A friend suggested I add a form to my home page inviting people to subscribe to a newsletter.  I had no idea how many people were looking at my site – within 12 hours I had 24 email addresses and some were suspiciously from doj.gov and fbi.gov.

I have no idea who those people are, but for some reason you appear to be interested in keeping up to date on happenings at Lifewater Ranch.  So with no adeu, I present to you the first issue of the Lifewater Ranch Newsletter.

I hope to use these letters to not only let others know more about me and this place but also to get feedback from you to find out more about you and what you want to see here.

I worked for Microsoft for 20 years, starting on the day of the 1987 market crash and quitting almost exactly 20 years after that time.  When I bought this ranch I was a multi-millionaire and so buying a hedge for Y2K was really not a big deal for me.

It’s funny though, I had no real vision for this place then and instead ended up following my wife’s wishes and we moved back to the Seattle area after Y2K didn’t happen, and I continued with my fun and challenging career at Microsoft.  Over the years, I managed to trust the wrong people and speculate on the wrong things and this year I have hit a milestone – I will pay no income taxes for 2016.

Yet, I am about as happy and free as I was in 2000 because I have been able to chuck the rat-race and enjoy this place.  Renting out Lifewater Ranch has now become a necessity for my financial survival, yet it is also the fulfillment of many of my goals and dreams.

This week we have a family staying here with me in the house who are adopting a child from a nearby family and acclimating to each other.  For them it is rent-free but I am being blessed by being fed good meals by the family that is giving up their child to this new family.  It is a service to my friend and a privilege for me to do.

It seems that the more I focus on giving to others, the more I am blessed in ways that entities like the IRS don’t count against you.  There are, unfortunately, dangers in sharing, which is why so few do it these days.  I trust God will bless and guide me as I learn.

This place is a lot of work to keep up, yet I can take breaks anytime and enjoy the beauty and peacefulness that surrounds me.

So with that let me share a song I recently composed for you and allow me to thank you for signing up for this newsletter.  I will publish new newsletters on a frequency in balance with your interest and my time.

To unsubscribe simply email sanfords@lifewaterranch.com using your subscribed email address with the subject line “unsubscribe”.

And finally, if you like, give me any feedback on this issue by simply commenting on this blog post.