Turning a Hobby Into a Business

Kevin Hooley always dreamed of turning his hobby as an artist into a full-time career. So he and his wife Rita started a sign company called Flamingo Kid. In the summer, jobs were plentiful, but during the cold Michigan winters, work was painfully slow. “There were many, many times when I didn’t think we would make it,” Kevin says. “We would have to charge our house payments or our utilities bills on a credit card, because the cash was not coming in to pay for the bills,” Rita says. The family lived paycheck to paycheck as their debt continued to grow. One Sunday at church Kevin and Rita heard a message on giving that changed everything. “We gave just $20 here, $10 there. It wasn’t tithing,” Kevin says. “It was just giving out of convenience.” Rita adds, “I remember it very clearly that that is the one spot in Scripture that God says to test Him on. It really stuck with both of us.” The message was about tithing 10 percent of income, but it came at a time when giving away money was the last thing they felt they could do. “Typically our money does not come in every week,” Rita explains. “We’ll do a large project, and at the end, we get one big check. It was $2,100 for a project. I looked at that, and I said, ‘That’s a tenth. It's $210.’” The next Sunday they placed $210 into their church’s offering. Kevin’s parents were visiting from out of town and knew nothing about the young couple’s decision to tithe. As they were leaving, they handed Kevin and Rita an envelope. “She handed it to us. We hugged them and thanked them,” he recalls. “Then when they left, we opened it up. It was the exact amount we tithed. Down to the $10.” That $210 was the first sign to the Hooleys that tithing works. So they decided to start giving to their church and to CBN. “After we had written our first check out to CBN, the next month we landed a huge contract,” she says. “I definitely feel like God was blessing us by supporting what CBN does.” Today the Hooley family is doing better than they ever imagined, and Flamingo Kid Signs no longer has a slow winter season. Business is booming all year long. “It’s even more of a miracle that you can’t explain it away,” Kevin says. Rita notes, “People say they can’t afford to give. Their financial situation is so tough. Our saying is, we can’t afford not to give. We’re followers of Christ; we believe in the principles in the Bible, and the principles in the Bible say to put Him first and to give first. When you’re obedient to that, He takes care of you.” Kevin and Rita saw the rewards of applying the Law of Reciprocity -- "Give and it shall be given to you" -- by giving to CBN. Here is your chance to give to the Lord and see your dollars bring truth to hurting people, feed and clothe needy children, keep The 700 Club Prayer Counseling Center phone lines operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and provide medical care to those who need a tangible touch of God's love. Become a CBN partner today! "So don't worry about having enough food or drink or clothing… Your heavenly Father already knows all your needs, and he will give you all you need from day to day, if you live for him and make the Kingdom of God your primary concern." Matthew 6:31-33 NLT