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...
Romans 3:21-24 (msg) The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.
I was sharing with an unchurched person the other day and gave them this verse, in this version. The miraculous gift - the pure gift - is Him and the LIFE he offers to us. Why anyone would not want it, I cannot understand. I am incapable of living this glorious life without Him, for He not only GAVE me this life I'm living, but He makes it POSSIBLE for me to continue every day, no matter what comes my way! How blessed I am to have not only eternal life, but to have HIS FAVOR upon my life right now.
It was a busy day today. I probably should stop writing that on my blogs because quite truthfully, it's a busy day in my life everyday. So that is just a given. I had the hardest time getting up this morning because last night I had a slight headache and took a Tylenol PM to go to sleep, and it didn't quite wear off before morning. I stood in the shower forever trying to wake up. A mega strong coffee finally jolted me into getting to work successfully. (That's what everyone wants to hear, that their pastor sometimes survives on drugs. Ha ha!) Right now I am working both at the office and at home on getting 3 weeks of work done in a week. This is so we (all of us on staff) can take some extra time with our families at Christmas and just be on call for emergencies, and also my family will take some vacation time after that. So...it necessitates having 3 weeks of my stuff done in advance.
Talked to Rob Schenck today and booked him for 2007. Can't wait to have him come again. He had called Larry and I yesterday just to wish us a Merry Christmas. He had been on my heart the last few weeks actually so I was real glad he called. When I got ahold of him today he said, "I need to get down there to Tampa...I'm suffering from Shrodes deprivation." (He's so funny!) What a good friend he has been to us over the years and he tells us we're the same to him, and what an honor.
I had lunch with Sue today as well. We had our last lunch of 2006 today - just wanted to squeeze another one in. We met at Jason's Deli and caught up on everything. Susan gave me a beautiful basket of things at church tonight - a Christmas gift she has been working on for me for TWO MONTHS. You know when somebody's compiling a two month Christmas present it's gotta be some gift! It amazes me how God gives me the desires of my heart. So many things in that basket, I've either run out of (make up supplies) or, they were just "wants" I had thought about...that I now have thanks to her gift! I really believe some people are spirit led in their gift giving. It's amazing.
After church I had a quick practice, but Larry and the boys and Pastor T and his family went to the Rocky Movie. Savanna and I took Shelby home. We had a nice talk with her on the way home. We then came home and I started wrapping gifts for a while I'm tired out and SR took over and started wrapping. She is a tremendous help in doing this. I remember two years in particular we were up ALL NIGHT wrapping on Christmas eve and that was soooooo not fun. It was awful. I said, "never again." I try to wrap early but I run out of time. Now if I can only keep her quiet about what's in the packages!
Tomorrow is my last day in the office before Christmas. So much to do, so little time. But fortunately I can also work from home which I often do, to finish up everything. And even greater than that ~ I have the power of the Holy Spirit to help me.
I was sharing with an unchurched person the other day and gave them this verse, in this version. The miraculous gift - the pure gift - is Him and the LIFE he offers to us. Why anyone would not want it, I cannot understand. I am incapable of living this glorious life without Him, for He not only GAVE me this life I'm living, but He makes it POSSIBLE for me to continue every day, no matter what comes my way! How blessed I am to have not only eternal life, but to have HIS FAVOR upon my life right now.
It was a busy day today. I probably should stop writing that on my blogs because quite truthfully, it's a busy day in my life everyday. So that is just a given. I had the hardest time getting up this morning because last night I had a slight headache and took a Tylenol PM to go to sleep, and it didn't quite wear off before morning. I stood in the shower forever trying to wake up. A mega strong coffee finally jolted me into getting to work successfully. (That's what everyone wants to hear, that their pastor sometimes survives on drugs. Ha ha!) Right now I am working both at the office and at home on getting 3 weeks of work done in a week. This is so we (all of us on staff) can take some extra time with our families at Christmas and just be on call for emergencies, and also my family will take some vacation time after that. So...it necessitates having 3 weeks of my stuff done in advance.
Talked to Rob Schenck today and booked him for 2007. Can't wait to have him come again. He had called Larry and I yesterday just to wish us a Merry Christmas. He had been on my heart the last few weeks actually so I was real glad he called. When I got ahold of him today he said, "I need to get down there to Tampa...I'm suffering from Shrodes deprivation." (He's so funny!) What a good friend he has been to us over the years and he tells us we're the same to him, and what an honor.
I had lunch with Sue today as well. We had our last lunch of 2006 today - just wanted to squeeze another one in. We met at Jason's Deli and caught up on everything. Susan gave me a beautiful basket of things at church tonight - a Christmas gift she has been working on for me for TWO MONTHS. You know when somebody's compiling a two month Christmas present it's gotta be some gift! It amazes me how God gives me the desires of my heart. So many things in that basket, I've either run out of (make up supplies) or, they were just "wants" I had thought about...that I now have thanks to her gift! I really believe some people are spirit led in their gift giving. It's amazing.
After church I had a quick practice, but Larry and the boys and Pastor T and his family went to the Rocky Movie. Savanna and I took Shelby home. We had a nice talk with her on the way home. We then came home and I started wrapping gifts for a while I'm tired out and SR took over and started wrapping. She is a tremendous help in doing this. I remember two years in particular we were up ALL NIGHT wrapping on Christmas eve and that was soooooo not fun. It was awful. I said, "never again." I try to wrap early but I run out of time. Now if I can only keep her quiet about what's in the packages!
Tomorrow is my last day in the office before Christmas. So much to do, so little time. But fortunately I can also work from home which I often do, to finish up everything. And even greater than that ~ I have the power of the Holy Spirit to help me.
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