My life began over when I accepted Jesus as my Savior in
1980. (Before that is another story.) My Son Bryan accepted Jesus as his
Savior as well as my wife Fran and my Daughter Robin before I did.
That's another story.
I had been asking the Lord and feeling that there was more to my life
than what I was doing.
At 2:30AM on June 16, 1983, the Lord woke me with these words;
"Heaven's Workshop, commit yourself and trade mark it". We had been
praying whether to open a Christian Book and Gift Shop and that
confirmed it.
We made our commitment and started looking for someplace to open a
store. In August, our son Bryan, was at a computer seminar at the Red
Coach and when he was interviewed by the Salina Journal (he was 12) he
told them that his interest is in computers and at the same time he
announced that his parents were going to open a Christian Book Store.
Well, as you would guess, that hit the news in The Salina Journal.
We finally found a place (A corner store in Kraft Manor, 1903 S. 9th)
and signed a lease on September 29, 1983. We had made our commitment to
serve the Lord and be an outreach.
To find suppliers, we went to the Library to find companies from
which we could order Christian merchandise. Friends and Family helped us
build the bookshelves. We purchased 3 used show cases and my
mother-in-law bought us a cash register. We had ordered a good selection
of products, as well as music, and planned to open up November 1, 1983.
The Lord is so good. The last of our orders came in 1 day before our
opening.
November 1984, I had taken upon myself to hurry
God and make an attempt to draw people into the store. I did not wait on
the Lord to do his plan. I had ordered in from various companies
Christmas Music Books along with Sunday School plays. I had sent out
invitations to all the surrounding churches and we stayed open till
10:00 PM so that they could check all the products available. One church
came and reviewed our products.
It was a complete flop. I went home feeling down.
The next morning I got into the Word (Fran and Robin opened the store
the next day). Early that afternoon. while I was seeking an answer, the
Lord spoke to me saying "I will send you the new, you will not have
what has been established." I said Lord that's tough and I called my
wife, Fran. and told her. That same afternoon, three different time’s
people came into our store and stated that this was there first time in.
That was a confirmation that we had to wait on the Lord. I never asked
anyone if they had been in before and people would come in and they
would say "This is the first time we were ever in here". I would smile
and say Praise The Lord.
Jun 10, 1985 the Lord gave our Daughter Robin a
word after Sunday evening prayer that she would have a job that would
keep her hands busy. Robin started The Printed Word. It was a Resume and
Secretarial Service. The Lord blessed her business. That is another
confirmation of what the Lord did and another story.
July 30, 1985 - "Praise The Lord" Our lawyer
called and the Stores Name "Heaven's Workshop" has been trade marked and
listed in the 1985 Registry Book. Thank You Jesus. I prayed; That his
plan will be multiplied according to the vision that he gave me on July
16, 1983. AMEN
(us.CL 101) (First use 9-30-1983; in commerce 11-1-1983) Attorney Frank
Norton 9-10-1985
We were in Kraft Manor for 3 years the Lord
showed us a building at 1906 South Broadway. We were running out of room
and needed a larger store. We started looking for another building in a
good location. We found one and I contacted the owner, Charles Winzirl .
He wanted us to rent the building but I told him that we would buy the
building and if the Lord wants us to have it you will agree. Charles
asked me "You really believe that don't you? I said "Yes". Charles
called me 3 days later and told me that we just bought the building.
PRAISE THE LORD. (I didn't tell you that: Fran and her Mother Alberta
Sebesta and her brother Frank Sebesta and myself marched seven (7) times
around the building that we wanted to buy and we anointed the walls,
windows, doors and the ground and claimed it for the Lord.) We moved in
and got busy building more book cases.
The Lord blessed us and the Lord sent to us the
new and we were blessed in helping and sharing the Lord with so many
people. Every year that we were there the Lord sent a special someone
that needed to be built up, to listen to and to help get back on track.
I was blessed so many times by those that the Lord sent in.
In October of 2004 we decided to close after
twenty-one (21) years. Our son Bryan helped us set up an Internet store
several years earlier. The internet was reaching so many more people.
Bryan now has his own I T business and is the president of Big Meaning
Inc... His web site is
www.Bigmeaning.com
I know that I have left out so many stories and blessings but that is
where we are to day. We sold our home in town and moved to the country
and continue operating the Lords Store "Heavensworkshop.com" on the
internet.
OH! We our continually being blessed by all the new
blessings that the Lord is providing for us. For all of you and those to
come who touch our lives, We say: "Thank You and may the Lord Bless you
and keep you safe in the palm of his hands"
Larry & Fran Hurlbut
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------