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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

I am different


Okay, I have an earth shattering revelation for all of you out there in cyber space.

I am different.

You read it here first!

Okay, so for all of you who are going, "duh, we knew that..." let me say that most of the time I forget this fact. I go around just thinking I am living life, that I'm a "normal woman" and then something comes back around to slap me upside the head and remind me, "Girl...you are one unique chick..." I do have some things in common with other women such as hating to shop for a bathing suit, or having to watch my weight. I love tea shops and Starbucks, and getting new shoes. I love Lifetime TV and sitting on the beach with my toes in the sand. There's a lot of things I am crazy about that plenty of other women are. But when it comes to my call to leadership, my drive and passion and the way I live out the call of God, I am most times out there alone on a limb. All of those other things are fun, but what gets me up in the morning is the call of God, plain and simple.

Larry has often had to remind me that I'm different because sometimes I get frustrated at what I see as so abnormal about others. He tells me, "Baby, you are DIFFERENT, how many times do I have to tell you this? Don't compare yourself to others because it's apples and oranges. You are set apart..." 

Some things happened today to make me realize just how "set apart" by God I am. How differently I live than the majority of other women I am personally acquainted with. Sometimes I marvel at the fact that I am called to pastor women because so many times I myself don't understand them unless they are like me! Reality is, there are very few women who are eating out of my box of Cheerios. 

Well, I can lament how lonely this road can be sometimes living out this call, or I can celebrate it's uniqueness. Honestly for all the frustration there is in being "different" there are a few blessings to this kind of life and a few I can think of are:

1) Not many are eating out of my box of Cheerios, but when I find one or two who are...what a meal we have when we get together! There is so much to enjoy in our conversation. Having more than one "high flyer" in the room as I call them, is like spontaneous combustion.
2) Although I pay a price some don't have to pay, I also get rewards they don't receive.
3) It is so fulfilling. There is a wonderfulness about living out such a significant, purposeful call and doing it to the fullest.

I am different. And I'm so glad! You couldn't PAY me to be ordinary. Quite frankly, not only is it unappealing to me, but it scares me to death.

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