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...
Today I was reading in Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, (my favorite devo) and he says, "There are times in your spiritual life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of God taking you through a way that you temporarily do not understand. And it is only by going through the spiritual confusion that you will come to the understanding of what God wants for you."
I am learning more and more that we serve a God who takes us through. Years ago I used to pray that God would just keep anything negative or any confusion away from me completely. As Oswald says, that's really not a realistic prayer. It is true that where there is confusion there is every evil work, however...let's be real, there is evil work all around us. Ours is not to be exempt from having to face any of it, but on the contrary, having the power to go through it.
This morning I got up early for my morning bike ride down to route 54 and back, and while riding I was listening to Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sing, "no way over it, no way around it, if you want it you've got to go through it..." and I thought about how true that is. With most things in life there really is no way around. The path we must take is through. And the only one that knows the way through is Jesus.
Despite our best attempts, sometimes we've just gotta go through stuff. Like this morning. I had to go get three (albeit small) cavities filled. I try my best to not get them, to not have to deal with them, but here I find myself going through it again. Last time I got a cavity filled I said, "I'm going to brush my teeth 10 times a day if that's what it takes to never face that again." Well I didn't quite make 10 times, but I do take care of my teeth. Despite the care, it happened again. Just goes to show, sometimes things are going to happen no matter what you do. And then you've just go to go through.
Today is a busy day. I had to take care of my fillings first and now I've got a day of a whopping amount of computer work to do. Tuesdays is when I get the bulk of everything and anything I have to write, done. In between all that I have to take both Jordan and Savanna for their dentist appointments, and also go do some work on arranging the church platform.
With all that, there's just some things I have to go through. I'm thankful Jesus is beside me every step of the way and I don't have to go through alone. I know that as I "walk through the waters they will not overflow me, and as I walk through the fire I will not be burned." As I drove back from my appt. today the song, "He will carry me" was on the radio. I always skip over it to be honest, when I hear it on the radio...it's just a song that never really did anything for me, but today it did. Thank you, Jesus, for carrying me through.
I am learning more and more that we serve a God who takes us through. Years ago I used to pray that God would just keep anything negative or any confusion away from me completely. As Oswald says, that's really not a realistic prayer. It is true that where there is confusion there is every evil work, however...let's be real, there is evil work all around us. Ours is not to be exempt from having to face any of it, but on the contrary, having the power to go through it.
This morning I got up early for my morning bike ride down to route 54 and back, and while riding I was listening to Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood sing, "no way over it, no way around it, if you want it you've got to go through it..." and I thought about how true that is. With most things in life there really is no way around. The path we must take is through. And the only one that knows the way through is Jesus.
Despite our best attempts, sometimes we've just gotta go through stuff. Like this morning. I had to go get three (albeit small) cavities filled. I try my best to not get them, to not have to deal with them, but here I find myself going through it again. Last time I got a cavity filled I said, "I'm going to brush my teeth 10 times a day if that's what it takes to never face that again." Well I didn't quite make 10 times, but I do take care of my teeth. Despite the care, it happened again. Just goes to show, sometimes things are going to happen no matter what you do. And then you've just go to go through.
Today is a busy day. I had to take care of my fillings first and now I've got a day of a whopping amount of computer work to do. Tuesdays is when I get the bulk of everything and anything I have to write, done. In between all that I have to take both Jordan and Savanna for their dentist appointments, and also go do some work on arranging the church platform.
With all that, there's just some things I have to go through. I'm thankful Jesus is beside me every step of the way and I don't have to go through alone. I know that as I "walk through the waters they will not overflow me, and as I walk through the fire I will not be burned." As I drove back from my appt. today the song, "He will carry me" was on the radio. I always skip over it to be honest, when I hear it on the radio...it's just a song that never really did anything for me, but today it did. Thank you, Jesus, for carrying me through.
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