Miracle Moments
Brought to you by: Community Partner Molly Maid of Birmingham, mollymaid.com/birmingham
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
After my dad left when I was five and my grandmother could no longer take care of me, I moved to Big Oak Ranch. I was seven years old at the time, and it took me a while to trust the people around me. Having a family at the Ranch who showed me love and compassion was interesting to me because it was something I had never felt before. New experiences like Christmas, family dinners, and spending time with the other kids at the Ranch helped me begin trusting others. 
I’m grateful I wasn’t left to figure things out on my own after graduating from high school. The people at Big Oak Ranch walked with me through my growing-up years and never left. At 19, I joined ASCEND. Cooking dinner for myself was definitely a curveball at first — I ate a lot of ramen noodles and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But I was excited for this next step, and everyone at ASCEND supported me through the transition. The 4:11 life skills meetings about budgeting and saving helped prepare me for living on my own in the real world. I was learning how to take care of things for myself and make decisions about my future. In May 2026, I graduated from Lawson State Community College with an Electrical Certificate. Graduating was a huge accomplishment because I was the first person in my family to go to college. I am currently interning with an electrical company and look forward to working there full time soon. I’m proud of how far I’ve come and excited about what’s ahead.
My housepop led devotionals every morning while I was growing up at the Ranch, but at ASCEND I had the opportunity to take ownership of my faith. That helped me to really grow in my spiritual walk. My ASCEND Director, Chris, was there for me through the ups and downs. We connected over similar interests like building things, and he helped me to think about what I wanted my future to look like. One of my goals over the next five years is to build a house with Chris’ help. Big Oak Ranch and ASCEND changed the way I think about family. I used to think family was only the people related to you. But the Ranch has taught me that family is the people who are there for you — the people you can count on to show up during the hardest times in your life. Without Big Oak Ranch, I’m not sure I’d be where I am now — graduated, starting a successful career, and prepared for a stable life.
-Jesi
