Dare to Be... Courageous

Often times our fears consume us. Our fears are known to get the best of us. For this reason I encourage all of us to courageous in our actions. I started this movement "Dare to Be" last week. I created a facebook page and less than a week later we are up to 44 likes. I never expected to grow in this way. I thought I'd have maybe 5 likes at this point, but I have 8 times that currently, and we're continuing to grow. Normally I probably would've just carried on about and not thought anything of this, figuring it would be dumb and pointless. But I chose to be courageous - in choosing to do something that could easily fail.

I want to see a change in this world, and I want to do something about it - I want to see the good in life, the positive stories, I want to see people smiling and loving one another. Martin Luther King Jr. gave an I have a Dream speech. Well, dear brothers and sisters, I also have a dream - a dream to see a change in our pessimistic culture to optimism.

Therefore, I dare you to be courageous today in your actions, in your love. Be positive. Don't be afraid to be consecrated - to be set apart, to be different than those around us. Let lift the spirits of all around us with our joy!

Dare to Be... Discontent

Dare to be discontent. There is often a struggle with complacency in the Christian life - in being content right where you are and not wanting to grow deeper. Today, I dare to be discontent with where I'm at in my life. I want to go deeper. I want to know Christ more. I don't want to grow complacent in my faith, but rather draw ever closer to our heavenly Father. Mark 12:28-34
"Which is the first of all the commandments?" Jesus replied, "The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,  with all your soul,  with all your mind, and with all your strength.

Do we really love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength? How can we take this to the next level in our lives? Are we content just breezing by in class, or just being friends because we need to study together.

I dare to be discontent in my relationships, in my work, in my prayer. Take them deeper. Take it the next level, and see what God does in your life if you seek to not be content, but rather try harder.

Dare to Be... Forgiving

It is easy to become angered. Things don't go our way. It rains as we walk to class and have to spend the rest of the day with wet socks. We have to stay up all night doing homework. We can't get the food we want. Somebody says something we don't like. We get a parking ticket... Someone annoys us because it seems like they only complain, or they can't ever see the good in anything, or maybe they just know how to push your buttons. Basically, we're a selfish society. me. Me. ME. ME! ME!! ME!!!
What's best for me? It's all about me? Why don't I get noticed for this or for that?


My dear brothers and sisters, how can ever love one another with the love of Christ if all we do is think of ourselves. John 13:34  "I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. Also, I encourage you to read Matthew 18:21-35. 

I implore you, join with me in this journey. May we love each person, knowing they are children of God and deserve to be loved. 

Dare to Be...

 I posted something from Natalie Grant, an artist whom I love. Her music is beautiful, and you should definitely listen to her! But she's doing something for women, daring them to reach their highest goals. Encouraging women to strive for success. Well, I really like this idea. It's a fantastic idea. However, I want to take the idea and apply it to being a radical christian. Each day(I'm going to shoot for each day, but I'm a nursing student with a job and friends...)....Each day I'm going to post Dare to Be...Courageous or Love or Joyful or Patient...and use virtues that make us radical Christians. Because I want us to be radical. I want us to be different. I want us to be set apart from this world. I want to spread the love of Christ wherever I go, whatever I do, and I want to bring others with me. So I encourage you to join me in this journey and post what you dare to be too and join me in this journey!

Today I dare to be Joyful. Fr. Barron says the most effective way of evangelization is joy(http://www.ucatholic.com/apologetics/effective-evangelization/). It is joy that is contagious. Those who don't know Christ, those who are still searching, see the joy a person filled with the Holy Spirit and desire to experience this joy. So today, I dare to be joyful, no matter what may seem to go wrong.

Where the Inspiration Came From

Today I Dare To Be….

If you’re anything like me, you have a catalog in your mind of some pivotal moments in your life when different people may have said “you can’t…”
Some of those defining moments have stayed with me, influenced me, kept me from believing that I am who God says that I am.

But the more I have discovered about Jesus and the more I learn of His thoughts towards me, what once were deafening and defeating statements, are replaced by the Truth of God.

I’m calling on all my girlfriends to rise up and be a part of a revolution. That together, with one voice, the earth would hear us, as the sisterhood of God say, “yes, we can.”

Dare To Be is a call for women to stand and say “I am who God says that I am. I can be what God says I can be. I can do what God has asked me to do.” If we could begin to see what God sees when He looks at us, how would that change our lives, marriages, families, communities and the world?

When Jesus asked Peter to walk on the water, I’m betting there were many “I can’t” thoughts that initially crossed his mind. But because Peter dared to believe and trust, Jesus accomplished the impossible through his life. He wants to do the same through us. Jesus didn’t say, “I’m sorry, Peter, but water-walking is for Messiahs only.” No, he said one simple word: Come. God is daring us to do impossible things by faith.

This is what I am asking of you. Throughout the week, I want you, daughter of the King, to dare to believe & live 1 thing God has called you to be.

1. Write it on a piece of paper. Then sign your name.
2. Take a picture while holding the sign. Tweet or facebook the pic with the hashtag #daretobe
3. Live it out.

We’ll make a weekly collage of all who are Daring To Be. I want to see your face among what will be a beautiful collection, and I’ll be excited to feature you on my website.

So, what will you DARE TO BE? Love, kindness, hope, courage, joy, peace, justice, freedom, empowered, uncompromising, forgiving, whole….

“I can do all things through CHRIST…”(Phil 4:13) – and so can YOU!

http://nataliegrant.com/2012/03/12/today-i-dare-to-be/ 

Today I found this via Natalie Grant, I wanted to share it, and encourage everyone to go against the culture of this world and dare to be men and women of virtue. Natalie is seeking to specifically reach women, but I think there is great merit in seeking to reach out to both men in women and dare to be radical Christians.