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What To Do First to Make a Profit

The PF Women Team at our Annual Team Retreat  ~ 2018 Today on Seth Godin's blog, he said: It's tempting to decide to make a profit first, then invest in training, people, facilities, promotion, customer service and most of all, doing important work. In general, though, it goes the other way. Yes, it does. If you are waiting to make a profit before you do these things, in my experience you're  not going to make a profit. So many organizations, ministries and churches are struggling with financial issues. I know your pain. As anyone who follows our story knows, our ministry was in a ton of debt four years ago when I came on as director.  Since that time, we've gotten out of debt and turned a profit every year.  God has done amazing things through out team, for which we give Him the glory! I find that what Seth is saying here is absolutely true, with one disclaimer. For Christian leaders, spiritual disciplines must always be first. Before we started inve

Even the best laid plans...


...often go awry. This picture pretty much sums up the way I feel right now.

So much for my day off.

I have heard people say things like, "everything if Father-filtered." And..."nothing happens that doesn't go past God's desk first for His stamp of approval..."

I have to wonder. Does every phone call go through His filter? I really have to question that sometimes.

Even sometimes when emergencies happen, I have to wonder, "why today?" Didn't God know this in advance? And if He did, why did He allow it TODAY? Of all days. Oh well, the good thing is, there are more Fridays on the calendar to come, although next week will not be one of those for me. I'll be away with the ladies at  Women of Faith. (Which is not a break for me.)

Today when I calmed down a bit, I flopped down on my bed and picked up a book that has been on my nightstand, Come Away My Beloved, by Frances J. Roberts. It's a devotional classic that has been around for 30 years, and has sold 1.4 million copies. Somehow it has escaped my watchful eye, even with all the books I've read, it amazes me the classics I still have yet to discover. The book was given to me by Bobbie, one of my friends here in Tampa. She dropped by the office about 2 weeks ago and left it on my desk, while I was out at lunch. Bobbie is going through struggles of her own that I can't even imagine - she's suddenly had a bunch of family members in need move in with her and she has been taking care of 10 people these last few months. It's been crazy. How she even found the time to get this book for me, and bring it over the other week, I can't imagine. But she did. I haven't slowed down enough to really read it, but today I read a few chapters. And I can't even describe what it did for me.

Listen to an excerpt from the first chapter: 

"O my beloved, abide under the shelter of the lattice, for I have betrothed you to Myself... These are just a few sentences from the first chapter, but basically the whole entire book reads like this, with different topics each day, but the same style of writing. It was like water in a dry and thirsty land to me today. I think if I can run away for just a little while I'll read some of it sitting on my back patio. Til' the next emergency comes along.

Tarry not for an opportunity to have more time to be alone with me...take it though you leave the tasks at hand...

I love you, and if you can always, as it were, feel My pulse beat, you will receive insight that will give you sustaining strength. I bore your sins and I wish to carry your burdens. You may take the gift of a light and merry heart, for My love dispels all fear and is a cure for every ill.

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