Meteor execution flow issue

meteorexecflow.js

// CLIENT SIDE 
// kicks off process by inserting process/report request into 
vat ts = new Date();
var options = 
  { start_date: '03/17/2013',
    end_date: '03/18/2013',
    client_updated_td: ts,
  };
Commissions.insert(doc);

// ALL SERVER SIDE

Commissions.allow({ 
  insert: function (userId, doc) { 
    // adds some params to doc
    var ts = new Date();
    doc.created_td =ts;
    doc.updated_td = ts;
    doc.active = true;
    doc.published = false;
    doc.commissions_id = new Date().valueOf();
    doc.status = 'OPEN'; //OPEN, PROCESSED, VOIDED
    Commissionitems.processItems(doc);
    return true;
  }
});

Commissionitems.processItems = function(options){
  // code omitted for brevity options = doc
  // but consists of a bunch of processing and aggregation.
  // calls Commissionitems.insert(item) after each/aggregation item composition
  // when done hands off to payment processing
  Commissionpayments.processPayments(options);
};

Commissionpayments.processPayments = function(options){
  // code omitted for brevity
  // but consists of a bunch of processing and aggregation.
  // calls Commissionpayments.insert(item) after each/aggregation of each Commissionitem down into a consolidated payment record
  // when done notifies Commission
  Commissions.
};

Commissions.finalizeCommissions = function(options){
  // code not ommited for brevity
  console.log('Commissions.finalizeCommissions options: ');
  console.log(options);
  console.log('options._id: ' + options._id);
  try{
    Commissions.update(options._id,{$set: {status:'PROCESSED'}}, function(error){
      if(error){
        Logs.important(null, 'commissions', 'finalizeCommissions',  error.toString(), 'finalizeCommissions resulted in error.');
      } else {
        console.log('THIS SHOULD HAVE UPDATE COMMISSIONS TO PROCESSED BUT IT IS STILL OPEN UNLESS CALLED FROM OBSERVE');
        Commissionitems.update({commissions: options._id},{$set: {status:'PROCESSED'}},{multi: true}, function(error){
          if(error){
            Logs.important(null, 'commissions', 'finalizeCommissions',  error.toString(), 'finalizeCommissions resulted in error.');
          } else {
            Commissionpayments.update({commissions: options._id},{$set: {status:'PROCESSED'}},{multi: true}, function(error){
              if(error)
                Logs.important(null, 'commissions', 'finalizeCommissions',  error.toString(), 'finalizeCommissions resulted in error.');
            });
          }
        });
      }
    });
  }catch(error){
    Logs.important(null, 'commissions', 'finalizeCommissions',  error.toString(), 'finalizeCommissions resulted in error.');
  }
};

// ALTERNATIVELY IF I USE OBSERVE WHAT I WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN WORKS
var commissions_query = Commissions.find({active: true, status: 'OPEN'},{fields:{
  start_date:1, 
  end_date:1,
  client_updated_td: 1, 
  created_td: 1, 
  updated_td: 1,
  active: 1,
  published: 1,
  commissions_id: 1, 
  status: 1,
}});

var commissions_handle = commissions_query.observe({
  added: function (doc) {
    console.log('commissions_query.observe added doc');
    console.log(doc);
    Commissionitems.processItems(doc);
  },
});