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Mark Eastman

The Journey of Life Can be Hard

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It’s Nice When Somebody Goes with Us

During this time of Lent, we’ve been going through Christ’s journey to the cross. Two weeks ago, we talked about knowing where our treasure is and Mary’s anointing of Jesus with the expensive oil. She knew where her treasure was. Last week we discussed Jesus’ riding into Jerusalem and many of the people missed out on who Jesus was. They were expecting a different kind of king.

This week we’ve made it to the first Last Supper.

Jesus got up from supper, took a towel, poured water into a bowl, and began washing His disciples’ feet. He explained that this act of service was an example of how we should treat others. He even washed the feet of Judas who was going to betray Him.

This act of washing feet was done by the lowest of servants. Jesus told them that He—as their Lord and Teacher having done this—was an example of what we should do for others. There are a lot of ways that we can wash people’s feet.

Be willing to “wash people’s feet”.

At this last supper that Jesus shared with His disciples, he knew that one was going to betray him. At this point it wasn’t too late for Judas to turn back and ask for forgiveness … but he didn’t. If we’re still living we have the same opportunity. We can repent and ask for forgiveness.

Don’t wait too long to repent and ask for forgiveness.

This meal was a Passover meal. It commemorates death passing over the homes with lambs’ blood on the door posts in Egypt. Jesus held up the bread, representing His body broken for us. Then He held up the cup. Reminding us of His sacrifice He made for us. Without eating and drinking we will perish.

Accept the gift of His body and blood so you don’t perish.

We need to remember these acts and the promise that comes with them.

There are hundreds of words in the English language that use the prefix re-, which mean “back” or “again.” Some examples are reject, recede, reduce, reflect. returning, revert, rearrange, rejuvenate, regenerate, and recapitulate.

For instance, when you reject a plan, you throw it “back.” When a man’s hair recedes, his hairline continues to move “back” as he loses hair. When you reduce the amount of money you spend, you lead it “back” to a smaller amount. When light reflects off a surface, it bends “back.” When you are returning home from an outing, you are turning “back” home. And when a criminal reverts to being good again, he turns “back” to morally upright behavior.

Another primary meaning of the prefix re- is “again.” For instance, when you rearrange the furniture in a room, you arrange it “again” into a different configuration. A marathon runner can become rejuvenated or etymologically made young “again” by sleeping and eating after a long race. Some newts regenerate limbs once they’ve lost them; that is, they grow them “again.” When a teacher recapitulates something she’s just taught, she goes over it “again” by summarizing it.

If we remember the covenant that Jesus made, we become a member of His followers again.

Remember this covenant He made with us.

Another thing to remember is that He is with us on the journey of life. Even when it doesn’t feel like it.

Jeff gave an example of the importance of remembering in the children’s message. He shared a story of when he was in his mid-teens and his uncle, who was five years older and like a brother to him, died at twenty. In his loneliness and missing his uncle, Jeff asked God how He could let something like this happen. He did not hear any answers. In the silence, Jeff ran away from God for a few years.

Over time he figured some things out. One of those things was that…

The teacher is silent during the test.

Tests are a part of life, and we need to be willing to take them. Just because we can’t hear the teacher when we’re taking tests, doesn’t mean they’re not there looking over us.

In James 1:12 it says, “A man who endures trials is blessed, because when he passes the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”

There are some hard lessons in life. But if we use the things the Teacher has taught us and remember that even in His silence He is with us, we will pass the test.

Wouldn’t You Like To Get More Done?

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A Daily Routine Can Help You

Over the past several weeks we’ve been going through the Hero on a Mission online course. This is one of the courses offered by Business Made Simple University designed by Donald Miller. These online courses are great for helping small businesses.

I’ve taken this course before, but to reinforce my business, I’ve gone through it again as a refresher. The Hero on a Mission course shows the importance of having a life plan and incorporating it into your daily routine.

Routines are regular procedures, chores, or duties done at specific intervals. We are creatures of habit and routines will happen to some degree (even if they are unplanned). The key is to not let your routines be unproductive or random.

A routine requires intentional action.

Too many people live their lives mired in regret. They leave things up to fate, wondering why their life feels so meaningless. We shouldn’t give fate control over our lives.

Having a life plan and routine for implementing that plan is how you can take control. An intentional, daily routine will help you focus and stay on track.

A routine can be as simple or as detailed as you want it to be. We’re all different and what works for one person may not work for another.

I’m a detailed person and I like having control, so my routine is a little too intense for some people. My routine is broken into three parts: morning, midday, and evening. The morning actions help me get a clear plan and focus for the day on the things that are the most important to me. The midday portion is a break from the chaos and a recentering. The evening is an opportunity to look back at the day and review.

I use a combination of an Outlook calendar and OneNote action lists for my daily routine.

My daily routine overview:

Morning routine – I start my day with making a pot of coffee and taking a shower to wake up. Then I read my Bible, have prayer time, read the Traveler’s Gift Daily Decision, journal, pack my lunch, review the plans for the day, check emails. Then I review the day’s action list, my calendar, and the action lists for business planning, administration, finances, production, sales, and marketing.

Midday routine – This routine is shorter. It involves eating lunch, watching or listening to something educational, reviewing the Scripture of the day, and journaling.

Evening routine – I review the weekly action plan, the day’s action list, the calendar, and the action lists for business planning, administration, finances, production, sales, and marketing. I read the Traveler’s Gift Daily Decision, check my emails, journal, and pray.

This is a brief overview of my routine. Next week, I’ll break it down into more detail, the tools I use, and how I use them.

Do you have a daily routine?

Whether you’re looking to improve yours…

or would like to create one…

I can help.

Set up a free 30-minute consultation and let’s get started building your daily routine.

Don’t Get Caught Up in the World

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There’s so Much More Out There

It makes sense that we get caught up in the world. It’s where we live and what we know. Every day we take part in it. If we’re not careful, it’s where our awareness stops. It becomes all we focus on.

I’m not saying we should abandon the world. What I am saying is that we need to balance the physical world we live in daily, and the Spiritual world of God and eternity.

This morning on Albert Mohler’s, The Briefing, he talked about how humans make decisions. Either by rational thinking or intuition and sometimes the answer isn’t as rational as you might think.

This podcast was focused on the Nobel Prize winning economist and author of the 2011 book, Thinking Fast and Slow, Daniel Kahneman’s assisted suicide. Mohler’s question was why would someone so intelligent make such a decision? He concluded that it was due to Kahneman’s belief that this world is all that there is, and he wanted control over his death.

This kind of thinking is worldly.

In Matthew 21:1-11, Jesus sends two of His disciples to a village to get a donkey. He tells them where they will find a donkey and her colt. If anyone asks, the disciples are to say, “The Lord needs him,” and they will be okay with it.

The disciples went and did as Jesus instructed them.

Jesus knew there would be a donkey and where it would be. He knew that anyone who asked would be okay with them taking the donkeys. He also knew that people would celebrate His arrival when He rode the donkey into Jerusalem.

They thought He was a king that was going to come in and take over. If they were His followers they would be rewarded in a worldly way.

The problem is that the people were looking at this from a worldly perspective.

They missed the point.

Too often, we do the same thing. We get focused on our daily routines and lives and neglect the eternal.

It shouldn’t be all one or the other. There should be a balance of both. In John 17:16-26, we are told to live in the world, not get caught up with it. The world shouldn’t be our focus. God and the eternal should be.

How to BUILD a Well-Balanced Life 

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Like Everything Else, It’s a Choice 

Last week we discussed being busy. It’s easy to find ourselves with too much to do. There are just so many important and fun things that need done. This leads to burnout. 

It’s all too common for people to get burnt out. 

I’ve seen this happen a lot over the years. One place this happens as much as any is in the church. There’s no work any more important than that. When we have a desire to help it can take over our lives … and burnout is the result. 

I know this, because I’ve been there.  

This is why it’s important to BUILD a well-balanced life. 

Finding and maintaining the balance in everything is one of my core values. Finding and maintaining balance is what keeps a busy life from crashing.  

Balance in life is more than just two things. It’s not like a set of scales with one thing on each side. Life is full of a whole lot of things. Life balance also doesn’t mean an equal amount of time and energy spent on each to the things. 

I see BALANCE as a large platform centered on top of a small point. Without anything on the platform, it is level. When one thing is placed on top of the platform near the center, things go pretty well, and it stays relatively level.  

As more things are put on the platform and things begin to be crowded out from the center, it starts to get heavier at different areas. This causes the platform to lean. If one heavy thing–or too many things–are moved too far from the center, the platform will tip far enough that things will fall off.  

Keeping things on the platform is all about weight and location. 

Our lives are like this platform. God has balanced our platform perfectly on this point and given us the responsibility of keeping it there. The difficult part of this obligation is the number of things we get to choose to put on our platform.  

The choices are endless. There is spiritual, family, work, friends, fun, community, etc. Each of these areas are full of an endless number of specific things that we can put on our platform. Some things carry more weight than others. As we go through life the things we have on our platform will, and should, change. 

FINDING AND MAINTAINING THE BALANCE is a responsibility given to us. Will we be perfect at it? No. Can we learn and get better at it? YES!  

If you want to BUILD a well-balanced life, then you need to do something. A well-balanced life doesn’t just happen. 

Here’s an acronym to help you BUILD a well-balanced life. 

B is Being Aware – A well-balanced life starts with being aware of the problems that come from being out-of-balance and that it’s even possible. 

U is Understand – It is the mental grasp or comprehending of something. It is the knowledge about a situation, how something works or what it means. You need to understand what balance is and what it takes to get it. 

I is Intentional Action – This is the most important.  If you don’t do something, nothing will change. This is where most people get hung up. To this point, everything sounds great. Intentional action requires ACTION.  

L is Learn – This is the step that will take the longest. Construction of buildings isn’t instantaneous. You don’t show up on a job site your first day knowing everything about building. You come back the second day and LEARN more and the third and the fourth. And years later you have LEARNED how to build. And you will continue learning for the rest of your life. 

D is Delivery of the Dream – This is where all the hard work pays off. It’s where you can still be very busy, but your life is balanced. You are in control of the things you say yes to … and the ones that you say no to.  

It feels really good to be in control of your life and your business.  

Building a well-balanced life include a well-balanced business. To help with this we have some business BUILDing tools, systems, and services that can help you. If you have questions about getting your business balanced you can schedule a free 30-minute consultation.

What’s Your Greatest Treasure?

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It’ll Be Best If It Isn’t Monetary

What is most important to you? Is it money, your job, family, social status, recognition from your peers? Not any of these things are bad or unimportant. We need to be clear on what our priorities are.

In the children’s message, Jim Miller shared a math problem that puts things into perspective. GOOD minus the letters G O D leaves a big fat zero.

Life without GOD leaves us with nothing.

In John 12:1-8, Mary got it. She poured a whole bottle of expensive oil on Jesus’ feet and wiped them with her hair. When she did this Judas was mad. He thought this was a waste. We’re talking about an amount equal to a year’s wages. In today’s dollars, this would have been a bottle of oil, worth almost $60,000.

This helps us see where Judas’ heart was and where Mary’s was.

Last week we talked about how the disciples were blind to how Jesus was going to rule. They were looking at things from a worldly perspective … not a Spiritual one.

The actions of Mary in today’s Scripture would have been scandalous then. A woman would not be out in public with her hair down, would not approach a man, let alone touch one. Mary did all these things.

Mary was focused on Jesus. She understood who Jesus is. This is the third time she was at His feet. She didn’t pour out a few drops of oil.

She poured out all that she had.

We need to pour out all that we have on Jesus. As we pour over Jesus, He will pour over us.

Mary gave her greatest treasure to the Greatest Treasure.

We need to do the same thing. We need to give all that we have and all that we are to God.

How Busy is Too Busy?

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Having Too Much To Do Is “Self-Inflicted”

The past couple of weeks have been really busy and it’s no one’s fault but mine. This last week was especially so. To the point that I didn’t have enough time to write this week’s solution.  

So, I decided to use a previous post about this very topic. Here’s the post from June 15, 2018:

I have too much to do and not enough time to do it.  

We have all heard someone say this (or said it ourselves) and we have all, for sure, felt it. Just over the last few days there have been numerous times, in a variety of situations, that I have heard it.  

One of the discussions about this was with someone who was self-employed. This person’s family couldn’t understand why they couldn’t do some additional things around the house. They had extra time because, after all, they were self-employed.  

Another conversation was with a business owner. He said he hoped he wouldn’t need to work on the upcoming Father’s Day, because he’d already worked the last fourteen days. Then he said, “But if that’s what it takes, I guess I will.” 

This struggle is nothing new. I would venture to say this has been a problem since Adam. Can you imagine how overwhelmed he felt when God brought all the animals of the earth to him to be named? (Genesis 2:19-20)  

I know this busy life is SELF-INFLICTED. It’s 8:30 PM on a Friday evening as I’m writing this. It will still be another hour or two before I get this finished and posted. 

WHY? 

We all know that there is a fixed amount of time, so why is it that we’re always over-filling it? Even less ambitious and less driven people complain about not having enough time to do everything they want to. 

This brawl we’re in, trying to do more and more and running out of time is internal. It is SELF-INFLICTED. If this is the case, then we’re the only ones that can do anything about it. 

The first thing that we must do is understand who’s responsible for this situation. Next, we decide if we want things to change. If so, then we need to evaluate the things that are filling up our time and decide what to keep and what to eliminate.  

Learning to SAY NO is hard. It’s gonna hurt. 

There is something about self-driven people. They’re always over filling their time with more than they can get done. If we don’t want this battle to continue, then we have to start practicing self-control, self-restraint and self-discipline. 

We have the power within our SELF to take control of this.  

Here’s an acronym to help you remember that if the problem is SELF-INFLICTED you can find the Solution, be Empowered and Live Fully without being overwhelmed. 

Solution 

Empowered 

Living 

Fully 

So, here it is, almost seven years after writing this post and I’m still busy. Part of what I’ve discovered since then is that I have control over what I do and when I do it. Just like reusing this previous post is giving me the time to do other things that need done.  

Everyone has the power of choice. This is what determines when busy is too busy for you. 

Perspective is Up to Us

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It’s Important to Have the Right One 

We can be blind even when things are staring us in the face. 

This is what happened with Jesus’ followers. Even those closest to Him. Those who knew Him better than anyone else on earth. They saw Him give sight to the blind, heal the lame, cast out demons, even bring people back to life. He had been teaching them and explaining what was going to happen. They still weren’t seeing things clearly. 

They were looking at things from a worldly perspective. 

A perspective is a particular way of looking at something. Too often when we have a perspective about something it is hard to change the way we see it.  

The Jews in the Old Testament were looking for relief from the Roman oppression and tyranny. They were convinced that Jesus was going to overthrow the persecution and oppression they had been experiencing and become their king. 

Even after Peter, James, and John shared in Jesus’ Transfiguration on the mountaintop … they still weren’t getting it.  

And we’re talking about a pretty amazing, out-of-this-world, experience.   

“He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” (Matthew 17:1-8) His face was as bright as the sun! This is bright—really bright!  

Yet even after this experience, the disciples still missed the magnitude of what they were witnessing. They were still looking at things from a worldly perspective. They were looking at what was in it for them. 

There was bickering amongst them. Jesus told them they lacked faith. Judas betrayed Jesus to the church authorities. They all ran away when Jesus was arrested. They watched Jesus be whipped and beaten. Peter even denied knowing Jesus. Then He was crucified on a cross. This is not what they had envisioned.  

It wasn’t until after Jesus came back to life that they finally began to understand. 

Just like Jesus died to the world … we need to die to the world. 

Like Jesus’, we can have life after death. We need to nail our worldly perspective to the cross. We need to ask ourselves: what do I need to nail to the cross and leave behind? 

Having the right perspective is up to us and it will make an eternal difference. 

You Have More Control Than You Think 

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Take Control

It’s Up to You to Take Control

We like being in control of our lives, but most people feel like they aren’t. I contend that we all have more control than we think we do.  

it starts with you to taking control

Control doesn’t mean you control everything that happens. It means you confidently move forward with your goals and priorities, understanding that there are things that happen that are beyond your control. 

This means that you are clear about who you are and what you want. It requires you to take intentional action.  

You have the superpower of choice, but you have to use it. 

This control starts with being aware that this is possible and understanding what it is and how to get it. Then you have to decide you want control and take intentional action to get it. 

Here are 11 small intentional actions that will help you get control: 

  1. Clarify your core values and beliefs – Chasing other people’s dreams will pull you in a million different directions. Taking control of your life requires you to be clear on what you want. 
  1. Identify internal vs. external motivations – Internal motivators come from within – those dreams that fill you with passion and purpose. They’re determined by your own values and goals.  External motivators come from outside of yourself. They refer to the goals and expectations set by your parents, partners, friends, or community. They can also be standards set by society that you feel pressure to live up to. 
  1. Create a vision – Visualization fills your mind with a picture of what you want your life to become. 
  1. Believe that you can: Overcome limiting beliefs – Most people have an internal dialogue. Many times, this thinking comes from an earlier part of your life. It’s that voice of a parent who didn’t give you enough praise, or that kid in school who was always waiting for you to mess up. 
  1. Take personal responsibility – Regaining control of your life means finding the balance between what you can and cannot control and taking responsibility for the things you are responsible for.  
  1. Let go of what you can’t control – God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I can’t change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference. 
  1. Respond instead of reacting – You can’t control everything. But you can control how you respond. Don’t react to situations without thinking first.  
  1. Unpack emotional triggers – Self-awareness will help you manage your emotional reactions. When you know your fears and identify situations that make you feel anxious you will be better prepared to control them. 
  1. Make a plan of action – Many people get stuck talking about their dreams and never do anything about them. Often we’re waiting to feel inspired. The truth is, inspiration comes through action. 
  1. Implement a daily routine – Daily planning helps you get and stay focused on what matters to you the most. It helps keep you on track, removing opportunities for getting caught up in unimportant tasks.  
  1. Know when to take a break – Control doesn’t mean cramming in as many tasks as possible in one day. You need to create a balance that works for you.  

Implementing these eleven things will help you take control of your life and business.  

It’s up to you to take control! 

Over the past few months, I’ve written a lot about taking control of your life and business. Here are some of those posts:  

If you would like help finding solutions for taking control of your life and business schedule a free 30-minute coaching consultation.  

Don’t Build Your Life on Sand

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Build on a Solid Foundation

The past several weeks we’ve been going through the Sermon on the Mount. We discussed the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12), being salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), the importance of listening to God (Matthew 5:17-20), doing things for the right reason (Matthew 6:5-15), choosing the right treasures (Matthew 6:19-24), and focusing on the right thing first (Matthew 7:1-12).

This week’s message is about the difference between wise and foolish builders.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-29)

From a builder’s perspective, I can really connect with this week’s message. It’s important to know the benefits of building things well and the cost of building poorly. The Scripture above explains this well.

When things are built well they are damaged less in storms.

This doesn’t mean there won’t be storms. It doesn’t mean there won’t be any damage. It’s about coming through the storm with something to repair. In verse 25, it says, “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against the house; yet it did not fall…” It can be repaired.

Jesus is the foundation we should build our lives on. He is the solid rock. If we build our lives on Jesus, we can make it through whatever storms life throws at us.

Don’t be foolish and build your life on the sand. Be wise and build your life on the solid foundation of Jesus.

Be Prepared for the Changing Seasons

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And How This Can Affect Your Home Maintenance

Sometimes the changing seasons can be quick and serious. The weather here has been a bit of a roller coaster ride over the past several weeks. We’ve had temperatures ranging from below zero to seventy. Some of these swings have happened within days.

It’s currently seventeen degrees on midday Friday as I’m writing this. It’s predicted to be in the upper sixties by Monday. On the other side of this extreme, we had a low temperature of five degrees below zero this past Wednesday.

When the temperature gets down into single digits there is the concern of freezing water lines. This can lead to broken pipes and water damage. With proper preparation and planning these problems can be reduced.

This is where a home maintenance plan comes in.

Too often we get busy with life and forget to prepare for seasonal changes when it comes to our homes. We are creatures of habit. We perform our daily routines of coming and going and rarely bother to look around. Unless a doorknob falls off in our hand, or there’s no hot water for our shower, or the sink gets stopped up, or the AC doesn’t work, or any number of other problems occur, we just go through life without giving any thought to the maintenance of our homes.

Maintenance isn’t going to prevent every big problem from happening, but it decreases the likelihood. Having a scheduled maintenance plan will also help you find the needed repairs before they become major.

Having an intentional plan is important, but it won’t work if you don’t use it.

With everything else going on in life, how can we remember one more thing? We don’t have to if we have a scheduled plan. First, you need to decide if home maintenance is important enough for you to bother with. If you’re okay dealing with big problems, then don’t worry about maintenance. You’ll know that the pipes are frozen when you don’t have water at the faucet or there’s water spraying out of the broken pipe.

Because I live in an old family home that was built in 1916, there are still areas that have no insulation. It so happens that one of those areas is where the plumbing is. This means that part of my maintenance plan includes – stacking bales of hay along the north wall of the house and having a thermostat-controlled heat lamp in the crawlspace. The point of this is that if I don’t remember to take the precautions and the weather gets cold, I’ll more likely than not, have frozen pipes. That’s why this is part of my home maintenance plan.

Routine maintenance is a good way to minimize costly disruptions.

Seasons happen every year and are a natural part of life. Each season presents different weather conditions and temperatures which affect your home in varying ways. Combining a calendar and a seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist helps minimize bigger problems. This plan is broken down into monthly, quarterly, and annually by season.

Just like it’s cold right now—but expected to fifty degrees warmer in a few days—the seasons are the same way. It will be Spring before you know it and there are things that will need to be done.

Get your free Home Maintenance Plan and start taking care of your home maintenance today.