Living Hazzardously

Little pieces of our journey with Jesus

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Victor not Victim

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Jess and I headed out the ⅛ mile driveway, Al slipped into the morning routine and started “bopping his head” to the sounds in his headphones, Groot settled down in the back of the car in his normal fashion… we turn right, accelerate, brake, accelerate, brake then turn left. As we turn left we brace for the impact with the “barrier”… we collide, head on! Three days a week or more, same drill. We don’t feel the barrier physically, but more like the music dies in Al’s headphones, the little “spinner” on the phones start to dance the standard processes and we are no longer connected with the world. 

Somedays I feel like we are living in the movie “Maze Runner”…

The gates open, we are well prepared, and we start running the maze of roads, mapping out until…   We can no longer map anything. Returning home before the gates close, locking us out in the maze overnight. We made it and there is no need to face the real terrors and fears of the world. 

I love living in a world where I can escape the constant “connection”… The monitoring. The always “knowing” phone. Listening, adjusting, changing my personal algorytm… Our advertisements! What Jess and I had just been talking about “the dogs need their shots” turns into getting ads about spending our money on the “best care for your fur babies”. If you are like me, I find great JOY in the quiet things, the calm of the trees, standing alone in the forest. The flowing waters that gurgle against the battle of cold snow and forming ice… robbing momentum from the waters relentless desire to reach the ocean. The waters never stop and reflect on how they are are “VICTIMS” of circumstance. The waters never call for the government to provide de-icing chemicals… its almost like the waters know they shoud never quit, never give up, victory is coming.

Even the distant buzz of the loggers working to provide the ever thirsty lumber mill industry with exactly what they need to continue the quest of construction. After hundreds of years, and still making timber into sticks, trees into pulp.

I seek victory! I seldom have a victim mentality but so often, I find myself in the constant battle of explaining “victims are self made”… I’m not saying that every situation doesn’t produce a victim, but if you wake up, and don’t make your bed, don’t watch the sun rise, dont find joy…. Well, its that much harder to find victory in the remaining hours of life. I don’t believe I am controlled by my emotions but rather God has given me the power to control my emotions. And if I have power to control my emotions, then it must be a decision to wake up knowing once again, I am the “victor”… so I choose to be victorious, even if all I do is make my bed, drink my coffee and see the sun rise from obscurity to magnificence. I can be a Victor in something, so can you!

I wake up, enjoy a half hour of calm, wait for the coffee to brew, sit down and listen to the sounds of my heart beat, the creaks of the house, the breathing of my dogs and the cool wind beating against the eves…. At ¼ past the hour, I rise to my feet and retrieve my loving bride, make the bed, start turning on the lights and settle back down for a bit of screentime while it’s still calm… 

The day starts to break again…

It’s not always easy to have a victor’s mentality, it’s not always easy to remember God’s goodness, its not always easy to remember I deserve so much less… Some days I struggle, and to be honest, I struggle much more often than I should. But knowing God chose me, and that I am not able to bring anything to God that is worthy of his goodness, well, that reminds me… I am wonderfully and fearfully made in the image of my GOD….. when I remember the fathers voice, I again turn to the victory, I put off the victim and realize everything good in my life is not my own doing but rather the gift of the one who is always providing those things I need. 

Victory is a decision to see the gifts I have been given, victimhood is oppression to “always feeling like I deserve better”… that destroys my joy…. Holding on to the good things, letting go of the bad things, choosing to be a VICTOR is choosing freedom and finding joy. 

Good Bless C.

The Electrician who Preaches

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We started attending Deer River Bible Church a while back. Pastor Steve and I started talking every week and we immediately discovered “we had a lot in common”. Jess and I scheduled a meeting with Pastor Steve so we could talk doctrine and verify how well our beliefs line up with DRBC. All went well. It just felt like we were home. As we continue to get to know DRBC, we share the story of Sam’s Place with everyone that gets caught in the coat room with us.

For the Community “Thanksgiving Meal” Steve asked us to share about Sam’s place. We had about 15 minutes of “Q&A format”. We are always eager and willing to meet a new microphone, especially when it comes to talking about Sam’s Place

Even though Pastor Steve was a licensed master electrician, I decided we could overlook that shortcoming and we would continue to become friends. (its kinda a tradesmans joke, I always think its funny)

Pastor Steve eventually asked if we would like to be interviewed for his new YouTube channel ps66.16, and so here we are, MOVIE STARS AT LAST!!

Although Jess and I have a combined story reaching only a few hundred hours, we talked for just under an hour. Pastor Steve now has his first YouTube video uploaded. I am honored to be part of glorifying our Lord. I am honored to meet this Pastor, connect with him on our shared passions and become part of the family at DRBC. Please watch this video. Although our story does have more detail than a video can present in under an hour, it gets some of the big points covered. We poured out our lives as we walked into Sam’s Palce and the front doors of Deer River Bible Church.

Steves YouTube channel and our Blog Post have the same basic goal, glorifying GOD and giving him honor and praise. 

Here is a Link, Please subscribe to Pastor Steves YouTube channel and as always, PLEASE subscribe to our blog https://livinghazzardously.com/

Thanks and God bless you all, C.

SAM’S PLACE GETS THE WIN!!

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Before I explain the great news, I want to say thank you to everyone that has and continues to support our work at Sam’s Place. Without your prayers, financial support and words of encouragement, we would not be able to bring you this FANTASTIC NEWS!

The road started back in 2024, Jess and I wanted to help folks that need stable, long term housing. As we dug deep, learned the system and honed in on who our clients are, we have discovered our client base is very small.  Our facility has its limitations, the services we can offer are limited by the state and county… our staff is amazing! Without our dedicated staff, we would have already failed. 

Who do we serve?

In my mind it’s an easy question, but as I talk to folks, including my own family, I have discovered it’s hard to explain. I will attempt to answer this question today…

First let me tell you what we provide: We provide a warm safe environment, bedrooms with locks on the doors. We manage medications. We provide transportation to and from medical appointments. Transportation for outings. Homecooked meals in our cafe, three times a day. Shampoo, a fresh bed, a clean towel, a clean bathroom, a building with a lock on the front door. We provide a home, not an apartment, not a hotel, not a flop house or a halfway house… It’s a home that helps you live and provides support to help you be successful. 

Our focus is to serve those who are already stable and ready to get life in order. Real people who desire a calm day to go fishing over a bar fight. Low drama. Peace. 

But who fits our program well? I can’t summarize this well with just a word. 

Some of the folks we serve have had hard, troubled lives. Folks that are tired of fighting. Folks that may have mental health challenges. Folks that may struggle to remember to take medications needed to remain calm and level. Folks that have a history of addiction. Folks that want to stay sober and clean. Folks that are in need of a little help. Folks that may not want many friends or none at all. Perhaps reminders to eat, take a shower or change the sheets. Perhaps they need a friend to talk to but don’t know how to form healthy friendships. Perhaps they need a mentor to help overcome the years of being told they are worthless. Or perhaps, cooking a meal for yourself is too challenging so you only eat potato chips. Maybe, just tired of always eating alone, in the corner. Or maybe they just can’t take care of the house anymore. Or maybe people just need help with the paperwork, so they don’t lose healthcare & housing, again. Or maybe they just forget to go to the doctor and need help with the calendar… 

But we can’t take everyone! We interview, run background checks and maintain one of the best BLSS (Board and Lodge with Supplemental Services) in the state and by far the best BLSS in all of Itasca County! We are very strict on our intake. No criminal drug convictions. No convictions of sex crimes. No convictions of violent crimes. But, sometimes, of course, the “law” tries to limit what we can do, check and disqualify potential clients over. 

Sometimes (much less often as we learn more)  we do get a client that doesn’t actually want to follow our rules, we do our best to work with them before we have them move out… Moving someone out can be a very long and expensive ordeal, taking as long as three months (especially if they “work the system”). But in the end, Sam’s Place is mindful of our location, our neighbors and our clients. Sam’s Place is grateful for the fantastic support we have in the community. The Bigfork area is such a welcoming and loving area, we couldn’t ask for more. 

Now the great news:

Sam’s Place had been struggling to secure the right to bill the State of MN for our Supplemental Services for over a year, we heard things like “We didn’t want to start paying you, until we knew you were going to actually make it” When I heard this comment, I became furious and I became motivated all-the-more to “make it”! We asked for community help, YOU came through, WE MADE IT! And the county has finally given us the confirmation to start billing. What merely having the proper state and county licence did not provide. As of December 1, 2025, we can now start billing for services! 

But wait, there is more, we still need help, now more than ever! As we are making plans for improvements at Sam’s Place we need even more support, not to “make it” but to improve, and do more! 

First let me highlight a couple of the economic benefits Sam’s Place brings to Bigfork. We provide 7 jobs in Bigfork. We support the local businesses with shopping, services like construction, electrical, trash, plowing…. and so much more. We bring State funding back into Bigfork. We saved a huge building in Bigfork from the inevitable fate the Effie School ended up with, a bulldozer to push it over. 

We have matching grants from Blandin, Bigfork Community Foundation, IRRRB, Operation Round Up & Thrivent to install Air Conditioning this spring, an Elevator, a Garden with Landscaping, Bathroom Ventilation, Commercial Kitchen Upgrades, Bathroom Upgrades, Mentorship Programs…  we have already installed a wheelchair ramp with a deck to replace the dangerous 1957 ambulance entrance, Upper Level Windows… so much more!! We need matching funds for all our projects.  We are gearing up and not slowing down. We have come a long way, we have a long way to go as we discover new, higher standards of care and better programs. 

The year 2026 marks success for Sam’s Place and will continue as long as we have your continuing support.

Visit Sam’s Place at Samsplacenorth.com

God Bless, C.