Is there a piece of wisdom you wish someone had shared with you in your growing-up years?

Or a certain book you wish someone had placed in your hands?

As I started reading Brave Beauty and jotting my own answers down in the margins, it hit me: I don’t think anyone ever gifted me with a book like this one, or a Christian book of any kind when I was a young woman.

How much different my path might have been if someone, noticing my love for reading, had gifted me with loving words of truth such as the ones found in this book.

While I did gravitate toward more wholesome, “girly” books like Little Women, Little House on the Prairie, The Baby-Sitters Club, and even Sweet Valley High (which was still fairly wholesome despite its at-times more mature topics), I can’t remember someone gifting me with a book about my worth or beauty through the eyes of Christ.

Oh how I wish someone had given me a book like this one, starting me on the path earlier to seeing my belovedness through the eyes of Jesus!!!

Brave Beauty is full of 100 short devotions for preteens (or women like us who secretly buy books like this one because we long for the truth nuggets in them that we didn’t receive when younger).

Each devotional has a short story illustrating a theme like courage, faith, beauty, family, etc. that ends with a place to journal or a fun quiz or an activity and then a “Courageous Call,” a prayer relating to the subject matter of the devotional.

Brave Beauty inspired me to think about how we can be brave in dating.

It is brave to date in a way that is honoring to Christ, yourself, and others in the culture in which we live.

Dating with Christ in the center is brave.

Believing that you are worthy of honor and respect is brave.

Not settling as you wait for God’s best is brave.

Not falling into culture’s expectations of sex is brave.

Not rushing into a relationship or physical intimacy so that you can truly get to know a person and seek the Lord’s will in the relationship is brave.

How are you being brave in your relationship or for your future relationship, whether single, dating, or attached?

To win a copy of Brave Beauty, share this post with the hashtag #BraveBeautyBook, and let me know where you shared it. Giveaway will be on Tuesday September 26.

Share in the comments how you’re being brave in your relationships! Or how you want to be brave.

Here’s a fun, creative activity from Brave Beauty along with a prayer:

Becoming Brave 

Moses allowed his speech impediment to keep him from becoming confident. Is there something in your life you need to overcome? Eventually Moses went and spoke to Pharaoh. Draw a picture below of you taking steps to overcome your confidence drainer.

Courageous Call

Dear Jesus, the thought of overcoming my fear both terrifies me and excites me. Help me to think of myself, picture myself, as one who is confident. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

And one more …

Becoming Brave

To overcome her fears, Ryen is speaking good things about Jesus to her heart. What does your heart need you to say to it? Using the criteria of true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable, write something you need to speak to your heart today.

While the world would have us believe things like we must perform or look a certain way for a man to like us or that commitment is dead or that purity equals prudish and no fun, we can be brave and stand up for better. We can trust that God can guide our love lives as we submit this part of our lives to Him.

Have a beautiful, brave week!!!