i read a good book the other week...i think it was especially enjoyable because the author is from Georgia and attended UGA and made references to things that are very much familiar. it was also enjoyable because it was full of Truth.
"let's all be brave" by Annie Downs
here are a few noteworthy, want to share, want to keep in a safe place quotes:
bravery begets bravery
little starts and brave moments dotted throughout have grown into this...
he just chose to be brave at every turn.
...ask Him what it looks like for you to live a life of courage today.
the moments of my greatest fears - those times when I was sure I was going to wimp out under the pressure of it all - have also been the open doors to the greatest changes in my life.
i don't fear failure because it doesn't define me. neither do my successes.
your muscles don't always determine what you can do. your heart does.
here's something i know: i shouldn't believe in me, at least not in the way i think i should. i've been me long enough to know that i am not someone to be believed in. i screw up. i hurt people's feelings i care too much about some things and not about others. i get lost. i am not perfect. and i don't want to pour out my hope or trust into someone as faulty as myself.
i believe in the me God made and in the me God can make.
God in me is where i can place my trust.
God believes in you, too. He believes in all the ways He made you unique. He believes in all the dreams bubbling up in your heart. He believes in your ability to take hold of the tiny ledge that is your next call to courage.
you are one of a kind, made on purpose, deeply loved and called to be courageous.
God was asking me to be braver than i had ever thought possible, and it was going to bring sadness to us all.
i never felt brave. i never had a moment of extreme courage or belief that this was going to be the best decision i had ever made. i just did the next thing...
do not be afraid to try and even be willing to fail.
the bravest among us do not stand alone
love given is courage gained
when i look back on my life, the greatest joy will be to talk about the times i was partnered with God in what He was already doing.
i don't wonder if it mattered. i know it mattered...our words always matter.
saying yes changes everything.
each yes lead to the next yes that led to today.
a little yes can be a step in the right direction, even if it isn't a leap.
i know what God can do, but even if He doesn't, I still won't worship idols. I will still worship the one true God. the boys (shadrach, meshach and abednego) didn't question God's character or strength. they didn't serve God because of what he did for them; they served God because he's God. they were brave because of who God is, not because of what He could do for them.
courage doesn't equal right; courage equals stepping out and trying. be brave and say yes. but also be brave and say no.
hold on to hope. that's the thing we can't stand to lose.
Hold. ON. Don't give up on life Don't give up on God. Don't give up on yourself.
the deeper call for courage comes when you let go with nothing ahead to grab.
...the days after, when you have to stand by what you know is right - that's when courage has to bubble out of you.
be brave enough to love the people around you, even if it looks like sacrifice and feels like loss.
Are you brave enough to find your place even if your place is right here?
...it means you may eat something weird every day....or it may be close to what you are used to but just a bit off - and that can be infuriating when you are homesick.
You are going to survive this friend. God has not forgotten you. Your life and your desires are important to God.
each step leads to the next, and before you know it, you are walking in a rhythm of courage.
...disciplined life leads to a brave life. we long to be brave in the big moments, in the clutch times, in the times when our backs are up against a wall. but to get there? it's everyday. it's the practice. it's the steps. it's the discipline.
discipline is the work done on the practice field so you are ready for the big game.
practicing and remembering God's faithfulness made me brave.
making the brave choice in our life is going to change the world. at the least, it will change your world. but i dare not limit what you are going to do on this planet, friend.
i pray peace for you, fellow traveler.
hold your map and the hand of your Father. and let's all be brave.
