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“Jesus routinely asked people questions that helped them to get in touch with their desire and name it in his presence.
wonder if stating our desire in the presence of Jesus is actually an act of faith?
we live our lives as a shadow of our true selves, not fully knowing who we are and, in turn, who God is in us.
Honor your design and image-bearing identity enough to be honest about what you want most.
Every yes you say affects every person who lives in your house.
so that disappointment came out in other weird ways such as irritability, insecurity, lashing out, and silent treatments.
It’s remarkable the lengths my subconscious will go to in order to mask my truest desire.
Is the life you’re living the same life that wants to live in you? Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you.
usually have my two lists on one page, with life-draining at the top and life-giving at the bottom (trust me, it’s better to end with the life-giving stuff).
Did this activity draw me closer to God or push me further from him?
When we don’t take time to reflect and reevaluate, then we may fall into the habit of doing things simply because they’re what we’ve always done.
we always have things in our life we say yes and no to based on knee-jerk reactions, expectations, or fears, and it’s helpful to know what they are.
there may be things on your list that feel life-draining, but the result of that thing is actually life-giving.
Maybe you are an introvert and quite honestly would rather be alone. But you also value connection with people.
The Life Energy List is simply one tool to help you pay attention to your actual life so that you can discern what your next right thing might be.
that really how we want to live our lives? Successful outcomes might look great on paper, but we want to build our lives on love, faith, connectedness, redemption, laughter, wholeheartedness, joy, and peace. Instead of asking which would be the exact right choice, consider the life choice.
We can get honest about how certain things bring us life and how other things don’t. And then we
While his character never changes, his leading might. What he led you to say no to last month may turn into a yes next month, regardless of its life-giving possibility. This is a relationship, not a spreadsheet; a rhythm, not a rule.
We admit we’d like to know the plan before we agree to it, but we’re beginning to understand that’s not really how you roll. As we take
every day. This is an ancient practice of looking back to discern God’s movement in your life that day and prayerfully paying attention to how he might be directing you.
smarter and wiser, and much more interesting. Rather than chasing more, what if we discovered enough right where we are?
no: it can open the door for a life-giving yes. When you focus on what’s missing, it’s hard to see what’s there.
Just because things change doesn’t mean you chose wrong in the first place.
Essentialism is not about how to get more things done, it’s about how to get the right things done.
either. It is about making the wisest possible investment of your time and energy in order to operate at our highest point of contribution by doing only what is essential.1 If it feels
that is both best for us and best for the world.”2 Be picky about who you listen
calling. The point of this day is not necessarily to make your decision but to remember who you are.
He had to accept the true will of his Father, to die on the cross only three years into his ministry.
What kept him moving forward, what helped him to do his next right thing, was knowing that his Father was with him.
You need a time of remembering, of being, of knowing you are not alone. So schedule a listening day.
Remember, it’s not for the sake of saying no. It’s so you can say yes to what really matters.
Just because you feel unsettled doesn’t mean you’re not a content person.
it’s time to listen to your emotions rather than preach at them.
Help us to know when to say yes and when to say no.
No amount of lecturing or explaining will ever help us to see something until we’re ready to see it for ourselves.
Admitting I had a job required a bit of grieving for me personally.
Looking back, I never planned to start working at the time I did.
even good things come with shadows,
the only person who expected me to “do it all” was me.
My reality was one of a work-from-home mom but my perception of myself was as a stay-at-home mom.
always been when, in fact, they are not. When we’re unaware of where we are, we can’t possibly make informed decisions about where we want to go. This leads to an inability to discern our next right thing. In order to be
Have you recently started a new position, been given more responsibility at work,
Is a child or a loved one struggling with anxiety? Sickness? Heartbreak? Pain?
It’s more like one of a mom who hits the brakes too hard and instinctively stretches her arm across the passenger seat. Kind of like that, but less frantic. More gentle. It’s clear I’m to wait. It’s not clear as to why.
themselves, are not the source. God often speaks in such a regular and familiar way that it’s almost too normal to point out.
Can you hold on to your faith while you wait? If it isn’t yet time to make a decision or to move, practice the daily letting go of your timeline.
“Clarity comes from engagement, not thought. When you take action, you’ll access your natural knowing.”
As you listen to your life and the Spirit’s heartbeat, the vision will grow as the work is done.
he lives within you, then that means he speaks, even now, through his Word, his people, and your own deepest desires as you confess them in his presence. Trust the voice that comes from within. If there’s a longing or a vision growing within you, or if you have an idea, a project, or work you can see even though you can’t see it, carry on. Walk slowly. Listen closely. And let that candle burn.
When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, Because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. I have been
