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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

What I Learned Wearing a Night Guard
and Dealing With a Murder


 "You must do the thing you think you cannot do!"
~ Eleanor Roosevelt



“Take it out! Take it out!” 

This was my urgent plea last Friday when my dentist put a night guard in my mouth for the first time.

I thought I was going to throw up!

Gag! Yuk! I hated it.  I seriously thought I could not stand it for one more second. 

I drove home thinking, “I don’t want to keep this thing in for a second let alone eight hours a night.

They advised me to wear it during the day for a while to get used to it. I listened to their instructions and started wearing it a few seconds at a time, then a few minutes, and kept increasing the time. I also listened to the wisdom of friends who also wear a night guard and told me to press on, that I would get used to it.

Well, I’ve worn the night guard every night for the past three nights and amazingly I’m at the point where I can’t imagine what I ever did without it! It helps tremendously.  I realized after I just uploaded the photo up top that I took it right after flossing and the lines are still imbedded in my fingers from the floss making my fingers look much older than they are. (Hee hee!)

There are many things we can’t imagine ourselves doing. Or becoming used to. Or getting through. But as we press forward -- the Lord helps us. 

I never thought I’d be able to move beyond my parents divorce.
I never thought I’d make it through pastoring an abusive church when we first started out.
I never thought I’d be able to handle going to pastor a church where a murder just occurred.
But I did.

It helped to not think about how I was going to handle the weeks ahead, or the months ahead, or the years ahead. I needed to take it second by second, moment by moment, day by day -- just like I did with the night guard.

I can do more than I think I can. 
You can do more than you think you can.
  
Whether it’s wearing a night guard or moving beyond misfortune and tragedy...we can.

I’m praying for you. (Really, I am. I pray for my readers all the time.)
     

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