What does it mean to be Brave?

What does it mean to be brave? I've been bombarded by this question a lot lately. From stepping out and going alone on a project that I've always done with my best friend, to helping my daughter get over her fear of heights at gymnastics, to how to talk to a friend about something I'm deeply passionate about and not offend her.

As I look back on the last couple of years, my life has been a constant state of stepping out of my comfort zone. Kirste and I started this blog almost 3 years ago, back when having a western-style blog was pretty new. We wanted to pour our hearts out from what God was giving to us. It was scary to start, scary to keep up, we experienced lots of blessings and some major criticism. But here I am almost 3 years later, I have few scars, but the good far outweighs the bad. I might be going it alone now since other commitments and passions have pulled Kirste in another direction, but I know that when I step out with God and follow His direction, I cannot fail. I saw a church sign on my way into town today and it read, "Where God guides, God provides." It's very true, but sometimes when you're in the thick of it, you may feel scared, alone and unsure. If we're not leaning into our Father and spending time with Him, we put ourselves at a distant. So many people pray, "God, if it's your will, please let this come to pass..." It's like we try to use God as a magic eight ball, but we do know His Will, it's in His Word. He gives it right there to us, but so many times we miss it because we're not getting into His Word. I'm so guilty of this!! When my day is going crazy, I'm yelling at my kids and getting angry with my husband, I finally sit down and realize that I haven't taken time to come and sit in my Father's lap. I haven't let Him speak His Word into me. Let Him fill me up. My pastor last weekend preached on this exact topic and his words are still ringing in my ears, "live from the lap and not the gap." He explained that most Christians pray to a God "way out there!" And we pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done...way out there." Because that's where we believe God is. But He's not, He's right here, whispering, "come here, climb up on my lap, hear my heart beat. Know that I want only good things for you. I will not tempt you with evil. I sent my Son to die for you, to put to death the work of the devil and bring heaven to earth through you!" Gosh, He's so unbelievably good!!

So as I write this, I just got done taking a huge inventory of my life. What I wanted to keep in it, what I needed to shut the door to so I could chase other opportunities. Keeping up this blog on my own came up. Did I still have something to say? Did I still have a passion for writing? And as I prayed about it, God gently told me, "I still have something to say, so will you say it for Me?" So, here I am. You'll be seeing more of me. I'm still so excited to be sharing more Brave Stories as they come in, but I also want to share exactly what my Daddy is telling me. Whether it be stories of my life, little nuggets that God gives me, funny anecdotes that happen to this "cowboy's wife" or my new venture as a homeschool mama. I want this blog to be about what God is speaking to me and share with my friends.

So I pray that you will continue to join me on this adventure called life. I pray that I can speak life, love and joy into your life through the written word, but mostly I pray that God can use me to reach whomever He wishes through this little blog!

So here's to the adventure!!

Much love,

Candace