1 Peter 3:15 says : But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
We pray regularly and often for our patrons as well. Sometimes this is by request and sometimes it is as simple as "God please bless every person that has stepped foot in the shop". We believe in the power of prayer and there have been MANY times God has granted our humble requests.
James 4:2 - You do not have because you do not ask God...
Matthew 7:7 - "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you."
I am feeling led to post testimony of some of miracles God has granted.
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Beekeeper for Christ!
God loves us dearly and wants to be involved in every aspect of our daily life on a personal level. Be it your work life, personal life and even private life God is there just waiting to be invited in, he keeps knocking at the door to our heart, he will not force himself on us. For he knows real faith can not be forced.
Back in 2007 I was a mortgage underwriter and I thought everything was perfect. Making a better than good salary with a job that thanks to God granting me the wisdom I asked for, was so easy that it only took half a brain to do. However, all that changed in August of that year, our branch had just received a fantastic bonus the month before and like most employees I blew it on stuff that is so trivial. If I had seen the writing on the wall I would not have been so careless.
Every Tuesday we had a department wide meeting and usually these meetings were filled with the managers blowing hot air to puff up their own ego. Often I half listened while I was working on my files and that day I had a lot to do that day because Wednesday I was supposed to go on vacation to spirit west coast. This meeting was different though, for the first time we were forced to get out of our cubicals and be present. Nobody was allowed to work and half listen.
Cara was the department manager and she had a reputation for being cold and unfeeling, not someone you really wanted to talk to unless you had too, and she ran those Tuesday meetings. This Tuesday was different though, for when she came out of her office she was crying and Cara never cried. This display of emotion got everyone's attention for sure. Cara then spoke telling all 350 of us that she just got off the phone with "corporate" and they were closing our branches department...but not just our branch but all the branches that focused on home equity lines. At this point I could see tears welling up in nearly everyone's eyes from the shock. One moment we were getting a bonus half the size of our normal bi-weekly paycheck and the next we were being laid off.
God often speaks to me, sometimes it is a voice in my mind, other times it is through people or through music, or his holy word, and even once it was vocally. I was shocked when I heard this news but rather then crying I was given a feeling of peace and the words "this is the perfect time for this to happen...for the next 3 days you will be praising me" repeat over and over on my mind. Of course God was right for I was planning on spending the next three days praising him for that is exactly what spirit west coast was all about. It is like a Christian Woodstock of sorts.
It was at spirit west coast that God gave me my scripture for the first time. Jeremiah 29:11- "For I know the plans I have for you declares The Lord, they are for good and not disaster to give you a hope and a future". That verse God has since given repeatedly and always at a time when I needed it most. For those that think that God is not personal, nor does he care about the intricate parts of your life...to them I must say "your are very wrong, for he cares deeply for you but you must open the door to your heart and life first, and invite him in...then just watch what amazing things God has planned for those who love him"
By the end of August 2007 I no longer worked at the mortgage company, asking to leave rather than hang around for the next two months playing solitaire because our rights to approve loans was revoked with the department closer. I did not know what to do now I just knew that God had a plan for me...for he told me so. I did know though that I did not want to go back into corporate America with all the corruption there.
It was then that my elder brother was looking for some free help, because my sister who had been working for him while she was pregnant quit and the person he hired to take my sisters place also quit, leaving him up the creek without a paddle. The timing of this taking place still amazes me. What I figured would be a few days turned into a month of free work. Now I try to have a servants attitude but working a month with no pay was more than generous and he needed to find a permanate employee that was not me. Instead my brother (who at that time I admit I idolized) promised that I could open a coffee shop at his business location and that "it would meet both our needs because I could sell his products while also selling mine". Yes it sounded great at the time but hindsight 20/20 I should never have trusted him or idolized him at all. He had changed, no longer was he the protector that I remembered from childhood but rather instead he was a user and abuser of everyone he came in contact with, and still comes into contact with which is why I want nothing to do with him.
When I asked how I was going to get all the paperwork done to open the coffee shop he said he would handle that....what a load of BS! One day he came to me and told me that the county did not want a coffee shop in that location and that they might consider it if I paid them 10K under the table. I was furious but rather then go to the county and find out if this was true I trusted that he wouldn't lie to me, and took him at his word. So here I was now two months later volunteering my time and I had no future plans.
Again I should have seen the writing on the wall...but I didn't. In the end his business failed because of his poor leadership that my brother had over his employees and his own cash management issues. When it looked like his business would not recover he sub-leased a portion of the property to me and he built walls up and used the back portion of the property for what I found out later as a place to grow pot.
As I couldn't open the coffee shop I prayed for guidance and felt God was leading me to follow in the family footsteps and open my own honey shop. I called it Bear Foot Honey, after pooh bear and the following the family foot-steps for my parents also have a honey business of their own. I intitually bought bulk honey from other sources until I got my first harvest. It all seemed to be working out perfectly, keyword seemed. I was there a year when I got wrongfully added to a lawsuit between my brothers ex-partner (that my brother said walked out of his business) and himself. I was so mad, and I couldn't understand how a judge could add me as a defindent to a case because we happen to share the same parentage. So I hired a lawyer and honestly I should have looked further because when a client says your job is to get me off this case, and the lawyer doesn't even try there is something wrong there. But I was too busy trying to run a new business to pay the enormous rent that was due each month. I had a rough start for sure. In the end I end up being conned by my brother into settling with an and/or clause and then my brother ends up leaving the state and dumping the whole problem on my shoulders. For this reason I will never trust him ever again. He has my forgiveness but not my trust. Forgiveness is free...trust is earned.
My brother ended up in Hawaii but before he moved he got an eviction notice because apparently he owed a huge sum of back rent before I even sub-leased from him...it just figured!
Well, what seemed like the worst thing to happen at the time became the best for I ended up finding a place on the east side of town. I was so unsure intitually of the location and whether or not I wanted to be a renter of the couple I had just met. I say that because the very first time I met Ted and Phyllis we made it very clear that as Christians we would run a business that was morally and ethical sound. Ted's response to that was "your Christians...you people are a bunch of hypocrites!" I was honestly shocked that the guy that wants to rent his property to me called me a hypocrite before he even knew me at all. Again I should have seen the handwriting on the wall of what our relationship would be like. I ended up renting the place and upon moving in my boxes I saw a blast from the past who had a hair salon across from my new shop. At that point I tell God "okay I am convinced". I did not know why God wanted me there but clearly he did.
Over the next three years I struggled big time. The location was good with 30,000 cars driving by daily but the signage and visibility was awful with the fruit stand blocking view of my shop. My landlords Ted and Phyllis could see me working my tail off, and not making any hedge way, what they did not see was my private time with Abba God. I would come to my best friend, Abba God and tell him everything...I knew he already knew what I was dealing with but sometimes it helps just getting it off the chest, and Abba God is such a great listener! One day I was asking him "Lord I am struggling paying the rent if only the rent was $1000.00 then things would be easier, but that would be impossible". Within a week of that simple prayer my landlords came to me and lowered the rent from $1650.00 to $1000.00 at their own digression, or so they thought. But even that was too high when the visibility and signage was as bad as it was. I ended up paying them what I could but my unpaid rent eventually tallied up to $10,000.00 and I did not know what I was going to do to get that down. So as I usual I went to Abba God with my problems, I began coming to him so much that I began wondering if he thought I was nothing but a whiner. Apparently not because one day my landlord came to me again and lowered the rent again this time to $500.00 and writing off the entire back rent owed of $10,000.00. I was more than shocked, I was stunned and in tears. I could see God was using this atheist Jew to bless me for some reason. You don't have to believe in God for him to use you. Often the devil does Gods dirty work.
My relationship with my landlord was not easy to take, it took a lot of patience dealing with him. Many times he would come in my shop for no reason other than to harass me about my faith like he did at our first meeting. I would just let those comments slide on by because I knew that he was harassing me because He was a child of the devil even if he didn't see it. It is a black and white world you are either for God or you are against him, and if against God you are for the devil by default. It is just too bad he could not see that.
Probably the one comment he made that hurt the most was when I was getting ready to enlist my son into the Marines early at 17 and my landlord came to me and said "you know your son if going to be a walking body bag". I was livid and would not talk to him for days after that, finally I went to his wife and told her that his comments are inappropriate and he needs to mind his own business!
We have dealt with a lot, constantly warding off the attacks of the devil. I figure that I must be a real threat to Satan with so many attacks. We had a con man living next door to the business for 11 months and beehives, tools, and mowers stolen, and we even had break ins into my shop several times by the same con man to the point that I ended up changing the locks. I had been praying for compassion for the con man but in the end I just got down on my knees and asked God to make him go away that I was tired of hating that I had to come to work. Three months later the con man was gone, being finally evicted for non payment of rent owned to my landlord of $18,000.00 in back rent. When my landlord got access to the property he found out there was an additional $20,000.00 in damages. And all because my landlord refused to listen to truth, and see the handwriting on the wall. That was the worst year ever at that property.
Over and over my landlord would continue to harass us for our faith...and over and over we continued to pray that his heart would be softened and that he would know and accept the truth of Jesus. One memory I have of this took place a little over a year ago. I had been doing my books which I hate doing anyway and Ted my landlord came into the shop once again for no other reason than to harass me. He walked up to me and said "so what do they call you people?" I reply "what do you mean what do they call you people?" He replies back "do they call you fanatics?" I reply "no Ted, they don't call us fanatics...they call us Christians...and you could be one too by believing and receiving Jesus Christ...and the best part Ted...it's FREE!"
Being harrassed by Ted about our faith happended so often that we began to expect it from him. My mother recalls a time when he came in talking about is dead son that he lost so long ago when his son was a baby. We could tell it hurt him dearly still, and was the reason why he turned his back on God. My mother told him that his child is in heaven right now, and Ted's choices are making it so he won't see him. That as an infant he immediately goes to heaven to spend eternity with God. Ted took the offensive and said no his son was dead and buried. Remember it was Ted coming to us, not the other way around. What is so sad is that his son IS in heaven, waiting for a meeting with his dad that will not come to fruitition unless Ted sees how much he needs Jesus.
Another time Ted came in and told my mother "I don't believe in God...but just in case I am wrong can you put a good word in for me?" Mom replied "Ted it doesn't work that way...none of us deserve heaven but through believing and accepting what Jesus did on the cross anyone can freely go there, you can't earn it."
Over and over we would have these confrontations with Ted over our faith. We can see God trying desperately to reach Ted. Jesus keeps knocking at the door to teds heart, waiting for Ted to let him in...and if there is anything I have learned about my best friend Jesus is that he is paitient.
But in December 2013 it started to come to a close...
On December 17th my landlord came to me and handed me a piece of paper and said “read it over and let me know”. Often times my landlord hands things to me to read but he usually doesn’t need a response, so when he said that I needed to read it, I did just that and what I read made my jaw drop. In the letter he said he was raising the rent 270% in 3 months time. I was floored for while I thought I could afford a small increase I could not afford a 270% increase! I asked him if he was mad at me for some reason and he said “no but that he had been telling us he was going to raise the rent soon”. I said “I knew that but 270% he knows that I can not afford rent like that!” We ended the conversation with him walking out and saying “think it over”.
So for the next 2 days I honestly was mad, I fully believe that everything happens for a reason…but I could not see why God was allowing this. So I started looking for a new place to move the business to.
On day 3 after I received this news I was in my “prayer closet” and I was talking to God and asking him why he was allowing this to happen, that I do not know what he wants me to do. And right in the middle of my bible study that morning was Psalm 46:10 - He says, “Be still, and know that I am God” I was crying after reading that and told God “Okay I’ll be still…your in charge” while this calmed me down I still had that figurative bolder sitting on my shoulders and I could feel my hairs turning grey from it. So for a couple days I did nothing, not even look online, but then I started feeling frustrated again for I saw nothing happening while I was “being still” so I starting looking again.
For the next 3 weeks I was looking online and every time I thought I found something I could afford, I would hit a figurative brick wall. For example did you know that the City of Cotati requires you to pay $1000 to see if beehives are good for the environment?
Then on January 3rd at the end of the day I was venting my frustration to my parents. And while I was talking to my parents I knew God was listening to me vent. I told my parents “I don’t know how to be still, I am beginning to think that God doesn’t want me to continue to be a beekeeper for I have not hit this many brick walls since I wanted to open up a coffee shop!”
Saturday morning (January 4th) I was back in my prayer closet and God gave me this message in my bible study Philippians 4:6 – “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and humble petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
I knew that God was speaking to me so I told God “Okay, well at least now you’re giving me something to do”. So while I do talk to God all the time for he's my best friend, now I was being very specific and very grateful for all that he has given me including the 4 ½ years at my current location (which btw he doesn’t have to give me anything to have me love him).
Then I got a call January 7th from one of the people I had been talking to about a potential place to move too and he wanted to meet the next morning to talk about an idea he had. I told him that 10:00 am would work for that would still give me time to exercise and do my bible study in the morning before we meet.
That morning I was doing my bible study and once again I was praying with petition and thankfulness. I did not honestly believe that this guy’s idea would work but I kept an open mind. I had just pulled into where I was to meet this guy and as soon as I did my cell phone rang. It was my Mom and she was crying. “What’s wrong?” I said…Mom then told me how my landlord had just come into the shop and said that he and his wife were talking last night and they would be willing to accept a 100% increase instead of 270%. I was once again shocked to the point of tears myself. I told the guy as he pulled up that my prayers have been answered…I no longer have to move.
My landlord put it in writing and the boulder that was on my shoulders became as light as a feather. I immediately wrote out this and posted it for my customers to see:
“God is good! As many if you know we were dropped a bomb shell Dec 17th about a huge raise in rent that would force us to move...and finding a place to move is nearly impossible for a bee business. Our landlord just came to us and said that he would be willing to accept a 100% increase which God willing we can afford, and said he would put it in writing. Praise God! For he made the impossible...possible!”
I went to my landlord after getting it in writing and told him I can not handle that kind of stress that I could feel the gray hairs coming out of my head. He said that we knew he was going to raise the rent and I replied I knew that but I expected gradually not all at once. So for three months God made it possible to pay the increased rent.
But on March 29th things changed again this time permanatly. And this is how that conversation went....when Ted told us of his planed to evict us...again
Ted: "This is not working for us, so we are going to have to ask you to leave."
Me: "Why?"
Ted: "If I were to tell you it would open us up for a lawsuit."
Me: "Ted you know I would not do that?
Ted: "Yes I know, but keeping it an open ended eviction is better for us."
Me: "Is it because of the money?"
Ted: "No, it is not about the money."
Me: " So, even if we were able to afford the $1700 a month, it would not change anything?"
Ted: "No, but we are old and dying, I am 79 and we will not have you here after we die."
Me: "So how long do we have?"
Ted: "three months maybe more if you need it. This is prime location and anyone else running a bee business here would be making a million dollars by now and you refuse to listen to our advise or anyone's advise. You insist on running your business your way."
Me: "Your advice is that I put money first, and you know that everyone comes and leaves this world with nothing."
Ted: "Yes, I know you say that."
Me: "You, realize this will probably put us out of business?"
Ted: "Yes, I know."
So Ted gave me until the end of June to get out. After this happened God gave me a verse that has made me feel better...May I be counted blessed to be persecuted for Christs sake. So the persecution I have been able to deal with calmly (for the most part) what really hurt is that Ted is moving in another beekeeper that is an atheist, thinking that "anyone else running a bee business heed would be making a million dollars by now". Unfortunately, he will learn that lesson the hard way because the difference between us and "anyone else" is that we care about our patrons and pray for them all the time". I feel that is why God has placed me here...for my spiritual gift is the gift of prayer and I use it all the time. Especially for my landlord.
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June 2013
We have not had very much rain in the last few years in fact in the 2011/2012 rain season we were 7.49 inches below minimum needed and in 2012/2013 we were 8.76 inches below minimum.
In May I put in my humble prayer requests before God for rain. But not just any rain this was my prayer "Lord, we need rain desperately can you please send us rain...and while you are at it can you please send it at night because the bees do not fly at night...and while you are at it again I wouldn't mind it if you threw in some thunder and lightening storms with them...because those are really cool!"
Well, long story short not only did God grant my humble request and send rain but he also sent it at night (2 am) and with thunder and lightening. I was so excited when I heard the rain and then the lightening. I ended up looking up the radar pictures of the storm cell and what blew my mind was that the storm appeared out of nowhere and parked itself over Sonoma County and by morning is disappeared off radar...completely vanished. I knew this was an answer to prayer.
