For These Business Owners, Variety is the Spice of Life
Ed and Cindy have been business owners for over thirty years. As independent contractors for Lowe’s, they won many awards.
“For a small business, we did extremely well. We were always at--our achievement level was at Gold Level, Ed says.” Cindy adds, “And it just continued to multiply. They would give us more stores.”
During a slow period in 2005, they were watching The 700 Club. “Pat had said, ‘I'm challenging all of you to sow, to give in faith,” Ed recalls. “And you shall see how God will, multiply—as He says in His word.’ She handed me the phone and I called in and I made my pledge. Not even 20 minutes later the phone rang and the customer said, ‘I'm ready to go ahead with the proposed work that Ed had given me an estimate on. Once we signed the contract and I went back and I crunched all the numbers, we profited probably close to $5,000 on that one job alone.”
They became CBN partners and, in 2011, opened an Italian restaurant. They were able to purchase one with no money down and say god even sent them a chef. Cindy remembers, “I didn't know anything about the kitchen, so a gentleman walked in off the street – and he said, ‘I want to be your chef.’ He came in the next day and he helped me to create a menu, he gave me the recipes. He had everything that I had needed.”
When Ed and Cindy sold the restaurant, they were offered positions managing a mobile home park for seniors. “She would do the bookkeeping end of the business and I would do the grounds keeping,” Ed says, “and we ended up taking over that mobile home park as managers.”
They are still big supporters of CBN. “I love Operation Blessing,” Cindy says. “When a disaster happens, Operation Blessing is the first to be there.” Ed adds, “If we don’t give, as Christians, then who is? Who’s going to reach out?”
Ed and Cindy believe that because of their work ethic and faith, God has prospered them. Cindy says. “From the beginning when I began tithing, I have seen God's faithfulness. We're so grateful to the Lord for what he's done for us. He's been so faithful through the years, and you can never out-give God. Never.”
