Helping another boy!

My husband and I are in the process of interviewing parents, getting ready to fill an empty bed in our home for at risk boys. As I sat this afternoon listening and observing a hurting mother, I could not help but think about my own son and me as the hurting mother. Here I am trying to continue on with our job, ministry God has placed us in to help at risk boys and am wishing I could find the heart of my son that use to live with us for 19 years and has been running the wrong race for 4 years now. He was strong-willed yes, but he cared about others, he respected others, he wanted to please us, he had goals, he was a good student, he had his own part in this ministry, he loved God, he loved his family, where are you, son, please come back, I miss you. You see, my son told his wife last Sunday that he was going to serve divorce papers to her this week. They have only been married a year and a half, she called me right away to tell me. I let her talk, I listened to her, I cried with her, for about an hour and a half, she loves him so much. She made the comment that she don't know how she will live with out him. I didn't know what I was going to say to my son when I talked to him. Well he took care of that for awhile, because he called me later that night, and said,"It's my life, I will do what I want, stay out of it, and don't call me back because I won't answer your call." and hung up the phone. I have still not talked to him, however, I have talked to our daughter - in - law everyday, and she is not doing well. My daughter, had her flown to her house, to spend a week with her and is going to try to get her out of a very depressed state. My daughter works at a childrens home in Texas and just so happen to be having a conference while she will be staying with her called "Helping the broken-hearted!" Is that a God thing or what? Our son is not willing to work at this marriage, however, he told us a couple weeks ago that he was miserable, at the time they had decided to seperate for a while. We told him, well she's not there and you are still miserable, because you are running from the Lord, until you get back with the Lord you are going to be miserable. So my point is, please pray for my husband and I as we are having to make a decision which parent to reach out to and help, when we would like to help them all, because now we really feel their hurt from a personal level. I know my God is a Big God and He is going to send someone to reach out to my son, someday he will pick that baton back up that he's handed off to the worldly ways and run to Jesus with his whole heart. Psalm 97:9-12 "For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked. Light is shed upon the righteous and joy on the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous, and praise his holy name."

Photo Hunt~ Hobby!

One of my hobbies is painting, I love to paint, and really just started doing it again the last couple years. I haven't really done a whole lot since I was in High School, 25 years ago this May I graduated, so that tells you how long I put this hobby down. Some of you may have already seen this on my site another day, because I was asking your opinion of what to charge for a painting like this 7" x 7" canvas. But I couldn't resist putting this back up since the topic was Hobby for the Photo Hunt this week.

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Losers make us Winners!

I Corinthians 16:19 & 20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."

We had a fitness center in our area put on a biggest loser contest, with 47 participants. These participants were trying to see who was the biggest loser and they lost a total of 899 pounds. Before they started this they were explained that the money they paid to enter and the money they had to give for not reaching goals, was going to go to the #1 winner (loser) to be given to their favorite charity. There was a tie, so the #1 winner and #2 winner had to share the money to give to the charity of their choice. Guess what, we the Miracles Can Happen Boys Ranch, were both of their choices. So because they were the biggest LOSERS we were the biggest WINNERS and recipients of $1,010.00 to help us run the race God has placed us in. Our God is an Awesome God and uses people in very creative ways to help us continue doing His work.

Play Time and Story Time!

Well, we made another quick trick 500 miles to see our grandchildren again. My husband and I are all wore out after a night in a motel room with just two of our grandchildren. We have one that will be 2, April 22 and one that will be 1 May 23. Our children decided to go out together and we had fun with the grandchildren, but I don't remember it being this much work when I was parenting. I'm only the age of some mothers these days too, that's pretty bad, I feel so old and tired after running after a very active 10 month old. He is walking a little about 4 or 5 steps at a time, but he can crawl very fast and he gets into everything. We are cherishing this time though, just 2 days, and back home. One of our board members called us while we were giving baths and getting them both ready for bed, after talking to him he said it sounds like those grandkids are more work than taking care of 4 troubled teen age boys. At the time the little one had crawled back into the bathroom got his pj's soaking wet and the other phone was ringing, and I was trying to get a diaper and pj's on the older one. I really don't remember it being this much work and I use to babysit somedays 12 children at a time about 18 years ago. I guess I'm use to the mouth problems instead of changing diapers, falling down on things getting hurt, or picking something up and putting it in their mouth that shouldn't be there. But I wouldn't trade this time these 2 days for nothing it is so much fun, to cuddle, rock, and love these grandkids. Here is a picture of grandpa holding them both at a show we went to this afternoon, and grandma reading them their bedtime story.

Can't wait to spend another day tomorrow with these precious little ones that God has blessed us with. We will get to see the other two tomorrow too. I think we are going to a pizza play place. Hope you all had a Happy Easter!

Photo Hunt ~ Clean!

Look at these beautiful CLEAN milk cows of ours. We started milking 24 cows in September of 2006, but my husband grew up on a dairy farm all his life milking 135. Our cows stay in the barn so they stay a lot cleaner than running out in the pasture. The boys at the ranch take turns milking these cows, and this has opened up the door for some great one on one talks in the barn. God is even using these cows to minister to the boys we work with. Have a Happy Easter!

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Wordless Wednesday ~ God's Beauty!

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Your Opinion?

My husband and I don't make a whole lot of money, in the ministry we are in and I keep trying to think of ways to use a gift God has given me to make a little extra income. I painted this, 7" x 7" abstract painting for our Pastor and His wife and I was wondering if I could sell different paintings like this. If you were to purchase this painting, what would you be willing to pay for it. Please be honest, I need to see if it is worth it to come up with a bunch of scripture paintings like this. Thanks so much for your opinions.