Everyone tells you how difficult it will be to start a business, but no one mentions the struggle and permanence that comes with giving the business a name. It needed it to be meaningful and have a purpose that supported our vision.

For months my grandfather lingered in the back of my mind when pondering the perfect name for our child care center. Jill and I had many discussions about what we wanted our center to stand for and what we wanted our focus to be and it kept leading us to the same outcome: Proverbs 22:6 “train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it.”

If there was ever a man on this earth to strive to love like Jesus, it was my pawpaw, Coy Baker.

He is most admirable for his 20 years of service in the United States Air Force, where he retired as a master sergeant. The Air Force’s motto “aim high, fly fight win” resonated with me. The hymn “Just as I am” went on constant repeat In my mind. I could just hear my pawpaw singing it and as I read the lyrics of the song, I felt it. The name of our daycare is AIM Academy, where you are encouraged to come just “As I aM.”

We derived the 9 core values for AIM Academy from Galatians 5:22

1) I am love because I can care for others

2) I am joy because I can find happiness in sadness

3)I am peace because I am a child of God

4)I am patient because I can stay calm

5)I am goodness because I know right from wrong

6)I am kindness because I am a friend to others

7)I am faithfulness because I tell the truth

8)I am gentleness because I think before I speak

9)I am self control because I decide how I react