Brave.
Who do you think of when you hear that word?
I think of a daughter getting her tooth pulled, another daughter playing the violin in front of 200 people, a friend battling depression, a mother dealing with yet another miscarriage, a young woman overcoming her fear of heights to go repelling down a mountain side, a mother returning to school to get her degree, a woman speaking out against the evils of pornography, a friend celebrating her birthday by skydiving, a sweet young woman who was raped and became pregnant because of that violation but refused to have an abortion and instead carried that baby only to give him up for adoption, breast cancer survivors, abuse survivors. All of these are women I know. And they are brave.
Make no mistake, life can be hard, brutally hard and painful. But it can also be beautiful and full of joy. Those two opposites are always pulling at us. Which direction will we allow ourselves to go?
Katherine Nelson’s new CD BORN BRAVE celebrates women all over the world, their courage, their bravery, their strength. In Katherine’s own words:
WOMEN OF THE WORLD…The odds are stacked against us. There is an adversary who knows all too well that the annihilation of the spirits of the Daughters of God will destroy families, communities, and even nations. Women have been born with the ability to reach inside for that instinct of survival, both physical and spiritual. Whether being passed down in our hearts by the countless women and mothers who came before us, or born out of our darkest hours of struggles.THERE IS A DEEP WELL OF STRENGTH THAT LIES WITHIN USthat fuels our capacity to exercise courage, to face the unfaceable, and to rise above every circumstance. We carry the banner of faith, love, perseverance, and HOPE to all those within our circles of outreach in life.I truly believe that
WHEN WE STRENGTHEN WOMEN, WE STRENGTHEN THE WORLD.WE ARE ALL BORN BRAVE.
The songs are moving, touching, and yes, a couple even made me cry. My own daughters have been playing some of the songs over and over again, the messages belting out across the house – life is good enough to eat, what’s mine is yours, all I want is where I am, you were born to stand tall, you were born to face the wind, you were born to feel heartbreak and heal again.
I love that Katherine celebrates what women do. We create babies, homes, legacies. We love our families, friends, the LORD. We teach, lead, guide. We laugh, cry, hurt. We work to make the world better. And do it day after tiring day because we know deep down it matters.
It is hard for me to choose a favorite song on this album. When the day is great and all is going well Home, Sweet Home or Good For Me, with their messages of in-the-trenches motherhood keep me smiling. And when I need a pick me up Born or We Are do the trick.
You can listen to clips of the album on Katherine’s homepage or read her thoughts and stories about each song here. Katherine also started an organization called Women Born Brave. They are collecting stories of brave women, women who are an inspiration to their family, church, or community. Go and read, be inspired, and share your story.
I have 5 BORN BRAVE CDS to giveaway! Yes, five!! Courtesy of YourLDSRadio and R Legacy Entertainment. Follow the instructions on the rafflecopter to enter. The two “Leave a comment” entries are: leave a comment telling about a time you were brave, leave a separate comment telling about a woman in your life who is brave.
Time I was brave? Tricky. I feel brave whenever I talk to someone in real life. I feel brave each time we move and I put on a happy face even though we still haven’t done exactly the thing we keep working towards. I feel I am brave homeschooling my boys because it scares the snot out of me everyday and the only reason I do it is because the Lord has shown me that it is what we need to do.
Someone I know who is brave? My Mom. When she was 14 she met a young man. He was charming and he really liked her. She had just joined this new church that encouraged waiting until you were 16 to date. She moved to Calgary when she was 16 though, to go to college, and she thought that would be the end. She was wrong. He followed her. BUT she also was still a member of this church and really wanted to marry in the temple. He was not a member. She held strong and when she was 18 got married in that temple to this man. She is strong, she is brave, she is my Mom.
I had to be brave to put my little three hour old baby through surgery that would help to preserve his life and to watch him go through several more surgeries as he grew older.
I think my bravest time was sending my husband off to Iraq for 9 months with a two week old baby in my arms.
A brave woman I know is my mom. She has shown me how to quietly go about being brave.
I have to be brave as I try to raise my family when we are so far away from much of my family, and both sets of grandparents.
A brave person I know is my mom. She faces trials with such perfect faith that whatever happens–be it death or foreclosure or whatever–is truly the Lord’s plan and that everything will be ok.
I was brave just the other day at Girls Camp when the group needed a leader to go on the hike. I went even though I had my doubts that I could make it. I did make it! And it felt so good!!
One of the bravest women I know is my best gal friend. She goes through every hardship, through every day with such a good attitude and when I worry too much she is always there to remind me of who I am and in Whom I trust. The only way she could do that is if she knew it herself.
My husband informed me 1 year from graduation and during one of my deathly ill pregnancies that he wanted to change his major and go to dental school (another 6 years of school and no job while doing it). After a small breakdown, I threw my whole heart into it and it scared me to death.
The bravest person I know right now is my sister, who lost her precious little boy at 39 weeks and 4 days pregnant.
As a shy young college student I spent a semester abroad in Germany. I took my spring break in England all by myself. I had never used buses or trains, but I did it! I learned that I could do things by myself. But I also discovered that it is more fun to experience the beauties of this world with someone else.
My mom was brave when she left a comfortable home to move to an old camp to live in cabins with only plastic for windows and a 50 foot trek through the snow to get to the bathroom. She lived like that for four years until the lodge could be fixed up enough for permanent living! Now her camp is a haven for the entire extended family. When I tell people about it, they always say how lucky my parents are. I make sure they know it wasn’t luck, but SACRIFICE. My mom is brave and visionary. It’s a great combination.
I don’t know when I am brave specifically. I sure have been through much heartache in my life and people comment how strong I am, so maybe I am brave too. Thank you for the chance to win!
I was brave last year when I had to stand up to my family and remove my children from a harmful situation. It is hardest to tell those you love the most when they are doing something wrong. There were lots of hurt feelings and I was criticized for making waves and causing trouble and being too judgemental, but it kept my kids safe and I know I was doing the right thing. Hopefully in a few years things will work out and we can be an active part of their lives again, but until then I just have to tell them and myself and our children that sometimes the Lord asks us to do hard things and we do them, evenif it isn’t fun or comfortable.
One of the bravest women I know isn’t a woman yet. My daughter is only 10 (nearly 11, if you ask her) and so very brave! She was diagnosed earlier this year with type 1 diabetes, which started with a three day hospital stay and resolved with insulin therapy, five shots a day, countless finger pricks, and lots of life altering changes. But she did and does it all with courage and maturity. I know the shots and finger sticks hurt, but she doesn’t complain or cry. She faces ignorance and misinformation and curious stares every where she goes but she manages to respond with respect and calm and patient explanations. She could go through life scared of the “what-ifs” or have a big pity party, or lose faith. But she doesn’t let it stop her from having fun, trying and doing hard things, or looking for the good. She recently told me that she is sure she will meet someone in the future that will need her help and support with diabetes, so the Lord placed this in her life so she could be prepared to be the answer to someone’s prayers. I believe her.
A time I was brave was when I was in my teenage years and stood up for my beliefs and standards despite being teased for them. I am hoping my young daughter will be strong and brave enough to do the same when faced with a similar situation.
The bravest woman I know is my dear mother who has been given “tests” that I know I would never be able to withstand, yet she has carried them with dignity and grace.
I feel like I was brave when I went to a new school in a different state and didn’t know anyone. I’ll have to do it again this year, and hopefully I will be brave again!
One of the bravest women I know is a lady in my ward. She has battled breast cancer and is still the kindest person that anyone can talk to. She is such a good example of staying true to herself even through a crisis like cancer.
I was brave when I chose to follow the prompting from God to homeschool, and when I found out my baby has Down syndrome and I chose to love him and care for him no matter what may come…
I know a woman who was abused as a child, and still battles her feelings of low self-worth even as she raises her three children and supports her husband. I love this music, btw! I just visited KN’s website and LOVE it!
I was brave when my daughter went through cancer. It honestly takes some faith to choose to feel peace and hope instead of doing doomsday thinking.
And my daughter was really brave. She had complete trust in her patriarchal blessing and the peace from God. When told the percent chance of survival, she said that for her, it’d be 100%.
I have been brave going outside of my comfort zone to go the gym by myself and lifting weights when I feel like I have no clue what I am doing and everyone else around me does.
My four year old daughter was brave last week at the dentist when she was getting a cavity taken care of. She was so scared and almost didn’t let the dentist do his job but in the end she was brave.
My grandmother is the bravest woman I know. She was pregnant with her 10th child when her husband was killed in a plane crash (my dad was the 8th child). Her life is a testament of faith and courage, she never gave up and raised a beautiful family who praise her name. EVERY time we got together as a family, she always bore her testimony to us of the love of God, the Atonement of our Savior, and the truthfulness of the Gospel. Whenever things get hard, I think of my grandma and know that I can do hard things too! It’s been a couple years since she has passed away and gone to meet her sweetheart once again. She surely endured well, to the very end of her life. I am SO very grateful for her amazing example!
I am doing my best to be brave now while my husband is deployed and I am pregnant with our fourth little one. Since he has been gone I have been so sick that I have had to temporarily move our little family two states away to stay with family. I don’t always feel brave, but I’m trying!
An amazing friend of mine has given birth to three of her four children alone because her husband has been deployed each time. I think she is so brave to go through the births and first months of her children’s lives without her husband!
The bravest person I know is my best friend who went into labor at 20 weeks, and then delivered a baby boy who couldn’t be saved. She had the faith and the desire to try again and was able to have a baby girl after 5 months of bed rest. I see her bravery and hope to be like her.
I time that I was brave was when I accepted the Lord’s will that I wouldn’t serve a mission, but that I would teach middle schooler’s math. I loved the experience, but it took bravery every day to expect their respect and hope that the 35+ of them wouldn’t tie me up and run wild.
I was brave when I auditioned for the Biggest Loser. I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life, and it has cause a lot of grief and heartache in my life. I made a video about my life and shared it with my friends, family, and even some strangers. I felt that I was sharing a piece of myself and it was so hard. I didn’t make it, but it has helped me to know that I am now accountable to those people and also myself!
My daughters are brave every day when they go o school and make the right choices even when it is not easy and the people around are making fun of them for that.
I try to be brave as I raise my family far from the extended family that I miss so much. I try to be brave as I send my children off to school- I miss them so!
My daughter is brave as she tries to be a good example in school and stand up for what she knows is right
I have a friend who is expecting and her body is basically allergic to the pregnancy. At the moment (7 weeks from delivery) she is constantly on the verge of throwing up but has to eat through it and care for her other four children. She is amazing!
I have had to be brave to accept the Lord’s plan for the timing of my children. I have been married 8+ years and thought I would have 5 kids by now. For some reason the Lord has a different plan for me, and I know that whatever it is, He will allow me to bless His children to the best of my abilities.
I don’t feel brave. In fact I feel the opposite of brave. I am blessed to have four healthy children. I am blessed with good health. I am blessed to have a husband who loves me despite my many faults. My husband did deploy to Iraq three times and I did have to be strong for the kids. That was hard. Maybe a little brave 🙂
I’m not brave, but my mom is. She was a teenage mom and could have given me up for adoption. In fact, my dad’s parents lied to their stake president and told him that she was giving me up for adoption so that my dad could go on a mission. Cute, huh? She raised me by herself until I was 4 and she met my step dad. While she was raising me, she was also graduating with her Master’s from college and working. She put her life on hold for me even though she didn’t have to. She’s the bravest person I know and I want to win this one for herrr.
Oh wait. I guess I was brave one time. When I was 19 I tracked down my biological father because I wanted medical history and ancestry information. To my utter shock they really wanted to get to know me. I am almost exactly like my dad in every way, especially mentally/sense of humor-ly. Which is weird since I didn’t meet him till I was 19. But cool. Anyway that was kind of a brave thing I did, because I expected that they hated my guts and wanted nothing to do with me.
I feel like I am brave every day as I drag myself out of bed to see the cute faces of my 2.5 year boy/girl twins waiting anxiously to start the day. This may not seem like bravery but they keep me running from sun up to sun down and I never know what to expect from one minute to the next. When I enter the room and hear them shout “surprise!” I shudder in fear at what I am going to find. Today it was flour all over my newly mopped kitchen floor. Yesterday it was 4 VHS movies with all the tape pulled out Yes, the keep me hopping but when they put their little arms around my neck and say “Wuv you Mama”, it’s all worth it!
I have a friend who I think it very brave. She has 2 sons with pretty sever sensory issues and are autistic. One morning last year, she woke up to find that her husband had left her and the boys with at note that simply said, “I’m done.” She is raising her boys on her own and doing the best she can with working as little as she can to get by so she can be with her boys. It is very difficult to handle their behavior issues but she does it with a smile. To me that is bravery!
The bravest (and most rewarding) thing I have done is become a mom. I love my two boys so very much!
One of the bravest people I know of is my sweet grandmother. I never did actually know her. She was baptized into the LDS church while married to a man that drank too much. She stayed close to the Gospel through it all, raised 3 wonderful children, and was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 34. She fought a long battle and passed away in 1982. She is an example to me of bravery because she was strong through it all and never gave up on her faith in the Lord.
I was braver than I ever thought I could be last December when an intruder came into our house. He (the intruder) thought my teen daughter was home alone, he was surprised to see me there. Only with the help and guidance of the Spirit was I able to keep us safe.
I think my friend Connie is very brave. She is battling cancer for the second time. My heart aches for her and her family. She faces each day with such courage!
I think I’ve been pretty brave in dealing with autoimmune issues, food allergies and hypoglycemia while raising my two babes. It’s tough, life can be hard- but being brave is key
I feel brave every day as I stay home and teach my children!
I was brave when I had my first c-section just 7 months after adopting my second baby, giving me 3 children under 3, and a husband who worked nights so he could go back to school fulltime!
My mom is brave for making major changes to her lifestyle in order to decrease her disease risk, become less dependant on medications, and improve her overall health.
I had to be brave when I served a mission in a foreign country–it was wonderful!
Thank you so much!
Just the other day, my daughter (who will grow up to be a woman)told me of how she had to be brave when she was riding a 4-wheeler with her aunt and they were stuck in a mud puddle. My 5 year old daughter prayed to be brave so she could follow my sister’s instructions so they could get help.
I was brave when I packed up my two youngest daughters, left my abusive husband, and moved 3500 miles across the country to start a new life in a place where I didn’t know anybody. Now I am a successful businesswoman, and my testimony of the Gospel has grown by miles.
My friend Gwen is brave. She left her Muslim religion for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has had many of her friends and family turn against her, but her testimony of Jesus Christ is strong.
I was brave when my son was born premature at 25 weeks gestation, we had just lost his twin brother two weeks before that, it was a long, hard battle but I always felt peace and strength from the Lord. He is now two and doing amazing. I feel like I was blessed so much because I was able to face this trial wit courage and faith.
My sister is brave. She was diagnosed at age 12 with a heart disorder that immediatley changed her life, restricting her in many ways, since then she has had many other severe health challenges,but she continues to have faith and a good attitude.
I was brave when I decided to homeschool my children despite much social and familial pressure to do otherwise.
I have a friend who bravely left an abusive husband and moved to another state to start over.
I believe that my oldest is so brave she is in middle school and its a constant battle at that age with peer pressure.
She stands firm and vocal on her faith and beliefs. Thank You, Andre’a S
I think it requires bravery to have a husband serving in the military.
I suppose it is an act of bravery to bear children when you aren’t sure how you will provide for them. I feel looked odwn on, but know that these children are supposed to comein spite of financial difficulties.
I see many brave women around me quietly trying to do what is right in the face of opposition. Their courage and spirit strengthens my resolve. I have recently been learning about Emma Smith and the struggles she had as a constant in her life and it helps me quietly move forward on my own path.
I had to be brave when serving the Lord. Knocking on doors that you didn’t know who was behind them. Sharing your testimony while others where mocking it. Reaching out to those that where angry with the church and hoping they would open there heart and let you in.
I have a very close friend who had to be brave as a young girl. She lived in Yugoslavia and after much tribulation walked to a bordering country trying to get away from political things. Her mother died on there journey and her brother was separated from them. She is the most amazing person I know. Whenever I think I have it hard I remember her story!!!
Sounds like a great album.
Oops forgot to tell of a brave woman I know.
I would say a dear friend, who despite her husband’s infidelity and subsequent child from that infidelity, she rebuilt her marriage, and now has one of the best marriages I’ve ever seen. She radiates love and harbors now ill feeling.
A time I was brave…
My Dad’s a schizophrenic, which meant I had to be brave every single day of my childhood and even sometimes still, I feel I have to take courage with the issues I face because of his mental illness.
I feel brave every day, I have 6 sons. But giving birth to my last took particular bravery.
My Mom is the bravest woman I know. She left an abusive relationship with her 4 young children. She went from a HS diploma to a PhD and was still always our room mother & den leaders.
A time I was brave was watching my husband board a plane to a war torn country to fight for our freedoms, I was 4 months 6 months pregnant and had a 11 month old baby that was on my hip.
I have a dear friend who longs for a baby, more than anything. She has had a few miscarriages that have broken her heart. And even with all that she loves my children as her own. Always willing to watch them, and love on them.
I was brave last Saturday when I played the piano in front of people for the first time (and with them singing to it, no less!). It was for a girl’s baptism with ~30 people in the room and the bishopric member told me 5 minutes before they started that they didn’t have anyone to play…so I played prelude and the closing song. Yikes! I felt brave that despite my imperfect hymn-playing, I dared to share what talent I *do* have (and not worry too much about my mess ups along the way) just so there could be some music to listen to. whew!
I have a few friends and acquaintances who are mothers of “special needs” children. While they weren’t “trying” to be brave by choosing the situation, they have proven strong in their faith through the constant trials that are thrown at them and their families. I know from when my newborn had meningitis, sometimes these situations “force” us to be brave. But being pushed into the position or not, we have the choices of HOW to handle those situations. And these women are brave in HOW they handle the situations and move forward with faith.
The one instance when I remember being purposefully brave (not forced by situation) was the day I asked my father if I could be baptized, I was 15 and terrified of what my agnostic father would say. I had to work up to asking him for a few days but when I finally did THe world didn’t end. He also didn’t say yes right away but I felt great strength and comfort in doing something that I felt was so important in my life.
A woman in my life who was brave was my mother. She was born on the island of Guam and joined the army to get off the island when she turned 18. To leave everything you know like that takes a lot of bravery. Later in her life when she battled lung cancer she was so brave. I do not remember her ever crying or asking why me in front of her children. She kept her sense of humor and her concern for others right up until the end of her life. The bravest woman I know, I wish she were still around!
I was brave when I made the choice (and actually followed through!) to play the organ for a BYU forum. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so nervous, next to birthing my children! I feel it is part of my mission in life to bring people closer to our Savior through my talents in music, so I just knew it was something I had to do!
I have a dear friend who is staying with her husband despite his addiction problems. She is by his side helping him work through it, even though he has put her through so much pain. She is getting to know the atonement on a whole new level. Fighting for an eternal marriage is very brave.
My husband suffers with many heath problems, depression is a frequent visitor. I do not talk about the trials very often. I usually pretend that they do not exist, that our lives are not threatened with early death, pain or suffering. I put on a happy face each day, for my husband, for my children and for myself. I study new treatments, medications and therapies. I pray. I try not to fear. I put my trust in the Lord. I have faith that it will all work out as he wants it to. I love and live each day to its fullest. I am brave.