How I loathe coming against the terror barrier, it’s…well, it’s terrifying! What is the terror barrier you ask? It is the invisible obstacle that separates the comfort zone from the growth zone and it’s excruciating to cross. The comfort zone is predictable, cozy, safe, easy and in my opinion very boring. The growth zone is unpredictable, risky, and vulnerable, but it can be thrilling like a roller coaster ride.

You know you’re approaching the terror barrier when you get a new idea about a dream or goal you want to pursue, but suddenly you are filled with anxiety, fear, worry and dread. You might ask yourself, “What if I fail?” “What if everyone hates my idea?” “What if they reject me?”

At this point, most people are reluctant to step out and act on their new idea due to fear. Anyone who has ever accomplished anything of value has come up against the terror barrier but they channeled their fear appropriately and moved through it. I have recently opened the door to the terror barrier and I am trying to find the courage to walk through.

I’m petrified.

On one hand, I don’t want to turn back but I can’t stay where I am at, so I have to cross and get to the other side where freedom lives.

I’m working on this project that is bigger than me. It’s demanding of my time and energy. It’s above my education level and beyond my subject knowledge. Yet I feel compelled to move forward with the project. It feels like giving birth from my soul.

I know how to get what is needed to accomplish the final goal. I can figure out the direction in which I need to go. I have access to resources and I can visualize myself achieving this dream.

The “project” is a book about the desperate need for women to properly see ourselves in the Bible as something more than ancillary figures who submit to their husbands and bear children. The Bible is chock-full of inspirational women who were preachers, warriors, apostles and strong leaders.

The modern woman needs to hear and understand more about who those women were and what they did for the kingdom so they can see for themselves how they fit into God’s story.

Eve holds the key to our identity in the story of God. When we grasp her true calling and who she was created to be, we are then able to make better sense of the entire Bible and all those controversial passages about women.

I will share insights from my personal and professional experiences as a pastor and therapist and teach my readers how they inadvertently bring personal and cultural biases to the table when engaging the Bible.

God is my helper, I know that. It doesn’t take away the fear though and sometimes I wonder, “Will people take me seriously?”