We are pleased to welcome back one of our favorites ,Erin, to the blog today! She is a mom, writer, and CEO of Bible Belles. We love this company and their hearts for moms and girls. In partnership with them, we are giving away a cop of Erin’s new book Abigail: The Belle of Bravery. You can also “shop” today and when you do (at no extra cost to you) a small portion will go to support Mothers of Daughters. Thank you! Welcome Erin!

*********

My mom and I never talked about the importance of being brave. Yours might have mentioned it once or twice. Maybe it was part of your regular conversations at the dinner table or bedtime. Whatever the case, I think we can all agree that bravery is a crucial part of growing up, in Girl World and beyond.

As I worked on the third book in our H.E.A.R.D. series, Abigail: The Belle of Bravery, I found myself thinking about how I’m going to teach my daughter to be someone who will stand up and do the right thing, even when she’s scared? I say “when” because there will be times when she will experience fear, moments when she’ll pause and consider the alternative to being brave. She will see something wrong. She’ll witness someone being marginalized. Okay, I just saw that, she’ll say to herself. Can I pretend I didn’t? Maybe if I look away, no one will know. We all hope those thoughts won’t go through our girls’ minds, but let’s be realistic. At times, it’s a mean and cruel jungle out there, and the right choice is often the one that will turn you into prey.

In each one of these would-be brave moments, she will have a choice to make. Will she remember the truth: she lives in this world, yes, but she is not of it? Will she remember God, that His love is endless, that He is strong, powerful, and that His protection and grace cover her, no matter what situation she finds herself in? Will she be able to remember what’s real when it’s time to stand up and do what’s hard?

Our girls must learn to be brave, not in the false, bravado sort of way where they pretend to be fearless. No. Fear is coming, girls, and you will have to step up to the plate, afraid, and swing for the fences anyway. So, as your moms, how do we teach you when all of us are just grown-up girls, still learning to find courage for what we’re facing in our own lives? Where can we find a beautiful example of real bravery: a woman who chose love and kindness over doing what was easy? Who can we point our girls toward to dispel the lies this world will tell them about how they should love people? We find her in 1 Samuel 25. She’s Abigail: The Belle of Bravery. The key to Abigail’s bravery lies in her response to trouble. It was a bold choice to ride out to meet danger, but she discerned quickly that the solution was love. She stepped out of her comfort zone and chose to love heroically.

And because she was willing to be brave, God used her in a powerful way. He revealed more of who He is through the choice that she made. Isn’t that what our girls need: a better understanding of God’s true character? The more they know about their Father, the easier it will be for them to choose courage over convenience – and be one step closer to His definition of real beauty.

Mamas, we’ve got to show our girls what bravery looks like. Let’s show them how to trust God even when they don’t know what He’s up to. Let’s teach them to face their trials with the confidence that He is strong, He is good, and He will make them brave.

***Giveaway: Erin and Bible Belles are giving away one signed copy of her new book, Abigail: The Belle of Bravery to one Mothers of Daughters reader! Just leave a comment below to enter. Winner must reside in USA and will be chosen on Sunday December 11, 2016 and notified by email!

***Shop NOW for 10% off: Use Code “MOD” (click here to shop all the Bible Belle Products include the NEW Abigail: The Belle of Bravery)

*************

Erin Weidemann is a teacher turned professional author. A former college athlete, Erin is also a five-time cancer survivor. She lives in Encinitas, California with her husband Brent and their daughter Rooney. Alongside her husband, she is the co-founder and CEO of Bible Belles, an organization committed to inspiring girls to discover real beauty through the female heroes of the Bible. She is also the host of the award-winning Heroes For Her podcast, available on iTunes.