Part 2 of Here We Go Again

Good Morning, Today is October 31,2019 and here is part 2 of Here We Go Again!

Below is a post I made on a Face Book page my wife and I have called Oilfield Church, its an outlet for oilfield hands to post prayer request and other positive inspirational quotes things of that sort. I was beginning to share about what my family and I went through in the 2015/16 bust, however when my wife had got sick and we spent some time in the hospital I let the site just sit there. I have recently began to express things that are going on in our life again and trying to use the avenue we have been blessed with to reach out to people that are still going through tough times. We are attempting to pay it forward and help in however we can through the site. Below I have copied a post I made on Oilfield Church in October of 2015 about events that were happening at that time in our life. I think in order to truly begin to tell the story of what my family and I have went through in chasing this oilfield dream, I should bring y'all up to speed on events and share some of the thoughts we were going through during this time. This will be part 2 to Here We Go Again, I will continue to add to the story each week so that a full picture can be seen. I pray that this is explained well and that the journey in faith and persistence is something that y'all can see and that our story helps others to see how persistent faith can help to drive you through anything. So, here goes another portion of our story, " God's Comeback story of an Oilfield Family".

October 15, 2015

Good Morning Oilfield Church!

I'd like to take a moment and introduce myself, my name is Jack, and this is the story of an Oilfield Family.

Let me start here, this has been one of the craziest 10 days of our lives. My wife has followed me all over Texas and Louisiana in pursuit of the Oil Dream! Wow I laugh at that now, but she has put up with some rough situations. Baby, I love you so much and there is no way that I would be the man I am today without the support, love and your passionate devotion. You are the anchor to the ship, and its been one heck of a voyage!

Six months ago, we had a successful oilfield service company. Then... The bust came and in a matter of days it was all gone, the investor pulled out and all the equipment was shipped to a warehouse for storage. And that was it. It was over 5 years, 11 moves, and one last move left, back to Houston to stay with family.

So it begins. We pick ourselves up. How do you do that, we have a four year old son who has so many questions. Why is this happening, where is all my stuff going, why am I leaving my friends, daddy what are we going to do??? What do you say when all you have is questions, how do over 200 rigs in my market get laid down so fast and how is every rig I'm working with 100% of my rig base was in those, cut? How do you explain to an investor that there's nothing I can do, nothing. then BANG it's all gone. And we weren't ready, by any means. What a feeling, 42 years old having to call my in-laws and ask for help. So we came back to Houston, I thought this is as low as it can get... NOPE!! I was wrong, we were in Houston a couple of days and went to the store with what was the last of our money to get a few things we need. I'm pushing the cart while my wife and I are walking and talking about what we were going to do, when my son who is sitting in the cart leans his head on my chest and says "daddy, I'm so tired I no have a home, I no have a bed, I sleep on the floor on my mattress, daddy I'm so tired" yep I have now hit a new low!! I tell my wife I will never NEVER go back to the oilfield!!

So I start building custom cabinets. See, in the oilfield, we always have two careers. My second is cabinet work, so I start working in construction for $18 hr. Wow how do I support my family on this? Needless to say, we were accustomed to a little more. Well we can at least pay for our storage and personal bills, but that's about it. I do this for about four months, then the call comes... "Jack do you remember that system you developed with that one company? Yes. We are interested in them, do you think we can put a deal together? Yes... Wait! What! Did I just except something in the oilfield again!!! What am I doing!

Well I made the call and started a conversation. Then, there was a face to face talk with one CEO. Well, he wanted to see a few things that would show true interest in the system. So I left that meeting, made a few more phone calls and poof, what the CEO wanted I had in hand. So I'm excited, my wife is excited, the commission off a deal like this will give us some breathing room... Man what a day, I go into work Tuesday morning pretty excited. I call my boss who is a family friend by the way and I'm telling him how my meetings went the day before and ask if he would look over the contracts for me because I can't afford an attorney to do it for me. Then he says " wait, have you signed anything yet? No. How much do you need to lock this deal in? Half a million. Let me call you back. Ok." So I begin to set my tools up for the day, and five minutes later the phone rings. "Jack. Yes. Ok if this system does what you say it does then you've got your half million. Now go home and get your info together and be in my office at 8 tomorrow morning. Ok."... Wow, what just happened here?? So I go home and tell my wife what just happened. We are both filled with Joy, Excitement, Fear, Hurt, there are so many emotions going on. But what do I do? I have chased the million dollar deals for years, I've closed some very huge multi million dollar deals. But this little half million deal scared the crap out of me, and I go to the meeting at 8 the next morning.

They love the idea and the system but then ask me to provide some items so they can see that this is a real deal. Are you kidding me? That Monday I was told in order for this to happen I need these two things, now I'm being told we need these four things in order to move forward. So I sit there then my friend says " Jack. Yes. Can you provide what's being asked? I think a sec, Yes I can. Then get up and make the phone calls! Yes Sir." And the phone calls begin, by the end of the day I had six yeses now. Man, this deal may actually go thru! So I spend four days building the cash flow estimates, and wow, this one on paper has turned into the deal of a life time.

What am I doing? I should be building cabinets making a pay check, not sitting here trying to put some multi million dollar deal together again!! I mean the last one didn't teach me anything, someone else is in control of my life, someone else makes the decisions for me, yet I'm the one with all the knowledge in my head. All the contacts in this deal have been built over the past 22 years of my career in the oilfield, but I can't do the deal without them, so I bring it all to the table. And they love it, and set up a meeting for that Monday but he'll let me know where and what time.

I go into the office Monday morning and then the call comes in. "Jack. Yes. I'm sending you a ticket to the ball game, you need to be there in an hour. Ok. Grab the stuff you need and get to the game. Yes Sir."

So I'm going to the ball game, the Astros and KC playoffs, wow! I get to the game and I'm dead broke, I park 7 or 8 blocks away and use all the change I have to pay for parking and start walking to the ball park. As I'm walking, I start to notice that this area looks familiar to me, oh that's it... that bench! That bench there was the one I slept on when a few years back I got way out of control and found myself homeless. Yes. That bench. What a moment...

So I went on to the meeting, and of course he loved the deal and we are moving forward still. But I'm still broke, have no gas and sitting here in a suit watching the Astros in the playoffs! So after the game there was a short meeting at Vic & Anthony's, what an amazing place. I leave the meeting and head back to my in-laws when... I run out of gas, lol really what a day. My truly amazing sister in law comes to the rescue. I go into the office the next morning and wait, I hate waiting, I'm not real good at it, so I get tired of waiting and go home. All day goes by and nothing, now my wife and I begin to wonder if we fell for another rabbit chase. Then at 9:30 PM my phone rings, "Jack. Yes, I've got a few people on the line here, do you have a few mins to talk with us? Yes Sir." So they ask some questions I answer them and once again everyone is happy with what they hear and they ask me to get one more thing for them in this deal, and take that with me when I meet "The Dude". So the next morning before 10 AM I've got what they want, and now we wait!! Did I tell you how much I love waiting? but in ten days this deal turned from a half million dollar deal into a 14 Million Dollar Blessing!!!

I sit here this morning in Mc Donald's having spent the last of my money on a breakfast biscuit, feeling tremendously blessed. I've posted a message that we receive from who can only be considered an angel of message for my family. I'm going to post here what he sent to my wife and I yesterday, and we have never meet him nor do we confide in him, yet since the day our lives came crashing down and I really mean "The Day" it happened this angel has texted us the message that we've needed in that moment. So here it is:

Bless you people of God,James chapter 1:12, Acts 8:18,and Isaiah 54:17.please pray,read and rejoice,for this is just a season that too shall come to pass, just don't stop pressing,for your peace joy and happiness,as well as success is all in the press, Pressing has always produce new life. You will come out stronger wiser and better,if you just hold on.stay blessed people of God.

This man of God always knows what to say to my wife and I in whatever is going on. Oilfield Church, I pray that over our time together and as my wife and I open up to you about our lives. We can be a blessing to you, that we can be that strength you need today, that we can inspire you to hold the faith, stay the course. This has been one of, if not the worst bust in history, but we are strong and together if we support and encourage eachother we will all come out of this stronger and closer. Take a moment today and see all you have, not what's been lost, but what you've been given!! Find your Joy and live life, we are here for such a short time. Give thanks and praise for this time, may God Bless You All!!!

And I pray that our story, Gods Come Back Story of an Oilfield Family ! Is an encouragement to you!!!

God Bless,

Jack