September 16th, 2022 E-Newsletter
Join us at RING LAKE RANCH for
Renewal in Sacred Wilderness

I arise today

Blessed by all  things,
Wings of breath,
Delight of eyes,
Wonder of whisper,
Intimacy of touch,
Eternity of soul,
Urgency of thought,
Miracle of health,
Embrace of God.

May I live this day.

~ John O’Donohue, “Matins” (excerpt) ~

Information about Ring Lake Ranch, our programs, activities, and rates is available at
www.ringlake.org. If you have any questions, e-mail us at info@ringlake.org or call 1.888.458.5253 toll free.

Dear Friends,

I hope this email finds you healthy, happy, and enjoying the emergence of autumn wherever you are.
First of all, thanks to everyone who came to Ring Lake Ranch and, in spite of the continued challenges
presented by the pandemic, participated in another delightful season of renewal in sacred wilderness.
Special thanks to all of the staff, staff assistants, and volunteers who enabled week after week of
remarkable communal and personal growth throughout the summer.
We are thrilled to announce our schedule of retreats for 2023. You may notice that we have modified
our schedule so that we can offer two more seminars next summer. We look forward to the additional
opportunities for rich conversation, time to relax, and chances to explore the wilderness that those
weeks will provide.

As has been the case for several previous summers, a couple of the seminars are full or nearly so. If you
find a seminar you are interested in is already full, please do ask to be included on the waitlist for the
session. People’s plans often change over the intervening months and we almost always find that guests
on the waitlist eventually have an opportunity to register.
We look forward to welcoming you to Ring Lake Ranch in 2023!

Blessings,
Andy

Ring Lake Ranch 2023 Schedule of Programs
May 21 – May 27: Volunteer Week
May 28 – June 3: Katie Jo Suddaby – Art for Letting Go: Tibetan Sand Mandalas and the Practice of
Impermanence
June 11 – 17: Joy Carol Wallis and Jim Wallis – The Changing Faces of Vocation and Calling
June 25 – July 1: Julian Michael DeShazier and Robert Franklin – Moral Leadership and Reimagining the
Next Normal
July 9 – 15: Melanie DeMore – Tightening the Weave of Community: Pounding for Peace!
July 16 – 22: Mark Freeland – Making Relatives: Kinship as an Ethical System of Thought
July 23 – 29: Claudio Carvalhaes – Exploring Our Senses to Connect with the Land
July 30 – Aug 5: Chris DePree – Everywhere is an Observatory, Everybody is an Astronomer
Aug 6 – 12: Carrie Newcomer and John McCutcheon – Dawn, Day, Dusk, Dark: A Celebration of Music
as Uncommon Prayer
Aug 13 – 19: Otis Moss III – Dancing in the Darkness: Spiritual Lessons for Thriving in Turbulent Times
Aug 20 – 26: Belden Lane – Ravished by Nature’s Beauty: The Mystics on Desire (Session full; wait list
only, please)
Aug 27 – Sept 2: Micky Scottbey Jones and Rachel Harding – Remnants of Our Past and Hope for the
Future: Spiritual Activism for Today

For more information on all of these retreats, please visit our program page:
https://ringlake.org/programs-2023/

To view the 2023 rates and register for a seminar, please visit our rates page:
https://ringlake.org/cabins-rates/. Remember, scholarships are available so don’t hesitate to request
assistance with fees if needed.

December 3rd, 2021 E-Newsletter

Join us at RING LAKE RANCH for  

Renewal in Sacred Wilderness

“If the only prayer you said was thank you,

 that would be enough.” 

-Meister Eckhart

 

Information about Ring Lake Ranch, our programs, activities, and rates is available at www.ringlake.org. If you have any questions, e-mail us at info@ringlake.org or call 1.888.458.5253 toll free.

 

Dear Friends,

I hope you are all well and have recently received the fall edition of The Carillon. There you will have read that the Ranch Board of Directors has decided to look at new and different ways to strengthen the financial health of Ring Lake Ranch. We did this not from concern for the Ranch’s survival but from our understanding that many people in the Ranch community feel a powerful connection to Ring Lake Ranch. We hope that connection will deepen as we ask you to reflect on the gifts that Ring Lake Ranch has offered you, as well as the gifts that you may be able to offer to that sacred place. 

In the midst of all of the hardships of the last 18 months, it was an absolute gift to see so many people come together this summer at the Ranch and provide a time for renewal and rest for each other. The sense of soul-deep relief and joy each week as seminar guests arrived this summer was palpable. Through such a season of isolation and uncertainty, our mission of “renewal in sacred wilderness” has never felt more vital and life-giving. Your participation in the Ranch community is much more than a transaction; it goes well beyond you simply receiving something that the Ranch offers. The weekly gatherings this summer affirmed again the fact that all of you help build and sustain the community of Ring Lake Ranch for each other summer after summer, year after year. Thank you for that support. As this year closes out, I invite you to make a financial contribution to Ring Lake Ranch to continue building and sustaining that community of “renewal in sacred wilderness.” 

Donations can be made by check (send to Ring Lake Ranch, Box 806, Dubois, WY 82513) or made online by clicking here:

 

Blessings,

 

Andy Blackmun

Director, Ring Lake Ranch

December 8th, 2020 E-Newsletter

Join us at RING LAKE RANCH for  

Renewal in Sacred Wilderness

What more did I

think I wanted?  Here is

what has always been.

Here is what will always

1. Even in me,

the Maker of all this

returns in rest, even

to the slightest of His works,

a yellow leaf slowly

falling, and is pleased.

 

~ Wendell Berry, “Sabbaths 1999 VII”~

 

 

Information about Ring Lake Ranch, our programs, activities, and rates is available at www.ringlake.org. If you have any questions, e-mail us at info@ringlake.org or call 1.888.458.5253 toll free.

 

Here is additional information about two of our 2021 seminars:

July 25 – August 7th: Amy Oden – Right Here, Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness

The pandemic has changed just about everything in our daily lives for now, including, I suspect, how we come at ideas and practices of mindfulness. Where it may once have been a way to escape frenetic schedules, mindfulness may now be a way to deal with the restrictions and losses that have burdened so many of us. Wherever you find yourself these days, Amy has offered a range of resources to help us understand the concept and practice of mindfulness. Two weeks on retreat with Amy will be a fantastic opportunity to consider these ideas in very personal ways but we hope you’ll find helpful things for the coming days in this list, as well.

If you are interested in the neuroscience of mindfulness: Dan Siegel, The Mindful Brain

https://www.drdansiegel.com/books/the_mindful_brain/

Podcasts that touch on a variety of aspects of mindfulness and its benefits:

Hidden Brain, “Beyond Doomscrolling”

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beyond-doomscrolling/id1028908750?i=1000494512439

 

Hidden Brain, “Deep Work”

https://www.npr.org/2017/07/25/539092670/you-2-0-the-value-of-deep-work-in-an-age-of-distraction

 

Happiness Lab, “Dial D for Distracted”

https://www.happinesslab.fm/season-2-episodes/episode-6-dial-d-for-distracted

 

The Growing Edge, Parker Palmer and Carrie Newcomer interview Valerie Kaur on “Revolutionary Love”

https://www.newcomerpalmer.com/episodes/episode-22-revolutionary-love-a-conversation-with-authoractivist-valerie-kaur

 

Articles and books on ministry and mindfulness:

Gregg Louis Taylor, “Be Where Your Feet Are,” Ministry Matters

https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/9925/be-where-your-feet-are

 

Brandan Robertson, “Contemplative Activism: The Sacred Path of Resistance,” Ministry Matters

https://www.ministrymatters.com/all/entry/9929/contemplative-activism-the-sacred-path-of-resistance

Barbara Holmes, Joy Unspeakable: Contemplative Practices of the Black Church (2nd edition)

https://www.christianbook.com/unspeakable-contemplative-practices-church-second-edition/barbara-holmes/9781506421612/pd/421610

 

Aug 22 – 28: Jeff Reed – Water, Watersheds, and Wilderness 

When I asked Jeff for additional materials related to his seminar, he commented that Aldo Leopold’s classic essay “The Land Ethic” is as good a place to start as any, since “land and how it is used, or misused, is central to all things in the aquatic world as well.” Even with the seemingly overwhelming environmental issues that Leopold could scarcely have imagined in his day, his essay remains a mainstay of conservation ethics and activity. You can read “The Land Ethic” here: https://www.uky.edu/~rsand1/china2017/library/Leopold1.pdf but do yourself a favor and read the whole of Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac before getting to “The Land Ethic” at the end. Almanac is a beautifully written appreciation of the interaction of nature and people in the best sense and it’s a fitting way to set up the powerful call of “The Land Ethic” at its conclusion.

Of course, Leopold is neither the first nor the last to be concerned with water and land use. Indigenous communities have long been focused on their relationship to land and water and that focus continues to this day. Here is a remarkable speed given by Autumn Peltier of Canada’s Anishinaabe Nation to the United Nations in 2018 when she was just 13 years old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=A6LcaTWTx8g

Seeing water (and land) as things only to be protected can seem like tiresome labor if joy isn’t experienced somewhere along the way. This is an excerpt from Annie Dillard’s classic Pilgrim at Tinker Creek that calls up the beauty and life-giving connection with water that forms the root of all conservation work: https://www.bookscool.com/en/The-Annie-Dillard-Reader-777884/34

Finally, for those who need some visual stimulation, here is a fascinating series of maps that show the catchment areas for watersheds around the world: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/maps-worlds-watersheds/

We hope that these various resources will help you contemplate the significance of water in our lives and, more specifically, motivate you to join us for a great series of conversations with Jeff this summer. 

 

Remember, registration for our 2021 season is open and active! To view the 2021 rates and register for a seminar, please visit our rates page: http://ringlake.org/html/rates.php. 

Scholarship opportunities are always available, so don’t let the expense deter you from coming to the Ranch. Our priority is to make sure that everyone who would like to experience “renewal in sacred wilderness” has a chance to do so. Contact Anday Blackmun at andy@ringlake.org or call him at 1.888.458.5253 to request our simple scholarship application or ask any questions.

 

February 9th, 2022 E-Newsletter

Join us at RING LAKE RANCH for  

Renewal in Sacred Wilderness

Information about Ring Lake Ranch, our programs, activities, and rates is available at www.ringlake.org. If you have any questions, e-mail us at info@ringlake.org or call 1.888.458.5253 toll free.

Now is the time for the world to know

That every thought and action is sacred.

 

This is the time

For you to compute the impossibility

That there is anything

But Grace. 

 

Now is the season to know

That everything you do

Is sacred. 

 

~ Hafiz  ~

Dear Friends,

Another opportunity has come up to support Ring Lake Ranch. Just about everyone who has gone out on a ride over the last 15 or 20 years has ridden by our hay truck, Blue; a lucky few have even gotten to ride around in the back of Blue, tossing hay to our horses. As faithful a servant as Blue has been, age has finally caught up to our old friend and it’s time to find a replacement. We are hoping to move Ben’s red Ranger to hay duty and find a good, newer truck for him to use for facilities and maintenance work. Because prices for used vehicles have increased significantly over the last few months, we want to see if anyone in the RLR community has (or knows someone who has) a truck they might donate. 

So, here’s what we need:

• Compact to mid-size truck body: Ford Ranger, Toyota Tacoma, Chevy Colorado, Dodge Dakota size. A short-bed, ½ ton full-size truck (F-150, Chevy 1500) might also work.
• Gas engine 
• No more than 10 or 12 years old; mileage under 150k if possible
• 4WD is essential 
• Extended cab essential, preferred four-door cab

 

If you have a truck in mind that meets most of the criteria but not all, feel free to let me know and we’ll be happy to consider it. Donated vehicles are, of course, tax deductible. If you would like to make a donation to help us purchase a vehicle, should it come to that, we’re always glad to accept cash, as well. Please contact me at andy@ringlake.org or 1.888.458.5253 with any leads you have. Thanks in advance for your help!

 

Finally, as a reminder of our usual business, we still have spots open in a few of our seminars this summer but we continue to receive registrations. If you haven’t signed up for a session this summer, have a look at our offerings here: https://ringlake.org/programs-2022/. 

 

Blessings,

 

Andy Blackmun

Director, Ring Lake Ranch

December 8th, 2022 E-Newsletter

Join us at RING LAKE RANCH for  

Renewal in Sacred Wilderness

“The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness. Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world, receiving the gifts with open eyes and open heart.”

— Robin Wall Kimmerer

 

Information about Ring Lake Ranch, our programs, activities, and rates is available at www.ringlake.org. If you have any questions, e-mail us at info@ringlake.org or call 1.888.458.5253 toll free.

 

Dear Friends,

Most of you will have seen by now the announcement in the latest Carillon that Ben and Amanda Verheul are leaving their positions at Ring Lake Ranch in the coming weeks (if you haven’t read the announcement and their farewell letter, you can find the latest Carillion here: https://ringlake.org/about/newsletter/). I will say again that, on behalf of the entire RLR community, we offer our heartfelt thanks to them for their years of dedicated support of the Ranch. Fortunately, they are staying in Dubois and look forward to seeing many of you around town in the coming years. 

We are now actively seeking and interviewing candidates for both the Facilities Manager and Business Manager positions. The jobs are listed here: https://ringlake.org/about/staff/. If you know someone who would be interested in applying, please forward the link to them. 

I also want to note that we continue to have registrations coming in for all of our seminars. So, if you are interested in attending a retreat in 2023, please go ahead and register soon.

For more information on our retreats, visit our program page: https://ringlake.org/programs-2023/.

To view the 2023 rates and register for a seminar, please visit our rates page: https://ringlake.org/cabins-rates/. Remember, scholarships are available so don’t hesitate to request assistance with fees if needed.

 

Blessings,

 

Andy

December 19th, 2022 E-Newsletter

Join us at RING LAKE RANCH for  

Renewal in Sacred Wilderness

“If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is -Thank You- it will be enough.” 

-Meister Eckhart

Dear Friends,

I want share with you some of the comments we heard this summer about what guests most appreciate about Ring Lake Ranch:

“Having deep spiritual learning and conversation directly linked to Ranch essence – horses, natural world, creation of community”

“General atmosphere of calm and retreat and the enjoyable activities to be done between resting.”

“Silence and beauty and kind staff.”

“Being in a special place that offers rest, relaxation, natural surroundings, time for reflection, and hospitality”

“Friendly staff and multi-age guests made it feel like community”

“The natural beauty, the community feel, small size, focus on here and now, have thoughtful conversations, little adventures and guilt-free ‘me time.’ “

“The spacious invitation to spiritual practice in riding, hiking, wilderness, and rest.”

Every once in a while, I’ll hear a sermon that includes a litany of the world’s woes: war, poverty, environmental disaster, political discord, and on and on. It’s hard to hear even for a few minutes and even harder to carry in your mind as the reality in which we are living. As I read through the guest comments like the ones I have shared above, it’s easy to see Ring Lake Ranch as an island getaway that provides escape from all of those ‘woes.’ I want to believe, however, that the experiences people have at Ring Lake Ranch are more than brief respites before we are all thrown back into ‘the real world.’ They are ways of seeing and building an alternate reality, a different story (to borrow a phrase from our friend Gareth Higgins) than the one so much of our culture presses on us. You can see glimpses of that reality in the comments above: “creation of community,” “natural surroundings,” “rest.” My hope is that every visit and every season at Ring Lake Ranch is a chance for all of us to learn to live more fully into that reality as individuals and communities. 

I hope you recognize your own sense of Ring Lake Ranch in these guest comments. And, as the year closes out, I invite you to support the reality we find at the Ranch and all it can mean in our lives. Your financial contribution will enable Ring Lake Ranch to embody “renewal in sacred wilderness” for many years to come. Thanks so very much. 

You are welcome to make your donation by clicking here, or mailing a check to Ring Lake Ranch, PO Box 806, Dubois, WY 82513.

Wishing you all the blessings of the holiday season,

 

Andy Blackmun

Director, Ring Lake Ranch