Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Give Thanks!

I remember back in 2002 a boy by the name of Dustin came to us crying out for help and in return we cried out to God our Savior to help us let him know he was loved!
Now several years later we are so thankful!
I want to take this time to give thanks to God our father for bringing Dustin into our life through this ministry at age 13. He lived with Jim and I for 4 years and after 2 years adopted us as his mom and dad. He still to this day calls us mom and dad and his precious triplet girls Emma, Lilly & Madison call us Nana and Papa. They just came to visit us from Missouri for our Thanksgiving Dinner this last Sunday and they are very well behaved little 2 yr. old girls. When I watch Dustin be a daddy to these girls I am amazed, knowing where he came from back in 2002. I'm thankful for these 3 precious girls that we have the privilege to be a part of their live's! I'm blessed through this ministry!





Giving Thanks,

Monday, November 15, 2010

Jesus is the answer!

This cow is much bigger than this dog. He is triumphing over him. Sometimes life events, can be pretty BIG but our God is a BIG GOD and if we just ask him to help us with our thoughts we wrestle with and the sorrow that is in our hearts HE will TRIUMPH!

We have said for a long time that animals teach unconditional love and Jim says, "The cow barn is my sanctuary with these boys." The other night one of the boys was wrestling with his thoughts while helping milk the cows and my husband kept trying to get things out of him. After quite sometime he told him that the only way he would win is if he turned his life over to Christ. When he was done milking he took him to the house to his houseparents and talked with the houseparents and then let them take over from there. The seed has been planted by both of the spiritual leaders in this young man's life now we just have to trust that he will get tired of the enemy triumphing over him and give it over to our BIG God!!!!

Please join with us in prayer....God knows his name....he even knows his thoughts day after day and the sorrow that is in his heart!

Thanks all for your prayers as we continue to wrestle with the enemy as he doesn't like it when he is about to lose another one of his. We couldn't do it without the prayer coverage from so many.
Make sure you check out some of the other inspiring posts with Scriptures connected to Pictures at Internet Cafe and Scripture & a Snapshot!

Knowing who Triumphs,

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Singing praises in the COUNTRY!

The month of November; a time to be thankful! 10 things to be thankful for at the ranch!

1. God is good all the time!
2. For this ministry!
3. Dave and Kerry; our house parent's
4. God's faithfulness!
5. This young man singing praises to God....we have no idea what he is singing or playing but we are sure he is singing praises in the COUNTRY! (just received a hearing aide a couple weeks ago, first time since he was 5, he is now 20)
6. The boys God has placed here at this time.
7. God's deep love!
8. Board members that are on board with us in this ministry!
9. The supporters of this ranch.....we could not do this without you!
10. God's SOVEREIGNTY!

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Thanking God,


Sunday, November 7, 2010

How do you spell work?

This is the picture I captured the other day. When these boys come to the ranch most of them have no work experience, especially farm work. Most of the boys we work with will probably not attend college, because it is a struggle just to get them through high school. So we feel other than teaching them about Jesus the next important thing is to teach them how to work. It is so rewarding to see how good they feel about themselves when they see what they accomplish. I heard one of the boys tell somebody today at church I did three new things yesterday....Bail hay, drive a skid loader and carry a 3 hour old baby calf. Jim's favorite saying is "How do you spell work? F - U - N!" It sounds like this boy had fun while he was working because he shared with somebody else. When these boys bail hay and milk cows they get paid, other work around the farm is just helping out and used as a teaching tool. When Jim pays them he grades them for how hard they work and they get a grade. Sometimes the boys may have to pay the ranch $1.00 an hour if it was a really bad job. (I guess that would be the bad check) We can't fire them and this teaches them how to work. As you will see in the next picture our dog DEUCE try's to make all the work fun. He is anxiously waiting for them to throw a dirt clod so he can catch it and bring it back to them. When I took this picture of the boys they were just doing a work job to help with a building project that we are in the middle of. However, it made me think of one of the consequences we sometimes use. If they can't get along with someone in school or at home, we have them dig a hole for the hole they put themselves in. So I am also sharing a scripture with this picture too.




Working for the Lord,

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Right way!

Isaiah 30:21 If you go the wrong way—to the right or to the left—you will hear a voice behind you saying, "This is the right way. You should go this way."
We want so bad to point these boys in the right direction....help us LORD! This is our passion, not only Jim and I's but also Dave and Kerry's. We just talked about passions in our group Bible Study last night. Jim asked what is a passion. One of the boys said, "It is your passion to help each of these boys get on the right road." This same boy said "I'm worried about a boy that just left here, he is not going down the right road now." Join with us in prayer that this boy would listen to the voice behind him saying...."This is the right way. You should go this way." Our hearts ache for this boy. The new boy's heart aches too or he wouldn't have told us that. That is encouraging that his heart is changing so quickly. God is GOOD!

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and go on over to Internet Cafe and enjoy some more of the WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY posts! You will be blessed!








Passionately Serving HIM,




Monday, November 1, 2010

Planting Seeds....Reaping a Harvest?

1 Corinthians 9:11 "If we have sown spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap a material harvest from you?"

When farmers plant seeds they are having faith that God will water those seeds. Then they hope for a great harvest. When we as christians plant seeds in peoples lives we hope that someone will come along and water it and then we will get to see the fruit in their lives.

Do you think this boy got frustrated while messing with these individual seeds...sorting them out of the mess they were in? I don't know, I never asked him....but I do know he was having some fun at one point...because I captured this picture....
Do we get frustrated when we work with the mess in the lives of some of the boys...I would be lying if I said no. Do we enjoy what we are doing? Yes, or we wouldn't still be doing it for 18 years. Is it easy....NO! The hardest part is trying to reap the harvest....to keep the doors open.

Operating strictly as a faith ministry we have to have extreme faith that God will keep sending the supporters to keep the doors open. Does it get messy sometimes? You bet! But we TRUST that if God wants these doors open HE will do just that...because he is a God of Miracles!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Strong and Able!

Do we always feel strong and able in the faith? No, but if we abide in our Father up above we can continue to grow to be strong and able. Even if we don't feel strong we need to lend a hand to those who falter even when it doesn't feel good. There have been somedays in the last 18 years that I have thought this in not convenient, not now! But, who am I? I'm just a child of God, a sinner saved by Grace and I need to continue to use my strength that God gives me for service not status!

Lord, Help me to look out for the good of people around me....and not just these boys you have sent to us. There are lots of other people out there hurting, too. How can I help, Lord? Help me to have the strength to persevere, even when it's not convenient. Help me to be open to how you would want me to help the parents out there that are hurting. I am so thankful to you JESUS for lending out your hand when I falter and helping me get back up to continue in this race! In Jesus Name, AMEN

WFW is not about books, authors, artists.. it’s about God and HIS WORD ONLY. WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word.

Join in and see the gifts that God has given people @ Internet Cafe

Willing to help,

Monday, October 25, 2010

Internet Cafe Fall Giveaway!

I love sitting back with a cup of pumpkin spice latte....and soaking in some good GOD stuff over at Internet Cafe! They are hosting a Fall into Jesus Giveaway .

I am so excited to be in on that drawing and would love to be blessed with one of the bundles but if not then somebody else needed it alot more than me and they will be blessed!

Just thought I would let you in on the fun fall into Jesus Giveaway. Most importantly...think about you yourself falling into JESUS this Fall because if you FALL....you will most definately be picked up by the biggest arms you have ever felt and He will wrap you up and warm you up before Winter gets here!

Enjoy.....go over to Internet Cafe....and get filled up!

While I'm blogging about a fall giveaway I thought I needed to share a picture of my little babies in their fall picture! Since my kids are all grown and my grandkids all live faraway I have to settle for these 4 legged precious kids to give me all the lovin's!

Falling into Jesus,

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Tree of Life!

Thankful for this man of God whom listened to God's calling and is being tested and tried but is still standing. Even though Dave, our house parent, has a broken leg....he was willing to go with Jim while he took the boys out to pick up wood. The fruit of this GOOD man is a tree full of lives and he is living out his life in front of these young men hoping to win souls!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

PURE and SIMPLE!



These boys are 2 of my precious grandson's helping their Papa that they really look up to. They live 500 miles away so we don't get to teach them pure and simple teachings daily. However, God has given us the opportunity to teach the boys here at the ranch pure and simple teachings. Even if it's just working along side of them on a work job. This in turn will show them how to be a man of integrity as they watch us work. Help us to teach them how to be self controlled by our actions. Help us to keep it simple so they can mature in their salvation.

Lord, I also ask you to continue to give me a craving for the pure and simple teaching so I can mature in my salvation. Because I can't teach unless I'm willing to be taught. So help me Lord to want that milk because I haven't grown up, yet! You aren't finished with me. I love you Lord! Amen




Sit down with a cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte or something and take the time to read some more Word - Filled Wednesdays! Enjoy!!!!!

Also...I just learned about Scripture & a Snapshot! So click on over there too!


Keeping it simple

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

...Stinks to high heaven!

These....bugs are going the wrong way, they are trying to constantly get inside my home and I don't want them. They are like sin knocking at my door because of my sinful nature and that sin stinks to high heaven just like these bugs.

I look at all these bugs and how I don't like them. Then I think of how they stink....and I'm so thankful that God takes it easier on me than I do on these bugs. You see I tend to hesitate in the faith, and at times tend to take the wrong way in my everyday actions.

Help me to live out my life to be more like Jesus every day. Help me to go easy on those who hesitate in the faith. Most importantly help me to always remember that sin stinks and I need to turn the other way when it knocks at my door.

I love you Lord and I want to be all that you want me to be as I continue to serve you here.

Stop on over at Internet Cafe to read more Word-filled Wednesday.


Your humbled Servant,

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Sticky Christian Life!

The day I wrote this..... "Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to serve you even though sometimes it can get sticky and tangled in this christian walk just like the spider web."....our new houseparents household and the ministry got a little sticky and tangled.

Please pray for Dave and his family! Remember the other day when I posted about playing football out my front door? Well that day Dave was not playing with the boys because he was sleeping. He has another job as a police officer, besides being a houseparent at the ranch. However, while they were waiting for supper a few days later Kerry, the mom, was watching the boys play football on the ranch property. I'm guessing she didn't like what she saw! Her big strapping man down on the ground! This happened on Wednesday night and after an E.R. visit it was sad to hear that surgery was needed. He has a spiral break in his fibula and torn tendons and ligaments in his ankle. Friday morning he had a plate and 8 screws place inside his leg, an internal fixator. He is home in quite a bit of pain, and does not like being down.

So we are asking that you all please lift this family and ministry up to the Father up above. Pray for the courage for them to fight through this battle, and also Jim and I, to continue to fight!

Thank you all for your support and we will run this race with perseverance with your help!

Running for HIM,


Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Spider web or Jesus' web?


I don't know about you but I'm so thankful that I know, that I know I can continually be cauGht by Jesus' hand. Those who don't know Jesus as their personal Savior.....

"They hang their life from one thin thread, they hitch their fate to a spider web. One jiggle and the thread breaks, one jab and the web collapses." Job 8:14 & 15 The MESSAGE

Help us to totally give up our own will and do your will in this ministry helping the tangled up lives that you have placed here at the ranch. When you look at a web it looks like a tangled up mess...but the spider looks at it as a masterpiece. Help us to show these boys that God can take a tangled up mess and turn it into a masterpiece. They just have to totally hand their life over to Jesus and be caught by HIM!

Help us not to doubt that God can continue to work on the boys that have already lived here in the past. He still looks at them as a masterpiece and is just waiting for some of them to reach out their hand to HIM and say, "I can't continue to live this tangled life anymore, I knew a different way, help me because I'm stuck in the web of life."

Thank you Jesus for this opportunity to serve you even though sometimes it can get sticky and tangled in this christian walk just like the spider web.

I love you Jesus....and thank you for making me a masterpiece.

Ephesians 2:10 " "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."
Stop over at the Internet Cafe and read more of the Word filled Wednesday's!


Serving HIM,


Sunday, October 3, 2010

New Boys....Sunday afternoon football!






Today on a sunday afternoon I was doing what I like to do and that is catch up on some reading on some different Christian sites. I found a post where it talked about how to do some fall decorating on a budget. I got up right away and tried making these after I read about the idea. I love it! (very low cost!) As I was putting them on my table to see how I liked it I looked out my window and was soon taken out doors to this.




I love watching young boys and young men playing football on the ranch property. It is such an awesome site! So I thought I would share some awesome pictures I captured while watching them.

















So thankful while capturing these pictures that God continues to send boys to the ranch. We are blessed to be chosen to share God's love with so many through this ministry.

Thank you God for letting us be your tools. Thank you also for sending the Clark family once again. We see great things that God has in store here.

Serving HIM,


Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Ok, I guess we aren't doing our job!

Isaiah 59:21 "As for me," God says, "this is my covenant with them: My Spirit that I've placed upon you and the words that I've given you to speak, they're not going to leave your mouths nor the mouths of your children nor the mouths of your grandchildren. You will keep repeating these words and won't ever stop." God's orders." The MESSAGE

A few days before these two grandsons were coming to visit Nana and Papa, (for a week) we received a phone call from their daddy. They were having a little fight over who was going to get the pooper scooper and if there was going to be enough poop to scoop at Nana and Papa's house. I guess we are remembered more for the poop at our house rather than God's word...so in saying that we have some work to do because I guess we aren't doing our job!

Sure is funny, these little guys think it's so fun to help Papa scoop poop. However the big guys we work with, would rather throw the poop at Jim (which that has happened before) when he tells them they have to scoop poop for their nasty actions they just had.

Stop on over at Internet Cafe Devotions and enjoy some more WFW!










Trying to follow God's Orders,

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Struggling?


This is a daily thing at the ranch.....both the picture and this verse! When you are on the front line of the battle field it is a struggle. There is a spirital battle going on for these boys lives daily! But we know who the WINNER is and are so thankful that HE is much stronger than this dark world!

So thankful to be in this battle and being lead by a MIGHTY leader. Trusting that HE will continue to guide us in this ministry!
Grab a cup of coffee and stop on over at Internet Cafe and see some more Word Filled Wednesday!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Two or Three!

Such an awesome site to see! This was a powerful night at the Got Guts Camp! He was definately there with us that whole week! It was awesome!





Enjoy more of WFW over at Internet Cafe Devotions!
Thankful for prayer time,

Monday, September 6, 2010

We want to hear you God!

God is trying to tell us something right now but we just can't hear him. We are trying to listen. It feels like we are ready to explode but yet it seems like we are just standing still in this ministry.

God has sent us an awesome family to work along side of us in this ministry, the Clark Family and we are excited! We have been blessed to watch God bring their 19 year old nephew, Mike, to the ranch whom was born deaf. It is so amazing to watch him learn new things and blossom as a young man. I was looking out the window tonight watching him play football with Deuce, (our yellow lab here at the ranch.) I was watching him try to get the ball from Deuce at the same time wondering how I could teach him to tell Deuce to drop it and Deuce understand him. He was aimlessly chasing Deuce and he would not give him that football because he wasn't telling him to drop it. As I sat down tonight to write, I knew I wanted to write something about this but I was just chasing my thoughts around in my head and I wasn't asking HIM to help me! Why do I do that? Why do we do that? He is there for us to ask, so why don't we ask?

Lord, there is a reason for this young man being here right now at this time, help us to listen. He is learning by listening with his eyes about how to be a young man. Help us to teach him what he needs to learn in the time he is here with us. Help us to listen with our eyes so we don't miss the lessons you want to teach us. Lord, we want to hear what you want to tell us in this season of this ministry. Help us to listen. We love you Lord and we want to do your will. In Jesus Name, Amen

Serving HIM,

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Aroma of Christ

Sometime's ministry can be oh so hard...but Thanks be to God for leading us in triumph and helping us spread the fragrance of the knowledge of him. He helps us be the aroma of Christ to those who are perishing.

He continues to help us persevere even though we are going through a very unthinkable personal circumstance right now. God continues to help us touch lives in the midst of the storm.
I just found this verse the other day while looking for something to help with the call I just received from Curtis. He got wrote up for a wrong doing for the first time after sitting in county jail for 15 months and now prison for another 15 months. Why, what did you do Curtis? He said, "I had a dryer sheet in the front of my vent to make the cell smell good." "Did you know you weren't suppose to do that?" I asked. "No, but I do now." He answered. I guess it was a fire hazard.

The same day I received a phone call from an inmate that had gotten out and spent time with him in prison and he said, "I just called to tell you your son is a "proverbial ray of sunshine in that place." So even though Curtis' cell can't give off fragrance or aroma his character can!

Thank you God for using my son to give off aroma of Christ in a very dark place to those who are being saved and those who are perishing.








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Trying my hardest to give off aroma,

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Brimming with Blessings!




Today I got a phone call from Curtis! Some of you may not know but Curtis is our son and he is in Prison for a one night choice that changed his life and ours forever! He shared with me that tonight he was going to be able to attend a banquet. This banquet was for the inmates that have gone a year with no major report! He also shared with me that he was going to receive a huge meal and he was going to get to use real silverware for the first time in 2 1/2 years. Wow I sure do take things for granted. This has been a very difficult time but our cup brims with blessing! Our son, Curtis said to me the day he was sentenced, "Mom don't look at this as me going to prison, look at this as me going to the mission field." God continues to revive our drooping head with God stories from inside those walls and our cup brims with blessings!






WFW is not about books, authors, artists.. it’s about God and HIS WORD ONLY. WFW is about celebrating the gift of creativity through God’s Word.



Brimming with Blessings,