It was the fall of 1979 when G. Meek Carpentry was in its infancy. We began by providing rough and finish carpentry for custom homes and large commercial retail spaces. During that season, I was a “driver” and pushed our crews beyond what was reasonable. In one month, I released from service more than thirty carpenters.

Yet there are seasons when we realize we are trying to be someone else and not who God created us to be. Oftentimes when things feel unsteady, it’s because we are trying to operate within our own strength and apart from Him.

We live in the beautiful Sonoran Desert and many people are surprised that we have mountains and amazing views. It is always exciting walking a property with a client to determine if this is “the one.”

The observation was compelling. My wife Carol and I were walking one evening, and I happened to start counting her steps. For every three I would take, her stride required four to keep up. This analogy depicts what is important to remember about our own life’s schedule and direction. We are all gifted differently and according to God’s schedule. We should never compare ourselves to others.

“The surface conditions did not expose the subsurface failures.” These are the words I heard the Geotechnical Engineer speak when he explained why the mountain slide occurred. Yes; we were excavating into the side of a mountain that appeared to be solid rock above a hillside home when a 16’ X 12’ X 4’ boulder rolled towards the house.

Is your life under construction? I have come to the conclusion that my faith walk is a work in progress. This coincides with the construction process from my 36 years in the building industry. The battle cry of our company is that everything rises and falls upon leadership. Leading ourselves first and then leading our teams.

Does having the right architect make a difference in the project? My answer is unequivocally yes! When I was a young boy working with my dad cleaning up jobsites, I remember a project in northern California where everything about the project was on a single page.