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
Post a Comment

When You've Got to Go THROUGH to Get What's Coming to You...

"See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction." Isaiah 48:10

Walking well worn path I've trod daily for almost a month, I've learned many things.

Some of them I haven't wanted to learn and would have had a holy-freak-out okay maybe an unholy one if you would have told me prior that I'd be learning them.

Years ago when going through a challenge that preceded major learning and growth in my life, someone asked me, "Could you have learned this any other way, Deanna? Would it have been possible by reading a textbook, or listening to someone else's experience?"

No, it wouldn't.


Sometimes we have to actually go through a challenge to receive something we couldn't get any other way but through.

God has some big things for me in my next season, but I needed to go through.
And I'm still going through.

The Dangerous Okay, Strange Prayer 

I prayed a weird prayer a few months ago.
A prayer I haven't shared with anyone.


I sensed God speaking to me back in June about some new things he wanted to do in my life and my family. 

It all sounded amazing.

And then...I actually asked Him to NOT do it.

I know that sounds crazy.

I've seen a lot of my friends fall and fall hard.
Witnessed mentors and even icons I don't personally know, lose everything.
Most important, they lost faith and family --although they once had it all.

Why I Prayed That Prayer

Integrity and my family is more important to me than any blessing or success.

I just asked God to not take me to the next step if He knew it wouldn't end well.

I prayed, "God, I don't know that I'm ready for all that, or if my family's ready...or if my life can withstand that. But if it's what you want you'll have to get me ready."

And this is what I've grappled with these past weeks where I've walked until my feet just can't go another step at days end...

I haven't understood why I've gone through what I've gone through since February 28, 1013.
It's like all hell unleashed going to my very core.

I don't have any enemies as far as it depends on me but I wouldn't want this to happen to anyone.  I wouldn't wish this on a terrorist. Come to think of it, it's not necessary to go to war with Syria, we'll just throw some of my issues on them. They'll straighten up fast.

During these weeks the pain has driven me to a place of intimacy with God that I haven't been to before.

I just thought I would spend my days moving toward healing.
Imagine my surprise that He's messed with every area of my life.
Rearranged things I wasn't even focusing on.

I'm delighted with the results through this recovery, although it took radical surgery.

Sometimes you have to go THROUGH to get what's coming to you. There's no other way to get it than through.

Most people would probably expect me to end this post with, "I'm ready, God! Do it!"

Honestly? I'm still not sure that I'm ready.

But I'm going through, to get there.

 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

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
29 comments
Read more

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
3 comments
Read more

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
12 comments
Read more