Got Guts 2010

Word Filled Wednesday!

My husband and I work with Boys headed down the wrong direction and we try to help them Forget what is behind and move Forward......Jesus forgives us and we need to try to forgive ourselves so we can move on!

This is my first time to participate in Word Filled Wednesday but I hope I can find time to continue...... if you want to enjoy some more of the Word Filled Wednesday just click on over using the link to the left!

Trusting Him,

His works are perfect!

Deuteronomy 32:4 NIV
"He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."

He is the ROCK!

His works are PERFECT!

and all HIS ways are just!

God knows exactly what he is doing, I am so glad He is in charge. We thought that God was telling us it was time for us to be empty nesters when we had no more boys living with us all of the sudden. Well, then along came a 19 year old Cory who needed some direction. We took him in to love on him a little before his court date. Guess what? God brought him here to help minister to some 13 year old boys that came to our Got Guts Camp. During our camp God got a hold of Cory and he asked Jesus to come in and fill that hole in his heart that he has been trying to fill up with bad stuff since he was about 13 years old! He even talked to the boys about his past and encouraged them to stop now before they get into things like he had gotten into. All three of the boys at the Got Guts Camp this year asked Jesus to come into their hearts! God is Good and all His ways are just! We are excited to see what God is going to do in Cory's life. Please pray for Cory, Jacob, Michael and Brandon as they start their way down a new road in life! We are glad Cory is going to stay with us a little while longer.....I don't think we are really ready to be empty nesters!

While we were putting on this camp we also had a family move in next door to come along side of us in this ministry and we are very excited about this! We are excited to have them run along side of us on the same team and same side of the ball......it is going to be an awesome game to watch. This family we have known for awhile now....they are from Wilton.....and we have had the dad of this family be a part of our Got Guts camp for the last 3 years. He has a story to tell and believe me when he told his story the last 3 years these boys listened! They are a family that loves the Lord with all their heart and we are excited to welcome them on board! We love you guys!

The Clark Family

(Dave, Kerry, Gannon & Daryn)

FYI - The beautiful picture of the Clarks was taken by one of our previous staff at the ranch that came along side of us during a very hard time in this ministry and helped hold our arms up....we will always be greatful for their time here at the ranch. Thanks Keith and Estelle! Make sure you check out her awesome gift of photography (just click on her name) and maybe even set up a time with her to make some great memories!

I will probably post the video I made for the boys at a later time....still trying to perfect it.....you see He's still working on me. His works are perfect but my works can use some work.

Thank you all for taking the time to pray for this ministry....we couldn't do it without you all!

Trusting in the ROCK!

Do you know of parents looking for HELP?

There are parents out there struggling with their son. We have a program that might be exaclty what that young man needs. GOT GUTS (Getting On Track Growing Up To Succed)! Do you want this young man to succeed? Have you Got the Guts to get him in this program that could help him succeed? If you do email Cathy at mchboys@mchboys.com or call at 563-732-2812.

Got Guts Camp:


who: Boys ages 13 - 17


when: Tuesday - Sunday July 6 - 11


cost: (just lowered) to $200.00 instead of $300.00


Please email or call as soon as possible because the camp is just around the corner.

What is the camp all about? The camp is to encourage young men to be respectful instead of disrespectful young men. To teach good work ethics, to build a character of integrity, to learn about self respect, and most important to learn where true joy comes from.

Who will be running the camp and what will it consist of? Jim and Cathy Fry, program directors of Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch, will be putting this camp on with the help of several awesome volunteers coming out for the week. There will be exercising, eating, working, snacking, football camp, eating, showering, singing, guest speakers, snacking and sleeping.

If you know a boy that could benefit from Got Guts Camp help spark his families interest so the spark can turn into a flame. That may be his last chance for success!

Chipping away hurts......

Matt 6:26 "Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" In this ministry we have to chip away alot of hurts these boys have carried. Some of their hurts consist of....death of their father....divorce....rejection from their father.....cut down....beat down....etc. We try to teach them about the ONE that cares about the birdies and says we are more valuable than they.

I am so blessed to have had close to 40 boys (besides our own children) live in our home over the last 18 years and give them a hug (very few nights did I miss), tell them I love them and be able to see walls start to come down slowly in each of their lives. Andy just completed the program the other day and about three days before he was ready to leave, these are the words I said. "Andy, guess what you have 3 days to try to say those 3 words to me." He say's I know. Most boys after at the ranch a couple months are able to say those 3 words but I had never heard them come out of Andy's mouth in the three years he was with us. So the next night I gave him his hug and I said, "2 days!" He again said, "I know." Well the day that he left our house I gave him his hug and I said, "I love you Andy!" He turned around and said, "I love you, too Cathy." That was huge because you see Andy had huge divot's in his heart when he came to the ranch 3 years ago. His dad passed away about 2 years before he came to the ranch and about a week later his Grandpa passed away. He had a hard time getting close to anyone because he was afraid to lose them. God worked a huge miracle in Andy's life while at the ranch.

If this story touched your heart maybe you would want to CHIP in and PUTT down your guess on the pledge form for the Birdies for Charity. If you did this I'm sure the ONE who thinks you also are worth more than the Birdies will Bless you! Just click on this link and print off the form, either mail it to the Boys Ranch at Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch; 1614 300th Street; Wilton, IA 52778 by June 28th or mail it into the address on the form to Birdies for Charity by July 5th. Make sure you put the name of the ranch and our Bird # is 596 on the form. The Birdies for Charity will bill you later so don't worry about sending in the money with the form. Thanks so much if you feel God speaking to your heart and you give in this way. Things like this is what keeps the doors of this place open.

Blessed to know HE loves me even more than the BIRDIES!

Tear jerker!

So the other night Andy (one of the boys at the ranch) had Jim listen to a song by Rodney Atkins on You Tube....tonight he says, "Jim you know why I wanted you to listen to that song?" Jim says, "No, Why?" He pointed his finger at Jim and said "Daddy, I've been watching you!" When Jim told me I got tears in my eyes...then I watched the video and I cried some more!"

I'm going to be telling you a little more about Andy in the very near future because he is getting ready to complete the program...but for now I just wanted to share this video with you!

God continues to use Jim and I as garden tools to break up the topsoil and get down to the soft hearts that we know all these boys have. He is so good and I'm so glad he called us into this ministry 18 years ago.

Softening hearts for HIM,

Did you KNOW?

Did you know that you can be a part of changing a life? Did you see that boy walking around with his pants hanging to the ground and he could care less about respecting anyone or anything? What about the boy that flipped you off for no reason? These are the type of boys we at Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch work with. These boys come with no respect, no work ethic, no goals in life and we at the ranch try very hard to change that.

Did you know that we have 60 boys on a waiting list? Did you know that we have been founded since 1992? We need help to be able to keep the doors of this much needed program open and to expand so we can help more boys. This is a huge need in this area. We are putting on our 6th annual Golf Outing June 5th and we need sponsors! Please go to our special event page and check out the sponsor form for the Golf Outing. It could be somebody you know that needs this program but are just sitting there on the waiting list with no hope. Any amount of money helps because this ministry is strictly supported by people, businesses, churches, and a few grants we are able to get. This ranch takes no state funds. We are a 501c3 non profit corporation so we do give year end donation receipts.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this blog. Now in closing I will tell you about a boy from Muscatine. We had a boy come from Muscatine with no respect, skipping school, gave a bomb threat; he could have cared less about himself let alone someone else. This young man 8 years later is doing GREAT! He owns his own home, has a wife, 18 month old triplet girls, (which he does a great job taking care of them), working and going to college (w/goal of becoming a CPA). If the doors of Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch was not here for him…. not sure where he would be today. Would he even be alive? We are asking you to prayerfully consider stepping along side of us and help us make a difference….even if it’s just one you are helping that is at least ONE!

The Triplets @ their "One Year Birthday Party".... I Cathy (Nana) had the privilege to be there!

Thankful hearts!