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

Today's potpourri

Photo I took with our new camera recently...



What happened today? (Tuesday)

It rained very hard - thunderstormed - all day in Tampa. That's great by me -- it makes my yard look great and we need the rain. I also like it as a backdrop sometimes while I'm working as it calms me. I light a few candles and get to work!

I'm trying to cram three weeks of paperwork into one week since we are getting ready to go on vaca. It's going relatively well so far. Keep in mind I'm doing all that while handling a brand new load of clients in my other job. That's going well too, or so they say. :-) Every week it seems I'm entrusted with some more responsibility. Thankfully my boss does ask first if I have "the bandwidth" to handle it. I am really blessed to work in all areas of my life with very understanding people. Things are going to a whole new level (in a good way) with my work at Next Job. I was crazy about my old boss (still am -- just had breakfast with her last week at Bob Evans and didn't want it to have to end -- she's amazing) and I am also crazy about my new one -- who lives in San Francisco. It won't be as easy to do breakfast with her, and we'll have to settle for being on our laptops and phones with our respective cups of coffee. :-)

Today amidst doing a few projects, I got the rest of the medical tests ordered by the specialist. I was dreading it (I hate needles!) but it's over now. Just moments before I went in to have it done I get an e-mail from our CEO telling me I have to get a drug test for work before the weekend. My first thought was, "are you kidding? I'm going to get poked AGAIN?" But thankfully it amounts to me whizzing in a cup and that's all. Praise God, Quest Diagnostics is literally just a few feet away from my office at the church and I can whiz in a cup tomorrow on my way in or out of the office and be done with it. I guess they want to make sure if I'm coaching people on how to run their lives I probably shouldn't be high on drugs. They have a point there.

Speaking of drugs - legal ones that is - I'm doing okay on the new meds although not healing as fast as I was prior on the strong stuff. Thanks for asking. Quite a few blog readers have emailed me to ask and I have even gotten cards from some in US mail. I feel so loved. Thanks. The new meds are okay and if I stayed on them a really long time I'd probably heal up alright in the long run, but I miss being on the other when I was getting better at such a rapid clip. Grrrrr that Blue Cross!! In six weeks I go back to the specialist and we decide where to go from here. My tests will also be back by that time and that will give us more indication of how things are. In addition to testing surrounding the situation with the ulcer, I'm also being tested for Thalassemia, which the doctor is 99.9% sure I have. He couldn't believe no one caught the problem yet. If it is confirmed that I have it, it doesn't present any new problems for me, only explains old ones that I have dealt with for a long time. It's a relief to know what was wrong. It is hereditary and the doctor's belief is that I received it from my biological father, as the disease is present in Greek families. There are not many medical issues that actually have "pros" to them, but this one has one! I can't wait to share with you what it is. Upon confirmation that I have, or do not have it -- I will share this amazing gem with you. If indeed I do have this disorder, it shows me that God can take what the enemy intended for evil and bring good out of it.

In other news, (speaking of medical) I am playing nurse with Jordan today is home very sick with 102.3 fever, chills, headache, and can't keep anything down (nausea). I've been administering Tylenol, lots of Sprite, ice packs, fresh sheets and towels, and love and care. I think it's a bad case of the flu. Larry made homemade chicken soup and we've just been praying he's well enough soon to eat. Thanks to all for praying when I put out the call on my faceook for those of you who are friends with me there.

Time to hit the sack for much needed rest...tomorrow's a new day of cramming so that next week I can have some play time with my family.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Deanna,

I have never heard of this disease. I read the entire article. God has already placed His HEDGE OF PROTECTION around you! Isn't that just how Great our God is?!!! WOW! It's a miracle. If you don't mind, for now, I'm going to stop praying for your total healing, and pray for your strength, because I truely believe this is the purpose for this disease is your life. God IS Good!!!
Ruth, PA
Anonymous said…
Just an FYI on the drug test - make sure you have a list handy of all the legitimate drugs you take...just in case! My mom was almost fired from a job because one of her necessary meds showed up as meth in her test. Once they got it all straightened out, everyone had a good laugh about it [MY mom, the lifelong A/G church member who has never even had an alcoholic beverage, a meth head?!?!?], but in the meantime it was pretty scary...

Have a fantastic vacation - you definitely deserve it!!!!
Melissa Davis said…
God bless you Pastor Deanna or should I say, "WONDER WOMAN" (smile)you always get the job done with the help of the Lord.

Praying for you and Jordan - GET WELL SOON!

Love You Much
Ruth,
Please do pray for 100% healing for the ulcer...that needs to go. As for the Thalassemia, I can live with it and you are right, it does give me some very valuable "Protection" for something God has called me to. :-)
Anonymous said…
Thanks for the insight, Deanna. We'll do!
{{{{Hugs to you!}}}}
Ruth, PA
Aaron said…
For some reason you saying "whiz in a cup" is funny. It caught me off guard and I got a good chuckle out of it! I'm glad the drugs are working (somewhat) for you :-)I also wanted to let you know I've been praying. Hopefully Jordan will wake up hungry and fine!
Aaron said…
I just read the benefits and saw Kenya was mentioned...hmmmmmm. :-) You rock inside and out!!!

Popular posts from this blog

Some people will never understand this...

And that's okay. Just let us be as we lavish love upon the fur-kids of the world. It doesn't mean we don't care about people. We do care. In fact most of the people I know who are great pet lovers are also the greatest philanthropists. If you're not a dog lover, you might not understand the overwhelming intensity that many of us felt about Tank's reunion this past week. You might think we've lost our marbles. That's okay, we think you've lost your heart. ;)  Before I go on with this post, let me say that we were delighted that CBS 10 posted the video and article about Tank and his Celebration Church reunion yesterday. Click here to watch it. (But then come back!) If you haven't realized it, there is a revolution in America about dogs. Dogs have always been loved and known as the most loyal companions ~ "man's best friend". But things have gone way beyond this. Dogs aren't just dogs or friends anymore. They are family me

Fifty Shades of No Way

This weekend, the Fifty Shades of Grey movie will be released and millions of women are expected to flock to the theat er s.  I will not be one of those women.   As a leader of women , some have asked me about this movie. The following is my thoughtful response. Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world. The book series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and been translated into 52 languages. It set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time.   Is Fifty Shades of Grey just a harmless book or movie? Although n o one seems to be debating this fact, let’s first establish that it’s pornography.  And not just porn, but a genre that is even more dangerous for women. The book glorifies a female character that is controlled and abused by her partner.   Who is excited about this book and mov ie? Hmmmm….you might be surprised. Many women and girls in our churches have read it. Sadly, I am even aware of

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