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

What do I really want?



Indulge me. Most of the time I have to worry about what everyone else wants. Kind of goes along with the territory of living a life of service and oh how I do love serving others! But occasionally we do have to think about what we want. Growing up I was taught a song in Sunday School that said, "Jesus and others and you, what a wonderful way to spell JOY!" Well, Jesus and others are first, but don't forget, you are part of the equation too and need to be on the list, albeit third at least much of the time.

On my birthday Saturday I reflected on what I learned this past year. Today I'm pondering what I really want right now.

I want to be closer to Jesus.

I want to have a P.J. day soon. (Usually have this once or twice a year where I stay in my PJ's all day and do nothing but lay there, refuse to shower, and watch TV. We order in food or my family cooks. On a perfect day Larry makes spaghetti. I save the dishes til' the next day or yell at my family until they do them. It's my one or two days of "total rest" a year. Heaven!)

I want to read the Bible slower. I still read it way too fast, just like everything else. Like many people I experience quantity but not necessarily quality from it that I should. I need to be perfectly okay with three verses taking me a whole week if I really honestly have a grasp on what God is trying to say there...

I want to have better communication with my husband. Yes, I know we are two people who communicate for a living but for all of that, well... if you are a communicator by profession you understand what I mean...you can fail miserably at home at what you do well at work. I don't feel hypocritical anymore because I readily admit our failures, yet that doesn't mean I'm content to let it stay that way. I hope he's not either.

I want to get in great shape again.

I want to be back to 100% health again.


I want to see Excel become obselete because I think it's of the devil learn Excel really well because everybody else in my company knows it like the back of their hand and I'm woefully behind the curve on it.

I want my kids to be happy. I know their holiness is most important, however it breaks my heart when they aren't happy and I desperately want them to be.

I want to learn as much as I possibly can this year, especially from Kathryn. Who knows how long she's going to be leading me before she gets promoted? It's just a matter of time. Most people don't miss the water til' the well runs dry. I always want to be the type of person who appreciates the daylights out of the water while it's still here.

I want to get and keep the weeds in my yard 100% under control.

I want to become a lot more organized.

I want to get rid of a lot of Larry's junk I've accumulated in my house that I don't need anymore.

I want to visit my sister in Charlotte, NC and go to Boone with her. Preferably it will be when the leaves are turning. I want to stand there and take in a huge breath of air looking up at the trees and savor the moment.

I want to stop the habit of letting e-mails pile up in my box when they have decisions or counsel attached to them. I will answer them in one or two sentences rather than taking a week or more and writing more extensively.

I want to let go of worry permanently.

I want to be 100% victorious in my personal theme for this year: "Fearless" and go into 2010 having conquered that and ready for the next milestone.

I want to go to the beach more.

I want Larry to make spaghetti for me more.

I want to go on a trip with my daughter by ourselves.

I want to work through disappointments much more quickly and not let them make me depressed for any significant amount of time.

I [still] want an Amazon Kindle, but am waiting for it to come down more in $.

I want to stop breaking things to the point of bleeding handle anger better.

I want to take more naps. With Maddie. And not feel guilty about spending my time doing that.

I want to sit in front of my fireplace on the patio in the evening just as soon as the weather turns again. I am counting the days.

I want to go to the library and lay on a bean bag chair for a few hours and read.


I want to eat a smore without guilt.

I want to meet the team from Fox News in person. One of my dreams would be to have lunch with them, or meet them for my birthday.

I want to eat an ice cream with sprinkles that looks just like the photo at the top.

I want to be an inspiration.



Comments

susan said…
just wanted to let you know you are an inspiration to me.
Anonymous said…
I agree with Susan. And I also wanted to add to your comments about your chidren's happiness "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child". Heard from another inspiration Beth Moore. Thanks for being you.
Michele said…
PD check off to be an inspriation because you already are from how you serve people- to how real you are to how you have raised your children
And the PJ day sounds fabulous I need to try that someday

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