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Mark Eastman

Do We Really Know What We Think We Know?

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Our View of Things is Pretty Small

We get pretty comfortable in our own perspectives. Even when we see amazing miracles we tend to not give them their full worth.

In Luke 2:25-35 Mary and Joseph took Jesus to be consecrated as per the Law of Moses.

Simeon was a good man who loved God. God’s Spirit had come to him and told him that he would not die until he had seen Christ the Lord.

When Mary and Joseph brought Jesus to the temple, the Spirit told Simeon to go into the temple. Simeon took the baby Jesus in his arms and praised God,

29 “Lord, I am your servant,
    and now I can die in peace,
because you have kept
    your promise to me.
30 With my own eyes I have seen
what you have done
    to save your people,
31 and foreign nations
    will also see this.
32 Your mighty power is a light
    for all nations,
and it will bring honor
    to your people Israel.”

33 Jesus’ parents were surprised at what Simeon had said.

How is it that what Simeon said surprised them? Hadn’t they both been visited by angels? Didn’t they experience Mary giving birth to God?

We think we know so much, until we realize we don’t. If we believe the Bible we shouldn’t be surprised…yet we are.

Mary knew she was giving birth to the baby Jesus. So why was she surprised by what Simeon said?

Part of our discussion in Sunday School was about the song, Mary Did You Know? I don’t think there is any doubt that Mary knew. Yet she was surprised by Simeon.

I think we tend to limit our perspectives and understanding.

I think this is what the song is saying. Yes she knew that she was giving birth to Jesus, but at His birth she didn’t know what was coming.

I think this is the point of the song –

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will one day walk on water?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will save our sons and daughters?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has come to make you new?

This child that you’ve delivered

Will soon deliver you

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will give sight to a blind man?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will calm a storm with His hand?

Did you know that your baby boy

Has walked where angels trod?

When you kissed your little baby

You’ve kissed the face of God

The blind will see, the deaf will hear

And the dead will live again

The lame will leap, the dumb will speak

The praises of the Lamb

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Is Lord of all creation?

Mary, did you know that your baby boy

Will one day rule the nations?

Did you know that your baby boy

Is Heaven’s perfect Lamb?

This sleeping child you’re holding

Is the great ‘I Am’

We think we know so much, yet we are constantly being surprised. We need to be open to the surprises and not limit what God can and will do.

Here’s an interview with the two men who wrote Mary Did You Know?

A New Year, A Clean Slate

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Why Did the Turkey Cross the Road?

It’s just a few days until the beginning of a new year. This start represents an opportunity for new possibilities. The thought of this can be exciting. The chance to do better…to be better. This is what encourages us to make ‘New Year’s Resolutions’.

The process of making resolutions but failing at them over and over makes us hesitant though. Most of the time people give up on resolutions after a few weeks. Only about 8% of people that make resolutions will stick to them.

Most resolutions are good, and if kept, would make us better.

The possibilities are exciting, we want to be better. Most resolutions are admirable, so why don’t we keep them?

I think most of the time it is the lack of a clear plan.

It reminds me of some wild turkeys that were crossing the road near my home. There were fifteen or twenty birds going across as I approached them in my truck. Some continued on across, some turned and went back, but one couldn’t decide which way to go.

It ran back and forth going in circles in the middle of the road. This indecision and lack of clarity put this bird at risk of failure…and in this case, failure could have been really bad.

Good thing I was driving slowly.

If we don’t want to be like that turkey we need a clear plan. We need to know where we want to go. Then take the necessary actions to get there.

The first thing to do is determine WHY. WHY do we want to accomplish this thing? The WHY will be the motivating factor. The WHY gives us the reason to move.

WHY do I want to cross the road?

Next, we need to know HOW. HOW gives us the map to get from here to there. The HOW gives us a direction to go.

Now I know HOW best to cross the road.

But, this is where things begin to get tougher. There are a lot of different systems that you can use for this. The problem is that what works for one person may not work for another.

I’ve used several different things over the years. The conclusion I have come to is this. It matters less what the system is and more about whether you use it or not.

You have to move, otherwise you’ll be left standing in the middle of the road.

As I’m thinking forward to the new year, I will be working on a plan for 2025. Each year, I modify and tweak my systems so that they work better. I schedule time between Christmas and New Year’s Day for working on my ‘Life Plan’.

It starts with scheduling it on my calendar. It’s critical to being intentional.

I will look back at what worked and what didn’t throughout the past year. I will look to the future to see where we want to go. Most importantly, I will plan to take action. And I will have a way to measure progress, so I can see how we’re doing.

Resolutions are only as good as our actions. Like Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, we have to decide to be different if we’re going to be different.

Don’t be a turkey. Make a plan before you start crossing the road and stick with it. Don’t stop in the middle of the road. You can continue to improve on the plan every day if you keep moving.

Make a plan and get out of the middle of the road!

Sometimes, the best plan includes seeking guidance from someone with 40 years of experience in refining and implementing business systems. One of the most impactful systems for construction businesses is a well-designed proposal system.

To help one lucky construction company break free from the chaos, we’re giving away a free, customized construction proposal system!

Win a free construction proposal banner and start the new year off right

Here’s what you’ll win:

  • 4 training sessions to make setup simple
  • 3 follow-ups to perfect your proposals
  • Templates and documents to save you time

If you, or someone you know, would benefit from having a proposal system, don’t miss this chance!

Enter the Giveaway Here

A Story That Only God Could Write

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We All Have a Part in It

Life is a collection of stories inside of a story. We all write our part of the story. The most important character in this story is the same as the Author. They are one in the same.

Today is Christmas. The celebration of the birth of Jesus. The most important character in the story of life.

The Bible is often called the Living Word of God. In Hebrews 4:12 it says, “God’s word is alive and powerful!”

We’re all a part of this living story being written daily.

We all play a part in writing the story. This is where things can go sideways. Too often we forget or neglect to check with the Author before we start writing. This leads to unnecessary struggles.

We saw the Israelites write like this over and over. They would write the story the way they wanted to and would end up paying the price. God would point this out to them multiple times. Then they would change their story to be aligned with His.

In Isaiah 9:1-7 they have been going through one of those times where they were paying for their writing.

Then they’re introduced to the main character in the story.

“For a child is born to us,
    a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
    And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Verse 6)

Life can be hard. It doesn’t always go the way we would like.

We want life to be quick and easy. We don’t want to go through the tough difficult things. This is where aligning our writing with the Author will help us through.

Back to the introduction of the main character.

When Jesus was born the shepherds were nearby guarding their flocks. Shepherds were considered to be the lowest of the low. But, that night they were visited by an angel. They were told of the birth of Jesus, the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord.

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven,
    and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished… 

 20 The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Luke 2:8-20

Even though the shepherds didn’t hold a high place in society, they shared the story with others.

We should glorify and praise God and share the story of Jesus with others.

Too much of the time we get caught up in what the world thinks. This is upside down thinking. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, Paul tells us to remember the people of this world don’t think that many of you are wise, and not many of you come from important families.

But God chose the foolish things of this world to put the wise to shame. He chose the weak things of this world to put the powerful to shame.

 What the world thinks is worthless, useless, and nothing at all is what God has used to destroy what the world considers important.

Remember to celebrate the Main Character of Life’s story.

Write your story with Jesus as the Main Character.

It’s Not Too Late to Build a Better Construction Business

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Learn from the Past, Look to the Future, Live in the Present

As we are rapidly approaching the end of another year, I’m beginning to think about what things I can do to make my business better. There are things that we know we need to do and have been putting off.

Life is busy, especially at this time of year.

Looking back can be disappointing and discouraging if things haven’t gone as you planned.

Going forward we can do better. But this requires being intentional and taking action.

While thinking about areas where I fell short and opportunities I missed or ignored, I was reminded of the Hallmark Christmas movie, A Shoe Addict’s Christmas. Its story is similar to A Christmas Carol.

In this movie a woman, Noelle, accidently gets locked in the department store where she works. While waiting to be rescued, a quirky woman named 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’ve all had situations that we can look back on and wish we had done things differently.

We can’t change the past, but what we do today will affect the future.

In the movie, Charlie tells Noelle a story about a man caught in a snowstorm.

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, when the man goes to Heaven, he asks 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 never too late to get on the next one. It is up to us to decide.

“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 by Andy Andrews.

If you don’t want to get buried in the snow, you need to shovel what you can, when you can, and take the sleighs when they come along.

In business, a sleigh could be learning from someone with more experience, or it could be using systems and processes that will provide you with the tools you need to build a better business.

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

One such sleigh that could help you get out of your snow drift is a construction proposal system designed specifically for your business. We’re currently offering a free, customized construction proposal system to one lucky winner.

Here’s what you’ll win:

  • Custom System: Built to match your unique business needs
  • Digital Tools & Templates: Easy-to-use resources to save you time
  • 1-on-1 Coaching: Weekly sessions to guide you step-by-step
  • Follow-up & Reviews: Stay on track with ongoing support

If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system…

Enter Giveaway Here!

Make Room for Healing and Joy

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Don’t Hold on to Things You Shouldn’t

We’ve all found ourselves in unpleasant situations. Places where we feel trapped. Sometimes it’s because of things we’ve done. Sometimes we’re there due to no fault of our own.

The Israelites found themselves in bad situations repeatedly. They would go through times when they would be captives of other countries. Most of the time this was because they would be doing things they shouldn’t.

There was a lot of guilt and judgement.

God would give them chances to change. These opportunities would come to them through prophets of God.

One of these messages of hope came in Isaiah 6:1-7. Isaiah received a message from God and he felt doomed because he was a sinful man. A Seraphim that was attending to God touched Isaiah’s lips with a burning coal and said, “This coal has touched your lips. Now your guilt is removed, and your sins are forgiven.

The year of Jubilee was a time for the Israelites to dedicate a year of rest to God, acknowledging that God would provide for their needs.

The Year of Jubilee, which came every 50th year, was full of releasing people from their debts, releasing all slaves, and returning property to those who owned it. During this time, the Israelites were not supposed to reap or harvest; it was a time for people to return to their families and loved ones.

The Year of Jubilee was a time of Restoration.

So, after seven years of Sabbaths, we reach the 50th year. A year dedicated to rest, the restoration of property, and freeing people from debts, servitude, and slavery.

Because everyone was released from their debts and slavery, everyone got to rest and could start the next year with a clean slate. 

It’s important to note that God owns everything. Anything He’s given to us, such as resources, crops, etc., belongs to him. Therefore, the Israelites would dedicate this year of rest to him, acknowledging that God would provide for their needs.

The Israelites went into captivity because they didn’t observe these resting years (Leviticus 26). Because they didn’t trust that God would provide and dedicate time to resting, they reaped the consequences.

God also instituted the Year of Jubilee as a foreshadowing for his future work on the cross. Jesus relieves us of all spiritual debts and our slavery to sin by His death and Resurrection.

In Matthew 1:18-25, Joseph learned of the coming of Jesus when an Angel came to him in a dream. He was told what would happen and what he was supposed to do. And he did it.

Our ultimate forgiveness is through Jesus. But we have to accept this gift.

Jubilee was a release from the past. A restoring. It brought hope for the future.

The Israelites held on to things and wouldn’t let them go. They neglected to take advantage of Jubilee, and they suffered unnecessarily because of this.

Too often we do the same thing. We’ve been hurt by someone, and we don’t let go. Then we’re the ones who suffer. We tend to hold on to things as a way of protecting ourselves. Even when we’ve let go of something, it has a way of creeping back.

We have the power of choice. We can forgive. We can release the past. This makes room for healing and joy.

Jesus is our Jubilee.

Core Values are Where Success Begins, Part 2

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They Will Help You Avoid Wandering

Core values are the foundation your life and business are built on. Last week I gave you a brief definition of what my first six core values mean to me. This week I’ll do the same thing with the final six.

Here are the final six:

Build the wall one brick at a time

A more common saying is to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Building the wall one brick at a time is the same thing. It’s just a more construction-focused message. When there is so much to do, it is easy to be pulled in many directions and to lose focus. It is important to concentrate on one thing at a time. Otherwise, we can become overwhelmed and unable to focus on any one thing well. It takes thousands of bricks to build a building, but we can only lay one brick at a time. Focus on that one next brick.

I have two ears and one mouth

It is important to be quiet and to listen to what others have to say. As I process information, I tend to think out loud, which is me talking. I need to remember to listen better and talk less. We are all in such a hurry and have so much going on in our heads that it can be hard to listen. This core value reminds me of the importance of slowing down and listening.

Avoid drama

Life is too short to get caught up in things that are out of our control and/or have no or little effect on what is truly important. Some people aren’t happy unless they have some drama going on. This means they want to pull everyone around them into the fray. Those of us who want to make things better can be pulled into these situations. Don’t be pulled in.

Be accountable

I am responsible for my actions, whatever they are. I have the power to make decisions and act accordingly. Choice is the one superpower that we all have. Too many times we choose not to use it. It’s easy to point the finger at someone else and not take the blame for things that are our fault. If it’s our fault we need to own it.

Take off the blinders, be more observant

Intentionally slow down and be observant. Look around and really SEE things. It can be hard to do this when there is so much to do. Being focused on work and projects is a good thing unless it becomes the only thing. You can be so focused that you miss out on other important things. I tend to get focused like this. That is why this is one of my core values. It reminds me of the importance of this.

Intentional action

This is the second most important one behind “honoring God in all that I do”. Nothing happens without action, and we need to be intentional about doing something. It can be hard to move forward when attempting to achieve perfection. It is important to stop thinking and talking about it, but rather take action and do it. A lack of action holds more people back than anything else. Action without being intentional can take us in the wrong direction if we aren’t careful. Too many times we get stuck looking for a guarantee that what we’re thinking about doing is right. Take intentional action.

And that is all of my core values.

I read through them at the start and end of each day. This helps me to continually build my business and life on a solid foundation.

If you would like to figure out what your core values are you can use the process for building your business on a solid foundation.

Another way to avoid wandering is having good business tools. We’re currently offering a free, customized construction proposal system to one lucky winner.

Here’s what you’ll win:

  • Tailored System: Built to match your unique business needs
  • Digital Tools & Templates: Easy-to-use resources to save you time
  • 1-on-1 Coaching: Weekly sessions to guide you step-by-step
  • Follow-up & Reviews: Stay on track with ongoing support

If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system.

Enter the Giveaway Here

A Straight Path is the Shortest Way

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This Can Be Hard in the Wilderness

In geometry, a straight line is the shortest distance between two points (on a flat surface). When going from point A to point B, on a map or in life, it’s rare that we can go in a straight line. In this case we want to find the “most straight” line.

The same is true for our path to salvation.

The fewer detours or obstructions we have to deal with the sooner we get to where we’re going.

The Israelites had been in exile for years. Isaiah explained over and over that they had been dealing with this judgement because of their own self-inflicted obstacles. Then in Chapter 40 he shifts to a message of hope.

In verses 3-5 he tells them,

“Clear the way through the wilderness for the Lord! Make a straight highway through the wasteland for our God! Fill in the valleys, and level the mountains and hills. Straighten the curves, and smooth out the rough places. Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. The Lord has spoken!”

Isaiah is telling them to get ready for the coming of Jesus. That the path is straight. There is only one way to salvation and that is Jesus. They needed to quit wandering around out in the wilderness.

In the New Testament, when Mary visited Elizabeth, the unborn John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb. John already knew he was going to have a part in the Christmas story before he was born. He was going to make a path through the wilderness to Jesus.

We need to do the same thing as John and help each other through the wilderness. We can do this by sharing the road map of life. This map can be found in the Bible. This isn’t to say that it’s easy, but it is the straightest line.

The best path is the straightest line.

We need to use this map in our own lives as well. Life can be a hard road. But it is easier if we know the best path to take.

Advent is the preparing for the coming of Jesus. This is a good time to focus on the path and find our way through the wilderness of life.

Part of preparing for Jesus is repenting of the things we shouldn’t do. Repenting can seem like a negative thing. But it shouldn’t be. Repenting doesn’t mean stop, don’t, no.

Instead of looking at it negatively, look at it positively. It’s not the ending of something, but rather the beginning. Start, do, yes.

Start down the right path. Do something to move you closer to Jesus. Say yes to the straightest line.

Even though the wilderness can seem overwhelming and easy to get lost in, look for the straight path. Nothing is too hard or too difficult for Jesus. He will show you the right way to go.

Core Values are Where Success Begins

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Without Them You Just Wander

The past several weeks we’ve been digging down in the dirt and discussing who you are. Who you are is the ground that your business is built on. That ground is what supports the foundation of your business. The foundation is your core values and principles.

Last week I shared the list of my core values with you. They are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not as much. I’m constantly working on the things on this list to get better at them.

Here’s a brief definition of what these core values mean to me.

Honor God in all that I do

Because I believe that everything that I have or do, belongs to and comes from God, it is only right that I show my appreciation by giving Him the credit for everything. This is the one core value that all the others are supported by.

Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can

Often churches and religions preach that making money is wrong. I have struggled with this for years. Not making a profit is a sure way to lose a business. I think this quote from John Wesley is good advice and fits well with God’s word, “Money is not evil. What we do with it and how we handle it needs to align with God’s purpose.”

Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount

Time is similar to money, if it is viewed from the perspective of a zero-based budget. There is a limited amount of time each day. This means there is a limited number of things that we can spend time on each day. We choose where and how we will spend it. It is up to us to know what the most important things are and focus on them first.

Pay attention to detail

Details matter. Paying attention to details is the best way to circumvent problems. I remember a time early in my construction career when I was working for another contractor. He kept pushing me to go faster, which meant cutting some corners. It ended up that not paying attention to the details cost both of us time and money when we had to go back and redo the work.

Never be satisfied with mediocrity

Mediocrity is the minimum requirement to be average. God has called us to be above average. He has called us to excellence. Going above and beyond is where we set ourselves apart. It is where we accomplish the most. It is where we are working in our sweet spot. This is the place we were meant to be and the thing we were meant to do. Don’t be average.

Find and maintain the balance in everything

Balance is critical to living well. It is a constant lifelong quest. It affects all areas of life and is hard to maintain. I see balance as a large platform sitting 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 from the center) it starts to get heavier in 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 fall off. Keeping things from falling off the platform is all about weight and location. Our lives are like this platform. God set our platform balanced 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 from to put on our platform. The choices are endless. There is spiritual, family, work, friends, fun, community, etc. and each of these areas are full of an endless number of smaller 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 of our platform is our responsibility. Will we be perfect at it? No. Can we learn and get better at it? YES!

To keep this post from getting too long, I’m splitting the list in two. Next week we’ll look at the last six of my core values.

Reviewing these core values regularly is a part of my daily routine. This helps keep me aware of them and reminds me to include them in everything I do.

If you don’t know what your core values are yet, go back to last week’s post and use the process for how to identify your business’s core values.

Ready to take the next step in aligning your business with your core values? To help you build a stronger foundation for your construction business, we’re offering a free, customized proposal system giveaway.

Here’s what you’ll win:

  • 4 training sessions to make setup simple
  • 3 follow-ups to perfect your proposals
  • Templates and documents to save you time

If you or someone you know would benefit from having a proposal system…

Enter Giveaway Here!

A Story is a Good Way to Tell a Story

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It Makes the Message More Real

Stories are a way to relate to information in a more personal way. We can connect and feel stories. It taps into our emotions. It’s a way to make things more understandable.

The Bible is a collection of stories. These were stories that people then could relate to. We can still relate to them today.

Often we are so close to something that we can’t see the whole picture. We are stuck in our rut. Focused on our situation. We want what we want. Our narrow view is all we see.

This was Isaiah’s perspective in Chapter 64 Verses 1-4. The people were tired and frustrated of being in exile. Isaiah wanted God to shake the world and come down as a warrior to free them. He closes with God acting on behalf of people who wait in Him. People were waiting on God throughout the Old Testament.

We are impatient people. We want what we want, and we want it now.

The answer to Isaiah’s plea wasn’t answered quickly. This answer didn’t come as Isaiah expected. It came in the form of a little baby…not a warrior. (Luke 1:26-38)

Too often we are so busy that we forget to step back from the rat race and patiently wait on God’s timing. We feel that waiting is a waste of time.

We need to be willing to wait on God.

Maybe God is waiting on us to wait on Him.

Many times, we hear something that is hard to believe. Like the story of Jesus, being born as a human, dying on the cross, and then coming back to life. From a worldly perspective this is a little hard to believe.

Stories can help us step back and understand things that are hard to believe.

A good example of such a story is one that Paul Harvey shared on his 1970’s radio show, “The Rest of the Story”. This was a Christmas story about a man and some birds.

The Man and the Birds

Author Unknown
As told by Paul Harvey

The man I’m going to tell you about was not a scrooge, he was a kind decent, mostly good man. Generous to his family and upright in his dealings with other men. But he just didn’t believe in all of that incarnation stuff that the churches proclaim at Christmas time. It just didn’t make sense and he was too honest to pretend otherwise. He just couldn’t swallow the Jesus story, about God coming to Earth as a man.

He told his wife I’m truly sorry to distress you, but I’m not going with you to church this Christmas Eve. He said he would feel like a hypocrite and that he would much rather just stay at home, but that he would wait up for them. So he stayed and they went to the midnight service.

Shortly after the family drove away in the car, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier and then he went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper.

Minutes later he was startled by a thudding sound. Then another … and then another. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against the living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate he found a flock of birds huddled outside miserably in the snow. They’d been caught in the storm and in a desperate search for shelter they had tried to fly through his large landscape window. That is what had been making the sound.

Well, he couldn’t let the poor creatures just lie there and freeze, so he remembered the barn where his children stabled their pony. That would provide a warm shelter. All he would have to do is to direct the birds into the shelter.

Quickly, he put on a coat and galoshes and he tramped through the deepening snow to the barn. He opened the doors wide and turned on a light so the birds would know the way in. But the birds did not come in.

So, he figured that food would entice them. He hurried back to the house and fetched some bread crumbs. He sprinkled them on the snow, making a trail of bread crumbs to the yellow-lighted wide open doorway of the stable. But to his dismay, the birds ignored the bread crumbs.

The birds continued to flap around helplessly in the snow. He tried catching them but could not. He tried shooing them into the barn by walking around and waving his arms. Instead, they scattered in every direction … every direction except into the warm lighted barn.

And that’s when he realized they were afraid of him. To them, he reasoned, I am a strange and terrifying creature. If only I could think of some way to let them know that they can trust me. That I am not trying to hurt them, but to help them. But how? Any move he made tended to frighten them and confuse them. They just would not follow. They would not be led or shooed because they feared him.

He thought to himself, if only I could be a bird and mingle with them and speak their language. Then I could tell them not to be afraid. Then I could show them the way to the safe warm … to the safe warm barn. But I would have to be one of them so they could see … and hear … and understand.

At that moment the church bells began to ring. The sound reached his ears above the sounds of the wind.

He stood there listening to the bells, Adeste Fidelis, listening to the bells pealing the glad tidings of Christmas.

And he sank to his knees in the snow …

Stories make things more real.

Anything is possible for God.

Build Your Business on a Solid Foundation

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Your Core Values are the Building Blocks

Over the past several weeks we’ve discussed the importance of a solid foundation for building a successful business. We talked about the ground the foundation is set on is who you are and how you can know your why.

This week we’re going to go back to the foundation. We’re going to take a more detailed look at core values and how they work as the building blocks of your business’s foundation. 

Core values are your fundamental beliefs. They are your guiding principles.

It’s like your business conscience. It is who you are.

The definition of CORE is – the central or most important part of something. This is the most inner part of who you are. This is like your conscience. The deep down, on the inside, who God made you to be.

VALUES are – the regard that something is held to deserve; the importance, worth, or usefulness of something; a person’s principles or standards of behavior; one’s judgment of what is important in life. This is the part that you choose. How you want to be, how you will treat others, etc.

This doesn’t mean they are good. Some people’s values may be selfish or greedy, but regardless, we choose what values we will live by.

These are the non-negotiables. The things that, when faced with decisions, will help your business withstand earthquakes.

How to identify your business’s core values:

  1. Look at a list of values. Find a good, extensive and thorough list of values (like the one below) and start digging through it.
  2. Identify the ones that resonate. From the list, identify the ones that feel most important and mark it with a 1 for most important, 2 for somewhat important, and 3 for least important. Narrow down your number 1’s to six to eight values that feel like an absolute priority. To help you figure it out, ask yourself who a few people are that model what you inspire you, and look at your number 1’s to see what matches. 
  3. Know your heroes. You can also find your core values by thinking about your “heroes,” reflecting on what they embody, what they stand for, and how they embrace it.
  4. Notice your patterns. Being aware of your patterns that are healthy versus unhealthy can guide you in identifying your core values. You can learn about what you want and what doesn’t feel right to you in this process,
  5. Assess whether you’re happy. Ask yourself whether your experiences or choices are making you happy. If not, there are likely core values that aren’t being met in those decisions and situations.

Here is an abbreviated list of personal core values –

  1. Integrity
  2. Freedom
  3. Autonomy
  4. Justice
  5. Faith
  6. Success
  7. Wealth
  8. Grace
  9. Play
  10. Joy
  11. Balance
  12. Peace

Here is an abbreviated list of work core values –

  1. Clear direction
  2. Efficiency
  3. Dedication
  4. Growth
  5. Collaboration
  6. Creativity
  7. Research
  8. Professionalism
  9. Timeliness
  10. Quality
  11. Problem-solving
  12. Discipline

You can see the complete lists here.

My personal and business core values are the same. They are a collection of things that I’m naturally good at and some things…not so much. Things that I’m constantly working to get better at.

My core values are things that are in alignment with what I believe God wants from me and for me.

It’s hard to define your business’s core values if your business is more than just you. We are all individuals and recognizing this will make the process easier.

My Core Values—other than the first one—are in no specific order. Some you may recognize as quotes or common sayings. Others are things that I have modified in some way that are meaningful to me. And some I conceived on my own. All of them are values I hold high and strive to live out daily.

Here they are:

  1. Honor God in all that I do
  2. Make all I can, Save all I can, Give all I can
  3. Spend time wisely, there is a limited amount
  4. Pay attention to detail
  5. Never be satisfied with mediocrity
  6. Find and maintain the balance in everything
  7. Build the wall one brick at a time
  8. Remember that I have two ears and one mouth
  9. Avoid drama
  10. Be accountable
  11. Take off the blinders, be more observant
  12. Intentional action

Over the next couple of weeks, I will break down these core values and give you more insight into what they mean to me and how I try to live them daily.