?I?ve always believed that every person in every story ever written has a purpose, that the story is impacted in some way if that person isn?t there. That is especially true with the Bible; each person, no matter who they are, have a purpose in the story God gives us in His word. I believe it holds true that the women in the Bible, named or not, have an important part to play in the story God writes every day. I would say that Latan Rolan Murphy probably feels the same way. In her book, Courageous Women of the Bible, Latan looks at eleven women who have to dig deep and do things that require them to step out of their normal circumstances and into extraordinary moments. These women may not have called themselves brave, but their stories of courage can give us the confidence we need to move forward in that thing that terrifies us. I was reading paragraph four when God spoke to me through the words of this book. When I say that Latan hit every area in my life, she hit it; it was like she had been sitting in my room and listening to my prayers and conversations.

?Courage compels us to use gifts otherwise left on the shelf: to write the book, sing the song, stick with the diet, run the race, start a new business. Courage helps us push through to the finish line.?

Every. Single. Word. I couldn?t believe it. I immediately friend requested Latan and sent her a message; this book is for me. And I pressed on through tears. This book is an easy read, it gives you a look at the world these women live in and the challenges they face. You see how they pulled up their bootstraps and did what they needed to do in spite of the circumstances around them. They got the job done. Something I enjoyed where the titles of each chapter; the first one is called, ?Messy Courage.? Each chapter ends with Courage Quest question to help you draw deeper in understanding not only these women but to help you claim your confidence. She ends the book with journal pages to coincide with each chapter, so you can write down your journey to victory. I enjoyed this book. I will use it for a small group study very soon. I think we, as women, often forget that God uses the willing, not just the male. These women may not have given a single thought to what their stories would mean generations later, but we are privileged to read their stories of bravery. Their stories are a part of our stories, showing us that we can be courageous and that God is faithful to those who are willing to take a step.

“These courageous women have become like best friends… Their powerful stories have helped me to realize that my story also matters to God. And so does yours, friend.”

Yep, Latan feels that way too.