What a wonderful journey we've shared through the story of Joshua, discovering that God is with us in the middle of all our battles and promises to fight for us. I love how at the beginning of the story Joshua tells God's people that God is going to fight for them and at the end of Joshua's life, he recounts all that God has done and points out that God has indeed fought for them. God said he would fight for us and he proves it over and over again. Our God is so faithful! I wanted to tell you a little bit more about the song, Brave and Strong. Jacob has shared with you that the song came from a season when some of us on staff were praying our kiddos through some various struggles. Feeling all the weight of their burdens, I sat at the piano in the empty worship center and started praying and playing. What came out was a litany of encouragement for our souls. I started to pray that our kids would be able to name the feelings of anxiety or worry, stress or overwhelm and learn to rehearse the truth in their very souls: You are brave. You are strong. You are known. You are loved. As I sang that chorus over and over, I realized that I needed that encouragement as well. You probably do, too. We need reminders again and again that we are children of the Living God who promises to fight for us. If we have the truth memorized, we can rehearse it when fears and anxious thoughts begin to bubble up. And when we are facing battles of any size, we can be sure that God will keep on fighting for us. So, this song is an anthem for you and for me to push back the enemy, to let strength rise up within us to face whatever comes our way, and to sing ourselves into bravery and strength. I am praying that for all of us in 2019. We are brave, strong, known, and loved! - Jenny