Say Yes!

I’m one of those word-of-the-year-girls. You?
For 2023 I felt God telling me I needed to say, “Yes!” more often. Not to any old thing to fill my time or tickle my fancy, but to the things He was putting in front of me. I wrote Y-E-S in chalk on the framed slate I have in my office, penned, “Say yes, yes to the God of Israel!” (Joshua 24:23) at the top of each week in my planner before planning out the week, and when opportunities arose I prayed through them. But when I was waffling, I continuously heard God whispering in my heart, “Say yes. Say yes to me.” 

And so I did. I said yes to pitching a new book idea. I said yes to some incredible speaking engagements. I said yes to sharing my feelings and joining an awesome Bible study group. I said yes to visits with friends and silent prayer time in the middle of the day and trips and counseling appointments and taking days off to rest and learning more about Jesus and dates with my husband. I said yes to getting coaching and trying something new and asking questions and treating myself. Over and over again I said yes to Jesus and the goodness He had for me. I even journaled about the yes-es I said, because I’m also that kind of girl.

We do have to be careful about our yes-es. We should rarely, if ever, and then only under extreme circumstances, say yes to things that aren’t healthy for us mentally, physically, or emotionally. We should never say yes to impress somebody or because we feel like we have to or when we honestly don’t have the bandwidth to honor a yes.

But God has so much goodness for us and loves to delight us. I fear we turn down so much of the loveliness He has for us. 

Joshua 24:23 MSG

What if in 2024 we said yes to:
spending more time in our Bibles 
veggies and fruit
getting enough sleep
taking time to pray
reaching out to a friend
a bite of chocolate
walks in the sunshine
setting healthy boundaries
hugs
journaling
running through the sprinklers
apologizing
staying hydrated
going down slides


What if we turned to Jesus and asked Him, “What do you think?” And when He gives a nod, we say, “Yes!”

Not sure when to say yes or no. Try using this verse as your guide: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice (Philippians 4:8).

What if we didn’t just think about these things but said yes to them!

click on the link or image to download your FREE guide

Something else we can all say YES to this year is taking care of ourselves. We are created in the very image of God–self care isn’t selfish. It’s Biblical. I’ve created a FREE guide to get us started. Just click HERE to begin Biblically caring for yourself in this new year.

I’d love to hear--drop a comment:
What are some things you’ve said yes to?
How will you care for yourself in 2024?
Do you have a word for the year? If so, what is it?

For more inspiration find me on Facebook and Instagram