BRAVE 2013 - half way there...

When I felt God give me the word BRAVE for the year, I was half expecting to have grand adventures, pushing my limits in new ways and seeing foreign soil. Well, there's been a little bit of some of that, but not nearly as much as I expected. And that's ok.

I thought He might allow me to return to North Africa...or another distant land...

When He gave me the word BRAVE I thought that I'd have to stare some strange illness in the face, undergo testing for strange and exotic diseases or have (yet another) surgery. But so far my only plague is my trusty hives (hmmm...am I taking them on with fondness??) and Praise God that I've not been ill beyond a head cold or sore muscles (well, really I should say "sore fat" since the muscles are small in comparison!). :)

When He gave me the word BRAVE I expected to be challenged - and I have been - going back to work part-time, in the dream-job-I-never-knew-I-wanted, fulfilling a dream.come.true. that I never knew I had. I'm still growing to be BRAVE in that job, and it's lasting a bit longer than just the maternity leave - although that can end at any time...and that's ok. It's been SUCH a blessing! (love, Love, LOVE working at DaySpring as a Social Media Coordinator!).

Just a sampling of what I get to do every week...putting Roy Lessin's words to my photos...and posting them to MeetMeInTheMeadow.com 

I knew that I'd have to be BRAVE to take on work at the church - but never in my wildest dreams figured that He'd ask me to leave it all behind to chase a God-sized dream and start a ministry. That's sorta BRAVE for me...leaving something familiar and guaranteed to go on a path of uncertainty. To step into the unknown. Yeah. BRAVE.

And it was really an exercise in BRAVE to smile through the whole wedding weekend for our son! With all sorts of drama with family beforehand, and a houseful of family and friends for the week before and 2 weeks after - or something like that - to push all that aside and relax and just be the mother of the groom. WITHOUT. A. CAMERA. IN. MY HAND. (most of the time). Yes, that was VERY BRAVE. ;)

And did I mention that I made the wedding cakes?? For my SON'S wedding? Yeah, that made me be BRAVE!

And I feel it took some BRAVE out of me to stand in front of the camera too. But I'm me, and trying to be BRAVE and face up to "a person's a person no matter how small - OR LARGE" and keep the mindset of Christ in all that...being created in His image and all... all that I learned in reading "Invisible" and not responding in weakness, or trying to hide away. I'd rather be REAL and not a perfect size anything than be a perfect size _____ and be less than real. No fake nothing. That's my BRAVE motto.

So all in all - there's been a good balance of BRAVE in familiar (like the alone-ness) and BRAVE in new ways (like the work), and BRAVE in surprises (like the evening we ran into my dad... whoa! now that's another story for another time..., and the whole time I think I'm continuing to be BRAVE in my walk with God - letting Him lead - taking time to listen - and REST in Him...

bravely.

With both of my feet securely on the ground. :) For today anyways! There's still 5 months to go! 8)

As always, prayers appreciated. :)  And how can I pray for you??