FOR JACOB’S HOUSE @ THUNDER RANCH
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2010

LOCATION: K-Mart Parking Lot on Hwy 248
Branson, Missouri
Preview & registration: 8:00 A.M.
Auction: 10:00 A.M. – until all is sold.

WHY: Jacob’s House at Thunder Ranch is a faith – based foundation for children, whose parents cannot for various reasons, care for their children and need temporary or permanent placement for them. Your giving helps provide a loving and stable, safe haven for the children currently living at Jacob’s House and extends into the futures of other children in need of a place to call “home”.
WHAT: You can donate items from your business or Gift Certificates for your services to be auctioned on behalf of Jacob’s House at Thunder Ranch.
HOW: To have your items picked up, call: 417-850-1969  or send Gift Certificates to: Jacobs House
                                                                                                                                                            4661 State Hwy 176 E,
                                                                                                                                                               Chestnutridge, Missouri 65630
• Donations are tax deductible.
• Great advertising advantages:
Radio
           Newspaper
                            The Vacation Channel
                 Store locations
                             Posters at the Auction
                                                                                                     Your  information will be announced as items are up for auction.

♥ You will be sowing love into the lives of children to give them a better hope and future.

“Working together to inspire lives for a brilliant future.”
Penny Robichaux-Koontz
Executive Director

Summer time  Nothing like it

The children of Jacob’s House were given a dream night at College of the Ozark.  They personally  met,  both, the  men’s and womens’ basketball teams, (each member of the men’s team autographed team pictures for each child),  and visited the locker rooms (our kids hate when I say we are going to show someone their rooms, you know towels and jeans on the floor)  They felt so special!  The cheerleaders gave them Frisbees’, they were given their own official basketballs with the school logo and had the chance to dribble and throw.  I know they are future Bobcats…. Our community is blessed by the College of the Ozark and the high standard of excellence they exhibit.  They are a huge influence on our kids and a special treasure for all of us, who help form the  futures of those whom God has appointed to us.    WE ARE BLESSED and strive to be a blessing.

I was glad to be back home after a five hour trip, bringing the Impala back from Oklahoma.  It comes in handy having a car trailer,  it’s the only way to haul a car that doesn’t run. Every one at Jacob’s House was excited to see it first hand, I think some of the boys thought it would be in better condition, because they wanted a ride, not realizing that it doesn’t have an engine or a transmission yet.   The boys helped Chris and me push it off the trailer and into the garage.  Now it is waiting for the dismantling.  I can’t (whoops, I mean WE can’t) wait to get it started, we would just like to get to work on it  and stay on it until it’s done.  But there are other things I have to do, so I am trying to be patient.  And we do need warmer days because we don’t have heat in the garage. 

The weather here in the Ozarks this winter has been something.  Old man winter just keeps hanging around, but I do see signs of spring.   Just yesterday I saw a Dogwood on the south side of a building beginning to bud.  That is a welcome sign!  Spring is a wonderful time of year,  it is a promise that life will return to the landscape once again.  Spring is just like God giving us His word that He can and will restore a life that is a wreck.  All you have to do is take it ( your life) to the Master restorer,  the One, Who can make something wonderful out of something that to every one else seemed to be hopeless, even dead just as the grass and trees seem during the deep of winter.  Jesus is the life giver, He is working in the unseen areas, and life, life, and more life is coming!

The 1968 Impala update!  We are beginning  to look at parts catalogs ( the wish book)  I do want to look at putting  disc brakes on the front and rebuilding the front end with new ball joints, tie rod ends, bushings, shock, etc.  I hope to get this part out of the way before we install the engine and components under the hood, and, of course, the body work, and the interior.  Just writing about it makes me want get out in the garage, I can just see it in my minds eye now,  and its looking  good!  Dan

This was a girls night out and what a big time they had.  We thank God for the support and love our kiddos receive

from the students on their own time.  Plus all the intern hours and volunteer hours.  What a treasure.

I won’t stay in fright
It’s the enemy-so I fight!
He cannot beat me
I have predestined vict’ry

So why do I give him place
When MY foot is in his face?

There is no reason
To tolerate this treason!
He manipulates and lies
And operates in disguise

But I’m no fool
I WON’T be his tool
I’ve been set aside
For God Most High!

Kitchens Plus, a division of Jacob’s House, specializing in remodeling kitchens, bathrooms and making beautiful custom furniture.  This was

our second year at this show and was it fun.  We met wonderful business men and women and enjoyed the enthusiasm of Branson’s unique

residents.  Sharing our Mission to the children of our community is always fun but with the help our “Jacob’s House Year in Review” book we

were able to share pictures and stories of 2009.  There will be big things coming from this show so stay tuned for up-dates.  Some of the children

attended visiting other vendors, checking out all the equipment and ideas for the ranch, learning much and making new friends.

I felt badly about turning away from God, but I didn’t know what else to do.  Once while driving down some back roads, smoking marijuana with friends, a police car came up quickly behind us with it’s lights flashing and its’ siren penetrating the airwaves.  I  was so afraid, so I silently prayed and asked God to protect me, because I didn’t want to get caught.  He didn’t tell me that He would keep me from getting caught, but I did sense Him telling me, “Becky, I love you and I have a better life for you.”  To my relief, the police car passed us at a high speed and continued on out of sight.  “Whew”, was I relieved!  And although it was a close encounter, my lifestyle didn’t change, but the words I heard from the Lord that day came back to remind me of God’s love often.

Since my Mom remarried, she didn’t have much time for me (in all fairness, though, with school, my job, and cheerleading, I probably didn’t spend much time with her either) and my Dad rarely came around.   I longed to be loved and accepted by my parents, but never felt as if I measured up to the standard of their expectations, not that they said anything much about it, but that’s the way it seemed in my mind, as a teenager.

By this time, my mom was expecting a baby and just a few weeks before the baby was born, a bad dream about my Mom dying during child birth, made me skeptical about this new baby and I didn’t want another change in the jumble of confusion in our already adjusting lives.  But one look at my little sister, and those thoughts completely dissolved.  I knew I always liked little children, but with her arrival, the love and call of God to love little children was birthed in my heart, even though I hadn’t fully came back to Him.  I didn’t know that I could love anyone as much as I did my little sister, she seemed to be the bond that God used to bring all of those jumbled, frayed ends of adjustments together and helped us come together as a family. 

The next spring, I ended up in the hospital with a fractured pelvis from a wrong move during cheerleading try-outs.  My ‘well-meaning” friends made the 30 mile drive to see me, but ended up getting “high” with another friend, who lived in the area, and couldn’t come to see me after all.  The elderly lady, who shared the room with me, the Nun/nurse, who taught me various ways to play Solitaire,  and my parents, all made comments about what a good and pleasant girl I was.  I felt like such a fake.  I thought if they really knew me, they wouldn’t think that, so because of their kind words, the innocent love of my little sister, and my friends actions, I made a decision to come back to God.  I didn’t know how, but I knew He would help me.

Several months later, someone I worked with at a local restaurant, invited me to go to a revival with him, even though he didn’t attend Church himself.  We went and that’s where I learned that having a personal relationship with God is so much more than just going to heaven when we die, that it is an awesome love-walk with the God, Who created the Universe!  From that time on, I grew in the love of God and committed my life to live for Him.  I still had my friends, but I didn’t participate in getting drunk or high with them anymore, so little by little , they went their own way…

You can contact me, becky@jacobshouse.org.