“The giant oak is an acorn that stood it’s ground.” A friend handed me a note with these words on it years ago, knowing my special affinity for oak trees, acorns and the deeper meaning they hold for me.
Life is about learning to when to stand our ground and when to move, isn’t it? Standing my ground has been a fiercehearted discipline for me – especially when pain or fear say it is too risky, and that I’d be better off hiding. The flourishing and growth doesn’t come in the fear though, does it?
I’ve always been a brave sort of girl. High capacity. Fairly flexible, and able to do more than I probably should. With a big heart and a love for life and all that it holds. I need my quiet time in large doses, but I also need connecting time in vast amounts. I’m optimistic, and catch vision quickly, with ten ideas always tucked in my back pocket. I love creating and making things happen.
However, every so often, I seem to go through a cycle of weariness. A time when my tendency to over-responsibility makes me wonder if I’ve got what it takes. Where I feel insignificant and small. When I feel let down by others, and like I’ve not got much left to give. When my intentions were misunderstood. A time when I feel not at all fiercehearted, and reluctant to show up where I’ve been called to live fully and love bravely. Honestly, that’s typically what sends me running instead of standing my ground.
My sister-of-the-heart Holley shared her personal experience with choosing to be fiercehearted in her new book, Fiercehearted: Live Fully, Love Bravely {launching October 3rd!). Her fiercehearted manifesto encourages perspective in the midst of battling priorities, and is a balm to a tender heart wondering if she’s got what it takes.
This is my longing for the sisterhood of women. That we would be free to live fully and love bravely. I want to watch my daughter learn to lead and love with her fierce, tender heart, with a confidence that chases Jesus, looking life in the face, saying “You can’t beat me.”
May we be fiercehearted women.
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I can’t wait to read this book! I have goosebumps every time I see a post about it. Excited to read it soon and hope you are doing well, dear Ellen!
You will LOVE it! xo
The best way that I can describe reading this book is that it felt like Holley was sat next to me on my couch, or across the table in the coffee shop whispering words of gold to me. Sometimes I laughed, sometimes I cried, sometimes for her; mainly for me! And I could sense her encouraging me to keep laughing, to keep crying, to keep hoping and believing. Sometimes I felt that Holley was writing about me: as if she could read my thoughts; sometimes she was speaking directly to me because she knew exactly what I needed to hear; and sometimes I was absorbed in her story and I wanted to cheer her on. Wherever you are in life, whatever season you’re going through, this book is a treasure you can’t afford to miss. Thank you Holley, and I’m so excited to meet you soon!
So, so glad you actually got to sit next to Holley for a while! Thank you so much for joining us this weekend!
I love how Holley talks about the beauty of the dream before it is the reality. She inspires me to appreciate the dreaming seasons of life – and not rush to see results. She reminds me to let God do His work in His time and to enjoy the dreaming. I also so appreciate Holley’s honest exploration of herself – her own identity – even her own sensitivities as a child. This section reminded me of the things that made me unique as a child – the things that continue to. I was also reminded of the many children and teens I teach – and their sensitivities and learning styles and insecurities – I love how Holley encourages readers to embrace their own make-up and design, and develop those strengths. This read has been a beautiful journey for me!
Yes to the beauty of the dream before it is reality! You are in a beautiful season, friend. I’m excited to have a front-row seat to see how it unfolds! xo
There were many stories to inspire a fierce hearted woman to keep fighting the good fight, to finish the race and to keep the faith. What I most loved was being reminded of our fierce God who is in relentless pursuit of us HIs children. I can be the giddy child, because He is the faithful Father. I can embrace being caught between cream and butter, because He is completely devoted to His promises. I can wear the hat, because He is and has more than enough. I can love those in front of me because He loved me first. I can choose my response, because He already chose me. I can give Him my affection, because He loved me when I wasn’t behaving. I can let go of control because He never does. I can be honest about what is hurting because He is the Healer. I can run my race on pace, because the results are His. I can live fully and love bravely because Jesus already did. His love was the bravest and His life the fullest. When I embrace the same, I look a little bit more like Him.
Yes! I am SO GLAD you got on that plane and flew out to join us in person. I”m already looking forward to the next time it happens, fierce hearted woman!
Ellen,
I’m looking forward to meeting Holley although I feel like I already know her after reading this book! I think we’re all so much alike and being open with our stories helps us to live fully and is loving bravely. Thanks for sharing this linkup and being the encourager that you are. Your life is lived fully and you love bravely inspiring so many of us to do the same!
Have an extremely blessed day!
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
You are such a remarkable encourager, cheerleader and champion. I’m so, so glad that you are part of this community. Thank you for your presence, Sherry! xo
Holley’s book is in my pile, and every time I read something new about it, it makes me even more eager to pick it up and start the adventure! Thanks for featuring it here today!
I hope you love it! It really is her best book, IMHO! 🙂
I must reiterate what Helen said about reading “Fierce Hearted” in that I too felt like I was sitting next to Holley, having coffee with her at my local cafe or sitting in my living room as she shared about life with me. I think I have said this before, but I definitely find that I relate so much to practical reality. Holley’s openness and just her honesty about who she is, where she is at and how God meets her in those situations was so refreshing and so good because I can relate to it! We, especially as woman, can have the tendency to blow things up in our minds making others always so much better then ourselves and then we are left defeated and sometimes paralyzed from moving forward; weak hearted. As I was reading through this book there were so many times where I’m thinking to myself “she struggles just as I do and God is using her”. Actually, I was incredibly challenged by Chapter 32 “Kind, Not Nice”. I have had a tough year and have experienced personal hurt from peers and in my mind I was fine to just be “nice”. Well now God is calling me to more then that and as He fills me with His supernatural love and as He loves me the same way, I am called to be ‘kind”, which will make all the difference, especially for me! Thank you Holley for that exhortation. I come away after reading this book thanking and praising a God who wants to use ordinary people who are faithful, available and teachable to show others himself. I feel in my heart an encouragement to move from weak hearted to fierce hearted!
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