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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

She shall stand before kings...



Today was a good day and I can't express how happy I am to finally be sitting here with my feet up, blogging. I don't mind busy days in fact I rather relish them but my feet don't sometimes when I'm in heels all day.


Larry planned to work right through to church and not come home so we went in a little bit later. We needed to really whether we wanted to or not because I had my appt with Ada later in the day and we only have one car now so we needed to plan around it.

Work was good. I did have one very unexpected curve ball where I had to re-do a bunch of my work, but I just leaped a tall building in a single bound, changed things around and got on with it. Such is life! (for me, at least) I find myself often doing my work - having it actually completed - wrapping it up - signed, sealed, delivered and then have somebody come along and throw a wrench in the whole ball of wax. I know I said this was a good day. How could it have been when I got a curve ball? Well it's like this - the fact that I'm able to solve the issue gives me a sense of satisfaction that first of all, I make a point not to cause them myself, and second, I can generally solve them although they really frost my flakes at first. Getting last minute curve balls is a sucky thing but looking at the positive side of it - it takes skilled people to deal with them! (So if you have your share of them in life, God must find you trustworthy of solving them.) We're supposed to rejoice in everything, so if you are in this boat, you can rejoice in the fact that God considers you a solution.

I've found people who plan ahead are in short supply in the world. Sometimes as a pastor it's frustrating because the ministry is your work and laypeople don't take it as seriously, at least 95% of them don't because with most of them it's not "their life." With some people, a personal relationship with God is a priority, but being ultra diligent in their work for Him is not. So finding those who are 100% diligent in serving is not always possible or easy. As I was re-doing my work today, I had something from God's Word rolling through my mind... Proverbs 22:29 "Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings..." I know I'm a woman and all... (believe me I know) but I see the principle here as being for man or woman. If you are diligent in your business, God will honor you. That means God honors people who plan ahead, who are diligent, who do what they say they will, work hard, don't spring stuff at the last minute, etc. I plan on standing before kings. (I do stand before the King of Kings everyday) but I believe God brings you into a place of greater honor by being diligent. I've seen it proven in the past in my life and have no designs on changing. Some people will stand before kings - some won't. I don't just plan on standing before them, I plan on hanging out with them! :-)

I had my appointment with Ada today. I don't even like to call it an appointment anymore because it's more like an incredible "girls only time". It's a time that we can really pour our hearts out, confide, share good things and bad, and catch up. I don't know what I did before I knew her. (Well, had crappy hair that's what - but I mean, besides that...) LOL

Church went really well tonight. We had so many visitors. I had a feeling that would happen. We began our "Courageous Parenting" series tonight. One thing most people are crying out for is help and hope with their kids. It's the hardest thing (parenting) that anyone will ever tackle and no one goes to school for it. By the time they are finally all raised you think you know something. (and you do - a lot more than those who have yet to do it or are starting out - and you just wish you knew all that when you started!) As for me I still don't know it all, far from it. I realize just how much help we all need who are in this role of parent and if I can encourage someone else, it's my joy to do so. We had a good attendance and although the teaching was packed time-wise tonight and we didn't get to any questions/answers I could tell by the response that they were loving it. No sooner did I get home tonight than I got an e-mail from Michelle saying, "I ABSOLUTELY LOVED TONIGHT! CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK!" That was very encouraging.

My feet were hurting and I was so ready to go home and rest but we needed to grocery shop. The boys and Stephen came home (Larry told Stephen last night we are claiming him on our income taxes this year! ha ha! Seriously, he is here more days/nights than not...) and Larry, SR and I went to the store. I got a bunch of stuff to make some WW meals the next few nights and everything to make homemade salsa. I know I needed it like a hole in the head, but I came home tonight, put my comfy shoes on and proceeded to chop up everything for salsa. Tons of tomatoes (actually about 8), peppers, scallions, fresh cilantro, oregano, garlic cloves and a bunch of other stuff. By the time I was done making it I was too tired to eat it but Jordan came in and got a big bowl. I'll eat some after work tomorrow when I'm making dinner. It doesn't matter how much of it you eat - there are no WW points to it. Finally got the kitchen cleaned up, put in another load of laundry, and helped Savanna to soak her feet. She hurt one of her toes again yesterday. It always happens because she hates wearing shoes and goes without them too much. So I soaked her feet in salts and bandaged it up for her. I had to make a Dr.'s appt for Dustin today. He has an ear/throat infection and my homemade remedies have not worked the past few days, so here we go to the doc's tomorrow and I'll be so glad to see him all better. I thought he was getting better and he did not say otherwise last night or he would have been at the Dr.'s yesterday or this morning but he told me too late to act on it.

Today Cathy and I made all the arrangements for us to take the life coaching group to my friend, Pastor Andrea Fruscella's (co-pastor of First Coast Christian Center, Jacksonville, FL) upcoming women's conference, called "You Go Girl!" (see her website at www.YouGoGirl2007.org.) It worked out for me to take them this month and I am so excited. Andrea is a great woman of God and in fact she's speaking at our upcoming "Unstoppable" Conference. I am looking forward to her conference - among many other things such as her speaking, Janet Paschal will be the special music guest.

So I mentioned before that we are still a one car family. I know it's frustrating at times for Larry and the kids with the incredible amount of juggling we do now, but I am glad they are understanding that I'm just not ready. We will soon be coming up on two months without the car. I was wanting a part of it to keep with me and thought hard about what that would be. Ada told me to go take the rearview mirror. I thought "what in the heck would I do with it?" I couldn't come up with anything that seemed right, so I settled on just having my license plate (which it special in itself) and the automatic lock key chain. I have the key chain and truthfully some days I just take it out and press the lock/unlock button just for old times sake. I close my eyes, press it and just imagine the car is still in the driveway. Then I open my eyes and see...nothing there. To his credit, Larry hasn't pushed me yet or asked me point blank to go on a car lot. I am surprised we've made it this far. He has shown me at least 25 cars either by sending me emails with links, or bringing me newspapers, or just pointing to a car as we drive. But that has been the extent. And for that I am ever grateful. Some things like that really make me love him more. Yesterday he IM'd me and told me he found another special place he can't wait to take me to. I said, "oh goodie, I'm ready!" We just came back from Naples and yet I am already longing for the next time. We're plotting our next time away together already, and I shall count the days until.

By the way, somebody told me today that it has hit 101 degrees a few times the past few weeks. My word! I knew it seemed A LOT hotter than it ever did before. I haven't gone out to exercise at all, nor sit on my patio. No desire. I go out, water my lemon and lime trees and come right in. Can't wait til I can get back on the patio again to swing on my swing and read my Bible there. But until then, my rocking chair in my room is fine. :-) Time to do more than just put my feet up...time to shut my eyes and get some real rest. Tomorrow is another great day. The best is truly yet to come. I shall stand before kings. How about you?

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