Learning to say YES to God...

I started this post Friday, but had to leave my computer with the flu. I'm feeling a lot better now thanks to regular doses of NyQuil. Whoever invented NQ~don't tell Gene, but I love you!
I also cheered my son Aaron on in his basketball tournament this weekend that his team won 2nd place in. I really enjoy and love watching my kids do anything. My whole family shows up to lend their support...it's so cool.

Okay, I couldn't wait to share this post with you all...

or down in Lysa TerKeurst country, y'all...

It was fall of '06 and I had to stop at the grocery store. As I walked through the double doors, I noticed a woman pushing her cart out of the alcohol section. She looked as if life had gotten the best of her. Let's just say she was no super model. Our eyes briefly met and as they did, instantly the first part of a verse came to my mind.

Psalm 45:11

The king is enthralled by your beauty.

Then God told me, "I want you to go tell her that."

As I'm walking down an aisle away from her, I tried to reason with God. "Lord you know this is way out of my comfort zone."

He didn't care as He repeated, "I want you to go tell her that."
With no intention of hunting this woman down I said, "Okay Lord, if I can find her, I will tell her."

Problem is, I serve a God who knows me better than I know myself. So, as I walked out of the aisle, there she was. Of course. She had just put a gallon of orange juice in her cart which I assumed would be marrying the the large bottle of Vodka she had picked out earlier. Our eyes met again as I walked straight to her. She stopped her cart and as I stood beside her I said, "I know you don't know me, but there is a verse in the Bible that says, The king is enthralled by your beauty. It's in Psalm 45:11 and God just wanted me to tell you that He's enthralled by your beauty."


She stepped back and immediately straightened her body up and said, "Well, I needed to hear that today. I just lost my job."
"Whatever you're going through, you have a King that's crazy in love with you. A King who is captured by your beauty."
She looked different as smiled at me and said, "Thank you. You have a nice day."


Off we went our separate ways and when I looked over my shoulder suddenly this man was walking with her. I never saw him until that very moment. It was as if God had taken away every excuse He knew I'd try to give Him to not be obedient. He had made her completely approachable.


We never exchanged names or numbers. I didn't even tell her what church I attend. What she left the store with that day was much more than a drink to momentarily forget all of her problems. She left knowing God thought she was beautiful right where she was at in her life. Vodka and all.


I said "YES" to God that day in the grocery store. Completely out of my comfort zone and yet He fed the desire of my heart to follow Him with the courage it needed to step out and trust Him. The thing is, that is how I want to daily live my life for Him and honestly, I just don't. I fail all of the time before the sun rises completely.


So how do we learn how to live that sold out for Jesus life that our hearts' ache to live? How do we learn to say yes, when everything within us wants to say no?


We learn from someone who has walked the path of obedience before us and we take what they share with us and apply it to our lives. Someone who is daily saying Yes to God not only with her words, but with her life. A woman chasing after the obedience Abraham possessed in his walk with God. A woman who knows when she says yes to Him, He may say no to her. Someone who knows that she may have to go where she doesn't want to go, but she'll be right where He wants her to be and she trusts Him enough to stay there. A woman who is enthralled with her King. A woman like Lysa TerKeurst.


Please join me in reading Lysa's book, "What Happens When Women Say Yes to God." This is not only an awesome book, it is also a Bible study. After each chapter, there is a short Bible study filled with the intention of teaching women how to live a life of complete obedience to God.


Beginning MARCH 25th, every Tuesday will be "YES to GOD Tuesdays" right here on my blog for 9 consecutive weeks. This will be a place for you to leave a comment about the week's chapter and Bible study. Also you'll be able to link to your blog for readers to visit your blog for a more in depth post of your own thoughts on the chapter of the week and what God is doing in your heart.



Lysa is very excited about this and what God is going to do in these 9 weeks and will join us when she can. Ladies, believe with us that God is going to do something BIG here like only He can. I want to be a woman that says YES to whatever God asks me to do.


So if you've already read her book, please join us.
If you haven't read it, please buy the book and join us.
If you don't have a blog and just read blogs and don't want to comment. Join us.
You can just read and learn along with us.

Let's all get a group of friends to join us. Let's see how many groups we can get going.

You can order the book here on my blog by clicking on the "Buy Now" button under Lysa's picture or you can go to Lysa's blog and buy it.

I've read most of the book, but saved the study part of it so we could do it together. As a busy mom of three I really love how it's so easy to read. I'm going to start the book over and will be ready to go on March 25th!

Here is an excerpt from Lysa's book that really touched my heart. No wonder God tells us to be like little children and come to Him. In this chapter, Lysa is talking about her young daughter Ashley. I could not get through this without crying, and I kept re-reading it this weekend. THIS is what I want in my life.


To set it up, Lysa had been praying for God to reveal His activity in each of her kids' lives and this is what He showed her while she was on the West Coast speaking at a conference. While she was setting up her book table, Ashley called her on her cell phone...

Immediately, I sensed the heavy emotion in her tone as she tearfully said, "Mom, I need you to pray for me." I stopped what I was doing and walked outside. I assured her I would absolutely pray for her throughout the weekend but that I'd love to pray with her right that minute. I then inquired about what was troubling her. Her answer stunned me.

She was asking me to pray that she would have the strength to continue a fast she'd started that morning. Two little boys from her school had recently lost their dad to cancer. She told me that God had clearly spoken to her heart that morning and challenged her to pray and fast for that family all day. She did exactly what God had told her to do but now her stomach was really hurting and she was having a hard time.

I checked my watch and calculated that it would be around 9pm East Coast time. I encouraged her that sometimes God just intends a fast to be from sunup to sundown and that I was sure He'd be fine with her eating a little something before going to bed. She replied back, "Mom, I know exactly what God told me to do and I want to be obedient. I did not call for you to talk me out of this. I just need you to pray for me to have the strength to continue."

~From What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst~

This sweet child of God gets it Ladies, even at her young age.

I want what she has.

If you'd like to join this Blog Bible study here's what you need to do:

Buy the book if you don't have it.

Pray for God to reveal what He wants you to learn in this book.

Read Chapter 1 and do the Bible study following chapter 1.

Meet me here on Tuesday, March 25th ready to grow closer to God.

Looking forward to "YES to GOD Tuesdays" beginning March 25th!

Let's learn how to say YES together.

Click here to visit Lysa's blog and let her know you'll be doing the blog Bible study here every Tuesday!

Check back the end of this week for a button you can add to your blog and pass the word around. The more, the merrier! Also there will be a giveaway...more details on that coming soon!

~Many Blessings~

Lelia