Fearless Faith and Granted Suffering

I just read Philippians 1 (I'm a little behind on the reading plan), and here's some of the things I got out of it:

Verse 14:
"...and so that the majority of the brothers, having taken encouragement in the Lord from my imprisonment, dare more than ever to proclaim the world fearlessly." When I think of the world "fearless," I immediately think of Taylor Swift (her CD/one of her songs is called "Fearless," for those of you who don't know...). Even though she's just a celebrity, she is really a great role model for me (you'll see where I'm going with this in a second). So I bought this CD a long time ago, and on the little lyric book that comes with it, there's a section where she talks about what she thinks it means to be fearless. She doesn't say that being fearless is NOT having fears and NOT having doubts. Instead, she says that being fearless is "living in spite of those things that scare you to death." Right now, your probably wondering why I'm talking about a celebrity on a Christian blog, but there is a connection here, I promise! Think about the way you proclaim your belief in Christ. Have you really shared this belief with others in your community as best as you can? Have YOU acted as a light to all people? Maybe, maybe not. Or are you too afraid to stand up for you beliefs because you are scared of what other people may think of you? Be FEARLESS in your faith. Proclaim your love for Christ through your daily actions. This is something that was once quite a struggle for me...whenever someone asked me what my key stood for, I sometimes wouldn't tell them because I was afraid that they would make fun of me for wearing something like that. And yes, some of them did. Some of them would and still always just kind of smirk when I tell them the story of my key. They sometimes laugh and say, as if I was some little kid, "Oh how cute." And I even had one girl say straight to my face, "Wow, what a loser." And another just stared at me when I told her the story and didn't say anything, no facial expression at all. I don't know why, but I get weird reactions sometimes. BUT, you know why I continue to share my story and to share my faith with the people around me? It's because I'm FEARLESS in my faith. Being fearless doesn't necessarily mean that everyone will accept you as you are, but it DOES mean that God will be so, SO proud of you and the evangelization of your faith. After all, who are we really trying to impress here (impress isn't really the best word for this, but I can't think of anything else)...our community or our God? Of course, GOD. Be fearless in your faith, and NEVER give up even when you fall, because God will always be there to catch you.

Verse 21:
"For to me life is Christ, and death is gain." Enough said. I don't think words can describe how significant this verse is. Amazing amazing amazing.

Verse 29:
"For to you have been granted, for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him." I want you to think about the word "granted." Throughout my life, I have been granted many things: granted the opportunity of receiving a great education, granted the chance to go to Sky Ranch, which has completely turned my life around, granted the gifts of friendship, love, and hope for the future, etc. We have been GRANTED so many gifts in life. *So, here's your challenege...treat suffering for the sake of Christ as a GIFT that God has granted you. Suffering for Christ and following His will fills my heart with the greatest JOY that I have ever known - what an amazing gift!

Dont y'all love Philippians? It would be great to hear some feedback on these verses!

You're all in my thoughts and prayers (:
-Haley