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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

Stuff my husband does right


 (Photo by Rachael Rice ~ taken at 2010 Spice Conference at Celebration Church

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."  Philippians 4:8

It would be real easy for any of us to focus on what our spouse does wrong, and at times, all of us do.   And when we do it very long we see what a demoralizing, get-us-nowhere exercise this is.

Yesterday morning I was given a wake up call (literally) about something I haven't given my husband credit for.  How in the world have I missed giving him props for this?  In the middle of the night last night he got up, stumbled in the dark to the bathroom and I could hear him peeing in there.  He flushes, washes his hands (yeah, my husband is an avid hand washer, also a relentless teeth brusher, which we'll come back to..) and he comes back to sleep.  I peacefully go back to deep sleep.  Nothing unusual about all this.

Early this morning still before the sun is up I feel the urge to go potty (can't hold it anymore now that I'm peri-menopausal, aren't you glad to know that?) and I sleepily make my way into the bathroom feeling my way in the dark as I customarily do.  As I get to the bathroom and reach down to lift the toilet lid in the dark, and then sit down on the seat, I suddenly have a epiphany.  Yes, I even have them on the toilet.  I am suddenly struck with the thought that after 23 years of marriage, I have never fallen into the toilet as a result of my husband leaving the seat up!  He always puts it down.   Always.  Really!  He not only puts the seat down, he puts the lid down too!  Yes, I'm a doubly blessed woman.  (I can already hear what you're thinking...and yes...he does pee standing up!  :::giggles:::)

All the talk I hear from my friends about having to put the seat back down every time and stories about "falling in" are foreign to me.  This is one of the many blessings I count in being married to Larry Shrodes.

 A few other things he does right:

  • Cooks great!  It's not a strange thing at all for me to come home from my bike ride and find him cooking dinner.  And it's really good stuff.   
  •  Always has fresh breath.  As I mentioned before, he brushes his teeth all the time - after every meal and probably 2-3 times a day beyond that.   
  •  He can fix stuff like a vacuum cleaner cord that was chewed all the way in half by the dogs.
  •  He's good with some other things he's pleaded with me not to blog about, so I'll leave it (at least today, lol) to his prowess with toilet seats, cooking, teeth brushing and vacuum cleaner cords.
  • He puts up with me writing posts like this.  If you've been around for any length of time you know just how much, and you're still here, bless your heart. 
Focus ladies...focus on the positive -- tomorrow when I pee again without falling in, I will say, "thank you Jesus, for my man that puts down the lid."   Don't get your religious panties in a bunch now...I learned this in church..."count your blessings, name them one by one..."

Comments

Anonymous said…
I'm the only woman in the house. My men are very courteous about this also. I, too, am thankful! I thought, though, that they were putting the seat and lid back down so the dog wouldn't drink out of the toilet! hahah. What ever their motive, the seat is down!! Never fell in either! LOL Yep, countin' my blessings, too! Thanks for the laugh...I need it this morning!
You're welcome! Anytime. :)
Rhonda said…
this is awesome - what an honor to your husband! Mind if I steal the idea for my blog?
I agree - it's too easy to focus on the annoying things and much better to think about the good things. I started writing a list of the "things my husband does right" and then decided to put the list on the internet. I call it 40+ Things My Husband Does Right. I also included a list of things he doesn't do which are just important as the things he does do. I'm glad to see another wife who takes time to notice the positive things her husband does!

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