I mentioned earlier, here, that I started a Bible study on Gideon. It is so good and is exactly what I needed at this point. Priscilla Shirer is amazing at taking the Bible and applying it to your life right at this moment. The part of the study that is speaking to me is when God stripped Gideon of most of his soldiers before they were to fight the Midianites.
Judges 7:2 says, The Lord said to Gideon, "You have too many people for Me to hand the Midianites over to you, or else Israel might brag: 'I did it myself.'"
I love that God needed to make it clear that HE would be destroying the Midianites, not the Israelites, they were just a vessel in which God used for HIS victory!
What I love about Gideon is that he wasn't too proud to admit he was scared to fight the Midianites. I'm sure he tried to find comfort in his soldiers...ALL 32,000 of them. It does often make things easier when we have back-up, when we don't feel so alone. It would be very normal for Gideon to look for support from the very men who would be fighting on his side. But God doesn't "do normal", if HE did where would our faith come in, how could we see HIM amongst the normal, it would be hard to decipher how God plays out in our daily lives.
I'm a take charge type of person, and if I commit to something then I see it through to completion. I'm not a fan of doing "just enough", I don't see the point. However, that's not to say there is anything wrong with someone who is able to release control or doesn't get too caught up in the details. I imagine that to be such a relaxing way to live.
So when God takes the 32,000 down to a mere 300....I am in complete AWE!!! This fight will be on God's terms and there will be no mistake of who is in CONTROL!!! It is easy to say, "This is what I want in my life!" But when God asks me to trim back my "troops" the reality of actually doing it becomes difficult. I start to question if it is necessary, and my controlling nature rears its ugly head and wants a role in the plan. Because 32,000 down to 300 is a HUGE difference, it isn't just rearranging the "troops" I already have, or giving a few "troops" away and still keeping the majority of what I have...it is making a VAST CHANGE.
The great thing about Gideon's story is...GOD WINS!!! We know the ending, and God can WIN at the end of my story too...if I trim back my troops!!! Are you ready?
Until we meet again,
Heather
Monday, July 8, 2013
Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Fixed Cost VS Cost Plus
I can't believe that we will be making the decision on who will be building our house in just a week or less! I am completely excited and probably still a little naive as to what it ALL entails. It seems similar to child birth...if we really knew EVERY detail we might not choose to do it. Nonetheless, we have been doing as much up front work as we possibly can so that we have some anticipation as to what various items cost and can make a more informed decision when the "real" time comes.
A key difference in the two builders we have narrowed it down to is their pricing. Builder #1 uses a "cost plus" formula. The basic explanation, as far as I understand it, is he will give us estimates as to what various materials/labor will cost. Then when the actual building process begins Builder #1 makes the purchase of the materials (and installs it) then sends us the bill for it. We can do a comparison at that time to see if the final/actual price was right on target with his estimate, under, or over it. Whatever the case may be we are responsible for the final price...if it's equal then no harm no foul, if it's under then it is in our favor, and over we must pay the difference in price. Therefore, you never really know what the final price will be until the bills start rolling in, and you have to trust in your builder that his estimates are fairly accurate or you could end up spending way over your budget. Obviously, Builder #1 has a great reputation and has been in the business for 20+ years so trust isn't a concern for us. However, we are concerned, that the price can fluctuate by a significant amount, and we have to decide if we are okay with that. The positive side of "cost plus" is we have a direct say in some materials so if the budget is going over we can scale back where we want on cabinets, countertops, flooring, etc.. and directly reduce our cost.
Builder #2 uses "fixed cost" pricing. He basically sits down and reviews every detail (and more) about the house. He then gets a cost on every material (plus labor) and comes back with a total price for the house. If we agree then that IS the price...it doesn't fluctuate when the actual buying of materials begins, and you can plan your budget according to it. In this scenario, the only way the price changes is if we choose a different material than we originally planned or at excavation time if the land we have purchased has "issues" regarding laying foundation. The positive of this builder is we know up front what we are getting and there aren't any surprises with price, but the down side is the price is a little more because you are paying the builder a higher percentage for doing all this work up front. Of course, it is important to have a "fixed cost" builder who has a positive reputation and isn't gouging you from the beginning to make sure all prices cover his costs. We aren't concerned in our situation because Builder #2 has been doing this for 20+ years and doesn't have one complaint filed against him from the BBB, and you can contact absolutely anyone he has ever built a house for and get their honest opinion of him.
There are definitely pros and cons with each scenario, we leave heavily towards one over the other, but I won't comment on which one until we have a signed contract with our builder.
A key difference in the two builders we have narrowed it down to is their pricing. Builder #1 uses a "cost plus" formula. The basic explanation, as far as I understand it, is he will give us estimates as to what various materials/labor will cost. Then when the actual building process begins Builder #1 makes the purchase of the materials (and installs it) then sends us the bill for it. We can do a comparison at that time to see if the final/actual price was right on target with his estimate, under, or over it. Whatever the case may be we are responsible for the final price...if it's equal then no harm no foul, if it's under then it is in our favor, and over we must pay the difference in price. Therefore, you never really know what the final price will be until the bills start rolling in, and you have to trust in your builder that his estimates are fairly accurate or you could end up spending way over your budget. Obviously, Builder #1 has a great reputation and has been in the business for 20+ years so trust isn't a concern for us. However, we are concerned, that the price can fluctuate by a significant amount, and we have to decide if we are okay with that. The positive side of "cost plus" is we have a direct say in some materials so if the budget is going over we can scale back where we want on cabinets, countertops, flooring, etc.. and directly reduce our cost.
Builder #2 uses "fixed cost" pricing. He basically sits down and reviews every detail (and more) about the house. He then gets a cost on every material (plus labor) and comes back with a total price for the house. If we agree then that IS the price...it doesn't fluctuate when the actual buying of materials begins, and you can plan your budget according to it. In this scenario, the only way the price changes is if we choose a different material than we originally planned or at excavation time if the land we have purchased has "issues" regarding laying foundation. The positive of this builder is we know up front what we are getting and there aren't any surprises with price, but the down side is the price is a little more because you are paying the builder a higher percentage for doing all this work up front. Of course, it is important to have a "fixed cost" builder who has a positive reputation and isn't gouging you from the beginning to make sure all prices cover his costs. We aren't concerned in our situation because Builder #2 has been doing this for 20+ years and doesn't have one complaint filed against him from the BBB, and you can contact absolutely anyone he has ever built a house for and get their honest opinion of him.
There are definitely pros and cons with each scenario, we leave heavily towards one over the other, but I won't comment on which one until we have a signed contract with our builder.
Monday, July 1, 2013
I went shopping with Scheaffer
Thursday night my best friend, Tiffany, came for a visit! We shopped, ate, stayed up late, and shopped just a little bit more over the course of 4 days. I had told her about the blog Pinterest Told Me To and let's just say that after this weekend I've made her a believer. It was like having Scheaffer with us everywhere we went, and I can honestly say that girl knows what she is doing.
I'm not going to waste any more time, because if a picture is worth a thousand words I've got a lot to say.
(My Version)
So, I should point out the obvious now....I have NO IDEA how to take a picture of myself. Sheaffer makes it seem like it's no big deal....well, it is harder than it looks! Any pointers...I need help!
I also need to point out that my next two outfits were totally "Sheaffer Insprired". I had never seen them on Pinterest, because I wasn't looking! But I'm so glad Pinterest Told Me To!!
(#2 Outfit: Black Leggins/Denim Shirt)
(My Version)
(Outfit #3: Oatmeal Blazer/White Pants/White Shirt)
(My Version)
So glad my wardrobe is being changed up a bit. These three looks are completely new for me and nothing I would have been bold enough to put together myself. What's great is I pulled up Sheaffer's blog at least 10 times while at the mall shopping...it's a great guide...and stylish!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)