What gets you fired up? What makes you feel more alive? What makes you feel closer to God and his will for you? What are you good at? These are just a few questions that can help you hone in on what your gifts may be, but there are also many resources that have been created after years of study!
Encountering God Resources Podcast Encountering God Through Prayer First 15 Book The Pursuit of God A.W. Tozer Video — Panel Discussion Experiencing God in Your Affliction Jen Oshman, Emily Jensen, Kristen Wetherell, Vaneetha Rendall Risner
It’s that time of year again. Lights are twinkling all over town. The smell of Christmas cookies is filling homes. Elf and The Santa Clause are being played on TVs all over the country. More than any other time of Read more…
Have you ever really thought about the definition of gratitude? When I think about gratitude, my mind goes straight to simply thinking “thankfulness.” And while that’s true, Oxford Languages defines gratitude as, “the quality of being thankful; readiness to show Read more…
In this life, there are few things that are certain. Most of my certainties lie in the faithfulness of God. But one thing that I know for sure is that connection matters. In the United States, more than 1 in Read more…
Early this year, my daughter’s homeschool co-op announced that there would be a science fair in the Spring. As my daughter is only five, I quickly Googled some easy and fun projects that she could complete with minimal mama-interference, while Read more…
I recently became a Tik-Tok addict. I share that with reluctance, since I never thought I would be getting on that app. But it was funny and entertaining. Above all though, I saw people expressing what I was feeling. There Read more…
The word anxiety gets thrown out all the time, but what does it actually feel like? Is it really that big of a deal? And how can it be effectively addressed and contained so that it doesn’t dominate our lives? Read more…
Crowded grocery stores. Empty shelves. Massive breakouts in packing plants. A break in the food supply chain. All of these words and phrases swirl around me and weigh down on me for days before each and every grocery trip. No Read more…
For such a little word, No can be really difficult to say for lots of reasons. We don’t want to disappoint someone or have them be angry at us. We feel guilty for not doing what someone else wants us to do or what we think we “should” do at the expense of what we want to do or feel we are called to do.
When we can’t say “no”, we give our life over to the plans and convenience of others and abdicate taking control over ourselves and our plans for our future. The cost can be great – why do we give up responsibility for reaching our goals and keeping our commitments to ourselves and instead take on responsibilities that rightfully rest with others?
There are times, when saying “yes” is the best answer. But we must understand, as Cloud and Townsend have said, we are not free to say yes unless we are completely free to say no. If when we say no, our NO is not acknowledged and respected and we find ourselves giving in or avoiding saying no at all, then our “yes” is really nothing but avoiding conflict, peacekeeping and approval seeking. It is not the gift of a true yes.
If we are practicing our “no” with someone who doesn’t want to hear it, it is important to remember that “NO” is a complete sentence. You can still be polite, and say something like “thanks for the opportunity, but that doesn’t work for me right now” or “that just doesn’t fit with my schedule right now,” or something similar. BUT, don’t get pulled into thinking you have to have an “excuse” that is more important than what they are asking for. You don’t have to give excuses, defend or debate your own decisions. You don’t have to get them to agree that your choice is correct. To enter into that conversation, takes you into a power struggle or the danger of accepting false guilt for not being who or what they want you to be.
No is not a bad word. It is a protective word, meant to protect your boundaries, your needs and your plans. With your kids, it’s also word to protect and teach. Your kids will learn to have boundaries and respect others boundaries as they see you live them out. There is no greater gift than a free yes, but to be able to give a free yes, you must be able to give a solid no.