Today is a milestone.

I am planting the guidon in the ground – not forever, but for today – because we need to mark this day and all that God has done to bring us here. He is still working, but we put the standard here to remember what He has done to bring us to this place and the promise of what is to come.

Today PLANTING ROOTS celebrates one year of ministry. Looking back at the past year, seeing the possibilities of what can be, our only answer is – “Only God.”

What began as a whisper in my heart and the hearts of so many other ladies has come into real life and become more in one year than we could have ever dreamed. One year ago today, I wrote a blog post called “What if.” God had whispered three questions to my heart that caused me to dream:

1. “What if military women (both wives and those in uniform) came together to worship God and to grow in their Christian walk?”

2. “What if we connected with each other, then challenged and encouraged each other to follow God with our whole heart, wherever it was God had planted us?”

3. “What if we all found our stability in Christ, purpose in our place, and impacted a world for Christ?”

Three questions . . . but He hadn’t just asked me, He had asked many other ladies as well. Over the past year, God has brought a team of ladies, some I have yet to meet in person, together to encourage, connect, and challenge us to answer these very questions.

In the past year, God has increased our number from the ten ladies that were there when we kicked off on the first day, to twenty-one ladies plus a Board of Directors. He has supplied the funds necessary to build a website and host one live event, with another in a few weeks. He has brought an amazing team of folks together to create interactive, in-depth Bible studies as well as a prayer team and a worship team that you would not believe. He has built a social media team that continues to strive to bring relevant topics and on-the-spot encouragement in many venues. He has brought admin folks who know way more about keeping track of things and developing processes and plans for the dreams of our hearts.

He has created in us a bigger vision of what He can do through our obedience.

I will tell you when we started, and even many times in the past year, we have felt unqualified for the task ahead. We have not known the answers every time; sometimes we didn’t even know the right questions. What we do know, though, is that we serve a mighty and faithful God. He knows the questions and the answers. He knows the path ahead and the miracles yet to come. He knows what can be and what is and the connection between the two. He knows the impact military women can have in our world if we follow Him wholeheartedly wherever He plants us.

I’m in. I’m in for the long haul, wherever that takes us. I still don’t know all the answers or all the questions, but I do know Jesus.

His track record is faithful even through difficult times and I’m going to hang on.

Today as we plant the guidon, I’m asking you to join us. This doesn’t mean you have to be on the Planting Roots Staff (although you know I’d love to have you!). It means that you are in.

Will you join us as we build a community, encourage each other, and serve our Savior wherever He plants us? 

Do you realize the impact we could have on our world?

I am in.

Today, I will commit to pray for you – that you would be strengthened, encouraged, challenged, that you would see God tangibly at work around you, and that you would follow Him wholeheartedly wherever He leads. I would ask you to do the same for us. God is not finished with Planting Roots. He is not finished with me. And He is not finished with you.

Stick your guidon in the ground, ladies, remember what He has done, and declare your faithfulness as you keep going. I’m in. Are you?

Join us in our birthday celebration on all our social media outlets this week and for our first broadcasts via our new outlet Periscope. Only God.

Kori Yates loves adventure and her ongoing stint as an Army wife has given her just that. Desiring to bring together Christian military women and impact a globe for Christ, she has helped launch Planting Roots. Through events live and online, their prayer is for revival among military women. Kori is also an author (Olive Drab Pom-Poms) and speaker, as well as a homeschooling mom of two amazing kids and wife to one awesome Soldier.