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!!!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
In a Funk
I don't even know how to begin except to repeat the title and that pretty much sums up where I am..."in a funk". At least that is my self diagnosis, maybe the Lord would call it something else, maybe it's a dry spell, or a "growing phase", maybe even a consequence to my disobedience. None the less, I want to get out of this funk (why does that seem like a verse from an 80's song and then so wrong when describing my relationship with Jesus?).
Part of my problem is I went on my first mission trip to Haiti in October. I need to detail that trip on another post, but for the sake of my funk I'll cut to the chase. After returning from Haiti I had all this "stuff" I had to process, and I feel like my conclusion was...I HAD to change the way I was living to HELP others live a better life, all in the name of JESUS. "All in the name of Jesus" being the most important part, because it isn't so much about trying to get a Target in Haiti, that's implying my life with Target is so much better than a life without it...and here is a shocker, that isn't the case! Instead it is about serving HIM so that I may help others. So from October until just a few months ago I felt "in the moment". God would show me ways to serve and help and I felt the closeness to HIM that I long for and that makes EVERYTHING better.
Slowly, in these past few months, I have drifted from the closeness I once felt and my serving HIM to help others has been sparse. Of course, I could ramble on a million excuses and justify why this has happened, but the bottom line is that I am in a funk. I know what I need to do, could do and should be doing, but for whatever reason I'm holding back. I'm letting "life" roll on day after day into the sameness it was the day before.
So, I'm praying and I'm hopeful that my summer Bible study of Gideon is exactly what I need. I love my summer Bible study time, because it is when two of my high school friends choose a study to complete and then weekly have a conference call to discuss it. Really, how cool is that!??! After 20 years of changing, growing, and maturing we now get to study the Bible together...God is pretty amazing! One of my favorite lines from Priscilla Shirer is this..."The bottom line is that empowerment by God's Spirit is a necessity for success."
Until we meet again,
Heather
Part of my problem is I went on my first mission trip to Haiti in October. I need to detail that trip on another post, but for the sake of my funk I'll cut to the chase. After returning from Haiti I had all this "stuff" I had to process, and I feel like my conclusion was...I HAD to change the way I was living to HELP others live a better life, all in the name of JESUS. "All in the name of Jesus" being the most important part, because it isn't so much about trying to get a Target in Haiti, that's implying my life with Target is so much better than a life without it...and here is a shocker, that isn't the case! Instead it is about serving HIM so that I may help others. So from October until just a few months ago I felt "in the moment". God would show me ways to serve and help and I felt the closeness to HIM that I long for and that makes EVERYTHING better.
Slowly, in these past few months, I have drifted from the closeness I once felt and my serving HIM to help others has been sparse. Of course, I could ramble on a million excuses and justify why this has happened, but the bottom line is that I am in a funk. I know what I need to do, could do and should be doing, but for whatever reason I'm holding back. I'm letting "life" roll on day after day into the sameness it was the day before.
So, I'm praying and I'm hopeful that my summer Bible study of Gideon is exactly what I need. I love my summer Bible study time, because it is when two of my high school friends choose a study to complete and then weekly have a conference call to discuss it. Really, how cool is that!??! After 20 years of changing, growing, and maturing we now get to study the Bible together...God is pretty amazing! One of my favorite lines from Priscilla Shirer is this..."The bottom line is that empowerment by God's Spirit is a necessity for success."
Until we meet again,
Heather
Sunday, June 23, 2013
First Builder Meeting
I wanted to document our first builder meeting because it makes building this house seem very real!!! It took about three and half hours to discuss our house plans, house style, and new ideas that the builder had for us to think about. Drew and I felt very good about the meeting and believe this builder is a real contender for doing the job. The positives is he is very detailed oriented, thorough, texts, emails, and answers his phone when it rings, and is a good listener. We have already seen several of his homes and like the look of what he constructs. We still need to talk to some of his clients to see how smooth the building process went, and how he is on following up if/when problems arise.
Right now we live in a home that was a spec house that had set on the market for about 2 years during the down housing market. This builder has been TERRIBLE with following up with fixing things, blaming anyone but himself for issues, and it has left us fearful of getting into that situation again. We have now learned over the past (almost) 4 years that this builder really doesn't care to have a relationship with his home buyers...something I totally don't understand when your business revolves around PEOPLE!
Builder 1 (we'll call him) is completely different than that and understands that having good communication, follow-up, and listening is not only good for his clients, but it is good for his business. He has been building for about 20 years, and so far we haven't found any complaints against him with the BBB or other people in the community when we tell them our three choices of builders.
It is exciting to see what his bid will be on our house and then compare that with the other two. We have two more meetings this coming week, and then we wait for numbers. Our final decision won't be on numbers alone, obviously that has to play into the decision somewhat, but there are other factors to consider. I have to get along and be able to communicate with the builder, he has to be organized and timely, I have to have faith in him that he does what he says he'll do. Builder 1 has passed the test on all those factors so he is definitely in the running as being "The Builder".
Right now we live in a home that was a spec house that had set on the market for about 2 years during the down housing market. This builder has been TERRIBLE with following up with fixing things, blaming anyone but himself for issues, and it has left us fearful of getting into that situation again. We have now learned over the past (almost) 4 years that this builder really doesn't care to have a relationship with his home buyers...something I totally don't understand when your business revolves around PEOPLE!
Builder 1 (we'll call him) is completely different than that and understands that having good communication, follow-up, and listening is not only good for his clients, but it is good for his business. He has been building for about 20 years, and so far we haven't found any complaints against him with the BBB or other people in the community when we tell them our three choices of builders.
It is exciting to see what his bid will be on our house and then compare that with the other two. We have two more meetings this coming week, and then we wait for numbers. Our final decision won't be on numbers alone, obviously that has to play into the decision somewhat, but there are other factors to consider. I have to get along and be able to communicate with the builder, he has to be organized and timely, I have to have faith in him that he does what he says he'll do. Builder 1 has passed the test on all those factors so he is definitely in the running as being "The Builder".
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Planning Stage
I would say we are at the point that most discussions between my husband and I revolve around house building. We could be discussing the best consequence for our son's misbehavior, and then follow it up with..."Well, in the new house he will be sent to timeout on the back porch!" HA! Slightly kidding, but it does consume a lot of our thoughts, conversations, and time... and this is just the planning stage!
Houzz is my best source so far. I've tried gathering magazines, looking at other websites, but nothing pinpoints my vision for our house as much as Houzz. Now my BIG problem is...do all these singular pictures of doors, windows, bathrooms, kitchen layout, kitchen cabinets, flooring...etc ALL mesh together to make our home!?!?!? I just don't know, by themselves they look awesome, together it may just look like one big hodge-podge of confusion. I have to admit that is one of my biggest fears, that when the house is complete I will look around and it won't feel connected.
So here are a few of my random pictures from Houzz and I hope if something completely stands out as not fitting together you will leave a comment.
1) Kitchen...love the window, the ceiling and island color
2) Master Bath...love the barrel ceiling, flooring, lighting
3) Bath Tub area in Master Bath....love it all!
4) Laundry room...same layout but my window is smaller
5) Variation of this for Olivia's Bedroom
Houzz is my best source so far. I've tried gathering magazines, looking at other websites, but nothing pinpoints my vision for our house as much as Houzz. Now my BIG problem is...do all these singular pictures of doors, windows, bathrooms, kitchen layout, kitchen cabinets, flooring...etc ALL mesh together to make our home!?!?!? I just don't know, by themselves they look awesome, together it may just look like one big hodge-podge of confusion. I have to admit that is one of my biggest fears, that when the house is complete I will look around and it won't feel connected.
So here are a few of my random pictures from Houzz and I hope if something completely stands out as not fitting together you will leave a comment.
1) Kitchen...love the window, the ceiling and island color
2) Master Bath...love the barrel ceiling, flooring, lighting
3) Bath Tub area in Master Bath....love it all!
4) Laundry room...same layout but my window is smaller
Monday, June 17, 2013
Father's Day Anniversary
It will be another 6 years until Father's Day falls on our wedding anniversary. One year after getting married it fell on Father's Day, but we didn't have any children and so the craziness of mixing the two celebrations didn't matter to us. This year is a little different!
We had Drew's Dad over after church for lunch, and I attempted my first homemade coconut cream pie. (Not too shabby!) Then my father-in-law left, and we contemplated going to the pool. Exactly ten minutes after deciding it looked pretty dark outside it began to pour down rain. So it left us indoors with nothing to do. We had already given Drew his Father's Day gifts (biking jerseys) so that anticipation was over. We played Legos, watched "Wild Kratz", and Drew got in a Sunday afternoon nap.
Early evening we took the kids over to Papa's house (Drew's Dad) so that Drew and I could go out and celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary. Jack wanted to know, "Why do you always go out to eat when you take us to Papa's?" Oh someday I hope he will completely understand why we do!!! Needless to say we weren't extremely hungry, and we had a few house planning things to do...still gathering ideas about flooring, bathroom tile, and appliances (I'll update about this later this week). So we finished our errands and Drew asked what type of food I was in the mood for...and really a burger sounded great. Plus our kids aren't fans of burgers so it was a win/win to go out to "Five Guys" and grab burgers without kids and to celebrate 12 wonderful years!!! Not perfect years, not always good times, but 12 years I couldn't imagine spending with anyone but Drew!!! He's a wonderful husband and an amazing father...so Happy Father' Day Anniversary to him!!!
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