This past Saturday was a cool drink of water yet, and part of it, certainly owes itself to my new learning (the before and after of our health-ca-pades): We lost two years of our lives to Chris’ heart issues and my own.
On top of trying to summer plans filled with frantic shopping, menu planning, friends and family, emergency plans, doctor appointments surgeries, hospital stays, a chaotic effort to ring in the summer season with one more drink, one more camping trip, one more beach sunset before bed.
But this year, none of that. We stayed on the lake for hours because there’s something about the sand, the rippling waves, and the breeze that brings out the best in us. The weekend was slow, simple and so much sweeter than I can remember. It felt more like a glass of water than a fire-hose.
Some have told me they would never camp again if they had witnessed their spouse nearly dying in front of them. Others would have let the voices of trauma speak louder than faith. Yet, John Piper’s once said, “The deepest root of Christian womanhood is hope in God,” and “this hope in God yields fearlessness.”
Becoming a fearless, bold woman of God didn’t happen overnight. Those two years of lost time were spent on my knees in prayer for our hearts and health. What seemed like wasted time was actually the refining fires that created a boldness for believing God’s truth and promises for my family. And the more I spent time with him, the more he began to send others in need of a good dose of Jesus Strong Courage my way.
Each of us have causes that make us come alive, things that move us and make us eager to share our vision.
Each woman has a chance to embody what it means to be bold, brave and fierce for the life she has given. Even though you are not Maya Angelou, Malala, Mother Teresa, or Mary—mother of Jesus, YOU are still changing the world one breath at a time.
WHY? Because being a woman of bold faith is what we have been called to.
Boldness is not a personality trait. Boldness is acting by the power of the Holy Spirit, on an urgent conviction in the face of some threat. A shy, soft-spoken, introverted, calm person can be bold at a time when a typically driven, outspoken, brash person shrinks back. A Bold Woman for God contains three ingredients:
Spirit-empowered courage, conviction and urgency.
Meaning–every woman must get uncomfortable for the sake of the Gospel. A bold woman:
- Seeks God every morning (Psalm 5:3).
- Looks for one person to share the gospel at the the grocery store, meetings, appointments or park (2 Corinthians 5:20).
- Hosts without grumbling. Open your front door and add one more spot at the table (1 Peter 4:9).
- Welcomes fellowship in difficult seasons–all seasons. (Hebrews 10:24–25).
- Adorn herself in His word through good works — not the latest trends. (1 Timothy 2:9–10, 4:7–8).
- Takes time to disciple and discipline your children with grace and love (Titus 2:3–5, Hebrews 12:5–11).
Christian women, we have nothing to fear and nothing to lose.Let’s live like we have the greatest hope to offer the world. Let’s get uncomfortable by hoping in God and not in what the world offers. Let’s not be conformed to the world in its apathy toward the things of God. Let’s take risks for the sake of the gospel to the glory of God.
How to Become a Bold Woman of God
Take a 90 day journey through his word and soak up every promise, truth, and statement about boldness, courage and no fear. Study every promise and statement like a tall glass of ice water. Sometimes reading the Bible is tough for us. Why? Well, all kinds of reasons. We digest a huge amount of content these days, so training ourselves to focus can be challenging. Or maybe the language of the Bible version we are reading requires more time and energy to understand than our spoken language. There are all sorts of reasons we can offer for why we don’t read the Bible, even when we want to.
The Big News – I have a new study and journal with you in mind.
Bold Truths Prayer Journal: A 90 Guide to S.O.A.P. God’s Word For Women
This engaging prayer journal is a fun and creative way for you to more fully experience the power of prayer and get to know who God truly is. This bible study journal is designed to record your bible study insights and teachings from the Lord. It uses the S.O.A.P method for easy reflection and connection with the Lord.
S.O.A.P stands for:
S– The S stands for Scripture and you write out the scripture.
O– The O stands for observation- what do you see in the verses that you’re reading? Who is the audience? Is there a repetition of words? What words stand out to you?
A– The A stands for Application- this is when God’s Word becomes personal. What is God saying to me today? How can I apply what I just read to my own personal life? What changes do I need to make? Is there an action that I need to take?
P– And finally P stands for Prayer. Pray God’s Word back to Him.
How To Get The Most Out Of Your Bible Reading Plan
- Set aside at least 15 minutes a day to read the daily readings outlined in the No Fear: Becoming A Woman of Bold Faith Reading Plan (scroll down to access the printable plan). Before you start reading, ask the Lord to speak to you, draw you closer to Him, and for Him to reveal Himself to you through His Word.
- I recommend reading the passages before and after the highlighted scriptures to SOAP in order to get the full picture and context.
- Make sure to purchase the 90 Day Journaling Guide off of Amazon.
Download The 90 Day Scripture Writing Plan To Get:
90 Different Scriptures: after completing each day’s readings, the Bible Reading Plan will present you with a different verse that corresponds to the passage you just finished reading.
Outlined Journal Pages: designed to organize the verses and to give you enough space to write down each verse (the act of writing it down will help your mind store the verse in your long-term memory vs. your short-term memory).
Handpicked Scriptures: Scriptures that encompass and summarize each section of the Bible Reading Plan are included so that you can easily print them out, meditate on, and memorize throughout each part of the study.
