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Mark Eastman

How Should I Love My Neighbor?

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By Remembering They Are as Important as You Are

 

 

We’ve all been told to ‘love my neighbor as much as I love myself’. This sounds simple enough in theory. The problem comes when attempting to put it into action.


What does it mean to “love my neighbor”?


In Luke 16:19-31, Jesus talks about the “Rich Man and Lazarus”. In this story the Rich Man dies and goes to Hell and Lazarus dies and goes to Heaven. There’s no indication in the story that the Rich Man was mean to Lazarus. It appears that he was just oblivious, unaware and uncaring.


The Rich Man doesn’t appear to have been a bad man…so why did he end up in Hell?


Loving your neighbor begins with loving God. Loving your neighbor as much as yourself is found in Matthew 22:36-40. In this Scripture, before Jesus says anything about your neighbor He says to, “Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and most important command.” After that He says to, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”


This has to be done in the right order. God first…everything else after.


So, why did Lazarus make it to Heaven and the Rich Man ended up in Hell? It’s pretty simple really. The Rich Man didn’t believe. You can’t earn your way into Heaven by doing good, Ephesians 2:4-10. You can’t buy your way into Heaven with money, Acts 8:18-21. This doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with having money or doing good.


You don’t have to be a believer to treat others well, but you do have to be a believer to get to Heaven. If you are a believer, you will treat others well. If you have your priorities in the right order, “Love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Then “Loving your neighbor as yourself” will come naturally. Every one of us is as important to God as the next.

 


There’s only one way to get to Heaven. You must believe that Jesus is God come to earth, that God raised Jesus from the dead and tell this to others.


If the Rich Man had believed, he would have loved Lazarus and treated him differently. Love God. Love your neighbor. Love yourself. Believe before it’s too late.


Death is the ultimate equalizer.

 

What Should Be Included in A Contractor’s Communication

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The Nuts and Bolts of a Construction Agreement

 

The last two weeks I wrote about how to prevent your construction project from falling apart and the high cost of no communication. 


In the first post I focused on –

  • The fact that bad construction experiences are way too common
  • The most frequent reasons that it happens
  • The number one reason it does


Last week’s emphasis was on –

  • The high cost of this bad communication
  • Reasons communication is avoided
  • The results that can be expected when it doesn’t


What can you, as the customer, do to avoid having a bad construction experience?


It’s not as difficult as it initially appears. It will require some time, effort and education. Reading this week’s solution is a good start.


Communication needs to be thorough and understandable. If it’s not, then it really isn’t communication. When considering a construction project, it is even more important because you have a lot at stake, i.e. time, money, finished project, etc.


Before you start your project, you should expect a written proposal. This proposal should include:

  • Information pertaining to customer and job – Customer’s name, project address, what the job is, who the proposal is going to.
  • What is going to be provided by the contractor – Labor, services, material, equipment, etc.

  • Scope of work – A written-out description of what the project is going to include, specific work to be done, dimensions, materials to be used, etc.
  • Price – Amount for each specific element of the project in addition to a total for the complete project.

  • Payment arrangement – When the payments will be made (at specific time intervals or at completion of specific portions of the project).
  • Project duration – The amount of time the project will take to do after starting.


Now you have the important pieces you need to make an informed decision about your project. You should be able to determine if you and your contractor are in agreement about what the project includes, the price to have it done and how long it will take. One piece of information that is still missing, is when will the project get started. This information will come in a contract after the proposal has been signed.


If your contractor is qualified to do your project, they should be busy doing other construction projects as well as preparing other proposals. This means they can’t realistically schedule your project until the proposal has been signed.

 

Then they can follow up the signed proposal with a contract. This contract should include:

  • Information pertaining to customer and job – Same as on the proposal including any additional pertinent legal information needed.
  • Reference to any additional documents – This could be drawings, specific information about materials used, requirements of the governing body, etc.
  • Construction funding – Pertinent banking information if money is being borrowed.
  • Property specifics – Location of boundaries and/or need for surveying.
  • Start time – The time for the project to be started and the duration.
  • Terms and conditions – More in-depth explanation of project specifications, expectations, requirements and permissions.

 

This amount of communication can lead to information overload, but don’t let it. If you don’t understand something, ask your contractor. If they’re unwilling or unable to satisfactorily explain it to you, this may be another indication that they aren’t the right fit for you.

 


This construction project is your dream don’t let it turn into a nightmare.

 

I’ve spent a lot of time on the communication reason construction projects fall apart. Next week we’ll look at the second half of the list.

  • Poor quality
  • Cluttered and unorganized job site
  • Left hanging part way through an unfinished project
  • Lack of scheduling or poor time management

 

Share your construction nightmares in the comments below.

How To Find Your Purpose And Live It

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It’s Not as Hard as It First Appears

 

It seems that too much of the time we feel lost, with no clear path or understanding of what we’re supposed to be doing. We just drift through life without any idea of where we’re going or how we’re going to get there.


We’ve all been put here for a specific God given purpose. The process of figuring it out is a part of the purpose. We will never completely understand it fully here on earth, but the constant seeking of our purpose moves us closer to finding it.


To accomplish our purpose, we’ve been given skills, and talents that fit specifically with that purpose. Our job is to discern what those abilities are and then to use them in the right ways, not the wrong ones.


Arthur Berry was reportedly the greatest jewel thief in American history. He robbed from the relatives of kings and wealthy businessmen. Early in his life he decided that doing “normal business” was not in his nature. At the age of fifteen he became an active robber.


He was always well dressed and well-spoken. Informal clothes and his good manners presented him the opportunity to walk into any lawn party and mix it up with guests. This would allow him to case the home and know the important information needed for later.


“There are many occasions when the residents woke up. He simply told them to stay calm, hand over the jewels and avoid being hurt. Moreover, he said people seldom resisted this request. For instance, in the Livermore’s bedroom, Barry woke up Mrs. And Mr. Livermore by flashing light in her eyes. She was frightened and asked, “Who is it?” He answered, ‘Good evening’ J. L. just don’t move, phone lines are cut. Just hand over the jewelry and let us go. Barry emptied the dressing table securing $95’000 worth of gems. He noticed the lady is sitting in her nightgown. So, Barry put the bathrobe on her shoulders and lighted a cigarette for her to receive her only comments “You are a real devil”. He warned them not to make any outcry and escaped. But before leaving he returned the $15,000 worth little pinky ring gifted by her husband, at her request.”


The second time Arthur Barry was arrested he spent 17 years behind bars. When released he kept his word of not going back to his “job”. He was honorably employed in his hometown at $50 a week. People knew his past and still, they elected him commander of a local Veteran’s Organization because of his honesty of purpose.


It was said by experts that with his genius he “could have been a successful businessman, Wall Street baron or could have done anything that he had concentrated upon.”


“The ultimate and legendary thief had been robbing himself all along…”


All too often we spend our time and energy on things that are counterproductive to our God given purpose. We rob ourselves by not living our lives to the fullest.

 


God has given us the map for finding our purpose, the Bible. It’s all in there we just have to pick it up and look.

 

There Is A High Cost to No Communication

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The Best Way to Avoid This Is to Communicate

 

You probably guessed it already, this week’s topic is COMMUNICATION and the all too common lack of it. Because communication is such a big issue, I’ve written about more than any topic, including last week. In that post I wrote about the major reasons construction projects fall apart. Half of them are communication related.


This week we’ll look at those reasons, results and remedies for…


• Misunderstandings due to poor or no communication
• Being blindsided by cost overruns or hidden costs
• Completed projects not being what you wanted or expected
• Not understanding construction terminology

 

What is communication?


According to the Cambridge Dictionary, communication is:
…the exchange of information and the expression of feeling that can result in understanding


We all have our own perceptions and understanding of words, phrases and gestures. I presume I know what you mean, and you do the same thing. This happens with spouses, family and close friends, people we know as well as anyone. If it happens in these relationships, it only makes sense that it will be more likely with strangers.

 

Reasons people don’t communicate:

 

  • Takes time – People now expect things instantaneously. We have high speed internet at the tips of our fingers. Photos are developed the moment they’re taken and can be printed instantly via a wireless connection to a printer. We don’t have time to read through a multi-page document explaining our construction project.

 

 

  • Overwhelming – Reading through pages and pages of descriptions and explanations of construction legalese is a daunting task. Probably won’t understand half of it. It’ll be easier to just go ahead and start. We’ll figure out the details as we go. I know what I want and I’m sure the contractor does too…NOT!

 

  • Lost skill – Communication is a two-way process. It requires both giving and receiving, speaking and hearing, writing and reading, expressing and understanding. If we don’t know how to use these skills, we can’t communicate effectively. Good communication requires more than emojis and hashtags.

 

  • Don’t like conflict – Most people don’t like conflict, but it can be positive. Conflict is always difficult but can lead to growth and change. It indicates commitment and can lead to better outcomes. It allows us to see the other side’s position. We should be willing to discuss disagreements without our feelings being hurt.

 

Results of poor communication:

 

  • Project wasn’t what you expected – You have a vision of how your finished project is going to look. You can see it in your mind. When you come home one evening, excited to see what has been done and then…it doesn’t look anything like the picture in your mind. What happened?

 

  • Cost overruns – You’ve saved and/or borrowed the money you predict you’ll need to do the upcoming construction project. You get an estimate of what it’s going to cost. Sure, it’s more than you expected, but that’s alright it will be worth it in the end, right. Then you get the final bill and it’s a lot more than expected. Now what? Where are you going to find the additional money?

 

  • Time overruns – The contractor says; “Your project will be done in no time.” “This won’t take too long.” “We’ll be finished by the end of the month.” “This project will only take a few weeks.” This sounds great, but how long is too long, by the end of which month, how many weeks is a few? Trust me, your contractor’s ideas and yours are different.

 

  • Not knowing what’s going on – As you’re talking with your contractor, he’s telling you how this thingamajig is going to support that doohickey. We use the newest and best gadget to build our gizmos. All the while you are nodding your head as if you know exactly what he’s talking about. When, in reality, you have no clue. Wouldn’t it be worth it to ask some questions?

 

 

 

Poor communication can be solved with more time and intentional effort.

 


Come back next week to discover the remedy for this communication problem by learning what should be included in builder communication.

You Don’t Have to Be Lost

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How to Avoid Ending Up as Unclaimed Baggage

 

 

We’ve all experienced times when we felt lost, wondering what to do, unsure of a decision. We don’t have to stumble around in the dark, bumping into things.


There is an Unclaimed Baggage Center in Alabama where an average of 7,000 unclaimed airline items go every day. It amazes me that much luggage is unclaimed or lost. I understand things get lost, but if it was my luggage, you can be sure that I would be looking long and hard.


Most of us are familiar with the stories Jesus tells about the lost sheep and coin in Luke 15:1-10. Both tell about the importance of being found, the importance of finding, and the joy when the lost are found. We are one or the other, either the lost or the ones seeking the lost. God is looking for the lost and can use help.

 

Everyone can be found.


Many people choose not to be found; they prefer the darkness. Less is required of us if we’re unseen, in the shadows. Life is easier with the light turned off.


Hank Williams wrote the famous song “I Saw the Light” 1948. “Williams often sang his song as if he was a man facing the end, desperate to believe in a salvation that he didn’t think existed. Was he trying to convince himself of the reality of the Gospel?


He sang: “I wandered so aimless, life filled with sin; I wouldn’t ask my dear Savior in. Then Jesus came like a stranger in the night; Praise the Lord, I saw the light!” The chorus went, “I saw the light, I saw the light. No more darkness; no more night. Now I’m so happy no sorrow in sight. Praise the Lord, I saw the light!”


Near the end of his life he was doing a show in San Diego but stumbled drunk off stage after only two songs. His friend, country performer Minnie Pearl tried to sober him as they rode around town in the back seat of his Cadillac so he could do his second show. She got him to join her in singing “I Saw the Light” thinking it might help sober him, but after one verse, Hank put his head in his hands and said, “O Minnie, Minnie, I don’t see no light. There ain’t no light.”


“But there was light, only it seems Hank refused it.”


Don’t spend your life in a pile of unclaimed baggage in some dark corner somewhere.

 

Turn on the light.


If you can’t find the switch or don’t know how to turn it on, ask for help. There is someone out there who can help you.

 

 

How To Prevent Your Construction Project From Falling Apart

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Emphasis on, “The Project”, Not the Construction

 

 

You or someone you know has had a construction project, ‘not go as planned’.

 


To get it back on track may have just required a little clarification or…it may have ended up in court. Clarity of the project up front is the most important and most overlooked part.

 


I’ve heard people say the worst experience of their life was a construction project gone bad. It doesn’t have to be this way!


This problem can, and should, be addressed before any actual construction begins. The underlying issue with any disagreement is, different people seeing things differently. A good contractor’s job is to sort through these differences and develop a clear picture of the project scope, design, schedule and price.


Most construction projects fall apart for one of these reasons:


• Misunderstandings due to poor or no communication
• Blindsided by cost overruns or hidden costs
• Completed project wasn’t what you wanted or expected
• Not understanding construction terminology
• Poor quality
• Cluttered and unorganized job site
• Left hanging part way through an unfinished project
• Lack of scheduling or poor time management

 

The number one foundational problem between customer and contractor is –


LACK OF or POOR COMMUNICATION.


The first four…half of the list, are communication related. Good communication takes time and effort. Time and effort translate into additional cost. Additional cost means your project’s price is higher. Price is important and often leads to choosing a lower bid. Full circle back to the importance of communication. If you are aware of the differences and are presented a clear plan, you can make the best decision for you and your project.


The next two on the list have to do with trade skills and a LACK of QUALITY WORKMANSHIP. The level of craftmanship expected has been decreasing for years. I believe this is the result of importance placed on price rather than quality.


The last two focus on the LACK of HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. This is another place where the bar has been lowered and needs to be raised back up. Contractors need to say what they do and do what they say.

 


This entire list of issues can be remedied with attention given to these three overarching areas –


Better Communication
Quality Workmanship
Honesty & Integrity

 

 

Next week’s solution will focus on the number one reason construction projects fall apart – LACK OF or POOR COMMUNICATION. We will look at things you should know and expect from your contractor before any construction begins and throughout the project

 

Share your worst construction experiences in the comments below.

What Will People Say About Me at My Funeral?

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How I Spend My Time Today Will Have an Effect on That

 

It seems there isn’t enough time to get everything done. I don’t know about you, but I’m constantly looking around for more. I think to myself, “If I just had a few more minutes, I could get this one more thing done.”


The problem with time isn’t how much there is, it’s what we spend it on.


We spend time as though it will last forever. Not so. We each have a limited amount here on earth and we need to be more intentional about how we spend it. Time isn’t like money, we can make more money, but we can’t make any more time. When it’s gone, it’s gone. We can’t ever get it back.


Are we being good stewards of the time we’ve been given?

 

In Max Lucado’s book, “The Eye of the Storm” he tells a story about two paddleboats leaving Memphis headed to New Orleans. “As they traveled side by side, sailors from one vessel made a few remarks about the snail’s pace of the other.


Words were exchanged. Challenges were made. And the race began. Competition became vicious as the two boats roared through the Deep South.


One boat began falling behind. Not enough fuel. There had been plenty of coal for the trip, but not enough for a race. As the boat dropped back, an enterprising young sailor took some of the ship’s cargo and tossed it into the ovens. When the sailors saw that the supplies burned as well as the coal, they fueled their boat with the material they had been assigned to transport. They ended up winning the race but burned their cargo. Their cargo was gone, and they couldn’t get it back.


They lost sight of their purpose along the way and in the end had wasted their trip. Don’t waste your trip by getting caught up in the unintentional rat race of life and in the end, not achieve your purpose.


To live the most productive life we need to “begin with the end in mind”. We need to look at the end of our lives, our funerals, and imagine what people will say about us. In Michael Hyatt’s blog post, “What Will They Say When You Are Dead?”, he lays out a plan for this.

It is common to race through life getting caught up in the unimportant peripheral tasks that don’t contribute directly to what our purpose is. You’ve heard it said that “time is money”. What is the real value of your time? Are you spending your time wisely?


Time is a commodity that can only be spent. You can’t add to it, only subtract.


Are you spending your time wisely?

How To Balance Passion and Profit In Business

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It Doesn’t Have to Be One or The Other

 

Why is it that the owners of small businesses struggle to even make minimum wage? When you factor in the number of hours and amount of stress that most small business owners endure, often it’s less.


I had this conversation with a local contractor last week. The same conversation I’ve had with different contractors, including myself, repeatedly over the years.


Self-employed people are generally in business for one of two reasons. They either love what they do or they’re in it to make all the money they can. The ones who focus on quality and service usually don’t put enough effort into profit. On the other side, the ones who focus on profit, do so while neglecting the quality and service.


Let’s look at some of the reasons for this problem.


In a Score Contracts blog post, “8 Reasons Why Small Businesses Are Not Making Money” they list eight reasons. Most of these you have heard or experienced, but some are worth repeating.


#2 – They don’t know what they’re doing. They are technicians or trades people trying to run a business. They need to have a business plan in place and use it.


#5 – Poor thinking. Most are hard workers but have poor thinking habits. They spend more time planning their meals, vacations and daily chores than they do their life.


#6 – Lack of education. Not formal schooling, rather self-motivated expansion of knowledge like reading, studying, courses, on the job training.


#8 – Self-doubt or fear. Most people quit before they even get started. They look at the options and then talk themselves out of even giving it a real try.

 


Here are some additional reasons that small businesses find it difficult to make money, found in a blog post “17 Truths About Running Your Own Business”. 


#1 – You can’t be everything to everyone. You need to decide what your priorities are, be selective and learn to say no to the things that aren’t.


 

#6 – Your business isn’t a piggy bank. You can’t just spend money on everything you want without a plan. You need to be sure to have money for taxes, equipment or building repairs, investments, etc.

 


#8 – You can’t do everything. You need help. You need a team and they need to be good. You need to know what that looks like and how to get them.


#10 – Your customers are your most important asset. Treat them as such.


#17 – You are your own most important client. You need to spend some time every day working on your business and not in your business. If you don’t take care of the business, it won’t last.

 


What are we going to do to make our business profitable while being true to our passion?


As is the case generally, everyone’s specific situation is different. The important thing is to listen, learn and apply information learned. If you learn new things and don’t use them, they’re worthless.


Application is the hard part.


Because we have struggled ourselves with finding a business system to fit our needs, we decided to develop a user-friendly business system that can be tailored to different business’s needs including training and implementation support.

 

 


It doesn’t have to be only passion or profit; IT CAN BE BOTH.


Here are some previous posts about some of our business system thoughts and struggles.


Building Your Business Is Critical to The Survival of The Business
Be Careful About Short Table Legs
What Does It Take to Be a Builder?
The First Next Thing to Building A Better Business

 

Share business struggles that you or someone you know has had in the comments below. This will be helpful to us as we design the system.

 

 

What Is Faith and Do You Have It?

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It’s A Rare Thing and Hard to Find

 

 

Faith is more than believing, it requires action. This action requires letting go and putting our trust in something bigger. Henri Nouwen tells a story about The Flying Rodleighs who were trapeze artists. The leader of the troupe told Henri,

“The secret is that the flyer does nothing and the catcher does everything. The worst thing the flyer can do is to try to catch the catcher. A flyer must fly, and a catcher must catch, and the flyer must trust, with outstretched arms, that his catcher will be there for him.”

 


As kids we have this kind of faith. We will jump from a bed, without any warning, expecting a parent to catch us.

 


If no one is there when we jump this doesn’t work so well. The more times we’ve jumped, and no one is there to catch us, the more untrusting we become. Faith does not mean we have to see the person catching us, we just need to know that they are there. A relationship needs to be developed prior to the jump. We need to listen to the Catcher’s voice and know that He will catch us.


“Faith means being sure of the things we hope for and knowing that something is real even if we do not see it.” Hebrews 11:1


I’ve been scared to jump. I’ve hit the ground enough times that I remember what it feels like. This is what happens when we jump without checking with the catcher. God has some big scary business changes in mind and has been pushing me to jump; to the point of pulling a board out from under me. 

 


I have been talking about this leap since then, but it’s scary. Talking is not the same as doing. Believing is not the same as action. I’ve been holding on afraid to let go. “We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan.” Romans 8:28 

 


My toes are hanging off the edge and I’m going to jump…I mean it. The Catcher has been patiently waiting and will not let me fall.


Check back to see what this jump looks like.

 

 

Rome Wasn’t Built in A Day and Neither Is A Colossal Website

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A Website Isn’t as Important as Rome, But Pretty Close

 

 

We’re in the process of rebuilding our Timber Creek Construction web site to freshen it up and provide a clearer and more informative message. Whether building Rome or a website, both are big projects. I thought it would be good to share –


The reasons behind the rebuild


A sneak peek at what’s coming

 

Why does anyone even bother having a website anyway?


According to How Stuff Works, “A website lends an air of credibility – it lets people know that you’re serious and ready to do business. It’s a guaranteed sales booster and a whole lot less expensive than buying ads.” So, if you’re in business and you want to connect with someone who might need your product or service, having a website is a good thing.


Okay, but we already have a website, why do we need to rebuild it?


 

 

That’s a good question and one that I asked myself. What’s wrong with the site we have? It’s not that old. We built it when we started Timber Creek Construction…in…2003. Okay, so that’s a little longer ago than I thought. It was cutting edge then but now…not so much. It took someone on the outside to bring this to my attention.

 


We need to clarify our message.


There is a whole list of issues that customers typically have with building contractors, almost all of them come down to one thing – poor communication. Good communication takes two, but in a business to customer relationship the majority of this responsibility lies on the contractor. Clearer, better communication is one of the main things that we hope to accomplish with the new website.


One way to improve the communication is to improve contractor’s business systems. Most small construction companies knew how to do their trade when they started their business but didn’t have any idea how to manage the operational part of their company.


As I looked closer at the Timber Creek website, I discovered that both Timber Creek Construction and Solution Building’s messages at the foundation were the same. In both cases we help people find solutions for building their dreams, whether that’s constructing a building or an operating system to run a more effective business.


Helping small businesses develop and implement business systems and informing and educating the customer is the purpose for Solution Building.

 


Let us know about any issues or problems that you’ve have with construction projects or operating your business in the comments below.


We will be sharing progress updates and more details of both Timber Creek Construction and Solution Building in future posts.