Most of us spend our days with our heads down. We’re running a business, caring for someone we love, keeping a household together, or just trying to make it to Friday. The daily grind has a way of shrinking our view until all we can see is the next task.
Eternal Perspective Consulting exists to help people lift their heads and see the bigger picture. Since EPC is really me, at least for now, the best way to introduce the company is to tell you a little about the road that brought me here.
A Communicator in the Making
I preached my first sermon at 15 years old in Carthage, Texas. My mother and dad drove me there, because I wasn’t old enough to drive myself. That was about 42 years ago, and I’ve been preaching ever since.
EPC isn’t a sudden idea. It’s something I’ve been preparing for a long time. It’s the main reason I earned my Bachelor of Science in speech communication at UT Tyler. I wanted to sharpen my skills as a communicator, both in front of a crowd and across the table from one person who needed to be heard.
Sports Jacket and Coveralls
My business education started before I finished high school, working for my dad. His family-owned company served all kinds of industries: steel mills, coal mines, canning plants, food processing plants. The way we worked was simple. One day we would put on a sports jacket and make the sale at a client’s headquarters. The next day we put on the coveralls, and went to work.
That lesson stuck with me. You don’t just promise people something. You show up and help carry it out.
Later I went to work for Lide Industries, a manufacturer of steel welded liquid storage tanks. I worked my way up from sales to Executive VP of Sales. The owner liked to say, “Everybody needs a tank.” He was right. That job took me into oil and gas, midstream, petrochemical plants, food production, and anyone who needed a tank. Over the years I learned how businesses really run, what keeps owners up at night, and how much trust matters when someone hands you a problem to solve.
Seeing Life from God’s Point of View
Around 2006, I came to a turning point in my ministry. I realized God wasn’t calling me mainly to local pulpit work. He was calling me to help individuals across the country see their lives from His point of view, as best as any of us can.
Some of the people who taught me the most were caregivers. During my time working with hospice, I watched families care for people they loved through long, hard seasons. Then it came home. My own father lived with dementia for a long time before he passed away in February, almost four years ago.
I’ve been inspired by caregivers who hold on with incredible tenacity. I’ve also sat with others who were overwhelmed by despair. Those are the ones I most want to reach. I want them to know that what they’re doing matters, even when it feels like too much to bear.
First responders and their families hold a special place for me, too. There are first responders in my own family, and I know something of the weight those families carry.
Why “Eternal Perspective”
The name comes from Ecclesiastes 3:11:
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts.”
ECCLESIASTES 3:11, NKJV
When we’re caught in the daily grind, we lose sight of the big picture. Scripture reminds us how short life under the sun really is. James asks,
“For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”
JAMES 4:14, NKJV
But that isn’t the end of the story. God has prepared an eternity for His children. The trials we face here refine us into a prepared people for a prepared place. So the caregiver at 2 a.m., the business owner facing a hard decision, and the family waiting for a first responder to come home are not wasting their days. God is taking what they’re doing right now and making it beautiful in His time.
What Happens in the Room
When people ask what I do, I often tell them I have the privilege of talking to people. That’s the truth. When someone sits down in one of our consulting rooms, I do something that may not have happened in their life for a long time. I listen.
Listening is the foundation for everything else: coaching, planning, business advice, and spiritual counsel. My experience in the pulpit and in the plant has been wide. But I’ve learned that the answer to every question someone brings through the door is found in God’s Word.
My goal is to help people find their direction there. I want to help them see the big picture from God’s point of view and live healthier lives, physically, spiritually, and mentally. I want to help them become everything God would have them to be.
My wife, Salinda, is my partner in all things including our work at EPC. Together we are a blended family with eight adult children and 19 grandchildren. Salinda’s wisdom and experience bring a unique skill set to EPC, and she’s a big part of what we offer the people who walk through our door.
Let’s Talk
If you’re a caregiver who feels worn thin, part of a first responder family, or a business owner trying to see past this season, I’d love to hear from you. You don’t need to have it all figured out. Just reach out, and we’ll start with a conversation.
Kenneth Ray Peden
Senior Consultant
Eternal Perspective Consulting
eternalperspectiveconsulting.com
(903) 699-0973
Kenneth@eternalperspectiveconsulting.com