Skip to main content

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...
Post a Comment

Things I love


"Perhaps if one really knew when one was happy, one would know the things that were necessary for one's life."
~ Joanna Field

Years ago, I started a "things I love" journal. It's nothing more than a book where I sat and wrote an exhaustive list of things I'm crazy about.

We can find no shortage of things to bellyache about in life. I'm not immune to this and the penchant to whine is ever a factor. I really don't want to be that way so I've spent a lot of years resisting it hard and refusing to let what makes me unhappy swallow me up. I remain convinced that the list of things that makes most of us happy is much longer than that which makes us unhappy, but our focus is most often broken. The lack of focus leads to perpetual doldrums simply because we are fixated on something negative instead of concentrating on what delights us. I have realized that all of us have problems, myself included -- that if focused on would destroy us. We have to make a choice not to do that. Life is good, but it's hard. And we must keep ourselves centered and be good stewards of our mind.

So, at one point when I seemed to be surrounded by some things that really threatened to swallow me up (and they were some tough circumstances, not just something that was all in my head or hormones), I began to list my blessings everyday. It made a huge difference. At times when I would get absolutely beside myself with grief over something I was facing I'd take the book out and instead of writing in it that night, I'd just start reading it. It would remind me of everything in life that is beautiful, that which has the power to lift me emotionally from where I am to where I want to be.

I thought I'd start a running list here at http://www.deannashrodes.com/ of things I love and add to it whenever the mood strikes. Usually it's when I'm melancholy. I don't find myself like that tonight however I've been thinking a lot about my old journal and thought that since I'm not hand writing anymore and do everything on my blog or my private journal on line, it's time to take the things I love to the web and keep them there. So here we go with a list tonight, in no particular order or category.

Jesus
My Family
Madeline
Africa
Used book stores
Avon
Coffee
Solitude
Tea
Coaching
Aeropostale
My down comforter & duvet
Fox News
Riding my bike
Roses
Writing
The Beach
Non Fiction
Bath and Body Works Moonlight Path
Rocking Chairs
Earth, Wind and Fire
Waking up next to my husband
Bealls outlet
Any thrift store
Animal prints
Pink
Anything with Wonder Woman on it
The Message
Mani's/Pedi's
Thanksgiving
Pret a Manger
Watches
Fitness walking
Road trips
Reading a letter from someone I love
Meeting friends for coffee
Hosting people in my home
Naps
Soft, sensuous kisses
Reading while it's raining
Candles
Reading biographies
Crisp, clean sheets


More to come...


Labels:

Comments

Sharon said…
Things I love... YOU!!!! :-)
8:18 PM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some people will never understand this...

And that's okay. Just let us be as we lavish love upon the fur-kids of the world. It doesn't mean we don't care about people. We do care. In fact most of the people I know who are great pet lovers are also the greatest philanthropists. If you're not a dog lover, you might not understand the overwhelming intensity that many of us felt about Tank's reunion this past week. You might think we've lost our marbles. That's okay, we think you've lost your heart. ;)  Before I go on with this post, let me say that we were delighted that CBS 10 posted the video and article about Tank and his Celebration Church reunion yesterday. Click here to watch it. (But then come back!) If you haven't realized it, there is a revolution in America about dogs. Dogs have always been loved and known as the most loyal companions ~ "man's best friend". But things have gone way beyond this. Dogs aren't just dogs or friends anymore. They are family me...
3 comments
Read more

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...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sisterhood Rises Up To Change Lives Forever

God is in the business of preserving families. It is His heart. It's my heart too. And, I'll unabashedly say here that I believe it should be everyone's heart. Everyone likes good news and I've got some for you today. If you are in doubt that God still speaks today and that He uses people to accomplish His work, I pray this will speak to you. Last night I was sitting in service at Celebration Church where we are pastors, and my husband was preaching. His message was about what we want to be remembered for in life, and he made the statement that we can't change our past but we can change the future.  In that moment, God spoke to me. He began to give me my next post for Lost Daughters, where I'm also a blogger. To be honest it's more than just another place where I blog. It's a sisterhood. A lifeline. A place that has come to mean a great deal to me, because of the amazing women who are there. During the service I basically had this entire post...
Post a Comment
Read more