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...
Right now I'm in the midst of doing a little series here on the blog about things I've learned about the journey of weight loss. But two notable things have happened that I want to share. It's about people I've met. So I'm going to blog about this today and tomorrow. I have something aside from what I'm sharing in this post that is absolutely MIND BLOWING about some other new friends I've just made. I'm going to share with you tomorrow. DO NOT MISS THIS, I'm tellin' you, it's gonna be good. But first things first...God has brought some incredible new ministry friends into our life. They are John & Brandi Carrano, missionaries to Spain. (pictured above) They were our guest speakers at Northside this past Wednesday night.
For the past four years they have been pastoring young adults in St. Petersburg, FL just a hop, skip and jump down the road from us and my only sad feeling is that we didn't know them sooner, but God has a reason for everything. Evidently our time to meet is ordained now.
They are real young (almost half our age although Brandi has told me to stop pointing that out and making myself out to be some old lady) but despite our age differences, we hit it off immediately. Age is just a number when you have so many other things in common. And we do have so much in common, it's unreal!!! It would take me forever to list it all here, and I'm not just talking ministry, but everything from Weight Watchers (Brandi's a lifetime member and a WW leader), to the movies we love, to so much more.
I tend to mix even better with missionaries than I do with pastors sometimes. I don't believe there is any such thing as a "missionary wife" - only "missionaries." While you can have a "pastor's wife" who may not be involved in ministry or in some cases even attend church (yes, I assure you that's true), you will not find this in missionary wives except in some extremely rare bizarrre case. The fact of the matter is, it won't work to be a missionary's wife who isn't involved in ministry. Without a real partnership it wouldn't work and the husband would probably have to pack it in and come home from the field, that is if they ever managed to get there in the first place. To even get approved as AG missionaries, the wife has to be a partner in ministry. Being that this is the case, I usually hit it off immediately with missionary women because we have so much in common and so much to converse about since we are both actually living ministry.
Well, despite our age differences, we immediately clicked like we were long lost friends. We couldn't shut up for hours. I'm tellin' you, I love these people. Not only did I love learning about them and their ministry but they spoke some things to Larry and I about our ministry and Northside that was incredibly encouraging. Things I had needed to hear for a long time.
They are young - only in ministry for but a few years but they have restored a glimmer of hope in me for their generation, by some things they shared with me. I am inspired and encouraged by their passion, their attitudes, their commitment, their drive, work ethic, and a lot more. If you want to find out more about them or support their ministry go here. I want to stand with them in "believing for the impossible"(their mission) to reach young adults in Spain.
A bonus for me - they are just starting itineration and don't leave for a while! We're going to meet up for some skinny lattes and spend time together til' they go.
Thank you Jesus, for new friends. I'm so grateful for my long-standing friendships in ministry and will always nurture and appreciate them, while leaving the door open for new God-things to happen in this area.
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We could spend an entire year or longer going on missions trips all over the world with all the cool people we've met and made friends with.