ReedTesimony

He Opens Doors For Me!   In the early 1980's the Lord allowed me (Maurice) to go through an experience with
the law. Since that time, I have learned that being within the law of the land you have favor and grace with the
Lord. After that experience, I became a very humble person. I could not find a job but Karen had faith in God. At
one time, I was self-employed as a building engineer and worked in a warehouse. I wanted more! As you know,
you must crawl before you walk in order to succeed in this world. On a tip, I landed a construction job - digging
ditches. I worked as a laborer, a clean-up person, a carpenter for a building contractor. As time passed, Karen's
faith welled-up to believe that we could own another business, a manicure salon. In March, 1984 I was injured by
almost cutting off my thumb on my left hand, while cutting wood stacks to set up a foundation for an apartment
complex. At that time, Karen was seven months pregnant. This was not the first time, I had had an accident on
that job. Calmly, Karen stated that she was going to get a job and she did. She was already a licensed
manicurist/shampoo technician. Her first check was that very next weekend after my thumb injury. Her pay along
with my final check was enough to pay the monthly bills. After I saw her check for three days work, I said, jokingly
in my spirit and aloud, "I'm in the wrong field...working hard for small-minded people." On a shoestring budget,
Karen enrolled me in Mid-South Beauty School in 1984. I went to school with my thumb in a cast for two weeks,
while studying the theory of manicuring. My third week of school, I began the practical part of manicuring. Within
two months, I graduated as a Manicurist/Shampoo Technician. I was ready to earn some money. We were on our
way!

My first job was with The Hair-Kutt, (Hooshang and Lisa Akbari, my sister-in-law and her husband, now owners of
The Hair Nutrition Center of Memphis.)   Karen, my wife, trained me! As Hooshang and Lisa's business grew, I
was asked to move and start a new location in downtown Memphis at the The Days Inn. I worked at that location
for one year with an all male staff. Due to differences of opinions, within the male staff, I moved to Fashion Goes
to Your Head in mid-town Memphis. Everything went well for about one year, until the Lord began to manifest
Himself in my every move. The Lord started blessing me financially and spiritually through my clients. I was asked
to leave the mid-town location within two weeks, with no compromise at all. I went home and told Karen. Karen
assured me that everything was going to be all right and together, we prayed. Well, the Lord moved me from that
location within three days with the help of a client to a location near the Mid-South Fairgrounds. In this new shop,
the lighting was very dim and I set up near a window for natural light. During this time, Karen was very
inspirational regarding my time in this new location. God was doing something! Just as she had stated, I
remained by that window for only two weeks. Watch how God showed up and opened closed doors. Here's what
God did!

The Lord had given me a client, the wife of the building owner at the mid-town location, that I was previously asked
to leave. Two weeks later, the Lord moved me back into that same building. He placed me upstairs, above the
very room in which I had been asked to leave. The Lord made my former employer my footstool. I had worked six
days a week, from 6:00 am until midnight and had earned $2,000.00 plus. With little money, some family support,
and a lot of faith, we were in business for ourselves as owners of a manicure salon. At this point, we had nothing
to lose. We used furniture from our home and clients donated furniture and items which has made the salon what
it is today. The name of the salon manifested from what God was doing in our lives, creating a new thing out of
nothing. Creation's Nail Salon, was born August 1988, the third Tuesday, at 8:00am. As my day started on that
third Tuesday in August, I opened the doors of the building for my former employer at 7:30 am. He relocated in
two weeks.

Fourteen years later, we're still at that same location and God is still opening doors for Karen and me! I thank
God for my friend at Fashion Goes to Your Head because if it had not been for his encouragement, the Lord
would not have led me to this point. I love you Greg! Praise the Lord and I thank Him!   "I will bless the Lord at all
times and his praise shall continually be in my mouth." Psalms 34:1