The sun is shining bright and there is no **SNOW** in the forecast so dare I say, perhaps, spring is here. We all have bravely faced this winter season. We looked at this thought all week – “brave looks a whole lot like everyday” (Mary Geisen). Our group came to the following conclusions:

• We are doing Kingdom work every day. No matter what we are doing, if we truly believe God has placed us where we are to be, then … we are doing kingdom work because ALL we do is kingdom work. All of it. We are to make a difference right where we are – in the middle of raising our children, mopping floors, commuting to work, playing in the playground, tending to a sick loved one, dealing with an unpleasant co-worker, helping your child with homework, or sitting at a cold field for your child’s sport games. All of it. “For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God …” (Romans 14:17-18, NLT).
• The Beatitudes reveal the traits which are needed to walk bravely with Him. The commentary in my Bible (NLT Study Bible) says: “The Beatitudes describe the lifestyle and character of the follower of Jesus.” What does our lifestyle reveal? Lifestyle –> encompasses our habits, attitudes, tastes in books and movies etc, our moral standards. It reveals who we are, how we respond to situations, and how we love those around us. 
• Victory can be as simple as getting through the day. “Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10, NLT). Sometimes we find ourselves tired, worn, discouraged, and wondering if we can get through another day. We know we are to rely on God, His time and His way but … it’s hard. On those days, we need to remember Who it is that is holding us up. We sink into His Word, repeating it throughout the day, if we must. Each time we repeat His promises, we are storing and filling our hearts – our brave container – renewing and strengthening our faith. We find faith to believe and trust God for the day.
• Submission is the way to peace. Life can change in the blink of an eye, and not always to our liking. A woman in my morning group writes: “When we are submitted to God and accept instruction from Him as He directs our path, we have confidence in knowing that God is working every little detail out in our favor. Life gets hard and even hurtful at times. But we can rest assure that when we walk in God’s instruction, He makes the crooked places straight and places us on a solid foundation.”
• Let’s bravely accept His plans and make them ours. “Submit to God, and you will have peace; then things will go well for you” (Job 22:21, NLT). We can so want our way in our own lives. We want our way, our plans, our goals sometimes at the expense of overriding God’s plans. “Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed” (Proverbs 16:3, NLT). “Commit” does not mean pray about it and then do what we want. It encompasses waiting for God’s approval. We are committing it to Him so that we get His thoughts or approval to go ahead. If we do not get a “yes”, then we do not proceed. Instead of kicking and flailing and stubbornly insisting on our own way, we let Him bend our will, knowing it is ultimately for our good. There truly is a beauty in saying “yes” and trusting Him. It is the way we keep step with God.

Getting our way, at any cost, is not the way to live in the fullness of God’s plan for our lives. We must allow God’s truths to saturate our hearts, making them soft and pliable, so we say “Yes, Lord” and bend our wills. This week of study raised an important question – Are we living in such a way to honor God as we stay focused in ALL we do?

This month I am sharing lessons learned from the Devotional “Brave Faith” by Mary Geisen. Week One can be found HERE and Week Two HERE . I hope you will return for week 4 next Monday. And in the meantime, you can read more about the book on the author’s website HERE .

Today I am joining … #DreamTogether and Inspire Me Monday .