why when my heart, head and soul are screaming NO! i open my mouth a yes comes out? (aka nywc gs2- Doug Fields)

so general session 2- a little 4th ave jones (i like their sound but you just can't understand the words in this setting) with lots of energy and the cutest little dude with a fro-hawk.....ted and lee took us on a journey to the last supper (one of my favorite skits of theirs)....an awesome story of the glimpse of HOPE in the aftermath of hurricane katrina through the eyes of a youth pastor and his wife......
now enters doug fields-
i got the chance to hear him speak at the pitts convention and he gave the same message here- only difference this time was that i was able just to listen and take notes vs interpreting the message for someone else....
highlights from his talk: (little disclaimer-these notes come from his mouth into my strange mind out my hand onto paper...so in no way do i claim these are EXACT quotes! haha)
really after doug said this "We need to ask ourselves: How do i say no so i can slow down and hear God say yes?" he could have sat down and given us the rest of the 40 min to ask ourselves this question and just be still to listen to God....he didn't do that of course (and shared lots of great stuff that i will get to in a min but....) this question is on the front of my mind and one i am really ready to sit down and honestly answer and then find someone to help hold me accountable to what God says to me during that time....
we were challenged to learn from past...watch for warning lights....and to stay focused so we can avoid our own "train crash".....he talked to us about what he sees as the "heart-break" of youth ministry (the sickness of saying yes to everything because we are scared to say no and that not saying no trickels down to every part of our lives and leaves us feeling empty, sick and alone) his last main point was also one that i plan on holding onto and chewing on for a while..."Hurry is the enemy of depth- mile long yet an inch deep....we try to be everything to everybody and we end up nobody to everyone." pretty hard truth...yet truth....good stuff to think on....
other then that the convention is going great. when we shut down the registration area today we were over 90% checked in (awesome) and i was off to hang with some friends. i had the chance to attend the women in ministry dinner (odd to eat in rows and not tables...but oh well) and i will say what karla had to say was the most impactful to me- what an amazing example of love and grace-i love her 'realness'....
as usual it has been freaking awesome how God allows me to run into friends from the past.....come on ..... in a sea of 7500 faces that i could run into a ministry partner from my walla walla days and a friend from my high school days in the rocky mt. conference all in the same day are unbelievable....THANK YOU! what a gift of sweetness!
with that as it is coming on 130am i am off to find some zzzz's so i can do ole in the morning before gs3...so i will close with this
-Jesus-
thank you for the sweet embrace of your love and grace of this day. may our worship of you in this place as we talk with others....eat with others...make eye contact with a stranger....talk to those around us....pray....and sing our songs be as sweet to your heart as your love is to our souls.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz