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Showing posts from April, 2012

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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This NEVER gets old

This young lady came to the altar yesterday at Celebration to commit her life to Christ.  Photographer Rachael Rice captured the moment. I noticed the girl's Facebook status after church yesterday afternoon: Today at church was the best day. ♥ I got saved. Altar time at Celebration...I never get tired of it...   Youth and children alike join in anointing with oil and laying on of hands for healing...we start 'em up young around here... We had a healing line yesterday morning for anyone needing a miracle... We've already gotten several reports of supernatural healings.  Keep 'em coming, Jesus! *All photos by Rachael Rice
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Meet two amazing Pentecostal dogs

"Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole." ~ Roger Caras  It was my my husband's idea to get Max and Maddie in the first place. I resisted the thought of getting another dog, because I know what it takes to really care for them properly. It's a huge investment of time, energy and money.  We got not one but two dogs. I promptly fell head-over-heels in love with them and the rest is history. Max is a mix of American Bulldog & Olde English Bulldog.  Maddie is a mix of English Bulldog and Boxer. We go places and do things on our day off but I can't wait to get back home to them. Being away on our day off no longer has the same appeal that it used to. And I don't get as excited about vacation as I previously did because it means leaving them. I anticipate a good time on trips, but it's kind of a double edged sword because it means being away from them and I know no matter how good anyone cares for them they don't ...
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Do you ever get too old for memory verses?

Even though I'm dealing with what I call meno-mind these days, I still believe memory verses are in style. Memorizing scripture is much easier when you're a kid. Memorizing anything is easier when you're a kid. This is Saturday and I'm too lazy to look up the research today, but I just sorta know this in my knower. Kids just seem to retain information more easily, but that doesn't mean adults can't. I try to work on memorizing verses on a regular basis even though I'm in my 40's. This week my verse is Psalm 107:20: "He sent His Word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."  Why is it so important that we do? Because God's Word is life and truth, not to mention it's actually medicine. Proverbs 4:20-22 says, "My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life to those that find them and ...
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How agreement can change your life

I don't know what the answer to everything is, but I do know one thing that is the appropriate response to everything that will bring answers and that is prayer. I really believe that history belongs to people who pray. That's just one reason why I do it a lot! Another reason is, I need God so much. I rely on Him every second to get me through. I'm really blessed to have someone pray for me every single day, and sometimes to have that person actually pray with me. That person is my sister, Shari. (If you've been reading this blog for a while you've probably already read something I've written about her.) Shari is as passionate about prayer as I am, maybe more. I say probably more because her devotion to Christ pretty much amazes me but that's a whole other blog. Last night she called and we talked and then as we customarily do on every phone call, we ended with prayer. What a blessing is, to touch heaven and come together in agreement for God...
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The key to self-love.
Here it is...

How many of us get upset about all the things we can't control, when we fail to control the one thing we actually CAN control? My hand is up right now. If you have yours raised, just know you're not alone. The Lord has spoken to me lately about controlling what I can. Me. I heard a quote yesterday by a man named A.B. Simpson , a Canadian minister, theologian and author who said, "Temperance is true self love."    Temperance is another word for discipline, control, and self restraint. Disciplining yourself is true love.  There are several areas of my life that I can discipline, control and restrain to make things a lot better. I often fail to do so because I allow my weakness to win instead of God's strength. How much better can my life be if I pursue those areas of temperance? Some things that touch my life are out of my control. Terribly out of control. And,there is nothing but prayer that ever has a hope of changing those things. Without God...
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This is all I have to say about today

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Let them hear you laugh

 "There she goes again..."  I buried my face in my husband's shoulder, uncontrollably laughing, trying to get myself semi-under control, (I never get fully under control, lol) as we were out to dinner last night. Our former children's pastor, Trinity Mackley, came into town and stayed with us for the last two nights. We went out to dinner -- he and Larry and I along with Jordan and Savanna. In our conversation which was quite delightful, I was reduced to cry-laughing. This happens often. I laugh so hard I sometimes fall off the couch. Or leave the room. Or bury my face in a tissue. I've had passersby thinking I've had too much to drink, when I wasn't drinking at all. One time somebody offered to call me a cab. In all seriousness. That made me laugh even harder. My kids are used to it. They just say, "there she goes again..." and shake their heads in amusement. They get a kick out of the fact that I laugh at my own stories and jo...
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You need THIS if you're raising kids! (successfully)

The kids a few years ago on vacation in Pittsburgh Let me give a word to the wise to parents who wish to raise children who grow up to have Christian character and good values... get yourself a blindfold and a good pair of ear plugs. You'll need it to block out what family members and friends who don't share your values will say. "Isn't Larry kind of harsh with him?" "Are seventeen spankings in a row really appropriate? Do you really think that's going to work? Isn't that just doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results? That's kinda insanity if you ask me..." "You aren't letting him participate in drum line at school because they practice on youth group night? How much church does any one kid need? I'm sure he will get positive experiences being a part of the drum line too. How is that really any different from a youth group?" "Why does your summer revolve around youth camp? I...
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No greater joy...

All your sons will be taught by the LORD, and great will be your children's peace. Isaiah 54:13 What tops this? Nothing.
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Fifteen years but it never gets old...

Fifteen years ago today my life changed forever when this amazing girl came into the world.  I was so happy, I praised God out loud from my hospital bed and I really didn't care what anybody thought. Before we had a girl, I wondered if the thrill of having a girl once you had one ever wore off. Nope. It never does. She wants to celebrate with Greek food today. Just another thing I love about her. 
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Time to breathe

Everybody needs to take time to just breathe.  Time to do that is in short supply with most people. I get that. I've learned if I don't carve out [demand] time to breathe, I don't have the ability to contribute to other people, conversations or situations in a beneficial way. Realize that most people don't have anyone standing in line to command them to do this. Usually you have to demand it for yourself. And that's okay. It's really one of the most unselfish things you can do because unless and until you do it, you don't have anything to offer a world in need. 
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Too many "I'm kidding's" are just...too many.

Some of you deal with someone on a regular basis who torments you until you cry. Or maybe you don't cry. You just feel like your head or your heart is going to explode. The tension weighs on your shoulders, creeps up your neck, and pulsates in your head. They don't consider it torment -- in fact that very thought is laughable to them. It's just teasing. "Relax," they say, "I'm just kidding." But the kidding doesn't feel so fun. It feels like torment. And you are tired. You are very tired. Bullying doesn't end in an elementary school yard. You can be 80 years old and be a bully. All it takes is a steady stream of not-so-funny jabs and constant chipping away at your sanity. What's the answer to this? Or why am I even posting it? Simply to say: You're not crazy. You're not alone. And just in case you're wondering -- Jesus would never, never, never do that. Not even in kidding. Just sayin'.
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One thing that can change your prayer life

Praying out loud brings a difference in answered prayer, for me. Do I believe it's different because God hears me more? No. Do I believe I need to say it out loud or louder for God to pay attention? No. Do I believe God only hears prayers that are said out loud? No. The difference, at least for me, is that when I hear it out loud, it does something for me. There is a different level of faith-building intensity when something is just in my mind, versus speaking it out loud. I have thoughts in my mind that things need to come, or go, but when I speak it and say with confidence and authority and say, "you need to leave" -- wow. I'm amazed by how different it feels. And that feeling tends to fuel a passion to engage in even more prayer, which always brings a difference.
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Why some kid's brains don't develop properly

"Mom, I need to talk to you..." or "Mom, I need something..." is always followed by this reply from me: "It'll cost you." And they know exactly what the price will be. The cost is always a hug or a kiss and depending on the day I may even require a whole bunch of them before I do or say anything. Yes, I expect this even though they are 22, 21, and 15.  The majority of the time they love it. When they are running late or pre-occupied they sometimes don't. But too bad. ;)  I expect this from them every single day, and I get what I'm expecting. Sometimes during the teenage years the kids pull a way a bit but I've learned that's the time that a parent should never back off from appropriate affection. They need it more than ever.   Children need loving and affirming touch. In fact, they need it not only to survive, but to be healthy. Studies have shown   that babies who receive a mother's affection  have less anxiety, hosti...
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Should Moms talk bad about their kids?

A lot of people tell me how great my kids are. I agree, they are pretty stellar. ;) The above picture is of three of them. A fourth is in heaven waiting for us. Once my boys were eighteen, I regretted not having even more kids. The reason is because I was amazed at how well the boys turned out despite all my mistakes. And, I realized a lot of what we always believed about raising Godly kids before we even had kids really does work!  As a parent it takes many years to see results. "Training up a child in the way he/she should go" takes a lonnnnng time. Once I saw those results, it was too late to have more. Larry is fine -- quite satisfied with our three. I on the other hand, always tend to believe that, "Too much of a good thing is...wonderful." ;) I have a confidence now that I didn't have when they were younger. Because quite honestly, I didn't know for sure that they would share our values or serve God when they grew up. I only prayed my guts ou...
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