Living Hazzardously

Little pieces of our journey with Jesus

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Livinghazzardously, The update that is long overdue:

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First is WHAT:

We opened a business (Named “Spring Lake Heating and Air“)

and a mission (Named “Sam’s Place”).

We had hoped to one day open an adult foster care home as our primary occupation. But like so many plans I have made in life, God gave us something bigger, better and more achievable. Instead of focusing on 4-5 guys, we are now providing for up to 15! WHAT???!!? We still have our home, but we are no longer planning to open it up to “Adult foster care”… Instead, we opened a retired hospital built in 1938 and was converted to a retirement home in the late 1960’s. A home for 15 guys. A home (best as we can) family setting, a place for individuals to prosper in life, a place that’s quiet, safe, clean. Our “new” home is located on the Rice river and Bigfork river confluence in the bustling little town of Bigfork Mn. We still have plans of gardening, but gave up our plan on cows, a goat and a Donkey. Delivering help to the guys that sometimes need just a little bit of help to stay out of institutions, jail, sheds, parks, tents and cars. A warm clean place where meals are made from scratch and ramen noodles are no longer the only option. 

I am still working full time, providing the initial start up of Sam’s Place. Jess is working full time without a salary, together we are Livinghazzardously towards a goal of a self sufficient at Sam’s Place.

One thing that has never changed is: We desire to provide meaningful and productive opportunities that meet and advance the living skills of our new, expanded family.  We will see how God provides!

Second is WHY:

We first moved “up north” with plans to open an adult foster care home. Soon we discovered this would never happen, due to how Minnesota operates its systems (see Minnesota corruption and fraud in 2025). One of our motivations in this bold move was the inability to keep Al safe in the cities. With so many variables (that too is a long story, I would love to share, just ask) I quit my excellent paying job, and we loaded up the truck and moved to Spring Lake, much like Jed Clampet.

From a very early age, I wanted to open some form of “young-men’s camp” where individuals that struggle in life can go to get mentorship, guidance and direction. Jess has always had a big heart for the Special needs community and she has always wanted to help in that area…. Sam’s Place seems to be the perfect combination of both these heart driven paths. 

Now is WHEN:

God’s Timing! We had no idea that our son Sam would be taken away at the age of 22.  We had no idea that God’s plan, which included Sam’s love for those in need, would foster the hope and dreams we now call “Sam’s Place”. Never have we “given up” but we have always been on the hunt for that perfect opportunity in life to give back the blessings of God to those we can help. Through the pain of loss, God provided for us. In God’s plan we found the path. 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, continuing 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! Where we thought our plan was in adult foster care, God’s plan was to move us into the area he would provide the perfect opportunity…  We thought we needed a house that could be used as adult foster care. God’s plan was to provide a business plan of Heating and Air conditioning so we could fund the big project of Sam’s Place. We thought our home needed to meet certain criteria to start adult foster care, God’s plan was to give us the basis to start a project we never thought of. We thought we would be giving up income and security, God had set us up to succeed in other areas. We thought we needed the land, God knew we needed a small part of a city block in Bigfork. We thought everything needed to fit our dream, God’s plan was bigger than our dreams.

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 and all points in between.  Then we found Spring Lake.  It fit every requirement but one, the remainder of God’s plan…  

So, you want to know our bigger dream?

Our plan? It’s easy. We thought we would one day 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. Instead it was purchasing an old neglected hospital…. Although our dreams have changed a lot, our big dream was to provide respite care when needed. Now we provide direct support and instead of providing foster care, we provide adult care for those that need help in staying off the streets. 

Sam’s Place is a tax deductable 501c3. We need your help to continue in our long term mission. Not just to provide for our Guys, but to continue to improve & provide services, even when we dont make the ends meet, giving back, because God has first given so much.

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

One thing that has never changed is this: LivingHazzardously is stepping out in faith, knowing it’s God’s prompt, trusting the Lord to provide.

Thanks, God Bless, C.

(Edit)

Below is a letter, please continue as we are indeed needing some help…

Subject: Help Sam’s Place Continue to Provide Safe Housing and Hope in Itasca County

Dear Friend,

We urgently need your help.

For eleven months (as of December 2025), Sam’s Place has provided safe, stable housing, home-cooked meals, and personal care to more than twenty individuals who had nowhere else to go — people coming off the streets, out of literal sheds, out of shelters, or recovering from hardship.

Recently, we learned that the 16 county “Rate 2” supplemental service designations we depended on, have been given to a different organization. This means we will not receive payment for over $40,000 of services we’ve already provided — or for the critical care we continue to give daily.

Sam’s Place was founded in memory of our son, Sam Arseneau, who passed away in 2022. Sam’s heart for the needy and outcast motivated his family to help people rebuild their lives.

We believe in doing more than offering a room — we provide community, guidance, and compassion. Without immediate support, we face serious challenges in continuing that mission.

Your donation today will directly support residents — local veterans, retirees, and neighbors — who depend on us for housing, food, and care. Every dollar stays here in Itasca County, making a difference right now.

Please consider donating today:

Online: samsplacenorth.com
By mail:
 Sam’s Place
PO Box 313
Bigfork, MN 56628

You can also call us at 218-256-9154 to learn more or pledge your support.

Thank you for standing with us during this critical time. Together, we can keep hope alive for those who need it most.With gratitude,
Jess & Charlie Hazzard
 Founders, Sam’s Place

Gravel in a bucket

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This morning after breakfast, Jess looks at me with her peaceful eyes and asks, “Can you roll your shoulders like this?” as she rolls her shoulders, I mimicked her motions with a simple “Yup, sure can!” then she asked “When you do it, does it make any popping?” I just looked at her and giggled “Oh I wish it was just popping, for me its like gravel shaken in a bucket”

I have more work than I can get accomplished up here, I haven’t been able to catch up for months and I still can’t seem to get to regular check-ups on furnaces… this week? Same old thing, calling customers and telling them “Thank you for being patient, but I won’t be able to get to you this week, again…”

I had a Dr appointment this past Friday, after a long week of working, and I knew what I would hear… “Yup, you still need a knee replacement” to which I say, “Is there anything we can do to delay the inevitable?” With Jess by my side we decided to move forward on “the sandwich” as he put it… an injection of steroids followed by chicken gel and then another steroid injection… 

As we talked, we discussed what the future will bring and why I should have never had the previous two knee scopes, and how those scopes have destroyed my knee. We talked about how long I will be unable to perform my work and what the future will hold for us. And as a “one man shop” how I need to find help that doesn’t really exist in the north woods… Getting a knee replacement now would pretty much end Spring Lake Heating and Air, as I would be laid up for 6 months, and perhaps a year before I can do my job in a half way decent manner…Maybe even longer before I can not crawl around on my knees. 

When I hit 40, my eyes no longer worked as I thought they should, but I adapted with the use of modern technology called the “magnifier app” on my phone. At 45, I noticed my shoulders started to ache when I used the 36’ pipe wrenches. At 50 I had a big party, and could no longer bend down to tie my shoes. At 51 I noticed I needed to use my arms to stand up from kneeling… At 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57… THE SCOPE… 2 knee operations and carpel tunnel surgery on both hands. 58? well that’s today, I’m hoping to hit 60 before a knee replacement and praying I don’t destroy my other knee from overuse… life is funny, or is it hard?

So on my hunt for the right younger man to mentor into HVAC begins. I’ve learned so much as I was just another “tool” for corporate America. I know how to not destroy my body from overuse, I know corporate America only cares about what you can give them and I’ve learned that family needs to be valued more in our culture. But I have also learned that the work ethics of the GEN-X have indeed been replaced, the new focus seems to be on “self” rather than serving… serving family, serving spouse, serving children, serving those in need. I don’t want to bang the gong of “the new generation is so much worse than my generation” but on the flip side, the new generations generally don’t seem to have that same self motivation to accomplish whatever it takes to be a success… maybe I am misguided and wrong?

So where does this leave me? What was my point? Well, I guess I just want to end with this… Friday we went to the DR, Jess is so awesome as she asks great questions and records all the details. I stated what our goals are and the Dr gives us what options may work best, “TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK”… After the Dr we stop for a quick lunch on our 2.5 hour drive home. My knee is aching from the injection, we arrive at Sam’s Place to prepare a room for the new guy that we are picking up on Saturday. Saturday we drove down to find “the new guy”.

“Ok, we are looking for a small wooden shed” and right on que, there it is. As he stands with his 4 bags, we can see he is ready to depart the small wooden shed with no insulation, no kitchen, no water or plumbing. Winter is closing in fast, minus 40 is just around the corner… after we set him up in his new room, finish the hours of paperwork and jump in the van to head home…

I pick up the work phone & dial a phone number… “Hi John? Charlie here, I know it’s getting late but I have all the parts we need and I know you need to pack up the cabin for the winter, so I am headed your way tonight still, I kind of got delayed… no, I’m still coming, I should be there by 6 pm, ohh it’s no problem at all, see you soon!”

After I wrap up my last bit of work for the night, Jess and I reflect on the last two days and decide… It’s all worth it! Tomorrow is Sunday and God always provides for us. He sustains us and gives us everything we need. I just wish I didn’t have so many cars and trucks that require my attention. Did I mention winter is coming and the plow truck isn’t running? Well, I guess I can run the bobcat until I can fix the truck. Now, ask me next week if it’s all worth it? All I have to do is see the hope, the relief from “shed life” a safe clean home with meals, and a gentle word from one of our residents “thanks” and I will say to Jess again, “its definitely worth it”

Lev 25:35 ‘Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means among you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a resident, so that he may live with you.

Have a blessed day, C

nobody missed him

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I was reading today about a man named Chase. Chase was not from our area but could easily be one of many folks around your very own neighborhood. He could have been the retired “hermit” in the north woods, the “bum” you saw outside Target today, the woman pushing a stroller that holds all her worldly possessions as she walked along the road, or the grandmother that got scammed for all she had in life. 

Chase was challenged in this world to “fit in” he wasn’t trying to be “odd” he wasn’t trying to be a burden, he wasn’t trying to scare you and he wasn’t trying to “ruin your neighborhood”…  He did get into trouble, he did steal from time to time, he did ask you to help him… He did smell funky, he did look unkept, He did have value. 

Chase died alone, behind a Target store, nobody knew he was dead, nobody missed him. He was discovered days later, by accident. 

This story is all too common, our system is broken, so many “un-homed persons” are given a huge check each month. Spending this check in only a few days, maybe getting a motel room for a night to shower and sleep like royalty. As they slip over to the local homeless shelter to wash clothes for free, get a free meal from the mission or local “community action” group. Eventually, this outcast will head back over to the corner of the county park, set up as a “tent city”… Month after month, year after year until one day, after seeking shelter in a fish house in the back yard of a local person, they quietly die and are discovered days or weeks later as the owner starts setting up his spear house for that big muskie. 

Yes, many times this person will take advantage of everyone. Whether you are trying to help them or just ignore them, so often they will burn every bridge. BUT there is always that one “inconvenient truth”… Our government will pay them to be homeless! That’s right! Living on the streets is much more profitable that taking up residency in a home where people care and love them….

If I can get $1000.00 and get handouts for dinner, free clothes, as many tents and blankets as I want… Or, go to a house and pay $600.00 in rent, that only leaves $400.00 for smokes, food, utilities and “habits”… Loosing all the free stuff? Living in the county park for free, the freedom to go anywhere at anytime, folks buying you a meal at a restaurant you cant  afford…. You might learn pretty fast how to manipulate the world too. 

Don’t get me wrong, every homeless person we encounter that chooses to be on the streets has a counterpart that works to get off the streets…  It’s not a one size fits all equation. 

But the reality is this, it’s a challenge to be homeless, but many would rather be homeless and have the monthly paycheck than to live in a house or apartment and give that paycheck to a landlord. 

I think our government should start attending “co-dependent” counseling and learn a bit about “enabling”. I am no “expert” by any stretch, but the solution is not more money poured into a system that clearly doesn’t work! 

What was the ancient proverb? “Doing the exact same thing over and over and expecting different results each time is the true definition of insanity”?

Sam’s Place is one place that is trying to make a difference. We are not operating on some big budget, In fact it costs Jess and I every month to keep our doors open, yes, I pay to keep it going. One day we know we will reach a net zero, one day we know we will get to the point of making a difference and hopefully we will one day be able to reduce our rent price and meet those folks that “don’t fit into society”… I hope one day read about the Chases of this world, and how a small act of caring and kindness helped them overcome the challenges they face daily and become a vital part of society that gives back to the next person in the line of despair and solitude. 

Not everyone that dies alone behind Target has to be there or should be there! 

A young man that was brilliant, started his masters degree, excelled in mathematics, theoretical math, but struggled to fit into the society around him. A man of 60 plus, another brilliant mind, who lived behind his mothers house in a camper for two years, but never fit into the cookie cutter world we have. Another man who finished his degree with top honors and found himself alone and hearing voices, losing touch with reality, collecting pop cans. A mother who can’t get along with people, not receiving help because she doesn’t exactly fit the bill, she is almost to the point of getting help but doesn’t qualify. The motivated person who did some bad drugs and now lives with the constant looming cloud they may very well one day slip away into a psychosis that never ends. 

We can’t help everyone, and not everyone can be helped by Sam’s Place, but we can help 15, we can help some become stable, independent and some to just be safe and loved. 

Sam’s Place can’t change the entire world, but it can help change the lives of those we serve. Maybe one day, we can help more “brothers and sister” that are ready to come in out of the rain, a retired “man or lady” that is looking to find a home that doesn’t break the bank, a “cousin” that suffers from childhood trauma and needs a safe, secure place to live… At Sam’s Place, we don’t just take the ones that are homeless, outcast and don’t fit in, we take anyone that is looking for a loving home, but they must want to succeed, be safe and live clean. 

God blessed you, if you can read this, God has blessed you. C