Skip to main content

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

Typical Monday



Today was a normal Monday with a ton of work on my plate when I got up...I think I started with about 28 initiatives today. I didn't get to my Africa messages as I would have liked, and we're 15 days and counting, but tomorrow's a new day. Um, CAN YOU BELIEVE I'M LEAVING IN 15 DAYS?! I'm getting ready more day by day though my most important thing - the messages - are not done yet. However, rest assured that by week's end, all 5 will be done, regardless.

I got a pile of stuff done this morning...typical things - tons of mail to send out, calls to make or answer, and projects to delve into. Then we went to staff lunch and I stopped by Lifeway to get my new Bible engraved. I love it! It's just the right size for my purse and I'm taking it on the trip with me. I wanted to read the whole Message Bible during the plane ride - Pastor T figured out for me, I'd have to read 50 pages each hour. Quite truthfully I need more rest than that, so I'm not going to attempt it, BUT...I will be able to read quite a bit.

This afternoon I got some more work done, we had staff meeting and I went to my eye doctor appointment. I figured, I am on my last pair of contacts and I'm getting ready to go on this trip and I want to see the giraffes and elephants clearly not to mention the 3,000 faces I'm looking at when I preach! I realized that I probably needed a slight adjustment on my glasses and contacts since my vision seems to deteriorate a bit every year. (Bummer) If my eye doctor wasn't so wonderful, I would hate going. There's nothing like hearing, "we're going to shoot a little puff of air in your eye...just hold steady and try not to blink..." YEAH RIGHT. I hate having my eyes checked. So uncomfortable! But I go to Dr. Jennifer Stanley here in Tampa and she is WONDERFUL. In fact she gave me a whopping discount on my lenses today because I've gone to her for four years. I decided not to update my frames this year because I got these Fendi frames last year and I love them. Of course nobody sees them but my family - I wear contacts pretty much every waking moment and just wear my glasses right before bed when I'm winding down for the day. But anyway, I do love these frames and besides that I wanted to save money and not have to get them again right now. Thankfully my reading glasses prescription is the same. No purchase necessary there. Dr. Stanley is one of the nicest people I've ever met. I just found out today she lives in the same neighborhood as Ada! She's also very thorough with her patients and really takes time with you. Since my last appointment they've come out with contacts that correct asigmatism (which I have). Glasses corrects it but up until recently contacts could not correct it. Now they have them as well as contacts that enable you to have more oxygen. So I'm trying these for a week. I have to admit tonight was hard with them - they are a bit heavier with a different feel and Dr. Stanley says it takes a few days to feel normal with them. So we'll see. But it is a definite improvement in sharpness of vision. I highly recommend it to anybody who wears contacts and is in this situation.

Tonight I went home and ate dinner and laid around for a while talking to the kids. I did zippo housework. I desperately need to do a few things but I had no "housework" energy today knowing I did need to work out. I got on the elliptical at the gym tonight once I had the energy to go after dinner...came home and showered and now it's time to do the last initiative on my list, which is the most fun...spending some time with Larry. So, goodnight all...that was my day today and the night is not over... God is good...

Comments

Deborah said…
I will check those contacts out if they are available in SA, wonderful if they work! cant believe you are ready to come to Africa in just 14days now! Praying for you. love always me

Popular posts from this blog

Relevant Church doing something...

incredibly RELEVANT!

I just heard some news today that really inspired me. A church here in Tampa, Relevant Church is doing a new thing this month called the "30 Days Sex Challenge." (I've never visited the church but Pastor Trinity - our children's pastor - has visited or has met some people from this church and he was very impressed.) Realizing that this is a major element missing from some marriages (the frequency factor) their lead pastor, Paul Wirth, has issued a challenge for all the married couples to have sex for 30 days in a row. At the same time he has issued a challenge for all unmarrieds to completely abstain from sex. Of course we know the Bible says that those who are unmarried should not have sex in the first place but the point is, a lot of unmarried's aren't obeying the Lord's command to abstain and this is just one pastor's way of trying to get them to see that indeed, there is a better way! (God's way!) At the same time, many married couples are not

What Verbal Abuse is Really Like, and Why We Must Care
Guest Post: Terri von Wood

In my speaking travels, I meet the most amazing people. Some are connections that go beyond just a night or a weekend of preac hing. One day on my journey, I met Terri von Wood, and we immediately clicked and have been friends ever since.  Just a reminder that all of our guest bloggers this week are available to chat with you in the comment section here on the blog or on my facebook page where the blog is also published.   *** People who have never suffered through or witnessed abuse (including pastors) often don't know how to help women in abusive situations. Knowledge is power and it is my belief that if the church understood the prevalence of abuse, help would be made available.  First, we must acknowledge that the divorce rate is the same  in the church as in the world.  Second, we must understand that the 50% divorce rate does not include all the women who are abused but stay because they do not know what else to do or do not have anyone to turn to.  If those women we

Excellent teaching on Criticism

My friend Pastor Leanne posted this today on her Myspace blog and I thought it was excellent and so timely. It's a blog post from Pastor Perry Noble , about criticism. I think it's perfect for the pastors at Relevant Church right now, as well as any other person going through this. I would like to note that when he says, "when God begins to move" it wouldn't necessarily just pertain to your church but to your life, your family, your marriage, anything that concerns you. I have found that the greater God does things in my life and the more He blessed me the more I should expect it. This teaching is good, so good I was almost wavin' a hanky in my office. Okay, here we go... You Will Be Criticized When God Begins To Move–Expect It And Get Over It. (Pastor Perry Noble at http://www.perrynoble.com/ ) I've never met a devil worshiper–to my knowledge that is. When I first became a Christian I was convinced that I needed to do all that I could to be ready to comba