Mondays momentum

Diane and I have got to be some of the most blessed parents on the face of the earth. Two people like us, growing up, living for the next drunk. Thinking this was normal, looking forward to the next high, believing this is all there is to life. We remember those days when we had to make a choice to continue hoping that if we just drink a little less and stay out of the bars or to stay away from the drugs that all would be just fine. Or we could walk away from everything we were so used to and give our lives to Jesus. At first it scared us but we had to do something or we were finished. The different lifestyle and choices we made to follow Jesus brought so much hope, instead of following nothing which would have led to nothing and giving us nothing in the end. A lot of people may disagree with us choosing Jesus and living for Him instead of our own selfish desires. Even if in the end we were wrong and there was no heaven, no Jesus waiting for us, well, we still had a great life with a great family that today all have a great future, but what if we made the right choice, Bonus! We thought it would be so boring, to not do the drugs and alcohol, we have never been so wrong, life has not been boring at all. It is so full of joy and purpose now that was never there before. Still to look at the two beautiful daughters that we are so blessed to have, and four great sons and three daughter -in-laws and one son in-law, they are all hard working and always take care of us and make sure we are involved and all there siblings are involved in all they are doing. What would we do without our five wonderful grandkids and two more on the way soon. Our lives are so full.

Someone tried to tell us, "you just wait, it won't always be smooth going, there will come a time when it won't be so great, don't be so naive". Well that's what many said when they thought we were having too many kids or they said, "you wait till they become teenagers," or "once they are on their own, look out they'll be gone." We really enjoyed having our teenagers around, of course they weren't perfect and neither are we, but we wouldn't trade it for anything!

I remember having some real struggles with our youngest son James, he would not get on his two wheeler bike and learn to ride it like the rest no matter what we would do he would push that bike around and around the block, but he would not get on and try to ride till one day he just got on and did it all by himself. Then when he was older it was hard to get him to ride a small motorcycle of ours but when he was ready he just did it. Then came the day and he was on behind me on my decker and out on the highway in the middle of nowhere, I stopped and said, "now it's your turn" and he said, "no I can't do it," but I made him move up front on that big old bike and in no time we were cruising down the highway and he's never looked back. If you are blessed to have a family, be a part of everything with them, make life so much fun they won't want to be anywhere else but with the rest of the family because they are afraid they will miss something. What ever the family is doing is always more fun than anything else they could be doing and because mom and dad are always there. Making lots of money or having everything the Jones's have doesn't work, they just want mom and dad and lots of adventures. A friend in Caronport who was also a dad once said, "get your kids involved in what you enjoy and they will always stick with you." At the ranch just like at camp it will be run like a big family, the thing all people need the most.

This evening we had a great board meeting and lots of laughs. It seems the more we move ahead the more people that are getting excited and waiting till we get the ranch up and going so they can come learn at the ranch.

A father that knows his son will get the help he needs at the ranch, is doing all he can to help us get going.

Miracle of the day, more people have come on board as monthly supports, God is so good!