Finding Your Yes: Living a Life That's Open to God's Invitations

by Christine E. Wagoner

Overview

Finding your yes is all about living a life of openness to the invitations of God in our lives. Christine Wagoner, a senior leader with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, invites readers to be attentive to the movements of the Spirit and engage with opportunities God gives them. She shares about her own yes moments as well as those of others. And she offers practical tools for moving toward yes.

There is a significant journey that gets us from no to yes. It is a profound journey of heart, soul, and mind. A journey filled with risk, excitement, pain, and joy. A journey of growing our character and knowing God intimately. And—with questions both large and small—it's a journey we take again and again throughout our lives.

Would you like to live into your yes?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780830847860
Publisher:	InterVarsity Press
Publication date:	05/18/2021
Pages:	168
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Christine E. Wagoner is an associate regional director with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, where she directed their national women's leadership development program. She received her master of arts in counseling ministries from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Christine is married to Kurt and lives in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Table of Contents

Part 1 Getting to Yes

1 Yes Often Starts with No 3

2 Shifting Our Perspective 13

3 Discovering Internal Resistence 30

4 Starting Small 45

5 Growing Through Your Yes 60

Part 2 Staying with Your Yes

6 Yes… But 75

7 Was Yes a Mistake? 94

8 The Pain of Yes 108

9 The Choice to Say No 121

10 Saying Yes, Again 137

Acknowledgments 153

Discussion Guide 155

Notes 159

What People are Saying About This

Beth A. Booram

"'Yes is not a destination. It is a doorway to more adventures,' writes Christine Wagoner in her inspiring book, Finding Your Yes. I've known Christine for many years, and as I read her book, I hear her voice—energetic and disarming. She drills down into our noes, what it might cost to say yes, and what it might cost if we don't! This book is a richly illustrated and truthful take on the circuitous path of following Jesus, of roads taken and not taken, and is seasoned with hope that 'as our yes grows, so do we.' You will love reading Finding Your Yes, and in the process, you just may find the courage to say your own, 'Yes!'"

Andrew T. Le Peau

"This book is easy to say yes to. What an encouraging reminder that God has good works planned for us to do! Christine Wagoner offers a hopeful yet realistic word about listening and responding openly to the opportunities God puts in our path. They may be big or small. They may lead to success or disappointment. We may have doubts or courage. But through stories, Scripture, and hard-won wisdom, Wagoner shows how God can use it all."

James Choung

"In improvisational comedy, 'no' is the fastest way to kill a scene. You have to keep saying yes to each other to keep the laughs flowing. Our faith acts in the same way, and Finding Your Yes helpfully gives you practical ways to keep saying yes to God—to keep your faith growing and flourishing."

Sarah Shin

"Tender, authentic, and touching with so many diverse stories of saying yes in the face of hope and heartache, Christine Wagoner leads us with hospitality and warmth toward God's invitation for us all, using Scripture, stories, and prayer. Every person considering saying yes to God should read this book to find strength, comfort, and hope in discerning steps of faithful risk taking."

Juanita Campbell Rasmus

"'Perhaps freedom to simply be open to either yes or no with no expectations would be a stretching invitation for you,' writes author Christine Wagoner. Until a number of years ago, I was a consummate 'yes girl.' It was akin to my addiction to people pleasing and approval seeking. My yes was to all the requests of others. Yes can be quite a tricky notion: Too little yes can cause life to be flat and unimaginative, dare I say boring? Yet too much yes can find us depleted, listless from the wear and tear of overcommitment. Wagoner helps us to walk around in and try on the way of yes, and then turn on our own internal compass for finding yes that is our happy place! Great job! Yes yes!!"

Dave Rodriguez

"How do you discover the call of God? If that is the nagging question of your life, then Finding Your Yes is your guidebook. Through wonderfully evocative stories, biblical insights, and helpful suggestions, Christine Wagoner reveals the obstacles that keep us from saying yes to God's direction in our lives. You'll enjoy the journey as you receive clarity for the road ahead!"

R. York Moore

"Finding Your Yes gives a hopeful and realistic invitation to a journey toward your best self. Christine's personal story and the stories of others striving to live in a posture of saying yes are infectious and packed with joy-filled and unexpected turns. This little book, I believe, can unleash a new and practical way forward for many who feel stuck but want more out of life. I highly recommend it!"

Editorial Reviews

03/29/2021

Wagoner, associate regional director of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, examines the potential of accepting new challenges in her uplifting debut. “More often than not,” she writes, “I have initially answered no to what eventually turned out to be the most meaningful opportunities in my life.” Though Wagoner’s natural tendency is to play it safe, she discovered confidence, freedom, and growth in her relationship with God by embracing new experiences. She cites personal examples, scriptures, and the experiences of others, challenging readers to consider “what if there’s a yes buried in the no?” For instance, Wagoner initially didn’t think she was the right person to lead a sorority Bible study, but reconsidered, leading to 20 years of full-time ministry. Wagoner identifies some of the “obstacles to yes,” including fear, feelings of inadequacy, hidden biases, and past pains; then she divulges tools to overcome them, such as acknowledging weaknesses, allowing scriptures to redefine negative self-perceptions, writing prayers, and listening to trusted friends. This insightful guide affirms how opening to new possibilities is essential to living out Christian principles. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"'Perhaps freedom to simply be open to either yes or no with no expectations would be a stretching invitation for you,' writes author Christine Wagoner. Until a number of years ago, I was a consummate 'yes girl.' It was akin to my addiction to people pleasing and approval seeking. My yes was to all the requests of others. Yes can be quite a tricky notion: Too little yes can cause life to be flat and unimaginative, dare I say boring? Yet too much yes can find us depleted, listless from the wear and tear of overcommitment. Wagoner helps us to walk around in and try on the way of yes, and then turn on our own internal compass for finding yes that is our happy place! Great job! Yes yes!!"

Juanita Campbell Rasmus

"How do you discover the call of God? If that is the nagging question of your life, then Finding Your Yes is your guidebook. Through wonderfully evocative stories, biblical insights, and helpful suggestions, Christine Wagoner reveals the obstacles that keep us from saying yes to God's direction in our lives. You'll enjoy the journey as you receive clarity for the road ahead!"

Dave Rodriguez

"In improvisational comedy, 'no' is the fastest way to kill a scene. You have to keep saying yes to each other to keep the laughs flowing. Our faith acts in the same way, and Finding Your Yes helpfully gives you practical ways to keep saying yes to God—to keep your faith growing and flourishing."

James Choung

"Tender, authentic, and touching with so many diverse stories of saying yes in the face of hope and heartache, Christine Wagoner leads us with hospitality and warmth toward God's invitation for us all, using Scripture, stories, and prayer. Every person considering saying yes to God should read this book to find strength, comfort, and hope in discerning steps of faithful risk taking."

Sarah Shin

"This book is easy to say yes to. What an encouraging reminder that God has good works planned for us to do! Christine Wagoner offers a hopeful yet realistic word about listening and responding openly to the opportunities God puts in our path. They may be big or small. They may lead to success or disappointment. We may have doubts or courage. But through stories, Scripture, and hard-won wisdom, Wagoner shows how God can use it all."

Andrew T. Le Peau

"'Yes is not a destination. It is a doorway to more adventures,' writes Christine Wagoner in her inspiring book, Finding Your Yes. I've known Christine for many years, and as I read her book, I hear her voice—energetic and disarming. She drills down into our noes, what it might cost to say yes, and what it might cost if we don't! This book is a richly illustrated and truthful take on the circuitous path of following Jesus, of roads taken and not taken, and is seasoned with hope that 'as our yes grows, so do we.' You will love reading Finding Your Yes, and in the process, you just may find the courage to say your own, 'Yes!'"

Beth A. Booram

"Finding Your Yes gives a hopeful and realistic invitation to a journey toward your best self. Christine's personal story and the stories of others striving to live in a posture of saying yes are infectious and packed with joy-filled and unexpected turns. This little book, I believe, can unleash a new and practical way forward for many who feel stuck but want more out of life. I highly recommend it!"

R. York Moore