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Mark Eastman

The Most Important Week in History

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Its Importance Was Overlooked Then and Now

Last Sunday was Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. When this week occurred for the first time, what started out as a celebration quickly turned into a dark time for Jesus’ followers.

They were expecting something completely different than what happened. They thought that Jesus was going to over turn the Roman Empire and become a worldly king. They misunderstood Jesus’ message and purpose.

This is like the story Pastor Lee told about a woman that became distraught when she saw a sign in her bank’s window. She went into the bank and asked what was going to happen to her money? The teller asked her what she meant. The lady said the sign in the front window read, “Closed for Good Friday”. When she read it, she saw, “Closed for good, Friday”. We need to be careful to not misunderstand the Message.

It is easy for us to put our perspective on things that in turn lead to misunderstanding. We invite Jesus into our lives and ask Him to make a few changes and freshen things up a bit…you know a little remodeling project. The problem develops when we haven’t really looked at the blueprint, or maybe we don’t know how to read one. God’s plan for our lives more resembles a full-blown renovation, rather than a little remodel.

He plans to turn us into a mansion, if we’ll just let Him.

Usually when we hear the word passion we think of an emotion. We put it in our worldly view. Historically though this word meant to suffer for something cared deeply about, to the point of martyrdom. Jesus cared so deeply for us that He was willing to give His life for us. His passion to for us lead to His death. This is the Passion of Christ.

As humans no matter how high we reach or how long of a ladder we climb on. we can never reach God. He on the other hand can reach us, if we will let Him.

Remember the importance of this Holy Week and let the Master Architect design your dream mansion.

An Out of The Box Project Will Need Out of The Box Solutions

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Windows Will Help You See Those Solutions

The view through a window is much better than through a solid wall. If you’re in a box without windows, it’s hard to see out. Most of the time people are looking for solutions from inside the box. Even the most basic construction project needs a clear view of where things are headed. When it’s something “Undefined” it becomes more difficult.

An update on Hannah’s out of the box, grain bin home project.

As I expected when Hannah went to the bank yesterday, they didn’t just hand her a blank check, imagine that. The meeting went well though and they didn’t tell her no. As always, they gave her some papers to fill out for getting her credit approved. Because the house is going to be built on property that currently belongs to her parents there needs to be a survey done for separating off a parcel. The tricky part will be the appraisal. When doing appraisals, they will compare this project to other similar ones in the area. This is often an issue even for conventional construction projects. Guess what…there aren’t very many ‘out of the box, grain bin houses’ around.

Every problem has a solution, you just have to be willing to look for it.

As Hannah was telling her mom about the meeting with the bank, she said the banker said, “You’ll need some prices from a contractor.” …she handed them the eight-page detailed proposal. Next, they said, “We’ll need drawings.” …she gave them those as well. Most building project customers never get the level of documentation that Hannah had, even after meeting with the bank, let alone before. Another out of the box solution.

Another way windows help, is when they’re delivered. We received the windows and door that were purchased at the Pella contractor garage sale. They were unloaded in her parents’ garage until we are ready for them. We had to do some out of the box thinking to figure out what changes needed to be made to find the out of the box solutions.

Met with the bank and received windows. Two things accomplished this week that move the project forward. We are approaching the top of the mountain and it won’t be long before the momentum picks up. When that happens, we’ll be in for a fast ride down the other side.

Every nail driven, puts another board in the wall.  

Don’t be afraid to look outside of the box for solutions. If you need help with this, let us know in the comments below.

What Is the One Thing That Matters?

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It Took A Lightning Strike Experience for Paul To Figure It Out

While some have had extreme, life altering experiences, many have grown to know what matters most through steady incremental progress. Paul (previously known as Saul) was enthusiastically passionate when he was persecuting Christians and showed the same vigor when sharing Christ’s message.

Paul had a purpose from the beginning, and it took a “board upside the head” experience (which I can identify with) to help him see what it was. Regardless of what has happened to get you to where you are, the important thing is to keep pushing forward to the purpose God has designed you specifically for.

There is so much to do and so little time to do it.

I remember when our kids were growing up and they would say, “There’s nothing to do. I’m bored.” This drove me crazy. I can’t ever remember feeling bored. I’m sure there were times that I did, but I don’t remember them. The definition of boredom is when an individual is left without anything in particular to do, is not interested in his or her surroundings, or feels that something is dull or tedious. This sounds like someone who hasn’t found their purpose.

I find the opposite of boredom to be true in my life. I keep trying to figure out how I’m ever going to get everything done. I have to intentionally take time to slow down and enjoy life or I’m on the go all the time, this isn’t good either. Taking a day to rest and honor God is a part of His plan for us to accomplish our purpose. It worked for Him, it will work for us, but resting certainly isn’t the same as boredom.

Boredom is a big cause of people getting into trouble. They fill their time with things that are unproductive. These people haven’t found their purpose yet. I believe it is because they aren’t actively looking for it. Without a purpose they become bored and lost. Unhappy people are bored and bored people are unhappy? There are many worthwhile things to be done. You don’t have to be bored. It comes down to a personal choice.

We’re only bored if we choose to be.

Paul found the one thing that really matters. His life and death were lived proving this out and he wasn’t bored.

Following Christ will never be boring!

Knowing Yourself Is One of The Most Difficult Things to Do

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It’s A Critical Component in Being Productive

This past week I listened to Michael Hyatt’s, Lead to Win podcast, “3 Actions to Beat Your Biggest Distractions”. The actions were: 1st – build a wall against interruptions, 2nd -put a leash on distractions and 3rd – increase your frustration tolerance. They spoke about how easily we can be distracted, especially nowadays with the bombardment of information.

Most of the things they discussed were great solutions. Some of them, however, were not what I would have done.

Each of us has been designed differently by plan. To be the most productive version of ourselves we need to take time to intentionally figure out what that plan is.

Ultimately it comes down to knowing…

  • WHO we are
  • WHY we do the things we do
  • WHAT we need to be able to accomplish those things
  • WHEN do those things need to be done
  • WHERE do we need to go to achieve those things?
  • HOW do all the pieces fit together

Being our most productive selves is no one’s responsibility but our own.

They talked about interruptions and distractions as different things. For me they really are one in the same. (This reminds me of last week’s post.) If I’m distracted, I’m being interrupted and conversely if I’m interrupted, I’m being distracted. Believe me I know, because I’m interrupted and distracted a lot. Let’s just call it disruptions.

The point here is, regardless of what you call it, you need to know what things disrupt you and how to best deal with them. You can predetermine what those things are and implement systems to handle them ahead of time. It will take some trial and error to figure it out, but you are the one who can do this for yourself. I know that if I get on a social media site that I will spend more time than planned so I’m careful about when and how often I do it.

One of the things that is hard for me is the constant battle between my desire to serve people well and the need to stay focused on what I’m working on. If I’m in the middle of preparing a proposal and the phone rings or a text message comes in and I don’t respond I feel bad. On the other hand, if I stop what I’m doing to respond I’m losing my concentration and dragging out getting the proposal done.

Every situation is different, the key to unlocking productivity is to think about it and be prepared before it happens. In each instance which is more important? If it’s the proposal and I can’t control myself to not respond, then turn the phone off. If it’s a call that I’ve been waiting for all day then I should take it.

The important thing to remember is that it’s up to me. I can choose.

There’s no easy fix. No one size fits all. If you are still alive then you can do something to improve your productivity. The key is to know yourself. This requires asking questions, trying different things and never giving up.

What Is the Most Important Journey?

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That Would Be the Journey of Salvation

Life’s journeys can be hard, some harder than others.

In the 1065 Henry IV became king at the young age of 15. His lack of experience and wisdom at this young age including dealing with various rebellions found him in a difficult time.

One of these conflicts involved the church and Pope Gregory VII. Pope Gregory VII asserted that the College of Cardinals could appoint popes, bishops and other high-ranking church officials. These positions came with income producing lands and other perks. This caused a power struggle between the Emperor and the church.

In 1076 the young Emperor was excommunicated by Pope Henry and the bishops. Being excommunicated meant that the Emperor was banned from the church and taking communion. In the middle ages this was like closing the door to Heaven.

Following the suggestion his adversaries, the young Emperor decided to meet with the Pope at the castle in Canossa. This journey through the Alps in the middle of winter is known as the “Road to Canossa” or the “Humiliation of Canossa”.

Once the Emperor reached the castle, the Pope refused him entry. Henry IV stood outside the castle gate for three days bare footed wearing nothing but a hair-shirt (traditional monk’s robe). Finally, on January the 28th Henry was allowed to enter. That evening the Pope and the Emperor shared communion signaling the end of the excommunication.

Another hard life journey.

Jesus’ also had a hard journey, it included four stops along the way. The first was in the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed to have this suffering taken away. He knew how hard the was going to be. The second stop was Gabbatha. Otherwise known as the place where Jesus stood trial in front of Pontius Pilot. Third is Galgotha, the place where He was crucified. The great thing is that the journey doesn’t stop here. The final place is the garden tomb where Jesus was buried. This is where His journey ends and ours begins.

Our journey to salvation is much easier than these. Jesus did the hard part. All we have to do is believe, get on and enjoy the ride. This doesn’t mean that there won’t be rough places along the way, but it’s much easier with Jesus showing us the path. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 tells us about the journey.

It’s definitely a trip worth taking.

What Is It About Communicating That’s Missing?

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It’s A Lost Practice That Is Getting More Lost All the Time

Communication is the imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing or the use of another medium. It’s common for one person to presume when communicating with someone that that person understands what they mean. When, in reality, those receiving it don’t. When we receive a message, it generates a range of things including pictures, perceptions, emotions, etc. Often these aren’t the same for both people.

I think social media messages are lowering the communication bar. The lack of punctuation and proper English in emails, texts, social media posts seem to be increasing. It can be fun to use abbreviations, symbols, slang and acronyms in these conversations. We just need to be careful that we don’t loose the ability to communicate effectively.

A poorly communicated message makes an already overwhelmed customer feel even more overwhelmed.

Communication between the contractor and customer is critical to a positive outcome for both parties. The importance of good communication is key to helping customers accomplish their dreams. It takes time and effort to prepare comprehensive proposals but it’s worth it.

An example of how words mean different things to different people is in last week’s post when I wrote about a “manufactured” home. I received a communication that it was a “modular” home, not manufactured. This is how communication should work. Thank you, Ivy.

Technically it’s both “modular” and “manufactured”.

Modular – Relating to a module. A construction system using units or sections for easy construction. A system that subdivides construction into smaller parts or modules that can be built in one location and moved. Constructed using standardized units or dimensions for flexibility and variety.

Manufactured – Making something from raw materials by hand or using machinery. The process of making something systematically. Producing a product in a large scale. Built in one location and able to be shipped to the end destination.

Both definitions describe this home and depending on who you talk to the definition is likely to be different.

Historically manufactured housing is connected to the trailer house industry. These homes aren’t attached to a permanent foundation (another one of those words that can be misleading, nothing is permanent when relating to construction). They typically have a steel frame that remains as part of the home’s construction.

Modular homes on the other hand are generally fastened to a concrete foundation and have no steel frame remaining. They are usually constructed using standard construction materials.

When communicating we need to be intentional in our choice of words. We need to be clear about our message. It’s a good idea to repeat that message multiple times in a variety of ways.

The most important part of communication is to ask questions!

When it comes to communicating, listening is twice as important as talking. Why do you think God gave us two ears and one mouth?

As the business owner or professional is it even more important that we communicate clearly. We have (or at least should have) more knowledge, experience and understanding than our client.

Communication is the number one problem between businesses and customers.

Generally, the customer is a novice and have come to us professionals for guidance and direction. This doesn’t mean that we should tell them what they want. Rather, we need to ask questions and listen to the answers. Find out what their dream is and help them accomplish that. We need to guide them through the process from the beginning to the end.

Communicating is a problem on both sides. The customer generally knows what they want but doesn’t know how to explain it or is afraid to ask questions for fear of appearing dumb. The contractor thinks they know what the customer wants but doesn’t bother to clarify and just charges ahead leaving the customer feeling disappointed, disregarded and regretting having done the project at all.

It doesn’t have to be this way. We are working on some ideas to help narrow the chasm between customers and businesses. Let us know in the comments below if you or someone you know has some specific issues regarding communication that needs solved.

The Worst Thing We Can Do Is Nothing

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We Are Living in The Grace Period

According to Wikipedia, a grace period is a period where a penalty or other action is waived after a deadline or an obligation has passed. This can apply to the starting of a new job, paying a bill, a rental agreement or the meeting of a legal requirement. All of us have experienced the benefits of a grace period.

In Luke 13:6-9 Jesus tells a story about a man who planted a fig tree. After three years the tree had not produced any fruit. The man told his gardener to cut it down. The gardener asked the owner to give the tree one more year. He would work the soil around tree and fertilize it. Then if in another year it still isn’t producing any fruit it will be cut down. This was the tree’s grace period.

Many of us go through life, just like this fig tree, doing nothing and wasting our talents. Too many times we don’t believe that we have what it takes. We think that for something to be valuable, it has to be fabulous and incredible. This isn’t the case. If we all would do the little things that we have the chance to do, the accumulated result will be amazing.

We need to do what we can, where we can, whenever we can.

Too often we hide our gifts afraid that we might make a mistake. Jesus shows us how wrong it is to waste our talents in the story of the three servants, Matthew 25:14-30. In this scripture a wealthy man gives three servants varying amounts of gold (some versions refer to this as talents) to care for and use while he is gone. When he returns two of the three have used their gold (talents) wisely. They are rewarded for this. The third hid his, so the wealthy man took it away and threw the man out into the street. There is a price for not using the gifts we have been given.

Every day is full of opportunities to use our gifts to help others by:

  • Providing a service or product through our vocation
  • Listening to others
  • Getting involved in ministries
  • Treating people with respect
  • Loving our family and friends
  • Smiling at someone
  • Teaching and leading
  • Saying a kind word
  • Donating goods, services and money
  • Opening a door
  • Saying thank you
  • Saying you’re welcome

God has given each of us a purpose. He expects us to use the talents we have been given to fulfill this purpose. As long as we are alive, we should work to accomplish His plans. Each of us is living in the grace period.

Choosing to do nothing with our gifts is the worst thing we can do.

What Are the Benefits to Having A Porch?

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How Adding a Porch to Your Home Can Change Everything

When talking about houses one of the things that is discussed with pride or envy is a porch. Porches will make all the difference to how your home feels before ever stepping foot inside. You’ve probably heard it said that you only have one chance to make a good first impression. This is true for your home as well.

A porch done right can make a great first impression.

Timber Creek Construction is in the pre-construction stages of building a front porch on Will and Ivy Tatum’s new home. They are currently in the process of getting a home set in the country on some family property. The family connection and history lend itself to making the home special. The porch on this home will do just that.

Factory built homes have come a long way from the early days of single wide trailer houses when they weren’t much more than a camping trailer with skirting. I don’t know but having a trailer tongue sticking out on one end and a license plate on the other, just doesn’t feel very long term.

Tatum’s purchased their new Commodore modular home from Shocker Homes east of Wichita in Augusta, Kansas. It is a structurally sound wood framed home bolted to a concrete foundation. (No trailer tongue sticking out on this house.) LG Pike Construction in Arkansas City, Kansas set the home on the foundation with a crane. This process alone was impressive. (Follow this link to see some video.)

Porches vary depending on geographic location, architectural design and purpose. According to Dictionary.com, a porch is, “an exterior appendage to a building, forming a covered approach or vestibule to a doorway.”.

A porch without a roof is not a porch.

A wood structure with spaced flooring is a deck. A concrete slab without a roof is a patio. A raised uncovered concrete area at a doorway is a stoop. All of these serve a purpose, but none of them can offer what a porch can.

The roof portion is what makes all the difference. It’s the part that adds the real value.

Here are a few of the benefits to a porch:

  • Additional protection from the elements (sun, wind, rain)
  • A protected and shaded place to enjoy a cup of coffee, read a book, entertain guests or simply take a nap.
  • Protection from bugs if it is screened
  • Improves appearance of the home’s exterior
  • Increases the value of your home

One of the reasons decks or patios are done rather than porches is the cost. There’s no question that the addition of the roof will increase the cost substantially. Like any construction project that is undertaken, the more that is done, the more that it will cost.

The question…Is it worth it?

Watch the difference that this porch will make to Tatum’s home. Once you see the finished project, I think you and they will both agree.

It was definitely worth it.

Keep watching to see the difference a porch can make.

If you have questions about this project or others contact us in the comments section below.

What Will the Cost of the Trip Be?

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It’s Important to Know the Destination Before You Start Your Journey

Intentional goal setting, including writing them down, is directly connected to the successful outcome of goals. For years we have heard of how often New Year’s resolutions fail. Some statistics show that as much as 60 percent of people abandon them within the first six months. This is due to a lack of commitment.

Jesus’ goal was set from the very beginning. He knew the cost and the destination before He started, He never lost sight or veered from it. Even knowing the cost, He was willing to commit to it. He knew the goal was worth the ultimate cost. We see this in Luke 13:31-35 when He is unwilling to stop doing His work even when confronted by the enemy.

We need to determine where we want to go in this life and beyond and realize it is worth the cost.

Jesus uses the analogy of a hen gathering chicks under her wings in this Scripture. Pastor Lee told a story of a chicken house that was burned down. When looking through the ashes the farmer found a dead hen laying on the floor, her feathers burnt off her back. As he rolled her over chicks came running out, still alive. She put the chicks needs ahead of her own.

We are chicks having had the ultimate price paid for us. We need to repay that gift by being the hen and put other’s ahead of ourselves.

Often, we head off in a direction without thinking it through. We think we have it all figured out. Then when we run into a barricade, we continue bouncing off it, still thinking we know best. Many times, after we have either crashed through or given up, we find there was a better way.

A good example of this barricade banging is when a young boy was sick in the hospital. A doctor who specialized in his illness was called in. While driving to the hospital the doctor was confronted at a stoplight by a man with a gun. The doctor tried to explain the dire emergency, but the man didn’t care. He wanted the doctor’s car, so the doctor gave it to him.

After the doctor finally hailed a cab and caught a train, he made it to the hospital, but it was too late, the boy had died. The doctor was shown to the family in the waiting room. There stood the man who had stolen his car. It was the boy’s father. The father refused to listen to the man who could have saved his son. Too often this is the way we treat the One who can save us. We just keep banging into the barricades over and over and over. Jesus doesn’t want this for us.

The price for our eternal journey has been paid. We just need choose the destination.

The Next Chapter in “The Saga of the Grain-Bin Home”

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The Hero and Her Guide Are Defeating the Evil Budget Monster

As the voyage continues, Hannah and Mark trek forward on their journey toward the allusive ‘Grain-Bin Home’. An expedition like this is not for the faint of heart. It requires the passionate desire of a hero and the experience and knowledge of a trusted guide.

This story began a year ago with the idea of building a small home by repurposing a couple of used grain bins. The two steel bins would be connected by framed wood construction. This idea was dreamt about, discussed, thought about, revised, discussed some more and over the next several months, the preliminary plan emerged.

The collaboration of the hero and the guide in developing a plan before starting on an adventure like this is critically important to achieving a positive outcome. This planning stage is often as long or longer than the building portion. Turning a dream into a reality is the hardest part of the quest. It’s also the most exciting. It is the part where the imagining turns into the doing.

We prepared a proposal based on the preliminary plans. The dollar amount was more than Hannah wanted to spend. So, we went through a list of things that could be changed or removed to get the project closer to the target figure. This included things like radiant floor heating, Pella Designer Series windows with blinds between the glass, and a pass-through indoor/outdoor fireplace.

As we worked on these revisions, Hannah on the drawing and me on the proposal we were presented with some benefits of having an experience guide and the connections that come with them.

First, I became aware of some tongue and grove V-jointed 1×6 pine that a painter had, which had been stained the wrong color for one of his projects. There was enough of it to do the interior wall that we are planning to put stained wood on. It was offered to us at the cost of the wood…we bought it.

Next, I received a communication from my Pella representatives, that Pella Products of Kansas was going to have a “Contractor Garage Sale”. This was to reduce the number of unclaimed, mis-ordered or slightly damaged items taking up space in their warehouse. Hannah and I went to this sale. With some ‘on the spot’ creative solutions we made some idea adjustments and were able to get all the windows and one of the doors needed. This was a price reduction for the customer of over $23,000 from the original proposal. We will spend a portion of that savings on painting the windows so they will all be the same color.

We are on the cusp of transitioning to the doing.

Hannah is finalizing the design changes created by the earlier price reduction list and the windows and door that were purchased. At the same time, I’m finalizing the figures as per those things as well. In the next few weeks Hannah will securing the money needed, and we will be starting on this adventure.

Keep watching for the next chapter in “Saga of the Grain-Bin Home” and share it with others you think might enjoy this story.