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

My dog has more fruit of the spirit than most Christians...

Max is an amazing "fruit of the spirit" dog.  I often marvel at his character.  I wish I could be more like him in the sense that many days he's a whole lot more like Jesus than me.

Galatians 5:22-23 definitely describes him...

Love - Max is the most loving dog I know - even exceeding Maddie in this department.  I have never known a "sweeter" dog than Max.  He wants to cuddle all day long.  He has to be as close to you as possible.  He  just wants to be near.  Even when you use the restroom, he waits outside the door and lays right up against it until you come out.  Seriously.

Joy - he leaps with joy constantly.  Sometimes too much!  He gets excited if you just leave for 10 minutes and go to the store and come back, he leaps with joy all over again.

Peace - he is a very peaceful dog and I have never known him to start a fight.

Longsuffering - he's the most longsuffering dog I know.  Maddie get aggressive with him sometimes.  Max just takes it most of the time and doesn't injure her.

Kindness - Max is so kind.  Even his eyes are kind.  He just gives a "look" that screams, "I love you!"

Goodness - he struggles a bit with this one - chews up things constantly including chewing Larry's I-phone charger cord to pieces yesterday, and chewing about a 5 inch hole in our leather sofa.  Yeah.  We're working on this one.  I believe at heart he's good but chewing is his weakness.  Some struggle with porn or drugs...or a brownie calling their name....Max chews.

Faithfulness - Max is faithful everyday to be the same sweet natured dog in times good and bad.  Larry and I can be moody and all over the place with our emotions but Max is steady in who he is.  He's loving, kind and faithful whether we're serene or screaming in the house.  It's amazing.

Gentleness - he's got the most gentle eyes and he never does anything real aggressive although he is extremely exciteable he has never been a biter even in play.

Self Control - This is another one we're working on.  Yeah, that chewing thing.  He can't resist a cord or plundering a pillow.  But hey, seven out of nine fruits of the spirit mastered isn't AT ALL bad!

I have so far to go on these Max puts me to shame.  Oh Lord, please help me catch up with Max.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said…
Deanna, I so agree! Cora, our dog, is a member of our family, and my third "child"! LOL When I am ill, she knows before I share this info with anyone. Very sensitive, forgiving, and loving. Her only bad habit is growling at strangers. (But maybe this is her way of protecting us!) We adopted her from the humane society. We love her to pieces!

Popular posts from this blog

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

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

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.