M&M Cookies Mug Pic From https://www.etsy.com/listing/101772878/mm-cookies
This is an inspiring true story and an awesome article about a Call Center Rep and Prayer Partner @ Joyce Meyer Ministries. I thought maybe you all would enjoy! 🙂
By: Shirley Green
Meet William J. Howell and family of Red Bud, IL who has a vision so big and beautiful that it warms the heart. Will wears many hats these days as a husband, father, entrepreneur and prayer partner at Joyce Meyer Ministries in Fenton, Missouri.
First, the initial step to opening the “The Chipped Mug” (TCM) in Red Bud, Illinois is the website where everyone can visit and make purchases to help fund the future site of “TCM”. The Chipped Mug was first conceived in the mind and heart of William J. Howell when he was still single and a college student and saw a coffee shop called the “Ugly Mug”. He noticed how people loved to hang out at “The Ugly Mug” which consequently became the local gathering place, a kind of piazza where people can mingle and socialize.
Next, Will relocated to St. Louis, MO to get a job and a month later, he visited the popular website called E harmony.com where he found his wife, Sara. Meeting Sara was one of the best things that happened to Will because Sara is extremely supportive and upbeat; let’s just say meeting Sara was a “good thing” for him. The two married in less than a year of their courtship and remain committed to each other and to the vision of TCM. Now, they have 3 beautiful girls whose names are: Maleah, 4 years old; Joanna, 3 years old & Olivia who is their 1 year old. Periodically over the years, Will’s aspirations to open TCM coffee house repeatedly resurfaced in his heart and mind.
Actually, Will isn’t one who likes change nor easily yields to the propensity to change; change is not a normal part of his character, however, his dream to open the coffee house in Red Bud, IL continues to be at the forefront of his heart. He is pursuing the dream strategically and wholeheartedly which will bring about a great change for his family as well as their community.
At this present time, Will travels about 100 miles per day from his home in Red Bud, IL to Joyce Meyer Ministries in Fenton, MO where he is employed as a Call Center Representative and Prayer Partner. It’s very important and innate for Will to help make a difference in the lives of people; by working at the Ministry, the difference he makes touches and changes lives worldwide every day.
Moreover, Will and Sara believe in living a debt-free lifestyle and currently, every business transaction on behalf of TCM is done through their online web store (TheChippedMug.Net) with no overhead dollars to pay; in a few years, their home will be paid off too.
The concept behind opening TCM has already been branded and includes their quote, “Changing the world 1 cup of coffee at a time.” The atmosphere at TCM will be one of excitement and the endeavor for the ambiance of the business will be a loving and family oriented social gathering place, the same ambiance Will remembers about The Ugly Mug. Furthermore, this will be a great tourist attraction for the City of Red Bud, IL to help generate more revenue and to gain national notoriety for the town, which means more jobs, which is a good thing, especially in our present economy. TCM plans to incorporate live entertainment, serve tasty desserts and breads from the in-house bakery while at the same time, starting and maintaining a family business that can be handed down to their children and their grandchildren.
From an early age, entrepreneurism was always in Will’s heart like his grandpa who also owned his own business. The name “The Chipped Mug” comes from a passage of Scripture in Jeremiah 18:4-6 where it talks about “I have declared thee as the potter, he made our imperfections as perfect.” This means even with our imperfections, we can still be very useful.
Are Will and Sara trying to get rich from “The Chipped Mug”? In fact, their philosophy and concept is that any excess proceeds generated by TCM are given away to help others. TCM is a “for-profit” family business but operates as a not-for-profit company undertaking many philanthropic projects. Their plans are to purchase an in-town building in Red Bud, IL where their family lives close and owns the coffee house and bakery. Sara and her mom will run the day-to-day tasks of the bakery which will be located inside TCM coffee house. The location the couple has chosen will be in close proximity to their home, the local college, hospital, park and area bank.
Red Bud, IL City Hall c/o City Data
Currently Will and Sara willingly support other organizations that are like minded and maintain a core value to reach out to help others. Some of these organizations the family supports include organizations like “Chocolate and the Red Shoe” which empowers women to dream big and teaches them practical ways to accomplish their goals; “Restoration A.S.A.P.” provides relief to those in need of health care through a “Doc On The Block” program offered to those who cannot afford health care & a “Humanitarian Outreach” called Project58.org which helps the people in Haiti & Guatemala build homes and fund other local needs. Also, Will looks forward to the days when he can also support other organizations like the YMCA who regularly goes out into the community to help others.
Mark Batterson, who has become one of the most important people to Will and Sara is a well-known Pastor and author who owns a coffeehouse based in Washington, DC which coins itself as the modern “well” which was a common meeting place in Jewish history. In addition, The National Community Church pastored by Mark Batterson is one of the fastest growing, influential churches in the DC area. Pastor Mark Batterson is also the author of book titles like “The Circle Maker” and “In the Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day”. Since 2009, Pastor Mark Batterson has offered support and information about owning a coffee shop to Will and Sara and always welcomes their inquiries. As you can see, Will & Sara surrounds themselves with a company of shakers and movers who are touching lives locally, nationally and internationally.
In addition, William J. Howell is the Author of his own book entitled “Visual Impairment” and it speaks to those who need help finding their purpose and encourages them to never giving up on their dreams. “Visual Impairment” can be purchased on Amazon.com for $12 and most likely, the book may soon become available to Kindle readers. Still, this isn’t the only title that will hit the shelves; there are more titles by Will in the making yet to be published.
Will’s greatest inspiration of course is his beautiful wife, Sara. “She gives me the encouragement to accomplish whatever needs to be done”; “Sara believes in me completely and she is beside me 100%.” On the other hand, Sara says, “I can’t wait until the day when work for Will is right around the corner from our home rather than 100 miles away.” Sara is definitely a constant motivation to Will and to the dream they have to begin their lives together working side-by-side in their very own family business. Meanwhile, they continue to pour love and support into each other as the dream comes closer to becoming a reality.
ADVICE from Will and Sara: “NEVER GIVE UP YOUR DREAM!” “Listen to those who embrace your dream who will pray for you and support the dream with encouragement as well as offer donations to see the cause come to pass. Sometimes you may have to face opposition or experience trying times with finances to fund the dream but God’s grace is amazing, so never give up.”
In closing, to donate to “The Chipped Mug” coffee house, please visit TheChippedMug.Net where they offer over 100 unique variations of coffee mugs to be purchased individually or to be included in the gift basket of your choice to help generate revenue. Coffee mugs can be purchased for as little as $5 each plus the costs for shipping and handling. Moreover, gift baskets may be purchased in every season for every reason starting at $15 and includes an easy, do-it-yourself kit with the recipe for a basic brownie or cookie mix that may require a stick of butter or vanilla extract, (something we already have in our kitchens) depending on the recipe in the kit chosen. Next, bake the delicious dessert mix from the kit in the oven then pull out a fresh, delicious dessert your family and friends will enjoy! All the jars, coffee mugs & baskets are reusable and all the proceeds generated from the website will help to build “The Chipped Mug” coffee house.
Article Source: https://www.interestingarticles.com/
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About The Author: Shirley Green enjoys writing articles on Interesting Articles
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