Build it because He already planned it . . .

New Year, Same Old Fears . . . Not This Time!

Welcome to The Great 5-in-5 Build – 5 Fears Faced Unafraid in 5 Months, starting February 1! We’re about to learn all about trust in God and where it’ll carry us – grab your toolbelt . . . .

Do you have any fears or anxieties interfering with your life and the plan you know God has for you? Are you fighting the same battles over and over, stalled in what you don’t know and afraid to trust what God tells you? Have you built anything wonderful lately?

If some of that describes your life, or if you’ve overcome much of the same and can help your fellow builders, please join us for this blog tour and study of how we can live our lives UNAFRAID, how we can have joy in the building of everything God says we’re here to build.

The Israelites, about 2500 years ago, were able to leave Babylon after a long captivity and return to Jerusalem to rebuild the burned temple Solomon had built. What a job God gave them (and we’re going to see just how significant that was as we go), but they struggled in their fear and lack of trust.

We’re going to learn from them and see how their lessons guide us in the building of our “temples” today -- our lives that reflect God and His grace to those around us. And we’re going to enjoy it, because God gave us this life where He is the center -- and that means joy and peace and progress and courage. And that means YOU!

Please join us each month, beginning February 1, as we examine a particular fear. We’ll look at fairly universal fears we all struggle with, have or will because they touch our basest human needs and emotions. Each fear has lots of faces and stories as varied as our readers -- and just as many victories. We want to celebrate those stories and victories and pass on help to others, because that’s what our mission is here: receiving God’s grace and reflecting Him back to others and helping them build in whatever way we can.

I’ll post an initial message about each fear the first of each month, February through June, as well as a brief study guide. Fellow bloggers are welcome to post both my messages and the study guides to their blogs, and each month, one particularly blogger will join me in examining each fear [schedule below].

All readers, of course, are encouraged to post their experiences, struggles, lessons learned, victories and joys for others to learn from as well.

And everyone who participates will be part of our Toolbelt Brigade – those of us working each day to build where God says build, unafraid. And that means we’ll still be swinging a hammer long after this 5-in-5 Build is over, because as long as God’s left us here, He’s got a plan. All we have to do is our part, and we do it much better in faith than in fear.

So please join us beginning February 1 as we work to make this year different from all the rest. Our temples are waiting . . . .

Our Schedule...

Our Blog Tour Schedule

February – fear of change, we overcome and build with joy in new blessings to come
February's Partner Blogger: Iris at Grace Alone . . .
[brief Bible study of Ruth]

March – fear of failing, we overcome and build with willingness, belief and patience
March's Partner Blogger: Melissa at A Familiar Path
[brief Bible study of Gideon]

April – fear of loss, we overcome and build with faith in God’s provision and care
April's Partner Blogger: Tammy at My Heart . . . His words
[brief Bible study of Peter]

May – fear of rejection, we overcome and build with security and purpose
May's Partner Blogger: Terry at Breathing Grace
[brief Bible study of Moses]

June – fear of loss of control, we overcome and build with trust (the point of the whole book: Trust ME, God says.)
June's Partner Blogger: Kristen at Hands, House, and Heart Full
[brief Bible study of Joseph]

The back story . . . .

This blog is called A Hundred Fearless Words because I originally planned to post brief, meaningful messages about overcoming fears and point you to my new book -- just take a little of your time now and then to talk about courage while I moved on to the next project.

Then my life ended. Well, no, I’m still here of course, but as I was getting ready to release this book, I walked through the most unexpected and unthinkable time I’d ever known, and it’s not over, but I’m recovering. Of all the horrible stuff I’ve been afraid of before (and often written about to my amazingly patient, long-suffering readers), I’m now facing new unimaginable fears, and the wounds from my own piece of hell are still raw and bleeding. Scared doesn't touch it, and yet, here we are.

So let’s back up a sec. All my books, all my speaking, all my work -- it’s all what I’ve lived, where I’ve been, where God has held me and healed me with His grace. Like you, I seek others so that I can gratefully pass on that grace, and this new blog was supposed to be like that -- it was supposed to be about me helping you and teaching you and encouraging you -- and with my partner bloggers and God’s grace, it still will be, with a twist.

I can’t separate my work and my life and my readers. I never have, and those of you who know me well know how I’ve spilled all my mistakes and messes out for you to see. BUT, in the past, those mistakes and messes were in the past too, cleaned up a little, and I was better by the time God let me near you. But this time, we’re not so lucky, either one of us, and the work must go on.

So more exposed than ever and in more need of your understanding and support, here I am, my knee-shaking, heart-pounding, praying without ceasing scaredy-cat self, about to talk with you about being unafraid.

Because as terrified as I am right now, I know God is still in control. I can’t see it well right now, but I will choose to trust it. Journey with me, if you dare, and I promise you we’ll both have God beside us as we go. And we’re going to make this year our best ever, starting now. Thanks for being here . . . .