesitate to “call in sick” in part because they do not feel that the job they do on a daily basis is critical to success of the mission anyway.

At one point, when it was also getting close to lunchtime, the smallest boy whose job was to carry fenceposts to the other boys who would then drive them into the ground, decided that he didn’t want to be on the team anymore. With all the sincerity he could muster, he said to me, “I done helpin’ now.” (And between you and me, he was so darned cute saying it, I almost let him by with it.) But after we explained the importance of his job to the success of the project, (and that the quickest way to lunch would be if all the team members were helping), he once again jumped right up
and starting carrying the posts to the other boys.

A great little helper

Then within a short time, we were all enjoying lunch together and talking about a job well done …. and completed.

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Coyote Hill

A Place to Be a Child.

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larry

Future

… but they are really working on a future.

It’s just that we’ve learned most life-lessons are more effectively taught over a project than an office desk.

This is important work we’re doing here.

And in the process, we might even fix the lawnmower.