Skip to main content

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

Aromatherapy helps maintain sanity


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.

Comments

Cassandra said…
Knock Unstoppable out of the ball park Deanna then rest like nobody's business! :) You deserve it...and btw...you are that kind of friend to others (the kind that refereshes) that is why God lets you reap it when you need it most.
Anonymous said…
Praying that Unstoppable is amazing - wishing that I could be there with you all!!!!

Popular posts from this blog

What Verbal Abuse is Really Like, and Why We Must Care
Guest Post: Terri von Wood

In my speaking travels, I meet the most amazing people. Some are connections that go beyond just a night or a weekend of preac hing. One day on my journey, I met Terri von Wood, and we immediately clicked and have been friends ever since.  Just a reminder that all of our guest bloggers this week are available to chat with you in the comment section here on the blog or on my facebook page where the blog is also published.   *** People who have never suffered through or witnessed abuse (including pastors) often don't know how to help women in abusive situations. Knowledge is power and it is my belief that if the church understood the prevalence of abuse, help would be made available.  First, we must acknowledge that the divorce rate is the same  in the church as in the world.  Second, we must understand that the 50% divorce rate does not include all the women who are abused but stay because they do not know what else to do or do not have anyone to turn to.  If those women we

Relevant Church doing something...

incredibly RELEVANT!

I just heard some news today that really inspired me. A church here in Tampa, Relevant Church is doing a new thing this month called the "30 Days Sex Challenge." (I've never visited the church but Pastor Trinity - our children's pastor - has visited or has met some people from this church and he was very impressed.) Realizing that this is a major element missing from some marriages (the frequency factor) their lead pastor, Paul Wirth, has issued a challenge for all the married couples to have sex for 30 days in a row. At the same time he has issued a challenge for all unmarrieds to completely abstain from sex. Of course we know the Bible says that those who are unmarried should not have sex in the first place but the point is, a lot of unmarried's aren't obeying the Lord's command to abstain and this is just one pastor's way of trying to get them to see that indeed, there is a better way! (God's way!) At the same time, many married couples are not

Stuff I Adore That Costs Little to Nothing...

Okay...taking a break today from writing about heavy things...like grief, loss, and bawling. Time to write about random stuff today that nobody may be interested in reading. Nevertheless here it is... Stuff I adore that costs little to nothing... Listening to playlists I make on (free) Spotify Drinking out of canning jars Reading books again that I already have on my shelf. Walking and riding my bike. Admiring crepe myrtle trees. Taking a bath in the daytime with the lights off in the room. (Natural light.) Naps. Snuggling with my husband or one of the kids and watching a movie at home. Having all noise turned off when no one is home. (No TV, no music, just silence.) Prayer.