Living Hazzardously

Little pieces of our journey with Jesus

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Law means nothing

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My cheap excuses for not writing:

I have been busy with studying the laws, all the laws that pertain to Sam’s Place, A Board and Lodge with Supplemental Services (BLSS). Simply put, we are a Boarding House and a Lodge that supplies Supplemental Services… Plainly put, we provide services to help guys get their lives stabilized and help them learn how to recognize when things are going “off the rails” as soon as possible to help prevent another disaster. We help keep guys out of jail, off the streets, clean, sober, healthy… we actually save the taxpayers a lot of money in what we do, we don’t just “house guys” we help them get their lives back.

We are recognized specifically under MN statues 504B, 327, 144G and a few other places. 

We have some considerations as a health care facility, a Hotel/Motel and a long term living facility. We are mentioned in MN st 327 which covers transient guests, protecting us under this section from undesirable guests. We are also mentioned in MN St 144G which protects Health care facilities, this section gives us assistance with guests whose needs are in excess of our scope and function.  504B covers landlord/tenant rights which clearly protects a landlord from “tenancy” in the first 30 days. BUT….

So the long story made short is this: As a BLSS I want to know my protections under MN law, I also want to know how the “law enforcement” of our county is going to respond to certain situations. As the operator, I need to know this to protect our operation, to prevent violation of our guests rights and protect ourselves from liabilities, but most important of all is to protect our guys from the temptations of failing again. 

We are very concerned about protecting our guys from undesirable situations that may cause instability in their lives,they are working hard to figure out life, get life fixed.

Most of our guys don’t want to be a burden. They may have been a tile setter, part of a lawn maintenance crew, carpenter, or a painter. Sure some have made disastrous choices that brought them to us. Not all of our guys made bad choices, they may have been just living life, going to work daily and life dealt them a bad hand that they can’t manage alone, a bad divorce, a mental break with reality, a layoff from a great job, an abusive parent… 

This is what brings me to today’s blog post… how can we help, how can I protect and how can we help stabilize the lives of our guys… How can we help them get life back on track? Part of that is knowing the legal system… knowing the law is only part of the battle. 

What I have learned so far: 

The law be damned! We don’t follow the MN Statutes! Just because something is clearly written does not mean it is the “law”… I was told that even if a person is trespassing, the county attorney will not prosecute trespassing, it usually turns into “disorderly conduct”… 

Drug paraphernalia is returned to the “owner” regardless of drug content because it doesn’t meet the threshold of what the county attorney will prosecute for, so the “glass pipes are returned”.

Marijuana use in our building is only a civil issue and the Sheriff will NOT be part of it, even if it’s SELLING IN A SCHOOL ZONE. 

Drunkenness is a civil issue, regardless of your house rules. 

Our only option is eviction…. That is a 60 day (at best) process… Here is how it works: We pay a lawyer (we are required to have a lawyer) a couple grand to do an eviction in court… the guy being evicted automatically gets a free lawyer… We have to pay our lawyer to sit and wait while the person being evicted meets with the lawyer that just showed up at the hearing (no body asked for the lawyer, they just appear), not before the hearing, at the start of the hearing…  to meet the “client” for the first time.

We won’t get paid  “rent, food, helping clean, laundry and health care services” for two months or more, because we are treated like regular landlords. Legally we are required to provide all these services, regardless of getting paid or not. 

WE DO NOT get the benefits of being a healthcare facility and have patients transferred to a more suitable facility.

WE DO NOT get the benefits of ejecting a guest like a motel does.

WE DO NOT get protection from tenancy laws like an apartment building. 

The client gets tenancy protections in our facility as soon as the “head hits the pillow” the very first night.

We have to “take the client” prior to knowing if we are going to get paid by the county for services (we actually have to guess, based on what the client tells us)

The county does not give “tenancy” (in the county) to the person for 60 days, but that only applies to the county when they don’t want to pay…… the client still gets tenancy in our building, automatically. 

So much more, this is why our legal system is such a mess, loopholes, easy outs, and catch phrases…. County attorneys that don’t prosecute according to the law but rather according to popular opinions and political agendas. The Sheriff is bound to the county attorney like a nursing child, unable to step out and enforce the written law because it is not politically vibrant… for the county officials, remember, we have an election to think about. 

I love our deputies, lieutenants and all the law enforcement officers!  The Sheriffs dept is fantastic at explaining why Sams Place has so little protection from violators. The law enforcement in our county does what they can, but it’s not enough.

I was told Itasca has a relatively low crime rate. I am starting to think it’s not the crime rate that is low but rather the prosecution of the law that is low, but that’s just my opinion… 

We believe God has a bigger plan, we get discouraged, and God gives us HOPE. So many times we find renewed hope. 

We are leading 4 groups inside Sam’s Place right now and we would love to get some help. Help leading, help funding, help in prayer…  

PS. WE ARE HIRING. 

Sam’s Place is looking for a strong individual to run the daily operations. 

Sam’s Place is looking for other staffing as well. 

Spring Lake Heating is looking to hire a guy that would like to live in the north woods and perhaps take over the shop eventually.

Jess and I have discovered, we can’t do everything, but we can do something. How about you?

In service of our KING! C.

Judge not ye scumbags

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Is it an easy thing to point out other people’s faults? Intellectuall honesty means we should be able to see our own faults with more clarity?  If this is true, why am I so blind to identify my own shortcomings? What does the bible say about this?

Matthew 7:3-5 talks about self examination so that you can rightly judge others, it does not say to not judge others but rather, examine yourself first… 

Luke 6:41-42 Talks again about a small fault in another person while ignoring a massive fault in your own life. Again, not saying to ignore another persons fault, but rather examine self in an honest and intellectual manner FIRST

Hypocrisy of looking at another persons faults instead of your own and clear instruction to first do this self examination so you can examine another without deception and bias, leads us to see a clear path.  

Constant & honest self-assessment is required to avoid self-deception and to ensure we are living according to faith (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Rather than hiding flaws, making cheap excuses for your own faults, Christians are commanded and urged to perform self “fault finding” and then to resolve that fault before helping others… So in a way, it’s putting self first? 

Paul admits his own struggles in Romans 7:15-24

We are told to confess sins to one another James 5:16

The old saying (para phrased) “Judge not! Least ye be judged” leaves out the next part “For in the same manner you judge others is how you too shall be judged”

On this Mothers-Day, let’s seek forgiveness, let’s self examine, let’s restore our honesty to self. 

Moms are never perfect, but neither are kids and husbands and brothers and sisters and dads and wives and ALL HUMANS. 

In loving memory of my mother who struggled her entire life with the idea of judgement & forgiveness. I thank the Lord he made this clear to her in the year 2009, when she was released from the oppressive  terms of “JUDGE NOT” and “FORGIVE AND FORGET” by opening her bible with me and reading the scriptures for what they really had to say. 

Happy Mothers day to my dear mother, who is now dancing in heaven

And to my loving bride who finds she needs to forgive my way too often.

In journey with Christ, and his love. C.

The thankless job

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Jess and I struggle from time to time with the thankless job of providing. Yes, it’s thankless, almost always. It got me thinking today as I was feeling “grumpy” and hurt about not getting thanked this week.  

I remembered the story of a man (let’s call him Jim) who helped his neighbor (lets call him Bob). Bob was sick, Jim cut his lawn without being asked. As Bob continued to be sick for some time, Jim just kept cutting the lawn. Week after week, grass turned to snow shovelling, and eventually back to lawn care. At first there were some random thank-yous and words of appreciation. Slowly that faded into smiles and nods but eventually that even disappeared. It just became “what Jim did”. The next winter Jim noticed Bob was doing more activities. One day Jim noticed Bob’s car loaded up with skis and winter accessories. The next weekend Bob was loaded up to go snowmobiling. Jim had never asked for anything in return, he just helped Bob, that was it. Jim had felt compassion for Bob in a time of need. 

The next snowfall came, Jim left the snow on Bob’s driveway and sidewalk. Jim didn’t clear the snow from the snowplow either. Jim simply cleared his own and left the neighbors as is… Bob opened the garage door that fate-filled morning and with how deep the snow was on the driveway, he couldn’t get to work… With great indignance, Bob stormed over and launched a formal complaint on the front step of Jim’s home. Bob cited how he was going to be late for work because of the inept behavior of Jim. “How can you treat me so poorly!” Bob bellowed through the door as to make sure his words would pass Jims wife and clearly reach Jim’s selfish ears! Everyone in the neighborhood would now be clear on how worthless a fellow Jim was… not clearing the driveway in a timely manner…. TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! 

As Bob stormed off back home, he saw Jim’s wife walking over, winter boots, parka and a snow shovel. Bob spun around, rised his voice…. starting his rant about how lazy her husband must be to send his wife out to do his job… She simply replied “I’m sorry for my husband’s neglect, I will be handling the snow removal from now on, you see, Jim had a heart attack this morning before he got to your driveway and he died.”

I know this is a made up story about a man that was in need and came to expect and feel entitled to Jim’s labor, but how often do we do that same thing? Ohh I’m sure the names are different, and the expectations are different.  It may be “Snap” or maybe it’s called “public benefits”, “Economic assistance” or “Financial assistance”… or maybe it is snow removal or lawn mowing…  

My point is this, if we are doing something out of the goodness of our hearts, we should give like Jim’s wife gave. The goodness of our giving should always point to the goodness of God who gave more than any person can give… God gave us what we don’t deserve. And keeps giving. 

God gave us eternal life, how do we repay God? Do we go skiing? Do we go snowmobiling? Do we make sure to catch the big game on Sunday morning? Do we become indignant when we feel like we deserve More? Or do we shovel our neighbor’s driveway, expecting nothing in return? Do we go to church? Do we read his word? Do we want to get to know God? Invite God over to our house? I know I don’t give God all he deserves, how about you?

Find someone today, say thank you. Then find that dusty old bible, read Proverb chapter1 verse 7.

Give thanks today because you have a lot to be thankful for, and let somebeody who helps you know they are appreciated.

In the service of our Lord, C.