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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...
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Is this really true?

Yesterday I found this saying on Pinterest and re-pinned it to my "I so agree!" board that I made. (Yes, Pinterest is fast becoming my new favorite thing...)

I find myself getting very philosophical about things like this and meditating on it for days.  Is it really true that very little is needed to make a happy life?

I'm convinced that it's true, especially for Christians.

I remember the first time I worshipped in Mathare Valley, in Kenya, Africa with some of the most poverty stricken people in the world.  They don't have running water (other than sewage running with rainwater in the alleyways of the slum) and they don't have electricity or toilets or all the things we have.  Dogs are loose wild animals and not pets, and they don't have healthcare or coffee bars on every corner, but they do have happiness.

I saw it.

When we worshipped in the church that November morning, it was amazing to see so many fall to the ground worshipping, crying out with a loud voice, "THANK YOU, FATHER! THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE!"  Yes, I felt like an idiot, and yes, I wept.

I thought, "what do they have, Lord?"  They quickly taught me about what it really means to be blessed. 

I believe it does take very little to make for a happy life.  I've been different since coming home that November back in 2007.  My husband thought I needed counseling at first.  He thought someone stole his wife and wanted her back.  I sat in the tub and cried every time I took a bath. I ran around shutting off the water and the lights.  I went postal about wasted food.  And I cried a lot.  Finally a missionary told my husband I was not in need of therapy. He said, "Pastor, your wife is not upside down, she's finally right side up.  Everyone else is upside down -- they are the ones who need the counseling."  (Thank God for missionary friends!)

This week I have been really happy.  Ironically things are a little tight in our household this week.  Not by African standards, but by American ones...we have paid our bills but don't have extra money left over.  I haven't been buying Starbucks or even going Christmas shopping or anything extra.  We've done things like stay home and make soup and clean the house.

And I'm happy.

Really happy!

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