Living Hazzardously

Little pieces of our journey with Jesus

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The sun rises today on a new day, a new hope, a new tomorrow!

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The sun is less than two hours from breaking over the trees for the day, I sit and wonder how this day will go and what new challenges I will face. It’s funny how God does things, I would do them so much differently than he does, but in the end, He always delivers the best, every time. 

I basically closed Springlake Heating and Air after many successful years and thousands of satisfied customers. My knee, the lack of technicians, the limited infrastructure of the north woods… It took me Twice as long to install a furnace than it did only 2 years ago. I can’t make money working a maximum 4 hours a day… the pain of going up and down a flight of stairs carrying parts and tools back and forth… I tried to make the trips more efficient to reduce the number of trips and it didn’t help because I can only carry so much stuff in one trip. I found myself risking damaging peoples houses by carrying too much stuff or the trips themselves were harder because I carried too much weight… I just can’t do this efficiently on one leg… My heart broke every time I turned down another customer in need. And so Jess and I decided I just can’t continue…

BUT The sun rises today on a new day, a new hope, a new tomorrow! (I feel like this should be titled “Episode IV, A new Hope”) Yes, there is hope. Hope in a renewed day. Hope in a brighter day. Hope in the future. Without hope? There can be no joy. Without hope there are only memories of the best days. This hope came from a most unexpected place, a most unpredictable time and completely out of nowhere…. 

I remember 2014. I had lost all hope in finding a good wife, a partner that would bare the burden of life with me … Dating in your 40’s is not fun, nor is it easy… I gave up all hope and decided to buy a small house, fully embrace the bachelor lifestyle and live as a single man. I made plans to dig out and install a ramp into the basement where I could start working on bikes and stuff. Real “guy stuff” life. Basically transform my house into a shop (I still dream of this plan)… live like a man would live if he could… but then Jess came along from a very unexpected place, in a very unexpected way with a very unexpected set of challenges. Together we formed “Livinghazzardously”.

No “Regerts”. 

Jess…. She is my “Lady Galadriel in Lothlórien” that gave me the shining “Star of Eärendil”. The shining star that guided “Chuckie Baggins” while trapped in the sticky webs of Shelob’s “bachalorism”. The dark of that night was lifted as I traversed my way through the challenges of Mordor on the life quest to serve our savior, Jesus. Call me a dork… and yes I had to look all those names up.  

And so like the days of old, today I have hope of a brighter future for Spring Lake Heating. Perhaps things will turn out alright afterall? Perhaps the break I created by closing things down was the break I needed to start the next chapter? Perhaps the next chapter is actually greater than the last? 

Anyway, today is a very special day for me as a grandfather, so I will cut this short, I have work to do. I have a renewed hope, I have a joy in my heart that reaches to the moon and back ( I know, it’s super dark outside, the new moon is here). 

In Service of the one true GOD. C.

Sam’s Place is not for sale!

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A 501c3 can not be sold, we are not selling Sam’s Place… We are selling the bulding to protect Sam’s Place long into the future.

Turnkey: Real Estate & Cash-Flowing Asset Opportunity in MN

A historic, community-supported cornerstone is now available for an investor or group looking for an unmatched blend of financial safety and deep social impact. Due to unexpected life changes, the founders are offering this landmark property at a rock-bottom price to ensure a smooth transition to the next caretaker.

The Property & Location:

Originally built as the first rural hospital in Minnesota, this property features a rich 80-year history of community service. Located directly off Scenic Highway 7 and Scenic Highway 38, the building sits at the breathtaking, peaceful confluence of the Big Fork River and Rice River. It offers a serene, healing waterfront environment while maintaining vital connections to regional opportunities.

Asset & Financial Highlights:

  • The Structure: A substantial 4,000 square foot foundation across two stories, meticulously maintained.
  • Immediate Cash Flow: The sale includes the exclusive lease for a highly successful, active Board and Lodge facility with Supplemental Services. It is a secure, cash-flowing asset from day one.
  • The Mission: The facility currently serves as a vital transitional housing stepping stone, successfully housing up to 15 men focused on recovery and health.

The Investment Opportunity:

This is an incredibly low-risk investment opportunity with a powerful, built-in purpose. It is completely turnkey, allowing a new owner to secure financial returns while preserving a high-impact community program that cannot be allowed to fail.

When the sun shines at Sam’s Place

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The sun rose quickly but was not seen, the smoke that filled the air that morning was suffocating and thick. The sun’s rays hit the sky and created a reddish glow and although the sun was there, you could only feel the heat in the air… the air… it was choking, burning and I felt weak… I thought “Am I sick?”

The AC had just been started a week earlier, and I can’t even imagine how it would have felt that day without the windows closed and AC on high. It’s an old building, I imaged how bad it would have been if the smoke had hit only a couple weeks earlier… The AC was heavenly.

The guys still ventured out from time to time but I noticed the front door squeaking less often that day. I heard one person say the air quality was the “worst recorded air quality in world history”… Was that true? I don’t know. What I do know is I was working outside all day and it was taking its toll… Buggars, I know, we don’t talk about body functions but I knew the mucus system was in overload that day, nasal passages swollen and smoke being filtered, still not enough…. It was a long day, but I was glad we had done so much to control the indoor air quality for our Guys at Sam’s Place… I will take that as a win in every way.

Thanks to some grants that helped ease the costs and made it possible: Blandin Foundation, IRRRB, Bigfork Valley Community Foundation, Spring Lake Heating and Air and more… we pooled together to make the lives of our guys safer, just in the nick of time.

I worked hard installing the 19 indoor mini-split heads, days turned to weeks, and weeks to months, the planning, research and finally the implementation…

Is it cool now? Yes.

Is the indoor air cleaner? Yes.

Are there BIG smiles from ear to ear? Yes.

Is it safer for our guys that use inhalers? YES!!

And so that story goes. A big win at Sam’s Place. Thanks to all our local supporters, grant opportunities and people that simply care, and show how much they care by HELPING Sam’s Place succeed! Making life a bit more bearable and allowing our guys to focus on getting life back on track, one cool bedroom at a time. 

In the service of the one that gave it all, C.