About Garfield County, CO

The Federal Housing Administration will raise the minimum down payment for its least credit-worthy borrowers. FHA is making these changes to ensure long-term financial soundness. With credit scores below 580, borrowers will need 10% down. Above 580 will allow for only 3.5% down. FHA is also increasing upfront mortgage insurance premiums from 1.75% to 2.25%. For more information visit www.soprisrealty.com

I posted my favorite "single shot" on Speechless Sunday, but here is the "rest of the story". The "Ice Caves" as they are known, are actually a number of naturally occuring small ampitheater shaped caves that become semi-enclosed every winter as the water runs over the edge of the cliffs, and turns to icicles. GIANT icicles! Water seeps and runs, and freezes and forms enormous icicles that "enclose" the caves. The water runs over the floor of the caves, creating small frozen lakes that you can walk across, behind the icicles.

The caves are in an area called the "Little Box Canyon". I moved to a town about 15 miles from here, nearly 20 years ago. When I first arrived in town, we were returning to Colorado, after a few years away. I could not wait to return to my chosen homestate, to be in the mountains. Our first experience of living in Colorado had been in Denver, but now we were moving to the MOUNTAINS! As we pulled into the small town, where my hubs was to start his new job, I was disappointed to see that the mountains in this area of the state were more in line with flat topped mesas...like Arizona. Pretty, in their own right, but not the Colorado I wanted to live in.

About a month after we settled in town, we met some friends who told us that if THAT was what we were looking for, the "postcard version" of Colorado, we need only drive about 15 miles out of town, up a little dirt road to the "Little Box".

We took our first trip in the summer, and though you may not believe this, there were small fish jumping in a shallow creek, deer standing at the edge drinking, and sunbeams streaming through the trees, over the cliffs and into the box canyon. It is still one of my most favorite spots in Colorado.

Within a year, the canyon, which had long been a "local secret" had been discovered by rock climbers who were traveling through the area. The INTERNATIONAL climbing magazines soon hailed it as world class, and climbers descended on the little town of 5000, from around the world and headed up to Little Box.

We didn't know what lay in store for winter! Our first trip was an Easter Sunday, when I packed a picnic lunch and we headed up the Little Box. We sat at a picnic table, under a huge spruce tree. An angry Stellar Jay pounced and jumped on branches spraying us with snow, and called out to his buddies for help. When we finished our lunch and headed for a hike, we saw what nature had in store for WINTER climbing and hiking, in the Little Box.

The stream was frozen over on that trip, but last weekend it was running fine, with snow on the banks and lots of green life under the rushing water. Last Saturday, we went behind the icicles into the first cave, and exited on the far end. We continued up the path, which led to a more spectacular cave, with a smaller opening, and much more treacherous lake on the floor. In fact, the floor had risen to meet the icicles and sloping the floor. My grandson and his parents chose to crabwalk, and crawl on hands and knees to see where the light was coming from. The hubs and I opted to go around the outer edge, to peer inside...

I made it around the edge, but never made it to see inside. The stories the "crabwalkers" told and the photos they shared were gorgeous! A column of blue ice, shining with light from above, where water and ice had cracked open the earth...

The only way to get back, is a complete reversal of your steps, or...you can cross the creek, on this...

We chose the bridge, and we made it across fine! We hiked back to a cave we had seen across the road, while inside another, and then made the 15 mile drive back into town. We saw a few climbers, and fewer ice climbers, but overall, its' still little but locally known, Little Box.

Hi there child of the King!

Well, it's only a few days away from Christmas. And I hope that in the midst of all of the Christmas-ing you've really had an opportunity to sit and ponder the incredible event of love that we're celebrating. God loves you with a love that would knock you to your knees if you could experience it fully, friend. That's why He came to earth.

I share this YouTube video every year, but it both makes my heart sing and reminds me of what's true. It's Linus telling us about the true meaning of Christmas from The Charlie Brown Christmas, and I hope it speaks to you like it does to me:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKk9rv2hUfA

May your soul feel its worth this week, and this Christmas season, much-loved one.

Have a merry, merry Christmas!

Christopher

Here's this week's devo (well, column):

Heartfelt Christmas

Recently I've been walking one of my closest friends through a massive "I-feel-like-I've-been-kicked-in-the-gut" heartbreak. She's one of the most wonderful, captivating people I know-she's winsome, she's witty, she's kind. She sees life in this amazingly beautiful way, and my life is so much richer by her view of things. She absolutely adored this boy, but yet, to the shock of us all, after a few months shy of a year, he chose to walk away. My theory is that he missed really, truly seeing her heart. Sure, they talked and spent time together, but he didn't have the ability to see the depth of her, the beauty, the richness. He just missed her.

And it has shaken her to her core. We've spent hours and hours grieving. She says that the ache feels like a black hole that threatens to swallow her up, and that it is, at times, almost unbearable. It has been tough for her to get out of bed and face each day. While walking her through this I've become convinced that putting your heart out there for someone that you love and having that person reject you is the worst ache ever.

But keeping in step with her sweet personality, while my friend's grief is dark and sad and mournful, it has cast a beautiful light on Christmas. It has helped me see Christmas in an entirely new way.

When Jesus came to earth, the God of the universe put Himself out there. He made Himself vulnerable to our rejection. His arrival and His life on earth announced to the world: "Here I am. This is Me. This is My heart. This is what moves Me to tears, what lights Me up with passion, what motivates Me to My core. I am here because I love you. Deeply. Will you love Me?"

It's true that God's arrival on earth was a much-needed rescue. His death and resurrection was our only hope against the curse of death that our sin had placed us under. It's true that Jesus came to show us who God is and what He's like. And it's true that Jesus' arrival on earth was an invasion of the rightful King against the un-kingdom. It was all of those things. But it was also a gesture of complete vulnerability motivated by a deep, deep love. In a way, Jesus coming to earth was God making this statement: "I am God. Here's My heart. And I'm hoping that you will love Me."

What a great risk! God the all-powerful, God the invincible, made Himself vulnerable. His great love for us couldn't keep Him away. The more deeply He loves us, the more He opens Himself up for rejection. And people do reject Him-He feels all that my friend has been feeling, and far more because His love is so infinite. Yet He pressed on and came anyway-for those of us that would turn toward Him, those of us who would say yes. What a fearless, relentless pursuit.

My prayer is that this Christmas, you'll get a clearer glimpse of the deep, deep love that God has for you. My prayer is that His love for you will sink down into your heart-into those empty places where no other love can reach. Because God's love for you is an I'm-coming-after-you love. It's a nothing-will-keep-me-from-you love. It's never-ending, soul-transforming, wound-healing, insecurity-melting love. The God of the universe who is completely whole in and of Himself and who has no need for anything, put His heart on the line for you. He came after you. He pressed through all obstacles. Because you are that worth it to Him.

The first time home buyer tax credit has been extended and also includes buyers that are not buying for the first time. All contracts need to be in effect by April 30, 2010 and close by June 30, 2010. http://www.mortgagemarketguide.com/specialannounce_land_FEDSIGN.html

Here is the supply of inventory as of Nov. 1- broken down into price range. As you will notice, the homes that are under $250,000 are still moving at a fast pace. If your home falls in the $250K and above price range, you want to make sure you are priced competitively and staged to sell!

If you would like a FREE Market analysis of your home or if you have any questions regarding buying or selling property in Colorado Springs, feel free to contact Kristi DeFazio at 719-459-5468. You can also search all of the listings online at www.kristidefazio.com or www.servingincoloradosprings.com

If you would like to contact me be email- kdefazio64@msn.com