Living Hazzardously

Little pieces of our journey with Jesus

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Why would I even want to go to Church

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Jess sings in her normal morning fashion, Al is only concerned with getting his second bowl of frosted flakes, Groot lays down with his head on my feet and Drax pants patiently as we wrap up our Sunday morning routine. 

I can feel the unrest in the streets, the decay of humanity. Humanity spirals toward a reluctance to worship and submit to the word of God… What shall I do, what shall I say? Shall I become complacent? Shall I become a target of society by embracing the will of God in my life?

What we need is boldness to speak truth… a powerful dependence on His word. A deepening desire to know the one true God… Not following our desires, our wicked hearts but rather desire transformation and a renewed life in God’s Image. 

Fellowship is now even more important than ever… desire to fellowship with others of “like-mindedness” is important but even more important than like-mindedness is the need to seek fellowship with those who are more mature in the faith… the faith? What is that?????

Faith is not just some churchy word for Christians, it is the basis for every single person to function, we all have faith in some-thing, some-one, some-reason… faith is the belief in that which is unseen… like gravity, electricity or wind… We know it’s there but if you try to describe what they look like, you would only be able to describe the effects, not the essence. 

Trying to describing God is the simular, I would be labeled a lunatic if I denied wind, electricity or gravity, in the same way if I denied God. 

On this cold winter morning, I prepare to go to church, not because I am looking to confirm my belief, but I seek to know the creator of… ME!! Of everything… How could I not go to church?

Akin to not going to church is like jumping out of a plane with no parachute because I deny gravity, or grabbing overhead power lines because I deny electricity, or stretching out the sail of a ship denying the wind will push me across the ocean… 

A foolish act is to not act at all. 

It’s time in our world to seek out truth. In a world of AI, we need something objective that we can use as a looking glass to measure what is truth and what is pretend. The longer we live without truth in our life, the harder it is to recognize truth… dont waste time, time wont wait for you. 

God Bless, C.

Two sides of the twin cities

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I grew up on the Northside of Minneapolis, it no longer looks like the place I grew up. We no longer see groups of kids having pine cone fights, drinking from water hoses and listening for a distinct “whistle” indicating “mom needs us home” and we have about 2 minutes before things become violent on our back sides for taking too long to get home and help put the laundry on the line to dry.

Back in the hood we knew no distinctions aside from “Ohh you live over on Washburn” or “Ohh you are North of Dowling” or even “Ya you live on Broadway” or “Lyndale”… We identified by where we lived, the hood… as we got older, the “hood” expanded when we got bikes. Miles of freedom that took us to far away lands like “Brookdale Mall” or if you  jumped on the 5 line and went to “City Center” to hang out. As we got older and driving entered into our lives we expanded even further. I remember crashing on couches of “Biker” houses and doing stupid stuff… AND I MEAN STUPID!!! 

I was shown kindness by some, disdain from others and chased by those that wanted to do serious harm… I was a Gen X kid… latch key kid… forgotten, neglected and ignored. We drank from hoses, stayed outside until we had to go home and at the crack of dawn, we were back outside again… I never remember saying “I’m so bored” but I do remember MTV… I remember video games when they first came out and thinking “well, that was fun, lets sober up and do something” I remember pedalling my bike all day to visit a girl I met at the mall. I remember toting my canoe more than 20 blocks on my back, hiking to the Mississippi river, just to realize the water levels were dangerously high and I could only fish some of the backwaters. 

Things were different, we had a 10pm PSA asking parents “Do you know where your children are?”

Different celebrities would appear and ask the same question…

Aside from a very abusive childhood, I would say It was great, freedom, no rules, no supervision, nobody cared. We figured it out and raised ourselves for the most part… 

Now I look at my beloved city, I don’t recognize it, aside from being mostly burned to the ground, its fighting, unrest and the rules are different. Don’t get me wrong, we had our fights too. We had bad cops that would haul you down to the river and beat you up. We learned to stay clear of the 2nd precinct… We would never go looking for trouble (ok, maybe thats a lie)… but nowadays, it seems like everyone is looking for a fight. 

I watch the news from my isolated garden home in the north woods of Minnesota, I talk to customers that have opinions but never had skin in the game. I see news reports from two sides and wonder “How can this event be the same event” two opinions of the same event and neither are even remotely similar to each other…. Then I stop, I think about how this narrative has been center field for thousands of years…

It’s the same old game… Satan wants everyone that is made in God’s image to fight each other and do evil to each other, and it seems like Satan is winning this battle ground, but it’s only temporary… God wins the war!

You see, the narrative is based on the same goals, the same outline, the same objective and the same player… It’s not BOOMERS VS MILLENIALS, or at least it shouldn’t be… it’s about good and evil. I see this battle everyday at Sam’s Place as well. The struggle to do what is right is so real, but how do we determine what is right? How can we say one thing is good and another is bad if all we do is choose whatever we want to be good and reject whatever we want and label it as bad… we need an objective view, we need something from outside ourselves as the marker of good and evil, WE NEED TRUTH!

The challenge we face is the struggle we have within our hearts when we say “Im a good person” back in the bible is a story of Adam choosing to be the source of right and wrong, it’s in Genesis 3… Adam decides to take the fruit of the tree of good and evil, he decides he wants to be that decision maker rather than trusting God, he decides to take charge… in that moment, Satan declared victory over God, but Satan was wrong…. The battle started, and Man’s pride is at the very center of it all, the fight… it’s real, but it’s not between ICE and ANTIFA… It’s not about ILLEGAL and UNDOCUMENTED… the fight is about man’s commitment to rejecting the truth of God and replacing it with whatever tickles man’s ears at that moment. 

In the quiet of your heart, right now, stop and ask God to change your heart, ask him to change your rage into love… ask him to guide you to the truth. I need to do this every day… I need to reject the rage baiting “media”, I need to reject the deception and twisted narratives… I need to love people even more… I need to go back to the streets of Minneapolis, have a pinecone fight, drink from a garden hose and listen for moms whistle. I need to link arms with the kids of my neighborhood and find where my friends are really hanging out, before the street lights come on, the daily celebrity asks “do you know where your kids are” and before MTV signs off for the night.

The day is coming when we will be laying in bed or a ditch, wishing we spent more time loving each other and less time fighting. 

Are you fighting against the Love of Christ today? Did you know: Only Jesus can set you free from the bonds of this world? Did you know there is life after and outside of this place of madness?

There are probably many more than just “two” sides of Minneapolis. Each person has a valuable story to tell, not everyone has a story from the hood, but every one has a story. I would love to hear your story. If you would like to share your story here, let me know, reach out and let’s talk. 

Thank you, please share this blog, subscribe to this blog and help me spread the stories of those who read this blog… Blogging is my therapy and my desire is to share real stories of real people that are struggling now, in the past or just want to be heard someday. 

God bless, C.

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