Living Hazzardously

Little pieces of our journey with Jesus

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Camp stoves and laundromats

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We are working harder than ever to meet our goals! But new challenges arise and resources get stretched, we trust you God!

So, do I spend more money than I have ever spent before on a truck? It’s hard for me to spend money on cars. It’s because the money is just gone! The return on investment is always a negative investment. It’s not like “updating a house” where you get equity that offsets expense. With a car, it’s always more money, But in this day and age, it’s a “necessity”. We have been looking at a truck that’s bold enough to get through the deepest of snow, provide protection from collision with deer (it’s a real threat up here) haul people & cargo, use for work and dependablity for travel.  We have a car, it’s high on miles, but it’s in decent shape(although it’s windshield is below the center mass of the tremendous number of deer we see every evening on the roads). We also have an old truck that’s proven its value. But I need something better for Jess to drive safely on these roads. We need the seating for 6 with ease of loading (third row seating is just not an option) durability in case of deer collision, ability to use it for work, hauling and such. So I looked for days, weeks! Me, Jess, Misti, KJ and Jacob…. we found one in Montana that fits the task. It’s older, it’s powerful, it’s four doors, seats 6, 4wd…. everything but it’s a manual transmission. Jess has agreed to learn to drive a stick! (she is a trooper) but now? I need to spend money! (This type of Truck is not cheap) so, buy the truck and put off a few other things? It’s all about decisions, prayer is my only resource needed, so, here’s what we do, we ask you to also pray for us. Please pray for these many decisions each day that we are wise and God centered!

Btw, this Saturday I get to install flooring in the living room and our bedroom…,finally! That’s right, Jess and I will soon be moving into our bedroom and have a living room! Kitchen cabinets are half installed and walls are painted and we still have so much to do! But, we have a stove, microwave and a refrigerator, it’s tough cooking on a camp stove. My bride is an amazing woman and she has put up with so much during this first phase. Ohh, did I mention? We also have a washer and dryer now(although it’s just cold water hooked up and it’s in the garage for the summer) but no more laundromat. God is good!

Distance makes the heart grow fonder

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I’ve been told distance can help a realationship grow deeper. I believe sometimes that can be true. But truth be told, it’s hard to be apart from the one who you call “best friend”

 

Jess and Al, Mom and Son, living in the north, with all its wonder and beautiful majesty. But today I miss them (I miss them everyday) I try not to think about it but rather keep my mind busy with my job, chores and an evening sit with friends. My heart is up there! My mind wanders around looking for occupation! I have a countdown for that last day down here, I make plans in my head and constantly reprioritize my future projects. Today I received a blessing from a great guy, he gave me the transite I borrowed last year when I was working in the yard in Chan, I have a huge need for this tool upnorth and now it’s one less thing to “plan”.

Gods blessings keep pouring in and we are so grateful for all and any help we get. Kj and Misti are a major blessing as well, they do so much for us and ask for nothing but friendship in return! How can we not find gratitude when we are so blessed? And yet, discontent still has a foothold as I “want” so much to be where my wife is.

This weekend is a work weekend in Chanhassen for me, it’s my last time to be “on-call” and my plans are to move dirt, prepare the yard for a fire pit and soften hills so a mower can manicure the weeds that are sure to follow. Jacob is headed up with a load of bicycles and give Jess a chance to escape into a world of adult women at a “women’s church event” it’s not much, but it’s all I can do for now.

Ive made that drive so many times,  it seems to be like a drive to the store now. My two oldest sons will be visiting soon, the first time they will see the new place that we will be calling home, my blessings are abundant and knowing you are in prayer makes things so much easier.

Genesus 1:1 starts with “in the beginning, GOD…” and I’m reminded that without GOD, there really can be no “beginnings”

btw, anyone have a tiller? Tractor? Any thing to help us start a garden? Lol, God will provide in HIS timing, I trust in HIM.

The big start!

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I often get asked what, why, when, where? Tell me about “Living Hazzardously.”

 I will attempt to summarize it here.

First is WHAT:

We are opening an adult foster care home as our primary occupation. This means that we are opening our home to a few guys who can use a family setting to prosper in life, a place that’s quiet. Our new home is seated on a 40 acre homestead, and we have plans of gardening, chickens, cows, maybe a goat and a horse? Pretty much whatever is needed to provide a home that both challenges and engages our foster people. If they love horses? We will figure out a way to get a horse. Maybe they love gardening? Okay, we will figure that out, too! The idea is to provide meaningful and productive living at the skill level and interest level of our new, expanded family.  We will see how God provides!

Next is WHY:

After discovering what so many adult “foster”care homes provide (first hand for Al but also seeing so many other similar situations) we couldn’t spend another day thinking about how individual needs were not being met. So, if Al were your son, would you not like to see him prosper? Grow? Learn? Enjoy? Or would you rather he go to his room and watch movies for the next 30 years? It’s a simple answer, but a complex application. We truly believe we can make a difference in a couple lives.  Is that worth the risk? Absolutely!

Now is WHEN:

This could not be a more complicated question! The urgency to provide Al with a better way of life vs the life we have vs our other kids vs … well you get the point. God provides for us in many ways, and this is no different. Jess and I had the same idea or “dream” and started discussion over 1.5 years ago. Confirmation came in so many ways. Family, friends, the Bible, our sons…. it seemed to be the only option. So we started to take our leap of faith and changed everything in our lives to move toward this common theme we called “Living Hazzardously”. God’s provision has always been there!

Traveling to WHERE:

We needed the right place, right price, right peace! We needed a house that could either be used as is or be modified to meet the codes.  It needed to be the right price so we could manage a very large reduction in income. We needed the land. It needed to fit our dream (more of that to follow) we traveled for months, searching and visiting so many homes. We traveled from Chaska into the Arrowhead, over to Lake of the Woods, nearly to Fargo.  Then we found Spring Lake.  It fit every requirement but one, we would have to replace two windows. (That’s an easy job for us) and so, here we are, in prayer! Yes, prayer was our biggest confirmation of all.

So, you want to know our bigger dream?

It’s easy. We will be building three cottages on our land to be used for our ministry of helping marriages survive and thrive in the world of special needs. I’ve been told that marriages that have special needs children fail 87% of the time. We want to help those families! We also want to work with pastors to assist blended families and just marriages altogether. We want to help marriage survive and thrive. We will always have a heart for this. Our big dream is to provide respite care when needed, or just a place to learn how to prioritize marriage, while providing for the needs of families. And to provide for these families regardless of financial ability to pay.

Please join us on this “Hazzardous” adventure! We have many needs, but the most valuable is prayer.

Living Hazzardously is stepping out in faith, knowing it’s God’s prompt, trusting the Lord to provide.