Secret #3: Courage - (1)

Secret #3: Courage: Courage means acting decisively, even while taking risk, in whatever way God directs you. Make decisions by design rather than by default. Courage is not one of those things that "just happens"...it needs to be developed, demonstrated and even tested consistently.*

Encarta defines Courage as: "quality of being brave: the ability to face danger, difficulty, uncertainty, or pain without being overcome by fear or being deflected from a chosen course of action."**

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language defines Courage as: The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.***

So courage starts in the mind; obviously, this is by no means easy...we all need to be courageous. By God’s grace, together will help each other cultivate and maintain:

• Courage to Live
• Courage to Love
• Courage to Lead
• Courage to Learn
• Courage to Lean
• Courage to Leave

The list is not in any order and is by no means exhaustive...just the starting point...

Before we start sharing our TEA, let's consider a few words of wisdom I found on the Internet:


Eleanor Roosevelt was so wise; she said, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do."
Seneca said: "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare; it is because we do not dare that things are difficult."

I like this one - it just speaks to our desire to walk on water - "Man cannot discover new oceans until he has courage to lose sight of the shore." (Author unknown)
Last, but by no means least, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen." Anonymous

Beryl and Sapphire will take a cue from this last one to speak...via this blogspot. We also hope that you will (at some point) join us in the discussion.

References:
*page 21 of The Esther Effect by Dianna Booher

**http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/courage.html
***Excerpted from The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Third Edition Copyright © 1992 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Electronic version licensed from Lernout & Hauspie Speech Products N.V., further reproduction and distribution restricted in accordance with the Copyright Law of the United States. All rights reserved.