Hard to keep up

10/19/13 Saturday

            There is so much going on it is hard for me to keep up. We finally have legal evaluations regarding the title to that old store that instill enough confidence to go forward with purchasing the property. It has been ten long months working on this. Unfortunately the investors we had lined up were not all able to wait ten months so now I must once again put together an investor package to find the funds needed to put this project together.

            It was five months ago that I took over management of A-1 Office Furniture. I was asked if I would be able to work on getting the store project together and run A-1 Furniture too. I assured the person who asked that I can but it was a good question that I must honestly consider this. When I first took over the furniture store I was putting in 70 to 80 hours a week. I’ve dropped that down to about 60 hours a week or less and hope to get things running smooth enough in the future that I can work something that looks like a normal work week. I really have no desire to spend my life running that furniture business. My heart is to serve the Lord but I have to pay the bills too.

           This is why we hope to get something going with that old store. It would provide income while at the same time affording opportunity for me to tell about the Love of God. Add cabins and RV spots and we will also help provide badly needed housing for some of the many people who are coming here to find work.

            Rascal’s cancer has progressed rapidly. His quality of life is gone now so we made the decision that it is time to allow him to pass on. We have a call in to the vet and will have her help Rascal move on next week. It is hard to say the least. I am giving Rascal as much love as I can. Spending time with him during his moments of energy and sitting with him when he has a hard time moving. He gets lots of treats and morsels of food as we work to make his last hours as pleasant as possible. Once Rascal is gone there is much cleaning to do. We will have to paint walls and buy new sheets because of the blood from the tumors has stained much of the house. Then there is the smell. We love our Rascal and thus endure much that I suspect few would put up with. The tumors are full of infection so I wash Rascal daily and coat the many tumors with iodine and anti-biotic ointment. Then I cover the huge tumor on his back with a large abdominal bandage that Cherie found, using almost a whole roll of tape to secure it good enough to stay on twelve or so hours. By then the bandage is soaked through and falling apart.

            I am still managing to keep up with the prison ministry during all this. We are heading out for another four day Kairos event soon in Fort Stockton and today I drove to Lamesa to spend a day at the Smith Unit prison. Building the office furniture business is a challenge and brings a decent check along with the accolades of being successful but in my mind this pales in comparison to helping people find the Love of God. It is late and I am tired so good night folks and God Bless.