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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
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Bleeech! I hate nausea


I didn't blog yesterday because at the end of the day I was too sick to. I allowed myself to be talked into something...

Yesterday Larry wanted me to go to the Flapjack Festival with him. He and Savanna went in the morning for free flapjacks and I slept in. To me, a flapjack, no matter how good, is not worth waking up for. I would rather sleep.

So in case you've never heard of this, it's the Flapjack Festival in Land O' Lakes Florida, which is actually the town right next to mine...it's just a stone's throw away. So they went in the morning but Larry wanted all of us to go back in the late afternoon/evening. Now, this is really NOT my thing. When I was a little girl I loved rides, but now I hate them. Somebody today (Pastor Linds, actually) told me that there is supposed to be some reason women get sick on rides once they have kids, things change. I believe that. I used to love them when I was a kid but I hate them now. For that matter - believe it or not - I'm not into crowds...

Most people would not know that because whenever I'm at a big event I don't just sit there - I get up, work the crowd, say hi to each person, and mingle. There's a reason for this - you have to, for successful ministry. It's not an option for an effective minister, in my opinion. So, I "work the crowd" at church and events. But truth be told, I don't like crowds. I tolerate crowds and I love small groups. My idea of a perfect evening is not going to a concert or a festival, but going out to dinner with just my husband, or with one other couple at the most. Even two couples is stretching it. Once it blossoms into three or more couples I start getting a little uncomfortable, and again this would be a shock to most. I enjoy life most when I am with one or two friends sharing tea or coffee and having intimate conversation - talking about deep things and solving the world's problems, laughing and crying together.

Tonight, we're going on our couples cruise for church. I love it -it's one of my favorite events of the year, but mostly because I do not work the crowd the entire time - just usually the beginning. I make sure I say hi to everyone but then I'm with my husband a lot of the time or with one or two other couples talking. If 100 couples were on this cruise, and I was mingling the entire night I have to be honest I'd be a bit nervous but for the sake of the ministry I would shake every hand, work the crowd and make a point to have contact with everyone. I know, I know...it's odd perhaps. But it's just my personality. I've said before, I could live in my bed and it's true. I would never need to come out except maybe to go on my patio or join a friend occasionally for coffee. I've always been the type of person who would rather have one or two very close friends than 100 acquaintances that I "party" with. Larry on the other hand, wants to be at a party with hundreds of people or even preferrably thousands.

So, now that you know about my dislike of large crowds, let's go back to the Flapjack Festival...

Last night we went and we met Bernie and Lisa there. We ate wonderfully delightful things such as corn dogs and funnel cakes. Mmmmmm it was so good and I realized with every bite just how much I was going to have to be on the elliptical this week, but didn't care. We sat and ate and talked and it was just splendid. Then it was time to ride rides. I told Larry before we went that I was not riding any rides. I said, "I don't know why you got me a wristband...I'm not riding anything." Famous last words. You know how it is when people want you to be "part of the group". Personally I could care less about being "part of the group" but you know, people often care because they feel if you aren't part you might feel left out, or they just want to experience it with you. So, I rode a spider/scrambler type ride that wasn't too bad...but then they wanted me to get on the Fire Ball. This is a ride where you are all in a circle, sitting on a seat strapped in and then the floor drops out and you go around and around, WAAAAYYYYY up in the sky and it almost takes you upside down, not quite but very close, and you hang up there in the sky for what seems like forever and come back down and just keep whipping around over and over again. Several times I said, "I really don't wanna do this..." but everybody just insisted, "no, this is a great adventure, we really want you to do it with us..........." So I did. And I got so sick. I could barely make it to the car. The kids came home with Bernie and Lisa and we left right away. I came home and laid down and never could get back up. I ended up going straight to bed and got over 10 hours sleep. That was nice, I do have to admit. :-)

I had lots to do when we got home and had even told Larry, "I know it means a lot to you that I go with you to the festival (he loves that stuff), so I will. But I have several hours of work to get done when we come back..." Well, that all went by the wayside. I was in bed for the night and so glad to wake up this morning with the nausea GONE.

No more fire ball for me. No more rides. I don't care what happens - the Holy Ghost Himself could come down and say, "get on this ride" and I tell you, I would say no.

Comments

Anonymous said…
We'll have to hang out someday - our husbands can go on all the scary, vomit-inducing rides, and we can sneak out and hit the mall or something, LOL!!!! Hoping and praying your Africa trip is amazing, and that you stay safe :o).
7:45 PM
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