Tag Archives: courage

Finding Your Voice

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I am linking up for the Five Minute Friday. The FMF is hosted by Kate Motaung on her blog Heading Home. Today’s prompt is “Find.” Write for five minutes; unedited.


I heard the word prompt tonight and I immediately knew where I was going to go with this word. This post is dedicated to those who feel like they have lost their voice, thought they never had it or just simply can’t find it at the moment.

As a writer, I think it is so easy for us to get caught up in the comparison game and to think we don’t have anything important to say. But the truth is we all have something to say. We all have different gifts. We all have a story worth sharing. There is power in hearing those words “me too!” Yet fear has a way of creeping in–fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of—and giving us laryngitis.

Though God has a way of giving us our voice even when we think we have nothing worth sharing. I am reminded of how in Scripture we hear the words: “Ask and it will be given to you; Seek, and you shall find; Knock, and the door will be opened onto you.” God has a way of giving our voices back to us especially when we ask for God to give us the words we need to speak.

Yet there are also going to be times when we think we cannot find our voice at all. It is especially during those times that I believe we will need to trust each other. We will have to give words to each other’s stories as we speak for each other. The truth is that God sent Jesus to be a voice for the voiceless…to speak for the downtrodden, the lost, and the vulnerable. And in our own vulnerability, God calls us to give voice to each other’s voicelessness.

“In life, finding a voice is speaking and living the truth. Each of you is an original. Each of you has a distinctive voice. When you find it, your story will be told. You will be heard.”–John Grisham

Taking Hold of Fear

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“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).” Or from the Message translation—“Be strong. Take courage. Don’t be intimidated. Don’t give them a second thought because God, your God, is striding ahead of you. He’s right there with you. He won’t let you down; he won’t leave you.”

Fear is a crazy thing, isn’t it? It can be very debilitating to anyone of us. I think fear often gets in the way of trying new things or even living our lives. Because we don’t know what the outcome will be, we let fear take over but the truth is that God is with us in the midst of those fears. But even in the midst of God’s promise to walk with us, fear still sometimes takes over. A friend recently mentioned the possibility of a change for their family and this friend also mentioned that fear was taking hold. If they take this change on wonderful things could happen, but yet fear takes such a deep hold that we are afraid to go for it! Several other friends are battling cancer and in the midst of that struggle, they are being prayed for and held up by so many yet I know that all of them have had to face their own fears head on.

We need to learn to let that fear go which I realize is is so much easier said than done! But children can be such great examples of this. I think of parents who tell of their children who arent afraid to try anything! Hmmm….maybe we could learn something from them. This got me thinking about my own life. When I have let fear go, amazing things have happened. If I hadnt interviewed at SuperAwesomeBibleCamp, I wouldn’t have worked there for seven summers and never would have ended up at seminary. If I hadn’t gone to tour Wartburg Seminary, I never would have ended up there and made one of the most blessed decisions of my life. If I… If I…If I……

Fear likes to take a hold of all of us but I believe, we must take these words from the Old Testament to heart! God promises that he will never leave us or forsake us. Do not be afraid he says! So perhaps we need to let fear know whose boss and trust in our a God; a God who loves us more than we ever could imagine!

Trusting in God

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So I just have to laugh. Recently a colleague and I were having a conversation about my future and starting a family etc. I hadnt thought much about it but had to laugh at the things that occurred after that conversation. First, a dear friend tells me about two single friends who are pursuing their calls to motherhood….one through IVF and one through the adoption process. Then Im watching one of my favorite shows, “How I Met Your Mother,” and the whole episode is about Barney and Ted adopting together…being “bro” dads. Too funny…just made me laugh and shake my head as I thought about the conversation I had just recently had. Then another friend refreshes her blog as her, her husband, and their two boys begin their journey of adoption. On this friend’s blog, she posted the following quote about adoption. “Adoption is not for the faint of heart. It takes courage, determination, and complete dependence on a God who called you by name and sent you on a mission.” These words have been on my heart as I discern what the future may hold for me! God works in mysterious ways and I sometimes wonder if these events are God trying to tell me something. I dont know what that answer is but I am simply….Trusting in God….

“O Lord God, You Have Called Us….”

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“O Lord God, you have called us, your servants, to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, on paths we have yet to discover, through perils and joys unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, moving where your Spirit calls and empowers us, And knowing that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen” These words are words that I just need to hear and be reminded of sometimes! I love my job and in no way are these words geared towards that. I am just saddened how sometimes people treat other people. Let’s just say tonight…I am clinging to these words. But I am also continuing to choose to focus more on the blessings in my life. Today those blessings are as follows:

++ Getting to have lunch with two great ladies and one of their grandsons
++ Coloring,playing and spending time with one of my favorite three year olds
++ Friends telling me that they are thankful for me (Thanks S!)
++ Sharing my writing with others
++ A Salted caramel mocha over a great meeting with wonderful colleagues