The Courage of Everyday Heroes | A Guest Post from Joan Campbell

By Joan Campbell @JoanCam1

As a fantasy writer, I’ve created my fair share of epic heroes. 

Generally, these characters are good with swords, bows, arrows—anything sharp, in fact. They’re faster, smarter and deadlier than the bad guys. They laugh in the face of danger and seem to have no fear. Courage should be their middle name (note to self for next book). These are the guys and girls who outwit, outplay and outlast, and if they don’t outlast it’s because they’ve heroically sacrificed themselves for another.

As much as we love these stereotypical heroes, I believe they do a disservice to the words ‘hero’ and ‘courage’.

Take a moment to consider this: who is the most courageous person you know?

It doesn’t take me long to cast my eyes around and find the true heroes in my life. My niece, battling major depression, who gets up every morning to take care of her little Pekinese and has just enrolled herself in a draftsman course. The man with a speech impediment who stands up to speak at Toastmasters. My daughter, on the Autism Spectrum, taking the first steps at independent living this year.

My list could go on.

• Women struggling to raise their children alone after their husband walked out on them.
• People fighting life-threatening illnesses with dignity.
• Grieving parents.
• Missionaries following a call on their lives to pack up and go to distant places.

These people are not laughing in the face of danger. They’re not always smarter or faster or stronger than their neighbour. They have plenty of fear, and wouldn’t call themselves courageous. But that is precisely what they are.

My country’s most courageous hero once said, “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” (Nelson Mandela)

Each of us needs courage to get through the specific challenges we face. 

On my own journey as a Christian writer, I’m starting to realise that this is the one quality I need in abundance. It’s not always easy sitting in front of a flickering blank screen and starting to type. Fear creeps in. What if no-one likes this? What if I begin but then grind to a halt? Perhaps I don’t have what it takes to be a writer.

If you manage to conquer those fears and actually produce a manuscript, a whole new set of fears kick in. Literary agents give you the brush off and rejection letters from publishers start to pile up. It’s difficult to keep writing when everything seems to tell you to give up. It’s very easy for discouragement to set in.

Dis-COURAGE-ment. Have you ever noticed the word courage in the centre of that? 

Discouragement steals away our courage. It lets fear take hold of us and dictate our feelings and actions. Discouragement is not easy to shake, but shake it we must. Even if it’s taking just one small step forward. I’m not sure what that small step is for you. Perhaps:

• Getting dressed and putting on some make-up.
• Making a call you’ve been dreading to make.
• Writing a paragraph of your story.
• Sending off your CV to a company, or your manuscript to a publisher.

Others might not recognise the bravery in that single step, but take it nevertheless.

And be en-COURAGE-ed. I applaud you for taking the step. Well done, Brave One - you did well today!

We’d love to hear and celebrate your stories of courage and small steps. Please share them in the comments below.

About Joan Campbell

Joan Campbell is a contributing devotional writer for The Upper Room and Scripture Union. Her first book Encounters: Life Changing Moments with Jesus is a collection of short stories, reflections, prayers and art. She particularly loves writing engaging fiction with the underlying message of God’s grace.

Her fantasy trilogy The Poison Tree Path Chronicles, published by Enclave Publishing, consists of Chains of Gwyndorr (winner of the 2017 Illumination Award), Heirs of Tirragyl and Guardian of Ajalon (releasing 11 September 2018). She and her husband Roy live in Johannesburg, South Africa, about an hour away from Pretoria, where their two daughters study.

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Speak When Asked

Keona Tann | @ICFWriters

Cross posted at https://australasianchristianwriters.blogspot.com/

I remember when I was first asked to give a talk about tithes and offerings at church, I REALLY didn’t want to do it. At the mere thought of public speaking I broke out in a nervous sweat and my mouth completely dried up. I initially said ‘no’, but I was asked to pray about it. A few days later I was vacuuming at church and as I prayed about it God directed me to read the story of Moses and the burning bush, found in Exodus‬ ‭3. ‬‬

Sweet Publishing/FreeBibleimages.org

Moses was out looking after his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness and came to Horeb (also known as Sinai), the mountain of God. “There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” (Verses 2 - 4 NIV).
God asks Moses to take off his sandals for the place he’s standing on is holy ground. God then confirms who Moses is speaking to: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.” (Verse 6)

God continues speaking and declares that He has seen the misery of His people in Egypt and heard them crying out in their suffering. God declares that He wants to bring them out of Egypt and take them into the promise land – a land that is good, spacious, and a place where milk and honey flows freely. Then God unfolds the plan and informs Moses that he is being sent to tell Pharaoh to let God’s people go free. But Moses starts a debate with God:

Moses: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” (v11)
God: “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” (v12)

Moses: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” (v13)
God: “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (v14)

The conversation continues with God detailing instruction after instruction. Then we come to the part that I felt God was saying was for me to really listen to:
“But Moses pleaded with the Lord, “O Lord, I’m not very good with words. I never have been, and I’m not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled.” Then the Lord asked Moses, “Who makes a person’s mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say.”” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭4:10-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

As I read through that story I felt God say 3 very distinct things:
• Speak when asked - God has given me a mouth so I need to speak what He tells me to say.
• Trust Him to give me the message - He promised to give me the words.
• Speak His message with courage - I needed to step out in faith and speak.

As you can imagine it wasn’t the answer I was hoping for. I hoped God would see my inability and say: ‘don’t worry I know you’re unqualified so just let them know you can’t give the offering talk’. But He doesn’t think that and He doesn’t say that to us. Instead God declares that where we are weak He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-11).

As look to 2018 I believe that I will have opportunities to speak, I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be speaking about, but I do know that I’ll need to go back to the 3 points God gave me over a decade ago:
• Speak when asked
• Trust God to give me the message
• Speak His message with courage

I pray that today you will be encouraged to speak when asked. I believe that each person is given a testimony that needs to be shared to encourage and build up the people around them.
If not you, then who?
If not now, then when?
You’ve been given a message to share, your audience may be small or large, whatever the size be bold. Take a courageous step forward in faith. I hope that when the opportunity presents itself, whatever format it is, that you will trust God to give you the message and the courage to speak it boldly!

Many blessings, Keona

For most of my life I struggled with sickness. The 2 dominant afflictions were endometriosis (for 28 years) and adrenal fatigue (I was severely debilitated for 28 months and the recovery has been a journey of 11 months so far). In September 2016 God declared healing over my life. This set me on a path of restoration and transformation. My passion for writing was reignighted and I wrote the following mission statement: I desire to impact the world through the words I share. I long to enrich, empower and encourage others whilst delivering my stories with empathy and understanding. “He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭40:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I've started a weekly blog which you can find at: https://keonajtann.wordpress.com/ I'm currently working on my testimony as well as my journey with endometriosis and adrenal fatigue. I hope that I'll launch my first book soon.

DEVOTIONAL: Going boldly to the Throne

By Leila Halawe 

One of my favorite books in the Bible is the book of Ruth. we all know the story; Ruth loses her husband and needs to make a choice between staying with her mother-in-law, Naomi, or walking away like her sister-in-law and starting a new life. Ruth decides to stay with her mother-in-law and journeys back with Naomi to her homeland of Bethlehem where she meets Boaz and gets married and starts her happily ever after. It's a beautiful story of loyalty and love but the more I read it, the more I see it's a story of courage. Specifically, Ruth's courage to step out in faith. 

After being back in Bethlehem for a while, Naomi comes up with a plan to get Ruth married to Boaz. She instructs her make it known to him that she is available for marriage by going Boaz while he sleeping and lay herself at his feet. Literally. I don't know about you but the thought of walking up to a man and laying at his feet to let him know that I am available for marriage doesn't sit that well with me. It's the equivalent of going up to a long distant relative and letting them know in no uncertain terms that you are available for marriage and that you want them to marry you. Yet, that is exactly what Ruth did. 

I would imagine there was some hesitation on Ruth’s part at going to Boaz and making her intentions knows, especially as there had been no real relationship between the two of them. She was putting herself out there not knowing if Boaz would actually redeem her. She was putting her reputation, her self-respect and heart on the line by laying at his feet because the truth is that he could very well have rejected her. They assumed he was a decent man based on his reputation and what they had seen of him, but really, they couldn't have been sure they would get the outcome they wanted. Ruth had no guarantee that he would step up and redeem her, so she was really taking a really bold step of faith by going to him. That level of boldness takes courage. A lot of courage. But the more we read about the Ruth, the more courage we see, and we really see it in chapter 3, when Boaz wakes up to find her at his feet, 

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she said. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a guardian-redeemer of our family.” (Ruth 3:9)

Not only does Ruth lay herself at his feet and wait patiently for him to wake up and find her, when asked, she tells him exactly what she needs and wants. Her actions, both spoken and unspoken, were a way of saying, 'I need protection and coverage. I need provision and you can provide that, so please provide it.' Personally, I struggle to ask for help when I need it, yet we see Ruth put aside all fear and pride and nerves to speak out what she needs. Ruth sets a great example of being bold and taking a leap of faith. She took her requests to the one that she believed could redeem her and provide for her. She lay at his feet and poured out her requests. She didn’t hold back or side step what she really wanted; she was bold and spoke out exactly what it is that she wanted. Fearlessly. Courageously. And we can do the same today.

Recognising our need for provision and protection takes courage. Speaking it out takes more courage. We are taught to ‘put on a brave face.’ To not show weakness. We live in a world where meekness is seen as weakness yet, it takes a lot of courage to search your own heart and uncover what you really want and need, then to go and ask for it. Like Ruth, we have a Redeemer that can and will provide for us but the difference is that we know our Redeemer will answer our call. We know he will answer our prayer because we have a Savior that invites us to share our heart with Him. He tore the veil so that we would have complete access to Him and freely go to His Throne and pour out our heart.  

Will He always answer with a ‘yes’? No, He won’t, but sometimes the best yes we can get is a no. And just because we have no guarantee that He will give us exactly what we want, it doesn’t mean we can’t ask. It doesn’t mean that we can’t dream big and dream of being world changers and light bearers for His Kingdom. Our Redeemer is the King of Kings and the Lord of the impossible, so nothing we ask is too hard for Him. He knows what is best for us, so we can be confident that His provision will far exceed anything we can possible imagine.  

Today, can I encourage us to be dreamers. Can I encourage us to be people that think big and dream bigger. And can I encourage us to boldly step up to His Throne, lay at His feet and ask for what it is our heart desires; big or small, crazy or impossible, let us go to Him knowing that the One that redeemed us by His blood has His arms wide open waiting to embrace us. 

Leila (Lays) Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer and blogger. She has published a short devotional, Love By Devotion, and shares her views on life and faith via her blog page Looking In. You can connect with her via Facebook at Leila Halawe Author and via Twitter at Leila Halawe.

Too nice to be a writer?

I’m a nice person. I’m kind to older people. Babies and children have a soft spot in my heart and I regularly sneak into pet shops to ooo and aaaah over puppies and kittens. So when it comes to being mean to my characters? I find it hard.

And yet, sweet and kind, a bestseller does not make! 

So what do we writers do? We weave a giant character flaw into the make-up of our protagonist. Then we line up the challenges… each more wicked than the one before... all aimed at that tender spot. Stack up the odds, make the goal more than impossible. We pluck their heartstrings like a mournful violin because that is what keeps our book glued into the reader’s hands and carves our words onto their hearts.

Have you ever wondered why that formula works?

I think…

• We as humans take courage in the courage of others. It feeds that place in us that says – get up, keep moving, you can do this! Whatever your 'this' may be… proposing to your beloved, picking up dog poo on the lawn, facing another round of chemo.

• Seeing someone overcome their fears makes us brave.

• A well-constructed fictional character comes alive inside the reader. Who wouldn’t want to see your friend overcome?

So nice writers dig deep and get mean because in our heart of hearts we know that our protagonist has it inside to rise to the challenge, to overcome, to grow! Why? Because we made them that way. Much like God made us.

How about you? Do your character’s troubles get you in a knot, or do you rub your hands gleefully with every added landmine?

Dianne J. Wilson writes novels from her hometown in East London, South Africa, where she lives with her husband and three daughters. She has just signed a three book contract for a YA series, Spirit Walker, with Pelican / Watershed.

Finding Mia is available from Amazon, Pelican / Harbourlight, Barnes & Noble and other bookstores.

Shackles is available as a free ebook from Amazon & Smashwords.

Find her on Facebook, Twitter and her sporadic blog Doodles.

Abused But Not Forgotten by God

Thelma Wells has written many books to encourage women. Yet this courageous woman began life with the name on her birth certificate reading simply: Baby Girl Morris.

Her mother was a severely deformed teenager with no husband and no place to go, since her own abusive mother insisted that she take the baby and leave the house. So when the baby was born, her unwed teenage mother found work as a maid cleaning while living with her baby daughter in servants’ quarters. Eventually, the baby went to live with her great-grandparents, who called her Thelma Louise Smith and loved her dearly. They took little Thelma to church, where she learned to love the hymns and praise songs.

On those occasions when Thelma was taken to her grandparents’ home, her grandmother abused her, just as she had tormented Thelma’s mother. She was locked in a dark, smelly, insect-infested closet until just before her grandfather came home when her grandmother would bring her out of the closet, clean her up, and act as if all was well. 

In spite of her deep fear, little Thelma spent her time in the closet singing every hymn and praise song she could remember. She would sing herself to sleep in that closet, and the Lord received this little girl’s innocent praise and rewarded it with an abundant life of joy, protecting her from feelings of anger or bitterness.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of North Texas and eventually received a Master’s of Ministry from Master’s International School of Divinity in Evansville, Indiana. In 2002 she became the school’s first black female professor. In 1980 Thelma became the first black woman in the South to organize her own international speaking and consulting corporation. She has authored several books, including God Is Not Through With Me Yet, an inspiring examination of her own life experiences in which she encourages readers to “sing in the closets of their lives.” 

She serves as the president of The Daughters of Zion Leadership Mentoring Program, an organization she founded in 2000 (another first for a black woman). Through this ministry, “Mama T,” as she is affectionately called, has mentored over 100 spiritual daughters. Visit Thelma’s website to see her books at www.thelmawells.com

 Rita Stella Galieh is enjoying the challenges and rewards of Independent Publishing.

 The 2nd edition of her Victoriana Trilogy has seen her dream realized. As an art student at her convict built college, she wondered about its history.

Research revealed the famous actress, Sarah Bernhardt had visited there. One of the jailors joked about the local cat, meaning of course, the cruel cat 'o nine tails.

The Bloody Code was an all encompassing method of punishment for any offense deemed illegal. Often people were sent to the gallows or faced transportation to England's brutal  prisons in The Southern hemisphere.  Tracing the life of one innocent woman, on whom she based her story, became the background to this novel.

See www.ritastellapress.com  for information on both print & ebooks

Have you ever researched certain things that caught your interest and found a story taking shape? Or do you begin with an idea and then do research?

DEVOTION: No Need to Fear ~ by Kathi Macias

“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them;
for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.
He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6, NKJV).

Fear. Sometimes its identity is terrifyingly clear; other times it is but an unnamed, vague sense of unease. Either way, it can be a formidable enemy, one that may drive us to make unwise choices or to stand paralyzed, unable to move in any direction.

God hasn’t purposed for fear to control us in any such manner. Fear does not come from God; it is a tool of the enemy of our soul. And our faithful Lord has provided all we need to defeat it. “Be strong and of good courage,” He calls to us. “Do not fear nor be afraid.” Why? Because there is NOTHING in our lifetime that we will ever have to face on our own. The Lord our God, He is the One who goes with us, who stands with us, who fights for us, and who carries us when we are too weak to stand.

Today, whether fear whispers your name or screams its threats, stand strong, beloved, for underneath are the everlasting arms, strengthening and holding you, fighting for you and declaring victory over you. Be strong and of good courage, for God has promised NEVER to leave or forsake you. And that’s a promise you can believe in.

Kathi Macias is a multi-award winning writer who has authored nearly 40 books and ghostwritten several others. 
A former newspaper columnist and string reporter, Kathi has taught creative and business writing in various venues and has been a guest on many radio and television programs. Kathi is a popular speaker at churches, women’s clubs and retreats, and writers’ conferences. 

She won the 2008 Member of the Year award from AWSA (Advanced Writers and Speakers Association) and was the 2011 Author of the Year from BooksandAuthors.net. Kathi “Easy Writer” Macias lives in Homeland, CA, with her husband.

FREEDOM'S STAND--A Review by Christine Lindsay

There are books that are entertaining, and those that are important. And then there are books that are wonderfully both. It is no wonder that Freedom’s Stand has been nominated for the Golden Scroll Award. I wish I could give it more stars than the top 5 star rating.

Note: Tyndale is offering a giveaway of Freedom's Stand. So leave a comment with your email address spelled out. This giveaway is limited to only postal addresses within the US and Canada.

Jeanette Windle has woven heart-rending human rights issues with the fast pace of an action and political thriller as well as a tender romance. I don’t know how many times my heart stopped as a prison door clanged shut on Jamil, a former Muslim extremist and suicide bomber, who is now a follower of Isa Masih (Jesus Messiah). The stakes in this story ratchet higher and higher until we are watching a modern-day Daniel in the lion’s den.

I asked Jeanette why she wrote this book, and why this setting?

Jeanette Windle: Freedom's Stand is the sequel to 2010 Christian Book Award and Christy Award finalist, Veiled Freedom, set in contemporary Afghanistan. Motivation for this story was my own frustration, disappointment--and hope!

Like many of you, I had rejoiced despite the ugliness of war in the post-9/11 overthrow of Afghanistan's Taliban, believing it presaged new hope for freedom and peace in that region. But neither freedom nor peace materialized. Instead today's headlines reflect the rising violence, corruption, and despair. The signing of Afghanistan's new constitution, establishing an Islamic republic under sharia law---and paid for with Western coalition dollars and the blood of our soldiers---tolled a death knell for any hope of real democracy.

Yet the many players I've met in this drama have involved themselves for the most part with the best of intentions. The more I came to know the region and love its people, I was left asking, "If with all the aid and arms and good intentions, freedom has not come to Afghanistan, what is the true source of freedom? Can outsiders truly purchase freedom for another culture or people?"

That question birthed Veiled Freedom. True freedom cannot be bestowed on another people through arms or an aid package, but only through individual hearts transformed by coming face to face with Jesus Christ.

The question Freedom's Stand addresses is: once you've found true freedom in Isa Masih, Jesus Christ, how far will love carry you in sharing that freedom with others?

Ironically, the real-life story that most inspired Freedom's Stand had not yet happened when I began writing it, though conditions on the ground in Afghanistan were such I knew it was only a matter of time. By the time Freedom's Stand headed to print, Red Cross therapist and war amputee Sayed Mossa was but one Afghan Isa-follower who had found himself on death row for his faith under the current Karzai regime.

Though back-door deals recently brought about Sayed's release without every addressing the freedom of faith issue, other Isa-followers with less public press remain on death row in Afghanistan. Meanwhile Sayed himself is now exiled from his country as a condemned apostate.

My motivation in writing this sequel to Veiled Freedom was not just to finish the story of Jamil, Amy, and Steve, but to raise a voice for my brothers and sisters in Christ behind bars or suffering unjust persecution for their faith, not only in Afghanistan but across this planet.

Christine here again: I've been a fan of Jeanette Windle for a long time now, and this latest novel of hers affirms that. www.christinelindsay.com

GIANT HARVEST--By Christine Lindsay

It happened just as we prayed. Don’t you just love that when it happens? It doesn’t always, but man . . . when it does . . . .

I was there to see a Guinness World record beaten. On a quarter section—for the non-farmer-type reader that means a quarter of a square mile— I saw 200 giant, gleaming combines harvest wheat in record time. The event was so big that Guinness sent not one of the regular people out to judge, but one of their main administrators.

It was a hot August day under a clear, cerulean sky. And this Canadian felt pride in the size of the golden wheat field around me. To me that represented a lot of bread baskets--a lot of food for empty stomachs.



I also felt joy to see the various Christian communities from this small prairie town come together in support of the event. You talk of old fashioned barn raisings—this was bigger.

Over 200 farmers gave up their time out of a busy harvest season. Many local businessmen in southern Manitoba, Canada, gave of their product and time to cultivate, plant, and nurture this wheat field.



I felt goosebumps as I watched the mammoth combines, in two steady rows of 100 combines each, roll in an unwavering line to meet in the center of the section. And my heart rejoiced with these God-loving prairie people.



The event began with a group of farmers singing our national anthem--Oh Canada--and then heading out to their machines. Three yellow crop-duster planes flew in formation over the field. Several helicopters and two other visiting planes also flew overhead. The Lord even sent a gentle breeze to blow the chaff away so that the spectators weren't covered in dust. A petting zoo entertained the children, and Christian music entertained everyone.

It was a great day. And it all happened because of the love of hundreds of volunteers who want to make a difference in the world, folks who want to feed the souls of the spiritually starving with the Bread of Life—Jesus Christ. But why would simple, Christian farmers go to the bother of breaking a world record? Why work so hard for 15 minutes of fame?

A Christian organization I’m associated with arranged this huge fund raiser. I’m not naming or promoting this group on this website, because most of the writers on this forum are involved in ministries all over the world.

But for all of us in the Lord’s service, it’s good to share when the sun breaks through the clouds of struggle, hard work, and months and years on our knees praying for something. In each of our own ministries and our work, it’s good to be reminded that God does allow our plans to succeed . . . more often than not.

God couldn't have provided a more perfect day for our event that brought in over 10 thousand spectators, TV stations, radio stations, newspapers, and dignitaries. So that on this past August 6th, the Lord graciously rewarded this ministry I associate with. It was especially sweet when many of us remembered the faith-testing disappointments of a day back in 2006 when they attempted the same thing, and did not receive the prize.

It just goes to prove that when we step out in faith, and our hearts are set on honoring God first, He lovingly rewards that faith.

So I say to you today, Go to it—whatever the Lord has called you to. Though you win no awards on this earth, though no one sees the hard work you put in. The Lord sees, and the Lord will reward.



To read more by me, Christine Lindsay, please stop by my website www.christinelindsay.com There you can find encouragement if you are someone whose life has been touched by adoption or missions, or the grinding struggles of life. You can find out about my recent trip to India, and the books I am currently writing. Thank you for dropping by. Blessings on you today.

To Boldly Go

Alice Valdal

For those of you who are confused by my title, that split infinitive was the signature line of the "Star Trek" television series and subsequent movies. In the early seasons the full line read "to boldly go where no man has gone before." In the more politically correct years that followed, it became "to boldly go where no one has gone before."

Boldness has never been high on my list of attributes, but through the magic of cyberspace, I've found myself in some strange new worlds. For some reason, I cannot access my dashboard from this blog site, nor can I back out of the page. The only way I can move, is to click on "next blog" until I find one that includes the button for dashboard. At first, I found this quirk annoying, but once I got pushed to this bold step, I've found "next blog" a delightful diversion. Note, I did not say waste of time, even if I do resort to it when the wip is proving difficult.

On "next blog" I've been taken to a country fair, a devotional site, a site describing the use of herbs, book review sites. I've learned that many people publish their poetry on a blog. One day blogger decided my native tongue was Spanish so I wondered for a time with only pictures as a guide. There was a fascinating knitting site with a display of gorgeous sweaters. I wish I could have read the instructions. Another day I ended up on a book sellers blog and learned that Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code is among the most unwanted book in today's market. Thousands of people, having read it, don't want to keep it on their bookshelves. There are so many copies of it around, used bookstores won't take it, libraries don't want more 'donated' copies and community centres and hospital waiting rooms are flooded with the thing. Ah, the flip side of fame and fortune : )

A quick check of the dictionary shows me a slight difference between "bold" and "courage". It seems we have courage but we are bold. One is an attribute we take hold of, the other takes hold of us. There are many examples in the Bible of followers being exhorted to "be bold for Christ", e.g. Phillippians 1:14. In fact, I stumbled across a blog with that very title.


It's summer time where I live, a time when most of us want to relax by the water, vacation with family and friends, dig into our "to be read" pile. But what if we used these long, free days to be bold? What adventures would we undertake? What new worlds would we discover? Can we be bold for Christ in new ways? Can we take a bold step in our careers?

Last week I was bold to send off a query letter. I was bold in my witness to a troubled sister. How about you? Have you been bold lately? Care to share?

Posted by Alice Valdal

http://www.alicevaldal.com