Deb Brown

finding freedom in the next brave step

An invitation to believe {& a giveaway!}

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Happy New Year…just a few days late. But it’s still January so I think I’m OK with the greeting.

I’ve never been good with entering the new year with a list of resolutions. One quick fail and I’m ready to call it quits. But a few years ago I read about choosing one word or phrase to focus the year on. Something about that resonated and I took the leap.

In Brave as a Girl Can Be I wrote about my phrase for 2015…Living Bravely…and then how God led me to stick with it one more year. I thought I knew what living bravely would or could look like. Boy was I wrong!

As I began planning for 2017 I also began asking God for direction and for that one word. Weeks went by and I still didn’t know. Continuing to pray I asked Him to show me where He wanted my focus to be. Added to that prayer was asking Him to help me pay attention. True confession: sometimes I can get distracted with my own stuff and I just didn’t want to miss it.

Well, He certainly made sure I didn’t miss it! Within days I received the following gifts.

First this one

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And then this one

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And let’s not forget this one

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Not only did He show me visually what my word should be, but He also used some dear friends to direct my focus. Again within days of each other I heard this: “Deb, I wish you could see and believe in yourself what I do.”

I receive this invitation to believe. To believe more in Him – to learn how to believe in me – to grow deeper to believe in us. I hope you’ll join me on this journey. I’m excited in a tender kind of way to discover where BELIEVE will take me and us this year.

Do you have a word or phrase for 2017? I’d love to know what it is and why you chose it. Comment below and on Monday I’ll randomly choose a name to receive my favorite journal from Life Lived Beautifully.

Until next time…

My One Word

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Happy New Year! For lots of years I dreaded the start of a new year. I labored over all I didn’t accomplish and dreaded the thought of creating another long list. I’m not sure exctly why I thought I had to, but I did. You, too?  

A few years ago a dear friend challenged me to find one word. A word I could focus on all year. A word that would help define my daily choices. It’s worked well for me. I’ve learned so much.

My one word for 2014 is…

  OneWord2014Believe

 

If you’ve heard me speak or have spent any time at this blog, you know I’m a recovering fear girl. I’ve learned that every one of my fears is rooted in unbelief. So each step I take away from fear needs to, has to, start with believe.

And not just believe as in acknowledging something or someone exists, but going deeper than that. Dictionary.com defines believe as having confidence, trust, faith, or conviction in something or someone. The Greek Lexicon says this – “to trust in Jesus or God as able.” Love that.

Do not fear, only believe.  Mark 5:36

Do you have a word? Please share it. There’s so much we can learn from each other. I’ll be posting one word updates throughout the year. I hope you’ll join me.