2018 Resolutions...Kind of

Resolutions.

I understand it's to start the new year with the best of intentions and a goal which I am all about! Believe you me, out of all of my friends I'm the nerd about goal setting and vision boards.  However, why wait until January 1?  Really though, ask yourself why does January 1 sound like the perfect date.  Is it because you believe it's easier to start on the 1st?  Is it because everyone else starts at the time?  (I know I'm asking a lot of questions and  really making you think, but hey, it' what I do).

I mean, if you want to lose 20 pounds,  quit smoking or be more present why not now?!  

Did you know that it takes 21 days for something to become a habit?  So whether you start going to the gym on January 1st or January 15th you still have to do it for 21 days for it to become a habit.  I'm not trying to deter you from going to the gym - it's one of my fav activities - but according to USA Today, on average 12% of new gym members join in January and of that 12 percent 95% drop off after January 15th.  BUT, what if we started a week or two earlier?  You would be that much closer to developing a new habit and you might not mind how packed the gym got for those 15 days.

What I'm trying to say is don't wait.  Don't use the new year as an obligatory starting point for this new goal you have in mind.  If it something that is important to you and God has put it on your heart than go out and DO IT!   

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24  

So, if you decide on March 25th that you want to start a daily prayer journal than start that day!  If you decide on November 4th you want to lose 15 pounds than start that day!

Sometimes starting is the hardest part, but if you think of it as working for God's good and not your own it will become easier.  Serve Him and blessings will follow.

Love you always,

Leah


P.S. I'm pretty versed in goal setting and have a few tips and tricks if you guys would be interested.  

Overhaul Your Life

How many times have you said to God, "Ok, I'm ready for your plan for my life" ?  It was most likely said in a time of despair when your plans, that you made on your own, didn't work out.
(Am I right or am I right?!)

Believe me, I've done it too.  I've prayed that prayer that so many times in my darkest hours because I was just SO done with this life.  However, I've also said those words when I felt lost and confused.  Word of advice,  DO NOT ask God to take away or give you anything so that you can do His will, unless you are prepared for the consequences.  I know from experience.  Let me tell you it was a freakin' doozy.  It was my senior year of College, my fiancee left me, I had to move back in with my parents and I totaled my car.  All that happened in 4 months! Talk about moving mountains!

I say this as a word of caution.  If you think you're at a low point and need God to save you, you're right.  But the thing is you needed Him waayyyy before that.  I have this theory (which I could be totally wrong)  that if you are actively seeking a relationship with Him and do love God before you cry out for his overhaul, that He will make small moves first. If you are open an seeking Him then you will see these small signs or changes in everyday life.  At the time of my overhaul I was not nearly as deep with my walk in Christ as I am now.  I see small changes and hear his voice more frequently.  He knows I am sensitive so small signs are the best for me.

I wonder how God is speaking to you?  Do you need a small change or large?  I would love to hear all about it in the comments below or reach out to me on social media.



" So often our dreams are actually too small for God to fit into them, and what God wants is for us to invite Him in and hand them over to Him."  -  Mariah McManus Goss  



Love you always,
Leah

Greatness

This post is more faith based than the rest.  It's going to be short and sweet.  So just a heads up.

At church today we studied the first chapter in the book of Jonah.  Ya know, the guy who got swallowed by a great big fish.  (FYI, it never says he was swallowed by a whale so the whole 'Jonah and the Whale" story is false.) Which makes me understand why some people are against Christianity, but that is a totally different post within it's self.  Should I do a post on it?  Would you find it helpful in understanding nonbelievers?  Leave me a comment and let me know.

Did you know the term great is used in the short book of Jonah, more than any other book of the bible?  This is not a coincidence.  The entire story of Jonah is about how great and big God is.  He is bigger than any thought or idea we might have.  He is bigger than any of our own judgements of others.  He is big enough to show grace to EVERYONE!  Even those we think don't deserve it or didn't "earn" it.  How dare we limit God.  He is a great big God capable of anything.  I mean He did create the universe.

My friends, I ask you the next time your ego creeps in and you think to yourself, "See how awesome I am God.  Look at how good I am."  know that God loves you as much as the most horrible person you can think of.  Then I invite you to pray for those who need Him.  Also, pray for yourself that you can be humbled by Him.  I know you have your short comings as well but God still loves you the same.  He is a great big God.


Love You Always,

Leah

There is Room for Everyone

It seems like nowadays everyone and their mom has a blog.

I recently went to go see Bad Moms with Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and a few other awesome ladies.  (I also loved that JJ Watt played a soccer coach who owned cats and Prius...but I digress).  One of the lines mentioned the different types of mom groups and I quote, "the blogging moms."  I told you everyone and their mom has a blog.  So why the heck am I doing it?  What could I have to say that hasn't already been said or done?  Well my friends,  sorry to break it to ya, but most of my advice or encouragement is not new.  Maybe the way I say something or my perspective might be different but for the most part it is not new stuff.

Similar to my last post, sometimes you won't understand something fully until you are at the right place at the right time and have gone through the right experience to be able to "get it".  And by right experience I mean that very specific place and person who was there, or not there.  I do NOT mean societies term of "right experience".

The things that I say and write are from my perspective.  From my own experiences.  For some people it will be like a lightbulb moment of awareness.  Others might think nothing of it and place no value on what I have to say.  Some might go as far as to say that it's a load of rubbish.  Ya know what?  That's total okay!

It has been stated in the Bible by God that, "You will be hated by everyone because of me..."  Now those are some pretty heavy words.  Society will try to bring you down.  They will say, "give up on your dream, it's all been said and done before."  But my dear friends they are wrong!  They don't know the magnitude of the dream God has put in your heart.  He gave it to you for a reason. Only you can carry out the plans he has set for you, no one else.

So, do not listen to the nay sayers of this world.  If someone gawks at your unreasonable dream it's most likely because they have given up on their own.  I warn you my love, do not believe those doubters.  Trust and believe in your God.  There is room for everyone.

Love You Always,
Leah

Trust is hard

As you can tell by the title of this post I have a hard time with trust.  

Not just trusting people but with trusting in God.  Their I said it!  Can ya blame me though?  I'm Type A all the way.  I like to plan and I'm an extrovert so I have no problem spilling my guts to anyone who will listen.  The issue with that is I tend to get hurt...a lot.  Hence, the trust issues.  

About two years ago is when I realized I had a hard time trusting God.  

I was engaged to my best friend of 4 years and I had just picked out my wedding dress (it took me 8 months to find the "right one" so at this point I was pumped).  I remember it was a Sunday afternoon and B walked in from a weekend away with his dad and brothers.  He was shaking and sobbing.  My immediate thought was that something terrible happened. Maybe his dad got hurt or worse,  his Nana died.  Little did I know the terrible thing that was going to happen would be to me.  He claimed he wasn't in love with me anymore and we couldn't get married.  I was blindsided.  

Here was the love of my life, my best friend, the person who I thought God wanted me to be with saying he didn't want to marry me anymore.  I want to emphasize the word  "anymore".  At one point he loved me so much that we moved in together and were engaged.  He even told me  that in his mind he was already married to me and their was no going back.  He said and did all the right things, so I thought.  

You can imagine how mad I was at B and at God.  How could God take away the one person who I thought I could fully rely on?! How can I trust in God if He took away the desire of my heart?! I thought that this man God brought into my life would always be there for me like B claimed to promise.  Promise; what a word.  When someone promises things to me I expect them to keep their word.  Now,  I have a really hard time believing anyone.  I've ruined the start of potential relationships because of my now prominent trust issues.  

But,  I'm learning to trust in people again by trusting in Jesus first.  It is SUPER hard.  Especially after that traumatic life incident. A verse that helped me out of my darkest hour is, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6.  

Guys, do you see what God did their?!  I've always had a hard time trusting in the promises He says He has for us, "Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long" - Psalm 25:4-5, and I put my trust in people instead.  God is now rewiring me to learn to trust in Him first (mind blown).   

If you are going through a challenging time in your life, wondering "why", then I invite you to write down the verses in this post on a note card and keep them in your car, in your desk at work or even write them on your bathroom mirror.  Put it somewhere you can easily access it in times of struggle.  Let it ease your aching heart.  
  

Love you Always, 
Leah 

Giving Up on Your Dream

I'm sure their have been plenty of times in your life when you were ready to throw in the towel and call it quits.  Believe me, I get it! I've felt like that, A LOT! I can't even tell you how many times I've given up on things in my life (and I'm only 26).

I am a serial quitter.  I'm not even sure if that's a thing but I'm gonna make it a thing!

I have struggled with having lots of drive and ambition my whole life.  But than as soon as I come to a challenge or set back I give up.  I might even tough it out and handle a couple of set backs but ultimately I gave up... again.  It was so embarrassing to tell friends and family how excited I was to start something new too then tell them one a few months later "it did't work out."  They probably think I'm a flake and can't handle life (which I can't but that's for another post).

Just like in my last post, about Taking Action you were given a special purpose for your life.  God needs YOU to deliver on what it is He put in your heart.  We are his soldiers.  I'm sorry to tell you this but Ecclesiastes 5:3 says, "For a dream comes with much business and painful effort."

We have to learn to put in effort and keep trucking through. Which is what I like to say, Do work!

What I do - I know many other successful people do - is to remind ourselves why we started.  Did you start so you can give your children a better life?  Did you start so you can help others?  Whatever your reason is remember God has equipped with you armor for the battle.  Satan will do anything to try and steal, kill and destroy your life (that's all he wants to do).  This means he will try and put any obstacle in your way so you give up.  I've heard it said that the moment right before you're about to give up is when the miracle happens. Theirs God, showing up for you and helping you through.  A verse that I have in my car is Psalm 32:7 

" For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble.  You surround me with songs of victory." 

My favorite part of this verse is that last word; victory!  It jumps off the page and into my heart.  It feels like a warm blanket of courage being wrapped around me.  It makes me feel like I can conquer all of my dreams!

But...

I'm not saying that if you have a really crappy job that is sucking the life out of you, that you have to stick it out.  Please, don't do that!  What I am saying is that if you pray for Gods guidance he will show you the way.  "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 

For me I ended up staying at a job that wrecked havoc on my spirit for months before I left.  I stayed because I didn't want to give up.  I didn't want my family to think I was quitting something...again.  But honestly it was the best thing I could have done.  I prayed about it for a a long time and then one day I heard God loud and clear.  It was time to go.  The difference here was that being at that company and doing that job was not a dream God put on my heart.  

If I never left I would have never started this blog.  I would have never written my book (coming to you in 2017).  Those were the real dreams God placed in my heart.  I know this because I have always felt it in my soul since I was a little girl.  But most importantly because I knew it would glorify Him!  

Lastly, I leave you with this.  If you are feeling like you're about to give up, keep going.  Show those doubters what you're made of!  Show them you are strong!  And always remember why you started. 


Love you always, 
Leah