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Mark Eastman

Keep Your Eyes Open, You Will See Miracles Galore

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There are miracles happening all around us every day, some small and some huge. Just consider this amazing thing we call life. The complexity of a Swiss watch that we take for granted. The problem is that we become complacent about these things and forget where these miracles comes from. We were after all, made in His image, Genesis 1:27. If you will just “Keep Your Eyes Open, You Will See Miracles Galore”.

Jesus performs his first miracle in John 2:1-11 when He turns the water into wine. The speed that this process happened is what made it unusual. We think for something to be a miracle it has to be outside the natural order of things. In the book Miracles by C.S. Lewis it says that every miracle Jesus preformed was in sync with God’s natural order, it was just quicker. The problem with miracles is that we expect them to be instantaneous. God has given us this wonderful world full of miracles, we just need to keep our eyes open and we will see miracles galore .

An eight year old boy who rescued two friends from a coal mine was being interviewed by Johnny Carson. It was apparent that the young man was a Christian. Carson asked the boy what he was learning in Sunday School. He said last week our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine. This got a laugh from the audience. Then Johnny asked him what he learned from the lesson. The boy squirmed for a while and then with a smile answered, “If you’re going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!” We need to invite Jesus into every part of our lives.

Miracles are evidence of God’s presence. We just need to take the blinders off and be more observant.

“Keep Your Eyes Open, You Will See Miracles Galore”

The Cost of Change Can Be More Than Time and Money

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It Can Be Reputation and Loyalty, and To Me These Are More Important

Change happens for all kinds of reasons, some needed, some not. Some people love change, it excites them. These people are the ones pushing the envelope and coming up with new ways of doing things. Others on the opposite side never want to change anything. It’s scary to change. What if it doesn’t work? It’s warm and comfortable a lot like being in the bottom of a rut. It’s been said that a rut is just a grave with both ends kicked out.

So, which of these positions should a business take?

I think it depends on the situation, the people or person and the reason(s). As is the case most times, the right answer is somewhere in the middle.

Let me preface this next portion with the fact that I have been a longtime supporter and user of Pella products, for more than 30 years. I have enthusiastically advocated and installed their products throughout that time.

I AM NOW RETHINKING THIS. I was informed yesterday of some product changes that have been implemented at Pella and one of those changes may just be the straw that will break this camel’s back.

Pella has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation. (A part of what gained my admiration and loyalty.) One of these innovations is…was…one of my favorite products. Double or single hung windows with blinds or shades behind a removable pane of glass has been discontinued. This would have been the window I would have recommended above all others, short of some specific design parameters. This is the very window that I planned to put in my home in the next few years. I never imagined that this window would not be available.

I don’t profess to be a Pella historical authority, but I do remember some things that happened in the late 1990’s or early 2000’s. This is not about specific times or details, but about a decided trajectory that began and seems to be continuing.

Prior to that point customers would talk about the exceptional quality of Pella windows. The first straw was the question that I began getting about the ProLine Series “builder’s” windows. People wondered why Pella was making a lower quality builder’s window. It seemed to be counter to what Pella stood for. I assured them the quality was as good as ever, there were just less options and fixed sizes in this series.

The next straw came with the introduction of vinyl windows. More questions about what was going on. Why is Pella selling “cheap vinyl windows”? I would tell people that it was just a way to give the public more options. It was a way of helping more people and Pella quality was still available in the wood windows.

Then the next straw came. It was when there began to be problems with the bottom sash of the ProLine casement windows rotting. I continued to defend them. This was a fluke…just some bad sealant on one select style in one series. The straws continued to come, and I continued to defend Pella and my supplier. The service and support were great. We would do what was needed to help them through this freak incident.

Now, full circle back to yesterday’s straw. I can’t say why Pella made this change to no longer offer shades between the glass in hung windows. I assume it was monetary as I presume all these decisions were. I don’t have any of Pella’s internal decision-making criteria, but they are a company that needs and deserves to make a profit.

What Pella needs to remember is that dollars are certificates of appreciation and consider that my appreciation may go somewhere else.

I’m sure that as big a company as Pella is that they won’t even notice when I’m gone. What they may notice is the size of the snowball when more and more contractors and customers do the same.

These types of changes have become too common place over the last 20 – 30 years. Too many times companies have chosen to sell more for less rather than seeking to provide high quality at a high price. There’s nothing wrong with buying inexpensive projects for less. It’s about deciding who you want to be and who you want to serve.

Pella’s decisions are theirs just as my decisions are mine.

What Is Baptism And Why Does It Matter?

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Baptism is one of those Christian terms that is used often and consequently can lose its importance and meaning. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/baptism baptism is –

1a : a Christian sacrament marked by ritual use of water and admitting the recipient to the Christian community b : a non-Christian rite using water for ritual purification c Christian Science : purification by or submergence in Spirit 2 : an act, experience, or ordeal by which one is purified, sanctified, initiated, or named

While this definition is accurate it doesn’t address the more important question of why it matters.

There is a lot of discussion around the topic of baptism and the “right or wrong” way it should be done. Believe me I know this first hand. My wife having been raised Baptist is a supporter of immersion. Me having been baptized as an infant through sprinkling, don’t see anything reason this method isn’t as valid. I think the living out our baptism is what matters.

I think the why it matters question is answered well by Crosswalk https://www.crosswalk.com/faith/spiritual-life/baptism-what-is-it-meaning-and-definition.html.

What is Baptism?

“Baptism is an outward act that symbolizes the inward phenomenon of coming to and accepting Jesus Christ as real, as God incarnate, as the sacrificial means by which those who believe in him can be forever reconciled to God. The purpose of baptism is to give visual testimony of our commitment to Christ. It is the first step of discipleship (Acts 8:26-39). Baptism is like a wedding ring. We put on a wedding ring as a symbol of our commitment and devotion. In the same way baptism is a picture of devotion and commitment to Christ. A wedding ring reminds us and tells others that we belong to someone special. In the same way, baptism reminds us and others that we are devoted to Christ and belong to Him.”

We can live a good, constructive, happy life without being baptized, but there is so much more to be had if we commit fully to a relationship with Christ.

Baptism is the symbolic action we take to show our being washed clean of our sins. The water washes away our “old, dead, heavy, suffocating life” and is replaced with a “new, fresh purposeful one”. Once we’re baptized we won’t be perfect, but we will belong to God. Pastor Lee told about Sam Houston’s baptism. It is believed that General Houston had lead a rough and wild life so it no surprise that after being baptized when the Pastor said, “Your sins are washed away”, that it is said that Houston replied, “God save the fishes!” http://www.wadeburleson.org/2009/12/baptism-of-general-sam-houston-by-rufus.html

Luke 3:21-22 tells about Jesus’ baptism. If baptism is important enough for Jesus to do then I think “Baptism Matters”…a great deal.

What Does It Take to Be A Builder?

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There’s So Much More to This Building Thing Than Just Construction

I regularly go back through my life plans, especially at this time of the year, reviewing and revising them as needed to build the best life. Just like a construction project needs reviewed and revised in different phases of the project. Whether a building or a life, this process shouldn’t stop once the initial construction is complete. It is an on-going process until the end.

It is amazing to me the correlations between building a business, a life or doing construction. Building terminology is used everywhere. As a part of my life plan review, I was going back through some Michael Hyatt’s Platform University training. One of the things that caught my attention were the words that were used. In the first two sentences of the instructions I found this; “…building your website…”, “…lay an important foundation….” and “…platform-building…”.

The use of this construction terminology is a great analogy with life building as is evident in the more than eighty times it’s used in Scripture. You can find some examples here. In Luke 6:48 (NCV) it says, “…everyone who comes to me and hears my words and obeys. That person is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on rock. When the floods came, the water tried to wash the house away, but it could not shake it, because the house was built well.” This sounds like a pretty good plan for building a life to me.

If you have read more than a few “Weekly Solutions” posts, you will have noticed the connections with building in many of them. Here are just a few – Building the Life of Your Dreams, Building the Best Life, Means It’s Always Under Construction, The Importance of Intentionality for Building Your Dream Life and Building Your Business Is Critical to The Survival of the Business. This really is the underlying theme for Solution Building. The central purpose is to “help people find solutions for building their dream business and life through improved communication, better business systems, quality construction projects and life lessons.

Most importantly any kind of building, whether it’s a construction project, a life or a business, needs to start with a solid foundation. My foundation is my CORE VALUES built on the SOLID ROCK of Jesus. 1 Cor. 3:11

As we move forward into this new year, we will be sharing more specific examples and systems to help you build your dream business and life. If there are areas in your business or life where you need a solution, let me know in the comment section below.

It’s Time To Rise and Shine and Enjoy New Beginnings

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I Can Only Imagine How Bright Things Will Be With God’s Light On Them

This Sunday was about new beginnings… It’s the beginning of Pastor Lee’s fifth year as a valuable part of our church family. It’s the beginning of Epiphany, the commemoration of the coming of the Magi, the first manifestation of Christ to the gentiles. It’s the beginning of a new year full of so many possibilities and opportunities “I Can Only Imagine” what wonderful things 2019 has in store.

The key to it being a great year is the attitude in which we choose to approach it. We can concentration on the negative empty part of the glass or focus on the positive water portion. To make this point Pastor Lee told a story about three men each carrying two sacks, one in front hanging around their neck and the other on their back. The Legend of Three Men and Their Sacks, https://nice-inspiration.blogspot.com/2018/12/an-old-legend-about-three-men-and-their-sacks.html

The first man carried the good things his family and friends had done in the sack on his back and in the front sack he had all of the bad things that had happened to him. Because the bad things were always in front of him they got all of his attention. This kept him from making much progress in life.

The second man had the good things he’d done in the front sack. This allowed him to see them and share them with others. The sack on his back had all of his mistakes. The weight of these was heavy and slowed him down.

The third man was walking much easier and making better progress. When asked about his sacks he answered, “The sack in front is great. There I keep all the positive thoughts I have about people, all the blessings I’ve experienced, all the great things other people have done for me. The weight isn’t a problem. The sack is like sails of a ship. It keeps me going forward. “The sack on my back is empty. There’s nothing in it. I cut a big hole in its bottom. In there I put all the bad things that I can think about myself or hear about others. They go in one end and out the other, so I’m not carrying around any extra weight at all.” This appears to me to be the best way to live.

The only way we’ll ever accomplish the things God as put us here to achieve is by asking for His guidance and persisting through difficulties. When researching for last week’s blog post, “Living Life Well Is All About Perspective” I came across a person that is a great example of persistence and perseverance. His name is Nick Vujicic, http://www.nickvujicic.com/. He was born with no arms or legs and has accomplishing amazing things. He’s a great inspiration. If he and God together can do the things they are, then what’s my excuse.

In Isaiah 60:1-6 it says that this Baby that the Magi went in search of is the light in the darkness. He is the Guiding Star in our a dark world.

It’s the beginning of the rest of a super great life and I’m seeking this Light to guide my path.

Living Life Well Is All About Perspective

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What Ever Your Situation – Attitude Makes All the Difference

Perspective is “a particular way of viewing things that depends on one’s experience and personality”. Our individual perspective effects every part of our lives. It’s up to us to decide how we are going to view things.

As a part of preparing for the new year, I reviewed the past one. In many aspects this past year was a dismal failure. Revenue was considerably less than our target. It was even less than the previous several years. We didn’t get anywhere near the blog traffic that we planned to. It would be easy to focus on those negative things and let them become my perspective.

At the same time there were several positive things that happened during the past year. While the financial numbers were down, we paid off more debt than any previous year. My goal was to write and post at least one solution each week and I did.

Years ago, I would have fixated on the negative and not seen the positive. This disappointment would have been the way I viewed things. This unproductive attitude would have been blocking my moving forward to bigger and better things. This was not any way to live life well.

At a point nine or ten years ago, I decided I was tired of living in this negative funk. There was no one specific thing that caused this shift, but rather a collection of small things. They consisted of reading, learning, journaling, praying and believing. Over those years I didn’t realize the difference that was happening but now looking back I can see and feel a major difference.

We have the power to choose what our attitude is going to be. With this power we can change our perspective. The 5th Decision in The Traveler’s Gift is, “Today I Will Choose to be Happy”. In this Joyful Decision, Anne Frank says, “Our very lives are fashioned by our choice. First we make choices. Then our choices make us.”

I’m not saying that it’s some easy flip a switch kind of magic. It’s hard work, but worth it. If you fall down, you get back up. When you fall down the next time you get back up again. We’ve all seen kids learning to walk. They don’t try it once, fall down, and never try again. They’re persistence is what makes it happen. They keep trying over and over, one small step at a time, until they succeed. They don’t give up.

With it being the New Year many of the blogs and podcasts that I follow have focused on planning and goal setting. One of those was Ray Edwards interviewing Cliff Ravenscraft about how to make our resolutions stick. In the interview they talk about how we may not have control over the circumstances, but we always have control over how we will choose to respond or what actions we will take. To make this point they use Nick Vujicic as an example of perseverance. He was born with no arms or legs and has achieved and accomplished more things than most people. If you feel that you had a rough year and things didn’t go like you had planned, you need to quit whining and watch these videos.

Perseverance.  The story of Nick Vujicic

If we keep moving forward and continue getting back up after we’re knocked down anything is possible…just ask Nick.

nick vujicic on OPRAH SHOW

I will persist without exception.

The Velveteen Rabbit Teaches Us About Love

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“The Velveteen Rabbit” was the basis of the message this week. It is a story about a stuffed rabbit’s desire to become real and the love that ultimately accomplishes this.

There is a lot of real life comparisons in this story about a stuffed rabbit. Some of the toys are mean and uncaring, some are supporting and caring. There are examples of the power of love and the healing miracle it provides. 1 John 4:7-12; 19-21 tells us what love is and how to use it. It tells us that God first loved us and that He commands us to love our brothers and sisters.

God loved us so much that He became human to show us how to love. It can be hard for us to show that level of love to those who don’t understand it. We need to share with others in a way they can understand.

There is a the story of the man who didn’t believe that Jesus was God in human form. He decided to not go with his family to a Christmas Eve service, but rather to stay home. Shortly after his family left in began to snow. He then heard some birds flying into the window of the house. They were looking for looking for a way out of the storm. He tried to help them but they were scared and didn’t understand what he was doing. He thought, if only I was a bird I could tell them and show them. It was then that he realized this is what God did for us when Jesus became a man.

My favorite version of the story, done by Paul Harvey.

As we go through this new year let us honor the sacrifice of God by loving those around us.

An Unexpected, Modern-Day Twist to The Christmas Carol

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It’s Never Too Late to Build A Better Life

As I’m working on goal setting and planning for the new year, I’ve been reviewing the past several years. Looking back can be disappointing and discouraging if things haven’t gone as well as you had planned. And this year certainly didn’t go as planned

While thinking about places I fell short and opportunities I missed or ignored, it caused me to think about the Hallmark Christmas movie, “A Shoe Addict’s Christmas”. In this movie a woman, Noelle, accidently gets locked in a department store where she works. While waiting to be rescued a quirky woman, Charlie, appears. Over the next few days Charlie, a guardian angel, helps Noelle rediscover the life she has been avoiding, by visiting Christmases past present and future.

We all have situations that we can look back on and wish we had done something different. We can’t change the past, but what we do today will affect the future.

You may have heard the story (or some variation of it) that Charlie told Noelle in the movie. It goes like this, there was man who was out in the snow and someone came by in a sleigh and offered him a ride. The man refused. He said, “God will take care of me”. Later as the snow continued to get deeper another man in a sleigh came by and offered to help. Once again, the man refused. “God will take care of me.” The next time a sleigh came by the snow was up to the man’s chin. For a third time the man declined the help and said, “God will take care of me”. Then the man is in Heaven and asking God why He didn’t save him. God answers, “I sent three sleighs and you ignored them all”.

Too often we ignore the sleighs that God sends us.

As long as we’re still alive, even if we’ve missed or ignored sleighs in the past, it’s too late to use the next one. It is up to us to decide. There is a balance of faith and doing. Dave Ramsey says to “Pray like it all depends on God but work like it all depends on me.” We need to take of the blinders off and be more observant of the sleighs. “God moves mountains to create the opportunity of His choosing. It is up to you to be ready to move yourself.”, “The Traveler’s Gift”, Andy Andrews.

If I don’t want to get buried in the snow, I need to shovel what I can when I can and take the sleighs when they come along. I was presented some sleighs this past year and took them.

Learn from the past, look to the future, live in the present.

Watch for the sleighs and make this year the best year ever.

Life Takes Strange Twists and Turns, but God is Faithful to His Promises

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Life being full of twists and turns is certainly an understatement. We all have examples of our own lives taking a twist here or a turn there. As crazy as some of those experiences are, none of them even come close to the twists and turns in Mary’s life when she found out that she was going to give birth to God’s son. And this was just the beginning of the twists and turns she would go through.

In Luke 1:39-45 we read about Mary’s reaction after receiving this message. She “got up and went quickly to…Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth.” Elizabeth being Mary’s older more mature cousin had more years of experience. It is good when we find ourselves twisting and turning to confide in people who have been through more. This experience can help us regain perspective, give us direction moving forward and help us prepare for the next twist or turn.

We can’t see the future. We don’t know what is going to happen next. What we can do is trust in God’s promises. If He says it, He means it. The difficult part is clarifying what He says. Some people tell us He says one thing While someone else tells us the opposite. To get clarity we need to go directly to the source. That source being the Word of God. We can’t just go there once. We need to consistently and  continually go there.

What is the Word of God? The Word of God refers to the Bible and to Jesus. You can get a more in depth explanation here, https://www.gotquestions.org/Jesus-Bible-Word-God.html. This seem to be two different things that are actually the same. For example, I am Mark, but I am also the words that I’m writing in the email. My thoughts and writing can change over time as I experience more, but God isn’t going to change. He has already experienced it all.

We can trust God to help us through life’s twists and turns. He will direct us if we will faithfully follow Him. If we, “Trust the Lord completely…He will make our paths straight”, Proverbs 3:5-6. We can know how to follow Him through His Word.

I will close with this story about a Christmas twist and turn from Pastor Lee’s message.

A pastor shared with his congregation about a family that was going through some financial difficulties at Christmas. After hearing this, a man and his son decided to take a Christmas tree to the family. While driving to deliver the tree they were hit by a rock slide. The truck would not move and the son was cut by glass from the broken windshield. Car after car drove by and did not stop to help. Finally a couple stopped and took them to get the help that was needed for the boy and the truck. In all of the chaos they never even got the couples name.

A short time later after the truck was repaired and the boy was healing the pastor asked the man if they would deliver a box of food that had been given for the struggling family. When he got to the home with the delivery he found out that they were the same couple that had stopped and helped them. This is a Good Samaritan twist and turn. Luke 10:30-37

Remember God’s promises when twists and turns happen in your life and help others with theirs.

Christmas Is About Giving, Business Should Be Too

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How Do We Know What to Give Without A List?

Last week I wrote about the coming new year and our excitement about the possibilities and opportunities it will present. This week I’m going to back up just a little (chronologically) to focus on Christmas (considering that it is just a few days away).

Christmas at its very foundation means giving. “God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him would not be lost but have eternal life.” John 3:16, ERV. We’re talking about the ultimate gift. The giving of His child to be mistreated and ultimately killed on a cross. This Holiday is the celebration of that Child’s birth.

“God created humans in His own image. He created them to be like himself.” Genesis 1:27 ERV. If we have been created in His image, then shouldn’t we be willing to give. Isn’t this a part of who we have been put here on earth to be?

What does giving look like in business?

It doesn’t mean we do work for free. It doesn’t mean that if we win the customer loses or the other way around. Business isn’t supposed to be a win-lose arrangement. It can and should be a win-win.

Once again, this last week I met with another couple in the middle of a remodeling project that has taken a bad turn…they had to fire their contractor. What should have been the fulfilling of their dream turned into a nightmare. This was primarily due to a breakdown in communication. As professional builders, or businesses of any kind, this responsibility is ours. This is such a big problem. I have written about it as much or more than any other.

Here are links to some of those “Weekly Solutions”:

So, how do we know what it is that the customer wants? WE ASK THEM

This seems to be a no brainer, but for whatever reason the question doesn’t get asked, not really. The basics get discussed and everybody thinks they know what the outcome is going to be, but some where in the process things go off track. It takes time and effort to dig deep and find the underlying dream. This is critical to the project being a win-win.

It’s like finding out what a child wants for Christmas. Sure, we can go get them a gift and it might be something they like but, the odds aren’t very good. Or, we can have them fill out a Christmas list. If we don’t understand something on the list, we can ask and get some clarity before the process starts or money is spent.

Have the customer fill out a “Christmas List” for their project before moving forward.

To the point of having a list filled out…I need a list filled out to help determine the best direction for Solution Building going forward. I have a lot of ideas, but your input will help me know what would be the most beneficial to helping you build your dreams.

Please share your thoughts, questions, ideas or dreams in the comments below. This will help me know what gifts I can give you.

If you would prefer you can give me your list by taking this short 8 question survey.