My first season at Bright Side wrapped up back in October but I still find myself waking up every Saturday with horses and kids on the brain. It is like my circadian rhythm reset to ranch time. I have thought long and hard about how I wish to reflect on my season. I want to really paint a picture …

How are we almost through January already? Weren’t we just celebrating Christmas and ringing in 2018? We’ve had some ups and downs in this first month of the new year, but in this moment, I’m choosing to hold tightly to the joys and blessings. Mainly, we are celebrating and praising God for meeting …

As a child, I loved watching the old episodes of Wonder Woman. I’ve always enjoyed the movies and tv shows of superheroes (which has served me well as a mom of an 11-year-old boy), but Wonder Woman has always remained my favorite. Her fierce spirit, self-confidence, battle training, compassion for …

Back in 2004, Devin and I were living in Stafford, Virginia, and traveled back to our previous home in Lexington, Kentucky, to visit friends and gain some continuing education training. Because we were staying with friends who had property, we ended up taking our 2 dogs, Tucker and Ellie, along …

As Executive Director at Bright Side, one of the many aspects of my job is to speak with families who are interested in their child coming to the ranch. It is a privilege to hear their stories and help them walk through what their time at the ranch might be like. It's also incredibly heartbreaking …

This past Saturday, Bright Side had the privilege to hold a Round Up for a group of teens from Rock Hill’s Children’s Attention Home. Round Ups are something that we started last year to provide a group experience at the ranch for those who are unable to send their kids individually for our …

Here at Bright Side Youth Ranch, we seek to inspire the next generation toward Hope, and the primary way we do so is through Sessions. In our Sessions, children and teens in crisis between the ages 8 to 18 come weekly to work with a Mentor and a horse. These individualized sessions are positive and …

My birthday was just a few days ago. It was a milestone one. The big 4-0. It’s the one that has been looming over me since I turned 39 last year, and I’ve been hesitant to see the number hit a whole new decade. Prior to this year, I didn’t often think of my age. I spend so much time around kids and …

Each week, I feel so privileged to hear the heart and stories of the session participants and their families. Recently, I was spending time with a 10-year-old girl who was volunteering at the ranch and has also come periodically as a participant. After completing chores and while brushing and …

In my mind, thoughts are always spinning. They flutter between what has to be done in the here and now and what is planned for the near and far future. So, focused thoughts on tasks to be done today and this week (along with connecting with people) play tug of war with what’s planned in the next …