Strength Beyond My Own

When moving to Idaho, we planned to build a new home in a gorgeous location just below Pebble Creek ski area. We decided to temporarily live in my parent's home during construction. We had been there three weeks when I felt a very strong impression that we were to stay with my parents for an undetermined amount of time (my father has dementia). This hadn’t been our plan and I didn’t know how to break the news to Noell. The pressure kept building throughout that week until we were finally able to go out for our date night. As the night progressed, I kept struggling with how to tell her. Noell then said something that pulled me out of my stupor—she stated, “Honey, I keep feeling like we’re not to live in Inkom. We’re to stay with your parents for an undetermined time.” The decision was settled for both of us.

A few months later, I began to feel promptings that I needed to do something with the cash we had from the sale of our Payson, Utah home. The parable of the talents kept coming into my mind. Specifically the thought of the Lord asking what was done with the talents. The servant’s reply was, “I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth.” The Lord then chastened the servant, “Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.” Or in my words, the Lord said, “At the very least you could have put it in an account that would pay interest, so the money could grow.”

With that thought, I kept thinking of what to do. I’d become great friends with Hank & ReNee Goodnow. The Goodnows own over 50 units that they rent and they assured me that they would help me. We made the decision to take the leap and have two homes built.

Toward the end of September our first home was completed and we were able to get it rented. Our second home (1/2 of a two-unit townhome) was completed on October 21 and we signed the mortgage papers and handed keys to a renter the same day. On November 4th (2 weeks after I signed on my second home) Mom’s two units will be completed. I’ve been working hard to get them rented. This week families signed rental agreements on both of them. 

Tate & Dawson, our twins were born on September 2nd. Tate was in the NICU for a week and Dawson for a month. They have been home together for nearly three weeks and Myranda’s been in the MTC for about 2 weeks. 

In the middle of all this, I also have been assisting a friend (Paul Loomis) to rent an apartment he has above his store, The Candy Jar. The rental agreement should be signed tomorrow. He also planned to open an art gallery in the back of The Candy Jar. A few weeks ago I felt another strong impression that I could help him find someone to manage the art gallery. After a couple days of calling people and visiting people I felt might manage it well, the strong impression shifted—I was to manage the gallery.

As this points out, there have been a lot of things happening in my life during these past couple months. My sleep level is low and at times I feel very stressed. All of this is happening while I’m still working a full-time job as a Welfare & Self-Reliance Manager for the Church of Jesus Christ--about 5 months ago, they gave me a 50% increase in the number of stakes that I serve.

With all this, I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining or bragging. I do want to share a feeling that I’ve recognized. If I had experienced this load several years ago, I would have been completely overwhelmed. I know the Lord has been helping me to grow in my faith and abilities. I’ve also been working hard to know and follow His will. 

As I’ve been working through each of these issues, I’ve felt a strong impression that these are things that the Lord wants me to do at this time. As a result, even though there have been times where I’ve worried, stressed, and caused stress on others, there has been an underlying peace that has been helping me through it all. I know that these are things that I can do and should do at this point of my life.

Above all of this, I’m so grateful for Noell’s loving patience with me as I work through all of this. I couldn’t manage this without the Lord or my wife.