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

And the rest truly IS all gravy...

I'm so proud of my kids.  They all love and serve God.  No matter what else they accomplish in life, nothing will EVER mean more to me and to their father than this.  Whatever else they do or don't do in life is inconsequential to us compared to the fact that they love God and serve Him.  The rest is all gravy, truly...and I mean that.

Friday we went on a hospital visit as a family.  While Jordan and I were walking hand in hand through the parking garage together (yes, we still do that and he's not ashamed) and speaking of  paths he could take in life he says to me, "Momma, would you be proud of me if I do such and such?" and "Momma would you be proud of me if I did such and such instead?"  I simply told him what I have said over and over and over again to him throughout his life, "Jordan, I will always love you unconditionally, AND of course I will always be proud of you.  Loving and serving God with your whole heart is all that matters to me."     Really, all else is RUBBISH compared to knowing Jesus.  Seriously.  In fact I told him I didn't even care if he hauled rubbish for a living as long as he loved Jesus!!  (His response:  "Mom, I'm definitely NOT going to haul rubbish, but I promise I'll always love Jesus.") 

I could give SO many examples of the importance of emphasizing serving God over anything else, but just one is a family we pastored years ago who let their daughter skip church and youth group all the time in order to follow after a full ride scholarship to an ivy league school.  She was working hard on academic and sports scholarships, both of which she received.  This was the most important thing to her parents and they felt it was acceptable because she was "missing for good cause."  I realize there are times here and there we all have to miss, and the point is not to legislate any certain number of services we should attend.  However, wisdom and common sense exists for a reason as well as the Word of God which tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together on a regular basis.  And for teenagers this is especially crucial, because they are at a critical juncture in their lives.  We warned the parents of the dangers of this, as we have with many.   Their daughter received a full scholarship as well as a great paying job when she graduated, but it was at QUITE A COST.  At that school they were introduced to a party life that took them on a downward spiral to a point of no longer serving God and even questioning whether they believe in Him!   Let's hope the rapture holds off for however long it takes her to come to her senses.  This is her parents prayer every day as they cry and plead with God in their prayer time.  Oh that all that could have been avoided.  

What things my children accomplish or careers they choose or education they complete is all secondary to serving Jesus.  Jordan was playing the drums so hard recently in some services under the lights and with such a passion that he passed out twice due to being overheated and just not quitting.  I know that's crazy, but that's just Jordan -- he's crazy like that. And I love it!!!

I love seeing the passion with which my children serve God and how they express it.  They tend to say it like it is (where in the world did they get this trait?!) and I am so grateful for their zeal.   Sunday morning Larry was telling our church a story about an experience our son Dustin recently had when he was leading worship at a  youth service.  He was leading a song called, "Madly" and the lyrics say, "and what we do in here
will fill the streets out there..."   Well, there would have been nothing wrong with that except for the fact that a lot of the teens were standing there going through the motions singing this song.  Most had no expression or real participation and were standing there stone cold.  Some were checked out -- texting or talking to their neighbor.  Dustin stopped the worship song and just said, "Hey guys, please, I beg you -- DO NOT TAKE THIS INTO THE STREETS.  Please do not spread this beyond here -- we do not want it to 'fill the streets out there', because nobody needs what's going on in this room right now.  To have something that's worth taking into the streets, we have to go after God with our whole hearts!  So please re-examine whether you have something that's worth taking into the streets before you start singing about it."  Interestingly enough the teens in the room began to come to the front of the room, fall on their knees before God and cry or go the altar with hands raised in surrender and cry out to God.  What started as a bland youth meeting with unengaged teenagers ended up to be a youth service that lasted for hours beyond what was expected.

What could be better than our children serving God?  NOTHING, I'm telling you, absolutely NOTHING.  I count myself the richest woman in the world.

We had a fantastic day  yesterday at CC with five people coming to Jesus in our morning services (adult & KidZone) and a dynamic prayer service last night.  We just kicked off the annual week of prayer and I'm so anticipating what God is going to do.  We unveiled goals for 2011 yesterday and the people are responding just as we thought they would.  It's great to have a family that serves God and it's so great to lead a congregation that actually follows...What a concept -- leaders who lead, and people who follow!  Parents who lead and children who follow!  As Paul said in I Corinthians 11:1 ~"Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

Comments

Anonymous said…
Your post brought tears to my eyes. As a Mom, there is nothing sweeter than to see my children, hands raised in worship, seeking after God!
Anonymous said…
Wow, Deanna - brought tears to my eyes as well with your post...nothing is sweeter!!! I pray mine follow the Lord with ALL their heart too!!!

Had to laugh at your comment.."They tend to say it like it is (where in the world did they get this trait?!)" I wonder :-) Yep that's the Deanna I remember from church growing up!!!
Blessings gal!!!
Rhonda said…
Incredible post and and an honor you have brought to your children. Our children - especially teenagers need to hear this: no matter what, as long as they are serving the Lord, we are proud of them. Words of affirmation are underrated. Kids may not act like they "need" it but I think they do. They are always looking for an approval in what they do and who they are. Praying that for my children, they come to me for that approval and not to their peers. Thanks for sharing!

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

Excellent teaching on Criticism

My friend Pastor Leanne posted this today on her Myspace blog and I thought it was excellent and so timely. It's a blog post from Pastor Perry Noble , about criticism. I think it's perfect for the pastors at Relevant Church right now, as well as any other person going through this. I would like to note that when he says, "when God begins to move" it wouldn't necessarily just pertain to your church but to your life, your family, your marriage, anything that concerns you. I have found that the greater God does things in my life and the more He blessed me the more I should expect it. This teaching is good, so good I was almost wavin' a hanky in my office. Okay, here we go... You Will Be Criticized When God Begins To Move–Expect It And Get Over It. (Pastor Perry Noble at http://www.perrynoble.com/ ) I've never met a devil worshiper–to my knowledge that is. When I first became a Christian I was convinced that I needed to do all that I could to be ready to comba