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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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Getting ready for THE birthday of the year!

Last night I started setting one of our two dining tables that will be set for Christmas dinner.  We had Fusion Christmas dinner last night at church and it was a busy night with me getting home later than usual but when I got home I made two pumpkin pies, a 7 layer salad and started ironing linens and began to arrange a bit.  I quit at about midnight and got in the jacuzzi before calling it a day. Today I will be prepping what dishes can be done in advance and filling up the fridge before heading to Christmas Eve Communion and our tradition after such -- going out for Chinese dinner.  (The last thing I want to do after cooking for two days and filling up my fridge for Christmas day is cook another dinner.  We have always gone out for dinner on Christmas Eve since our very first year of marriage.)  We invite the staff and most times everyone goes and we exchange gifts.   I thought I'd share one of our favorite Christmas dishes that is always ...
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Sometimes...

I just love to breathe.  I enjoy being by myself. I like when I'm with a friend with whom silence is comfortable.  When I'm in a truly close relationship with someone we can be laying on separate couches in the same room for hours reading books, and be perfectly fine without saying anything.  If I'm not as close with someone I feel like I need to "babysit" and keep the conversation constantly going.  Not that I don't LOVE conversation.  I do, but close friends become comfortable in either situation. I wish Adam and Eve would have made different choices.  I figure out what time it is in Africa and think about what my friends there might be doing. I think I'll burst if I don't get back to Africa soon.   I wonder if I'm making enough of a difference at enough things during my time on this earth. I dream about where the next miracle is going to take place. I really wish a Dove chocolate had as many calories as a brusse...
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Grandma's green beans without the fat!

Right in time for Christmas dinner...here's a new way to do green beans, as promised last week .  I absolutely love fresh green beans -- especially cooked the old fashioned way with a little bit of ham or bacon, southern style.  Although they are awesome that way, I realized a few years ago the need to be more healthy in my approach to day to day cooking.   Here's a way to  make absolutely delicious green beans without the fat of bacon or ham -- still using oil, but healthy oil, and getting a pork flavor in your beans as well.    Snap ends off of fresh green beans.  (Usually I am too tired to snap beans after work so Savanna does this part for me.)  Rinse beans and place in large pot with lid.  Add water to almost cover about 1/2 of beans.  Add one can of fat free or nearly fat free chicken broth.   Quarter 1 large onion and add to beans along with 1 teaspoon crushed or fresh minced garlic, ...
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There can be miracles, when you believe...

Yesterday was the highlight of our "Christmas Miracles" service at Northside.  After choir songs and special solos, duets, drama, scripture reading, etc., Larry and I brought a tag team message entitled, "Speak out your miracle!"   For this Sunday, we brought everyone together in the sanctuary -- kids, teens, adults.  As I was preaching the final point, I shared the story of Maddie's car accident  on November 7 and the fact that her spine was over 50% fractured, with a poor prognosis of recovery.  (If you are a recent blog reader and don't know about this, read my November 2009 posts from November 7 on.)  We were in need of a miracle!    The whole church prayed as well as many of you -- friends, family, people we knew and people we don't even know all over the world.  Someone put Maddie was on a prayer chain in Australia.  Many people in Africa prayed for her.  Friends from Knoxville to Dayton to Chicago to Na...
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It's time to SPEAK YOUR MIRACLE!

This morning is our Christmas service at Northside.  (Hard to believe there are only six more services with Northside being Northside!  Celebration is on the way...)  After a whole bunch of special Christmas music this morning, Larry and I will bring a tag team message, "It's time to speak your miracle!"   This is the highlight of our Christmas series -- "Christmas Miracles."     This morning we are going to focus on the importance of what we SAY in receiving our miracle.  Words, words, words, words, words -- so much power in them!!! "It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak.”  II Corinthians 4:13 "...so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."  Isaiah 55:11 "As it is written: "I have made you a father of many nations." He i...
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Life Coaching Christmas

This morning is our women's life coaching meeting, and in December we usually have the meeting at my  home instead of the church.  The ladies are coming this morning and we will share a brunch and then have our meeting.   I decided to make my sweet rolls for today, among other things that we'll be having.  They are a family favorite and we always have them Thanksgiving and Christmas mornings as well as when we go away on vacation, if we do a vacation rental and I'm cooking, we have them each morning.  I realize it's not the healthiest thing in the world but it's only on "special occasions" that we have them.   I have served these for friends as well and people are always asking me to make them for something for church but they  have to be eaten right away once they come out of the oven and it's kind of hard to take them to church for an event.  Thus I decided to make them since the life coachers are coming over today. The best...
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Christmas Tree Potpourri

Our living room Christmas tree (which is the main one) is a compilation of memories over the years – everything means something and is either from someone special in our family, friends or members of the church family over the years, or the children have made it. Everything ornament has a story behind it and when I look at each one, I think of a special person. I take the oversight of wrapping them carefully at the end of the season, preserving the memories for the coming years.  Every year there is a repair or restoration of at least one or two that has to be done.  Last year I blogged about a saga that brought about the breaking of  Jordan's "baby's first Christmas" ornament.  I fixed it last year but it was weak this year and had to be restored yet again.  So, I just finished it this week.  And, it's ready to hang back on the tree.  What follows are some favorites that are on the "family memory tree." ...
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