restoration

Getting a Second Chance at Achieving Your Dreams

By Debbie White
The 700 Club

CBN.com – If you are having a bad hair day in downtown Minneapolis, no problem. Just visit John Richard’s upscale hair salon. This award-winning master stylist will banish your hair blues in no time.

“I asked the Lord years ago that he would bless my hands so that I could bless my family,” said John.

But it might surprise you to know that only a few years ago, this talented artist and his wife Lanette were disillusioned and nearly broke.

“It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever gone through in my life,” said Lanette.

Two years after John and Lanette married, John realized his lifelong dream to open his own hair salon. The business thrived until the IRS paid an unexpected visit. John owed them money, big money. He had made an innocent, but costly mistake in the way he employed his stylists.

Then, all John’s stylists quit and he had to no choice but to close his salon.

“And I told the Lord after I left that I will never come back here,” said John. “I felt betrayed, I was angry.”

So John rented a chair in a nearby salon, but business was very slow.

“There was uncertainty,” said Lanette. “We had small children and with his income going down, what is going on here?”

“The pressure was overwhelming for me being a provider for my family,” said John. “I was making $38,000 a year, a family of four. The debt alone, just making the minimal amount of payments on a line of credit…”

By January 2002, John and Lanette were $52,000 in debt.

“Many nights I went to bed crying,” said Lanette. “Many nights I didn’t go to sleep.”

“I said God, I need a financial miracle,” said John.

Several months later, with no obvious answer to his prayer, John whispered another desperate prayer as he was watching The 700 Club with Lanette.

“They were getting ready to pray and I said Lord, if there is anytime that I’ve ever needed to hear a word from You… It is now.”

And then he heard, “There is a man named John and you are praying for a financial miracle and God is going to give it to you.”

“I knew it was for me because it was very specific and it gave me hope,” said John.

Several months later, John and Lanette’s financial miracle began to unfold. While driving by his old salon, John noticed that it was empty. He immediately called his former landlord. His landlord asked John if he was interested in renting again.

“He came up with this offer of $450 a month for the space in downtown Minneapolis and I said I was paying $2200 when I left eight years ago,” said John. “You better check that out because that seems really low. He came back the next day and yeah, it was a little low, how about $600 a month, I said, I’ll take it .”

John re-opened his salon in early 2003. But he took things one step further. As Christians, John and Lanette knew biblical principles about tithing. They gave sporadically and had even been 700 Club partners for a few years. But now they felt called to a new level of commitment and trust. They rejoined The 700 Club.

“At that point, my business just took off,” said John. “The next year it went up almost 30 percent from the year before, and in 2005, I did just shy of $200,000 and this year I’m projected to do a quarter of a million dollars."

“It’s just amazing how much He loves us and wants to bless us, but He wants us to do it according to His Word and what He requires. It’s a blessing to give, it’s a joy to give!”

God wants to bless you too, just as He has blessed John and Lanette for their faithfulness. One way you can give to God’s work is through CBN. Not only will you reach thousands each day with a message of truth and hope through The 700 Club, you will also help feed and clothe children around the world, bring medical aid to those suffering, and so much more. Please join with us today.

• Find your way to peace with God
• Send us your prayer request online
• Call The 700 Club Prayer Center at 1 (800) 823-6053, 24 hours a day.

A caring friend will be there to pray with you in your time of need.