Image courtesy of:Tony Fischer Photography

Happy Friday! It is time for the encouraging Lisa-Jo of The Gypsy Mama to provide a word for five-minutes of unedited writing. Once again, I confess I correct typos (which is a "no-no") but it enables me to hit "publish" with less angst. Thanks for showing me grace.

The word is "BRAVE."

Start.

Brave is the soul who takes that first faltering step despite fear;

Brave is the soul who dares to dream;

Brave is the soul who chooses to love even when it may not be returned;

Brave is the soul who walks the path less trodden;

Brave is the man or woman who chooses to follow Jesus into the unknown;

Brave is the man who chooses a real relationship with a real woman instead of with an illusion;

Brave is the woman who chooses to believe that God says she is beautiful;

Brave is the mom who leaves an abusive home;

Brave is the depressed person who wakes up and gets out of bed;

Brave is the person who faces down and admits s/he has an addiction and gets help;

Brave is the person who says "enough is enough" to abuse - in whatever form - verbal, emotional and/or physical;

Brave is the soul who dares to pursue a dream despite the naysayers;

Brave is the soul who chooses to forgive like Jesus;

Brave is the soul who shares his/her story with another;

Brave is the Lord, we follow, who died and loved, without expecting anything in return.

STOP.

I ran out of time; I know that Jesus asks that we confess and repent, but He loved us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8) which is what I was trying to convey in the last line.

This list of brave people is inspired by people I have met online or offline.

"Vulnerability is our most accurate measurement of courage.” (Brené Brown, Ph.D.)

When have you been brave? Who do you think is brave?

I know you're busy, so thanks for reading and/or chatting with me.  Always grateful.

If you share and you have a blog, please leave your URL on the Disqus form so that others/I can visit you.  Thanks.

Pretty please with lots of sprinkles on top...link up and join the fun at The Gypsy Mama. 

Image courtesy of:Tony Fischer Photography

© Soul Stops/Dolly Lee 2012. Creative Commons License: okay for noncommercial use only IF you attribute to me and link to this post.

Image courtesy of flickr user Kaibara87

Last week, I got naked (i.e., confessed a sin) in "Getting Naked Here," and I was surprised at the response.

I felt uncomfortable as I wrote last week, but I am happy to write today about the unexpected benefits of nakedness.

Publishing "Getting Naked Here" was difficult because I was publicly crucifying my pride/my desire to look good and my insecurities. Yet when the Spirit nudges, I have learned it is best to obey.

I can say I believe that the zipline will hold me and that I won't fall, but that belief is worthless until I jump and experience flight.

Will I trust that the scaffolding of God's love will hold me when I reveal my nakedness?

My TOP 10 LIST of the UNEXPECTED BENEFITS/BLESSINGS OF NAKEDNESS/CONFESSION:

1. I felt unburdened/lighter/cleansed/forgiven.
2. I experienced greater intimacy with God. It is like what you experience (hopefully) when you share deeply with another and s/he does not reject you but welcomes you with heart and arms wide open.
3. FREEDOM from the discomfort of the Holy Spirit breathing down my neck.
4. Discovered greater community with other bloggers, and made some new friends. Always love making friends.
5. Learned I wasn't the only one who struggled...felt less alone. THANKS for all the kind/heartfelt comments. So Blessed!
6. Encouraged by how others were encouraged to also get naked.
7. Felt the JOY that comes from pleasing God. Free to be joyful.
8. Experienced the reality and promise fulfilled of worshipping God (Romans 12:1,2; see below).
9. Increased my trust in God's unconditional love for me.
10. My faith in God's promise to forgive me when I confess (I John 1:9) grew.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers,^[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.^{[b] 2}  Do not be conformed to this world,^[c] but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.[d] Romans 12:1,2 ESV

How can you worship God today by getting naked/confessing?

How have you experienced God's good, acceptable, and perfect will when you have worshipped Him with your body/actions?

It is always a gift to hear from you. Very grateful.

COUNTING BLESSINGS WITH ANN:

• Saw my first white butterfly of the year in our backyard.
• For the gift of repentance, confession and forgiveness.
• Visit with my friend D.
  
• Blueberries on warm oatmeal.
• Celebrating friend's birthday dinner and meeting women with a strong heart to pray for the church in America.
• Sunflowers in a vase that have lasted over a week and a half.
• Got our girl one of the last four spots in a summer theater camp.
• Answered prayer for hubby.
• Hubby and I had a lunch date while our girl was at a birthday party.
  
• God's challenge that He wants me to be more than "nice" ... hope to write about it this Wednesday...By God's grace.
  

I am linking with four God-graced sisters' blogs today: talented L.L. Barkat, encouraging Laura Boggess of Playdates with God, and wise Ann VosKamp at her blog:"A Holy Experience" and last but not least, gracious Michelle of "Graceful."[her button "Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday" is below]

Be encouraged and visit each of their beautiful blogs! 

© Soul Stops/Dolly Lee 2012.   Creative Commons License: Okay for noncommercial use if you attribute this post to me and link to my permalink and blog.

Once a child can talk, one of the first things, she says is "Look at me!"

"I can write my name all by myself."  "I can ride a bike by myself."

And if there is a caring adult available, who looks, listens and affirms the child's excitement, she learns that "What I do and think are important."

The child finds that she can delight another.  She also discovers that a shared delight is multiplied.

Think of how adults will surround a toddler taking his first steps.  With bated breath, the adults (assuming they are loving) will celebrate every teetering step taken even if the toddler falls.

The adult knows that each hesitant step is a step to even greater things: a steady walk then rapid running to explore a vast unknown world.

What if we believed that God celebrates our every faltering step of faith toward Him? 

He is not waiting for us to stumble so He can criticize us.

What if we believed that God has great things in store for us? (Jeremiah 29:11)

• Every time, we choose love over apathy or hate, God smiles with delight. 
• Every time, we turn to Him for comfort instead of to a lesser substitute (e.g., food, TV, a game), He celebrates with us.

• Every time, we confess our failures, instead of denying or blaming another, He welcomes us with arms open wide.

Moving the truth of God's delight in us - a delight that is not earned (Romans 5:8) but simply given with His forgiveness- from mere mental assent to heart-felt truth is a process.

One way I have learned to make that truth more real is to thank God for His undeserved love and delight in me.  It opens my soul to receive His delight as I count the blessings - the obvious ones and the hidden/hard ones.

Ann Voskamp shows how gratitude makes belief in God's delight more real in her wonderful book, One Thousand Gifts.

Another step that has helped me is to be honest with God about where I am.  If I am struggling to believe, I don't fake it.  I tell God.

When I spend time with God in authentic conversation and meditation on the Bible, He imprints His love into my soul. 

It reminds me of when I spend time with our girl.  We converse.

I love spending time with her.  She knows that I am not expecting her to serve me or dazzle me.  I simply enjoy being with her.

When I think about my relationship with God in those terms, it is easier for me to believe that He delights in me.

He doesn't want my service; He wants relationship with me.

When I believe that God delights in me, it causes me to draw closer to Him.

It makes me want to serve Him out of love not out of obligation.

Do you believe that God simply delights in you?

What spiritual practices help you to make God's delight in you more of a heart-reality?

Giving thanks with Ann:

• For being able to ride bikes as a family
• An ice pack for my ankle; nothing serious
  
• For daughter's laughter
• That our girl has a fun dad
  
• For frozen pomegranate and chocolate yogurt...yum!
• For how God redeems the tough times (Romans 8:28, 29)
• For vegetable potstickers
• For friends who love and encourage with their words and actions
• Gently bending pink tulips and my sweet friend who gave them to me
• Purple and yellow primroses from another dear friend - grateful for her
  
• Being able to encourage a friend
  
• Being able to load and unload a dishwasher
  
• Praying for and with my friends
  
• Praying for the world as I read the news
• Being able to read poetry online
  

Subscribe (like me) to Every Day Poems and have a poem delivered to your inbox (M -F) at http://www.tweetspeakpoetry.com/blog/every-day-poems/

I am linking with three God-gifted sisters' blogs today: talented L.L. Barkat, encouraging Laura Boggess, and wise Ann VosKamp at her blog:"A Holy Experience"

Be encouraged and visit each of their beautiful blogs! 

© Soul Stops/Dolly L. 2011.   Creative Commons License: Okay for noncommercial use if you attribute this post to me and link to my permalink and blog.