Brazen: The Courage to Find the You That's Been Hiding

"As we listen to ourselves, we create space for God. And as we encounter God,we find ourselves."~Leeana TankersleyBrazen is a well and beautifully written book steeped in the truth of God, Author, Leeana Tankersley, shares with raw emotion, deep conviction, and authentic transparency the battle we face between believing the goodness God stamped deep within our souls or the lies of the snake we first met in the Garden of Eden.Leeana writes with poetic style of the deep love of God and his longing to meet with us each morning in the quiet of his presence. She challenges her readers to commit to 20 minutes each morning to listen and hear God's voice in the stillness of the soul. Leeana reminds us that making space to get really quiet and listen to God is Holy work. We will learn when we stop striving and start surrendering we will receive God in a fresh, new, and deeper way.Each chapter is a gift in and of its own, filled with wisdom and questions that employ you to look deep within yourself and upward into the eyes of God. The words invite you to your knees to spend time worshipping the only one who truly sets our captive hearts free. In this place we come to recognize Jesus is all we will ever need and he is the only one who will meet our every need.If you are looking for a book to challenge you, encourage you, and inspire you to see the more you have been longing for... Brazen is the book for you. Leeana gives you a reason to turn every single page and on every single page her words provide a balm for the weary soul. I read many books, manuscripts, proposals in a week, and honestly not many stir my soul to its core and leave me desiring more, but Brazen is one that captivated my heart from the very first word.It is not a book you can read quickly as it is rich in content and pure in message. You will find yourself highlighting many words on each page. Leeana also invites you to create a Brazen Board to further enhance your creative journey, but it is not a requirement in order to be moved by the message.Brazen is the perfect book for personal study or a group study. It is a truly a treasure that will empower you to rediscover the goodness God created within you, and to celebrate being in the presence of God. Leeana so beautifully reminds us God looks for us in the quiet of the morning. He sends his love on the wind. He calls out to us, "Where are you?" Our life is to be the answer, "I am coming." There are times in all of our lives where we must find the courage to find the part of ourselves that's been hiding. Brazen will lead you back to your soul center called Home.I recommend this book for anyone looking to find freedom from the things that hold our hearts captive. Living Brazen, is making the choice and taking the plunge to finally live free. Will you dare to be Brazen? The journey begins on page one!

Leeana is a beautiful and insightful writer. I can not say enough about the impact of Brazen. It's thoughtful and so important for women in this day in age. The chapters are short so it's easy to read in the midst of a busy day or season of life. She entertains the idea that we women can in fact break free of all the pressures we face in today's society. Sometimes the bombardment of Pinterest, Social Media, Television, Magazines, demands from friends, church commitments, etc make it difficult for us to be the women God created us to be. We lose the identity of our hearts in an effort to meet the minimums we feel pressured to meet. I believe there is a revolution of women beginning to rise up in response to the demands and expectation but Leeana looks to God to find that freedom. She speaks the (obvious) truths that God wants us to be imperfect. He wants us to enjoy the "frivolous" moments. He wants to be the beautifully artistic women we all possess somewhere deep in our soul (the part of our soul that longs to feel free but is stifled but the mounting expectations we greet daily). He wants us to step beyond the boundaries of our comfort and embrace the desires that scare us. I could go on but instead I recommend you read it. It will reach the depths of your heart and give you so much to think about. It has become a favorite in my "library" and I look forward to reading it again because there is so much to think about.

This is one of my favorite books read this year! Leeana Tankersley has a special way of connecting with the reader, as if she is conversing with them over a cup of tea. Her words are comforting, refreshing, and authentic. In a world where striving to measure up to impossible standards is esteemed, this book is a breath of fresh air, inspiring me in ways I had not considered. We each have our own personal imprint to offer the world. We must silence the Soul Bullies whose only purpose is to keep our Created Center hidden. In learning to honor our God given identity, we are given permission to live “from a soulful place rather than a striving place.” As we grow into our voices and live into our longings, we learn the dance of going back to familiar places (our desires and gifts), while also moving forward in using our unique stamps to leave a lasting imprint. This is a must-read for all who want to live in freedom, throwing off the chains of people-pleasing, shame, guilt, and fear. Live a brazen life!

Leeana has a way of speaking/writing.For any of you who saw the movie "Pretty Woman" - remember when Richard Gere's character is talking to Julia Roberts' character and she says, and I paraphrase, "it is easier to believe the bad stuff"? In this book, Leeana addresses the "soul bullies" which are those voices that tell you that you are not good enough, who knock you down, who question everything that you do. You can be brazen (and not be a hussy); you can be anyone you want to be; you can stand up for yourself; and, you can, as Leeana states, "be that girl". Leeana also states "the hard lesson of learning to walk with myself like a companion instead of a critic has been a season of grace". If you are looking for a read to encourage you then please consider reading this book! It will have you in tears, in a highly good way.

Great read.