Have A Little Faith in We

One of my favorite things about being a blog follower is how the experience goes from just following along to eventually feeling like you are taking advice from a friend. As a result of my love for blogs, I have purchased clothes, tried hair styles, decorated mantles, read books, organized my office, discovered health tricks, and become inspired in countless ways! Reading about a solution that an everyday person, just like me, finds enriching to their lives has been really helpful – so here on HALF I thought I would get in on the info sharing action and include a weekly favorites post!  Each week I will share one of my favorites things! The topic areas will range from favorite clothes to organizing solutions even some health tricks. Really anything that we just can’t live without – or would really not want to – at the Bessette home and maybe you can find something you love too!

For summer 2018 I have embarked on the 100 days to Brave journey with Annie F. Downs and it has taught me so much more than I could have ever imagined. Starting this devotional I was looking to harness my bravery. We are wading through some new chapters at casa Bessette and several times over I have wondered if we are crazy. But my husband continues to remind me – we risk big in hopes of big reward and when you dream big, bravery is what you need. Initially I envisioned bravery like in a Disney movie where the character sings just the right song to pump themselves up and face their fear. The dark mountain, the scary lion, the haunted woods – the look their enemy in the face and plow ahead. In fact being brave to me had a negativity surrounding it because it meant facing something you did want to face. No one wants to have to be brave, yet we know life will requires it – so we play the fight song and are on with it.

After a few blogger recommendations and considering the idea of brave I picked up this book. I felt like I had faced a lot of brave already, yet instead of feeling stronger, I sorta just felt tired. I knew I wanted to continue to grow and learn and explore – but I did not FEEL up to it all the time… I did not feel brave. Knowing we have a summer that needs bravery and that I was having trouble summonsing it – I decided to take part in the study. At the least I would learn a thing or too and at best I would find some more true bravery for our new world. And what did I end up finding?  The truth: bravery isn’t facing the actual fears…. it is facing the feeling of fear. Suddenly I wasn’t worrying about the circumstances or being strong enough or confident enough, instead I was learning to be better to myself! Shed my labels of “good” or “bad” that I give myself and make room for what strength could be found within. I stopped trying to define the scary thing so I could find the perfect way to defeat it. Instead I am learning to lean into my faith and seeing the truth of this broken world (HINT: It is FULL of lies that you let ruin you). Only on day 11 and I know that these 100 days are going to rock my world.

In addition to tons of inspiration, the 100 days challenge is really achievable. Each day you have two short pages where you read a little bit, jot down a few notes or journal, and think about how to apply it to your life. You can certainly complete each day in less than 10 minutes, but I have found a lot of comfort and encouragement in spending a little extra time to enjoy the quiet moment and reflect. Even reading  a few passages aloud to Danny, he appreciated how the examples shared from the bible really focus on the humanity of a simple hero or heroine. By reading these stories you remember that bravery has been something people have struggled with since the beginning of time. These daily readings has left us both laughing, inspired, and hopeful- just what the doctor ordered!

Summer is time a of rest, relaxation and hopefully recharge. With a slower pace of life and less to dos there is space for more reflection and a chance to think about where you find yourself and where you want to be. Do you need bravery?  Maybe you just need a different way to treat yourself? Or even simpler than that – want a little summertime prayer practice you can stick to easy peasy? I say pick up 100 days to Brave – your going to love it!

Thank you so much for reading and remember to make it a great day!

Jackie