Schedules!

School has started, schedules are in full swing, football games are about to start, and I'm already exhausted. The boys are learning that they need to pay attention to schedules, if they don't they have listening excercises from Jim to help them learn to listen to schedules. We have 4 out of the 5 boys in football right now. The night before their first scrimmage, we ask them what time they were suppose to be in at the school. Guess what? We got 4 different times, then we ask them what time it started and not one of them knew. They were to find out when they went to school the next day and let us know, not one of them called and not one of them came home after school. We chose not to go to the scrimmage to support them, hoping to let them know that communication is a big part in the life of family. When we got the call that they were ready to be picked up, Jim went in to get them and didn't say anything to them and told them to meet him on our football field. They got a taste of a listening excercise. I'm sure they felt like they were in a boot camp. I think that they are going to make sure to listen to the coach when he gives a time of when practices are or when they are suppose to be at the school for a game.

By the way this was not the first time since football started that we didn't know what time they were suppose to be on the field, actually it was about the 4th. Remember we don't just have one boy out for football, we have 4. It has been so frustrating, but I think we might be getting through to them that listening and communicating are a huge part of family life.

Listening and communicating are also used every day in your job, we have to teach these boys the importance of these two actions, so they will be able to someday hold down a full time job.

Please pray for Jim and I as we continue to try to teach these boys life skills everyday. We would also like prayer for Curtis, he has decided to take another job away from the ranch. He is still going to give us a night off each week and milk for us 8 milkings a month, in exchange for living in the bachelor pad. Which will be a great help, but we will miss him tremendously. We understand he needs to go after his dreams in life, and see what God has in store for him.

We also have our daughter and son-in-law, living here now, instead of Texas. So that means we have some of our grandchildren closer, exciting. They have also told us that they are going to fill in for us occasionally, too. So we will still get some down time. God is good, and knows exactly what is needed at just the hour it is needed.

Miracles and Music Fest

What a great day of celebration we had on August 11th. We had 5 bands here playing great music. Savior Sent (The Franz Family), The Country Christians, The Graves, Andy Landers and ER Praise Team. They did a wonderful job! We also had great testimonies from three boys.
One boy, Zech, whom is living here right now, another boy Jeremy whom graduated from the ranch in May of 1997 and the third young man was a survivor of our FIRST G.O.T. G.U.T.S. Camp, Andrew. You can read a little about him on a previous post.

God also allowed me to use a gift he has given and that is miming to music. I don't know if the last song touched anybody else's life that day but I was very touched that day to the song His Anchor Holds by Ray Boltz. I almost didn't think I was going to be able to finish the song because I was thinking of all the trials we have gone through in this ministry and it never fails He always gets us through them, His Anchor does hold in spite of the storms of life. It was awesome!


Our boys gave great tours to people on the ranch property and what God has built here the last 15 years.

We had a great day and look forward to doing the Miracle and Music Fest again next year. If you missed this year make sure to mark it down on your calendar for next year. The second weekend in August. Thank you to all the Board members and volunteers we had helping this year it was awesome! Thank you all!!!!! We couldn't have done it without you.

Prayer Please!

We are doing a lot of Praying, Planning, Preparing and Praying right now getting ready for our 15 year celebration.

God is about to do something big here and we are excited about what is about to happen. We are not sure what that is but because of all the trials we are going through getting ready for this big event we are sure God is going to show up in a very BIG way.

Jim is fighting pneumonia, I'm fighting brochitis, and My Aunt passed away yesterday. Visitations tomorrow, and funeral on Friday.

Please Pray! Thanks!!!

Email from boy...........

How exciting. We just received an email from one of the boys that was at the Got Guts Camp and I would like to share a portion of that letter.

.......I'm doing great ever since I got back from your ranch. I finally got my dads trust back thanks to you guys. Hay Jim I need to tell you that I'm going to kick yours and Curt's butts at wrestling one of these days so you better start practicing...........

This is the same boy that was delivered to us the first night of camp from a police department and would not shake Jim's hand when he stuck his hand out.

It was amazing what God did with young men's lives this week, please keep praying for all the boys that were involved in the Got Guts camp, including the boys that are still here.

Thanks for helping us run this race that God has placed us in.