Just say Yes to God’s invitations… and Bob Goff’s too

I’m not exactly sure how I ended up at Bob Goff’s house loving life with complete strangers in his San Diego backyard. I’m pretty sure the other 59 people alongside me would tell you the same thing. I can only give the glory to God for inviting me.

Are you familiar with Bob Goff? If not, you might want to get to know him. I adore everything he and his wife sweet Maria are about- loving others extravagantly all of the time. Bob’s laugh and his heart of gold is contagious. He is amazingly crazy and inspiring to the core. Want to know how you can love more like Jesus? Get to know this man!

If you haven’t read Bob’s book Love Does, get on it as his next book is already underway! I heard Bob speak in person at Storyline Conference, which led me to follow him on social media. One day I saw his quick invitation to join him at his first ever Living Room event at his home in California. I knew that invitation was meant for me. I applied and God awarded me a spot.

Loved that one of the dears I met here gave me my first Giving Key!

It’s never easy to head to an event where you know no one or don’t have an exact understanding why you are even going. Meeting new likeminded, heartfelt, authentic people of all walks of life fills me up, so I’m willing to put myself in situations to meet them. All I knew was that if Bob and Jesus were involved, then I was in!

Sometimes we just need to say YES to God’s invitations.

At the morning session of the Living Room, I sat down next to a new friend, Amanda, from Seattle. She was sweet and young with a refreshing spirit and charismatic smile. We instantly hit it off. At the break we were talking about what inspires us and what our next step in life was. She spoke of her upcoming marriage and her mission work in Africa and I chatted about my calling to adopt from the foster care system (this is a whole other post friends) and talked about my journey to this point. She then said, did you meet the couple from Phoenix who is here that just adopted a 16 year old boy out of foster care? You’re kidding, right? She promptly walked me over and introduced me to a couple who lives 15 minutes away from me and is doing exactly what I feel our family has been called to as well.

That can only be God. 

Another divine appointment while in San Diego was getting together with Author Arlene Pellicane. I was a part of Arlene’s launch team for her book Growing Up Social (my review is here) and she inspires me as a Christian mother and wife. I recently entered a book giveaway on her blog and Arlene emailed to tell me that I was the winner of the new book, Triggers. Super exciting, as it was a book that a friend recommended to me after I wrote my post on my word for 2016– Gentle. Yes, I am working on being more gentle in my responses to my family.

I graciously responded to Arlene and told her that I was actually in her neck of the woods- San Diego. We made time to meet up in person for some coffee and conversation. As an author of three books of her own, she poured into me with wisdom on publishing my book that I am currently writing, Raising Kids Without Regret. I already felt like we were friends before we actually met face to face, but now we are officially connected.

This could only be God. 

Arlene then connected me with an NFL wife in California with a big heart for the Lord. Who knows what we are meant to conquer together, but I know that this new connection once again isn’t coincidental. The ripple effect goes on and on when we trust and jump out in faith in meeting new people.

It’s not easy to say yes to a random invitation with no details. It can be tough to take time away from our family routine to focus on our own personal journey. Jump in and say yes to things you’re called to and God will make sure that life never gets stale.

Perhaps you’re being called to go to Bob’s next Living Room in May at Disneyland? It will be bigger and different, but knowing Bob it will be just as significantly awesome!

A big thanks to the Goff family and the entire Love Does team for loving on us during the Living Room event. It was an amazing couple of days that I am so grateful to have been a part of.