Define, Refine and Redefine!

Define:  to show or describe (someone or something) clearly and completely

• Refine:  improve (something) by 
• makingsmall changes, in particular 
• make(an idea,theory,or method) 
• more subtle and accurate.
• 
  

Redefine:to reexamine or reevaluate especially with a view to change

Since the beginning of the Ranch, we have tried to describe/define the vision of the Ranch.  It has been on our heart for several years having boys live at the ranch in the long term program.  As years have gone on we have refined some things by making small changes.  In 2007 we felt God was calling us to add summer camps. He has continued to refine us and this ministry.  

Now we feel it is a time to redefine the ministry.

Is it easy? No.  Is it exciting?  Yes.  We are excited to see what God has in store for the Ranch.  He has provided for it and expanded it for 24 years.  Is HE closing the doors?  Are we closing the doors?  NO!  We will no longer be housing boys in a long term program.  However, we are reexamining and reevaluating this ministry, in the hopes that God will touch even more lives.  

Change:   to give a different position, course, or direction to

Change is not easy, it is hard.  Please join us as we go through this change.  It's almost like starting all over.  

In 1992, Jim and I were excited, we were scared, we were overwhelmed and we were trusting in HIM.  Again, in 2016, Jim and I are excited, scared, overwhelmed and trusting in HIM!  

Isaiah 41:10 

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

Proverbs 3:5-6 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

Thanks for your continued support in prayer, God Bless each and everyone of you.

Laborers in Christ,

PERSEVERANCE =Character

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Perseverance:   the quality that allows someone to continue trying to do something even though it is difficult.

Character: one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual.

Ministry is hard, I'm going to be honest.  It can be downright difficult. Jim and I have been in ministry for almost 29 years of our 33 years of marriage.  (Youth group, Missouri boys ranch and this Ranch)  I am so thankful that God has given us a quality of perseverance, because without that quality we would not be where we are today with our character.  We would also probably be working a regular job and not be in ministry.

We know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character and character, hope, because we have seen it tons of times.  So today going through a difficult time, we are going to choose HOPE! 

Hope:   to cherish a desire with anticipation  

Our desire is that these boys would learn from their choices and turn down a different path.  We are going to cherish this with anticipation, that these choices are going to be life changing for these boys.  Can we see it right now?  No! But we are going to HOPE, and we are going to PERSEVERE through it all, even when it can be down right difficult!

Please pray for us to cherish this desire with anticipation and trust that GOD is a BIG GOD and HE will help us persevere through this time too!

What about you are you going through a hard time right now?  If so, persevere let it develop in you a character you will be proud of, and hope with anticipation that GOD is going to show up at the exact time HE needs to.  He is an all knowing God and He is in the middle of whatever you are going through.

Hoping with anticipation,

BIG ARMS...BIGGER ARMS!

I wrote this post back in September of 2014 on my personal blog and I wanted to share this now on the ranch blog.  I'm so glad he is carrying me right now while going through this spiritual trial here at the ranch!
Psalm 68:19 - 20a  "Praise the Lord; praise God our savior!    For each day he carries us in his arms. Our God is a God who saves!" 
I think my hubby has BIG arms, and I feel so special when he holds me in them and wraps them around me.  He has held me several times in our 32 years of marriage, while listening to me laugh, cry, scream, be silent, or even argue. He has even carried me a few times with those BIG arms of his.  I remember the day he carried me into a rat infested trailer house that was the beginning of Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch and told me 'this is your new home!'  I'm so thankful that God has blessed me with him.  But even though he has BIG arms and he is my ROCK at times I still need God's BIGGER arms to hold me or carry me.  When I look at the cross I think of HIM holding out his arms and waiting for me to run to him.  This race of life can be tiring. discouraging. frustrating. humiliating. gut wrenching. heartbreaking. and just plain overwhelming.  BUT GOD is running right beside me holding my hand, in front of me waiting for the baton and at the finish line with his arms open wide!  I praise HIM and thank HIM for saving me so I can experience those BIGGER arms!
Aren't you glad that he carries you in his arms?  I don't know that I could do this thing called life, if I didn't know that I had his arms to rest in!  

As I go to sleep tonight, I'm going to think about him carrying me through another day tomorrow.  

M & M Fest 2014

Isaiah 30:21  "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it."  

September 14 was a day of telling about "Miracles" and listening to talented individuals making "Music" unto the LORD! M & M (Miracles &Music Fest)

Sunny Singh Lead singer of
"The Elim Arrival"

Food for all the hungry bellies

Food for all the hungry souls

A lit bit of something for people to take home, while helping out the ministry of
Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch!

Deuce enjoying the shade of the tent!

Prayer for the Servants of this ministry

Supporters joining in prayer!

A resident boy from 1994 with his family of 7 children, wife and mother in law!

Present boys in the program interviewing with a lady from the Muscatine
Journal whom wrote an excellent article.(Click here for article)

Finished listening to some great Godly music in the afternoon!

Had a little fun with the stick horse races at the end of the day!

Thank you all for coming out to our 9th Annual M & M Fest and helping us make it a GREAT day!  We praise God for Raising enough money to RAISE the ROOF on the wood shed that Pastor Tim Leather challenged the crowd with.  We also Praise God for helping us raise $2,431.45 (besides the raise the roof money) on that day, however we do still have a little silent auction money to collect!

Make sure you mark your calendars for next year's M & M Fest some time in September around the 2nd Sunday, we haven't set the date in concrete yet, but will have it on our website in the future!

Again thank you all for supporting this ministry!


Serving HIM,

10th Annual Golf Outing!

 This is the kind of fun we have at our GOLF outing!  You will not want to miss this day.  We will be selling pink balls that you can buy to hit over the pond!  We will also be selling pink tee's if you want to get this kind of a picture of you taken! This also gives the men an opportunity to tee off the women's tee box or the woman a chance to tee off even closer!  

 We give out Titliest PRO V1 golf balls for the # 1 team.  You might just be the #1 team if you make sure to buy enough string to help you out.  After all, this is a fundraiser for a great local mission helping wayward boys find the right path in life.  So take that cart path over to the club house and buy some more string to help your team out and the RANCH at the same time.

 We would love to have you come out and enjoy this day with us!

Come out and help the boys look forward to a better future for them by helping us keep the doors open at the ranch.  We need you at our 10th Annual GOLF OUTING!

 Come make some memories with some friends while helping the boys at the ranch find a better group of friends to hang out with instead of the wrong crowd!

Just go to the golf outing page on our website and sign your team up.  You will not want to miss it this year....it's going to be a GREAT time! I forgot to mention if you are a really good golfer or a blessed golfer you have a chance to win a $10,000.00 HOLE in ONE!

Serving HIM,

GRATEFUL!

Psalm 100:3-5 "Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, sheep of his pasture.  Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

Lord: someone or something having power, authority, or influence; a master or ruler.

God:   the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.

Made: form (something) by putting parts together or combining substances; construct; create:

People: human beings in general or considered collectively.

Give: freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to.

Thanks: an expression of gratitude.

Praise: express warm approval or admiration of.

Love:  an intense feeling of deep affection.

Endures: remain in existence; last.

Forever: for all future time; for always.

I'm so thankful that my LORD is the creator and ruler of the universe and he made me, I am HIS.  I want to take this time to hand over my gratefulness to HIM for who HE is!  I want to PRAISE HIM because HE is GOOD!  His LOVE lasts for always.  

We need to take time to give HIM the PRAISE because we are HIS people and HE created us.  Don't wait for thanksgiving time to do it....do it EVERYDAY. 

Try not to get so caught up in "the gift" that we forget to give THANKS to the giver of ALL GIFTS.

Happy THANKSGIVING to you all!  May you take the time to GIVE THANKS and PRAISE him because HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER!

Thanking HIM,

Take refuge in HIS wings!

I was amazed last night when a mother of one of our boys here at the ranch sat in the living room, saying she felt like a helicopter trying to fly over her twin sons.  She said something like this ~ I am hovering and hovering and at the last minute I swoop down to snatch them up before its too late so they don't get hurt.  I can't do it anymore, I am wore out trying to keep them safe. ~ The reason I was amazed because I am doing an online Bible Study right now and our memory verse this week is ~
Psalm 36:7 "How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!  People take refuge in the shadow of your wings." 
~
When she was telling us how she felt, I was picturing God, instead, hovering over these two boys and taking them under HIS wings (arms).  Teaching them how to find the right road instead of the very troubled road they have been going down. 

Last night, we decided to take Jakob, Jordan's twin brother into our program too.  They had both ran away Saturday night, from their home when Jordan was on a home visit from the ranch.  I really believe that God and his unfailing love, was with them while they were on run for more than 24 hours.  I also believe he was in our conversation last night when Jim told them we were going to work with Jakob, too. 

This is a new thing for us here at the ranch taking twins but we are trusting that God is using us to help these two brothers take refuge in the shadow of HIS wings instead of running from the refuge of their mom's hovering helicopter. 

 Isaiah 43:18-19  “But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.  For I am about to do something new.  See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?  I will make a pathway through the wilderness.  I will create rivers in the dry wasteland."

I also believe that these two lives will create a ripple effect in their family.  Why do I believe that?  Because His unfailing love is priceless; unshakable and undeniable and HE is going to cause them to take refuge in the shadow of HIS wings. 

So I'm asking you supporters to pray that all goes well when we get the guardianship of Jakob and that God hovers over this ranch with HIS unfailing LOVE as we take on something new and sit back under the shadows of his wings as HE is about to do something new here at MCH Boys Ranch.

I'm so thankful for HIS priceless LOVE!

Resting under HIS WINGS,

 

  

What is integrity?

^Integrity: the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness.


^{Titus 2:6-8}  "Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷ In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸ and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us."

Integrity is a trait we try to focus on with the boys that God has placed here.  A lot of the boys that come here want to lie to get out of trouble, but then that just gets them into more trouble.  We want them to learn about strong moral principles so that they can be respected out in the real world. 

God is a BIG God and HE has blessed this place to stay in operation for all these years.  We are so thankful for all of you supporters out there that have helped all these years. 

We just want you to know that your money is paying it forward, by us helping these boys.  If we can get these boys to become men of integrity, then they in turn will turn around and raise men or women of integrity. 

So, what about you, are you being that man or woman of integrity that God would have you be?  You may be the only example some boy or girl is learning from.  Just a heart check!  We are a walking example every day in our daily schedule.  We can either be a positive example or we can be a negative example.  Which kind of an example do you want to be?  I want to be a positive example, and I have to work at that everyday with the help of my Lord and Savior. 

I pray that you and I can show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, while we walk our walk. 

Walk your talk for HIM,

                      

Truth needs to be told!

It amazes me every time we have a major confrontation here at the ranch with one or a couple boys how God unfolds it.  It is amazing to see these boys that had no care of disrespecting authority before coming here, start to feel the guilt and spill it all out. 

The other day Jim asked a question trying to get one boy to confess of his wrong doing, and all three ended up spilling out something.  It is pretty amazing how God starts to work on their hearts. 

We hope that we can teach these boys that God does know everything we do and say.  Then they will start thinking before they do or say anything.  This is something we all need to do, I know at times I'm just as guilty to not think before doing or saying something's.  We need to ask the Lord to help us all to picture Jesus standing right next to us.  Then ask ourselves would HE be happy with what I'm about to say or do?

Psalm 139:3-5  "You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.  Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely.  You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me."

The hardest thing to break in working with these boys is their lying tongue, it is so natural to them.  Please pray for us as we continue to teach these boys that the TRUTH needs to be told.  Because the TRUTH will set you FREE!

John 8:32 "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

God is still in the miracle business today and he continues to show us miracles in the lives of young men.  Thank you all who are a part of this ministry.   

Cross references:

1. Psalm 139:3 : 2Ki 19:27
2. Psalm 139:3 : S Job 31:4
3. Psalm 139:4 : S Heb 4:13
4. Psalm 139:5 : S 1Sa 25:16; Ps 32:10; 34:7; 125:2

SERVING - even when you don't feel like it!

Matthew 20:28

New International Version (NIV)

^28 "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

The other night driving home from a long weekend in Michigan for a SPEAK UP Conference, I had a bad attitude.  I was trying to come up with a way so I could time it just right so I didn't have to go with the boys, their house parents, and my hubby to "serve" at a Senior Independent Living.  I was thinking about how I just gave a speech on wanting to help mom’s all around stick it out and Trust HIM even when they don’t want to. 

So I felt like I needed to stick it out, even though I didn't want to go serve.  I am so thankful  that I stuck it out!  The people in that housing unit were so thankful for the boys ranch coming to serve them.  Thanks to Michelle and my hubby for preparing the meal while I was gone.  It is so awesome to listen to my hubby share with these people about Jesus.

When the boys first go with us it is out of their comfort zone for them, but then they beg to have us do it again.  So we have decided to feed them every other month.  Michelle told us the one of the boys asked if we could go early the next time so we could play cards or something.  It is awesome to hear something like that from a kid whom before he came didn't have a whole lot of respect for anything or anyone.  Especially a bunch of older people. 

Thank you for serving in some way to the RANCH, either by prayer or financial.  If it wasn't for you serving in that way we would not be able to experience the awesome change in hearts of these boys.

I'm so thankful that Jesus, came to serve, and give his life for me.  What about you?  Are you thankful today that Jesus came to serve?  Have you accepted his life as a ransom?  Are you willing to serve other people even when you don't want to?  Jesus has been our example so I challenge you stick it out and serve even when you don't want to.  You will be BLESSED.

Serving HIM,

 
 

  

 

I ----- LOVE------ YOU!

Dear Friends in Christ,

“Leviticus 19:34 The Message (MSG) “When a foreigner lives with you in your land, don’t take advantage of him. Treat the foreigner the same as a native. Love him like one of your own. Remember that you were once foreigners in Egypt. I am God, your God.”

When we take these boys into our home we love them like one of our own.  We could not show these young men love if it wasn’t for all the support we get from people like you.  Thank you for giving us the opportunity to show these young men the love that they need. 



Even the horse was trying to tell Andy..I LOVE YOU!

How easy is it for you to say “I  — love — you?”  One of the boys that lived with us for 3 1/2 years struggled to say these words.  I, Cathy, every night told him those three words before he went to bed but he never responded.  The week before he was going to leave the ranch I told him, “Andy, you have one week to learn how to say those three words.”  Then the last three days I did the count down and because our God is a BIG God on the last day Andy didn’t just say...Ioveou (I love you) real fast.  No he said, “I ...LOVE…. YOU, Cathy!”  I was so glad to hear those words come out of his mouth because that told me that someday he was possibly going to be able to tell his future wife and his kids those three words.  Well the other day he wrote this on my facebook wall:  I love you ...this is Andy.  He also wrote on his own wall a while back….Jim Fry I love and I will call you daddy.  This same young man asked us if he could get married here at the ranch  October 2013 down at the camp ground.  His fiancé also asked Jim to walk her down the aisle.  Is our God a Big God or what?  Not only are we able to love on these boys but also extend it to their families. 

Andy loved to ride the horses!

Thank you again for sacrificing and giving to this ministry, may you be blessed after hearing this one story of many, for your obedience to give.

Serving HIM,