SATURDAY SAYINGS PLUS A WEEK IN REVIEW

So this past week, I completed several things that had been going on during the month of October.  The first thing I completed was the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  Yes, I actually managed to post something every one of the 31 days of October.  I feel a sense of accomplishment.

Another thing that finished was Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study for The Best Yes by Lysa Terkeurst.  I led a small group on Facebook for this study.  The book was amazing.  One of my favorite things was the discussion about saying a small no in order to be able to say a "Best Yes".  I really enjoyed this book and learned so much.

At the same time these things were ending, new items were entering the stage.  For one thing is the NaBloPoMo November challenge, which I decided to participate in for the first time.  I am looking to really stretch and challenge myself.

Now onto Saturday Sayings:  We are a homeschooling family and are in our ninth year.  We often have interesting conversations.  So one of my sons earlier in the week asked a question.  And it was a very good question, if I do say so myself.  In music, why are there both sharps AND flats.  If you know anything about music, you know a sharp raises a note a half-step (and if music is not your thing, now you know this too).  A flat lowers a note a half step.  So really you could use one or the other and not need both.  But this child has really been coming up with some really good statements.

I hope you will come back next Saturday to hear more "Saturday Sayings".  Feel free to leave me a comment.  I would love to hear from you.

DECISIONS, DECISIONS, DECISIONS

So this is day 21 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and I am still going strong.  We are also in the midst of Week 5 of the Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies of Lysa Terkeurst"s book The Best Yes:  Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands.  This book is an amazing book and the Bible study has been incredible.  As I was reading in the book to prepare for my role as a Facebook Small Group Leader, I read a section regarding decisions.

You know decisions can be one of the hardest things in the world to make.  I know personally I always want to make the best decision.  I want to be sure I am doing what is right for me personally as well as for my family.  However, I often leave the most important person and part out of my decision making process out.  The person is God and the part I may leave out is to pray.  

God wants to be part of our decisions.  We just need to pray and ask for guidance.  But more importantly we need to be willing to the answer.  Sometimes the answer comes in the form of someone telling us something.  For example, not getting a job or interview.   We may receive an answer of not right now.  Sometimes we get the answer from friends or family.  We may have not even told them what we are thinking about, but they come out with something that clearly comes from God.  Answers may come from Bible passages we read.  If we see the same passage in multiple places (especially in the same day), God is evidently trying to get our attention so we need to listen.  Or perhaps a sermon on Sunday speaks directly about a subject we are thinking about.  So we just need to remember to stop and listen to God and what He is trying to tell us.  

If we take time to listen to God, we can make good decisions.  When we make Godly decisions, we will give our "Best Yes".  This means we do what is right for our family, our lives at the time and that ultimately brings honor to God.  So know I am praying for us all to make good decisions and say our "Best Yes", even if that means sometimes saying no or not right now.

Wisdom and My Best Yes

So I am in day 7 of the Ultimate Blog Challenge and at the same time I am on day 2 of week 3 of The Best Yes:  Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands which is the current Bible Study being done by Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Studies and boy do I need this book.  Being a wife, a mother, homeschooling teacher, FRG leader, member of a church, chef, driver (at times), shopper for all things needed in our home means I have lots of different hats and lots of different responsibilities all pulling at me at the same time.  I feel like I am juggling a ton of balls in the air at the same time.  But at any minute they could all come crashing down on me.

So I need lots and lots and lots of wisdom.  I need to have the discernment to rely on God to help me make the right decisions.  This means spending time in His Word and spending time in prayer.  I don't want to make a wrong decision, but as Lysa Terkeurst puts it, I don't want to suffer from "Analysis Paralysis".  You know what I mean, you get so caught up in the "what ifs" and worrying about them, you just don't make any decision at all.  Or you get so caught up in believing the grass might be greener on the other side that you don't make any decisions.

A "best yes" means relying on God's wisdom to help make the right decision at the right time in the right place.  It means not being afraid to make any decision at all.  It also means listening to others around us who God may have put directly in our path.  It is so easy sometimes to get caught up in what we want that we forget to put God into the equation.  I want wisdom like God gave Solomon, but the only way to acquire wisdom is to focus on God.  He has to direct our footsteps.  He has to direct my path.  Oh that God may grant me peace and wisdom to make the right decisions.

Determining my Best Yes!

Right now I am involved in several things simultaneously for different things.  One thing I am involved is the Ultimate Blog Challenge.  My goal is to do one new post for 31 days.  This is day 3 of the challenge.  I am also involved in Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study for The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands by Lysa Terkeurst.  This book is all about determining what our "Best Yes" is.  We are just completing week 2 of the study and have finished the first 6 chapters of the book.  And I have to say I love this book.  Lysa has the ability to make me laugh, cry and even relate to everything she is saying.  I stop and think.  She causes me to want to dive deeper into the study and into God's Word to determine what I really should be doing and how I should be living.
A third thing I am doing is a prayer challenge for my husband along with Darlene Schacht.  I have only just begun this challenge, but I love the idea of praying for my husband.  This challenge is in celebration of the release of her new book, Messy Beautiful Life:  Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages.  When I signed up for the challenge, Darlene sent some wonderful freebies to help with the challenge including a study guide and a beautiful set of prayer cards.  I am still in the midst of getting them printed out and set up the way I want them.

If all that were not enough, we of course still have homeschooling.  I still have to feed the family.  I still have to clean the house and do laundry.  So there is a lot on my plate.  A little more than a year ago, I started a website about our family, but have not devoted the time and resources to it that I wanted to so that is one of my goals to complete.  

Also, I walked into saying my best yes and that resulted in me starting a new group on Facebook.  So I have been working on that including starting to create original content yesterday.  I need to create guidelines and welcome documents along with a Member list for the group as well.  But I am so excited for the challenge.  Not to mention, the ladies that have joined the group seem to be really exciting.  So that is what a typical day in my life entails.

Why I love my Online Bible Study

So instead of talking about homeschooling or my family today, I want to take a minute to invite you to join in the next Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study.  You can visit the Proverbs 31 Ministries Online Bible Study page to sign up.  The study begins on September 22nd and the book is fantastic!  While real life might be crazy, this Bible Study won't be.  You can follow along on the blog for daily posts or if you prefer you can participate in a Facebook Study Live for a different kind of experience.

I have been involved with Proverbs 31 Ministries OBS (Online Bible Study) for about a year and a half now.  I started off just doing the study and being in a Facebook Small group for Let.It.Go.  by Karen Ehman.  I absolutely fell in love with the study.  I love that I don't have to be at a certain place at a certain time every week.  In my Facebook small group or with the Study Blog, I can interact on my time around my schedule.  But every time I visit the study page or the Facebook Small group I am tremendously blessed.

Back in the spring, I took a leap and decided to volunteer as a Facebook Small group leader.  I helped lead our group for the study for the Limitless Life by Derwin Gray.  It was one of the best experiences of my life.  I can't wait for this study to begin.  Over the next few weeks, you can expect to see more posts from me regarding #TheBestYes!

So if you are looking for a Bible Study that gives you flexibility I invite you to take a look and to join us for #TheBestYes!