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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 hope I'm wrong, but...


The other day I was getting my nails done and was forced to watch a movie. Sometimes I'm glad to be forced, other times not. I could change nail places but I'd never want to - I like it there! Movies play there all day all the time and sometimes I love 'em, sometimes not. The movie of the week this time was Premonition with Sandra Bullock. I found myself frustrated by the plot and wondering what in the world the whole point of the whole thing was and never quite got my answer. But it did get me thinking about something on a serious note.


People talk about women's intuition. On top of whatever that is, whether you believe it does or doesn't exist, I believe I flow in something that definitely does exist and that is the word of knowledge, and also just the general feeling of knowing something in my spirit, as every believer has the ability to do, and I believe some are just more aware of it than others. Being body soul and spirit I believe that often times our spirit knows things before we are aware of them physically. I'm not talking about some kind of magic or witchcraft - I'm talking about a gift from God, as He speaks to you in your spirit through the power of His Holy Spirit.

This happens often to me. I will be awakened in the night and my spirit knows something has happened, but it has not been manifested to me physically yet. It can be good or bad, happy or sad, but the fact is - I know it. As sure as I'm standing there. So if it's good, I start rejoicing and thanking God for what He is doing. If it's not so good, I start praying about that too, canceling the enemy's assignment, praying God's will over the situation and also just being vigilant, watchful and keep a pulse on the situation. I take warnings and words from God seriously. Please understand, I'm the least "mystical" person there is. I'm not into flaky spiritual stuff. But I am being very honest here and matter of fact that there are times I am just doing everyday stuff and this happens.

Sometimes I hate it. Why hate a gift from God? Well, I don't really, but it's like this. I wish everything my spirit told me was good but sometimes it's not. I believe God gives His people warnings especially when He knows they will respect His warnings and take them seriously. A majority of the time I keep it to myself under wraps and just pray about whatever I know in my spirit. That's the main thing I believe God calls any of us to do about things He shows us. But many times I share it with Larry and there are times I feel led to share it with someone if it concerns them in some way. Being Larry's wife for 20 years, he has grown to respect what God tells me more and more and realize there's something to it. There are times God shows me that something is "just not right". Times God warns me about someone or something.

One time God showed me an entire conversation that occurred between four other people when I was not there. For a year I wondered, "is this really God or am I just eating too much pizza late at night? Am I being paranoid?" About a year later in a conversation with one of the persons, they must have been under conviction or whatever because they brought out to me the entire conversation they had (not knowing that God had told me already). The conversation was not a positive thing. They were shocked that I didn't have a big reaction to it and just sat there matter of fact like it was no big deal when they told me. The fact was, it was old news to me. When the Lord showed it to me and it was for the purpose of warning me and "having my back". I believe God always "has your back" it's just that sometimes we don't turn ourselves toward him to realize it on the front end!!!

When it's not something positive that I hear in my spirit, I always hope I'm wrong. I pray hard that I'm wrong. You don't ever want to be right about something bad!!! (At least a normal person doesn't.) But the majority of the time, when it concerns something like that, I'm not wrong. In fact I can count on less than one hand the times I've been wrong.

Godly "premonition" can be a difficult thing. When to share, what to share, if to share. When it's good you can't wait to shout it from the rooftops. When it's bad perhaps nothing is worse. I don't know how many conversations I've started out by saying, "I'm really hope I'm wrong but..."

And time and again I wonder why God chose to tell me those things but several times God has spoken to me when I've wondered or asked that and gently said to me, "Deanna, I am trying to show most people these things in the spirit but they just don't want to see or hear it. Some are too busy to hear it, some too stubborn to hear it, some don't care to hear it..." Choosing to be sensitive to God and hear Him is an exciting life but can also be hard too, because you find yourself at times saying... "I hope I'm wrong, but..." only to see another God-given premonition come to pass.

Have any of you experienced what I'm talking about? Anyone eating out of my box of Cheerios?

Comments

Deborah said…
I fully understand what you are talking about and its so so so good to hear that someone else goes through what I have experienced my whole christian life, when I tried to explain it to someone the other day I was meet with rolling eyes.

Deanna could you tell me if you have any info on Grace vs Legalism and when Grace becomes legalism. I am faced with a huge challenge at the moment and would love some advice or note on these two topics.

love always me
Deborah, I'll get back to you asap with my thoughts...just getting ready to leave in few for a ladies retreat and I'm pressed for time, but I'll mull it over and come back. Love you... (((hugs)))
Anonymous said…
OMGosh, thats too funny
My little Bradii' Myracle (pronounced Brady) had almost same identical comment!!! She made KY GOVERNORS CUP 4th GRADE this year and everyone tells me she should be on "Are you smarter than a 5th grader?"
Im a counselor and cant keep up! teehee!

Hugz on your great site!

~*StarAnna*~ from KY

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