Why is it that when I have not seen someone or talked with them in a few weeks, etc. I lose all confidence in our relationship and think they dont like me anymore…or even are mad at me….

Do you ever do this crazy thought process??? Cray Cray as my kids would say!

This is a brief snippet of my speaking in Chicago earlier this year. What an incredible time we had!!

Why is it so often that we wait until a person is already passed to celebrate their life? I realize this is the most commonly done and appropriately so at the funeral – expressing how special a loved one meant to us – but waiting for a time when the person cannot hear and appreciate that love is almost useless…so it seems.

Why dont/cant we live our lives in such a way to be a blessing, appreciating the ones we love, celebrating the lives of those all around? Life is hard and it just doesn’t work that way. Well maybe that should change. Maybe that cant be the excuse any longer.

My father in law – Dave Gray – is an incredible man to every person that has had the privilege of meeting him. He taught and coached in the same town for well over 30 years. I remember coming home with my, then boyfriend, now husband, to visit and get to know his family. Every trip was the same. Person after person randomly stopping by to ask for advice, wanting to say thank you, just dropping by to say hello, give a gift, etc.- all to or for Mr. Gray. If it only happened on 1 visit I dont think it would have made such impression on me, but no! This is something that happened every time I was in town and something my husband says happened his whole life growing up in his home.

My daughter ran cross-country for the first time this year. One of her meets was in the town my father in law lives in and coached all those years. In honor of him, NCOE hosts a huge cross country invitational and named it the Dave Gray Invitational. It was so special for my daughter to be running in her granddad’s race, but it was even more incredible that they chose to honor him while he is still living. I love that – that is the way it is suppose to be – give back to those that have constantly given all of themselves!

My town, Carmi, has been touched by a wonderful person diagnosed with breast cancer that has metastasized to her brain. Tara Glover has been told she has 6-12 months to live…a few months ago. The town is going to the greatest extents to make sure she is celebrated long before the Lord calls her home. It is beautiful and incredible and yet in a way painful all at the same time.

There have been special volleyball, basketball, softball games all in her honor.

One person organized people writing a word on their forehead symbolizing something that meant special to them about Tara. Pictures of each person were taken and on a certain night and then all our profile pictures were changed and tagged her with them. Her computer nearly blew up! My word was BREATH. Tara is a very new friend to me, one that I have discovered listens to every BREATH the Holy Spirit whispers to her soul. I wish I could live like that – Tara even responds!

Tara gathered up 12 or so of her closest friends and went on a bucket list kind of vacation.

Another person organized people from all over the world writing Tara letters….there have been days she has received 50 letters in her mailbox.

The list of things to celebrate Tara’s life goes on and on. Again, it is beautiful and hurts all at the same time.

When I hold on to bitterness, anger, hurt, jealousy, shame, or live in a way that always protects me – I miss out. I miss out on celebrating others’ lives which in turn fills me up. Living in a mode of protection, holding back, jealousy, or guarded hurts only one person – leaves only 1 person filling empty. Well, I take that back. It does leave you feeling empty, but also the others that we should be celebrating are left wondering ‘did I matter’? and that hurts.

Today is going to be different. Today I am going to live different. TodayI am going to love different. Today I am going to celebrate different. I am not going to just live like I am dying, I am going to love like I am dying too! I hope you will too!!

Celebrate now!  Honor now!  Love now!  Live now!

Asking “why”, contrary to popular church ppl belief, is not terrible or the end of the world… God can handle our questions. However, God showed me this morning a better alternative. Instead of asking “Why?” through your trials and tribulations, how about ask “What is the purpose, what is my purpose in this?” I would agree the question sounds much the same, but one has demeaning fingers pointed while the other has trust and confidence. I can confidently tell you your ultimate purpose to become more and more like Jesus, but in today’s specifics, whatever you are going thru ask, “What is my purpose in this today, Lord?” Seek Romans 8:28

Have a beautiful day friends!

Leigh

Rev. 1 – John gets a good look at our Lord Jesus – completely glorified!! He describes him with a sword coming out of His mouth and a sunshining face – what about you? What is coming out of your mouth and what does your face say?

Love to hear your thoughts!!

Love, Leigh

‘Sing to the Lord, for he has done wonderful things.
Make known his praise around the world.’ Isaiah 12:5

Lord Jesus,
I was able to go spend some time with a miracle today,Abbie Jean Short. I was able to sit before her as she explains what the last few months have meant to her and what God has done on her behalf. Jesus, sitting listening to her tell of her motorcycle accident and how the f

SATAN’S CONVENTION?

(The following article was edited with additions and
subtractions. The original author is unknown.)

It is said that Satan called a worldwide convention; and in his
opening address to all his evil angels, he said, “We can’t keep
the real Christians from going to church services. We can’t
keep them from reading their bibles and knowing the truth.
We can’t even keep them from holding godly values. But we
can keep them from forming an intimate, abiding fellowship with
Christ. This is most critical for our cause, for if they have
intimate, abiding fellowship with Christ, then we can have no
power over them, and no chance of gaining strongholds in their
lives. Therefore, my evil comrades, this is what I want you to
do– DISTRACT THEM!”

“But how shall we do this?” shouted one of his demons.

“Keep them busy in non-essentials of life! Invent unnumbered
schemes to occupy their minds. Tempt them to spend, spend,
spend and to borrow, borrow, borrow! Convince them to
work 6 and 7 days a week with both husbands and wives
working 10-12 hours per day, so they can afford their
lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children.
Let televisions, VCR’s, CD’s, video games, and movies baby-
sit their children. By these tactics alone, we will fragment
their families.”

“Over stimulate their minds with high energy sounds and
entertainment so that they cannot hear the still small voice of
our dread enemy, the Holy Spirit. Entice them to listen to
music and to watch programs, even many of the religious ones,
which will jam their minds with our agenda and our
philosophies. Flood their schedules with every kind of sports
activity you can imagine. They are especially gullible to these
kinds of tactics, since there is ‘nothing wrong with them’!
Fill them with dread by pounding their minds with news and
weather reports 24 hours a day. Flood their mail and email
boxes with “stuff”; and have them pass trivia to and fro to one
another. Fill their minds with incredible amounts of sports
trivia. You see, my dark friends, we shall JAM THEIR
MINDS AND KEEP THEM FROM COMMUNION
WITH CHRIST!”

“In their recreation, entice them to be excessive. Fill church
calendars with sports and recreation. Exhaust them, so that
they will be too tired for serious bible study and prayer.
Exhaust them so that they will have no time for Christian
hospitality. Exhaust them so that they will have no heart for
ministry to the lost. O evil one, our plan will cause them to
forget that the lost are lost! Keep them going to amusement
parks, sporting events, concerts and movies; keep them
consumed with the cares of this life! And when they do meet,
instead of spiritual fellowship, have them involved in gossip
and small talk and card games.”

“And don’t forget to crowd their lives with causes and events
that are ‘good and acceptable’. Again, our strategy is to so
exhaust them that they have no time to feed their souls, or to
cultivate love for our dread enemy, Christ. Thus, they will
have no spiritual power over temptations, over habits, over
wrong attitudes and so much more. They will have less and less
discernment as to what is true and what is false, as to what
is good, and what is evil. They will not even suspect us!”

Well, as you can tell, it was quite a convention!
And the demons went eagerly to their assignments.

Dear Lord,

Today is day 2 of the stem cell transplant for Claire. Marie is minus some and now Claire has the good stuff. Lord, I pray once again that you do a work in the very marrow of Claire’s bones and bring total healing once and for all.

Jesus, I also want to lift up Marie to you as well. I know she is very sore and has her own healing to do. Lord, I thank you for the perfect cell ma

Isaiah 46: 3b – 4 is a scripture the Lord gave right when Claire was diagnosed with Leukemia. Today is the start of the stem cell transplant. 2 weeks she will be in basic isolation while her body is accepting the new cells from her baby sister, Marie, and then learning the new way of healthy living! Here is that scripture again from the Message.

I’ve been carrying you on my back
from the day you were born,
And I’ll keep on carrying you when you’re old.
I’ll be there, bearing you when you’re old and gray.
I’ve done it and will keep on doing it,
carrying you on my back, saving you.

Dear Jesus, It is an honor to pray for this sweet family that has become so special over the years, but even more so in the last 4 months.

God, i pray today for their peace. As i am sure human anxiety is very natural at this time I pray they will feel and know Your ‘peace that surpasses all understanding’.

I pray, Lord, they feel a comfort from each other and the hospital staff that originates with You.

Lord Jesus, help the rest of us to confidently ‘be still and KNOW that You are God’. You are handling everything.

Savior, I come to You today because I believe You are the only One that can do something about this situation. You are our healer, protector, and as the Isaiah scripture says above – ‘carryier’.

Jesus, we thank you for the way You have move so mightily brought Claire this far. God we will praise you and thank you! We love you, Lord. Do your thing Jesus! We trust in You!

It’s in Your name I pray!! Amen

Today I get to share a part of my story. This is in connection with the release of the book, “Inciting Incidents”. I explain more of this in the video so please press play and check it out. I would love to hear from you!! I would love to hear your story or His Story! Tracee Persiko is one of the authors of this book and a sweet friend I have had the privilege of getting to know briefly. I pray you will check it all out!! IncitingIncidents.org

And here is that song I was referring to at church camp by Al Denson – Be the One – it’s old – beware!

I really would love to hear from you all – Much Love, Leigh