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31 Day Series: Faith Greater Than Fear

9/30/2015

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Faith Greater Than Fear : Introduction

9/29/2015

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"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1

I'm going to be honest. I am not fearless. I'm a pretty fearful person. That sounds a bit hypocritical coming from the writer on a blog called She Laughs Without Fear. In fact, I should be called Much-Afraid Madi. There are many things that make me fearful. Some things might surprise you:

I'm often afraid of people, which means that I tend to want to please people and say what they want to hear instead of speaking the truth in love.
I'm afraid of letting people see my messiness, my flaws and imperfections.
I'm afraid of the future and often want to try to control things.
I'm afraid of failing in many areas of life.
I'm afraid of putting my honest thoughts to pen or in this case, internet.
Lastly, I'm afraid that I don't have enough faith.

I've been thinking a lot about these fears lately, especially since I'm in a season where I'm called to be faithful, which means choosing to take steps of boldness.

There is a strong pull in my life right now between faith and fear.

Yes, I am very fearful, which pulls me towards apathy, laziness, and self-pity.

But then there's a stronger pull, with a greater Anchor, tugging me towards choosing faith, which leads to freedom, discipline, and joy.

The natural bent of my heart is in the direction of fear, but that road does not bring life. It only brings death and destruction to my soul.

Now faith, that's a different road entirely. A road that is far less travelled. One with rockier terrain. But it's like that road that leads to the most beautiful and perfect sunset overlook. At first, it doesn't seem like it would lead to a beautiful destination, but as you walk farther along, the landscape changes.

But faith means very different things to different people. You can have faith that a chair will support you. But the faith I'm talking about is very different. The faith I'm talking about is putting one's hope in Christ alone.

So join me for the next 31 days as we focus on a faith greater than fear.

Here's a little bit of what to expect from this series:

Mondays - Fridays: Greater Than ____________ post
These will be posts that focus on a specific fear and how faith in Christ allows us to overcome that fear.

Saturdays: Greater Than Fear Links
Links to blogs, articles, songs, or talks that go along with the 31 day series.

Sundays: Greater Than Fear Scripture
We're going to take Sundays to rest a bit and focus specifically on Scripture and times when God's people have chosen faith over fear.

If ever you miss a day, just visit this link.

I'm excited to begin this journey with you! 2 days to go!

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31 Days

9/18/2015

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On October 1, I will be taking part in a community writing experiment called 31 Days, in which a community of bloggers will collectively write each day for 31 days on a topic of their choosing.

Last year, I spent 31 days writing about what it's like being a creative Christian. It was exhilarating and needed. The Lord had me in a season in life when being creative and wanting to follow God felt at odds. Writing for 31 days about what the Lord was teaching me helped bring clarity.

I'm hoping this year's 31 day series does the same.

Here is a teaser of what this next month holds for She Laughs Without Fear.

If you want to read all the posts from last year's series, go here.

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Sharing the Love

9/16/2015

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Links that are inspiring, encouraging, or just plain fun!

Patience > Pride
My friend Amber shares some really great insights on patience and how patience is a fruit of faith.

How to Stay Christian on Campus
Enough said.

College Doesn't Change Your Heart, It Reveals It
As I've been sharing with churches and individuals about the campus ministry I work for, I kept thinking about this article.

5 Ways to Ruin a Perfectly Good Dating Relationship
I was surprised that Challies wrote this post, but super helpful!

One Thing Change Doesn't Change
Emily Freeman articulates a lot of thoughts about change - it's the inevitable space in life that allows us to grow.

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Sharing the Love

9/3/2015

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Sharing links that are inspiring, encouraging, and just plain fun!

Give Your Suitor Some Grace
This one goes out to the man in my life. We both need a lot of grace.

Be In A Tree
Makes me want to go on vacation to a tree house. Especially now that fall is on the horizon.

Your Shattered Dreams and Shaken Faith
This one is a needed reminder for me and for all of my friends that are currently struggling with trusting in God's goodness.

Love is a Risky Business
Tim Challies is currently reading through Knowing God with his followers. I've always wanted to read along with Challies, but for right now, I'm just enjoying his posts about the classics he's reading.

6 Costs of Real Friendship
This article is challenging and convicting. Our culture throws around the word "friend", but what does it really mean/cost to be a friend.

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