I Am Brave

 I am excited for this weekend coming up because many young ladies will be standing up to their fears, struggle and obstacles to say three powerful words: I Am Brave. It’s a declaration of faith and courage to stand up to your circumstances and say; despite it all, I am brave. It knocked me down but guess what? I was able to rise back up. It hit me pretty hard, but I’m a survivor. I was not supposed to make it, but I am here. Why? Because I Am Brave.

This Friday, the 9^th will be a night of celebration. We will be celebrating the bravery of so many courageous women. We will listen to some pretty powerful ‘Brave Stories’ of women who have endured great pain but have also been overcomers. And today they can share their stories to inspire other women to continue on their individual journeys.  The ‘You Make Me Brave’ event is about inspiring others through your individual story. It’s about encouraging others while they’re going through the challenging moments their story. And it’s about celebrating the victories of those who have overcome their struggles and moved on to the next chapter of their story.

Everyone has a story. Some stories are longer and more complex than others; nonetheless, it’s a beautiful story. How can you say it’s beautiful? You don’t know what I’ve been through, you may ask. And you’re right, I don’t know but one thing I do know is that someone else out there has. And that person has survived what you are going through.  With that, I can confidently say that your story; although incomplete and imperfect, will translate into a beautiful and inspiring story. That is why this event is so important to me because we are able to help each other through our stories. And I know for many this may seem far fetch because the pain is too profound and the darkness in your life abounds but I promise you that you will see the light at the end of the tunnel. I love what Psalm 23:4 says and I blogged about it a couple months ago: ‘Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.’ Whatever dark valley you may be facing, remember this, fear not! Don’t be afraid because you are not alone, God is with you. And I like how the NKJV states this verse, check this out: ‘Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.’ It’s just a shadow. It’s not death, whatever situation you may be facing, it will not lead to destruction, and it will not bring forth your death. Sometimes it’s easy to think, “OMG I’m going to die, I can’t take it any longer”. Relax, take a deep breath and remember,  it’s just a shadow in which one day, I don't know when, but one day, when you least expect it, that shadow will be exposed to light. And you too will be sharing your 'Brave Story'.

And I know many of my readers will not be able to make it to this event this weekend, but I want to remind you today that you are brave. The bible says in Psalm 30:5 that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning. And I want to declare over your life today, this first Monday of 2015 that although you may be weeping and it seems like dawn will never break and darkness is prevailing, I want to tell you that the day is breaking every shadow of darkness in your life and light will be exposed. If you can believe that 2015 will be a year of breakthrough, it will happen. Yes, we go through tests and trials and it is necessary in our lives but it is not God’s intention for you to stay “stuck” in a particular trial for a million years. Where would be the growth and maturity in that? In the midst of your struggle, God is pulling out a ‘brave’ new you. Pay close attention to the lessons He wants to teach you, for they will help you in the next phase of life.

We are simply guest starring in our own book, written by the One who holds the pen; God, the author of our lives. Through it all, God has always been with us, He is the one who makes us brave. He is the one who gives us the strength to endure everything we go through. He is the one who is writing our Brave Stories.

I’ll leave you with a short ‘I Am Brave’ video. Remember, you too are Brave :-)

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed!

Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥

Courage conquers

This week I was speaking to the Young Adults about the importance of courage and I started off the discussion with this question and I want you to answer it too.
What is something that you were scared of doing but overcame it? (Think...)

You accomplished it right? Did you die?  Of coarse not. Now, answer this. Is there still something that you are afraid of doing and need to overcome it? If so, what is stopping you?  Yes, I know, fear which in turn, translates to lack of courage.

What is courage?
Courage is the ability to confront fear, pain, danger, uncertainty, or intimidation. "Physical courage" is courage in the face of physical pain, hardship, death, or threat of death, while "moral courage" is the ability to act rightly in the face of popular opposition, shame, scandal, or discouragement.

Let's face it, we all have fears! Fear about something, uncertainty about the future, something that happened to us in the past which has paralyzed us from moving forward in the future.

FEAR PARALIZES FAITH!

Now, the million dollar question is how do you gain confidence and overcome fear? In order to overcome fear, you must face fear. This isn't an easy task but you can do it. You must look at your enemy in the face and face that bully called Fear. To say “no” is to live in fear. My goal is to continually improve myself, to become better than I am today. One way to do that is to do the things that scare me, to take them on as challenges, and to learn from them — even if I fail. Are you up for the challenge?

In the bible we see many people who were put in very tough situation and had a choice to make. What do I do? Do I take a chance or will I let my fear interfere? And these bible characters were heroes, they were courageous but at one point or another, had a decision to make. God wants you to make a decision. Do you continue to live the way you are living, in your comfort zone or do you shake it off and actually Go For It? The definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results. It's not going to work! You must do something different in order to see something different. God is waiting for you to take the Courage and step out into the destiny He has prepared for you. It will be scary, intimidating, confusing, and a whole bunch of other mixed emotions but when you know God has called you for something specific you can rely on His support and His blessing. He will be with you every step of the way.

1. Esther made a declaration: If I perish then I'll perish but she was determined to fight for her people, even if it cost her her life. She was called for such a time as this to go before the king and save her people. For such a time as this God has called you for what? Are you willing to risk it all for Jesus? Esther was.

2. Daniel was a young man who decided to be different. He would not eat from the king's food, he would not bow down to his god, he would instead bow down to His God and pray three times a day even if it cost him his life. He was thrown into the lion's den, in an burning furnace, he faced many life threatening situations but he persevered in his faith. He was willing to risk his life and his freedom to serve God. Now, that is courage! Question is, how bad are you willing to defend your faith?

3. Paul was a very courageous man. Before coming to Christ he was a persecutor of Christians but after his conversion he became a passionate Christian, enduring all sorts of pain and suffering for the cause of the gospel. He was beaten, thrown in jail, ultimately killed but nothing ever stopped him from preaching the gospel and fulfilling God's will on earth. What is stopping you today from fulfilling God's will in your life?

Is it fear? These are only 3 of the many examples of people who were in a "fear" setting enviroment but they were able to overcome it because their purpose was greater than their persecution. Your faith must be greater than your fear

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Fear is a spirit that does not come from God, He has not given us that spirit, then why do we choose to accept it? He has given us power, power to overcome fear! Do not let fear get in the way of the great plans God has instore for you. Only you can stop His purpose to be fulfilled in your life.


Confidence is built slowly, one success at a time. Like I mentioned previously, I’ve learned that in order to overcome fear, you must face fear. And once you face it, your faith will propel you to overcome it. And today I want to share 14 steps that will help you overcome fear. I will just list them but not go in depth because this blog is a condenced version of the teaching that I gave so here you go.

1. Don’t dwell on failures.
2. Rehearse a positive outcome.
3. Don’t procrastinate.
4. To think confidently, act confidently.
5. Think like the other person.
6. Maintain a positive mental attitude.
7. Get off your “but”. Learn to defeat a case of the “buts”.
8. Visualize success.
9. Look sharp. Take care of yourself.
10. Do the right thing.
11. Keep things in perspective.
12. Don’t seek perfection.
13. Read the success literature. Research others who have succeeded.
14. Don’t compare yourself to others. Be yourself

With these steps and God by your side, there is nothing that you cannot achieve.
And I'll leave you with these few key bible verses that speak about Courage.

1. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.
Deuteronomy 31:6

2. Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:7-9

3. And David said to his son Solomon, “Be strong and of good courage, and do it; do not fear nor be dismayed, for the Lord God—my God—will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord.
1Chronicles 28:20

4. Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart,
All you who hope in the Lord.
Psalm 31:24

5. Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 41:10

6. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:58

7. Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
1Corinthians 16:13

8. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
Ephesians 6:10

I hope this blog blesses your life and motivates you to get up and do it.  Do not allow Fear to paralyze your faith.  You are positioned to do great things that will require you to come out of your comfort zone.  Shake yourself off and GO!

Be Encouraged, Be Blessed
Landy Perez-Feliciano ♥