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

How do you even begin when it hurts so much?

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power
may rest on me."  I Corinthians 12:9

Do you know how many people have asked me advice lately on how to forgive?  A LOT!!  Many people in my life both in person and through social media have talked to me about it, not really so much using me as an example, but just reaching out to a fellow struggler.  If anyone has listened to me preach lately or read my blogs or ezines or just had a cup of coffee with me they've heard that this is what's on my mind lately.  Knowing that I'm going through a particular journey has prompted others who are hurting to reach out, even if  just to have a hand to hold.  I don't mind -- it's just been one more thing to add to my list of things that make the emotional trek worth it.

When people ask me, "how are you doing it?" my first response is grace.  I haven't had the self discipline or the natural aptitude to move forward on this myself.  It has taken a power much greater than myself giving me what I need to press forward.  That's really what grace is all about, you know.  God doesn't give us grace to live however we want.  The purpose of grace isn't so we can be spiritually sloppy.  Grace also isn't a cover all for whatever we decide to do or not do.  GRACE IS EMPOWERMENT TO DO WHAT WE ARE UNABLE TO DO WITHOUT IT.  

I can't really list here what I wanted to do to the person who hurt me.  It would be a very bad thing for me to verbalize it.  God knows but honestly most humans probably couldn't handle it especially from a pastor.  Suffice it to say I started this journey not wanting anything good for my offender.  The only thing that has made possible the turning of my bitter wishes toward them into prayers of blessing is the grace of God.

Throughout this journey there have been days where I have literally felt as if I am being carried on wings of grace.  The interesting thing is, when I was not working on forgiveness at all -- when I was stuck in my grief and anger, bitterness and all that it entailed, I was paralyzed and it appeared the situation was stuck as well.  Now that I have been making major strides through God's empowering grace and I have let go and continued to release and surrender, it's amazing how the situation has moved forward.  I am not reconciled to that person nor do I expect it with some extenuating circumstances however the consequences did not really start improving in the major strides I prayed for so long until I surrendered.  Not until I died to my flesh and my desire to avenge the consequences did a break in them come.  

I'm just a fellow struggler and by no means a forgiveness guru but one thing I would advise anybody to do is start working on things sooner rather than later.  I know some of you can't imagine it because the pain is so great right now but through being in the grip of His grace the start of your journey will be possible.  Take a step.  I know it's scary because your anger has become so comfortable and letting go of it will take you out of your comfort zone but His hand is there to steady you and His grace will keep you.
Labels:

Comments

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