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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

Just another...



Some people think pastors work one day a week.  That is so laughable.  How ridiculous is that thinking? Seriously.   Who do they think sets all this up, the church fairy?

What does a typical week day look like for me?? 

 Monday is one of the most slammed days and I usually go into work feeling like a truck ran me over.  But we never take Monday off, ever.  Many pastors do and I think it's stupid.  While you are exhausted on a Monday, I believe it's a poor idea to give yourself your most exhausted day of the week.  I think we owe ourselves more than that.  On my day off I want to feel decent so I can actually do something besides lay in bed.  I want to go to the beach, or on dates with Teeb, or do things with the kids.  Of course some Fridays I end up doing that anyway if I'm just spent.  But most days we do something special.  As far as Mondays, I figure if I'm going to feel bad I might as well get paid for it.  :)  LOL  This is why we take Fridays off.   

A few times we've had volunteers in our office and usually they are absolutely shocked at all that goes on at the church during the week.  And that's just out in the outer office!  They don't even come into my office.  Unless somebody is coming in for counseling or it is my assistant Cathy, I don't like anyone to come in my office while I'm working.  I like to concentrate, and people hanging around gets my rhythm off.  Unless they have a prior appointment or it's emergency Cathy does a good job of handling anybody who just walks in.  Most people have no idea our phones ring constantly there, and we have walk ins all the time -- everybody from UPS, to salespeople.

I started my day already exhausted yesterday as I dealt with an urgent call and problem late Sunday night.  Monday morning I got Savanna up for school, then went back to bed.  I decided to sleep right up to the time it would take me to leave just enough time to get a shower and go straight there.  I did the rest of my makeup and hair at the office.  I have a full bathroom there but usually won't shower there although sometimes I do my makeup there if I'm running late but that's rare.  This morning I walked in showered and dressed and had to go over some things with Cathy as soon as I walked in and said, "ignore my pale face and just listen to what I'm saying."  She's good at that when I ask her to.  :)   Nothing phases her that I do.  She's pretty non-plussed no matter what I throw at her. 

My day as it unfolded...

Short meeting with Cathy
Make up/hair in bathroom
Eat whole wheat banana blueberry pancake and peach mango tea.
Follow up on guests from Sunday.
Check and answer first round of mail.  (I get up to 300 emails a day at times.) 
Create Fusion order.  Mail out with letter/instructions to leaders.
Write message for Fusion. 
Create powerpoint for Fusion message.
Create Sunday service order.
Contact everyone involved in Sunday's service order.
Post Sunday Service order and special instructions on choir and worship team blog.
Pastor T shows up at my door.  :)  Makes joke.  I listen politely. 
Buzz Larry and ask, "what time is staff lunch today?"  He says, "15 minutes from now." 
Write ezine for Tuesday.
Write half of ezine for following week. 
 Have lunch with staff and John and Sophia who have come for their next premarital counseling session today. 
Sit at Cherry's and wonder why the waitresses are so slow.  I don't have 30 minutes to sit and wait for a    California chicken wrap when I have so much left to do.
Eat my chicken wrap.
Try to convince John Torres once more to open his eyes politically.  This is an unfruitful exercise but we always enjoy the good natured sparring. 
Arrange things for my class on Sunday.  Something special is happening!
E-mail ten women individually and personally about Women's Escape.
Record and schedule "One Call Now" for Women's Escape.
Pastor T shows up at my door.  Has debate with me for about seven minutes.   This is actually short for him.
Buzz Cathy on intercom to ask her two financial questions.
Check my mail for my other (career coaching) job, and keep a pulse on anything happening with my clients there.
 Larry buzzes my intercom and says, "are you ready to pack and head to the hospitals?" 
Pack my bags.

Go to van - Larry drives to St. Josephs.  While he drives, I read the first of 32 pages of a new book on marriage that we are reading together.  We go into St. Joe's and visit Juleen Stramiello.  So good to see her doing so well after her back surgery.  Seeing her out of pain for once in a LONG time = priceless.  I love being with her...could stay all evening if my heart had it's way.  But we have another stop to make.  Before we leave I go behind the curtain in her room to pray for her roommate who is laying there literally moaning and crying in pain.  The woman has stomach cancer and had an operation.  Compassion wells up in me for her.  I don't know her name but it doesn't matter.  I go over and she doesn't even open her eyes she is in such pain.  I say, "can I pray for you?"  She gratefully says, "please!!!"  The entire time we visited with Juleen the lady moaned in pain.  When I start praying, she stops.  Her face relaxes with peace.  I tell her I will pray it continues once we are gone.  She whispers thank you.

Get in the van, head to Veterans Hospital in the opposite direction.  I read up to page 32 in the marriage book.  We go into the hospital and see Bob Horstman.  When we get there he tells us with tears of joy that his pathology report came back that afternoon.  It's excellent.  They took out a tumor the size of an apple.  They got it all.  They also took out 3/4 of his colon and the lymph nodes as a precaution.   He will need no chemo or radiation.  This is a miracle.   I fasted/prayed all day last Tuesday for him, I am just weepy with graditude that once again, prayer WORKS.  He was given a horrible prognosis going into this.  Now he is given a great report and a second chance!  Before we go he asks us to pray for his roomate who got a hip replacement.  We go across the room and pray for him.  He is elated.

Get back in the van to drive home.  Savanna calls and says, "Mom, don't forget to pick up my Neutrogena skin cream at CVS."  I tell Larry to stop.  It's 7 pm and I'm exhausted but a promise is a promise. 

  Pull up in my driveway and Jordan is doing flips on the driveway on his skateboard, saturated in sweat and smiling ear to ear.  Savanna is bouncing on a pogo stick on the sidewalk in front of the house, her blonde hair whipping in the air.    Jordan insists I stand there holding all my bags and junk and watch him do a flip.  Savanna says, "what are we eating?!" 

Come inside...heat up leftover pizza from last night.  Talk to both kids for a while.  Promise Jordan I'll make iced tea.  Slowly eat my pizza and savor it.

Explain to Savanna how to use the face wash.
Turn on Fox News. 
Zone out for a few minutes. 

Say goodbye to Larry who is leaving for a few hours for a Men's Ministry meeting at the Mayercak's house.  Jordan goes with him...he's 18 now and goes to Men's meetings.

Sit with Maddie on my bed.  Snuggle up with her and rest a few minutes. 
Phone rings a few times with church calls.  Take them but put my headset on so I can work on the house while I talk.

Take 2 extra strength Tylenols.

 Solve problems on the phone while I clean the kitchen  up, straighten the family room and take Maddie potty.

Larry messsages me in his meeting to ask if I'm doing alright.  Yep, but can't wait for him to get back.  It's been a long day.

 I go sit on my bed.  Maddie comes and lays beside me. 
 Eat 1/2 cup of low fat chocolate ice cream. 
Larry comes home at 10:45 pm.  We check our mail together laying on the bed. 
Snuggle while watching TV. 
Maddie goes in kennel for the night.
Bedtime getting ready routine.
 Read my Bible.
Shut my eyes and talk to the Lord. 
Drift off to sleep. 


Comments

Anonymous said…
Yup. My weeks are going quite similarly lately...I agree with you 100% on Mondays!!!
Ruth, PA said…
Hey, you forgot BTP...rotfl ! I KNOW you are Wonder Woman!! :)
You are right Ruth, I did forget BTP, and I actually spent about 10 minutes on my post there yesterday about Glenn Beck. Oh man, how could I have forgotten THAT?! On my days off sometimes I even spend up to an hour on BTP! It's such enjoyable conversation for me.

Love to you...

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