FOOTBALL!

The Ranch's level system is related to football...

Draft..

Mini Camp...

Pre-Season...

Season...

Playoffs...

Superbowl...

Why football? Because most boys relate to football, right? Well, about 19 years ago Jim Fry decided to put out a challenge to all the boys that come to the ranch. Do you think it has anything to do with football?

That challenge was....if the boys are on the honor roll all 4 quarters or straight A's for 1 quarter he will take them to a pro game within a 6 hr travel time. Well guess what after 19 years....it is HAPPENING!

Charles did IT!!!!!! We are so proud of you Charles....great job last year in school making the honor roll all 4 QUARTERS! We are excited to see how you finish out your senior year! They just got the tickets so it is finalized! My husband was trying to look for the cheapest Green Bay Packer tickets. However, my hubby is a die hard Rams fan from the time he was a little kid and he has only been to one rams game. So I told him that he deserved to go to the Packers vs. Rams game after waiting 19 years for one of the boys to take him up on that challenge. So here it is.......

they got their tickets.....

and both boys are super excited! So pray for them October 16th.....for their trip!

Proud tools for HIM,

So Glad They didn't shut their door to their HEARTS!

GOT GUTS: Our 5th annual camp that we just completed was a HUGE success! I'm so thankful that when the boys heard me say SHUT the DOOR several hundreds of times throughout the week that they didn't shut the wrong door, their HEARTS door. God showed up several of the nights but the night that my husband shared our son Curtis' story about a one night choice he touched 3 boys hearts in particular. One boy, rededicated his heart to God. He told me that he accepted Jesus into his heart when he was 7 but had never got baptized and wondered if he could be baptized. Two other boys prayed in their rooms with Jim and I, it was so special. Curtis' story is touching lives all over not just inside his walls but out here too!

The last day of camp.....which was yesterday, Sunday July 17, we ended with a Church service and invited the whole family out to participate. We had two boys that wanted to be baptized and at the end of the service we had a dad raise his hand and ask if he could be baptized with his son. He wanted to rededicate his life and had never been baptized so he joined in on the baptism. It was amazing! Enjoy watching......the way God opened up doors this last week in hearts at the Boys Ranch! He is AWESOME! Watch it HERE!

We are rejoicing after this awesome week!

Revelatians 3:8 "I see what you've done. Now see what I've done. I've opened a door before you that no one can slam shut. You don't have much strength, I know that; you used what you had to keep my Word. You didn't deny me when times were rough."

Please pray for all these boys as they go on to spread the word.....even when it may be rough!

F.ully R.ely O.n G.od!

So thankful that no matter what we are going through we have God who we can fully rely on!

PRAY!

P. ray for these three young men as they are off to a youth camp this week.

R. ejoice with us as we can see the good in their hearts.

A. ccept this challenge to pray for these boys weekly so they can become mighty MEN of God!

Y. ell out to our Father up above on our behalf as we go into transitioning these boys into Jim and I's home shortly after they come back from this camp. The Clarks will be leaving soon moving onto another chapter in their life. We just trust that God will go with the Clarks and help them to move on in their new chapter but to never forget the impact they made in these three boys lives. We love these boys and we want to help them through this transition and want them to be ready for the next transition when NEW houseparents come along side of us. This will be a major transition in all of our lives here at the ranch so please join with us and PRAY!

The LORD God, my God, is with us!

1 Chronicles 28:20 (NIV) "David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished."

Are we strong? We try to be! Are we courageous? Most of the time. Do we work? Well according to Jim Fry, work is spelled F-U-N! So we have FUN! We know beyond a doubt that our God is with us and HE wants to complete the work of this ministry. So we are not going to quit and will not get discouraged! We find ourselves once again in a situation of WAITING for God to bring another couple along side of us. We are very thankful for the Clarks and their help in this ministry and they will be missed. They aren't moving too far away; however, their presence out here on the ranch will be missed. Thank you Dave & Kerry for all you have done out here with the boys in the last year!

So please join up with us in this ministry looking for the couple that God has in mind for this position. The three boys that are living with the Clarks will be moving over with us sometime in July until God sends the family that he has already prepared for the ranch!

Trusting HIM,

Happy New Year!

Psalm 115:14 "May the LORD cause you to flourish,

both you and your children.

Where did all the time go since the last time I posted....been a little busy.

*Proud of our daughter graduating from nursing school.

*While visiting for her graduation Nana was able to go on the

Polar Express with three of the grandchildren.

*Then Nana had all 6 grandchildren in the same place

at the same time and

was able to capture these.

I'm thankful for the Lord causing our children to flourish these beautiful little ones we can enjoy! I'm a little sad that this year when I travel 500 miles to visit all six of these in the same area only three of them will be there. However I'm proud that 3 of these will be in a place serving the Lord with their mommy and daddy in a minstry. It will be a lot harder to visit because now they will be 1000 miles away but so thankful God is going to have them serving Him with girls in need of direction. (I will stick with the boys!) A lot less emotions to deal with. Like I said this Nana is sad....but at the same time proud!

Lord, Help our family to continue to flourish in GREAT ways in the year 2011!

Trusting HIM,