Learning to say no…so I can mean it when I say yes.

I wouldn’t exactly call myself “a people pleaser.” In fact, probably just the opposite. Well, not really “a people displeaser” although now that I think of it that might be more the truth.

But I do have trouble saying no when someone asks me to do something. As evidenced by the number of times I have been Room Mom, Team Mom, Bible Study Teacher, Sunday School Teacher, Driver of Many Children to Many Events, Party Attender that Stands in the Corner, Hostess for Friend Selling *Insert Product Here,* etc. Let me just clarify and state for the record: there is nothing wrong with doing any of these things and I am glad that I did them. Well, most of them.

I also had trouble saying no as a teenager and let me tell you what…that led to Nothing Good. But that’s for another time.

I have really felt God leading me to focus on two words this year: redeemed and radical.

Let’s start with redeemed. According to Websters, redeem can mean: to buy back; repurchase; to get or win back; to free from what distresses or harms: as to free from captivity by payment of ransom; to extricate from or help to overcome something detrimental; to release from blame or debt; clear; to free from the consequences of sin; to change for the better; reform; repair, restore; to free from a lien by payment of an amount secured thereby; to remove the obligation of by payment; to exchange for something of value; to make good; fulfill; to atone for; expiate <redeem an error>; to offset the bad effect of; to make worthwhile;  retrieve.

Oh man, I could take each and every one of these definitions and apply them directly to my life and to me. But I’ll save you THAT, and move on to the definition of radical according to Websters: of, relating to, or proceeding from a root; growing from the base of a stem, from a rootlike stem, or from a stem that does not rise above the ground; designed to remove the root of a disease or all diseased and potentially diseased tissue; of or relating to the origin; fundamental; very different from the usual or traditional; extreme; favoring extreme changes in existing views, habits, conditions, or institutions; associated with political views, practices, and policies of extreme change; advocating extreme measures to retain or restore a political state of affairs; slang: excellent, cool.