DIY letterboard and the power of "no".

Are you shaking your head laughing, wondering why my title says "no" and my first photo says "yeah!" .  I can explain, I promise! I have always wanted a letter board.  If you unloaded the random wish list from my brain onto a notebook page the results would be strange and would leave you curious.  Things like "set of lockers, letter board, and a good pair of overalls" definitely make the list, among other random objects I'm just waiting to come across serendipitously.  I thought I was close to checking "letter board" off my list when I noticed them popping up all over Instagram.  I did a bit of research and quickly discovered these cute little boards were way out of my budget.  

So I put my creative thinking cap on and started hunting around Etsy.  I came across a listing for these letters at a super great price and immediately purchased them. 

To finish my letter board I simply stuck them onto an old canvas and watercolored the edges.  This project couldn't have been any faster or easier, plus it was inexpensive! 

As for the words on the canvas, well, they have a story of their own. 

Does God work on you and work on you, slowly and steadily over time through all different ways of communicating? He does me.  Perhaps I'm a bit slow to listen to Him.  But whatever the reason, the past year He has done a life-changing work in me.  Through sermon podcasts, discussions over bible verses with Brett, certain songs, books, being quiet, many prayers, conversations with others, and just complete signs from God, I have learned the value of both "no" and "yes".  

Previously I was living a life of hustle, of "dream bigger", of serving my IG/blog world more than my world, of trying to be the skinniest, most successful, and biggest people-pleaser.  This way of living was exhausting.  Combined with raising two babies, being a wife, and barely being a friend, it was the straw that broke the camel's back.  I have since learned the value of a good hearty "yes!" and a grace-filled no.  I shared this with a friend over coffee this week (a wonderful yes!) and we got so tickled at all the ways people will truly to pull you, all the directions your time will be tempted to go. 

I won't go into all my "no's", because there are too many to list.  

Just know that my "yeses" include those glorious words above.  They include showing up in real life for my friends, day in and day out.  Texting, dropping dinner over, sending prayer videos via text, or lending a listening ear in real life.  My "yes" includes giving my family my best energy first, researching and learning more about adoption and foster care and scriptures concerning orphans more than ever before, painting because it's simply fun, and photographing families because it fits well with our family's schedule.  My "yes" includes stacks of laundry, a fridge full of home-cooked food, opening my home to others, and also giving myself grace to rest and be quiet.  It means not posting my whole life on Instagram or trying to be anything other than what I am, myself.  No more, no less.  

My "yes" means I can curl up with a good book, pressure-free.  It means I can handle the big, hard things of life that seem so near some days because my brain and to-do list aren't clogged.  It means a much, much shorter "to do" list than ever.  

Where do you stand on all of this? Have you found the freedom in saying yes to the best, most needy things, leaving your soul filled to tend those actual needs? Have you included self-care and enjoyable things in your "yes", so you are refreshed to take care of others? 

I'd love to hear your heart. 

(p.s.-one way I stay refreshed is with music! Christy Nockels is playing while I'm typing!)