Back to blogging

Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

I will try to get back to blogging about how God is continuing to work here at Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch. We have endured some hardship, but continue to press on in this ministry. God continue's to show us his Grace, Mercy and Blessings as we run this race marked out for us.

We had a great time at our golf outing's in June. We were blessed with a number of sponsors and golfers. Thanks so much all of you who were a part of that.

We also had an awesome GOT GUTS Camp the end of June. I will try to put up a video later on the Camp.

We are getting ready for the MIRACLES & MUSIC FEST that will be on the ranch property on August 9 & 10 from 12:00 - 5:00. You will not want to miss it because we are going to have a great time.

Thank you all for your support through the last several months as we have gone through a very unthinkable circumstance in our personal life.

Continuing to SERVE HIM,

Distractions!

It seems like lately we have had some distractions in the race that we are in lately. Two biggest distractions being Jim's health and a flare up with my back. I read a devotional today that really spoke to me, we are not running in competition with other believers we are running against our enemies, the world, the flesh, the devil. I really believe God is about to perform a huge miracle here at Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch and the devil doesn't like it so he is trying to distract us anyway he can in the race we are running. Please take the time to read this devotional that I read today by Greg Laurie. Wow, and the funny thing is I just spoke and wrote about the race we are running on Sunday. So let me ask you...............are you running as well as you can in the race God has placed you in or are you only offering a half-hearted effort?


Regarding Jim's appointment today with the allergist: he diagnosed him with eosinophilic non-allergic rhinitis and non-allergic asthma. He has him on 6 different prescriptions and needs to go back in 4 weeks. Hopefully, Jim, will get his health on the mend. Keep praying and keep running the race God has marked out for you!

Running the Race!

Tonight, I talked at a High Point Bible Chapel in Daveport, about the race Jim and I have been running in for the last 15 years. I started off with how, it feels like a marathon more than a race, but I like to look at it as a relay because in a relay you can hand the baton off. I know we have handed several baton's off to Jesus in this race, such as patience, perseverance, endurance, discouragement, faith and trust. I didn't follow my paper I had typed out at all, but I hope I got the point out that this is a faith ministry and if it wasn't for Jesus running along side of us, I think I would have quit this race along time ago. It is only by the grace of God that we continue on, some days and weeks are harder than others. Right now, we are dealing a lot with the boys just coming back from a 13 day Christmas break being at home. One boy decided to come back with an I don't care attitude that had a pretty good attitude before going home. Another boy Jim wiped his consequence board of almost 500 hours clean before he went home and told him that he was giving him a new start when he came back just like Jesus does when he forgives us and wipes all our sins away. He came back with a really good attitude but then his first week back to school we were right back to not turning in his work. Another boy decided that he wasn't going to go to wrestling practice the whole time he was home, after being told by us several times that he would go to all his practices while at home. In order to teach how serious we are Jim pulled him out of wrestling. I just pulled him in the office, as I was typing this to ask him what he has learned from this. He said,"Not to test Jim." Then he told me that coach ask him if he was going to go out again next year and he said yes and the coach told him he was getting better. He has been grabbing different boys and taking them on the wrestling mat here to practice. It is hard to seem like we always have to be the mean one, but after hearing one of the boys talk after I talked to the people at the church, I realized that is what we have to do to get through to these young men. I was crying while listening to a very mature young man, talking about his life in front of a group of people, telling his testimony of the changed life that he has because of this ministry. This young man was a very angry little boy when he came to the ranch almost 3 years ago, he has developed into a respectable young man, because God has used Jim and I as the tools to turn a hardened heart into a open and loving heart. Deuteronomy 8:5-6 "Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you. Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him." Lord, help Jim and I to continue on in this race, and discipline these boys as our own sons, and help us to observe your commands, and walk in your ways and revere you, so we may be the example in their lives that they can look up to. In Jesus Name, Amen


We are also are going through some rough times with our personal family, please pray for us to be able to hand all the batons over to Jesus right now, as we continue on in this race.


Specific prayer requests are:

• Cassie, our daughter, is back in the hospital after having the baby with some kind of infection, not sure what, she has been there since Friday 11th and is looking like she will be there another 2 days for sure.


• Jim is not feeling well again, just finished another antibiotic, and coughing bad again, going to allergist on Thursday.


• Dylan, Cassie's 19 month old son, ear infection and croupy cough (he wants his mommy)


• Our friends, with the loss of their daughter, strength


• A close friend of mine, giving up on her marriage, and no longer wants my friendship.

Thank you all for your prayers, and helping us run this race, especially, when the road is rough and rocky.

Sorrow and Joy!

Please pray for our good friends as I mentioned in the last post their daughter was in ICU after surgery, and she went home to be with Jesus. As words written by her and sang by her good friend at her funeral say "One of these days it will be easier to mean what I say

If I remember, this world is not my home

And before time began my days were known by you

And before time began my days were known by you"

There was definately sorrow with the loss of this young girl of only 25 but there was also joy to hear that she was actively involved in missions work in inner city Chicago and Minneapolis, Mexico, Guatemala, Columbia, the United Arab Emirates, and India.

It is very hard to understand the reason for God to take her so young when she had such a servant's heart but God had her days numbered and she is in a much better home than we are in this world.

As we had sorrow for the loss of this young girl we also had joy for the birth of our grandson on January 4th. He and mama are fine, Colton Bryce weighed in @ 7lbs 11 oz. and was 21in. long.

Relaxing? Praying? Waiting?

Jim and I are trying to relax while the boys are home over the Christmas break. They went home on the 21st and will return to the ranch on the 2nd of January. One of the boys parents called today and said he was in the Emergency Room with one of our boys. We found out after a ct scan that he has a kidney stone and infection. They will treat the infection and he will need to drink plenty of water to try to pass the stone. Please pray for him, that he will be able to pass the stone with no complications.

We are also waiting for 3 more cows to have calves that are due on the 31st. The dairy barn has been flooded 3 times since the boys went home, our daughter went to the hospital with a false alarm, because she is due on the 11th of January. Her doctor said she will probably not see her at her appointment on the 2nd because she will probably have it before then. So we are waiting for another grandson to be born anyday.

We are also praying and waiting for our friends, they have a 25 or 26 year old daughter, who just had one of her lungs removed due to a growth that was in the lung. She is on a ventilator, in ICU. Please pray with us for this family. God knows who they are, just lift them up with us please.

We really are trying to relax and enjoy our time off.

Isaiah 40:27-31 "Why would you ever complain, O Jacob, or, whine, Israel, saying,"God has lost track of me. He doesn't care what happens to me"? Don't you know anything? Haven't you been listening? God doesn't come and go. God lasts. He's Creator of all you can see or imagine. He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch his breath. And he knows everything, inside and out.He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts. For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall. But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles,They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind." THE MESSAGE

So pray for us that we will WAIT upon God, get fresh strength for when the boys come back, that we can continue to run this race and that we won't lag behind.

Relaxing, praying and waiting in the arms of our wonderful savior that came to this earth as a babe so that He could die for our sins.

A new tradition!

Tonight we had our Board Christmas Party! We had taco's and they sure were good. We also had, cookies and more cookies and too many cookies. We started the night off after we ate with a short business meeting, then I, Cathy, held up the most beautiful present under the tree and it was to: JESUS!

I'm not sure what I said, because when you stand up in front of people you sometimes get tongue tied well, I tried to say something like. Jesus should have the best present because he is the reason so I want everyone to write down on the index card what they want to give Jesus for a present for next year and then put it in His present. I had cut a little slit in the box under the ribbon, and everyone put their gifts to Jesus in His present. Then we sang Happy Birthday to Jesus.

As, our own children were growing up, the tradition was always we had to find baby Jesus before the Christmas Story and then we could open up presents. We still do this every Christmas morning, I'm sure our kids think they are a little to old for this now, but we will probably still carry this on because now our grandchildren are old enough to start hunting for baby Jesus.

I've tried to think of something to do with the boys here at the ranch that is different than our own family tradition and I finally came up with this new tradition this year that I read some where, not even sure where, but I hope that it gets the boys here at the ranch and us adults to really think about what Christmas is really all about. It's not about, gifts, Christmas trees, lights, food or cookies but it all about JESUS! HE is the REASON for the SEASON!

The Boys Say: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Show and Tell!

I just have to show off 2 of our grandchildren. Heaven (3 1/2) is Cassie our daughter's, step-daughter, and Dylan (19 months) is her son. They are pretty precious don't you think? We are about to have another one as you can see in the picture below.

Cassie's due date is January 11, but I don't think she will make it till the New Year. She is having another boy but we don't know his name yet. Just had to show and tell a little about our personal side of our life. We do have fun with these precious lives God has blessed us with. It is a lot different being a grandma and grandpa than mom and dad. We sometimes tend to spoil them just a little. It's a lot harder disciplining grandchildren and keeping a straight face than I ever remember with our children.