Category Ramblings

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One of the most significant dates of every year has always been January 1st – well, it is to most of us. To those of you that don’t see it this way, I am sorry for you. There are not many greater gifts that God has given us than a new year. I do mean this in so many ways! One year comes to a close, history is written and the game is over. Hopefully, you have thought ahead and cleaned up all your messes from the years. There is little worse than starting the new year with a bunch of unfinished business! So why do most people think of January 1st as a special day. Also, a new year has begun full of hope, dreams, and possibilities.

I hear the curmudgeon now – “But nothing has really changed – life is just one big continuum of time form the day you are born to the day you die.” Or “I don’t do New Year’s resolutions!” The latter is usually followed by some self-pious nonsense about keeping your word or something similar. I say what Piggy says in Lord of the Flies – sucks to your Puddleglum attitude. Get over yourself and live a little. Don’t be so cynical! Life is too short to live like that. Okay, rant over.

The New Year is a new beginning. The great gift of God is that he gives us an endless string of opportunities to say something like “This is a new day, I will begin again.” We have new days once a day, a new week every week, a new month every month, a new quarter every quarter, and a new year every year. I don’t think it is any coincidence that God, our merciful creator, is constantly urging us to get up and begin again. So, will you take this opportunity to be thankful for new beginnings. Will you wake up on January 1st and recommit yourself to living this life for every drop it has to offer. I know I will. Join me, not literally, but do join me in making your new years resolutions this year – to be a better dad, a better boss, a better churchman, a better husband, a better brother, a better son . . . I think we were “created for more” (Grace College’s motto). Do you?

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Today’s post is a little off topic for a painting blog, but every winter we begin that long season of shorter days and longer nights. It all begins with the world around us getting more stark – the grass goes brown, the leaves begin to fall off the trees, and the birds start heading out. It can be foreboding to many as the signs of winter creep into our everyday lives. But if you have the eyes to see it, you have been given hope too. So many fall festival begin to spring up with people having fun and enjoying hot chocolate and food truck fare. Then Thanksgiving, that high holiday where we reflect on all the gifts that God has given to us as we gather at the table for a feast. But it is not over yet . . .

The Advent season then begins as the excitement of Christmas start to build. Displays start showing up in stores as the anticipation builds. The kids start making paper chains to the countdown to Christmas day! Towns begin to put up decorations and the days begin to get shorter faster. Our neighbors around town begin to string lights on their homes and the world, just as the darkness begins to overtake the days, we light up the nights with our lights. We overcome the darkness with our lights and celebrations and this brings a lot of happiness to those who will accept it. The grinches start showing up too. They can be heard complaining about all the shops putting up Christmas stuff up so early and how December is always way too busy. To some, it seems, God’s goodness to us always comes with a price tag that is almost too big for the measly return of one little day. Just one short day – it is, in fact, one of the shortest days of daylight of the entire year. And should I mention how these grinches feel about family and the get together?

But to many, if not most, that one day is the best day of the year. It is the most anticipated day of the year. To these people, the light of Christmas makes the darkness of winter more meaningful. I don’t think it is a mistake that our Christian forbearers put Christmas in the middle of the winter. Of all the reasons we celebrate Christmas when we do, none of them can be as significant as the idea that, when all seems so dark, cold, and lonely, God gives us the gift of Christmas. Is this not the entire meaning of Christ. Christ enters the world as a light in the darkness making us alive when all we knew was death a separation from God? In our darkest of nights and our lostness, God sends us a light not merely to show us the way, but to light up our lives. He send Christ to make us alive in the middle of being dead. He brings meaning to our lives and, in His grace, He slowly begins to make everything new. There are some who know what I mean and this will bring great joy to your hearts.

Instead of complaining about stores putting up decorations so early, we should be excited and asking why did they put them up so late! And yes, family can be a complicated mess sometimes – most of the time for many. But even in that we should be thankful that we have family, even if it is complicated. My prayer this season is that God will show you His grace and that your heart of mourning can become a heart of thanksgiving and joy. If you thought Christ would fix everything around you, you’ve gotten it wrong! But He can and He will fix you if you will just ask Him to. After all, it is likely you and I are the most broken things around and it all begins with how we are looking at the world.

In the last few years, two competing worldviews have surfaced in our culture.  One worldview is steeped in gratitude and the other is steeped in the language of victimhood.  One worldview tells you to take stock, see your faults and situation, and then work to improve yourself.  The other worldview tells you that you are more a product of your circumstance and that you will need the help of others to improve your situation for you.  One is the view of the world in which you are master of your own destiny and the other requires everyone around you to commit to giving you the proper resources to succeed.  Of course I am talking about the traditional western and Christian worldview.  The other is a newer Marxian view of life.  So, this Thanksgiving, what direction will you go?  Will you see the founders of our county, our way of life as a gift from God that paved the way for this incredible way of life?  Will you see your parents as a gift from God who either gave you the tools to succeed or, if your childhood was difficult, will you see them as giving you the tools to navigate hard circumstances?  Or will you choose to think that they all failed you?

So often our temptation is to focus on the troubles, problems, and difficulties. To scream “foul” at our circumstances when they don’t go our way.  As I think back on all my years, the one constant refrain is that very little actually went according to my plan – and I am so thankful that it didn’t.  I don’t think my life would be the same.  How anemic would life be if I accomplished all I thought I would.  Instead, I was given nine mild mannered children who are delightful to spend time with and a loving wife who is there to help me work through tough problems and cheer me on.  Would it have been like this if I had gotten my way.  Only God could know the answer to that one, but I am happy things have worked out this way.  Maybe your circumstance isn’t so good.  Maybe, if you change how you think about your life and pray for God’s help to improve it, you will slowly begin to see your life change and your will grow in stature with every passing day.  On this Thanksgiving Day, will you reflect on all those undeserved and hard fought for accomplishments in your life?  If you are like me, your thoughts will turn towards family, friends, God, and all those business acquaintances who have added to the fullness of my life over the past 20 years and your heart will be made glad.  Will you be thankful this Thanksgiving?  I hope so, the joy in your heart will be hard to contain!

We get quite a few clients ask why painting prices vary so much?  This is always a question I am happy to field because the answer is pretty simple and revealing of a company’s core commitments.  Our two main expenses are labor and materials so let’s talk about those to categories first. 

First, let’s examine a company’s materials costs.  What is their baseline materials?  Many companies with lower cost quotes use an entry level material.  We often call these top line commercial products.  For us, these would be Sherwin Williams ProMar 200, Behr i300, and PPG SpeedHide.  We like all these products – for commercial new work.  They don’t belong in your home or even in your business repaint work.  What makes these good products for the new build market is that they are competitive and they are serviceable for a shorter period of time.  They lack the ability to clean them and  are really difficult to touch up a year after the install.  They are great at giving you that initial canvas at a lower cost.  We always try to get our customers to spring for the next step up.  It usually doesn’t affect the price very much – typically only 5% or so, but new work is very competitive.  In your business or home, our entry level product is Sherwin-Williams SuperPaint.  Yes, it is more costly, but it will be very serviceable.  

Second is labor prices.  Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for.  Lower cost companies will use less skilled and less reliable labor.  Indiana Painting has committed to a more disciplined and skill workforce because we believe that it is worth the extra investment, and most of our customers do too!  If your contractor is sending you unskilled labor, you have a very low probability of getting a good outcome.  We believe our team makes up for the extra cost by being hard working and efficient.

I believe doing the work right is where most of the discrepancy comes from.  Take wood decks and fences for instance.  Quite a few painting companies won’t touch them because they don’t have the knowledge or the discipline in their crew to succeed.  Our team follows a rigorous step by step process that will ensure your outdoor wood surfaces get the longest life possible.  These extra steps include a chemical treatment, sanding or wire brushing, moisture testing, and applying three full coats on all horizontal surface to ensure complete coverage and durability.  If you do it right, your deck coating should last over 5 years with normal use.  The real way companies cut costs is by taking shortcuts.  This is the main way to get quote prices lower.

There are so many examples I could give on price differences, but the best way to determine if the contractor your are negotiating with is right for you, is to ask them to go into detail about their process.  If the salesman cannot go into detail about their process, than their process is not that special and their crews performing the work are most likely not trained in the methods of getting a thorough paint job that will last a long time.