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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

Are you really ready for a serious relationship?

If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.  If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing.  If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.

Love never gives up.

Love cares more for others than for self.

Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Love doesn't strut,

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always "me first,"

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.
 
Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

I Corinthians 13 ~ The Message Bible

***********

I love how the Message Bible brings truths right home in such a profound way.  This is really what love truly is.  It's not what Hollywood portrays.  It's about what we do when we aren't particularly feeling the butterflies in our stomach anymore when we are around our partner.  It's found in our response when our kids get on  our last nerve.  It's what we choose to do when the dog we love so much has an accident all over the floor.  It's how we react when a friend disappoints us.   We don't even begin to have a "love" test until something happens to challenge us.

 It's a cake walk to love when things are good.  Not so much when we're disappointed. 

Love really shows itself in what we do, how we respond, what we choose and how we react.

Are you dating someone and considering a lifetime commitment to them?  Forget for just a moment about how you feel when you are making out with them and ask yourself how you would respond if you had to change their diaper.

Comments

Ruth, PA said…
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I actually didn't post it to be funny, I meant it as a serious point that some spouses end up changing their partner's diaper, or taking care of them in some other way regarding their health - therefore people need to consider what unconditional love really means...in sickness and in health, for better or worse...know what I mean?

I find these things when I'm researching to write something, I get curious as to who out there is dealing with what and just start googling. :)
Ruth, PA said…
Deanna,
PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!! I totally misunderstood the site. I agree that we should be prepared to stay with our spouse in any situation.

A few years ago, when viewing a program about sexual problems some couples deal with, this subject came up. No medical problems, the husband just enjoyed this. In reading the comments, no medical problems were mentioned, so I assumed. Please delete my comment. And again, I am very sorry!!!
Ruth
I deleted your comment but please take heart that I was not offended in the least. Comments make the blog world go round. :) And I just wanted you to know that although I do post funny things this wasn't intended to be one of them.

Perhaps I need to go back through and re-read that site...I thought they were serious...oh wow, maybe I'm the one the joke is on!! LOL

If they are doing that for kicks, these people are TRULY SICK and that would be a blog post in itself for sure.
Ruth,
I went back and re-read. I think you are right -- wow, wow, wow. These people were changing diapers for another reason. Oh my.

Anyway, I have changed the link to one that is most definitely what I was referring to.

Just when you think you've heard it all...LOL

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