6/15/13
Saturday (Actually the date is now 6/18/13)
We lost our internet on the farm so
the only time we can get online is when we come to work. I looked at the blog
and see the last post was made on May 12. Much has happened and then there was
a lot of things going on that I could not talk about. Now I can. So here’s the
story. I met an old couple at a prayer group and on my way out that night
overheard them talking about how they were losing everything with their
business. This caught my attention so I sat down and listened. They own an
office furniture store here in Midland and had purchased it just two years ago.
I later on learned more details but at this time they told me that the manager
was stealing from them and the business was going downhill. “Why don’t you fire
him?” I asked. “You don’t understand” they replied “We will lose everything and
he can hurt us”. When I pressed for more information it became clear that they
feared for their physical safety. In fact the revealed that the bad guy told
them he could have their heads chopped off and bodies buried where no one would
ever find them again. Ok, this got my attention. I could see the fear in their
eyes and hear the despair in their voices. My heart stirred in me and without
hesitation I found myself offering my help.
Most of you know that I am a follower of
Christ, that my life is a gift and I serve my Lord when and wherever I can.
Since I was raised from the dead and woke from the coma there have been no
accidents in my life. Everything happens for a reason and there is little
question in our minds that God’s hand directs our path. So I understand that
this wasn’t an accidental meeting and would rather refer to it as a divine
appointment. For one thing I am uniquely qualified for this situation. It’s
almost like I was trained for this moment. My first company was Westbrook
Marketing, where I provided marketing services and as a consultant would help
others solve problems in their businesses and teach principles that ranged from
advertising to how their companies should be structured. While that company was
thriving I opened a second one called Corporate Liquidation when banks and
others approached me to sell the assets of various companies. It ended up being
a business that utilized an eighty thousand square foot warehouse to house and
sell all kinds of business equipment and furniture. Needing and additional
outlet for the business furniture I started Absolute Office Furniture.
The unique ways I have been prepared for
this task go beyond my business experience. There are the spiritual and
experiential aspects of the needs to be addressed. I agreed to go to work for
Harry and Lola as a salesman in order to get a better idea of what was going
on. For one thing they knew they were being robbed but really had a hard time
proving it. The first day of work was quite an eye opening experience. The bad
guy was quite a character. This man can quote the bible like no body’s business
and evidently had been a pastor, according to his words. The problem is the man
is a habitual liar so I can’t trust anything that comes out of his mouth. When
the subject of my pay came up on this first day I said “I’m not worried about
money. I trust in the Lord and He always takes care of me”. This simple
statement elicited a twenty minute tirade from Steve (the bad guy) and he
ranted loudly about how all the Christians stab him in the back. That was day
one.
The next two months would reveal a man
incredibly angry and unstable. He would fly off in a rage at the slightest
provocation, or for no reason at all. Steve could be nice, smiling, gentle, and
suddenly turn into a cussing screaming maniac, then calm down and be nice
again. Pretty scary stuff. It didn’t take me long to see that the bookkeeper
and Steve were conspiring together and they, thinking I could be enticed to
join them, both approached me and confided their plans. It was a dastardly and
evil plan. They told me that they were going to take over the entire business
by destroying Harry and Lola’s credit, reputation, and ability to conduct
business. I witnessed great intimidation and threats on the part of both of
them against Harry. Lola had left the company months before in fear and not
returned so Harry was left alone to bear the brunt of this intense
psychological manipulation. I watched incredulously as the white haired 80 year
old female bookkeeper would hobble over to where Harry was sitting and scream
at him, declaring how she despised him and berating him for whatever the latest
bone of contention with Steve was.
Poor Harry would just hang his head
and not say anything back. The two years of damage to his spirit were very
evident at these times and I so wanted to stand up and say something but that
would not work out well regarding my need to find a final solution. That came
when Steve attacked Harry physically during the intimidation sessions that were
a regular event here. I walked in five minutes after the first one and took Harry
to the police station. Had I walked in during the attack it would be different
for I would not have stood by and watched. Perhaps that saved me from going to
jail. The second attack came a week later. Steve did not know we had filed
charges. He found Harry digging up evidence against him and grabbed the
paperwork after throwing Harry to the ground. After Steve actually bragged to
the laborers that he had “Pressed” Harry, evidently proud of his actions. The word
“Pressed” is prison slang that describes intimidation a weak inmate until they
give the predator what they want.
Steve Ausmus was arrested May 15.
You can see the video of the arrest at KMID News or on their website http://permianbasin360.com/fulltext?nxd_id=266412
I can’t go into many of the details
as it is still under investigation and don’t want to jeopardize that. Now I have
the task of rebuilding this company. Nothing was done right under Steve’s “leadership”
so I have a building and furniture. When Steve bonded out of jail he called our
customers and told them we were out to steal from them all and were a bunch of
crooks in an effort to further damage our reputation and destroy the company.
Him and the bookkeeper purposely neglected our bills and worked to destroy our
relationship with suppliers so there is a lot of damage to repair and overcome.
That’s ok, God is good and what Steve meant for bad God will turn to good.
Money is real tight so we are looking for investors to back a marketing
campaign and take care of basic bills. I have cut expenses to the bone for now
and come to work with two sets of clothes. Nice looking manager sales outfit
and work clothes for when I do deliveries or warehouse work.
The adventure of life continues. The
efforts to purchase that old store on the interstate continue as the last legs
of clearing the title should be completed. Then we hope to create a place of
ministry there along with an RV park that will provide a place for the many
coming to the area to stay. We would love to put up a man camp or build cabins
with kitchens on the 75 acres I have sitting here doing nothing. Because I now
put in 50 to 70 hours at A-1 there has been little time to go to the jail and
minister. I hope that when things settled down this will change for I believe
that changing lives is much more important than making money.
Gotta go. Preparing for a big
Chamber of Commerce Grand ReOpening ribbon cutting today at 11:30. All are
invited so come on out.
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