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

Time to unload!

Baggage Check

 "Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you."  I Peter 5:7

Every one of us has a resource 24/7 that we can completely and safely unload on, yet most people never take advantage of this great provision.

Psalm 55:22 says, "Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall."

I was reading something recently that Joyce Meyer wrote about worship and she said that she believes a lot of people have not had a proper emotional release in worship, therefore they release emotions improperly at other times.  I agree.

It got me to thinking that a lot of people also don't have a proper vent session with the Lord, therefore they have inappropriate vent sessions with others.  Christianity is a relationship, not a religion.  God is supposed to be our best friend.  He talks to us and we need to be listening but do we also give him all of our anxieties?  He's the only friend we're ever instructed to completely, utterly, 100% do that with.  

I don't mind teaching people to pray, in fact I thrive on it.  Part of the way I teach them is by example -- having them pray right alongside me to learn.  But quite honestly there are many of my prayer times that would never be appropriate for anyone to listen to, except the Lord.  This is because I discuss many things with the Lord that are not only sacred but sometimes quite honestly they are anything BUT sacred-- they are negative emotions that need to be released and to a person it would be toxic, but to the Lord it's what he expects.

A constant casting of our cares is essential.  Where we cast them is crucial.  While we all need trusted friends to confide in, none of them are equipped to bear our emotional load 24/7.   And some things are only meant for the ears of God.

Sometimes He listens and wraps me in His love.   Other times He rebukes.  Yet at other times He gives me a course of action to respond with.   He is faithful to be there and respond at all times.

Remember to regularly unload to the Lord and minimize the danger of improper unloading to those who were never equipped to handle every single thing that's inside.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm real and raw in my prayer life. I'm plain spoken in my prayers, some may say blunt. God already knows my heart feelings. It honors Him to trust and confide in Him and helps me to unload, as you stated. I can't shock God. And what a waste of time to "beat around the bush" with flowery words. I am direct in praise, thanks, and requests. God is always direct and to the point in His Word, so also should we! When that comunion with God is throughout the day, it doesn't take any effort to speak to Him.

Popular posts from this blog

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

What Verbal Abuse is Really Like, and Why We Must Care
Guest Post: Terri von Wood

In my speaking travels, I meet the most amazing people. Some are connections that go beyond just a night or a weekend of preac hing. One day on my journey, I met Terri von Wood, and we immediately clicked and have been friends ever since.  Just a reminder that all of our guest bloggers this week are available to chat with you in the comment section here on the blog or on my facebook page where the blog is also published.   *** People who have never suffered through or witnessed abuse (including pastors) often don't know how to help women in abusive situations. Knowledge is power and it is my belief that if the church understood the prevalence of abuse, help would be made available.  First, we must acknowledge that the divorce rate is the same  in the church as in the world.  Second, we must understand that the 50% divorce rate does not include all the women who are abused but stay because they do not know what else to do or do not have anyone to turn to.  If those women we

Stuff I Adore That Costs Little to Nothing...

Okay...taking a break today from writing about heavy things...like grief, loss, and bawling. Time to write about random stuff today that nobody may be interested in reading. Nevertheless here it is... Stuff I adore that costs little to nothing... Listening to playlists I make on (free) Spotify Drinking out of canning jars Reading books again that I already have on my shelf. Walking and riding my bike. Admiring crepe myrtle trees. Taking a bath in the daytime with the lights off in the room. (Natural light.) Naps. Snuggling with my husband or one of the kids and watching a movie at home. Having all noise turned off when no one is home. (No TV, no music, just silence.) Prayer.