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...
If you learn only methods, you'll be tied to your methods, but if you learn principles you can devise your own methods.- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Okay, so I'm thinking tonight...what exactly are the principles of Deanna Shrodes? What are my values that shape my methods? Just a few that come to mind (I'm writing these myself, by the way -- not copying these from somewhere else. They are what I have formed in thinking hard about life and leadership and what it's about.) :
Anything worth doing is worth doing with enthusiasm.
There is nothing more important than the foundation of one's character.
When you are a person of character, truth always comes to the surface eventually, even when people attack you - so stay the course.
Invest an incredible amount of time into your marriage. It's the one relationship that will (or at least should) transcend your life when friends and kids come and go, so nurture it.
There are three important keys you can't do without in order to achieve success:
1) work
2) work
3) work
There is only one key more important than work, and that is the power of God/prayer.
We are placed in our children's lives to be an example - not a friend, at least not until they are adults. They need a Mom, not a pal.
We are responsible to root our children in the house of the Lord and put them in position to flourish. Our role is to have their best interest in mind, not expect them to look to our needs.
Being a Mom is the hardest thing you'll ever do but when parenting is going right, it's the most rewarding.
Don't ever expect from people what you are only supposed to get from God.
Something that will cripple a person faster than anything is a sense of entitlement.
Rest is an important item to put on your agenda.
Look for the joys - large or small - in every day life.
Focus on the positives and the joy - never accentuate the negative.
Lift people to a higher level by what you say.
Don't spend large amounts of time with negative people.
Life is too short to waste time on head games or people who play them.
You will regret the things you didn't do as much as the things you did - so go after what God tells you, and take some risks.
One can be mightily used of God at any age. My husband and I are living proof. We were youth pastoring at 19 and some of those kids from that time are in ministry today. If our example isn't enough, just look at Joash, king at age 7 in the Bible, and Timothy, the young pastor of a mega-church.
Praise will change absolutely everything in your life, so...no matter what...PRAISE!
Small beginnings often bring about large miracles.
If you don't ask...the answer is always no.
Don't be afraid to tackle the subjects that many are embarrassed by. Everyone is thinking about them, and the world is just waiting for someone with the courage to address them.
Be generous always and live your very life as a gift to the world.
Give away more than you take.
Be a person God can entrust with money and possessions.
Do things right, or don't do them.
Remember that a hug can do wonders for most people.
When someone speaks a negative word, CANCEL, CANCEL, CANCEL.
Let God promote you.
When He promotes you don't apologize for it.
Always be who you are. You're a crappy someone else.
Be the most beautiful you that you can be.
Don't be all YOU can be - be all who God has made you to be.
If you are called to lead, do it. Whenever there is a gap in leadership, someone rises up...and often it's the wrong person because the right person simply didn't discharge the duties of their appointment.
Don't complain about what you permit. Change it.
If someone doesn't want to be in relationship with you, don't cry over it. There are millions of people waiting to be in relationship with you. You are a treasure waiting to be found. So... walk across the room, introduce yourself, and stop crying over someone who is not worth your tears.
Stable friends who are not given to every emotional whim, and remain loyal and true are hard to find in this world. So when you find a friend who is worth it, hang on to them, appreciate and treasure them.
Pay your bills.
Pay your bills to the house of God first. Someone who doesn't cannot be entrusted with ANYTHING. If you will rob the house of God, there's nothing else you won't do.
Take time to be silly.
Don't just live with your flaws. Determine to know better, do better, to be better.
Don't make excuses for your shortcomings. Simply make a determination to change and do it.
Always have an initiative list.
Don't allow yourself to "play" until your intiatives are done.
Be clean.
Respect and obey authority. One cannot be trusted with any leadership role until they have mastered this.
It takes time to get where you are going in God. Before you can receive Elijah's mantle, you have to wash it and dry it for a while. :-)
Don't try to be in a year what many people in God have taken 20 years to achieve. Those who rise too quickly always fall.
Never stop learning.
Develop a team of Godly advisors in your life and take their advice. Plans fail for lack of counsel, the Bible says.
Make yourself accountable willingly.
Never forget the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you are around negative talk, immediately remove yourself from it.
There is power in words and the printed page that the majority of people will never realize, yet continue to be incredibly influenced by.
Most people don't realize what they have until...they lose it.
Okay, so I'm thinking tonight...what exactly are the principles of Deanna Shrodes? What are my values that shape my methods? Just a few that come to mind (I'm writing these myself, by the way -- not copying these from somewhere else. They are what I have formed in thinking hard about life and leadership and what it's about.) :
Anything worth doing is worth doing with enthusiasm.
There is nothing more important than the foundation of one's character.
When you are a person of character, truth always comes to the surface eventually, even when people attack you - so stay the course.
Invest an incredible amount of time into your marriage. It's the one relationship that will (or at least should) transcend your life when friends and kids come and go, so nurture it.
There are three important keys you can't do without in order to achieve success:
1) work
2) work
3) work
There is only one key more important than work, and that is the power of God/prayer.
We are placed in our children's lives to be an example - not a friend, at least not until they are adults. They need a Mom, not a pal.
We are responsible to root our children in the house of the Lord and put them in position to flourish. Our role is to have their best interest in mind, not expect them to look to our needs.
Being a Mom is the hardest thing you'll ever do but when parenting is going right, it's the most rewarding.
Don't ever expect from people what you are only supposed to get from God.
Something that will cripple a person faster than anything is a sense of entitlement.
Rest is an important item to put on your agenda.
Look for the joys - large or small - in every day life.
Focus on the positives and the joy - never accentuate the negative.
Lift people to a higher level by what you say.
Don't spend large amounts of time with negative people.
Life is too short to waste time on head games or people who play them.
You will regret the things you didn't do as much as the things you did - so go after what God tells you, and take some risks.
One can be mightily used of God at any age. My husband and I are living proof. We were youth pastoring at 19 and some of those kids from that time are in ministry today. If our example isn't enough, just look at Joash, king at age 7 in the Bible, and Timothy, the young pastor of a mega-church.
Praise will change absolutely everything in your life, so...no matter what...PRAISE!
Small beginnings often bring about large miracles.
If you don't ask...the answer is always no.
Don't be afraid to tackle the subjects that many are embarrassed by. Everyone is thinking about them, and the world is just waiting for someone with the courage to address them.
Be generous always and live your very life as a gift to the world.
Give away more than you take.
Be a person God can entrust with money and possessions.
Do things right, or don't do them.
Remember that a hug can do wonders for most people.
When someone speaks a negative word, CANCEL, CANCEL, CANCEL.
Let God promote you.
When He promotes you don't apologize for it.
Always be who you are. You're a crappy someone else.
Be the most beautiful you that you can be.
Don't be all YOU can be - be all who God has made you to be.
If you are called to lead, do it. Whenever there is a gap in leadership, someone rises up...and often it's the wrong person because the right person simply didn't discharge the duties of their appointment.
Don't complain about what you permit. Change it.
If someone doesn't want to be in relationship with you, don't cry over it. There are millions of people waiting to be in relationship with you. You are a treasure waiting to be found. So... walk across the room, introduce yourself, and stop crying over someone who is not worth your tears.
Stable friends who are not given to every emotional whim, and remain loyal and true are hard to find in this world. So when you find a friend who is worth it, hang on to them, appreciate and treasure them.
Pay your bills.
Pay your bills to the house of God first. Someone who doesn't cannot be entrusted with ANYTHING. If you will rob the house of God, there's nothing else you won't do.
Take time to be silly.
Don't just live with your flaws. Determine to know better, do better, to be better.
Don't make excuses for your shortcomings. Simply make a determination to change and do it.
Always have an initiative list.
Don't allow yourself to "play" until your intiatives are done.
Be clean.
Respect and obey authority. One cannot be trusted with any leadership role until they have mastered this.
It takes time to get where you are going in God. Before you can receive Elijah's mantle, you have to wash it and dry it for a while. :-)
Don't try to be in a year what many people in God have taken 20 years to achieve. Those who rise too quickly always fall.
Never stop learning.
Develop a team of Godly advisors in your life and take their advice. Plans fail for lack of counsel, the Bible says.
Make yourself accountable willingly.
Never forget the power of the Holy Spirit.
If you are around negative talk, immediately remove yourself from it.
There is power in words and the printed page that the majority of people will never realize, yet continue to be incredibly influenced by.
Most people don't realize what they have until...they lose it.
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