courageous warrior

Good evening...or good afternoon if you're reading from, let's say, Australia (or should I say G'day). I have had the best couple of days--spiritually speaking. I mean, they've been full of normal work day things but I just cannot explain how refreshed and alive I feel in Spirit! And then, brace yourself, tonight I found out that one of the men that I've been working closely with to prepare the Perspectives course for Fort Collins not only helped edit the book for the class but KNOWS Dr. John Piper!!! Dr. Piper influenced me greatly and is largely responsible for my service in China after college--definitely a giant of the faith!

So, how have you been? How is 2012 treating you so far? I sure hope you're doing well and have enjoyed every day of this new year. I'm so very expectant about 2912, like never before. Last year I committed the year to trusting for more confidence...confidence in the Lord. Wow! The Lord allowed me to go through some pretty tough trials in order to grow me in this area. And, whereas I can say that I am much more confident now than I was a year ago...I still have a long ways to go. But I think that's how faith works. The more we see and taste God's goodness, the more we see our great need for his mercies every day. Keeps us humble and teachable.

My word for 2012 is courage, which might be similar to confidence, but really I think they go hand-in-hand. With confidence I was growing in my faith, allowing the Lord to work in my life. With courage I'm focusing on the doing part of faith. Now that I am more confident in the woman that the Lord has created me to be, with a better understanding of my giftings and talents, what am I going to do? How am I going to boldly serve Him? In the past I have so often found myself holding back due to fear, but this year I'm not letting fear have a place in my life.

Here are just 5 areas in which I'm going to practice courage:

• loving
• prayer
• ministering to women
• fighting injustice
• actively serving those in my community regularly

Phew! I can feel it! It's going to be a big year. Luckily, I serve a God who is bigger.

In which areas of your life would you like to be more courageous? 

Praying for you as I end this entry. You are lovely and more precious than gold or silver! xox