Day 7 - The Journey to #bebrave

This past weekend, I participated in a Velvet Ashes retreat.

VA exists to support women who are serving overseas in many capacities.

Their mission statement is dear to my heart.

Having lived, and served, a short time overseas, my heart easily connects with women who are in that place I once was.

As I walked through the retreat sessions, preparing for the group I would co-lead over the course of last weekend, I journeyed backward in time to many common-fears, often unspoken, by women all over the world, who are, well, just women...

 (never in a million years did I think I would be "zooming" all around the country, and the world, as I have during the last few weeks)

Those thoughts that resonate with all of us: How do I...

...deal with aging parents, those living close, and those who live a continent away?

...cope with transition and change (that often transpires quickly)?

...uproot and transplant into old cultures now that I've adjusted to a new culture?

...manage until I'm settled into a new normal?

...provide, when the finances are wearing thin (because supporting churches, or personal supporters have had to back off, or because we've been furloughed from jobs)?

...juggle the normal demands, pressures, and stresses of my everyday, let alone the new demands, pressures, and stresses of living in uncertainty?

...and, speaking of uncertainty, how? How do I do uncertainty, day in and day out?

...raise children to love Jesus and be functional humans, when I feel like I am anything but functional, or human? 

...make certain I am mom-enough?

...feed my family what they have come to expect, when normal grocery items I'm used to cooking with are unavailable?

...lessen my expectations?

...pick back up and carry on when life has left me shattered for a season?

....even find a new normal?

If you've served, or worked, globally, you've asked all those questions at one time or another, plus some.

If you're still practicing physical-distancing and essential-only-travel, due to the recent pandemic, you've asked many of those questions, as well?

Having asked these questions, I've discovered a few answers.

Some, I've already shared, this one, however, relates to our VA weekend retreat.

The theme:  Yet, I Will Celebrate!

The key verse: Habakkuk 3:17-19.

Habakkuk is looking in the cupboards and the provisions are nil.

He's looking out the window and it's particularly barren.

He's gone to the barn and it's empty...and the plants in the garden have withered.

(the old Forrest barn)

He's concerned about all this, because the Lord has just assured him "trouble is coming" and your people are about to be "invaded." "Devastation is upon you."

Thank you, Lord, for such good news (I wonder if Habakkuk was as facetious as I am prone to be)!!!!

I'm curious, today, if you sat to write out verse 17 in your own words what would you be writing? What are some of the discouragements you are facing, which then cause you worry, anxiety, fear, or  even, panic?

Even though ____________________________________.

Even though ____________________________________.

Even though ____________________________________.

We joke about toilet paper, but that is a very real thing (more on that day after tomorrow)...

Habakkuk's next words are: 

Yet, I will rejoice!

That word rejoice....

It can also be translated "to celebrate;" but, it literally means "to jump for joy."

This kind of rejoicing is a verb, not a simple state of being.

Not a sedate emotion settled into our heart.

No, it is active, moving, reactive....DOING SOMETHING, ANYTHING, to show on the outside what you are feeling on the inside.

And, I'm wondering, because I was convicted...How much celebration is taking place in your quarantine-home? 

What a great time to get creative and celebrate....

BUT, 

WHAT?

What do we celebrate?

(my simple illustration of Habakkuk's passage)

Habakkuk bridges the great divide that comes between the "even though's...." and the "Yet..." of celebration...

He gives specific instructions about what to celebrate (and, it's not stumbling on toilet paper in the City Market six weeks after initial quarantine).

He zeroes in on the what in verse 19:

The Lord, my Lord, is my strength.

He makes my feet like deers feet, and,

He leads me to mountain heights!

His bridge is built of praises to the Lord!

He builds his bridge on gratitude, on ways the Lord has helped him in the past, in reflecting on God (hmmm.....didn't we talk about this before? Yes! Yes, we did! Can't say it enough!!!)

Here, he remembers when God empowered him once to do the impossible - to climb to rugged heights (see the NET translation) - and because he has history with God, he knows he can face the "even though" of the future.

And, when he recalls all this to mind...

He doesn't just go, "Ok...whatever...."

He shouts, "OK...bring it....now, let's celebrate what you're going to do for me during that time, while I still can..."

How do you celebrate, Jesus?

We talked about this on Zoom as a group...

...worship, parties complete with balloons, food (lots of it and all the kinds we love), a special meal, lists of thanksgiving, art expressions, dancing, play....but almost all of us agreed, as a part of the celebration, we verbalize gratitude...

How will you remember God and CELEBRATE in the RIGHT-NOW?????????????

There's no better time!

Let's all make it a spiritual discipline this week.

(...and, send me some pictures)

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P.S. This was a quote I loved from the retreat and pondered all week:

I would also add..."against insecurity, worry, anxiety, fear, panic, and terror..."

Day 6....The Journey to #bebrave

(Two of my favorite things, right here - My Bible and the Beach! The Lord seems to whisper more loudly anytime I'm near the ocean!)

At the end of Day 5, I mentioned I would give you the list of verses that ended the stand-off between the giant of FEAR and myself, oh so many years ago.

These are tools for you in times of soul-disturbance.

A picture of the front and backside of my "worksheet" of verses is seen below.

This is the original, faded, highlighted, handled, carried-about, for these oh-so-man-years.

What I didn't mention was that about 6 weeks after that earth-shaking-event occurred in my world, we experienced another robbery at a home on our lower station (down near the hospital and the Bible college).

The thieves wrecked havoc in this home.

When we got the call asking Bay to go with our next door neighbor to help, the bile of fear rose up in me once again.

The home was a mess.

The owners had been severely beaten, a child was thought missing (but later found hiding under a bed), and I heard FEAR come knocking at my door...wanting to steal my joy, kill my faith, and destroy any witness I might have as a "worker" in the Lord's service.

He was after me again...in a HuGe WaY!

Immediately, I headed straight for my Bible where this sheet found its resting place for "such a time as this.."

(And, believe me, there have been other times I've used it, as well.)

These Scriptures, and the one quote, became my go-to for prayer, as I prayed each Scripture into residence within my soul.

As I read them OUT LOUD!

I prayed them back to the Lord, OUT LOUD!

Something about hearing the words, makes them transfer more quickly from my head to my heart.

Something about praying them verbally, gives more of what I call "Resurrection-Power-and-Peace" into my spirit.

(a cantor singing his Torah verses aloud during our time in Israel a year ago...just moved my heart to literal tears)

Using these Scriptures wraps words around what I need, what I feel, what I'm thinking, and where I want to ultimately be...at REST in FAITH in my Lord.

There are questions I ask myself as I read through the Scriptures, and make notations in my journal:

What do these passages tell me about MY GOD?

What do I hear the Lord saying to me?

What promises is He making to me that I can embrace?

Are there conditions to those promises?

Are there key words that might give me indication of something I need to be aware of and what do these words mean?

What is repeated, listed (does the sequence have significance), compared, or contrasted to give me spiritual direction?

After asking and interpreting the answers prayerfully, I write out a statement of faith (generally in prayer format) based on what I just learned.

I go from reading the verses, to reading my statement of faith back to the Lord as a heart-felt prayer.

Believe me, every time I've employed this little plan, it has brought the peace of God that passes all understanding to my heart and mind.

With that, here are the verses that helped me then, and help me now (they are not in any particular order)...  May they be a blessing to you. Copy and paste them. Print them out. Use them in your own times of uncertainty and unrest. And, my prayer is that they be for you the source of VICTORY they were for me - THEN and NOW!

Genesis 26:24 (God says to Abraham as He gives Abe his "calling")... "Do not be afraid, for I am with you and will bless you."

Joshua 1:9. Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God goes with you wherever you go.

2 Timothy 1:7. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mine.

Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8.  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of ______________, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. And, the Lord your God, He is the one who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you;  do not fear or be dismayed...

Psalm 118:6.  The Lord is with me, I will not be afraid.

Proverbs 3:24.  When you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet...

Isaiah 41:10 & 13.  Fear not, for I am with you - be not dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.  For I the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, "Fear not, I will help you."

Romans 8:15.  For you have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but you have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry, Abba Father.

1 John 4:18.  There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love...   God is love!

Proverbs 3:15, 26.  Be not afraid of sudden fear...when it comes. For the Lord shall be your confidence, and shall keep your feet from stumbling.

Isaiah 54:14, 17.  In righteousness shall you be established;  you shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; and from terror; for it shall not come near you. No weapon formed against you shall succeed.

John 14:27.  Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world gives, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

1 Peter 5:7.  Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Hebrews 13:6.  So that we may boldly say, "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me."

Psalm 31:24.  Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart...

Phil. 4: 5-6.  The Lord is near; do not be anxious about anything...but in everything with Thanksgiving, lift your requests to the Lord...

Isaiah 26:3.  You, O Lord, will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on you; because he trusts in You.

AND THIS - a declaration of faith:

There is nothing...no circumstance, no trouble, no testing that can ever touch me until, first of all it has gone past God and past Christ, right through to me. If it has come that far, it has come with a great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment. But as I refuse to become panicky, as I lift up my eyes to Him, and accept it as coming from the throne of God for some great purpose of blessing to my own. heart, no sorrow will ever disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret. For I shall rest in the joy of who my God is!!! That is the REST OF VICTORY!

(a stone picked up in the creek bed at the Valley of Elah - pictures of the Valley shown below)

At the end of this season...I wrote out a prayer, which is too long to add to this post. But, if interested, a .pdf of it is found in this link: Brave Prayer

Day 5...The Journey to #bebrave

To introduce today's lesson on the journey to #bebrave, I must go back several years.

I was much younger.

Our kiddos were little.

We were living in Kenya, at Rift Valley Academy, and to the best of our know-how, raising a family and trying to keep in line 30 high school dorm boys (along with a kazillion other little duties that came with the boarding-school-territory).

Every day was an experiment in learning how to "do life."

We'd lived on campus for several years, when tragedy struck.

It hit close to home and close to the heart.

Fast. Unexpected. Hard.

Not more than a mile from our home, dear friends were stopped by thieves and robbed.  In the midst of fighting them off, she was killed. Her husband survived, but she didn't.

Some of you, who've known us a long time, have heard me share my side of this story:

* The huge giant of fear that pounded relentlessly at my door, as soon as my husband left home and flew back to the US with the family.

* The terror that gripped my heart when I found out that the men, who'd been arrested and charged with this atrocious act, had been released from jail on a bribe.

On top of Bay being away, our mission station was basically emptied, except for our little family. It was, after all, the month when our students went home for vacation with their parents, and all the other missionaries left for a season of rest, or to help serve in other areas of ministry.

I felt very alone, vulnerable, and unprotected.

The "what ifs" crowded my thinking and any reasonable thought couldn't find it's way through the door.

Fear crippled, paralyzed, and ensnared me for a good season...and, the one and only solution that made sense to me was this: If only Bay was home.

But, he would be away for a good two weeks, plus.

And...honestly....what could He have done?

In the midst of it all, I knew I needed to dig into God's Word and find His perspective for me, or I may not survive those two weeks.

I knew my faith needed "shoring up."

Hard seasons have come and gone throughout my life.

This was truly one of the hardest.

BUT GOD.

Even in the hard of that time, I found Him faithful.

On one of the hardest days, I walked to our mailbox.

That morning, even the thought of food caused my stomach to curl up and rebel.

Believe me, this is not me! Normally, under stress I go straight to food for comfort.

There was one small package in my box.

The envelope bore no name - not a "To" or a "From" anywhere to be seen.

I brought it home, slit it open, to find a cassette tape inside.

Remember those? Let me jog your memory ⇣...

The label identified it as a Chuck Swindoll message.

The title: Giant Killing.

To this day, I have no idea where it came from.

Some angel knew I needed this WORD exactly.

Fear was my giant.

And, I needed some stones of truth to put inside my pocket.

The next time the giant taunted me, I needed to grab hold of one of those stones, place the rock inside the leather, and let it fly...

I needed stones of truth to cling to and fling every time one of Fear's relatives stepped into my path.

When we're afraid, perspective is what we need.

It can only be found in Scripture.

I grabbed my Bible and a concordance.

Looking up fear verses, and faith verses, I typed them all up on my little old Commodore computer and printed them out on that old dot-matrix (am I aging myself?)...

Every night....all through the night whenever I woke up; throughout the day...all day....WHENEVER I NEEDED the truth, I read through those verses, claiming the promises, and acting on the suggestions of things I could do.

Little by little, my #bebrave rose to the surface, and the Giant of Fear died.

Yep, perspective is everything when it comes to fear...

...and, God's Word is powerful.

I threw the stone of truth in the enemy's face, and it hit square center in his forehead.

Boom!

In the next blogpost, I'll write out those verses, as resources, along with a little declaration of faith (that someone else shared with. me) as God led me forward.

Day 4....The Journey to #bebrave

I asked Bay to hang this picture ⇡ at Gramma Dottie's little house a week or so ago. There just wasn't a spot at my house; so, now it will showcase a wall in her bedroom.

It spent a number of years at Aunt Grace's house, then came home to me not too long ago.

With the cross-stitch comes a memory.

With the memory comes a strong emotion of high-anxiety, bordering on fear.

I'll share the back-story.

Bay and I had been serving in Kenya at Rift Valley Academy for 7 months.

He was off on a basketball-playing-missions-trip with some of our dorm boys and a few other students, who lived in Zimbabwe.

It was April, everyone was on vacation, and I was manning the home-front with the three kiddos.

I don't remember the date; I just remember the sequence of events.

The kids had been put to bed.

So, the time must have been close to 9:00 PM.

Rainy season had arrived, and that night, the rain was coming down in sheets.

The noise on the metal roof of our home was deafening.

But, I sat listening, and occupying my time with the cross stitch that I'd been working on for about four months.

The last thing I needed to finish was the border, and I was at least three-quarters of the way around.

The telephone rang - the one (we had two telephones) that indicated the call was coming from on-station somewhere.

I could barely make out the voice on the other end, since it was raining so hard, but finally I got the message.

My heart broke.

The school administrators had just gotten word that one of the boys, a student from Zambia, had been killed in a freak accident as he and his father were boating down the Zambezi River.

The waters were at flood stage.

Somehow the boat had overturned, and the young man swam to one side of the river, while the dad and a friend swam to the other side.

As they were attempting to rescue items from the boat close to shore in very shallow water, the friend noticed a swirl in the water that indicated a crocodile had changed directions.

He yelled at our young student (no more than 16 years old) to get out of the water...and the boy indicated he heard, but was picking up just one last item.

That was all it took for the crocodile to sweep his feet out from under him, so very close to shore...and take him under.

As I hung up the phone with tears streaming, I felt a strange wet sensation around my ankles.

The rains had begun flooding around our little home that sat down in a bit of a ravine, and were rushing underneath the front door.

I quickly began picking items up that I could get off the floor, in order to protect them...but in the process, the cross-stitch I'd been working on got splashed with mud (yes, those spots are still there, faded, but present).

No matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't come clean.

Some concerned neighbors showed up on my doorstep, and soon we were sweeping the flood waters out the back door as quickly as they entered the front door.

By midnight the rain stopped, and the flooding in our house got under control.

Needless to say, the parquet flooring needed re-sanding and re-finishing, but it could have been so much worse.

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As I climbed into bed that night, the reality of the unpredictable world we live in struck me with a force I had not reconciled prior.

I recognized how truly "out of control" life can be from one day to the next - really, from one minute to the next. And, that night the fears began to rise and rush around my heart like the flood waters of the Zambezi....or the rain waters that flowed through my home just minutes before.

I, the "missionary," who knew without question I had been called by the Lord to Kenya, felt the fear of being. "out of control."

In fact, psychological researchers say that's the number one issue behind most fears (it rather helps knowing we're not alone, right?)...

Because I wasn't sleeping anyway after all the night's events, I turned the light on by my bed, and reached for my Bible.

That morning, I closed it at the end of Isaiah 25.

During the day I had reflected on the promises of God in that chapter that He would swallow up death forever, and wipe away tears.

It was as if the Lord prepared me in advance for the unexpected...

Those promises came washing over me afresh, as I thanked Him for our young student's personal knowledge of The Almighty One and the saving GRACE that landed him that afternoon, not at the bottom of a raging river, but in the Presence of His God.

What joy he was experiencing, even while we felt the loss and the grief...

"BUT," I asked the Lord, "what about fear?"

"What do you do about the unrest in my heart?"

And, I started reading in Isaiah 26.

There was God's answer to me, verse 3.

It is, now, a familiar go-to promise...every time anxiety rises.

I wrote it down in my journal this way (I still have those journals...):

"You, O God, will keep Peg in perfect peace, when her mind is focused on YOU, because Peg trusts in You..."

Peace comes as I reflect on my Savior.

I thought about that cross-stitch in the other room.

Each name is a treasure trove about the character of my God.

In timely fashion, and no coincidence, I finished that little piece of stitching just when I needed it most.

I began repeating who my God is to me...and found God faithful to do what He promised.

The peace of God washed afresh over my troubled soul...and I knew, while God wouldn't change circumstances, God wouldn't change.

He is forever who He says He is.

My God does not change.

May this little story remind you, to "stay your mind" and "settle your heart" as you focus on His reliable, ever faithful nature.

Turn your eyes on Jesus....

God gave me that verse that night, because I would need it again, a few years later....along with deeper lessons on fear and faith.

Day 3...The Journey to #bebrave

Day 2 on this journey to #bebrave was just a little bit "clinical."

No interesting stories.

Just facts about emotions...targeting fear.

We're going to look a little deeper into the emotion of fear (which is, undoubtedly, the most intense emotion of all the "feels").

Today, however, we'll examine fear through the eyes of someone else:  Eve.

Dear, dear Eve.

When we think of Eve, we think "original sin"...as well we should.

Eve stepped into her disobedience already a little bit "primed," taking Adam by the hand right alongside her.

Have you ever stopped to think what led to that sin?

Oh, I know, that cunning serpent had a lot to do with it.

But, let's pretend for a minute that Eve is having coffee with us.

Let's ask her to tell her story...what might she say?

(I've not actually spoken with Eve, but knowing how much of her DNA was passed on to me, I can vividly imagine how this conversation might go...).

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Eve's Story:

I woke up in Paradise. Literal Paradise. You simply can't imagine... It was truly GLORIOUS!

As I opened my eyes, the first face I beheld was that of the ALMIGHTY, having just blown life's breath into me.

I closed my eyes, re-opened them, and there "he" was...love at first sight!

Together, Adam and I enjoyed the best the Garden had to offer...

All was GOOD...and,

...Time of fellowship with the Father intimate and sweet (I loved His laugh, most of all)...

I felt so safe in Paradise.

SO FREE....

Well, except for that ONE RULE.

We had to stay away from this one tree; and, not partake of its fruit.

Right here is where all the trouble began.

I began thinking to myself...

"What is the Lord God withholding from us?

What if He just doesn't want us to enjoy everything the Garden has to offer for selfish reasons?

Why would He want us missing out on something more?

What if this fruit is better than any other in the Garden?

Is God really good?

Why is He trying to control us?"

With the thoughts came something I had not experienced....

Before the questions, I could only describe myself as "content."

Now, I felt....sad....sad that God was holding out on me....

Doubtful....was God really who He told us He was?

Fearful...suddenly, the Garden didn't feel safe anymore; no longer "perfect;" no longer "Paradise"... ...with God holding out on us, what if He began taking away other things?

And, there it began...the journey to disobedience:

Sadness over "scarcity", led to doubt, doubt led to fear, and fear led to discontentment...

All that thinking led to unhealthy, unprocessed emotions, and this was the final conclusion:

I was missing out on "so much more..."

And, the serpent knew exactly what was unfolding as he eavesdropped on conversations with Adam, and watched as our intimacy with the Almighty began to wane...

You know the rest of the story....

You know the path of action I took...and, the shame and regret that followed...

But, God...

He sacrificed to cover our sin and shame.

He made a way for life, where there should have been death...

And, He reminded us, we'd always be the apple of His eye...

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A few more thoughts on fear:

1) Fear always starts when we start "thinking to ourselves" instead of speaking truth to ourselves...

2) It's an age old question, what comes first fear? or doubt?  Doesn't really matter, one almost always leads to the other, especially when it is God we're doubting...

3) Fear often rises its ugly head when two things are an issue: my inability to control a situation, and a mindset of scarcity lives in my head.

What is the answer???

I can think of two things that have been helpful for me...
 When tempted to fear when there is a situation I cannot control, I confess my selfish-heart that wants things "my way," actively pursue doing the things that I can control, then, like Jesus surrender to the Father with a simple, "Thy Will Be Done..."

When tempted to fear out of a scarcity mindset, I turn to gratitude. Once I begin to see clearly all I am blessed with, scarcity takes a back seat. Because I have so much, generosity moves to the drivers seat.   This kind of fear can't live in the same heart filled with gratitude and generosity. There's just no room!

Day 2...The Journey to #bebrave

As one who has struggled with fear (and all its variations), I recognize the importance of being more aware about what is happening at the heart/mind level.

Understanding helps the processing.

Really....

So, let's talk about the emotion of fear today...

Take a look at the "feel-wheel" below.

The value of a feel-wheel is that it can put words to emotions.

Sometimes, because we just don't speak emotion-talk, we can't truly identify what's going on inside.

It took me years before I realized the value of identification.

Fear is an intense emotion.

There's a scale to it, just like pain.

The wheel shows three levels, but as I ponder my own life experience, I think there are five "shades."

Five shades of fear....although there may be overlapping...

Level 1:  Peace of Heart. No thought of concern, stress, or anxiety. 

Level 2:  Wary/Cautious. No real awareness of danger, but uncomfortable, and sensing something maybe be "off." Worried (and questioning) what might be going on - The "what ifs" may make a show here...

Level 3: Anxious. A step above "worried." Feeling physical discomfort. Chest is tight. Breathing feels more difficult. The "what ifs" are beginning to consume the mind.

Level 4: Fear. There is certainly danger ahead. "Flight, fight, or freeze" become real reactions. All the physical discomforts come into play: eating is difficult, mind feels like a pin-ball machine, there's a sense of hopelessness and helplessness, and it's difficult to process what is real and what is not.

Level 5: Terrified. The danger is here - the house is on fire, a robber has just invaded my home, terrorists just put two planes into high rises in New York City and I'm watching it unfold in front of me... The "what ifs" are actuality.

As human beings, we tend to think of worry, anxiety, and fear as "bad"...these are negative emotions. I should be living in the world of happy and peaceful...all the time.

That's not life.

Nor is that the way the Lord created us.

In Genesis, we read that on the sixth day, God created man in His image.

He looked at what He created and it was good.

At creation, the Lord crafted us with emotions as part of our package.

Why?

We have an emotional God.

We read of His joy. 

Sorrow. 

Grief. 

Anger. 

Love.

We are a representation of Him.

Emotions and all.

And, let's not forget, He looked and called His creation "good."

Including all the emotions...

So, remember this: 

We can't put all our "feels" in categories of good/bad/neutral...they are all good...and they all serve a purpose.

What would that purpose be?

Emotions are educators...

They reveal what is going on inside our hearts.

All emotions teach us to understand what is happening inside a heart that is often difficult to read.

Yes, they are educators...but sometimes we live as if they are dictators.

...Emotions do not have to be our dictators!

The battle between the teacher and the tyrant always begins in the mind.

Hence, the reason for this blog series...

How can we depose of the dictator, and welcome the educator?

What steps can we take to the place of peace of heart?

Yesterday, we took a first step.

We remembered:

I am not alone in this process.

The Lord my God is with me wherever I go...

Today is the second step...

Identify your fears.

Name them one by one...

Put language to them.

Speak them out loud...bring your fears into the light.

Fear loses a lot of power when you bring them into the light...

They love to hide in darkness....

Want to take care of the tyrant in the current situation?

Then speak directly to the situation.

I may be (in this place) ________________________...

But, you are not about to take over.

With the Lord's help, I will take back what is rightfully mine.

Just doing this is enough to begin to defuse those fears.

Tomorrow a story of fear's beginnings......you may not have read this story in this way before...