The blessing of our business has been shared with countless customers and friends. So many Godversations! Recently, multiple Godversations about recovery and spiritual warfare. Mrs F.Tina , TC , Mrs Eva and “orange vape” David all shared extensively. So different and yet so similar. So much pain in this world from every direction. 💜✝️💜

No accident the sermon at Experience yesterday was focused on spiritual exhaustion. It fueled me thru a challenging conversation last night. No matter false words spoken by others, we must have confidence in His Word.

Lord, may your will and your favoritism-free heart be evident in the days ahead. I ask this in the precious name of your son, Jesus. Amen.

In documenting 40 God Stories, I have not detailed yet how God gave us our business. in November, I posted this to Facebook:

My friends, JoJo and Casey, helped us open our first store over ten years ago. It’s always a good time to Praise God for Good Friends!

While the Facebook post is accurate, it is not complete. Granted, the post does include the fact we prayed about the business and thank God for all those blessed. Still, I neglected to include how God funded our business.

To fill in the gaps, I must return to September 2013. At the time, I was an unemployed mom of two. Interviews would go well and after second and occasional third rounds, I was still unemployed. Mark was on the road with DWP. He returned home from a gig and shared his dad was being lead to give us 15K to start a business. We discussed opening an electronic cigarette/vape shop and what it may entail.

Could we open a business with only 15K?

Mark has always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. He had owned his own coffee shop in the past, as well. For me to get on board, I needed to KNOW we could stretch out 15K enough to prepare a space and obtain basic inventory for our business. We prayed about it and the following morning, it was crystal clear.

Not only could I see exactly how the space should be laid out, I saw the store in full color. A few quick keystrokes on the laptop and we were officially opening Community Vapor LLC. From initial filing to opening was 6-7 weeks!

We found a space adjacent to Jersey Mikes on Old Fort Parkway. Mark and I agreed on the location and the rent amount. I was to work out a lease while he was away. Well, Mark went back on the road to get our bills paid. I was waiting for a call back from the Jersey Mike landlord.

While I waited, I had many tasks. A big one included finding two employees. Researching vape groups online, I found our first employee, Jenn, I loved how she shared her knowledge with people in the community. I reached out to her, shared we were considering opening a shop and would love to consider hiring her. God already knew Jenn was seeking her first job in several years! He knew we would be a great match.

Jenn and I met for lunch at the O’Charleys on Old Fort Parkway on October 10, 2013. As we left, I literally felt a pull to the shopping center located off the main road, behind O’Charleys. I drove over to the shopping center and called the number on the window.

I checked old messaging to get the date correct. Bonus…it reminded me how fun that first meeting was for both of us. It made me smile to read the history of Community Vapor and our friendship. It also reminds me that when “that kind of nudge” occurs, it is always from God. I was nudged so we would not proceed with the first place we agreed upon.

That nudge to call was the Holy Spirit protecting us and ensuring we would be employing Jenn more than a decade later! How? Oh, let me count a few ways.

The first way is the obvious financial benefit. Rent was more than one thousand per month LESS. That grand per month difference helped put us “in the black” within six months. It allowed us to acquire more inventory and hire more part time help as we grew.

The biggest personal blessing was establishing a relationship with our landlord, Michele. We love her! She met us to sign the contracts as she was preparing to attend the 2013 Dove Awards.

It’s fair to say our personal credit scores wouldn’t have encouraged most landlords to rent to us. Michele smiled when I passionately shared that the shop was an answered prayer. I told her she could talk to our pastor about our personal character. Jesus was present and involved over our lunch and contract signing. It’s good to remember all He has done for us!

In June 2023, a car ran through our Murfreesboro location. I remember telling her that “yes, it’s inconvenient, but there WILL BE a blessing buried in the broken pieces. Zach Williams and Dolly came on the radio the same day it happened. The song was several years old and yet it felt made exactly for that moment in time.

As God would have it, perhaps that buried blessing was growing so much closer to Michele! We had never shied away from “Jesus talk”. Still, the accident provided the perfect canvas to encourage her and be of service in the repair/insurance process.

For example, I learned her father is Philip Morris. Not the tobacco giant 🤣; a Christian Music manager. Mr. Morris managed Jason Crabb for roughly 20 years, before announcing retirement plans in November 2023.

God gave us a vision for the business. God moved Marks dad to want to invest in us and moved our landlord to rent to two Christian siblings. But wait, just like the old Ronco commercials, there is more! .

In December 2013, I asked my husband if we could wait two weeks to tithe when he completed a big trip away. I figured we could pay our tithe on our next pay cycle. At the time, my heart was right about tithing, but still had more to learn. Mark taught me about tithing His Way and based on His Word. Essentially, the first bill paid on any income is always tithe. Of course we could not delay!

Two days later, Mark returned from getting our mail with a very interesting envelope addressed to me from Uncle Sam. Low and behold, for the second time in my life, there was an unexpected and large check from the IRS.

It made zero sense why the IRS couldn’t have sent it years ago. My taxes and contact information are always current. Still, it was divine timing. It caused me to remember Floyd telling me in 2006-2007, “God knew EXACTLY when you were going to need this money”. One check was over 6K and the other 13K. These were not small amounts for most people. For me and for us, they were substantial!

The reality is God has been present every single day at both of our shops. There is no denying the Holy Spirit at work in both shops.

This post has already gone a bit long. The truth is God has done so much through our business, I need to jot down some things now without properly incorporating them.

Kendra and Sheree. Kendra’s funeral

Special kids.

Artisan Roy

Anna , Frank, Allan, Evan, Billy, Tim, Wesley and Sarah.

Cv2- landlord situation appeared similar.

FDA mountain moved by God.

Speaking at DC Rally

Helping

Old photos help me remember how hard the physical tasks were on my body. Instead of replacing the floor, I scrubbed every square inch by hand. By the time I finished, it took a few days for my back to heal enough to clear coat the floor. We didn’t replace the floors for nearly two years.

We created Clouds of Goodness: Love, Bliss, Peace, Passion, Sweetness, Comfort and Joy! We had our hand crafted products in shops from California to Connecticut.

We helped a few shop owners open stores outside and within Middle TN. We shared knowledge and hard lessons we learned.

God used me to move a hurdle from the FDA and to speak in front of thousands in DC!

When we did replace the floors, we wrote scripture underneath the new floors in every main area. We did the same with our second shop.

For more than a decade, we have been blessed with all God has done. Only because of the business were we able to get our home. Another day, another God story to write.

May Asher be healed by the blood of Jesus today. Amen.