I like saying yes. I like opportunities, ideas, and people. Pitch me something and three minutes later I’m not only in, I’ve got six more ideas to make it bigger.

That sounds like a strength, and sometimes it is. But every yes gets paid for somewhere: time, energy, attention, money, sleep, margin, presence. Sometimes the cost is that you don’t have enough of yourself left for the thing you already said mattered more.

Most of us ask, “Can I do this?” The better question is, “Am I supposed to?” In this episode we look at how Jesus walked away from a crowd that was looking for Him, how the apostles handed off a real need without dropping it, and how Nehemiah answered the same request four times with “I cannot come down.”

Good does not mean assigned. Needed does not mean yours. Capable does not mean called.

📖 Scriptures in this episode:

• Luke 14:28–30: Count the cost before you build
• Mark 1:35–38: “Everyone is looking for you.” “Let us go somewhere else.”
• Acts 6:1–4: The apostles hand off a real need so they can stay on their assignment
• Nehemiah 6:1–4: “I am doing a great work and I cannot come down”

💭 Questions to sit with this week:

• Am I supposed to do this, or just able to?
• Is this mine to carry?
• What will this yes actually require, beyond the fun, exciting part?
• How much of me will this take, not just how much time?
• What will get less of me if I say yes to this?
• Does this belong in this season, or is it a great idea at the wrong time?
• Why do I want to say yes? Is it obedience, ego, guilt, fear, people-pleasing, control, or FOMO?
• What is my wall, the thing God has entrusted to me that I keep leaving for louder requests?
• What am I protecting by saying no?
• What would faithfulness look like here?

✨ Your faithful shift this week: Pick one yes you’re carrying right now. Ask what it’s costing you and what’s getting less of you because of it. If it’s a costly yes God asked you to give, keep going. If He never asked you to carry it, this might be the week you set it down.

🌿 The Wellness Store
These products are part of my everyday life, from hydration to cleaning the house to taking care of myself and my family. Their creatine is one of my favorites. It’s flavorless, easy to mix in, and costs a lot less than other brands I’ve used. There’s so much more I’d love to share:
https://mymelaleuca.com/KendallAppleton

🎄 The Outdoor Services
Serving homes and businesses across the Kansas City area. If you’ve ever untangled a string of Christmas lights and lost a little piece of your soul, they’ll hang them for you. They also blow out irrigation systems before the freeze, take on hardscape projects while it’s cool, and handle lawn and landscaping when spring comes:
https://www.theoutdoorservices.com/

Next week: Deciding what you believe before you’re standing in the moment that tests it.

If this one struck a nerve, send it to someone who needs the reminder and subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. Keep making faithful shifts. 💛

What are you trying to prove?

I don't mean what you're working toward. I mean what you're trying to prove. That you're successful? That you're a good mom? That you're not who you used to be? That the people who doubted you were wrong?

Sometimes the goal is completely fine. The problem is the weight we've asked it to carry. In this episode we look at how a good goal can quietly turn into proof of our worth, and why we sometimes keep performing for people who aren't even watching anymore. We also go back to Matthew 3, where the Father called Jesus beloved before He had done a single public thing. Identity comes before achievement, not after it.

📖 Scriptures in this episode:

• Matthew 3:16–17: "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased"
• Matthew 4:1–11: "If you are the Son of God…" (the enemy's "prove it")
• Genesis 11:4: Babel and "let us make a name for ourselves"
• 1 Samuel 15:24–30: Saul fears the people and asks to be honored before the elders
• Galatians 1:10: "Am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?"

💭 Questions to sit with this week:

• What am I trying to prove?
• Am I building this because it's faithful, or because I need it to say something about me?
• Am I posting this because it's useful, or because I need to be seen?
• Am I chasing excellence, or am I chasing a name?
• If nobody knew I accomplished this, would I still want it?
• Whose applause am I imagining? Who do I want to regret underestimating me?
• Whose voice is still narrating my decisions from the back of my head?
• Why do I want this goal? (Then ask why again, and again.)
• What am I hoping this will prove about me?
• If this doesn't happen, what am I afraid it will mean about me?
• What would faithfulness look like here?

✨ Your faithful shift this week: Don't throw your goals away. Take the weight off them. Let success just be success, let failure be information instead of a verdict, and let your identity stay where it already belongs, in Christ.

🌿 The Wellness Store
What I use for energy, what I drink, and what I clean with all come from the same place. I use it for energy, hydration, hygiene, cleaning, health, and a whole lot more. If you're curious, I'd love to share more:
https://mymelaleuca.com/KendallAppleton

🎄 The Outdoor Services
Let somebody else get on the ladder this year. They hang Christmas lights, so reach out now if you want your house lit up. They're also doing irrigation blowouts before the freeze and hardscape work while it's cool, plus lawn, landscaping, and irrigation the rest of the year:
https://www.theoutdoorservices.com/

Next week: Every yes costs you something you don't get back, and most of us are spending them like they're free.

If this one hit close to home, share it with someone who needs to hear it and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Keep making faithful shifts. 💛

You were fine. Then you looked sideways.

Comparison isn't only "she has something I want." It's loving your marriage until you see someone's anniversary reel. It's feeling good about your pace until someone your age hits a milestone first. In this episode we talk about the sneaky ways comparison sets deadlines God never gave you, moves the finish line called "enough," and hands us goals that were never ours. We also go back to the beach in John 21, where Jesus says to Peter, "What is that to you? You follow Me."

📖 Scriptures in this episode:

• John 21:15–22: Peter's restoration and "What is that to you? You follow Me."
• 1 Samuel 18:6–9: Saul, David, and the song that turned a win into a threat
• Galatians 6:4–5: Test your own work and carry your own load

💭 Questions to sit with this week:

• Was this goal born out of prayer, conviction, or something God placed in me, or did seeing it just make me want it?
• Is this inspiration or comparison? Does it make me curious and grateful, or does it make me look down on what I've already been given?
• Did God actually tell me something needs to change, or did someone else's life convince me mine wasn't enough?
• Am I where God has asked me to be?
• What has Jesus asked me to do?
• What would faithfulness look like here?

✨ Your faithful shift this week: Find one place you've been looking sideways. Instead of "why don't I have that," pray "God, thank You for what You're doing in their life," and then ask, "What have You asked me to do with mine?"

🌿 The Wellness Store
I use it every day for energy, hydration, hygiene, cleaning, and so much more. If you've wondered what I actually use, I'd love to show you:
https://mymelaleuca.com/KendallAppleton

🎄 The Outdoor Services
Book your Christmas light hanging early, before December sneaks up on you. They're also blowing out irrigation systems before the first freeze and taking on hardscape projects. Come spring, they handle all your lawn, landscaping, and irrigation needs:
https://www.theoutdoorservices.com/

Next week: What are you actually trying to prove, and who are you trying to prove it to?

If this one landed somewhere real, share it with a friend who needs it and subscribe so you don't miss an episode. Keep making faithful shifts. 💛