This morning, I can’t help but reflect on how many opportunities I’ve missed—not because they weren’t there, but simply because they didn’t come in the way I expected… or because I kept saying no.

Somewhere along the way, saying “no” became a habit in my life. And honestly, I’m not sure how that happened. I’ve always been a go-getter, an adventurer at heart—someone who’d just get up and go, ready for whatever came next. But gradually, I began to say no more than I said yes. And with every no came a handful of excuses:

• “I don’t feel good.”
• “I have too much to do.”
• “I’m already busy with something else.”
• And the list goes on…

But in doing that, I missed out. Big time. I missed huge and beautiful opportunities—not just for my own life, but also for the lives of the people who invited me in. Whether it was someone asking me to go somewhere, to be part of something, to visit, to watch a movie, to simply show up—I said no.

And yet, how many of us have cried out, “Here I am, Lord, use me!” (Isaiah 6:8) We say we want to be used by God. And guess what? He listens. When you truly mean it in your heart, He begins to do just that. He gives you the desires of your heart, just as Psalm 37:4 says: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

But we must also recognize that God’s opportunities don’t always look like we think they will. Sometimes they come disguised as a casual invite… a small gathering… a quiet moment with someone. And because we stay stuck in our own ways, our own mindset, our own comfort zones, we end up missing what God is doing—or trying to do—through us.

So today, I just want to challenge us all:
Step out of your boat.
Step out of your comfort zone.
Say yes again.
Try something new. Do something different.
Be that adventurous person God made you to be!

You’ve got life in your body, breath in your lungs, and purpose in your soul. God has a plan for you—and opportunities are all around you, but you’ve got to say yes to see them.

So don’t say no if someone asks you to:

• Go to a play
• Take a drive
• Spend a weekend away
• Visit a museum
• Try a painting class
• Sit and talk
• Watch a movie
• Or simply be there…

Just get up and go. No matter the time, the day, the weather, or how you feel. Just say yes.

God is doing a great work in our lives, and if He truly holds first place in our hearts—and we are His hands and feet on this earth—then we have to recognize that and stop saying no. Amen!

Let’s stop missing out. Let’s stop making excuses. So when we reach the end of our lives, we can do so with no regrets, knowing we lived with open hands and open hearts.

No more wasted moments. No more missed opportunities.

The truth is, we sit around praying for change—to be used, to have joy, to find connection, to experience happiness and purpose. But sometimes, the answer to those prayers is in the opportunity we already turned down.

So let’s throw off the need for comfort and certainty, and simply get up and go.

Because this day will never come again.
And today, you are the youngest you will ever be again.
So make it count.

No more missed opportunities. No more excuses.
Just great adventures. Great yeses. Great impact. Amen!”

“For it is in His name, Jesus’ name, that I do ask and pray..Amen and Amen..Be blessed today my dear sweet friends and remember wherever you go and whatever you do, Be a light for our Father, Much love to you all, Mandi ❤️