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...
We're home again. In case you haven't been reading, I've been at the Inspire Conference at the Florida Mall Hotel (pictured above) in Orlando. To see what I preached about check out the last two posts.
First, I want to give God praise for quite a number of women (pastor's wives and women in ministry) who came up to me at Inspire and told me how blessed they were by the Unstoppable Conference, (which I hosted here in Tampa this past September). I can't count the number of times I've heard, "Hey, I just want to tell you that Unstoppable changed my life and things haven't been the same since!" Pastors wives spoke to me about having increased confidence these past six months. Some who had been holding back in ministry due to lack of confidence or fear have stepped out boldly and God has done a whole new thing in their ministry! One of the girls on the worship team, Nicole, who graduated from Southeastern University gave a testimony last night in service that at the altar time at Unstoppable Pastor Sandy (who was one of my speakers) had prayed for her and prophesied about an impending financial miracle in her life. Well, just a few short months later, someone in Nicole's church came up totally out of the blue and paid off all of her school bills from Southeastern!!! Praise the Lord!!! Another pastor's wife came to me this weekend and said she has launched into full time co-pastoring since the Unstoppable Conference and gone into completely new territory and is very exited. Another is pursuing ministerial credentials for the first time and asked me to be a reference. Wow, wow, double wow. So thrilled about all God is doing and the increase he is bringing in so many women's lives. My heart is full of gratitude for all that is taking place. To God be the glory great things He has done. This year's Unstoppable is going to be mind-blowing. God has given me a HUGE vision. (If you are a pastor's wife/woman pastor/missionary/staff pastor, PLEASE mark your calendar for September 4-6. It will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn, Tampa. By the way this is not just a Florida thing - nor just an A/G thing! Women from many other places and denominations come.) Okay that ends my Unstoppable commercial for today...let's move on...
Larry doesn't always go with me when I go speak somewhere. On rare occasions I go alone but most times Cathy or Lisa go with me. Inspire is something Lar likes to go to because first of all it's at the Florida Mall hotel which is an incredibly nice place. I have a room there for 3 days and we enjoy being together during the times in between sessions. I also do have to say it's a little different being in the slums of Africa for a week preaching without my husband vs. 3 days in an incredible hotel without him! I like having him there at night, especially.
We enjoyed having the quiet time to ourselves at the hotel and when I had the speaker's luncheon, he went and met with his friend Pastor Gary Rice, who pastors in Orlando, and had lunch with him.
I didn't get to see a whole lot of my Northside ladies at the conference because I was either with the speaker team on times we were assigned to be at places (and we all sit on the front row together for all the meetings as well) or at night I was with Larry in my room. Last night the speakers got done incredibly late. Sandy had an anointing service and we anointed anyone who came forward and it was a very long "Holy Ghost Explosion" followed by a time when we also prayed for the worship team afterwards on the platform. The spirit just moved in such a great way and prophecy went forth and it was such a powerful time. We got out of there so late but my friends Joy and Tammy (both pastor's wives @ Harvest A/G, and Church of Hope A/G respectively) waited for me and we went into Crickets, which is a lounge there in the hotel that is open super late. We got iced teas and appetizers and sat and talked until it was way too late.
I am very grateful for my friends. God has been so good to me!
I hadn't gotten to spend any time with my ladies who came from Northside. They called me last night to go to dinner at Buca Di Beppo but I passed on their invitation - I was laying down resting at the time and thought it best that I prepare myself for the service rather than go. I asked them for a raincheck for lunch today instead. We had lunch at the food court before leaving to go back to Tampa and it was a good time. They seemed to have been really blessed by the conference and I was so glad. There is a big difference going with my ladies to something I have responsibilities at or am speaking at, than just attending with them. But luckily I have ladies who very much understand and rather than being bothered by it, they seem to be proud of me and thankful for how God is using me. :-)
Larry and I came back to Tampa after lunch only to find out we have a quiet kid-less home. Savanna wanted to stay at the Hart's again tonight and asked me to bring her church clothes in the morning. Dustin and Jordan are going to Stephen's. Lar and I had a nice quiet dinner together and I plan on reading my Bible and turning in early. I need some real rest before church in the morning. Sunday is such a hard working day for me when so much of my energy is required and I am drained from the last few days and giving much.
When I came home today, though tired, I walked for a few miles in my neighborhood and took 
photos. I've been wanting to do that to post pictures of where I live and show my readers. I'll be sharing them in upcoming posts, but for now, here's one. Good night!
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