On the other end of the spectrum, we can't use this permission to sometimes say no and use it as a wand to wish away all our responsibilities. We also must remember not to use our "no" answers as a weapon. We can't turn into No! ninjas, karate-chopping anyone who even comes close to asking us for something.

No person, possession, profession, or position ever fills the cup of a wounded, empty heart. It's an emptiness only God can fill.

Like a tree, a woman can't carry the weight of two seasons simultaneously. In the violent struggle of trying, she'll miss every bit of joy each season promises to bring.

When God says no, we are sometimes tempted to wonder if He loves us. In reality, it’s because He loves us, He sometimes says no.

Everything I do and say tells a story of who I am serving. If I am acting out of anger and spite, I am serving the father of darkness and spreading his darkness. If I am honoring to the Lord with my actions, I am serving to further the name of Jesus and spreading His light.

I give grace because I so desperately need it.

I must exchange whispers with God before shouts with the world.