Replacement Cost Value

I have been working in insurance for over 5 years now and have learned a lot of the process and “lingo”. When damages occur to your covered property, it is our job in the insurance industry to provide help to get you “back to normal”. They call this “pre-loss condition”, or how your home was prior to the loss or damages that occurred. Most of the time all parties involved focus on the final Replacement Cost Value in the estimate. This reflects the most value estimated for your loss per on site inspection. Most of the time, the upfront “cost” you are paid is called actual cash value. Valuing your home or property at its current state when the loss occurred. This estimated value most of the time surprises or depresses those involved as it’s the value seen in the here and now upfront payment. Your deductible is then taken from this value before payment is received. The deductible is the agreed upon value, per your written policy for your property, you agree to pay out of your pocket for any claim filed. This amount ranges per each individual’s chosen amount they’re willing to commit to pay for any loss. Now….since I’ve most likely completely lost you or BORED you to death with all this; let me paint a more vivid picture as to WHY I am led to share all this with you!

PLEASE PAY ATTENTION AS THIS IS IMPORTANT!

Our lives we live each day reflect much of the same as how insurance is valued for your home. Let’s think about it like this….YOU, your body, mind and soul is your “home” here on earth. It is valued by how you take care of it and what you invest in it (live healthy, eat poorly, “garbage in, garbage out”). Your attitude, your beliefs in things or people, your walk in life all make up your value. So, where you live each day and how you live each daily is your “actual cash value” here on earth. Losses in your life: sickness, divorce, relationships broken, career paths and even death; set the actual cash value of how the world determines your worth.

However, there is ONE more important factor in this equation that determines this ACV worth….it’s called, DEPRECIATION. Like the old analogy goes, “once you drive the new car off the lot, its value depreciates immediately.” If you turned around a day later and wanted to sell the car back to the dealer, you wouldn’t get the refund of the same value back. The car is no longer “new” as the purchase of the car changed the value from “new” to “used”. So let’s focus on YOU again, once we were born into this world, our value changed and depreciation begins. Your ACV is determined by how much of your life depreciates from God’s original design for you. In insurance, depreciation is based on the number of years old an item is that’s being estimated (roof, siding, car, etc.). What about your life? How would you determine your depreciation value? I can tell you this, it’s NOT by your age. Your depreciation is determined by how FAR FROM GOD you’ve allowed your life to go since He created you. Ponder that for a moment….each decision you’ve made not in God’s will for you….depreciation. Every allowed action, word or lack of love you show others….depreciation. All of this….my dear friend….alters your ACV here on earth and your purpose.

How do YOU value your worth?

If you were to die tomorrow, how would your ACV be viewed by those that knew you? What value did your time here on earth leave for the future? Your children, your children’s children? How much of your life did you allow to depreciate from your purpose? Do you even know what your estimated REPLACEMENT COST VALUE is or HOW it’s determined?

If you were asked who or what determines your value or worth here on earth, who/what would it be? Your family? Your job? Your spouse? Your finances? What about your habits or church you attend….or don’t? Your replacement cost value could be defined by any of these. However, what do YOU what your RCV to be? Obviously you would want your value to be the most possible; who though would you ALLOW to define this value? My friends, NOBODY or NOTHING on this earth can give you a greater value than God our Father. He created you. He knows every hair on your head. He made you for His purpose.

“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
‭‭-Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

Have we not allowed this world to depreciate our value enough? Since the beginning of our breaths here on earth, SIN has taken its toll on our lives and choices; depreciating us from God’s value for us. Our lives are estimated by this world and how we live in it. Our free will changes our paths everyday from our designed purpose; HOWEVER we don’t have to stay this way. Our ACV as defined by this world DOESN’T have to define our value and our legacy God has in store for us! Your mistakes, your heart breaks, your losses are NOT what define your value. Our God has an RCV that cannot be matched by anyone!

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
‭‭-Romans‬ ‭8:28‬ ‭NASB1995‬‬

“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.”
-‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭NASB1995‬

God made sure that no matter WHAT you did or will do that your Replacement Cost Value in His eyes is invaluable. Have you accepted His son Jesus Christ into your heart and BELIEVE in His word and STRIVE to live your purpose for Him? No matter what the world sees as your ACV, God the Father sees you as “white as snow”(Isaiah 1:18). Your value, when you look into the mirror, is worth His son DYING for YOU! No more depreciation; the used broken you is gone. No more deductible to pay; all debts have been paid by His love. Jesus Christ with His love for YOU, paid it all and you can live WHOLE in the Replacement Cost Jesus estimates your life is worth. Will you ACCEPT His offer?❤️

A Vapor Legacy

“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb.” —‭‭Psalms‬ ‭139:13‬ ‭(NASB)

My body and my soul was created by the hand of God Himself for a purpose. Where I was placed in this world, who my parents would be, and even the life I would (am) live was all predestined by our Creator. After the training wheels were removed by mom and dad, my conscious free will began. I became the identity of Chadwick Edward Taylor; whom not only God created, but who began living daily as my human mind was conditioned to live. The after affects of sin’s ripples from the Garden covered me as it did everyone else on this earth. From this recognition on, who I was, who I am, and who I desire to be I have control of. How have I done with this gift of life with PURPOSE!? How have/has my life played into God’s original purpose for me? How will my legacy be viewed and remembered after God calls me home?

If you have some connection with me, via social media or more personal, I’m sure you may actually read this and see a whole new side of me. This isn’t the Chad “dick” of grade school; the non-popular, and awkward high schooler Chad; or even the Sycamore Chad of undergraduate. This is a Chad some may know and many will not. This Chad that writes these words now is a man who desperately wants to leave the world more loved and encouraged than it was when he came into it. Looking back, it’s hard to see I’ve made it this far and honestly have struggled to understand how…except for Jesus Christ.

I was a standard statistical kid when I was little. Parents divorced when I was 8 years old, lived with mom until a senior in high school. I was never a kid with focus inwardly and to others outwardly. I made average grades and loved sports but was never “one of them”, meaning popular or someone with a name above the average. I just wanted friends and people to like me. I had a few good friends that I feel invested some of their lives with mine. Sadly today most them I have as “social friends” but nothing invested anymore. Childhood friends with only a small record of film in scrapbooks to show our time together. I think a lot to myself if any of them ever think about me or our time spent together? Was my friendship or notoriety as a classmate during those early years enough to leave a fingerprint of my life intertwined with theirs?

Do they still see me or knew I existed?

As a young man trying to find his identity and a pre-pubescent, nervous, acceptance-seeking teenager; I felt so lost. All I seemed to want was to be noticed. To be someone’s friend, someone’s boyfriend, and be someone that others would take note of. Sadly on many accounts, the notice I was getting was more negative or even demeaning. I was definitely no angel. Being a young man diagnosed with ADHD early in my life definitely had its disadvantages where making impulsive decisions definitely came natural. I was definitely not a jock, and I was definitely not a person seen in the lower class; whatever the hell that meant. 🤷‍♂️ Reflecting back, my life seemed pretty normal until one small incident on a school bus defined how others viewed me all the way up until my senior year in high school.

You see, since I was one of “those kids“ who struggled with sitting still and paying attention, it made me an annoyance to others fairly easy. To try and help control this, there were a few times I got stuck behind the bus driver in the front of the bus so I could stay focused on nothing but the trip home or the trip to school, whichever I was on. The disadvantage of this, is when other people got in trouble they also had to come up and sit up front. Back in my day this seemed to happen a lot. One day I wasn’t feeling good and had a headache and was also tired. When this happened I tried to drown out my surroundings by placing a shirt or a jacket over the top of my head and laying up against the bus window and either take a nap or close my eyes. The bus driver would usually tell me when I’m at home and it was like the trip never existed. This one particular day, this family of brothers and sisters, that in many ways were the “bullies of the bus”, in my opinion, were sitting only a few seats behind me near the front. Thus keeping my self distracted and separated from them was what was best for me and my sanity. This day also had another boy from the bus that had to be seated next me due to bad behavior. While I was sitting in my seat, with my jacket over my head, the boy next to me tapped me on the shoulder. When I lifted my jacket up to see what he wanted, he too had his jacket over the top of his head and proceeded to show me his exposed penis. Before I could even get my head turned and my jacket back over my face in disgust, one of the bullies decided to yank the jackets off the top of both of our heads to see what was going on and….. you get the idea. 😞

An unfair and cruel label was tagged onto me that carried all the way into high school. “Fag-it”, “child abuser”, “queer”, “butt-***ker”, and on and on. My desire to write my own identity was constantly derailed due to the dark cloud that wouldn’t leave me alone. Yet, I still tried to be my own person. I tried to make friends and be liked, even tried to let some of the more “influential” ladies get to know who I wanted to be. Nothing seemed to work until the Creator of identities introduced Himself to me on Valentine’s Day in 1996. In an attempted to get help for me, my mom sent me on a journey, through the help of one of the Lord’s leaders, Dr. Diane Wells. They sent me into a Chrysalis. A Chrysalis is defined as, “A quiescent insect pupa, especially of a butterfly or moth”….however the main focal definition is, “a transitional state.” At 16 years old, God reached down to my still developing heart and soul and “chrysalissed” me into His will. I would never realized the depth of this change occurring until later in life.

When you’re a Christ follower, Child-of-God, and you acknowledge God as your Father; not label yourself as a “Christian” or a specific “denomination”, your life has PURPOSE. Instead of trying to look good for people and please a church or pastor full of equally sinful humans effected by the same fall from the Garden; we have PURPOSE to SERVE Jesus Christ. Outside the boundaries of human parameters, boundaried by the Word of God, spoken directly to our hearts and souls. This begins a LEGACY that God our Father desires us to leave that reflects Him. This is the knowledge that took an extra 13 years for me to realize and another 11 years to want to ACT upon obediently.

Now if you’re reading and feel uninterested in continuing reading, then you’re a part of the 47% of people whose minds are elsewhere when being engaged with, according to a Harvard study. That’s okay, I know many who might find my writing interesting, but not ME enough to engage deeper to KNOW me. If that is you, I wouldn’t be mad; however it’s important to know where you want YOUR legacy to lead those connected with you. For me, being “just a Christian” who wore the cross necklace, the “WWJD” bracelets, go to conferences and retreats didn’t seem enough to what Jesus would want from us. So as I matured in Christ, and STILL am to this day, I realized nothing about traditional denominations, “religions” or interpreted beliefs are the core of what I’m purposed to be. Jesus showed His Father to others through genuine LOVE and not conditional love like so many today. I know beyond belief itself that I WANT to reflect that Jesus to as many as I can in this human shell.

Just being a “nice guy” may get me more attention and maybe an ego boost here and there; but that early on never was enough for Jesus. We can’t USE our half truths of Jesus to better ourselves in our relationships. Winning over the job, the family, the “girl” or even the church. It’s a slap in the face of what Christ wanted in us. My 3 failed marriages and my 25+ jobs I’ve had in my lifetime reflected my failed attempts. I want my legacy of how people are to remember me and how Jesus called me on Earth to MEAN more! I want all who ever KNOW the real me that Jesus is the core of ME. Not my human failures! Yeah, my insecurities as a younger man led me to have a misguided relationship with women. Many believed I wanted sex or attention when a simple compliment came out of my mouth. However in most cases, I genuinely just wanted them to know they are valued and appreciated….INSIDE and out. But the world doesn’t allow many to see the Jesus kind of love in those moments. I’m okay with that now. I’ve learned how to respect and love like Jesus with better boundaries from it. I still want all of God’s ladies to know their value, but I don’t have to always be the one to tell them.

I want my brothers in Christ to know their worth too. We’ve ALL been out here with a purpose to lead and LOVE with Jesus. Sadly many men are more apt to stay silent or pursue passions within this world which are easier to stand behind that won’t be criticized as much. Men seem to have lost their self respect in knowing who Jesus says they are in public. Loving other men and uplifting them isn’t “popular” or “masculine” in this world’s eyes and if you love too much; you’re labeled as “gay”. Guess what men!? You’re not weak or “gay” for showing other men, sons or other young men or old that Jesus’ redeeming love! Who cares about this world’s thoughts anyway when this is NOT our home if you believe in Jesus Christ!?

“

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”
‭‭-James‬ ‭4:13-14‬

We have to embrace each day NOW. Come and see our legacy is being written NOW. Be PRESENT in each moment given to you. Each step you have is a MOMENT of engagement with someone; not a distraction, not an annoyance, but a legacy-leaving moment! Your children, your friends, your family, your co-workers, your strangers you pass by each day….YOU CAN’T BE WHERE YOU ARE NOT! Today is the day that the Lord has made, REJOICE and be glad in it!

No matter what is holding you back to leave your lasting mark on this world while you have a chance to impact it….JESUS has redeemed your past and controls the future…you can be PRESENT in the moment! In Matthew 6:34 Jesus states, “So don’t worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Focus on the NOW, focus on TODAY!

Surrender the past in your life you can’t change. TRUST God with a future you can’t control. Once the time has passed on each day my dear friends, you cannot get it back. Be PRESENT in each moment. We are just a vapor that appears for a little while…I want my vapor to leave a LEGACY of LOVE and VALUE and CHANGE for Jesus Christ as He has changed my life. I am never going to be perfect at it, but I want all who ever KNOW me to know I loved Jesus and served Him well and hopefully blessed a few lives along the way….

I love you all. No matter how well we’ve know one another. Thank you for being a part of my life and helping me grow. I pray my life has left it’s stamp on you in a Christ-like way…❤️

READ THIS BEDORE YOU LEAVE!