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 i...
Our house is decorated for Christmas now for the most part but the boys have to put the lights outside tomorrow. Each year I tell myself I'm going to add another tree and time always gets away from me but this year we did it. Today we got another tree and I decided to decorate it in a sugared fruit theme. (Here is a photo... I think it's a work in progress, I'll be adding some things as we go along.)
As I was mulling over what to do the thought hit me about sugared fruit, not only because I think it's beautiful but because it reminded me of the fruit of the spirit. I have long said that if you don't possess the fruits of the spirit, nobody really cares if you have the gifts of the spirit. That is one of my pet peeves...fruitless Christians in the church. Just sort of hanging around, dead on the vine. Jesus said in John 15:16 "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last."
We are destined to be fruit bearers. It was His plan that we grow the fruit of the Spirit in our life and that we also bear all kinds of other fruit for Him. People saved through our influence...discipled...going forth to bear lasting fruit of their own. This is what really matters. When I am old someday, I want to basically have a vineyard full of spiritual fruit in my life. Forget about the basket. It's not big enough to hold what I believe God wants to do in my life.
I have both trees up and decorated and most of the decorations in the living room/dining room/family room. Larry and the boys have to go to the church to work tomorrow but when they get home they will do the lights. After I got these two trees up and done, (our family tree and the fruit tree) I stood back and said, "Larry, you're going to think I'm crazy but I want to put a third tree in the kitchen next year...I want to do a tea tree." He didn't say anything but just shot me a look that said, "Yep, you're crazy."
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