bravely
Grammar gets such a bad rap, sending people back to their middle school classrooms with images of strict English teachers and red marks all over returned papers. I will never need to know this! and when will I ever use the term subordinate clause again in my life? have rung through countless young minds as sincere teachers do their best to make them believe you will, I promise, you will need this!
I don’t know why exactly, but I believed my teachers. And although most of my writing today makes its own rules up as I go, I return to my love for good old fashion proper grammar often. And today, I want to tell you a little bit about the adverb.
Adverbs do just what their name implies: they add to the verb (do I need to remind you that a verb is an action word?) Adverbs usually answer the questions such as how? or in what way? If you walked (verb) to lunch, how did you do so? I walked quickly (adverb) to lunch. You get it, yes?
I owe a great deal of inspiration to the function of the adverb, as it has inspired the latest (and my favorite!) addition to the Giving Shop: the bravely necklace. My sweet friends and mentors at As You Wish design helped me come up with this piece, and I don’t think I could love it more because yes, it is beautiful, but more than that, it reminds me how and in what way I want to do the things God has put on my heart: be a loyal wife, a committed mama, a helpful advocate for women in the sex industry, and a consistent friend… and I want to do all those things bravely.
What about you?
Are you fighting for your marriage…
Thinking about adoption…
Raising difficult children…
Facing infertility…
Fighting injustice…
Loving the people in your neighborhood…
Moving out into the mission field of the world…
Working toward a big dream…
Do those things bravely. Because our families, our cities, the world needs our bravery, friends. Spend two minutes looking at the headlines and you know it; spend two minutes in God’s word and you are inspired for it! And “we are not of those who shrink back” (Hebrews 10:39a), so let’s not live that way.
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These sweet reminders to live, go, do bravely make the perfect gifts of encouragement to our people. {Hey, no shame in buying one for yourself, either!} Each necklace comes with a brand new design brave card and the short story behind the adverb bravely. And as always, every penny of profit is given away to charity—for the next three weeks (through February 8th) , that charity is Wellspring Living.
*If you purchase a bravely necklace this week (January 19-23), use the code BRAVELY to take 10% off your order. The initial love and support of this piece mean more than I could ever tell you.
Live bravely, y’all.
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Want to help spread the bravely movement? Purchasing a necklace or the brave cards is one way, but simply sharing them on social media is another—and it is no small thing. Use #bravely to share this post, a link to the Giving Shop, or photos of your necklaces and cards. Remember, brave begets brave—if you be brave, I will be brave, too.