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 knew it was going to be difficult for me to take off from working yesterday but I did. We closed the office for Labor Day (yes, I know that's an oxymoron, right -- working on labor day ? But hey, it's a holiday. And most people take it.) With Unstoppable coming Thursday, it's a serious challenge to rest at all. Actually the conference starts for me at 10 pm Wednesday night. That's the time when the group before us at Hilton clears the ballroom and we get into the room after church and start setting up. We work a few hours and then I'll crash there at the Hilton, get up the next morning and start again. Yesterday, I thought to myself, "I can't afford to take this day off" - yet I also couldn't afford not to. Not only does every normal person need a day off at least once a week and occasional holidays to be sane, but right now I'm not really normal. (Some think I was never normal, lol!) As I've said in many of my posts the past month, I am in a place of healing right now and that's a huge challenge in the midst of one of the busiest times of my life. Yes, I'm doing better - much better. But it has been so hard to get to this point without slowing down. I've been hanging on. I can't wait until this Monday because truly a lot will be different then when the conference is over. I hear what some of you in ministry are thinking, "no Deanna, no it won't because the holidays are coming." Yes, yes it will. It has to for me for at least a few months. I'm committed to it.
To make a long story longer I worked a lot both Saturday and Sunday to squeeze my regular work initiatives in, and I have done so today as well to take the holiday yesterday. I slept in as late as I wanted to and then spent time reading and writing at my leisure while my family slept. (They had all come in from a youth lock in and slept until 2-3 pm.) Once everyone was up and ready we went to International Mall and met up with our good friends Pastors Peter and Tammy Young from Church of Hope, Sarasota and our families ate dinner together at the Cheesecake Factory. The Young's have two children, Wes and Christie, both teenagers, who are friends with our kids as well.
Tammy and I got the bang bang chicken and shrimp and shared it and I'm telling you, oh my word, it's one of the best things I've ever eaten in my life!!! We stayed for hours and talked while the kids walked the mall, and shared coffee and cheesecake too. I needed it. They needed it. (Yes, the conversation most of all, but yeah, the cheesecake and coffee as well!) It was so good to share, to laugh, to bear burdens, to be together. I love my friends.
Tammy also brought me a gift. She's famous for doing that. One of her "gifts" in life is giving. She's literally gifted at giving and anybody who knows her knows that. She brought me some Bath and Body works "Pink Grapefruit" bubble bath and lotion, a candle and handsoap. Yumm!!! She knows the details of stuff I've been going through and said, "you really need this right now..." and even emailed today to see if I'd taken my pink grapefruit bubble bath yet. Shortly after she emailed, I decided to take her advice. Tuesday is my day to work from home and I start right after the kids leave for school at about 7:30 am and just crank out work in my PJ's...message writing, service orders, writing music charts, making power points for messages, working on ezines, returning correspondence, follow up phone calls, yada yada, you name it. I sit there with toast and a cup of tea in my jammies and pretty much don't move from my phone or computer for usually about four or five hours until I can't stand it anymore and have to eat lunch or keel over. Today I not only ate lunch, I started my grapefruit bubble bath since Tammy suggested it. It was wonderful. Ah...the aroma!! I savored every second of it. It came at such a needed time because I had quite a few REALLY stressful situations to deal with today. But Tammy's advice combined with a few exhortations from Tara throughout the day were what I needed. Friends! What would I do without them?
Tomorrow will be the finishing touches on Unstoppable that I have to do at the office, then preach tomorrow night at church, then head to the Hilton. I'll be without my hubby for three nights, so he can look forward to our 4,162th honeymoon on Saturday night. :-) I say 4,162 because we are WAY beyond second honeymoons. We have had so many by now and just keep on havin' em. That's what a good marriage should be like, right? I think every week should be a honeymoon. I will miss him greatly although he'll be dropping in at Unstoppable throughout the conference, but the good news is, I get to be with Tara!!! We will have plenty of time to talk ourselves into oblivion as we're rooming together, but I'll also see so many other friends near and dear that mean the world to me. Can't wait, but I'm not quite ready yet...
Back to the drawing board...I have three more projects to finish today before I can call it a day. Then I'm going to enjoy my family since I'll be gone from home for a few days. I'll miss them. But Teeb will keep the home front going excellently as always. 
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