Choose Brave Study Journal

I sat in the church pew, trying my hardest to focus as the Sunday service began. But while worship music filled the room, I couldn't help but stare at the beautiful head of wavy hair seated just a few seats down in the row in front of me. Could it be her? I leaned a...

Today, I want to live more like Mother Teresa. I wish to give my life away to help heal the sick and mother the orphan. I will emulate the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and stand in the gap for those who have no voice. I will honor each human life and fight...

Have you ever had to make a sacrifice because of your faith in Christ?  One of the greatest testimonies I saw was a high school student in my ministry years ago.  She was a star soccer player on her high school team.  Often, her travel team would have to play in...

When we think about our calling we often think about our vocation. We try to figure out if we are called to be a teacher or a nurse, an engineer or a construction worker. But the call on your life goes well beyond vocation. God’s call on your life is multifaceted. It...

You need to know this today: You have been uniquely crafted and gifted by the Creator of the universe. You are not a mistake. You are a masterpiece. The same God who put the earth in motion, the stars in the night sky and the detail in very flower, also beautifully...

Have you ever thought about the process of sharpening iron? With the friction of two iron rods rubbing together, the heat between them increases, allowing them to create a spark that heats them enough to be molded. As the body of Christ, we forget that we need to...

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1 What are you hoping for in the new year? The quick, safe answer might be something like... A less hectic schedule. To save money. To eat less. To exercise more. To get...

Throughout my life I have often fallen quickly into sin. Even as a Christian, I struggled to believe that I had the power to resist when tempted. Since I didn’t believe, I fell into sin over and over and over again. Satan had me exactly where he wanted me…powerless,...

Have you ever lost something so dear that it felt like your world was spun upside down? Maybe you lost many of your earthly possessions, maybe your marriage disintegrated into ashes, maybe a dear relationship fell apart, or finances were lost in a devastating way. For...

If you and I were to grab a cup of coffee today and if I were to share my heart with you, this is what I’d say. I struggle with discouragement. I fight against it like a boxer in a ring. Some days I win, but many more days I lose. I pray weekly…who am I kidding, I...

Are you taking a risk or making a sacrifice? If the hustle and bustle of the holiday season did not succeed in stealing your joy or frying your brain, January will try as well. As women expected to always be on top of our game, January can be a time of crushing...

Today´s Scripture is one of my favorites. I learned it by heart many years ago without knowing that God would use it to comfort me in the years to come. Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword separate us from the...

Hospitality. This is one of the areas I’d like to grow in 2019. I have two groups of people in my life. The relative few who can walk in my house unannounced because they've proven themselves loyal and love me despite my messes. And, those for whom I frantically clean...

He's twelve and a half. Not a young boy anymore, and not even close to a man. Stuck in that limbo of life, often riding a swinging pendulum back and forth to each side as he waits - not so patiently - for his mind and body to mature. He's independent and inquisitive...

As my family celebrated the New Year with fireworks, my son asked his dad if he could help with the pyrotechnics. Most eleven-year-old boys love the chance to engage danger. However, Daniel has a proper perspective of fireworks. From an early age, my husband taught...

We all have experienced fear, from mild uneasiness to stark terror. There are circumstances that bring about sleepless nights, stomach aches, and loss of concentration. Think about what some of those things are for you. What exactly is fear? Fear is a feeling of...

Love. A simple word that changed the world. Do you know what´s great about this word? It´s more than a word: It´s an action. Love is not something you feel. It´s something you do. Christian love, especially, should be reflected by what we do. Galatians 6:9 tells us:...

We live in a world that needs to see brave women rise up. I have the honor and privilege of raising 3 daughters. More than anything, I want my girls to follow hard after God. I want them to choose to live counter-culturally and flee from what the world values,...