Hope for your financial life and beyond

The Luke1428 Value Proposition

What makes a site special? Have you ever thought about that? I certainly hadn’t before starting this blog.

With all the sites on the web, why should someone care enough to read your content? A value proposition outlines what makes the site beneficial, perhaps even unique. It informs readers of your core beliefs that serve as the foundation for every post.

The proposition also focuses me, the writer, on turning out quality content. I won’t write anything that doesn’t connect in some way with this value proposition.

In essence, it’s an expanded blog mission statement designed to tell people why they should read on.

The Value Proposition for Luke1428

1. Balancing faith with functional advice

My faith challenges me every day. It was through my daily Bible reading that I became convicted about my personal money management. That conviction led me to catalog all the verses in the Bible I could discover that spoke on a money related theme. That exercise surprised me in the scope and detailed nature of the passages I located. It dawned on me like never before that God cares deeply about my attitude toward money and how I handle the resources he has put under my care.

You will find my faith woven into many articles here like my Hidden Nuggets Series. It also serves as the branding for the blog itself. The site’s name comes from a New Testament passage (Luke 14:28) where Jesus is describing a man who is attempting to build a tower. The man’s friends end up mocking him because he couldn’t finish due to his lack of planning. That’s not a place I want to be at the end of my life. I believe avoiding that scenario is possible when I balance my faith with practical, everyday money applications.

So Luke1428 has religious underpinnings but it’s not all Sunday School stories and “Praise Jesus!” posts. There’s real knowledge to be gained here and work to be done if you and I are going to engage in activities that lead to victory with our money. So that’s why I also share practical ideas – like my experiences with family budgets, savings plans, poor spending habits, kids and money, investing in stocks or my adventures in rental real estate.

2. Passion to serve others

This site is not about me or about making money. You may see a few ads over the course of time but I’m not here to become famous or get rich blogging. My wife and I have worked hard, planned well and been blessed with some good fortune along the way. This blog doesn’t need to produce a dime for us to live on. I like that feeling and how it relieves pressure on me to compromise for the sake of a dollar.

Ask those who have known me longest and they would say I’ve always had a passion to serve and help others. That’s what drives me each time I sit down to write.

3. A language and thought safe zone

The very first amendment to the U.S. Constitution says “Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…” What a wonderful privilege our country has given us to express ourselves – within the confines of law – in ways we so choose. And oh, how we’ve learned to express ourselves – coming up with some pretty colorful and dynamic language expressions that spill forth in our verbal and written words.

I don’t personally get offended when people swear on their blog, attack people’s character or discuss lewd and suggestive material. They clearly have that choice and it’s not my call to judge them. You just won’t find those things here though because:

a) my faith challenges me to avoid communicating in that way,

b) some people are turned off by that type of content and I want to attract as many people as possible, and

c) my own kids (and other kids I know) read this blog.

4. Exercising the mind

On this site, you will find loads of practical advice in the posts and in the comments section to apply in your life right away. I thrive on providing that because those nuts and bolts helped pull me away from my overspending habits to lead a more disciplined and focused life.

Some topics take longer to apply because they cover deep-thinking issues. In my personal life, that’s part of who I am –  very introspective. Some topics so lock me up at times, I get stalled in making a decision.

It energizes me to tackle abstract concepts. I appreciate the mental struggle in discovering the many angles to a particular situation or topic. So you will find discussions here on topics such as faith, courage, work ethic, fear, motivation, discipline, and vices. I’ll share some of my own experiences about difficult issues in relationships, the formulation of goals, and the need for patience and perseverance. (I’m usually grappling with these topics when I share them so perhaps we can help each other through the struggle.)

Incidentally, if you are truly looking to understand and know me – the person inside – you’ll find the essence of my being in posts like these.

5. Building connections through communication

The most rewarding part of writing and reading blogs is the opportunity to communicate and connect with others. For me, that’s the lifeblood of a good blog. Blogs whose writers don’t engage the readers enough are difficult to enjoy. I want to be where the community is, interacting and learning.

So, I’ll respond to you if you leave a comment. Have a question? Shoot me an email and I’ll get back with you. It’s my commitment to have an interactive blog where readers hear and learn from me but also from one another. Your comment will get a response from me, guaranteed.

6. Ever growing resources

Out of my posts are coming some valuable documents that you can find under the “Resources” tab at the top of the page.

One which I’ve already mentioned is my collection of verses from the Bible that have a money related theme. That project took me a year to accomplish. It’s one of the most exhaustive lists I’ve been able to find on the web.

Second, is the .pdf related to developing goals. You are probably familiar with the goal-setting acronym SMART. But what about a goal-setting SPLASH plan? I often am asked by people how to determine what areas of their life to set goals in. A SPLASH plan answers that question. I wrote about why I love SPLASH plans here and you can download the forms for the plan here. I’ve used it in my own life to great success.

Look for more resources to be available as my site continues to grow.

Hope For Your Financial Life and Beyond

This site has developed into a passion and I don’t plan on going anywhere soon. I’m humbled each day by the support and encouragement that is offered by those who read. It’s for you that Luke1428 exists and why it will continue.

My desire is that you would find hope and peace for your financial life but also in other areas where you may be seeking answers.

To my blogging friends, I would challenge you to come up with your own value proposition. I know it sounds like the type of post that may not garner many eyeballs on the day it’s published. Doesn’t matter. It’s an exercise in becoming a better blogger and understanding what makes your site tick.

Don’t feel as though it has to be something elaborate either. It could simply be a list of bullet points. And just because you write one doesn’t mean it won’t change. I fully intend to revisit and tweak this over time as my blog and vision evolve.