WE HAD A TOUGH TIME PAYING
OUR BILLS.
WE HAD A TEENY ONE-BEDROOM
APARTMENT AND THIS OLD JUNKIE
CAR.
WE HAD ONE COUCH, ONE PIECE
OF FURNITURE RIGHT AFTER WE GOT
MARRIED.
LIKE MANY NEWLYWEDS, SCOTT
AND BRANDY STARTED OUT WITH VERY
LITTLE.
BRANDY HAD JUST GRADUATED FROM
COLLEGE AND WAS WORKING AT A
TUTORING COMPANY.
SCOTT WAS FINISHING HIS DEGREE
AND WORKING PART-TIME.
IT WAS A VERY EMOTIONAL TIME.
BRANDY AND I REALLY HAD TO SEEK
THE LORD ABOUT HOW WE WERE
SUPPOSED TO GET OUT OF THIS
FINANCIAL SITUATION, WHICH IS
VERY TOUGH.
THEN BRANDY LEARNED THE TO
TUTORING COMPANY SHE WORKED FOR
WAS CLOSING.
SCOTT SUGGESTED THEY BUY THE
BUSINESS.
IT SEALED IMPOSSIBLE.
THEY HAD NO MONEY FOR A
DOWNPAYMENT AND THOUSANDS OF
DOLLARS OF CREDIT CARD AND
STUDENT LOAN DEBT.
I TOLD BRANDY IT'S GOING TO
BE OKAY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE GOD
HAS PUT ON MY HEART THAT WE'RE
SUPPOSED TO HAVE THAT BUSINESS.
THE OWNERS AGREED TO SELL THE
BUSINESS WITH NO DOWNPAYMENT.
THEY AGREED THE COUPLE WOULD PAY
THEM OUT OF THE MONEY THEY
BROUGHT IN THE FIRST YEAR.
NOW THE SPIRES HAD THEIR OWN
BUSINESS AND A LOT OF HARD WORK
AHEAD OF THEM.
THE FIRST YEAR WAS
FINANCIALLY VERY ROUGH.
WITH PAYROLL AND OTHER
EXPENSES, SCOTT AND BRANDY
WEREN'T CLEARING MUCH FROM THE
BUSINESS, BUT THEY SOON LEARNED
A LESSON THAT WOULD TURN THEIR
FINANCES AROUND.
I REMEMBER THE FIRST DAY I
LEARNED ABOUT TITHING.
WE WERE SITTING DOWN WATCHING
700 CLUB.
I LOOKED AT BRANDY AND I SAID I
THINK WE NEED TO START GIVING.
WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH TO GIVE.
SO WE GAVE $20.
EVEN JUST $20 WHEN YOU HAVE
TO BORROW MONEY FOR FOOD
SOMETIMES, IT SEEMED SILLY AND
UNREASONABLE TO GIVE EVEN $20.
IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE MONEY,
THEY GAVE AWAY THEIR
POSSESSIONS.
THERE WAS ONE TIME WHERE WE
NEEDED $3500 BY 5:00.
AND GOD JUST PUT ON MY HEART,
HE SAID YOU GAVE, YOU DID WHAT
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO.
EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE OKAY.
THE DAY THE MONEY WAS DUE,
THE BANK CALLED SCOTT.
SO THE BANK SAID WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO?
I SAID I WILL BRING IN A CHECK
BEFORE YOU CLOSE.
SO DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE THAT'S
GOING TO BRING YOU A CHECK?
I SAID NO, BUT I WILL BRING IT
IN BEFORE YOU CLOSE.
BEFORE 5:00 I WILL BRING IN THE
CHECK.
AND THEY SAID OKAY.
A FEW HOURS LATER, A NEW
STUDENT'S MOTHER WALKED IN AND
PAID FOR A TUTORING PACKAGE IN
FULL.
SHE COMES IN AND SAYS I WANT
TO BUY 140 LESSONS UPFRONT,
WHERE MOST PEOPLE BUY EIGHT OR
NINE.
IT WAS 4:30.
WE HAD 30 MINUTES TO GET TO THE
BANK.
SHE WROTE US A $4,000 CHECK.
THE BUSINESS HAS GROWN FROM
20 STUDENTS TO 70 AND FROM TOUR
TEACHERS TO TEN.
THEY BOUGHT A HOUSE AND PAID OFF
$40,000 IN DEBT.
WE GIVE MORE NOW THAN WHAT WE
MADE BEFORE WE GOT THE BUSINESS.
SO IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY AMAZING
ABOUT HOW GOD HAS BLESSED US
COMPLETELY WITH OUR PERSONAL AND
BUSINESS FINANCES.
