Be Brave & Love God Women of Faith is an essential resource for parents, grandparents and godparents wanting to give children a taste of the historical, living Church. This book is a collection of stories of the women saints and martyrs of the early Christian Church. Featuring saints venerated in both Orthodox and Catholic traditions, this book will introduce children to amazing role models of the faith. Showcasing women who were light in a dark time, these stories are filled with courage, beauty and ultimately, a faith in God that transformed the world. Each saint is featured with a stunning watercolor portrait, a short story from her life and a prayer suitable for young children. Example: O Dymphna, you healed many bodies and minds. Comfort me when I am worried. Calm my mind when I am afraid. Pray to God for me that I will think clearly and that I will have your love for people whose minds are ill.      I would like to introduce you to some friends of mine. As girls, I'm sure they were funny and brave, just like you. They loved flowers and their families and the chance to play with friends. As they grew, they learned to be brave and kind and love everyone around them. For this, we can know them hundreds and hundreds of years after they died.     They are called saints because being near them was a little like experiencing heaven while still on earth. Each has a different story but they are all united in their faith, lived out in such a way that the people around them couldn't help but take note. Their friends and neighbors saw light and so they told others. Some wrote their stories down and passed them on saying, "Here's someone who showed us what God is like. We can follow their example!"     But you may say, "They lived so long ago! Things are so different now."  And you would be right. Things are different now. Things will always change.     But here is a great secret that these women would pass down to you--God does not change and neither does your calling.     To be a woman of faith, even when you're just beginning to think of becoming a woman someday, means to reflect the light of Christ so brightly, that people see past your clothes and your friends and your plans. People see not just who you are right now, but who you were meant to be. It means to grab Jesus so tightly, it's hard for even you to tell where his work stops and yours begins.    When you read the stories in this book, I hope you're amazed, encouraged and maybe even a little scared by the lives of these holy women. No one said following Jesus was easy. But I have one more secret for you. You don't have to do it alone. Each of these incredible women is here to help; all you have to do is ask. They're alive in Heaven, watching us all, cheering us on, continuing to pray that we may have the faith to follow God. Calee M. Lee is the author of a number of books for children. She has written other two books featuring women saints, The Queen and the Cats, and A Necklace of Virtues. Calee lives with her husband and two children in Southern California.