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...
I'm beyond tired but it's a good tired. There is nothing like the power of prayer!! We had "Prayer and Pancakes" last night at Northside. For those who read my blog who aren't NS attenders, just to clue you in, we have late night prayer Friday night from 11 pm -
1 am, followed by fellowship at IHOP. It's a huge hit! Our people LOVE it. The worship team is there the entire evening and plays the whole 2 hours and we keep worship going as a backdrop the whole time and prayer during prayer. (And sometimes we stop praying and enter into worship for a while in between having different prayer focuses.)
1 am, followed by fellowship at IHOP. It's a huge hit! Our people LOVE it. The worship team is there the entire evening and plays the whole 2 hours and we keep worship going as a backdrop the whole time and prayer during prayer. (And sometimes we stop praying and enter into worship for a while in between having different prayer focuses.)Last night we had the lights out in the sanctuary, and a bunch of candles lit the whole time, and all of our posters and such up for Missions Convention, so people were able to go and pray at different "stations" and pray for various countries and ministries. Man, it was powerful.
We take over the local IHOP afterwards and it takes forever to get the food because there are 
so many people but that's alright we have a lot of fun talking and spending time together and we get home at about 4:00 am or somethin' like that. Just like the book of Acts...prayin' together, eating together, just spending time together. Everyone is always so hungry after prayer - and we eat A TON of pancakes and the like. I got regular pancakes last night but then I saw Cathy's stuffed french toast and was a little sorry for my choice. Next time I'm going for the stuffed french toast and have already planned for blueberry. (They also have apple, strawberry and banana.)
I've posted some photos from the evening here... Savanna loves taking photos and when I am not able to she does it. She took all of these photos for me while I was at the piano.
We finally went to sleep around 4:00 am and I had to get up in time to do my prayer shift this morning. I couldn't sleep in as much as I wanted to anyway because the lawnmowers and weed wackers were out in full force in my neighborhood making it impossible to sleep. Today, Saturday -- our church is having 24 hours straight of 
prayer shifts. I have another shift early in the morning tomorrow and then that's it for me. (For the shifts, we pray for our individual shift and then call the person who follows us to pray with them and 'hand the prayer shift over' to them. Works well.) Lotsa prayer! That's the key, I do believe... we must PRAY THE PRICE for whatever we are expecting God to do.
After my prayer shift I had to take Savanna to an eye doctor's appointment (all is fine - she is just having some strain because she reads so much, according to Dr. Stanley. Good problem to have! I love it that my kids are voracious readers just like their Momma! Doc Stanley says Savanna needs to take a little break once in a while and look away in the distance when she is reading for long periods of time. I'm telling you, that girl is like me, always a book, or books with her.) We came home and I've been getting my food made for the missions banquet (international 
banquet tomorrow night.) I made a casserole and Cathy and I are taking care of the cuban bread and butter for the evening. Yum, yum, love that Cuban bread! After cooking I walked a few miles with Lisa and we had a good talk about being people of THE WORD. So many reasons we must be IN OUR BIBLES in these last days, more than ever. Savanna and Ashley rode their bikes and swam while we walked and now Ashley will spend the night here. I've always got an extra kid or two here...it's life as we know it in Shrodesville.
I have to get our family's ironing done (yes, I still iron everyone's clothes in prep for Sundays...) and I'm finally caught up with tomorrow morning's things and can take a bubble bath and pray for a while and go to sleep.
We're excited about our convention with missionary/evangelist Joshua Ben King and his wife, Melissa. Great and mighty things are in store! I can hardly wait! Oh God, touch your people to reach the nations!
* last photo here is of Savanna and her friend Chelsea at Prayer and Pancakes
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