Closed....

This past weekend I told some of you, but I know there’s a lot of people that haven’t heard that this past Sunday we closed our other Bruster’s store (the one that’s been open). We knew we would be extremely slow through the winter but up to this point there has been a drastic difference in sales figures (due to the economic down fall) from last year and we knew it was only getting worse. This has been very difficult for my family, especially my dad and grandfather. Everyone is just now finding out because we had to keep it top secret mainly because we couldn’t chance word some how getting to the land owners of the store properties and all the employees…. That has been an ordeal in and of it self!

My dad told me about a month ago he was going to close the store but it didn’t really hit me that is was actually happening until last week when my dad came down with Jonathan for the first time in six months to start moving some stuff into storage. It was actually kind of sad ….I didn’t realize how emotionally attached I had gotten! The whole Bruster’s ordeal has been a long journey for me. There will be many things that I will miss and many things that I will most definitely not miss! I’m so very grateful for all the different things I learned while managing both the stores, but am even more grateful for all that God did in my heart during the two years I worked for Bruster’s. Though at many times this whole process has been pretty challenging for me, I can truly say that God has been good to me! Driving home from the store today with my dad he reminded me that though it’s a BIG bummer the store had to close, in light of eternity these stores will not matter one little bit and that brought much peace to my soul.

Please be praying as we still have a lot of work to do with closing the store. Though it’s not open to customers there’s a lot of clean up to be done and stuff that I’m not even going to try explain. =) My dad also has a long process ahead of him to get out of our leases.

You’re all probably wondering what I’m going to be doing now work wise. Well, I’m going to continue working for my parents…Garden Centers are about to open back up again so I’m mainly going to be working out of our house helping my mom with book keeping and will be doing some on site work every now and then when it’s needed. I will be doing that all the way through June and my dad and I are thinking about some ideas for the fall that we might possibly start up. For me, there’s a lot of things up in the air, but I’m trusting God and am thankful that He already has planned every step I will take today, tomorrow, next year, and the rest of my life. I’m really looking forward to this new season of working in the home with my mom and am grateful for the opportunity to continue serving my family.

I've been resting in the truths that God is Sovereign, that He’s working all of these situations
for our good and His glory, and because He’s been faithful in the past He will be faithful again!

Thank you all for your prayers!