Week 6: I said Yes

WOW!  What an awesome 6 weeks it has been.  I remember when I got the e-mail about this online Bible Study, I KNEW I was in the RIGHT place at the RIGHT time.  

After my awakening on June 30, I was ALL IN on my spiritual journey, now was the time for the next step.  I needed encouragement and accountability as I began to take the scary steps of saying "YES" to God.

This week my Business Mastermind Group leader Todd Durkin sent out the story of the stone cutter  for our weekly e-mail.  The moral of the story is that the stone cutter keeps hitting at the rock despite the naysayers and the fact that it doesn't split apart the first couple thousand times.  When it finally does break it splits all the way apart in a moment.  What LOOKS like it took a moment is the result of consistent and disciplined action.

Over the past 6 weeks, I have felt just like a stone cutter.  True, it doesn't look like much is happening on the surface, but I am chipping away at the enemy's lies, my own self limiting beliefs, and my fears of moving forward.  I believe that at JUST THE RIGHT TIME I will reap a harvest if I don't give up (Galatians 6:9)

 What I have said Yes to over the past 6 weeks.  Yikes!  Didn't realize it was this much!

1) #IsaidYes to being ALL IN

No more dibbling and dabbling with my faith.  Sometimes I would be all in and then when nothing happened right away, I would give up.  

2) #IsaidYes to sharing more about my faith

I started the blog to use as RECEIPTS when it is time to share my testimony.  I also started it so that people would be able to see the actual stonecutting journey rather than just see the results.  I feel that this journey will help encourage and motivate others.

3) #IsaidYes to surrendering my life for God's purposes

I'm tired of pushing my own agenda which never works anyway and only leaves me discouraged and defeated.  I realized that being used for God's purposes will reach into eternity and have a huge IMPACT on this world.   My own short sighted vision would only make me happy...temporarily.

4) #IsaidYes to STOP Intellectualizing and trying to make sense of it all

There are a lot of things that don't make any sense right now.  God reminded me repeatedly through this study that His ways are NOT my ways and His thoughts are NOT my thoughts.  I'm only going to discourage myself by trying to make sense of what is going on.

5) #IsaidYes to Pruning out the old

One of our Pastors preached to us on the importance of pruning in our lives.  In order for the new to grow, we must stay connected to the vine but we also need to cut off things that are not bearing any fruit. For me this meant giving up social media and becoming more selective about what I say yes to.

6) #IsaidYes to wait on the Lord

I've decided to STOP trying to make things happen.  I figured I was pretty smart so I could figure out how to get stuff going.  I'm done on that end.  A few Sundays ago I heard the Lord loud and clear from the time I got in my car to the Sunday Sermon.

Isaiah 40:31

But they who wait upon the Lord will get new strength. They will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weak.

7) #IsaidYes to praying for my Future Husband

I am really embarrassed to take this public.  I feel like it makes me look weak, sorry, and hypocritical after all my preaching about how marriage won't define me.  I truly believe that my marriage is going to be a ministry and I do believe that marriage is deeply connected to my purpose in life. 

August is my birthday month and I usually spend it celebrating myself and also engaging in 31 days of grattitude where I thank God for his blessings on my life.  This year was different.

I spent the month of August  (all 31 days) praying for this gentleman who is yet to be revealed.  That was the main thing about that one...I have ZERO prospects and I thought "All this is going to do is make me sad, discouraged, and want to listen to Amy Winehouse and the blues"  

Actually just the opposite happened.  Each day as I prayed a specific prayer for him, I began to get encouraged and excited.  I also decided it was a sign of maturity that I did not pray for my husband to look like The Rock or Blair Underwood, but I will not complain if this happens.

8) #IsaidYes to giving up my Birthday fund for our Haitian Missionary

I was planning to spend money on myself for my birthday, but I decided to give the money to our church's fundraising drive to buy our missionary a new car.  I figured that was the least I could do.  I exceeded my own goal for giving.  It was so awesome to hear on the last Sunday of the fundraiser that we exceeded our goal!

9) #IsaidYes to give up Facebook and all social media for the rest of 2013

No more distractions.  I'm still hanging tough and I honestly don't miss it.  I realized I was using facebook for FALSE connections, stalking, and getting in other folks business.

10) I said yes to write words of encouragement/pray for Dove's nest

Ordinarily I would have thought "Someone else can do that.  Not me...Nobody will care what I wrote, but I believe that it helped someone and I don't even have to know about it.

I'm not officially counting this last one, but I continued the task that the Lord laid on my heart earlier this year.  I pray that it is not out of selfish ambition but because the Lord asked me to.  I didn't want to write it in my journal for the study (I actually wrote what it was), but I did and I don't want to write it here...but I feel like it fits somehow.  In due season....

This is what I said Yes to...Now let's see WHAT HAPPENS when THIS woman has said YES to God.