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Showing posts with the label Hospitality

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 i...

Make a Caesar Salad At Home That Your Family or Guests Will RAVE About!

Never would I have considered this transformational, but to hear the guests who come to dinner at my home talk, it is. So, I'm sharing it with you today. You can name your firstborn after me thank me later. People who "don't cook" are especially going to thank me. Yes, I know you're out there. You're the one who signs up for the church covered dish dinners, telling the lady in charge: "Just to let you know, I don't cook..." hoping to sign up for rolls in a bag or a bakery item. Or soda. ("Pop", for those of you in places like southwest Pennsylvania or Ohio.) You feel like you're the only one. You're not. You've been teased. You've been mocked. You've been misunderstood. Nobody grasps your plight where it concerns the culinary disadvantages that are your reality. I'm here to help you overcome all that. It's a new day, my friend. Your days of taking pop to potlucks are OVER. [Shout now!] ...

Use It, Or Don't Have It! (And Other Practical Nuggets of Wisdom...)

A few weeks ago I hosted a few groups of women at our home for dinner and meetings. Upon  sitting down to the table, one of the ladies remarked, "I'm afraid to touch anything. What if something breaks?" I explained that this was no problem, if indeed it happened. She was referring to material things, most of which could be replaced. If it couldn't be replaced it's still not of greater importance than people. Some things I choose to live by: People are more important than things. If you have it, use it. If you don't use it, get rid of it. Start with whatever you have. Don't wait for things to be "perfect" to reach out.  Use whatever you have for the greatest good that you can. Share. Be hospitable. Open your heart and home to others.

What about helping people don't some people understand?!

Are you more involved in helping people, or in hurting them? I enjoy the Red Elephant in Tampa. So much that I took 20 other people with me in the month that followed my first visit! I introduced these new customers to the place by scheduling lunch meetings and appointments there at various times during the month. All of them liked it and now they're going back too. Since then I've taken about 20 more people. I'm responsible for at least 40  additional Red Elephant customers who are now loving the roasted tomato soup and the chicken grill and the elephant ears as much as I do! Red Elephant customer service is what really sold me on the food because my first time there they brought me little sample cups of all the soup, without me requesting it. They did the same thing with their signature dessert.  I have purchased so many now that I can't even count, plus lots of other things on the menu. It is Red Elephant's custom to give samples and to go the extra mile. I...

Having ourselves a merry little Christmas...

Last night's leadership Christmas party at our home...the last guest didn't leave til' after 1:30 am, and a great time was had by all.  I wish I could sleep all day today.  I'm exhausted!  But, I have so much to do for Christmas so I've got a full day today. It was all worth it! Love spending time with our leaders.  Here are some photo highlights of the festivities last night.

Hospitality Hints from the Hostess with the Mostest!

Forget calling, responsibility and all that stuff..............I'm convinced some people might stay on our leadership team simply because they want to come to our Christmas party!  ::giggles::  Every Christmas my husband and I host a party at our home to show our love and appreciation to our Celebration Church leaders.  Between 70-80 people usually come as our leaders are invited to bring their spouse and kids. Everyone loves this party from the youngest to oldest!  We do everything from eat (of course!) to play games, and sit around the fire, and sing carols around the piano, and dance, and talk, talk, and talk some more.   We start at 6:00 PM and usually the last person leaves by about 2:00 AM.  I did mention that our name is Celebration Church?  Emphasis on the CELEBRATION. Being a person that loves fresh culinary ideas, I'm always wanting to try something new but every time I dare mention changing the menu there is an outcry...

3 ways to entertain without a nervous breakdown

Fear of entertaining seems to be an issue that's not so uncommon.  I talk to many people who have told me they have never welcomed guests in their home. Some want their domain to be strictly a private refuge, others don't know where to begin and feel inadequate when it comes to inviting people over. Dessert table at our leadership Christmas party at our home last year. We welcome people into our home often, in fact tonight the Celebration women will be coming to our home and Sunday night we're having all of the newcomers over.  We usually invite anyone who is new to the church over every other month, and have a "getting to know you" time.  It's not uncommon for us to have anywhere from one or two people to 70 people at the house.  A few New Year's Eve's ago, we had over 100 people here.  It was organized chaos! Some of the kids dancing on New Year's Eve last year in our family room.  At times I do something with all of the china and the t...

Traditions are a splendid thing

Traditions!  Love 'em! We have several the day after Thanksgiving.  More recently Savanna and I have been getting up at 5:00 AM and going out shopping for black Friday.  First we shopped, then went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, then shopped again and got home at about 10:00 am.  Vanna and I are serious bargain hunters and we got 70% off on most of our merchandise.  Believe it or not we spent the most time at Salvation Army.  That's our favorite store.  Seriously!  And yes , they had black friday sales! Things took off like a rocket when we got home because the main thing we do on this day is the Christmas decorating of our home.  We decorated the  church with a team of amazing folks from Celebration this past Monday - Wednesday and now it was time to focus on our home.  Our house is the gathering spot for a lot of things during this season for the church.  I have a women's gathering here, we have our leadership and their...

Portraits of thanks

I'm thankful for my amazing family.  I'm thankful for my home.    I'm thankful for our amazing church !  This is a photo from our Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday night.  The best ever! I'm thankful for this sweet BFF who never leaves my side.  This is Maxie last night sitting next to me while I updated facebook.  He sits right next to me just like this whenever I work on the computer.  A constant, faithful, sweet friend.   When he wants me to stop typing and give him a little more attention he touches me with his paw and I love on him a little before going back to work. Thankful for this sweet girl -- our miracle!  Maddie lights our world with love.  Her scar is a reminder to us of where she was and how far she's come, and that God does answer prayer.  I'm thankful for the street we live on, for the nice sidewalks I walk on every day. I'm thankful for the sights I see on my walks everyday in our neighborhood. ...