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Mark Eastman

How Can I Be the Best Witness?

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Remember It’s Not About Me

Often the words disciple and apostle are used interchangeably. There isn’t a huge difference and most times these words refer to the twelve direct followers of Jesus. A disciple is a follower or student of a teacher. An apostle is one who is sent out to convey a message and to teach.

How amazing would it have been, learning from Jesus in person? In Acts 1:1-14 Luke wrote about the experience. He tells us that Jesus gave them instruction to go and witness to people everywhere. After everything they had been through, I don’t think they would have felt much like going out into the unknown and teaching. It would have been much more comfortable to just stay in and keep it to themselves.

Too many people spend their whole life “going to school” and never put what they learned to use.

Ray Edwards used the word “educrastination” in one of his podcasts. He said, “This is the act of spending too much time learning and not enough time doing.” I can identify with this. I love to learn new things and continue to build a better me. It’s much easier to learn than it is to put those lessons into action. If we don’t put what we learn to use, we’re no better off than we were before we learned it.

Not using and sharing what we learn is an act of selfishness.

Jesus couldn’t physically connect with everyone. In the scripture above, Luke tells us this is why God sent the Holy Spirit…because it could. We have access to this same Holy Spirit today. This is God’s way of equipping and impowering us to do the work He has called us to do.

Luke and the other disciples witnessed Jesus’ miracles firsthand. As apostles with the help of the Holy Spirit they taught others. This teaching and witnessing continues today. I can be a witness for Christ or against Him. Our actions are evidence of our witness.

What is my witness?

Cartoon man looking up at large question mark

It’s Time for Laser Like Focus

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The word "Goal" with a dart hitting the center of a target on the letter "o"

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

Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at determining where you want your life to go and a plan for how to get there. It’s easy to get caught up in all the noise and not know which way to go.

One thing is for sure, if you don’t move, you’ll never get there!

The first week we looked at the importance of having a clear direction. We compared a life GPS, “Goal Prioritization System”, to a GPS used for reaching your destination in your vehicle. You need to start with your why.

The next week’s focus was how to determine “where there is”. This involves opening ourselves up to those big dreams that come by opening our heart to hear the still small voice of our Creator.

Third was cleaning up your dreams and making them a vision. It’s the action of giving dreams some form and a description. In this post I shared some of my big dreams and the process of turning them into a vision.

Last week we went into how to set goals so that you will have a way to measure your progress along the way. The first three weeks were more thinking and planning. This is critical to knowing the destination. In the fourth post we move into the action part of the system.

Now it’s time to get to the PRIORITIZATION part of the Goal Prioritization System.

To be able to reach the destination, we need to prioritize which things need done in what order, we need to be clear on our MISSION. A mission is a clear assignment to be carried out if we are going to achieve our VISION.

My purpose, “Help people find solutions for building their dreams through better business systems, quality construction projects and life lessons.”, is my why. This is what the still small voice spoke to my heart. My vision was shared in the week before lasts post. This is my where.

We have our WHY and our WHERE the mission is the HOW.

Our mission:

Bridge the gap between construction companies and customers.We do this by providing construction businesses with systems and training to make their companies more efficient and effective while educating customers in what to expect throughout the entire construction process.

With our vision and our mission, we know where we’re going and how we’re going to get there.

We’ve looked back and reviewed what we did wrong and what we did right. We can’t change the past…we can only learn from it and move forward. In the infamous words of Franco Bertollini in Gumball Rally…

“What’s behind me is not important.”

Life is like this movie. The drivers start out with a purpose and know their destination. Each team determines what the best plan is for them. As they race across the country they are faced with choices along the way, some planned for and some not. They may have to make split second decisions that will alter their route. But if they are going to achieve their VISION, those decisions need to be based on their MISSION.

We’ve learned from what we been through up to this point. We need to be flexibly rigid. Flexible when it comes to the future because we don’t know what is around the next corner. Rigid in decisions we make, based on our mission. All we can control is this moment we’re in right now. Learn from the past, look to the future, live in the present.

If our focus is on a clear MISSION, the choices in the present become easier.

Love is a Superpower That Needs to be Used

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It’s One Thing That Separates Us from Machines

There are as many different opinions about how to deal with the current virus situation as there are people. Some people think computers could do a better job at making these decisions than politicians. Which might be true.

Computers are amazing and it has been said that artificial intelligence is going to continue to replace humans to a point making humans irrelevant. There is even experimenting with robot priests. This might be going a bit too far.

A senior Catholic sister and theologian, Franciscan Sister Ilia Delio who has two PhDs and a chair in theology at Villanova University, has suggested sophisticated robots could be used as priests. She points out that a robot would hold no bias, would be gender neutral and could transcend human divides. A robot would be able to learn blessings and rituals quickly and in various languages. It would be able to improve and expand based on past input.

Robots can’t experience the spiritual aspect of life. They can never experience the Holy Spirit.

Love is one thing that machines can’t experience. In John 14:15-21, Jesus tells us if we love Him and obey His commands, He will give us a Helper to be with us forever. This Spirit will not leave us alone.

Sacrifice is a part of life. Jesus sacrificed Himself because He loves us. Sacrifice is evidence of our love for Jesus and others. Love is powerful. Love changes lives.

When we love like Jesus, we become more like Him. Machines can’t do this.

Mile Markers on the Way to Your Destination

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It’s Important to Measure Your Progress as You Go

If you aren’t intentional about your actions, you will find yourself being distracted by shinny objects. This doesn’t mean that shiny things aren’t worth the distraction. What it does mean is…you lost your focus. Unless your mission for achieving your vision involves finding shiny objects…ignore it and focus on your destination.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve discussed how a Goal Prioritization System is similar to a GPS in your vehicle. If you put in the right information, it will help you reach your destination. How to determine your destination by opening your mind to big dreams and discovering what your purpose is. And then how to turn your dream into a clear vision.

Setting goals and taking action is the best way to reach your destination.

Just like taking a trip in your vehicle, you should always be aware of where you are in relation to where you are coming from and going to. You need to constantly be paying attention to your fuel level, where the fuel stops are, how fast you’re going, where the rest stops are located, etc. The same is true for traveling through life heading to your destination.

In the last post I shared my dreams for the future and the vision of where I plan to be in seven years. I’ve always been a big dreamer, but big dreams don’t happen without action. For me the next step is the hardest to implement.

Dreaming is a lot easier than doing.

Everything I do should be advancing me toward my dream destination. If not, then I shouldn’t do it. This is critical, but hard for me. By nature, I want to do it all. I need to be intentional about not chasing shiny.

To reach my vision it is going to require a lot of different pieces and specific measurements. For today’s example we’ll look at expanding my customer base.

In my vision I state:

…“reaching hundreds of thousands of people around the world”…

How are we going to expand our customer base from 32 to “hundreds of thousands of people” by the end of 2027? To do this, we need a plan with some ways to track the progress.

If we can increase the number by 200% each year, this can be accomplished. That seems like a pretty big number…and it is.

  • 2020 – 32 x 200% = 64 + 32 = 96
  • 2021 – 96 x 200% = 192 + 96 = 288
  • 2022 – 288 x 200% = 576 + 288 = 864
  • 2023 – 864 x 200% = 1,728 + 864 = 2,592
  • 2024 – 2,592 x 200% = 5,184 + 2,592 = 7,776
  • 2025 – 7,776 x 200% = 15,552 + 7,776 = 23,328
  • 2026 – 23,328 x 200% = 46,656 + 23,328 = 69,984
  • 2027 – 69,984 x 200% = 139,968 + 69,984 = 209,952

At first this looks impossible. If you stop and think about it…all it takes is for everyone to just bring 2 new people to the group.

That doesn’t seem so impossible.

Let’s break this down some more. If we’re going expand our customer base by 64 people by the end of 2020, we need to add 8 new people each month from now to the end of the year. Up to this point this process is still fun…for me.

What really makes this process the most difficult is that the customer base is just one small piece of the overall vision. In addition to the customers we need to have something to sell that they want to buy. We need to balance the physical construction projects with the development of products and services. We need to keep the invoicing done and the bills paid. And on and on…

If one thing isn’t working, it’s time to try something new. Don’t give up. It is easy to be overwhelmed when looking at the big picture. It’s no different than taking a big trip. You have a dream, you determine the destination, you map out the route…

But if you don’t go by some mile markers, you’re never going to get there.

Happiness is Contagious, Much Like a Virus

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Our Subconscious Can Have a Huge Impact on Either

I am a big believer in the power of our mind and the effect the choices we make have on our reality. There is a lot of evidence to this power for either positive or negative thinking. Countless placebo study results have shown the effect the mind can have.

Your mind is a powerful tool…use it wisely.

There are realities that we can’t to ignore, like gravity. But, given the facts of gravity, before there were airplanes people would have said human flight was impossible. I still wouldn’t advise jumping off a cliff, I don’t care how much you believe you won’t hit the ground.

Happiness is a choice. We can choose to be happy even in difficult situations. 

Isolation hurts happiness and mental wellness. I’m thankful for the technology that we have available to allow us to stay connected virtually, but it is not the same as physical connection. The lack of physical connection is a greater detriment to physical health than obesity, smoking or high blood pressure.

Happiness is contagious and is spread through physical interaction.

Happiness comes from within, not from things. It is a superpower available to all of us, but it doesn’t work if we don’t use it. People spend a lot of time and energy looking for happiness from the accumulation of stuff. This kind of happiness will never work for the long term.

Our internal happiness comes from God. In John 14:1-14 Jesus is reassuring his followers. They have been going through some pretty rough times up to this point and things are going to get worse for them before they get better. Jesus tells them in verse 1, to “not be troubled”. He goes on, in verse 6, “I am the way, the truth and the life. The way to the Father is through me.” Philip responds, “show us the Father. That is all we need.” Jesus then tells them, “whoever believes in me knows the Father and will do the same things that I do. If you ask for anything in my name, I will do it.”

We can have a Jesus size happiness if we ask and believe.

What is the Address of Your Vision?

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Clearing the Fog from Your Dream

You dream of your beautiful life out there in the future. You look around and see other people’s amazing lives. What are they doing that you aren’t? The dream that you have for life is so amazing that you question if it’s even a remote possibility.

When we have big dreams…I’m talking really, really big dreams, it’s easy to convince ourselves that they are unrealistic, and can never be achieved. God is a big God and He has big dreams. We’re made in His image…so wouldn’t we naturally have big dreams too?

If your dream is in alignment with God’s, then it definitely IS possible.

The first thing to remember is that everyone’s “amazing dream life” is different. Don’t try to be someone else. Your job is to be you, the best you, not them.

Last week I wrote about listening to God to determine your destination. Giving that dream an address is where the work begins. As long as it stays a dream, we don’t have to DO anything. We can just sit here and look at it, imagining how much fun it would be.

I have some pretty big dreams. Things that excite me when I think about them. Things that some people would see as frivolous, shallow or self-centered. Remember what I said earlier…everyone’s dream life is different.

My dreams for the future currently, in no particular order:

  • Be debt free
  • Add on and remodel our home
  • Travel
  • Own vacation homes
  • Own a NASCAR team
  • Own rental properties – houses, commercial, farmland
  • Build a lifted up 4-wheel drive truck for playing with
  • Have trailers, tractors, loaders, etc.
  • Keep Debby in an almost new vehicle of her choosing
  • Keep my truck maintained and repaired, in like new condition with a goal of putting a million miles on it
  • Build, repair and maintain our buildings, fences, yard, etc. at home
  • Own a plane with an office space and ability to haul my truck
  • Buy old commercial buildings and renovate them back to like new condition

I share these not in a braggadocious way, but to show you how to take the next step from these big dreams to a vision. Often the biggest accomplishments are not the dreams themselves, but the things learned as we work toward them.

My ultimate success is not determined by these dreams being achieved.

I need the address for a vision so that I can enter it into the Goal Prioritization System? I have to determine some specific things needed for these dreams to become a reality. Vision is the act or power of anticipating that which will be. It is something that is seen and perceived.

If I am going to turn my dreams into reality, I need to use my power and act in anticipation of what I perceive. I need to implement my vision.

My vision for 2027:

The business is reaching hundreds of thousands of people around the world helping them find solutions for building their dreams. The focus is on the construction industry and customers, but not limited to that. Solutions for building better businesses, dreams and lives are the same as constructing quality buildings and apply to everyone, everywhere.

The business is generating enough revenue to make it possible to do things that are changing the trajectory of my family, business associates, church, various ministries, worthwhile causes, organizations, the community, the country and the world. The eight-figure gross revenue is not spent or used in a flaunty flamboyant way or viewed as evil or wrong. It is used to enjoy life. It is managed in a way as to not spoil future generations, but rather to leave a responsible legacy. The revenue is not the goal, it is a tool being used.

These goals are achieved through construction, coaching, consulting and educating both in person and virtually. Making this size of impact requires the help of multiple people in a variety of ways. I am not able to do this alone and am blessed with an amazing team that helps carry the load.

My life is lived in abundance, not in scarcity thinking. I am blessed and generously share these blessing with family, friends, church, community and the world.

Now we have an address that we can enter into the Goal Prioritization System. This let’s us determine which direction to head. Next, we need to make sure we are ready to start the trip. Establish how far we can get on a tank of fuel, make sure we have a spare tire, find out where the fuel stops are and how far we can go on a tank of fuel.

Next week we’ll work to break the vision down into goals.

What is the Third Man Syndrome?

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It’s There for Everyone, But You Have to be Open and Willing

The Third Man Syndrome refers to situations where an unseen presence provides comfort and support. This is most commonly reported in cases of extreme or traumatic experiences.

For example, in Sir Ernest Shackleton’s book South, he describes being joined by an incorporeal being when he and two others were on the final leg of their exploration journey over the mountains and glaciers. He said, “It seemed to me often that we were four, not three.”

This ‘third man’ was also alluded to by football player Russell Okung when describing his faith story. While in college his mother and sister were at home alone when a hurricane went through Houston Texas where they lived. Russell says while sitting in the chapel one day God spoke to him and said, “You don’t have to go through this alone. You’re not by yourself.”

“It’s crazy how God will come to you even in the most small, subtle ways – maybe even a whisper.”

A 3rd example comes from James Ryle. He experienced an abusive situation in the orphanage where he was placed at the age of six. After leaving the orphanage in 1969, he fell asleep while driving a car, resulting in the death of his best friend. In an effort to raise the money to pay the attorney representing him in the accident case he was caught selling drugs. He was sentenced to the Texas State Penitentiary at the age of nineteen.

While sitting in jail he recalled a Bible verse he had learned growing up. Romans 8:28, and he realized God was saying, you can keep doing things your way or you can do them My way. Through a collection of miracles James was released early and went on to help found Promise Keepers and ultimately millions of lives were changed.

Too often our ideas are not God’s ideas. We look at things for a worldly perspective and expect God to look at in the same way. For example, in Luke 24:13-35 when some of Jesus’ followers were going to Emmaus after Jesus’ crucifixion. They had expected Jesus to be a worldly leader and restore the throne to Jerusalem. They were left lost and scared after He was killed.

“While they talked and discussed, Jesus Himself came and began walking with them.” Luke 24:15

The greatest blessing God gives us is the knowledge of His presence in our challenges. When we ask for patience, He doesn’t give us a warm and fuzzy answer. He puts challenging people and situations in our path. When we pray for wisdom, He gives us situations that require humility and discernment. God’s miracles are often average people dealing with difficult circumstances and finding solutions.

God doesn’t give us “genie in a bottle” answers.

He will be there through the storm. He will give us direction and insight, but we need to be willing to do our part. We need to be open and aware to the “third man”

May the Christ who walks on wounded feet, walk with you on the road

May the Christ who serves with wounded hands, stretch out your hands to serve

May the Christ who loves with a wounded heart, open your heart to love

May you see the face of Christ in everyone you meet and

May everyone you meet see the face of Christ in you

How Do I Even Know Where There Is?

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By Listening to the Still Small Voice That’s in Your Heart

We’re all looking for a road map to our destiny. We want a crystal-clear plan laid out so that we know what to expect around each and every turn. Life doesn’t work that way.

One certainty is…life is uncertain.

This isn’t what we want to hear. We want all the answers before we start the journey. So…if there is no certainty, why do we bother trying to figure out our destination? How do we know which direction to start? If we let it, this uncertainty causes us to stay where we are and not move.

If you don’t move you will never get any closer to your destination.

Last week’s solution was about getting from here to there. It compared a Global Positioning System to life’s GPS, a Goal Prioritization System. This system will help you to determine what your destination is and the steps to take to get there.

This system consists of four parts.

DREAMS   →   VISIONS   →   GOALS   →   ACTIONS

Knowing where your ‘there’ (destination or purpose) is starts with your dream. This consists of thoughts, ideas, images, sensations, emotions, that occur involuntarily in your subconscious. They are a part of you that comes from someplace outside of you. This is God’s way of communicating your ‘there’ (destination or purpose) to you.

In 1 Kings 19, Elijah was feeling overwhelmed and alone in his task. He was sure he had been doing ‘the thing’ he was called to do, but things didn’t seem to be going as planned. God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice and reassured him that he was headed in the right direction.

God is speaking to us. It may be a small inaudible voice, or it may be a smack in the head. We make the destination search more complicated than it is. We tend to over-think this process. The important thing is to listen and to hear what He says.

We need to do more than just listen with our ears we need to hear with our hearts.

How do we hear with our hearts? We take inventory of who we are by asking some questions.

  • What things am I good at? Skills that come naturally to me.
  • What things do I love to do? Things that I must force myself to take breaks from doing and would do for free.
  • What situations and life lessons have I learned? My unique experiences and situations are unique to me.
  • Different personalities work better in different vocations. What things fit with my personality?

These are examples of questions to ask ourselves. After answering these and similar ones we will know our destination. When we feel our destination, it is an amazing thing.

Now that I know where my ‘THERE’ is…. how do I get there?

At this point the destination is determined, but still a little fuzzy. How do we put an address to it so we can enter it into life’s GPS? This is done by turning that dream into a vision.

Next week we’ll turn the dream into a vision and give it an address.

A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine

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It’s Up to Us to Decide to be Cheerful or Not

We have limited control over what happens around us. We have complete control of how we respond. We can choose, it’s up to us to decide if we’re going to take control or not.

We all go through things in life that, at the time, seem unbearable. Whatever it is, someone else ‘has gone’, ‘is going’ or ‘will go’ through it. At the time we are, it sure feels like no one has ever suffered this much.

Peace of mind is what we’re looking for.

In John 20:19-31, the disciples were lost, scared and hiding behind locked doors. Their best friend and leader had been killed a few days before. They were anything but cheerful. Then Jesus showed up and said, “Peace be with you.” He showed them His hands and His side and again said, “Peace be with you”.

He had the power to heal His scars, but He left them to show others the proof of His commitment to us. We all have scars of varying forms and degrees. The Christian band, I Am They, shares this in the song, Scars.

Now I’m standing in confidence

With the strength of Your faithfulness

And I’m not who I was before

No, I don’t have to fear anymore

So I’m thankful for the scars

‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know Your heart

And I know they’ll always tell of who You are

So forever I am thankful for the scars

Scars are a part of our story and a reminder of who we are.

Next, Jesus breathed on the disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” In the span of a few minutes the disciple’s attitudes had changed from sad to happy. With Holy Spirt we can change our attitudes as well. The power of Holy Spirt in our lives prevents us from ever having to be alone. This peace makes being cheerful much easier.

Having God’s peace gives me the courage to move forward in times of doubt and fear.

Nabeel Qureshi was born in San Diego to Pakistani Muslim parents who had immigrated to the US. While attending college he engaged in religious discussions with Christian, David Wood. They became friends and through this relationship Qureshi converted to Christianity. Converting to Christianity from being a Muslim requires real commitment. A conversion of this kind can be a death sentence.

In his book, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, Nabeel provides an intimate window into the struggle of being raised in a loving Muslim home and the inner turmoil of becoming a Christian. The clash between Islam and Christianity and the peace he finds in Jesus.

Peace is the defining mark of those who follow Jesus.

We get to decide if we want the cheerfulness and peace that come with being Christians. When struggling through all the difficulties that life dishes out, it’s hard to find a better medicine than a cheerful heart.

How Do I Get from Here to There?

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With a Clear Understanding of Your Life’s GPS

A friend and I were recently discussing the sense of out-of-control overwhelm that we were both experiencing. There are so many important, valuable, worthwhile things to do. How will I ever get them all done?

My to-do-list is so long there’s not enough time to read it…let alone do it.

I’m tired of being stuck in this rut and am looking for a way out. Some of the things on our lists were classes and trainings. These should be something to help, but too often just becomes another thing on the list.

Most of us want a clearer direction, but don’t know what that is.

I’ve been thinking about this since our discussion…not to mention studying about it. As I was researching ways to better achieve goals it became clear that there isn’t any real difference in any of them. Sure, there are small nuanced differences but they’re really all the same.

Sometimes the same thing we heard several times before resonates with us this time. Who knows why? It may be the presenter, or the form of presentation, or maybe it’s just timing, who knows? An example of this recently is when I was going through Mark Shinnerer’s, Vision Building course and his comparison of a GPS to a life plan. There really are a lot of similarities in life planning and a GPS.

One thing that’s critical to achieving goals is in prioritization.

This is one of the places I struggle most. When looking at that huge long list of all those important, valuable, worthwhile things to do. Where do I start? This is where accomplishment gets lost. Too much time spent trying to decide.

Here are some GPS similarities:

When going from here to there, using a Global Positioning System, we put in the destination we want to go, and it gives us optional routes to get there. When planning to go from here to there in life’s journey we need to use a Goal Prioritization System. This system will help us determine the path we will take to reach our purpose destination.

  • Determine where you want to go before you start – Knowing where you want to go will make the trip more productive. This doesn’t mean that you can’t change the destination later, but it takes away from forward progress.
  • Choose which of the routes you’re going to take – There are options of shorter and more direct or longer and more scenic. There’s no right or wrong, just choose one and get started. As you are on your way you can change your mind and the GPS will reroute you.
  • Unexpected things out of your control happen – You may encounter road work or a flat tire. These things require some adjustment to your schedule and/or possibly your route. Remember these things happening are out of your control, but how you react to them isn’t.
  • Unplanned things that are in your control – When in route you may encounter scenic stops. You can choose whether to take the time to slow down and smell the roses. You might also come across someone who has had trouble. Stopping or not is also a choice you get to make.

Once you have a clear vision of your destination it’s up to you to get in gear and step on the gas, otherwise you will just sit there thinking about what might have been.

If you don’t move forward you will never reach your destination.