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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
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Distracted when you pray?

Is it always easy or convenient for me to pray?  No.  I have my struggles like anyone else.  The following things are a few that help me to focus in prayer.

1)  Background music - I stress the word "background" because the music isn't the main thing, it's just a a backdrop or a springboard into prayer.  I have lists on my Zune that I make a few times a week (changing them up all the time to reflect what God is speaking to my heart) to help me focus.

2)  Prayer journaling - when I am especially unfocused I start writing my prayers.  I am a very focused writer and this is a very quick way for me to snap back to center and stop being distracted by things and hone in on what I want to say to God and also what I hear Him saying to me. (I write down what He says.)

3)  Getting in physical position - this changes at times depending on the day and how I'm feeling.  Most times I'm a "walker" in prayer.  I should have worn a path around our sanctuary by now.  LOL   Seriously though, I enjoy walking or pacing in prayer...it helps me to focus.  Other times I feel the Lord directing me to lay down especially when I am just listening to Him speak.  The physical position is not a "religious" thing to me or prescribed, it's simply whatever I feel Him leading me to do.

4)  Get unplugged - except for when I put out a facebook status that invites people to send us requests to pray for, I get away from the computer, the phone, from everything whereby people can communicate with me and pull away for a while just to talk to the Lord.

5)  Have a prayer list - I pray without a list many times but just as often I have a list in front of me that I pray through.  It helps to remember everyone I'm standing in prayer with at any given time.

Hope this helps some of you who are dealing with distractions to focus in!

Remember, history belongs to those who pray!
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