TIM

We are so appreciative of all of the comfort, thoughts, prayers, cards and visits that have been bestowed upon us during the time of mourning for our son Tim Gates. We have read and grieved and been comforted with each and every blog comment, Facebook comment, cards, flowers and  food  we have received.We have reconciled ourselves with the fact that it was time for Tim to be with the Lord our God and that he is now with Him in heaven where there is no pain, no problems every thing is perfect and comfortable. We spoke to many folks who had known Tim as a believer and also as a logger and mechanic. The experience was comforting for us, his parents. We will miss him terribly but we know he is in a beautiful place now. Again THANK YOU ALL.

Singing in the Forest

Jack & I are doing ok.  We thank all of you for your support & prayers. As people come & go we hear stories of Tim, our son's adventures with fishing & logging his 2 loves. When he came off of the ventilator, he just was singing & singing.  I started remembering how I would hear this song coming through the forest, and would ask Jack,"what is that?" and he would tell me with a laugh,"that's Tim, singing and then a big yell "timber", as he fell another tree.  I would always hold my breath and listen until he would start his saw to begin cleaning up the limbs.  I know this strange pain I have deep in my belly will some day fade, but for now we have to walk this path and see how much we loved him.  Some times we are not aware of our depth of love and admiration we have for our children until we soul search and step back and look at them from a different eye.   Joyce

Tim Gates

On January 19th surrounded by his family Tim Gates went home to be with the Lord and Saviour. Tim served many on the divide with his tractor work and providing firewood. He will be missed by his wife Renita, and parents Jack and Joyce Gates, Tim's compassion and humor will also be missed by many friends he has made over the years. A celebration of Tim's life will be held on January 29th at 2:00 p.m. at Cool community church. 863 Cave Valley rd. Cool CA.

God Said No

My mother's heart was so broken, I just knew I would never be the same when I heard God say no.  But in that same instant I understood what Mary must have felt seeing her beloved sons hands tied to the cross as my sons hands were tied to the  bed. I could not stop the tears.  I had asked God to give me the strength to be strong.  When I found my self understanding and submitting to those that were in charge and had the wisdom we all had prayed for, I began to see what God was doing.  He said no but I have a gift for you.  When they took the ventilator off we were sure he would not be able to speak and would be in pain, how ever, Tim said "that feels so good". He began to sing and laugh, and talk to every one. He talked to Renita, and she just hugged him. His daughter was so thrilled to be able to really love and talk to him. His dad and I stood at the foot of his bed and he said "mom" and nodded his head at his dad. He spent 4 hours just talking and loving on family and friends.  This was so unexpected.  It was about 6:00 when he went into lung failure and began to have so much pain.  He said,"mom" he knew I would do some thing, and I did. He had to be sedated and Renita his wife said, she knew this was the last he would know us.  God said no but I will give you this precious moment...   Joyce, wife mother, grandmother & great grandmother.

MEMORIAL

Tim's memorial is being scheduled for Saturday the 29th of January in the early afternoon. The place will be the Cool Community Church. The church is located south of Cool Ca. about one mile on highway 49.

OUR SON TIM

Our son Timothy Gates went to be with the Lord 1:45 AM January 19 2011

TIM GATES

Tim vital organs are shutting down. He has double pneumonia, liver not functioning properly , his kidneys are failing, and a Staff infection throughout his body which means his physical strength and general condition is very poor. The decision has been made by the family to remove life support equipment from him and keep him comfortable with sedation and put God in charge of him.

TIM

There is still hope! Tim's liver is infected and his kidneys are shutting down. The pneumonia is nearly impossible to cure with those conditions. There is still hope doctors are trying new antibiotics every day. Pray fro healing.

TIM

This morning early we had a doctors conference. Dr. Blatt; his opinion was Tim has a bad liver and with the liver being in bad condition makes his lungs  difficult to heal. Staff infection in his lungs is the main problem and healing that kind of infection is extremely difficult, they have tried several different antibiotics. His ankle is now believed to be a contributing factor but not the main problem. Today the sedative was lessened and he was aware we were there, he nodded his head for Tom his brother and smiled at one of the nurses, he agreed with Pastor Koontz that he would like prayer and nodded his head for me that he had heard me. His temperature was down to 37.6 this morning but by evening it was back up to 38.7. The male nurse assured us that the temp going up was not so bad an indication that healing was taking place. Some other doc Said that his prognosis was guarded. So some good reports and some not so good today.

TIM

Yesterday was my birthday 84 I was and still am as far as that goes and will be for about one year. Thank all of you for your blessig and happy thoughts that you expressed.

Tim's report for the day is; his heart has leveled out and seems to be functioning in a normal manner with the proper rhythm. They did a CAT scan on the ankle and the bone man said there is nothing to drain, there is cellulite and some foreign particles in the ankle. The pulmonary nurse said he has multiple places of pneumonia in his lungs. I did not know that pneumonia was defined in multiple places. The ventilator is being removed every 24 hours and his tolerance to breathing with out it checked. Today seemed as though the nurse was encouraged by his tolerance and his breathing on his own. His temp is back up to 38.8 Celsius. Yesterday he was on a cold blanket when it was lower. We continue to pray and ask for praying from all of you Jack & Joyce

CHURCH

As we drove by last Tuesday Joyce noticed the auction notice was not on the door of the Roadhouse church. We turned around and went back to double check and sure enough there was no notice of auction sale. Now is the the Lord? or is it something else?
  We are busy checking on Tim's condition that we have not had time to check with anyone about the missing sign.

TIM

Today the heart doctor said his heart beat had stabilized that is a good one. The nurse reported his temp was down to 99+ that is good as it is down a bit. The new doctor on the ICU duty has diagnosed that the staff infection has invaded both of his lungs this is serious. The source of the problem seems to stem from the hardware he has in his ankle, which has been sore and bothering him for a year or more. They believe now the infection started there and is on going. The hardware need to be removed but in his sensitive condition he could not stand a surgery. probably not very ell said but hopefully conveyed the message.

TIM GATES

This is a picture of a healthy TIM in 2006

TIM

Today 1/12/11 Tim has improved a slight bit. We talked to the heart doc and he said "his heart is the least of his problems" This Doc thought maybe there was a thyroid problem. The nurse gave him a blood transfusion and he improved considerably his temp went down a bit. This morning his heart had an arythama then this afternoon it was steady then it went back to arythama. His temp went down 1/10 of a point. The last thought we heard today was the steel in his ankle was the main problem up until now that infection had been the lowest priority. He is on three different antibiotics. The doctor says "we are not out of the woods yet". We ask a nurse if she thought he was going to die and she said "Oh no" .
We are going every day and standing by and being with him even though he is heavily sedated and does not know we are there. We are in prayer for his recovery constantly.

TIM

Picture of Tim when we were logging the outpost forest.
Tim is very ill in Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital. His diagnoses: infection in an old ankle repair that has steel implant. Pneumonia his lungs are not working that good with the pneumonia and of course that is also an infection. He has contacted staff infection which is extremely difficult to control. He is in a good deal of pain and therefore agitated to the point he has to be restrained. He is sedated to keep him quiet enough for the ventilator and IV tubes and wires to stay in place.

TIM

Tim has improved just a Little in the last 2 days still not out of the woods.
The doctors are still trying to find out some of the multiple problems his body has infection in the steel ankle he has, staff infection in his body, severe heart beat fluctuation and he has pneumonia.

Please pray for healing the doctors, nurses and staff  are doing a great job at Sutter Auburn Faith Hospital.

TIM

Our son Tim is in the hospital with Pneumonia, Hepatitis C, complications from and old steel ankle implant. Both his Heart and lungs are not working sufficiently to support him without a ventilator and medications.

                                      PLEASE   PRAY   FOR   TIM

church

It was a busy day today. A notice the Roadhouse church building is going up for auction in a week or so. We have been there by the Grace of God and Jim Wright for three years. We have to rely on God's grace for a place to worship, He can do ANYTHING. we must rest in that.

Praise God for the healing of Robin Davis, Jane Bales, Kathy Cervantes all the answers to prayers.  Our son Tim is in ICU today diagnosed with Pneumonia and a serious infection in and old ankle wound with a metal pin, plus infections in his body currently on a ventilator and getting three different antibiotics. Please pray for healing

Church Forclosure

Jack and Joyce in the garden

There is a notice posted on the Jokers Roadhouse Motorcycle Bar, this is where we have our church meetings, which says "Notice of Forclosure" according to the notice  the owners, not the church, or maybe the church as occupants are also mentioned, there is twenty days to pay up or move out. "the place will be sold at auction"
 We have just purchased a new sound system and a solid walnut cross for the church use. We have to trust God as there does not seem to be anything we as mortals are able to do. We cannot afford a building and the places that are available are remote or unsuitable in our opinion.

other blog

if you read this one try "Gates Penobscot Ranch Stories.blogspot.com" as well. That one is our memories, events, and activities we experienced while operating the "Penobscot Ranch Camp and Tours". We hosted an estimated 240,000 children during our nearly thirty years of owning and operating the Penobscot Ranch.

about normal ?

Today things are begining to retuen to normal in our life. Christmas and the holiday season seems to be over, the tree is downa nd the decorations are packed new yeras resolutions have been made.
 If you are readng our blog we would ask that you pray for Janet Bales she recieved a kidney and liver trans plant last evening it was a long surical procedure. But praise the Lord Janet who lives in Quintete, only a few weeks ago was given like two weeks to live and we prayed to the lord Jesus Christ for her to be healed We have known Janet for many years, she was a vendor at the Ranch when we had the Christmas festivals that has been at least twenty years ago. Also Kathleen's son who is very ill and Kathleen took him to the hospital in Davis last night or night before. However his little girl is a praise.The doctors said she would not be able to walk and never be a normal child  but Kathleen came to church with a normal baby in her arms just two weeks ago. Praise God for the answer to prayers.
 Today was a day of clearing cleaning and burning I cleared some trees that were over hanging into Wild Horse trail and took down some small trees to improve the view. Joyce is determined to downsize and so with the help of our daughter in law Renita and our neighbor Debbie they have been working and packing and visiting all day in the garage.

Walk in the forest

This is the time of the year that I think of all the things I could be doing that would be life changing, however I seem to keep going over the same ground each year.  What I don't seem to get is God does all the changing & I am His instrument for His Glory.  Wow that sounds good.  However as I was sitting contemplating all this, my dog Bobbie & the stray  cat were nagging me to go on a walk on our forest trails.  So off we went, Bobbie checking out all the animal smells & the stray cat, named Stray, was close at my steps.  He had lived in the forest for many years before I was able to tame him, so he is very aware of the unforeseen dangers. I carry a very large walking stick to protect us.
As I am walking along the trail, praying & singing, I am in my own wonderful world unaware that I had taken the wrong path, down a drainage path.  I thought, my the winter has been so hard on the trail we must come out and clear the trail.  Snow & freezing had lifted up the ground & limbs were in the walk way, what a mess.  As I rounded the bend another trail intercepted & now I became aware that I had taken the wrong trail.  I looked back up the right trail and it was nice & clean and safe for me to continue my journey.  My how God does take over and continues to guide me on His path. Life is not always the way I want it, I feel I need to be doing something to change it so I am not so uncomfortable. How quickly I take over the direction of my life & not listen to God.  I worry, cry out, I just know we are not able to handle this one, and He says "you say Lord Lord and I tell you what to do, & some day you will say Lord Lord & I will not hear you"   I had gone to the word just before my walk & turned to 1st Peter 4:12 "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon  you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;You share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation."  God just keeps cleaning, & polishing me, hopefully so others will see Him in me.  Just a little walk in the forest helped to teach me to be alert & to stay on the right path, and to trust Him to show me the way.   Amen?

NEW YEAR

We wish you a happy new year! and many more. Had free pancakes, scrambled eggs and bacon after church this morning served about 25 people had a great fellowship time. We have a new sound system and reassurance from the owner Jim Wright that we were insured fro liability and fire in the building. Jim is happy we are taking care of the building and has given us free run of the place until they have returned from Lake Havasau I have copied about 70 pages from the Folsom school district fifth grade class that visited the Penobscot ranch in 1991. each student wrote a letter and the teacher included many pictures. It was a trip down memory lane for me as I was scanning them into the computer.

ROSE BOWL GAME

The quarter back said it (Dalton)
^{1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
They did and they won the ball game}

NEW YEAR

It is news years day 2011. Joyce and I have been at least 59 of these days together and we are still enjoying the Rose Parade.
We stayed in last night and waited for the snow not disappointed we had a couple of inches this morning. Steve called from NC and wished us a happy new year. Church is tomorrow and Dale Wilson and his wife Joy are coming . Dale is going to play a violin a solo for our church.
Church is going along quite well and why not God is in charge and we must submit to His will. The bar is closed and  the church has the entire building for as long as god wills it. We have no idea but believe that He will take care of us as scripture says "He takes care of the birds so He will surely take care of us" That is my interpretation. Jack