37 Fear Nots

During a period of twelve months I went through two major surgeries and also found out that I had skin cancer. I noticed that each time I was faced with one of these health issues, I went through a process, almost like grieving, to reach a point of "fearing not." One week before my first surgery, a friend from church came to me with these words, "fear not." At home, I looked up the phrase in Strong's Exhaustive Concordance and found that there are actually 37 verses that start with these very words in the King James Version. As I was preparing for my second surgery, this same friend and I were talking and I said that maybe I should write down each verse and what I felt as "the day" approached-the process I went through. She suggested making it like a devotional (thanks, Bridget!). I also decided to add favorite poems, songs, and quotes about fear from famous people. This includes short biographies about all the poets and the 37 people quoted. So if you're holding this book, go back 37 days before your scary event and count down with me to "the day" you are dreading and remember-------God said, "Fear not!"