In our seventh year at Sky Ranch it felt like everything had “come together”. We had come a long way from a piece of ranch land and staff of three.

The ranch was operating at capacity throughout the summer, with a considerable waiting list. During the school year the Dallas Independent School District had a group of grade school children at Sky for their out-door education program Tuesday – Thursday. Young Life used the facilities many weekends, Sky Ranch ran its own programs on other weekends, and church groups enjoyed the facility on most remaining weekends. About 8,700 people a year were coming to Sky Ranch.

Sally Jo was teaching a different group of campers each morning how to plant and harvest vegetables and co-led the Sky Ranch retreat weekends. During the school year and on the weekends our family was at the ranch Carla, a sophomore in high school, worked almost every day with the horses – two of which were hers. Jenna, in Junior High, helped in the camp store and with Sky Ranch retreats. At our home in Dallas, Jenna had a growing collection of beautiful pigeons. Dirk, in grade school, pretty much enjoyed “the run of the place.”

To have the facility operating near capacity with this varied usage required a good facility and a quality staff. Both were in evidence at the camp/conference facility and in the Dallas office. The operating surplus for the year I think came to $38,000. Yes, the to-do list was long… but it was happening!

It was in this year we finally had a beautiful home at the ranch that we could call our own. In addition to work by local contractors, two electricians came from Connecticut to do all of the electrical work, our family did a tremendous amount of finishing touches inside and out, and nephew Steve Gieser came from Illinois to create a series of stained glass panels for the clerestory windows that faced south, up over the living/eating area…probably 25’ of glass work. Glad, the 86 year old lady who loved to give her income to the Lord’s work, gave the large kitchen table and chairs.

When I had accepted the position of Executive Director of Sky Ranch, my compensation package was the same as it had been when I was the Associate Pastor of Christ Church of Oak Brook. The understanding was that I would get at least an annual cost of living increase each year. After several years of struggling with financial survival and no raises of any kind, the Board had gone back to my original package and raised it according to the inflation factor for each year. Although neither Sally Jo nor our children were compensated for their work, our income was finally good.

Plans had been made for Sky Ranch’s 25th anniversary celebration. After 18 years at the Denton, TX facility where Sky was a summer camp, and now 7 years as a year around ministry at the East Texas facility, it was time to celebrate. A big dinner and program were to be capped off with the announcement that Gladys Lankford was giving a beautiful chapel to the camp, the design drawings having already been prepared by an architect.

After serving as program chairman for the previous national convention, I was asked by Christian Camping International to head up the annual convention in November at Ghost Ranch in Glorietta, NM.

Looking forward to a busy fall, and with everything up and running, it was a good time to go on vacation. We decided to spend two weeks in July with our family in Wisconsin.

Getting this effective ministry up and running had required a tremendous amount of hard work, but it had been obvious from the beginning that this was the Lord’s ministry – the result of His guidance, His provision, His blessing. Often I reflected upon verses like: “The Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.” — Gen. 39:23.

Living In Partnership With God was hard work, but good!

Darryl Coates grew up in a dog-trot cabin…a room on each side of an open passage way (through which a breeze could pass and a dog could trot)…with an outhouse. He went into the construction business and did very well. His office was one room. He owned no equipment, he had no crews. What Darryl did have was the ability to work with people and a reputation that was as good as solid gold. He would get a contract to build a motel or other significant project and then hire a local project manager who knew the local sub-contractors. In time he had to purchase a small plane to keep up with his various construction projects.

To see Darryl would convince you he did not have two nickels to rub together. His work shoes were worn out dress shoes or dress cowboy boots. He said he was too cheap to buy work shoes as what he had “worked” just fine. Jan, his wife, was just as low key as Darryl. I do not think they ever bought a new car.

In 1970 Darryl and Jan decided they would take their money and build the finest possible facility for churches to rent for retreats and camps. We got to know Darryl and Jan in 1975 through Christian Camping International when we lived in TX. We became very good friends. Darryl said to me one day “I do not want this camp to make me a dime!” To assure that it wouldn’t, he started a not-for-profit organization – and then gave the developing camp/conference center to the organization. Today their dream is a reality – take a moment to look it up: Jan-KayRanch.org

In summary: (all buildings have central air/heat)

• Buffalo Lodge – 62 retreat guests – 16 rooms with private bath…has meeting room as part of building
• Ranch Camp – 120 campers 4 split cabins – each side with bathroom
• White House – for the speaker
• Common areas:
  • Dining Hall for 150
  • Town Hall – 150 – meeting room with full AV, piano
  • Recreation Hall – ping pong, table shuffle board, foos-ball, games – or a meeting room for 70 people
  • Amphitheatre
  • Indoor riding arena …can also be used for games.
  • There are miles of trails, also hay rides, a covered bridge, a cat fish pond (big catfish!), and great camp fires
  • Large swimming pool – slides, diving boards
  • Obstacle course, 2 basket ball courts, football, soccer, and soft ball fields
  • Lake with canoes, paddle boats, fishing
  • Miniature golf
  • Snack Shack

AND Darryl got a wild animal license. Jan-Kay Ranch has a zoo: tigers, monkeys of many kinds, zebras, camel, emus, ostriches, buffalo, long horn cattle, rhinoceros, etc. Do not be surprised if you see Darryl go by on a 4 wheeler with a bear sitting up behind him, paws on his shoulders, looking over Darryl’s head. Or you might look down to see a puma rubbing his head on your leg.

Darryl and Jan have thankful hearts as they watch lives changed through the use of a facility they have developed for 40 years. A place where children, young people, and adults come to relax, to laugh, to build relationships, and to learn more of the love of Jesus Christ. Darryl and Jan Coates live In Partnership With God.

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” — James 14:4

Every September our family would move back to our home in Richardson – just north of Dallas. Re-entry was never easy. For three months the kids had the run of 250 acres…which included a caring summer staff, a few other staff kids, a 70 acre lake with boats, a beautiful swimming pool, lots of horses, a bountiful, big garden, and for at least two summers, pet raccoons. Life at the ranch was never real easy – but it was a good place to spend the summer.

Once home it was time to catch up with friends, check in at the school, buy school supplies and some new clothes.

On Sunday we would make the re-entry to the Highland Park Presbyterian Church. The senior minister was Clayton Bell, a long term family friend, and the minister under whom I served when I graduated from seminary. Peggy and Clayton had warmly welcomed us to Dallas.

One fall, when Jenna returned to her Sunday school class, she noticed that all of the other girls were wearing black patent leather flats. So Sally Jo took Jenna to buy black patent leather flats.

The next week, Jenna headed for her Sunday school class with a smile on her face. She had shoes like the other girls in the class were wearing. And then one of the girls looked at Jenna’s new shoes and said, “Jenna, they are the wrong brand!”

Dirk, who was eight at the time, remembers Jenna’s devastation to this day, just as Sally Jo and I do.

What the girl said was true! This reality only made the words more hurtful. My guess is that the girl who made the comment does not remember the words, the incident at all.

On several occasions the look on a person’s face has told me that my words have hurt them deeply. But the words are out. Yes, I can ask for the person’s forgiveness, but the words are out! And what about the people whom my words have hurt deeply, and I have no clue? Lord, forgive me!

James wrote: “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” — James 3:2-8

What a contrast to the fruit of the Spirit: “ …kindness, goodness, gentleness, self- control” Galatians 5:22.

And so I pray “Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” — Psalm 141:3

Carla had learned to ride and care for horses when we lived for two years in TN. A church member had a horse farm, and one summer we even had a yearling pony living in our back yard. In the morning I would call out “Hello Dolly” and she would whinny back every time. When we moved to Texas, it was almost like Carla moved to heaven! Every morning we were at the ranch she would head for the barn.

As we prepared for our second summer at Sky Ranch, Carla asked us if she could have a Chincoteague pony. She had gotten the idea from reading Misty, Stormy, and Sea Star – books which told about wild ponies on the island. Every year the yearlings were rounded up by the fire department for auction on “pony penning day”. Without too much thought, I told her that the books had been written many years before. We did not know how true they were, or if there were still annual pony penning day auctions. “Can I write and find out?” I said yes. So Carla wrote a letter to the Fire Chief on Chincoteague Island, VA. When he answered, I knew I was in big trouble!!! Bottom line: in July the two of us headed for the island, 1000 miles away, pulling a borrowed one horse trailer, carrying camping gear and a list of people and places we wanted to visit in the next 9 days. Carla and I had lots of time to talk, a special time indeed.

On our way to the island we stayed with friends and stopped at the Seminary where I had studied for three years. When we arrived at Chincoteague, it seemed like every other horse loving child in the world had talked their parents into coming as well. It was truly a festive occasion – the auction would be in two days. I could also quickly see that there would be considerable bidding for the ponies – sinking feeling in pit of stomach!!!

Carla and I found our camp site, set up camp, and then went to see the ponies which would be auctioned. Unfortunately for me, Carla already knew much about horses, and soon had her eyes on one specific pony, a paint that was larger than most of the others. Though I encouraged her to look at other animals, which she did, there was no question as to which one she wanted. Soon she was reaching through the fence and rubbing the neck of the beautiful animal.

In the early evening, when we were out for a walk, we saw a weathered looking man on a large horse…no Chincoteague pony! I asked the man, Walt Clark, if he lived on the island. He slowly answered, “Lived here all my life”. During our conversation I asked him “Walt, you know these animals. Is there a pony we should try and buy?” He smiled slightly and said “sir, buy her the one she wants, or it won’t matter.”

The next day we met a family with several children that were planning on buying four ponies, and my guess was that money was no object. I remember saying to Carla that it was a good to make friends with them – because if they wanted to buy “your” pony, we are in big trouble.

The auction began, and Carla had her heart set on only one pony…that she was already calling Yankey. When the bidding began on Yankey, it was brisk! Not good for us!! As the price went up, the number of bidders got smaller and smaller. When the price got higher than any previous sale, there were two of us bidding. When we got to $500, the amount Sally Jo and I set as our limit, what was I to do? (“Get her the one she wants, or it won’t matter”) So…I kept bidding. When we hit $700, suddenly the bidding stopped…and we owned Yankey! Immediately after the bidding was over, one of the daughters of the family buying four ponies came over to us, all apologetic. “Carla, I stopped my dad from bidding as soon as I realized we were bidding against you! I am sorry the price got so high.”

After the auction was over, and we were preparing to load Yankey, a reporter came to interview us about the pony we had purchased. When he asked why I was willing to pay more than anyone ever had for a Chincoteague pony, I remember telling him, “We did not buy a pony, but an experience.” The round-up, sale and interview were broadcast across the country – including Dallas, where many of Carla’s friends saw us on TV.

Over the next several years Carla trained Yankey to do most everything but talk! Our adventure was a good investment of time and money. Yes, this was part of living In Partnership With God.

After campers and their families have found places to sit on the board firmly attached to the top of the rodeo arena fence, members of the staff enter the arena with flags flying. They gallop along the fence and then ride an intricate pattern – just like at the beginning of a real rodeo! Well, almost!!

The rodeo, with campers as participants, continues with everything from the water balloon toss to barrel racing.

During the rodeo I was walking outside of the arena when a man I did not know leaned back, handed me his business card, and asked me to give him a call. When I returned to Dallas, I called Mr. Mason who invited me to come to his office.

I was warmly welcomed, and then he said something like “I do not know why I gave you my card”. I suggested we talk a few minutes to see if we could come up with the reason.

Out of our conversation came the realization that the Mason family had a cabin two miles from the Sky Ranch which they seldom used. Our family was invited to use the cabin, and to enjoy everything in the cabin, including the ping pong table…and the food.

“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip ‘Where shall we buy bread to feed all these people?’ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do. Philip answered him, ‘Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!’

Another of his disciples, Andrew…spoke up. ‘Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish’. Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated (5,000 men, plus women and children) as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.” — John 6:5-11

It is sobering to have God unexpectedly use us to provide.

It is sobering to have God unexpectedly provide for us.

Our family lived in Dallas during the school year. On weekends and during the summer, we lived in one of the ranch mobile homes. One summer our housing was needed by other staff, so our family moved off the ranch property.

We rented a cabin on a lake 15 minutes from the ranch. The one room cabin had an enclosed porch and a small bathroom with sink, shower…and a toilet that was to be hooked up soon, but never was. The outhouse worked. Our three children slept on the porch. Sally Jo and I slept in the one room – the foot of our bed against the refrigerator. The cabin was on a small peninsula which provided privacy and an occasional breeze.

On a weekday night, when I was in Dallas, Sally Jo and our children heard a boat go along the shore around the peninsula. Several men were gigging for frogs and obviously drunk. Talk about feeling vulnerable!!!

Five mornings each week Sally Jo gathered together everything needed for the day. At the ranch she would supervise the 5 acre garden, help in the camp store – do what was ever necessary. Our oldest daughter, Carla, loved to work in the barn. Jenna and Dirk would stick with mom, or play with other staff kids. After lunch Sally Jo and the kids had an hour together with other staff in the beautiful swimming pool. When at the ranch, there was no place we could call our own that summer.

Every Monday morning I would drive the two hours into Dallas to work in office. During the week I would write notes on contributions, write checks, keep up with government contributed surplus food forms, talk with camper parents – and work out of the office with donors, Sky Ranch Board members. I would speak occasionally. Most evenings I would go to our empty home, fix some food, do more paper work, and go to bed. I pushed hard so I could get back to the ranch on Friday as early as possible. All of this was made tougher because the Dallas office building was air-conditioned to 68 degrees, the outside temperature would be over 100, and the temperature within a car that had been sitting in the sun for several hours was unbelievable. I would feel sick every time I went in or out. On Friday I would drive the two hours back to the ranch where it would be hot and sticky. As the summer went on, the situation became a grind, but we saw no choice other than to push on. “Be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord” — Romans 12:11

One week Sally Jo and the children made a poster of the fruit of the Spirit. On the paper tree they put cut out fruit labeled “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control” — Galatians 5:22. Later she shared with me that when the children were cutting out and labeling the fruit, one of the girls asked, “why doesn’t daddy have these?’

I felt weak! In that summer’s grind to keep up with life, I had forgotten what was most important. This question, asked 30 years ago, remains heavy on my heart.
In my desire to be “fervent in spirit, serving the Lord”, I had trampled the truth that serving is to be filled with His spirit, and that the fruit of His Spirit should flow out of me, most importantly to my family. Jonathan Edwards said, “The Holy Spirit gives us the power and strength enough to overcome our weak inclinations so that these holy exercises will prevail over our weaknesses.” The Holy Spirit gives us the power and strength, but we must be intentional about becoming Christ like, about living the fruit of His Spirit.

Thankfully, our children told me long ago that I have changed.

Hopefully, I am still growing in the fruit of the Holy Spirit as I live In Partnership With God

Sometime after I became Executive Director of Sky Ranch, I was introduced to Darryl Lafitte, the President of North Dallas Bank and Trust, where Sky Ranch did its banking. Darryl was a Christian who appreciated what Sky Ranch was seeking to do, and he also knew the financial situation Sky Ranch was in. After a year, we had developed a comfortable relationship, so when his secretary called and said that Mr. Lafitte would like me to come to his office, I was not surprised.

When I arrived, he said there was a business man with an office in the bank tower who would like to meet me. So, up the elevator I went to meet Ted Clifford. His secretary said Mr. Clifford was expecting me, and to go on into his office. He introduced himself, and asked me to have a seat.

Ted asked me to tell him about Sky Ranch. As I talked about the purpose and program of Sky Ranch, he asked a few questions. I then asked him what he did, and he told me he was the President of Majestic Oil and Gas Company. In the conversation that followed he told me about the cobbler’s last (the form around which a cobbler built a shoe) that was in his bedroom, next to his closet door. He said that every time he went into his closet, he was reminded of the words: “cobbler, stick to thy last”. Ted knew one business, and apparently knew it well.

As I was leaving, Ted asked me to keep in touch, which I did. In the early months of that third year, when all bills were being paid, but salaries were again close to being unpaid, Sky Ranch received a check for $10,000 from Majestic Oil and Gas Company.

With the receipt in hand I went to thank Ted for the contribution. He welcomed me to his office and when I had thanked him, he said:

“I try to always keep in mind the answer the train porter gave to the question ‘and what do you do?’ The porter responded ‘I takes care of whatever the Boss gives me, till we gets to the end of the line.’”

“Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful” — I Corinthians 4:2

This was the last large contribution for operations Sky Ranch received or needed, to the best of my knowledge.

Sky Ranch entered its third year at the new location with a fully functional operation: ministry, staff, and facility. But there was a long way to go! It is impossible to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to empty beds. With the new cabins, there were empty beds in summer camp and on school year retreat weekends, and there was essentially no week-day usage. The previous year at this time, Sky Ranch was truly broke! No more money, no more credit. As Sky went into 1977 current bills were being paid, but just barely.

When Bob Kerstetter walked into the Dallas ranch office in January, essentially all I wanted to was to get him out of the office as quickly as possible. In a recent conversation, Bob described how he must have looked 30 years before, when we met. “I would have had shaggy hair, wire rim glasses which were decidedly not stylish, and a lazy eye – which wandered all over the place. Let’s not talk about my clothes!”

Strange duck though he looked to be, in a few minutes Bob was giving me his brief sales pitch: He wanted Sky Ranch to pay him $50 for each time he was able to get an article into a regular publication of any kind. There would be no cost to Sky other than to pay him the $50 placement fee. He assured me his work would provide good exposure to the general public. In our recent conversation Bob said I actually told him he just did not fit the Sky Ranch image we were working hard to create. I probably did! Bob persisted until I agreed to his proposition – just to get him out of the office!

The next week Bob returned to the office to show me an excellent article he had written for the Dallas Morning News summer camp insert. $50 please! In the next few months Bob brought in 21 articles he had gotten published in a variety of locations. Here is one example of how he worked. Bob used the fact that Sky Ranch ran a soccer camp during its first week of the summer as his means of getting an interview with the announcer of the Dallas Tornado soccer team, an interview which was heard by several thousand soccer fans. Great response!

About a month after Bob had gotten me to agree to his proposition, Bob walked into my office with a huge smile. I knew he had something special to tell me. “I have hit gold this time!” Bob had talked with Joe Camp the co-writer and the director of For the Love of Benji, produced by Mulberry Square Productions of Dallas, Texas. Sky Ranch was the charity selected by Mulberry to benefit from the Premier screening of the movie in Dallas on June 10th. In almost every article or interview on the movie Joe Camp told why Sky Ranch was the charity chosen to financially benefit. What Mulberry did was give Sky Ranch a large block of tickets to use for fund raising purposes. When it was announced that Lassie and a large number of other Hollywood personalities would be coming for opening night, the tickets became very highly sought after. Talk about great publicity – and money! Suddenly every camper bed for the summer was booked.

Beginning in the fall, Sky Ranch was the chosen location for the Dallas Independent School District’s outdoor education program. They rented the facility for almost every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through the school year. Sky Ranch was operating at capacity!

I had tried to send away the person God had chosen to be His means of providing for Sky Ranch, just because of his looks. I did not recognize him as person who lived In Partnership With God.

“The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I Samuel 16:7

Please always remember that it is God who has directed my life, who has done the miracles I have experienced. What has happened has been God’s work – totally. We must never forget this. To God be the glory.

It would be easy to stop at this point and say “I have had no role to play”, but this is not true. Yes, God did it all, but I was the agent of what has happened. A person has been involved in every miracle: Noah, birth and sacrifice of Isaac, Joseph in Egypt, Moses in the desert, Joshua in battle, David as shepherd/king, Jesus birth, Paul’s missionary’s journeys, etc. God has not changed! God’s miracles today may not seem to be of the magnitude of those he did in Bible times, but the miracles I have experienced clearly demonstrate to many that God still performs miracles. God continues to remain interactive in the lives of His people.

So why has God chosen to use me as He has? If you are a Christian, ask yourself the same question. God has plans for each of our lives. Some of these plans are the same for every believer: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength. Love your neighbor as yourself” — Mark 12:30-32. God may also put any of us on “special assignment”. On these “special assignments” we may be more likely to recognize God’s miracles, because without the miracles many of His assignments could never be done. Special assignment or not, I am sure we never recognize many of the miracles God does around us, and through us, which enable us to do His work in His way. I encourage you, during the coming week, to jot down when you believe God used you in the life of another. Also jot down when you feel God may have “stepped in” in a miraculous way.

As God’s man, I have faith in God, that He has a plan for my life and will do what He says He will do. This being true, there are many times I have not understood what God is doing, or not doing, but I hang on. God is faithful! Whereas I trust God, I do not have trust in myself. If I ask myself “Do I have enough faith to do what God has asked me to do?” I must acknowledge “I really do not know”. But, if I maintain my commitment of obedience to God, and continually seek to do what I believe God would have me do, I can relax. It is God’s responsibility to guide me and to enable me to do what He wants me to do. Sometimes God surprises me – He does “beyond what I can ask or think” — Ephesians 3:20. But sometimes God disappoints me and I get frustrated and angry with Him. I have prayers that God has not answered for 30 years, prayers which, according to my understanding of the Bible, I think He should answer! At such times I try to remember God’s track record. I have made the decision: I belong to God. I must not chicken out when life is tough!!! I press on in faith.

I do not read my Bible daily, but I work at this. I do not spend hours in prayer as did Jesus, Martin Luther, and George Mueller, but I have prayed for an hour many times. As I talk to God, I am confident that God knows what is on my heart even before I open my mouth. Most of the time it is easy to praise God, tough to confess my sin, easy to thank Him for answering specific prayers, and when I make requests of God, it can be tough to trust God’s wisdom – “Thy will be done” — Matthew 6:9. I share my thinking with God throughout the day. I pray when working driving, walking, sometimes silently, sometimes out loud.

These days God is not using me to preach very often, to heal, to put together a strong ministry – nothing dramatic. My guess is that I am living my life like many of you, one routine day after another. We are called to live with joyful hearts. May our lives be an accurate reflection of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is God’s responsibility to let us know if we should be on “special assignment” as we daily live In Partnership With God.

The Sky Ranch Board of Directors was to meet on March 18, at which time they would put together the necessary funds, not only to solve the immediate crisis, but to help prevent this from happening again. The Board members realized solving the problem was essential for them as they had joint and several liability for bank loans totaling $500,000. If the ranch declared bankruptcy, the loans would be “called.”

Every member of the Board of Directors was present for the meeting. I was asked a few questions, and then the Board members entered into a very intense, very personal discussion. After two hours with no progress, I said to the Board that the office of the CEO of an international bakery had called to set up an appointment for me to meet with him. The meeting was in 30 minutes. Nobody on the Sky Ranch Board knew the man. As I stood to leave I said: “Sky Ranch is either God’s ministry or our ministry. If it is not the Lord’s, we might just as well find out now.”

When I arrived, I was taken to the CEO’s office by his administrative assistant. He invited me to take a seat, and asked me to tell him about Sky Ranch. He then asked, “How can I help?” Suddenly I felt like Nehemiah before the King and quickly prayed “Help!” I had not expected the question, but responded that perhaps he could help in three ways. I explained that Sky Ranch needed $30,000, and told him why. He picked up his telephone, dialed a number, and said, “Please draw up a check payable to Sky Ranch for $30,000 and bring it to my office. Thanks.” Without a smile the CEO asked me, “How else can I help?” I said I thought a company this big might have things they are not using that would be a great help to Sky Ranch. If there was, I would find a truck to pick them up. The CEO dialed a number, “In a few minutes I will send to you Chuck Gieser, Director of Sky Ranch. Please take him through these specific warehouses. Let’s make available to Sky Ranch anything we will not use in the next six months. Have what is chosen delivered to Sky Ranch.” He then asked, “Chuck, how else can I help?” I asked if he could become a member of the Sky Ranch Board of Directors, and gave a specific reason which had nothing to do with money or things. He responded with his first smile: “Chuck, I would like to, but my time simply does not permit it.”

I stood up to thank him and he asked “What is your hurry? Please sit down.” He went on to say, “Chuck, another cabin would provide additional income to Sky Ranch. What does a cabin cost?” I told him they cost about $25,000 and explained the cabins are duplexes with central air conditioning and heat so they could be used by campers in the summer, retreat groups at other times. Each side was fully furnished for twelve people. He responded with, “Build one, and send me the bill.”

In fifteen minutes I was out of the CEO’s office with a check for $30,000, his promise to pay for the building of another cabin, and being taken to four warehouses where I identified a tractor trailer load of equipment that would be put to immediate use at the ranch including an ice maker, office desks, and huge steel bins the bakery used for the raising of dough, great for storing horse feed!

The Board meeting provided no solution to the financial crisis, but God did. Sky Ranch was God’s ministry.

When we live In Partnership With God, let us remember:

• “How great are God’s riches! How deep are his wisdom and knowledge! Who can explain his decisions? Who can understand his ways?” — Romans 11:33
• “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” — Ephesians 3:20-21