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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

This present darkness


Many of my friends and acquaintances are going through difficult times, but I really learned the extent of it more when I wrote my "Wrecks" post earlier this week. I've gotten quite a bit of mail about it. All good - as far as people appreciating me writing it, but bad in that so many related to it at this present time.

If you would have asked me a month ago I was utterly convinced I was alone in the darkness I was feeling, but right now it seems we have more people that not who are living in a time of darkness in their lives. Remember the excellent book by Frank Peretti, This Present Darkness? I loved it. I am realizing I need to pull it out and read it again, for truly we are all in a time of spiritual warfare that I believe is unprecedented.

I am not glad that so many are walking through a time like this, but one thing I have realized is that we don't have to be in the dark alone. Jesus is with us, but we can also join our hearts together and stand with one another until everyone sees the light of day again. Everyone won't experience the breakthrough at the same time, but let's take the time to pray everybody across the finish line to victory. In particular, one person who e-mailed me about the "wreck" post who did not want to comment publicly with the details of their struggle is in serious need of a breakthrough by TOMORROW. Monday is a serious deadline for them. They need God to show up with a miracle in the next 24 hours. I can't tell you this person's name or circumstances but I am burdened for them and ask all of you reading this right now, will you just right now agree with me in prayer for this dear one in their "special unspoken" request? God will know who you're talking about...He's omniscient God...so just pray for "Deanna's e-mailer who needs a miracle by Monday." Thank you!

Here's something I read last night in my devotional from Streams in the Desert:

"The mighty God can make us stronger than our circumstances. He can bend them all to our good. In God's strength we can make them all pay tribute to our souls. We can even take hold of a black disappointment, break it open, and extract some jewel of grace. When God gives us wills like iron, we can drive through difficulties as the iron share cuts through the toughest soil. "I will make thee," and shall He not do it?" --Dr. Jowett

Friends, many of us are going through "black disappointment' as the author spoke of, but here is a verse I have stood on time and time again and want to remind all of you of today: I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. Isaiah 45:3

God showed me this truth years ago...there are certain things you can't get any other way but by going through the darkness. God's got something great for all of us who are struggling on the other side of this.

I am preparing right now to go to church this morning...I am always up way before the sun rises... quietly preparing myself for the day before my family ever wakes up...drinking my hazelnut coffee...talking to Jesus. I believe praise is a major key to breakthrough. This morning as I praise, I'm going for the breakthrough not only in my life, but in all of yours! I'm standing for all of us, in praise, in prayer. I will link arms with you and walk through the darkness until everybody has made it to light again. After we've done all to stand in this present darkness... we must stand.

Have a great morning at church, everyone! I may give Sunday night highlights, and then again may not depending on time. We have a leadership meeting at the house tonight and that always keeps me very busy...especially this week because Larry was in bed all week up until last night, nursing his injured leg, and I have done more than usual because I've been waiting on him and helping him with anything he needs me to bring him. He's doing 100% better but it's still sore.

Thanks for your continued prayer, my fellow wrecks! We are not alone. Not at all.

Comments

Aaron said…
I believe God is refining us in these difficult times. He's calling for a spotless bride. Attitudes we didn't know we had have to go, faith that isn't being walked out has to get deeper, learning to trust in the Lord with 'all' our heart, and how to praise Him when we don't feel like it. We are the end time warriors and much is expected. Jesus is our King and nothing can change that. If we hold in there our victory will be great and it will result in touching many others for the Kingdom that would not have been touched otherwise. The workers are few. Those in the battle are called for a higher purpose and God is taking us there. On the other side of this will be such intimacy and grace we never knew. This is my hope and belief.
LAURIE said…
This morning I taught our adult sunday school class on the subject of "My Help" - I may share my notes later this week on my blog. But what God is really showing me thru my difficulties is that my faith is NOT in whether or not God brings me thru my difficulty but where is my faith if God does not move in the way I hope He would. Is my faith in the circumstance? or knowing that God will be praised and glorified in every situation ... good or bad. God is refining and reconstructing us - So do the "wrecks" that I find myself in are they actually signs that I am "under construction". Thanks for always sharing your heart with us and keeping us in tune with the fact that we all are a work in progress.

-Blessings, Laurie
Anonymous said…
Thank You Deanna, I really needed that today, a devotion I read said almost the same thing this morning. :) BTW, the first thing I noticed in your new headline pic ( other than that liplock :) ) was those beautiful hands, gorgeous !

Danielle
Melissa Davis said…
A lot of good things said in this post, thanks. We had a guest speaker today (Pastor Jerome Jordan of City of Refuge Christian Church of Florida), his title was, "What do you do, when you dont know what to do?" The answer was, "Praise your way through". Just as you stated in this post, the key to our breakthrough is praise. Just wanted to share.
Hey everybody, thanks for the comments...I had a good day today and hope all of you did too. I am just getting out of leadership meeting tonight...and winding down and it's almost 11 pm...

But just wanted to say...

Aaron - thank you for that insight. I'm believing for the same thing, my friend...

Laurie - would love to see your notes on that...

Danielle - I have actually done a blog post before about my hands. lol no kidding. I like trying to keep them as nice as possible and everyone always laughs at me about my rubber gloves I wear when ever my hands are in water (washing dishes, etc.) I never, never do it without gloves and everyone laughs, but hey, look at my hands! Just gotta tell you, a while back I asked my husband (privately) what his favorite body part (on me) was, and I expected (a-hem) for him to say a choice of another thing or two, but believe it or not, without hesitation he said, "your hands!" He loves my hands. It makes me happy.

Melissa - yes, I believe the same things and am trying my best to do that...thanks for the reminder. Glad you had a good day and a powerful speaker...

Love you all (((hugs galore)))

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