We have been working since last September with a certain school board to getting our Equine Therapy program approved.  This past Wednesday we were approved.  We will be able to start working with their students in April.  This is very exciting!!!

The Lord is so good.  It is amazing how He opens doors that I thought would never be opened.  My journey has been one of faith.  I would take one step on His direction having no idea where I was going.  Blind faith is what you would call it.  As I would take the step there would be a next step and then a next.  This would continue for a while until I could finally figure out where I was going.  The trust in taking any of the steps builds my faith emmensely!! 

I also received an email today from a lady who would like to donate her amazing Tennesse Walker.  He looks like Roy Rogers' old horse Trigger.  What an amazing animal.  As I said yes, I knew that I did not know how we were going to go get him.  We depend on God's hand to bring us people who transport horses for us.  The Lord has always provided a way before and I know He will this time!!  It is so interesting to live by faith.  You just never know where the Lord will take you. 

We have been asked to come and speak on our local Christian radio station.  Please pray that someone will volunteer to help go and get the amazing horse that has just been donated.  Even this radio interview is such a blessing for us.  We have a whole hour to talk about what our vision is.  By the Grace of God go I!!!

Nancy Thomas has been working with RAD children for many years.  Her methods have worked for our family and are working with the families that we help.  If you suspect that your child is RAD, please check out the information on www.attachment.org. 

The road can be a long one with older children, but certainly a necessary one.  Anyone who has adopted a child should consider looking at this material.  Those adopting infants should make this therapy part of their daily care.  Approximately 90% of kids that are adopted suffer from an attachment disorder.  This is probably not surprising considering what they have gone through.  They need to have care as soon as possible.

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua,

Marie

We have a high school for at risk kids that is doing the paper work to send their students to our Equine Therapy program.  We are aiming for April.  We are all excited about the prospect of how this will change so many lives. 

Please pray that the Lord will guide the hands and hearts of those making decisions. 

Well, we have finally been able to set an official date for the ranch to be open to the public.  So far we have been helping those that needed help in a more unofficial way. 

Our official opening date is:

Saturday, 17 June 06

We will be having an open house/BarBQ at our ranch and inviting everyone.  Please pray that the Lord will bless the works of our hands.

Thank you to all who have been praying for us.

If you use my program(s) and have enjoyed them, please vote for me in The Old Schoolhouses Excellence Awards for 2005.  This will greatly help our ministry.   You can go to:   http://www.thehomeschoolmagazine.com/excellence_awards/index.php   and vote under best foreign language curriculum. Please use the name "Great Commission Languages".  Thanks.

I hope you don’t mind if I share a prayer request with you.  I have an opportunity to go to France for a missions development project.  This is one of my goals; to work with missionaries in developing foreign language curriculum to send more people to the mission field.  I have raised part of my funding, but need some more.  Please also pray that the Lord will direct my steps in this project and my role in this capacity.  I am due to leave 16 Feb and return 20 March 06.  My family will also need much support while I am gone.  This will also give me the opportunity to record the French Level II in France with many wonderful people!   Oh la la!  Je suis très excitée!!

Dans les mains de Dieu,

Marie Filion

www.TheEasyFrench.com

www.TheEasySpanish.com

www.ShalomRanch.org

I hope you don’t mind if I share a prayer request with you.  I have an opportunity to go to France for a missions development project.  This is one of my goals; to work with missionaries in developing foreign language curriculum to send more people to the mission field.  I have raised part of my funding, but need some more.  Please also pray that the Lord will direct my steps in this project and my role in this capacity.  I am due to leave 16 Feb and return 20 March 06.  My family will also need much support while I am gone.  This will also give me the opportunity to record the French Level II in France with many wonderful people!   Oh la la!  Je suis très excitée!!

Dans les mains de Dieu,

Marie Filion

www.TheEasyFrench.com

www.TheEasySpanish.com

www.ShalomRanch.org

It is interesting that when you take a step of faith, the Lord meets you.  I started with applying for my passport.  All systems go.  I then started looking into flights to Paris.  When I started looking we did not have the money.  My women's group prayed for financial provision.  Within 24 hours we had the money for the flight.  I also found a seat sale.  It was $1500, but then found a round trip for $880. 

We are praying for the money that I will need for the recording and accomadations.  This will total approximately $3000.  I am scheduled to leave 16 Feb 06.  Ideally, I would like the funds by 24 Jan 06.  We are trusting the Lord for this amount. 

It is exciting that the doors are opening for missions training.  I am honored that the Lord is using me in order to train missionaries. 

It is interesting how some people can judge so quickly.  I received a phone call a couple of days ago from a mom who has a biological son with RAD, who had suffered at the hand of a woman who thought she knew best how my friend should handle her situation.  My friend felt the blame that so often is placed on mothers of RAD kids.  She was crying and said that she knew I would understand.  How did she know this?  I have a biological child with RAD.

Most people think that RAD only occurs within children who come from adoptive/fostering homes.  This is not true.  Any child who has had to suffer through divorce, many moves, separation from one or both parents or multiple caregivers is at risk of developing RAD.  On the other hand, some kids don't develop RAD even though they live through situations that most could not handle.   It depends on the child.

Attachment is vital in the first couple of years, but can also be damaged when the child is still in utero.  My husband did not want our first child.  Why?  He felt he was not ready, although we had been married for a year by the time I got pregnant.  This rejection was felt by my oldest even then.  Add in multiple moves and the right personality and we ended up with an RAD child. 

These children grow up angry at the mother, primarily.  They can end up angry at the whole world if they are not helped.  With so much divorce, daycares, transient people, I believe that we are going to see a vast increase in kids with RAD.  One problem is that many people have no idea about this condition or they just don't want to believe that their child could be suffering from this condition. 

There is hope.  There is Attachment Therapy that has been very successful.  Equine Therapy is also another suggested therapy.  Kids who do not trust people can somehow learn to trust horses first.  The changes can be amazing.  This is where our program is going.  We desire to work with these children and help the parents work through the lies the child bases their every thought on. 

We have had some children coming to ride on an informal basis.  This is good for them.  They don't feel like they have been labeled or in some form of "treatment". 

I praise the Lord for what He has taught me in helping my oldest and now others. 

I grew up the second born of a couple that only wanted one child.  This made for some interesting times as a child.  I believe that the Lord has given me this ministry because I can so readily identify with the children we help.

I grew up severely dyslexic, attachment disordered, sensory integration issues, ADHD and severly asthmatic.  At the age of 2 my allergies were so bad that I was allergic to my own hair.  I never let this stop me.

Through God's grace and healing and with much determination I live a very normal life.  My dyslexia only affects me when I am tired.  I am very attached to my husband, kids and friends.  My system no longer shorts out when too much stimulus is part of my environment.  My ADHD is gone and my allergies only bother me on occasion.

I am a living testimony of God's grace and direction.  With 4 kids, 7 horses, 2 cats and 1 dog you would think it would be enough to short anyone's system out, but thankfully His provision and protection cover me on a daily basis. 

If you want more information on RAD, you should listen to the MP3 recordings of my Oct 2005 Seminar.  With solid facts on the therapies and solutions that are available to parents, I share through my personal experience, professional experience and educational knowledge.  My seminar is available on MP3 CD for $10 by emailing me at marie@shalomranch.org. 

Our ranch, Lord willing, will be open for people to come summer 2006.  My heart is open now.  Please email me if you want an understanding ear and a strong shoulder. 

Shalom B'Shem Yeshua,

Marie

I did a seminar in October 2005.  My husband recorded it.  It is now available for purchase.  It contains the following information:

Definitions, therapies and solutions for:

ADD/ADHD

Reactive Attachment Disorder

Dyslexia

Spiritual Roots for each the above

Anyone that is involved in ministering to children would be helped by this recording.  It lays out the foundations from a Christian Worldview.  One added bonus is the examination of the spiritual roots of each of these conditions.  This will help workers understand where the child and family is coming from or even explain the difficulty your own family is having.

For those of you that foster or adopt children, the segment on Reactive Attachment Disorder will help you help these kids healed.  This talk will give you practical things to do with these children.  It will also give you the support you need in order to handle such a stressful situation.  Close to 90% of children coming out of foster/adoptive situations will have some form of Attachment Disorder.  RAD is the most difficult to handle.

If you are interested, please contact me at marie@shalomranch.org.  The recordings are $10 for close to 4 hours of audio.  This is also an opportunity to support our ministry.

Shalom,

Marie