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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
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There's nothing funny about it at all

Yesterday we took our assistant Cathy out to lunch for her birthday.  She wanted to go to Red Lobster, which is somewhere I love to go too.  After being seated the server came to take our drink orders and my husband asked for his usual, a Boston iced tea.  Immediately the server says, "I'm sorry sir, we're out of cranberry juice."  My husband's face displayed immediate disappointment but he didn't complain and responded, "okay I'll have a diet coke."  Then the server says, "no, I'm just kidding, we have the cranberry juice.  I'll bring you the Boston iced tea."  So we all sat there and just sort of went, "mkay...moving right along.  That wasn't really funny but whatever..."

Our lunch progresses and the server continues to do this kind of thing.  With other requested items he proceeds to tell us that they don't have them available...sees the disappointment register on our face and then tells us, "ha ha, just kidding!!"  It really got annoying.  I realize this was just a joke, and while I'm all for fun, this is exactly the kind of joke I can't stand.  
  
What kind of person gets a kick out of seeing other people's disappointment?   What is so funny about disappointment?  Nothing!  If it were just food and drinks it wouldn't be quite so bad, but people do it with so many other things in life.    In the past I've had key players or soloists tell me, "Oh Pastor Deanna, did I mention that family plans have changed and I won't be here for the Easter concert?"  After my heart totally sinks to an unbelievable level about how I'm going to make a concert work with somebody missing who has a major part they say, "ha ha!  I was just kidding!  Of course I'll be here!"  The joke may have only lasted a few seconds or minutes, but quite honestly it was two seconds of stress that I didn't need. 

Sometimes people do this with much more serious things.  Have you ever had people play a "joke" on you like this with something big or small and had the wind knocked out of you emotionally even if but for a few minutes?

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Ruth, PA said…
My hubby plays his yearly April Fool's joke on me. You'd think after 20+ years of marriage I'd be used to it. But I fall for it every time...mostly because I believe every word from his mouth, and he knows that! Seriously, I do hate jokes like this. The lead in our church's Christmas play pulled this on me two weeks before production this past Dec. After tears welling up in my eyes and going "on and on" about how much we needed him etc. he said, "I'm kidding." Yeah, I had to bite my tongue because God wouldn't have wanted me to say what I was thinking! LOL
6:40 AM
Melissa Davis said…
This just happened to me the other week by one of the Ladies at the church - she plays a big part in the YOUTH DEPT.

She pulls me over to the side after service and tells me that she's moving to Atlanta in two weeks - after I about fainted, she yells out, "Just Kidding" and started to laugh - I saw nothing funny.

I feel you on this PD...
9:13 PM
Dr. Deanna DossShrodes said…
Wow PM...I feel your pain...seriously.

Perhaps a PP post is needed on this one...seems a common issue.
9:06 PM
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