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

Sometimes a Mom just can't say no...


Yesterday Savanna said, "Mom can we pleeeease make some gourmet pretzels for my teachers and friends at school?"

[Insert deep breath here]

Today is her last day of school before the holiday break so it had to be done last night.  I'm swamped with working double time at the church not to mention work at NextJob to be off a few days at Christmas not to mention getting Christmas together for my own household - everything from gifts to food.  I haven't even started getting everything ready for the plethora of things we make on Christmas day for dinner and dessert with friends here at the house.  But...I said yes.  Larry says, "why, why, why do you never say no to these things, Deanna?!"  (He sees my exhaustion at times and wonders why I do these things but honestly it's hard to say no to a pleading child who wants to give to others, and make memories, etc...  Perhaps only a Mom can understand.)  Anyway, "we" didn't end up making them -- "I" ended up making them --  as she was out late until almost 11 PM shopping with her Dad last night.  He asked her to go with him, so I worked solo in the kitchen doing all of the pretzels by myself and had them ready when they got home.  She didn't know I was going to do them and thought all the work was waiting for her when she got home.  She bounded into the kitchen and exclaimed, "YOU DIDN'T!" with an ear to ear grin, then hugged me...a real big squeezy hug that Moms just eat up like candy.  To see the look on her face of delight that her pretzels were waiting for her to take to school...priceless.  I also imagine what her friends reactions will be.  Last year she took the pretzels to school and her friends just went BONKERS over them. Her friend Dixie bit into one and exclaimed, "Oh my gosh, these things are the best thing ever known to mankind!!!"  I don't know that I'd take it thaaaaaaat far, but they are preeeeeety darn good.  Dustin also took them to work and the employees at the Cobb freaked out over how amazing they are.  It makes me happy to think of how delighted people are going to be to receive these.  They are easy to make and I get all the ingredients from Michael's and the grocery store.  I package them in all different ways and sometimes just give them out individually and other times wrap them in cellophane paper with mugs or glasses.   For instance, here are two little gifts above (Christmas mugs)  that I'm giving this week with the pretzels in them.   You can make them in any color imaginable for special occasions like holidays, weddings, birthdays, etc.

Incidentally a lot of people have asked me how to make the pretzels and I did a little picture tutorial of it on the blog a while back and you can find it here.

Then I set about making the lasagna for the Fusion dinner tonight.  We are having a covered dish Christmas dinner and games, Christmas carols and lots more.  It's going to be rather amazing.  I can't wait!

There's an extremely full day of work ahead of me today.  I'm praying for no emergencies, (knock on wood), so that I can bust through the work that I need to have done by Thursday night.  I'm hoping to reserve Friday just for getting my household ready before Christmas Eve Communion.  I can't even believe I"m talking about Christmas Eve Communion or that it's this close, but man, it really IS!!!    By the way, Celebration Church does communion on Christmas Eve very differently from most other churches I've ever heard of, and I'll explain it all here on the blog the day of, if you haven't already read it here in the past.  It's pretty cool, and our people just looooooove it!

Last night after finally wrapping up the pretzel making factory, the lasagna assembly line and the clean up from all the cooking and my husband and Savvy returning from Christmas shopping, I went outside after midnight and soaked in the jacuzzi, looked up at the stars and thanked God for His many blessings.  We were some of the crazy people out in the middle of the night last night looking at the eclipse.  The lack of sleep has affected me however, it's important not to miss special moments in life.  I was thanking God even then that I was just wrapped in my snuggie on the patio and wondering how my friends in the northeast were faring, standing or sitting outside in freezing temps.  An amazing family and friends and  livin' in paradise.  Yes indeed, I am blessed.

Comments

Anonymous said…
We do gourmet pretzels every year, too - I think it's hilarious how impressed people are by them, because they really ARE easy to make.
Rhonda said…
Awesome post my friend! You are indeed blessed and yes, I am freezing over here!!
Melissa said…
Unfortunately we did not get to see the eclipse. The kids so wanted us to wake them to see it. But instead we were getting more snow...I am so sick of snow I am about ready to pack up and move back to Florida...well at least for the winter :)

Popular posts from this blog

Some people will never understand this...

And that's okay. Just let us be as we lavish love upon the fur-kids of the world. It doesn't mean we don't care about people. We do care. In fact most of the people I know who are great pet lovers are also the greatest philanthropists. If you're not a dog lover, you might not understand the overwhelming intensity that many of us felt about Tank's reunion this past week. You might think we've lost our marbles. That's okay, we think you've lost your heart. ;)  Before I go on with this post, let me say that we were delighted that CBS 10 posted the video and article about Tank and his Celebration Church reunion yesterday. Click here to watch it. (But then come back!) If you haven't realized it, there is a revolution in America about dogs. Dogs have always been loved and known as the most loyal companions ~ "man's best friend". But things have gone way beyond this. Dogs aren't just dogs or friends anymore. They are family me

Fifty Shades of No Way

This weekend, the Fifty Shades of Grey movie will be released and millions of women are expected to flock to the theat er s.  I will not be one of those women.   As a leader of women , some have asked me about this movie. The following is my thoughtful response. Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world. The book series has sold over 100 million copies worldwide, and been translated into 52 languages. It set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time.   Is Fifty Shades of Grey just a harmless book or movie? Although n o one seems to be debating this fact, let’s first establish that it’s pornography.  And not just porn, but a genre that is even more dangerous for women. The book glorifies a female character that is controlled and abused by her partner.   Who is excited about this book and mov ie? Hmmmm….you might be surprised. Many women and girls in our churches have read it. Sadly, I am even aware of

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