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...
Leviticus 26:9-11 " 'I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful and increase your numbers, and I will keep my covenant with you. You will still be eating last year's harvest when you will have to move it out to make room for the new."
Here is the final word from the Lord for me in these last hours of 2006. I need to be packing for vacation and cleaning but I simply had to reflect for a few moments on closing out the 2006 year. If there's anything I want to close my year out with, it's writing. Because, WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN. If every year was like this...my oh my.
We have been so blessed. What a year of harvest. The final count at the church is 122 souls saved for 2006. We had a salvation and one rededication this morning in service. And onward we go. Of course the most important thing has been salvations, however there has been so much MORE. I see blessings in my family, in our church families, in our church as a whole. In my life personally...I could just go on and on with pages and pages of the blessing of God.
This verse describes where I'm at perfectly. God has poured favor upon us. He has made us fruitful and increased our numbers. So here we are still eating last year's harvest and God is saying, "MAKE ROOM, I'VE GOT A BUNCH MORE!!!"
It was prophesied a few years ago that we would have "a ridiculous harvest at the church..." and more recently it was prophesied one night that we were getting ready for a Holy Ghost Tsunami in our church. I've never forgotten his message and the Word he had at the conclusion of the service for the church. It was really powerful. That night I had a migraine and felt as sick as a dog however I pushed through it and hung on to every word he said because it was so powerful I didn't want to miss a thing. At one point I was basically laying across Larry's chest during the service because I was so sick but I just HAD TO BE THERE. God was speaking to us so mightily. Then after the service at the back table, the evangelist said, "I have a word for you personally, but didn't want to give it during the service..." and he went into some stuff he said God was ready to download in my life in this next year. GOOD STUFF. I can't wait.
Great things are in store. At the same time I know the enemy is not happy. New level, new devil. Every time we take a surge forward, Larry and I need to brace ourselves for cancelling the enemy's next assignment. What a butthead he is. He actually thinks Larry and I are going to get discouraged enough to quit at times. You think after 20 years he would know to leave us alone. We're never giving up or giving in.
This past year so many milestones happened. God gave us a dream team staff. I blog on here ad nauseum about it so I'll stop there on the staff issue for now. (Operative phrase: for now.) I turned 40 this year. Reclarified my life, my personal mission, vision, core values, and life goals. I read Jim Denney's book a few weeks before my birthday, with tears streaming down my face and realized all over again why I've personally been put on the planet. My family greatly prospered this year. By this, I mean in all things but particularly spiritually. I can't thank the Lord enough for how far my boys have come and a large part of that is the leadership he has provided. For this I am ever grateful. To have kids who love the Lord? Nothing is greater. Larry and I prospered in our marriage this year. We are in our 20th year and crazier about each other than ever. How much better does it get than THAT? So much to be thankful for. On top of all that, God gave us the greatest missionfield ever, and the greatest church family ever.
This is the first year in forever that we haven't had a new year's eve party. But I knew with getting ready for the trip it was unwise. To do it like I like to (up right), AND get it cleaned up properly, AND get packed properly -- would have been insane. So, here we are on a quiet night, just waiting for Matt and Linds to eventually come over after the see they ball drop at their party.
Every time we go away somewhere, I have the last ceremonial "enjoying of my house and neighborhood." It sounds crazy, but being home is my greatest relaxation most times because I've made it a haven. I work hard, but I come home to a life I have created which gives me the downtime I need.
Despite having little sleep last night I woke up extra early to sit on my back patio and drink my coffee this morning while the sun was coming up. I just didn't want to miss it. So I got a shower, put on my bathrobe, got my coffee, went out on my swing and watched the sun come up while I talked to the Lord about the morning service and how glad I was to start my day with him. Moving right along we had a great day at church. Went to Moe's with a bunch of people for lunch and I realized once more how much I'll miss them all while I'm away...but this trip is necessary for my family and for me.
Dropped Savannah D. off at her house after lunch and came home to get in my exercise clothes and leave on my bike. I decided to stay out a long time since it's my last time for a week. I didn't want to come home it was so wonderful, but when I saw the street lights coming on, I knew it was time. :-) I listened to some new worship stuff I loaded on my mp3 while riding with the exception of listening to Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" at one point. So the last ceremonial bike ride of 2006 and for the next week is...done. Pastor Lindsay and I will be doing our workouts at the resort now in TN, and we WILL be faithful with it. Let me tell you, after this coming year, people will not be singing, "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" but instead they'll change their tune to, "Don't you wish your pastor was hot like mine?" (ha ha!)
On that note, I'd better quit while I'm ahead...
It's been a phenomenal 2006 and I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for the coming year. I sense Him lining things up for something RIDICULOUS!
Here is the final word from the Lord for me in these last hours of 2006. I need to be packing for vacation and cleaning but I simply had to reflect for a few moments on closing out the 2006 year. If there's anything I want to close my year out with, it's writing. Because, WHAT A YEAR IT HAS BEEN. If every year was like this...my oh my.
We have been so blessed. What a year of harvest. The final count at the church is 122 souls saved for 2006. We had a salvation and one rededication this morning in service. And onward we go. Of course the most important thing has been salvations, however there has been so much MORE. I see blessings in my family, in our church families, in our church as a whole. In my life personally...I could just go on and on with pages and pages of the blessing of God.
This verse describes where I'm at perfectly. God has poured favor upon us. He has made us fruitful and increased our numbers. So here we are still eating last year's harvest and God is saying, "MAKE ROOM, I'VE GOT A BUNCH MORE!!!"
It was prophesied a few years ago that we would have "a ridiculous harvest at the church..." and more recently it was prophesied one night that we were getting ready for a Holy Ghost Tsunami in our church. I've never forgotten his message and the Word he had at the conclusion of the service for the church. It was really powerful. That night I had a migraine and felt as sick as a dog however I pushed through it and hung on to every word he said because it was so powerful I didn't want to miss a thing. At one point I was basically laying across Larry's chest during the service because I was so sick but I just HAD TO BE THERE. God was speaking to us so mightily. Then after the service at the back table, the evangelist said, "I have a word for you personally, but didn't want to give it during the service..." and he went into some stuff he said God was ready to download in my life in this next year. GOOD STUFF. I can't wait.
Great things are in store. At the same time I know the enemy is not happy. New level, new devil. Every time we take a surge forward, Larry and I need to brace ourselves for cancelling the enemy's next assignment. What a butthead he is. He actually thinks Larry and I are going to get discouraged enough to quit at times. You think after 20 years he would know to leave us alone. We're never giving up or giving in.
This past year so many milestones happened. God gave us a dream team staff. I blog on here ad nauseum about it so I'll stop there on the staff issue for now. (Operative phrase: for now.) I turned 40 this year. Reclarified my life, my personal mission, vision, core values, and life goals. I read Jim Denney's book a few weeks before my birthday, with tears streaming down my face and realized all over again why I've personally been put on the planet. My family greatly prospered this year. By this, I mean in all things but particularly spiritually. I can't thank the Lord enough for how far my boys have come and a large part of that is the leadership he has provided. For this I am ever grateful. To have kids who love the Lord? Nothing is greater. Larry and I prospered in our marriage this year. We are in our 20th year and crazier about each other than ever. How much better does it get than THAT? So much to be thankful for. On top of all that, God gave us the greatest missionfield ever, and the greatest church family ever.
This is the first year in forever that we haven't had a new year's eve party. But I knew with getting ready for the trip it was unwise. To do it like I like to (up right), AND get it cleaned up properly, AND get packed properly -- would have been insane. So, here we are on a quiet night, just waiting for Matt and Linds to eventually come over after the see they ball drop at their party.
Every time we go away somewhere, I have the last ceremonial "enjoying of my house and neighborhood." It sounds crazy, but being home is my greatest relaxation most times because I've made it a haven. I work hard, but I come home to a life I have created which gives me the downtime I need.
Despite having little sleep last night I woke up extra early to sit on my back patio and drink my coffee this morning while the sun was coming up. I just didn't want to miss it. So I got a shower, put on my bathrobe, got my coffee, went out on my swing and watched the sun come up while I talked to the Lord about the morning service and how glad I was to start my day with him. Moving right along we had a great day at church. Went to Moe's with a bunch of people for lunch and I realized once more how much I'll miss them all while I'm away...but this trip is necessary for my family and for me.
Dropped Savannah D. off at her house after lunch and came home to get in my exercise clothes and leave on my bike. I decided to stay out a long time since it's my last time for a week. I didn't want to come home it was so wonderful, but when I saw the street lights coming on, I knew it was time. :-) I listened to some new worship stuff I loaded on my mp3 while riding with the exception of listening to Frank Sinatra's "Come Fly With Me" at one point. So the last ceremonial bike ride of 2006 and for the next week is...done. Pastor Lindsay and I will be doing our workouts at the resort now in TN, and we WILL be faithful with it. Let me tell you, after this coming year, people will not be singing, "Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me?" but instead they'll change their tune to, "Don't you wish your pastor was hot like mine?" (ha ha!)
On that note, I'd better quit while I'm ahead...
It's been a phenomenal 2006 and I can hardly wait to see what God has in store for the coming year. I sense Him lining things up for something RIDICULOUS!
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