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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 i...
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It's Hammer Time!
Let's Get This Justice Party Started...

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”   ~ Elie Wiesel I love the book Night by Elie Wiesel . After reading it years ago, I believed it to be such an important book, I told all three of my kids I'd pay them to read it! Turns out, I didn't have to pay any of them. The oldest two just read it when I asked. Savanna still didn't want to read it even with the offer of payment. However, one of her teachers assigned it to her as required reading this year. (Yay for teachers!.) The year I read Night I gave it away as Christmas gift to a few friends. I know it might seem odd that I would give the gift of a book written by a holocaust survivor, chronicling the injustices he faced. It's not really a happy, clappy Christmas gift. But I really thought people needed to hear the message. The Holocaust wasn't that long ago. And it really happened. And people let it happen. And they ...
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Today's Juggling Act

When I sat down to blog tonight I thought, "this is a hodge podge of stuff that doesn't really go together...it's all over the place." But truthfully? That's what my life is like some days. It's a crazy conglomeration -- as I JUGGLE from church to home to job coaching to writing to drinking dark roast coffee and dreaming about changing the world.  There's still a lot to get ready for Easter at the church as well as in our home.  Larry and I still do Easter baskets for ALL of our kids. (Yes even the 22 and 23 year old). I tell him we will do this FOR LIFE and every year he gives me a lecture on the ridiculousness of doing Easter baskets for grown kids. This will be interesting when next year he will give me a lecture on the ridiculousness of doing a basket for a 23, 24 and 16 year old. Ha ha! Shhhhhh! What Larry doesn't know won't hurt him. Every year I can make him think this is the last year we're doing baskets. In other news:
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Did God Plan My Pain?

Some people have a hard time understanding God's love for them because they think He planned what hurts them so much. I'm passionate about sharing that God is a good God. Until people understand that, they won't ever see Him clearly and be able to freely receive His love. Something that makes this difficult are people who tell others that God planned the process that caused their pain.
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God Spoke to Me Through a Rock Yesterday (Seriously!)

The Bible says that if we don't praise God the rocks will cry out. Well, I do praise God, but a rock STILL spoke to me. Welcome to my house... I worked in the yard all day yesterday.  Pruning a wax myrtle. Treating a diseased tangerine tree. Weeding the yard and all the beds. Yes, it was exhausting.  And I'm still not done. The yard has been in need of major work. I've been expecting letters from the HOA, and maybe a fine, which is possible in our neighborhood . But with pastoring, coaching, and my travel/speaking schedule, it's been hard for me to get out there and get it all done. I long to get back to the "glory days" when my yard was actually awarded "yard of the month" in my subdivision. (I knew I'd need the photo to prove it later for people who see it when it's a mess and doubt the magnificence of what once was.)
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Are You Just a Scared Grown Up?

Most adults are afraid to speak up. Afraid to say, "I don't know." In fear of saying, "I don't understand." I have seen this firsthand as my husband does an experiment. As part of a teaching, he instructs a group of people that he is going to tell a joke that makes absolutely no sense. He prepares them by saying: "When a new, unsuspecting person comes in late, I am going to tell this joke. Laugh hysterically. Then we will see how the new person responds." Then they just wait for someone to walk in, and he tells the joke.
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3 Ways to Get Noticed as a Blogger

Many of the people who read my writing each day do so at my other blog and I'm new to them. I've only been out of the adoption closet since August 13, 2012 -- sharing at Lost Daughters , and blogging at my own adoptee site since January 1, 2013 . So many people who read my adoption writings think I'm a brand new blogger. I hear, "Wow Deanna, you're doing pretty well for being brand new at this." Well, actually, I'm an old blogger. In more ways than one. Peri-menopause bites. I've been blogging here every day for over six years and before that I blogged on MySpace. (Yes, seriously...lol)  Along the way people have noticed how much I love blogging and asked me to write a few articles about it, as well as teach a workshop or two. This past week I answered some mail about blogging and I thought I'd offer a few helps here today on the blog for those who may have interest.
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My Crazy Life

So I've been away most of this weekend, actually since Thursday. I was in Ocala, FL to speak at the Freedom Conference for my dear friend, Pastor Jan McIntyre - co-pastor at Marion Oaks Assembly of God. This is her, below. Doesn't she have the most fabulous hair? You can spot her in a crowd anywhere. Yes, that's her natural color.  I sneaked this photo while she was praying on Saturday. We had a great time together over the weekend. The conference was fantastic and we even went shopping together. She introduced me to her favorite store -- Kohls. Yes, imagine that. I'm a shopper and we have Kohl's in Tampa, I just never went.  My sister Shari is always telling me about Kohl's. It's her favorite place, too. Jan gets the most amazing deals and she found these shoes for me, which I wore to preach in Saturday as well as to church this morning.
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