All relationships can be difficult at times, but they should not be destructive to our well-being. Learn the difference between a destructive pattern and a difficult season with this free resource, “Is This Normal? 15 Red Flags You May Be Missing in Your Relationships.”

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If You’re Living With the Stress of an Overwhelmed Schedule…

August 1, 2014

Do you ever feel a little worn down and a lot worn out? Is your schedule dictated by the requests and endless demands that rush at you each day? When more requests come, do you ever dread saying yes but feel powerless to say no?

Me too.

I’m so tired of living in a constant state of disappointment. I’m disappointed in myself for saying yes to too many things. I’m disappointed in my attitude when my schedule gets stressful and the worst version of me is on display.

And even when I’m brave and make adjustments to my schedule, I get stressed over disappointing others and then living with the guilt of saying no.

Something has to change. This isn’t just about adjusting my schedule. It’s deeper than that. I need a change for the sake of my soul.

After all, when a woman lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule, she will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.

overwhelmedschedule

If we want things about our lives to change, we have to change the way we use the two most powerful words: yes and no.

That’s why I wrote my new book, The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands. To help us make better decisions and to get more intentional with the time God has given us.

So I want to kick off the release of this book by giving you access to a FREE event packed with teaching you won’t want to miss!

When: August 12th at 6:30pm EST

Where: Right from the comfort of your home, you can join in by logging on right here at LysaTerKeurst.com. Enter your information in the form below so we can send you a reminder email on August 12th.

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(If you are near Charlotte, NC and want to attend in person, click here to reserve your spot. Please note the doors open at 5:30pm and the live event starts at 6:15pm EST.)

Who: For you and all your friends. You bring the snacks and the computer, I’ll bring the message!

Want to know something really fun? If you register at one of the links above you’ll be entered for some wonderful giveaways being announced the night of the webcast.

And although The Best Yes doesn’t release until August 12th, you can pre-order today and get $50 of free gifts, including the audio book! Click here to get your copy.

Thank you, friend! It’s so good to have you by my side as we seek Biblical truth in our pursuit of the Best Yes answers for our lives.

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45 Comments
  1. Shelly Wildman

    Oh Lysa, I absolutely love how you can reach me right where I am. After a near breakdown this spring, caused by having way too much to do, I have spent the summer thinking and praying through my commitments, asking God what I need to keep and what I need to strip away. Some pretty significant changes will need to be made in my life, but it will take some time–like a year–to really begin to reorient my life and quiet things down. The funny thing was, this hit me so fast. I was living with all of this stress, doing things I probably shouldn’t be doing and not doing the things I should be doing, and I didn’t even realize how awful it was until one day I just broke down. I’m thankful for a husband who was willing to listen and to really hear me and who is willing to help me make changes I desperately need to make.

    Reply
    • Nico Smith

      I am not always trying to do absolutely everything to please others. I know that I can only do so much in a single day. Ultimately, my time is usally spent in the
      company of… my wonderful husband, even responding to daily devotions on http://www.incourage.me and http://www.proverbs31.org. nothing could be better than begin-ning ech day on a positive note.
      “Do you ever feel a little worn down and a lot worn out? Is your schedule dictated by the requests and endless demands that rush at you each day? When more
      requests come, do you ever dread saying yes but feel powerless to say no?

      Me too.

      I’m so tired of living in a constant state of disappointment. I’m disappointed in
      myself for saying yes to too many things. I’m disappointed in my attitude when my schedule gets stressful and the worst version of me is on display.

      And even when I’m brave and make adjustments to my schedule, I get stressed over disappointing others and then living with the guilt of saying no.

      Something has to change. This isn’t just about adjusting my schedule. It’s deeper than that. I need a change for the sake of my soul.

      After all, when a woman lives with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule, she will often ache with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul.

      If we want things about our lives to change, we have to change the way we use the two most powerful words: yes and no.

      That’s why I wrote my new book, The Best Yes: Making Wise Decisions in the Midst of Endless Demands. To help us make better decisions and to get more intentional with the time God has given us. “~Lysa TerKeurst
      Wow! What a wonderful reminder! We have to get better at saying yes and no to what other people may be asking of us at all times. No matter just how difficult it may be. It needs to be done. People may nderstand why we may be turning down their request for help if they are good Christians like we are. On the other hand, we may encounter people who don’t fully understand where we’re coming from.
      “A WOMAN WHO lives with the stress of an OVERWHELMED SCHEDULE will often ache with the stress of an NDERWHELMED SOUL.”
      Wow! How so powerful this is! If you have an endlessly busy life with a lot of de-mands, you probably will feel like something is missing. Being so busy, yo probably won’t find time for God. Nevertheless, finding time for God will cause you to have jst the right amount of balance in your life-between what yo have on your to-do list and what God wants yo to do.
      See More

      Reply
    • Maria Ragle

      Oh goodness, I can so own this! Thank you for putting into words what I have never been able to completely get together in my mind! I’ve spent most of the summer trying to figure out if not teaching (which I love) this school year was the right move to make! I cried all last school year, had severe headaches, was a major nervous and depressed wreck, and my health suffered so much that both my doctor, who is a longtime family friend, and my loving, caring husband, who watched me die daily because I felt I was failing my students, begged and begged me to take a year off!!

      I know now that God was sending me messages along the way, but I couldn’t seem to get the message! Then in May, He finally just hit me over the head with enough force to say, “Maria, you are killing yourself, but you are also killing your family as they watch you do this, and I’ve gad enough! You need to listen!”

      I have concluded that God is putting me where He wants me but, as I said earlier, the summer has been heavy in my heart! My faith has waned and as school starts back again this month, I am looking hard to remember that God is putting me where He wants me to be! My husband is disabled, but still able to do so much for me, making the lack of money situation harder. We have been truly blessed and I am not afraid to cut back, I just am quite lost right now! Many of the things that I am reading here are exactly what I am feeling and the answers to the same questions I am so desperate looking for!

      Reply
  2. Denise Luckovich

    Hello Lysa, I would like to sign up for your event on August 12 but the time is difficult for me due to my job.
    Will you be able to have a play back opportunity to hear it again if I still sign up?
    Thank you Denise

    Reply
  3. Denise Riddle

    Hi Lysa,

    I’ll confess, I was un-impressed after reading 1st chapter. So much so I left the in the loop group. Your social media blurps have spoken to me so much. I think God needed me “not to belong” to reach me. Through your short truths I know this will be a book God places in my hands at His perfect timing. When Women Say Yes to God is continuing to transform my life…. to say Yes to God …..for Me….. and my Family’s legacy. I pray for your ministry because you are reaching us women when we need it and when God places you in our midst. God bless and I can’t wait for God’s nudge for me to enjoy your next amazing Jesus transformation! ……furthering my journey with God!!

    Reply
  4. Laura

    Excited to hear you! I hear you in my head when I read your books and most every blog I relate to. In fact I wonder if I’m being followed you resinate with my life and my thoughts so much.
    I appreciate your words so much!

    Reply
  5. Yvonne Windell

    Would like to join! Definitely me!

    Reply
  6. Jana Koth

    Looking forward to this!

    Reply
  7. Missy

    So excited for the opportunity to attend the live event! Will share with my Bible study ladies too:)

    Reply
  8. Becky

    Eeeek!!! Can’t wait!

    Reply
  9. Vicki Hampton

    Wow .. I sure would love to hear you in person maybe one day but the internet will be wonderful too! Thank you for your encouraging words always!

    Reply
  10. Michelle Rapaglia

    I look forward to hearing/seeing this webcast from my home. I am a mom and have a crazy schedule…most of the time….and a very active 5 year old. I am having surgery on Monday the 11th…outpatient on my left knee….so I will be nice and comfy on my chaise lounge while my son is at vacation bible school.

    You are an amazing group of ladies and am so glad that I found your website!

    Reply
  11. Jen

    Looking forward to Aug. 12th and I’ll be there in person and am bringing a friend 🙂 Was there during the brainstorming for the book and can’t wait to celebrate it with you all! Love & blessings. See you in a week!

    Jen

    Reply
  12. Michelle

    Dear Lysa, I just finished reading “Unglued” and I wanted to let you know that it has been such a blessing to me! I have struggled with these issues for my entire life, and have always prayed about it (and continue to run back to the cross time and time again when I fall short, but now I feel like I have a tool to use. I took your plan on p. 117 and made it my own. I have memorized the steps I will use. I have not had to totally stop and use the steps in order to avoid a “melt-down” yet but I have felt stressed a few times and immediately started with “I am a child of God” which totally got me to focus on the calming process instead of my circumstances. What a blessing it has been to look at something that is about to stress me out and instead focus on the gratitude of having those kids who are so close to each other that they just can’t help but try to play with each other during church! Tonight at bedtime, which was getting stressful because it was getting late I chose to be thankful that all the kids were listening to the bedtime story (even the 12 year old!) and we ended up laughing over him trying to raise one eyebrow and making the funniest faces. Too much detail, I know, but I have been teaching my kids for years that when we are obedient to God, we are in a position to receive the blessings He already has planned for us. If I had been disobedient and started fussing at kids because of the late hour, I would have missed the precious moment of making faces with my son who is growing up so fast. I now have that memory to cherish! Thank you!

    Reply
  13. Patricia Toney

    I look forward to this event from my home…I am excited!

    Reply
  14. Beth Anderson

    Can’t wait! This is going to be fun. Driving in to Charlotte from Asheville!

    Reply
  15. Leah DiPascal

    Lysa, I’m so excited about the Best Yes webcast and can’t wait to see you next week! Until then, know that I’m praying for you every day! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Renee Mosel-Chapman

    I am really looking forward to this free webcast. God bless you Lysa for your servant’s heart!

    Reply
  17. Kelly Smith

    Have a wonderful blessed time! And don’t get too overwhelmed!LOL 😉 Ty for all u do for us Jesus girls, Someday I need to send you the story of how I started following you about 14 years ago? When you had a small blog called proverbs 31… Then, I ended up in church study and in different groups or reading a book, and they just happen to have to do with you and it hasn’t been on purpose… that you weave in and out of my life but when I look back & put the puzzle together, it’s just been amazing. And I wound up here in Made To Crave and it all came together that you’ve been bouncing in and out of my life. And I thank you for the impression you’ve been leaving on me. I’ve stuck in my group since that book, and a lot of points you made changed my views and life. And they stuck. Oh BTW I had already been losing about 10 lbs a mon when I joined the study, was about 100 lbs down, but I joined b/c I craved more God, & now with my head full of new thoughts and the action plan modified, I’ve lost A LOT more weight, 40 lbs dropped out of nowhere and I love fish, I don’t even like the idea of red meat 🙂

    Well, that’s a little update, but what a testimony I could give for the 14 yrs of coincidences! LOL I’m excited for your book release, and pray for your needs during what I can only imagine is a high stress time.

    Blessings,
    KellyS91709

    Reply
  18. Leslie Jones

    Loved the Made to Crave. Looking forward to this.

    Reply
  19. char

    Thank you for your wisdom

    Reply
  20. Dawn

    I am really excited to see how God will use this webcast and The Best Yes book in my life!! Do we need to be present at the start of the webcast or can we watch it at a later date?

    Reply
  21. Suzette Coetzee

    Would love to here more. Thanks

    Reply
  22. Melvin Bowling

    Greetings Lysa, I want to thank you for writing this article. It went straight to the very soul of where I live. I minister weekly in a small country church and I volunteer at our local hospital. Many times, wherever and whenever it is that a job needs to be done and people are needed to fill these jobs, I find myself feeling guilty if I keep quiet and don’t offer to take a position. So, onto what is already a very busy schedule, I pile on one more thing and hope somewhere in the day or another day I will be able to do what I’ve committed to. And then there are the necessary everyday things, the ordinary everyday things in life’s schedule that have to be done. I’ve often told my Wife that on some days I am so tired that even my soul is tired. So, I know how many people feel who have already experienced this. I feel that to all of us who have gone through this, we need to pray for one another and somehow learn to say no to that which will add to the load we already carry. And I will, without doubt, be purchasing a copy of “The Best Yes” and possibly more than one to share with people I know who need this healing to come to their lives. Thank you again Lysa for this article and thank you in advance for writing “The Best Yes”. God’s blessings both now and always.

    Reply
  23. lisa McCormick

    After this weekend I have heard from God and he is delivering my prayers and I have to.say thank you so much for your heart in this,and I will do what God tell s me. I say yes,the best to come .

    Reply
  24. Cyndy Gatewood

    I’ll be there in person! I can’t wait and I hope to meet you!

    Reply
  25. jamie

    I would live to read this book! The bible verses are something I will be printing and marking to point out to my kids.

    Reply
  26. Rosemary

    Dear Lysa,
    So many of your writings have deeply resonated within my soul lately. Tonight for example I snapped at my son because I was in a hurry to mop the kitchen floor and he kept interrupting me. I have such a short fuse lately and it’s because I take on so much at home and at work. I know I need to make better decisions and learn yo say no. I’m blessed that my sons and husband have forgiving hearts. God Bless You! Although our paths may never cross, I appreciate you and your Godly gifts.

    Reply
  27. sara chambers

    I’m in Alaska and at work at 2:30pm. Will it be available offline?

    Reply
  28. Karen R.

    Thank you for using God’s gift to touch other women!! I cannot wait to hear what you have to say!!

    Reply
  29. Vickie P

    Lysa, I want to have this conversation with my 8 year old granddaughter. She takes on life with open arms and embraces it totally. As a result her little heart gets stomped on a lot by those around her. She is so tenderhearted. A conversation like this with her, because of her young age would be so beneficial.
    Thanks for writing this book! I can’t wait to read the whole thing.
    Vickie

    Reply
  30. Debbie

    Thanks so much for your ongoing encouragement for our souls! I appreciate your wisdom, vulnerability, humor and courage.

    Reply
  31. Mary Kaiser

    I just had to “say no” to a friend myself yesterday. I find I am having to do this more often as a result of another additional health issue. I am managing to do this only through “The grace of God”. He alone can tell me when to slow down, say no, in an appropriate but loving manner and not worry what others think of me.

    I have had realize that I only cause myself, my spouse and others more problems when I am not honest and say what I need to say. I cannot remember where, another issue, lack of memory more and more. but dealing with that too. But know that somewhere it says in the Bible:” Let your yes be yes and your no be no”. God is giving me the wisdom I need to take better care of my health both mentally and spiritually. No more quilt. I am just being honest and realistic.

    God is so good to us in all circumstances in our life. I praise Him for His constant wisdom and guidance in my life. Don’t be afraid to pray and then follow what He tells you to do. He will take care of the rest. After all, He is the one in charge of everything in our lives. Love to all, In His precious name, Mary

    Reply
  32. Katie A

    Will this be available to view after today? I have a commitment at the same time as the simulcast. I don’t want to miss seeing it!

    Reply
  33. Sarah

    I am from the uk. Can anyone tell me if I can still watch and if so what time will it be? Thanks x

    Reply
  34. Sue Osborne

    Love your writing…..it’s like your talking to me in the room not just on pages of a book…Thanks:)

    Reply
  35. Mariah Badura

    Oh, how I wish this was after 9pm so I could hear it!!

    Reply
  36. Vanessa Stephens

    Lysa my book came in the mail yesterday and I’m coming tonight. I too was at the in the loop brain storming for this book so I feel somewhat of personal connection. This book is already speaking to my Getting Intentional ministry God has given me to teach others. I’m so excited Lysa and sharing like crazy with other women!!
    Love
    Vanessa

    Reply
  37. Jana Johnson

    Looking forward to the web cast

    Reply
  38. Lisa Lockley

    I just read this out loud at the dinner table to our children! I love this! ! We have my niece living with us because my sister is struggling with addiction she is also seven months pregnant. Our hands and hearts are heavy but we have the Lord and great women of the Lord with great teachings for stressed out Mommas. I thank you
    I will buy this even if i don’t win. Love In Christ-LisaL

    Reply
  39. PearJewellery.com

    At this moment I am going away to do my breakfast, once having
    my breakfast coming again to read further news.

    Reply
  40. Lanetta Gobble

    Love this!!! Registered got the online bible study!!!

    Reply
  41. Roanna Davis

    Lysa, My Wed nt. ladies Bible class is doing this study right now and I was wondering if you had a link to a print out of the schedule on pgs 34 – 35 of the study guide. We keep trying to rework our schedule to make it better! Or, would it be possible to reprint only for the 12 ladies in our current class? Thanks a million! Your Sister, Roanna

    Reply
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