Dear sisters,

We are twelve days into 2022, and I’ve got a hunch some of you are taking in a deep breath full of hope for every joyful possibility in the new year. And some of you are barely inhaling as the weight of what has been or what is to come presses down. I feel both — depending on the moment. Whether you are full of faith or fear, sorrow or celebration, or a jumble of it all, I want you to know that you are welcome in this place. Just as you are.

Our biggest prayer is that Jesus will meet you here.

Whether you’ve just stumbled upon (in)courage or you’ve been hanging out with us for more than a decade (raise your hand, (in) sister lifers!), we want you to know who we are and what we’re crazy excited about (in) 2022!

Empowered to Be Like Jesus
Here’s the deal: (in)courage isn’t here to preach more self-empowerment because what we really need is God-empowerment. If you’re caring for toddlers or aging parents, working a nine-to-five, volunteering at church, or enduring a chronic illness, if you’re single or married, living in your sweet spot or walking through a crisis, we all need Jesus. We need God’s Spirit to help us have that hard conversation, to make that impossible decision, to take that scary next step forward. We need Someone beyond ourselves. The good news is, He’s here! Every woman can live empowered by the strength Jesus gives through the Holy Spirit. By His power, we can live out the calling He has for our lives. That might mean pursuing a big dream or just making it through a regular Wednesday morning. Every hour we need Him. Let’s see more of Jesus and be more like Jesus this year! (Stay tuned for some practical resources we have coming soon to help you do just this!)

The Daily (in)courage Podcast
Get out your virtual drum set and roll those sticks because we are thrilled to announce our new daily (in)courage podcast! Each weekday, the article you read here will also be available as a podcast. That’s right! Like always, you can enjoy our daily post right here on the website, and now, you can also listen as our narrator, Grace P. Cho, reads it to you! You can expect our thirty writers to keep showing up with brand new stories about their everyday lives and how God’s right in the middle of it all. We each bring our unique experiences — joys and struggles equally — so that you’ll feel less alone and be empowered by the hope Jesus gives. We pray that through these stories you hear more of God’s heart for you. The (in)courage daily podcast is the perfect companion while putting on your makeup, commuting to work, or waiting in the carpool line. Listen every weekday right here at incourage.me or on your favorite podcast player.

Create in Me a (new) Heart Bible Studies
Over the next eighteen months, we want to invite you to join us on an eighteen-month journey through FOUR NEW Bible studies! Living empowered to be like Jesus begins with the Holy Spirit’s work in each of our hearts. He wants to create in us a new heart that embodies His hope, peace, wisdom, and mercy. When we have a heart more like God, we are then able to be His difference-makers in our hurting homes and fractured world. You are absolutely going to love these powerful studies! We’ll be sharing more about these studies in the months to come.

(Insert awkward giddy jig because I’m just so stinkin’ excited about what God is doing in our midst and all the goodness He has planned for us this year. What a joy to partner with Him!)

A couple more quick things, especially for any (in)courage newbies. You should know that (in)courage is part of DaySpring, which means we have inspirational products to help you live your faith. We also have a rich library of books and devotionals that will help you live like Jesus and remind you that you’re not alone. And we love connecting with you on social media — find us on Instagram and Facebook!

Lastly, friends, we want to make sure you know that we’re a community of women of different ages, life stages, and cultural backgrounds. We all look different, enjoy different church traditions, have different favorite foods, and we don’t all agree — well, on almost anything. But at the end of the day, the one thing that connects us is Jesus! So if you love Jesus and want to grow in Him or if you just want to know what it could look like to live with greater hope and purpose each day, you’re in the right place. Thanks for being here.

— Becky Keife, (in)courage community manager

I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is.
Ephesians 3:16-18 (NLT)

 

Listen to today’s article below or on your favorite podcast player!

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