Reflections and Responses

Verse 1: God in my living There in my breathing God in my waking God in my sleeping God in my resting There in my working God in my thinking God in my speaking Chorus: Be my everything Be my everything Be my everything Be my everything Verse 2: God in my hoping There in my dreaming God in my watching God in my waiting God in my laughing There in my weeping God in my hurting God in my healing Bridge: Christ in me Christ in me Christ in me the hope of glory You are everything Christ in me Christ in me Christ in me the hope of glory Be my everything "Everything" - Tim Hughes (Sorry for the abundance of lyrics posted lately...)

I know a lot of people that scared they gone die couple of em thinking they'll be livin in the sky while Im here livin man I gotta ask why, what am here fo I gotta figure out waste my life no I gotta make it count if Christ is real then what am I gone do about everything in Luke 12:15 down to 21 you really gotta go and check it out Paul said if Christ aint resurrect then we wasted our lives well that implies that our life's built around Jesus being alive everyday I'm living tryna show the world why Christ is more than everything you'll ever try better than pretty women and sinning and living to get a minute of any women and men that you admire it aint no lie We created for Him outta the dust he made us for Him Elects us and he saves us for Him Jesus comes and he raises for Him Magnify the Father why bother with something lesser he made us so we could bless Him and to the world we confess him resurrects him so I know I got life matter fact better than I know I got Christ...

Thank You, Lord, for a great day today with family, and... for a husband who loves me but loves You more for parents who sacrificed much to instill wisdom & provide opportunities for friends to do life with who challenge me to know You more intimately for always providing all that I need, plus much that I want - a job that enables me to be a part of something so much bigger than myself a home, car, and so many modern conveniences to enjoy for the plans You have for the future - for me & my family, but also for Your Church for those I will come to know this year for those who will come to know You this year most importantly - for Your Holy Spirit who guides & abides inside of me for Your Word & Your promises, and for grace I do not and will never be able to earn.

It finally hit me today that this will be the first Thanksgiving that my sister will not be in Georgia with our family. In her life of travel, she has missed a couple of Christmas celebrations but always been able to come home for Thanksgiving, amazingly. It's not sad on one hand, because the reason she isn't coming home is because she's just begun a new job and also has friends and loved ones in her own community with whom she wants to celebrate. Having a job and an awesome group of people around her is fantastic and what we have all prayed for her in this stage of post-grad life. Those are two great reasons to stay there for the holiday. However, it is strange to think that she won't be with us. I'm very grateful that she will be coming to Georgia for 10 days in December and hope to be able to spend time with her before Passion 2012. Being only 2.5 years apart, we were really close growing up. We both were involved in the same activities in high school and had mut...

Confession: I'm not good at relaxing. I don't really know how... My dad claims that he passed this trait to me, but I claim personal responsibility for nurturing it beyond what I inherited honestly. I used to make plans every Monday - Thursday night, which meant that I was too busy to have time at home by myself. This schedule led to exhaustion and emotional overload - a hamster on a wheel effect. I was always going somewhere or doing something with somebody, but not always feeling like I was GETTING anywhere. Making plans every night also resulted in complete incompetence in the relaxation department. The little free time I gave myself (Saturday mornings and a bit of time on Sundays), I filled with necessary tasks such as cleaning my house, laundry, and grocery shopping. When I found myself with a rare moment alone, I busied myself by cleaning or organizing something. Now, I try to leave at least one night open for either down time at my house or a spontaneous date with a fri...

You have exactly 2 months left in 2011. Two months. 61 days. That's roughly 1,460 hours or 87,600 minutes. My question is... What are you going to do with this time? How are you going to spend the remaining hours of 2011? It's a fairly substantial chunk of days. In fact, it's plenty of time to pick up a new habit to add to your daily routine (exercising, Bible study, or journaling, anyone?), begin a new skill (cooking, language tutoring, yoga classes?), or wean yourself off of an unhealthy habit (midnight snack, gossiping at the office, not sleeping enough?) or out of a parasitic relationship. Two months is enough time to invest in a new acquaintance or two, plan a vacation, or accomplish all kinds of spiritual, physical, or professional goals. The point I'm trying to make is that we all take a moment to prayerfully shift our focus and set new goals at the beginning of each year...but why can't we refocus and aim to make changes before a year ends? Two months is a...

(Long time no post, I know.) Overall, I am doing SO well... Circumstantially, life is amazing. John & I say all of the time that things are too good to be true. This post is going to sound like the opposite is true, but I assure you that today is a rare day. I woke up feeling defeated and restless. Can't put my finger on why. Having a hard time shaking negative feelings today and can't even pinpoint why I'm feeling upset. I'm entering into a spiritual battle. Well, we're always in one... but as Passion 2012 becomes sooner & sooner, Satan tries to up his game and distract everyone on our team. You know what we should do when we feel attacked? "...be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and th...

Well, it's been a Leigh-vs.-the-inbox kinda week. The bright side of that is the fact that God is preparing to do some really huge things: Passion 2012 and launching a morning gathering at passion city church. I'm honestly really excited when I think about those two things... and I'm extremely humbled that He allows me to play a tiny role in them. Focusing on those two end results and the literal Kingdom impacts that will result helps me stop growling at my inbox. :-) Anyway, that's not what I logged on to say. Had a thought this evening about confidence and identity. Something I have struggled with in the last year is feeling free to be who I really am and letting go of self-consciousness. Tonight God helped me draw a connection between identity and John 3:30: "He must increase; I must become less." If we will just stop TRYING so hard to BE anything in particular and instead direct that energy toward being sensitive to the Holy Spirit, we will be who we were ...

You hold my every moment You calm my raging seas You walk with me through fire And heal all my disease I trust in You I trust in You I believe You're my Healer I believe You are all I need I believe You're my Portion I believe You're more than enough for me Jesus You're all I need Nothing is impossible for You Nothing is impossible for You Nothing is impossible for You You hold my world in Your hands (Beautiful words for our beautiful savior. Lyrics not written by me of course.)

My husband is working tonight, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the high level of coziness in my house. I'm pretty excited to experience fall and winter in our home, since we've only lived here in warm weather thus far. Right now I'm sitting cross-legged in a recliner in the living room with only lamps and a pumpkin candle providing a dim, peaceful glow. AJ is purring loudly at my feet. I also broke out the sweatpants for the first time this season (YES! Gotta love comfy pants.). Overall, it just feels very good and relaxing in here. I say that I am surprised because I typically don't love the way it feels here with John gone at night. In fact, I often avoid being here alone, especially in the evenings. I typically plan dates with girlfriends or have dinner with my parents and then come home just in time to slide into bed. Or, I have friends over on those nights and don't kick them out until I need to sleep. It sounds kind of pathetic that I'm a married woman...

I recently received some disappointing news, which led to an awesome, very deep talk with my husband. Interestingly, through this conversation, God revealed that I have been believing a significant lie: that I am a disappointment to several key people. I realized that I have been believing that I am a disappointment to my husband, co-workers, and some friends. I have been hearing lies about my weaknesses as a wife (ex: my cooking skills), my abilites at work (not good enough), and how good of a friend I am to certain people (ex: I don't reach out to them enough, I'm too focused on myself, etc.). The enemy has been working to convince me that I'm a disappointment to some of the people I hold dearest. And I haven't been making him work very hard - I've fallen for his schemes hook, line, and sinker. For a while, I've had a hard time understanding why I feel I am a self-confident person, yet I struggle with insecurities in so many areas. God showed me that it...

Yesterday marked my first anniversary at my job. I cannot believe how fast the year has passed. It feels like maybe six months, not a year, ago that I nervously drove to the office for the first time, getting to the neighborhood so early that I stopped for coffee and STILL had to sit in my car for 15 minutes waiting for someone to arrive and unlock the door. Reflecting on the last year, I'm first of all grateful . This paragraph could go on and on about the things I'm thankful for related to my job - being where God has called me, the ability to do tasks I love, the incredible people I'm in relationship with here, and the experiences I've been able to have. However, instead of using thousands of words to talk about gratefulness, I'll briefly share a few of the lessons I have learned in this year, specifically through my job. 1. Work is about problem solving. (I elaborated about this in an earlier post.) 2. Patience is crucial, and my #1 priority may not...

This will sound cliche, but I truly mean it. The more I know, the more I realize I don't know. Recently John & I were with a couple who have only been married a few months and are fresh out of college. We were in their exact stage two years ago, which is not long at all, but somehow being with them made me think back and smile at the naive thoughts I entertained during that season. Thinking about the Leigh Harper of two years ago, I realize that I thought I "knew it all" already at age 22. To be honest, when I graduated from college and got married, I felt invincible. I was prideful (not that I'm completely rid of pride - it's a daily battle, right?) and felt competent, confident that I was prepared to enter adulthood and successfully conquer marriage and career. Fast forward two years to the present, and I realize how off those thoughts were! In reality, at 22, I was just stepping into two new worlds full of NEW things to absorb, and I had NO IDEA a...

I have a confession: I love thrift, consignment, and discount stores. I love scouring the racks in search of a great find. All of the items in this photo I purchased today for $30.71. That's four nice tops I can wear for any occasion (work, social dates, church), plus two dressy pairs of shoes and a snazzy, versatile bag. Wow. Some shoppers would pay $30.71 for one of the tops alone, but I can no longer justify paying full price for any article of clothing or accessory, knowing that I can find something comparable at a thrift, consignment, or discount store such as TJ Maxx. I have found countless name brand items, and many items with tags still attached! What is required to make the transition from full price shopper to successful thrifter? A thrifter must understand that he/she will find way more outdated pieces than desirable ones and be patient. A successful thrifter also must accept the fact that the clothes once graced someone else's closet. Personally, this concept doesn...

Last weekend John's dad Steve and step-mother Karen came to visit. Steve and Karen live in a quiet, rural town in north Alabama. We absolutely love to visit them because we can't help but relax the second we step out of our car and into their cozy world. We have a great time when we are there and it's a nice escape from our norm. We had a really nice visit with them while they were here, and we enjoyed some fun Atlanta outings. In fact, I felt like a tourist myself at times because we hit spots I don't frequent on typical weekends. It was great to be with them and to step outside of my usual weekend routine. In addition to exploring the touristy places, it was interesting to see them take in the sites of my daily landscape. Watching them, I felt like I was seeing my environment through a visitor's eyes, and their observations helped me consider things in a new way. I think it's healthy to observe others responding to what you consider normal, and it is good to s...

1. Our AC is fixed temporarily. 2. My husband is an excellent homeowner, great at taking care of repairs and organizing contractors. 3. John's dad and stepmom are coming to visit this weekend. Excited for time with them and for hosting our first out-of-town guests. 4. Thankful for God answering prayers and for amazing friends He has placed around me. 5. We're also celebrating John's mom's completion of her Bachelor's degree this weekend. She amazes me - finished her degree at night at University of Phoenix while working her very busy job and dealing with a long commute. 6. I have been a bit restless lately. 7. I'm making some cherry muffins tonight and excited to see how they turn out. 8. I'm annoyed that our cat AJ had been making some marks on our furniture. 9. Truly that may be the most random, disconnected blog post I have ever made. :-)

“God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus.” — Max Lucado One could interpret this quote a variety of ways: 1) God loves me = awesome; 2) God desires greatness for me = awesome; 3)I need to change = ouch; 4) I should be aiming for Christlikeness = great, but difficult a charge I like this quote a lot. It sums up how I feel about myself: grateful and confident in who God has made me to be, but unfinished and far from where I'd like to be. On the surface, that sounds great. It seems positive that I don't want to become stagnant or get so "comfortable" with myself that I stop pursuing growth. However, something bad happens. The high-achieving perfectionst rares its ugly head in me and turns the healthy desire of self improvement into a very miserable, self-centered place... this mindset of "I can be better" leads me to set super high standards which I fail to meet, resulting in warped thoughts ...

Things have been going so well lately. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's like God has tied up so many lose ends that were hanging. We're married, both in jobs we love, and we're settled into our home. God has also renewed our minds in many ways and has put an invigorating newness into our marriage. We are blessed. Despite all of those blessings, I have been a total grouch for some unexplainable reason this week. I have been negative, whiny, exhausted, and pretty much zero fun to be around. I don't have any reason AT ALL to behave this way, but I also can't seem to snap out of it. Thankfully, John and my coworkers are patient with me. All of this has reminded me that our joy should NOT stem from circumstances. Regardless of my physical circumstances and how "well" "things" are, I should carry the same joy always. Yes, God has put me in a place that I am SO thankful for, but I should have been just as joyful months ago as I am right n...

It's funny how it can take years to understand certain seemingly elementary concepts. Despite multiple people explaining them to us for years, the ideas don't click for whatever reason for a very long time. Then, for seemingly no reason at all, the idea suddenly makes sense in our minds and becomes crystal clear in a matter of minutes. This has happened to me twice in the last couple of weeks. Concept #1 that finally solidified in my mind is the fact that jobs are really all about problem solving. That's the reason the job was created - to solve a problem/meet a need/fill a void. Therefore, we need to anticipate new challenges arising instead of backing away and letting them jar us. Again, this is probably common sense to you, but it finally dawned on me that I exist to be a problem solver - not a routine follower or a people pleaser or an order filler. Since that is true, I should no longer shrink with intimidation when a new challenge at the workplace presents itself. I s...

Here are some things I am absolutely loving this month. - Stillness and quiet - Our church moving to a new building/neighborhood/ministry hub - Trader Joe's hummus - Morning runs outside - Warm sunshine on my arms while driving - Deepening relationships - Watching God literally work miracles - Learning that sometimes doing things with excellence trumps doing them in a timely way " There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens... " Ecclesiastes 3:1

Why do we as humans have such a hard time accepting the fact that we have little control? If you think about it, we can control very little. We can't even change much about our appearance! Clothes and haircuts, yes, but shapes, skin and hair colors, and big-picture appearance characteristics? No. We also cannot control others - what they say, what they do, when they say it, when they do it - none of that is in our control. We can't control society - the economy, pop culture, current events - individuals have very, very little control over these things. The Earth - climate, natural disasters, animals - all function outside of our control. Our lack of control is at times frustrating but other times so liberating. Why frustrating? Sometimes I would love to control what comes out of someone's mouth or how they respond to situations. Why liberating? I am so very glad that I am not responsible for making society function or any of the other monumental things mentioned above. It...

I have felt joy surging through my veins over the last two weeks. At times, I have experienced literal excited flutters in my stomach, accompanied by excessive smiling and happy thoughts. I have felt super, uber, jump-up-and-down-while-squealing excited. And no, it's not because we bought a house or because it's springtime or for any circumstantial reason. It's because God is showing me how much He loves me - in tangible and intangible ways. You might say that the fact that God loves us is a basic truth I should have grasped as soon as I could speak (hint: "Jesus loves me, this I know..."). But He is showing me the breadth and depth of it right now, and I cannot get over it! It's like how you know your parents love you, but it's not until adulthood that you look back and truly understand the measure of their love. Once you begin to understand all of the sacrifices they made on your behalf and the weight behind their actions and words, you begin to fathom t...

Things I want to do this season... 1. Go to Braves games 2. Make our new yard pretty (you can see from the photo that it needs work for sure) 3. Become more handy around the house (trial by fire) 4. Have friends over, grill out, and hang out on our back patio for hours 5. Run outside more 6. Visit my grandparents more 7. Enjoy being still while also inviting God to work in & through me 8. Cook more (yes, this is still on the list)

Sometimes it's hard to hear God. Other times, He practically shouts by continually putting the same message or idea in front of us over and over and over. Something He has pressed upon my heart very loudly lately is the idea of death and also eternity. Sadly, in the last couple of weeks I have encountered multiple friends who have either lost a loved one or are caring for a loved one who is close to death. I have been fascinated by their very personal, intimate blog posts and the conversations I have had with them. I am struck by their situations and can't seem to move past them. I've found myself unable to place myself in their shoes, but I feel like God is definitely trying to show me something. I'm just not sure what it is yet. As these people and their circumstances roll through my mind, a verse keeps coming with them: "...He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11. I gues...

My husband is a pretty outstanding person. John is very capable, dependable and kind. One of the first things that attracted me to him when I was 15 years old was how responsible he was - his strong sense of moral responsiblity and dependability really stretched way beyond his years. He was then and still is exceptionally punctual, and he's always stayed true to his word. If he says he's going to meet you somewhere at 7 with your coffee, he will be there at 6:45 with your coffee plus a few different sweeteners to make sure you have what you want. A prime example of this is the amazing yet true fact that though he has worked since he was 15 years old, he had NEVER been late to work (not even a single time, not even to his part-time jobs as a teen) until he was 24 years old (and that was just once and because of his alarm clock). He is exceptionally responsible and conscientious, and he ALWAYS chooses to do the right thing. John's strong sense of responsibility and commitment...

I can't believe we are moving a month from tomorrow. I'm so very excited about our house, but it doesn't quite seem real yet. Maybe that's because we don't close on the home until April 8. I'm sure that when I feel the key in my hand it will feel real, but I'm hoping it hits me sooner than that. In some ways, a month sounds like forever away. I just want to live in the house. But in other ways, I'm glad we have some time because there's a lot of physical and mental preparation that needs to take place. We have decisions to make before moving, such as picking out new appliances for the house, deciding what furniture we're bringing from our storage units (meaning our parents' basements!), and arranging to have a few things fixed in the new house. Plus, of course, packing. I will be in Texas for an entire week too, so that's one less week I have to pack and prepare. It's neat how God prepares me for moves. I moved home for my last semest...

Tiredness is a funny thing. Sometimes, it is completely physical - if you don't sleep long enough or if you engage in vigorous physical activity, you feel sleepy and worn out. On the other hand, if you are maxing out your mental energy, you feel tired. If you are spending tons of time worrying about something or trying to make something happen on your own, exhaustion sets in quickly and energy is zapped. That kind of exhaustion is tricky because sometimes you aren't even aware that you've been striving or that you're tired. Suddenly, in the midst of your efforts to do whatever it is you're trying to accomplish, you demonstrate effects of exhaustion: you become irritable, physically tense, and you lose your ability to think rationally. That place is an EASY place for us to behave badly... Tiredness has become a good spiritual checkpoint for me. When I realize that I'm sleepy, irritable, physically tense, or frustrated, I ask myself why. Sometimes I am genuinely...

Today, I am unsettled and kind of sad. The word that best describes how I am feeling is homesick. What am I homesick for? I live with my husband just 45 minutes from my family & the town I grew up in, so it can't be the familiarity or "home" that I grew up in...I think I'm homesick for a couple of other things. I'm homesick for the ease of childhood. I have a birthday on Monday, and it honestly amazes me that I'm an adult woman, working full-time, married, and probably about to own a house. Each of those things is awesome - a tremendous blessing, but each also comes with responsibility. Decisions to be made. Relationships to maintain. Resources to allocate. I know that the responsibilities of life on Earth will only increase as I get older, but thankfully, so will my wisdom and maturity. I think I'm also homesick for Heaven. That may sound odd, but what I mean is, I'm homesick for the place where words don't matter, bodies don't break, peop...

Hello! Haven't blogged much this month, so here goes. I'm currently writing from the great state of Texas! I have the pleasure of being here for our last site visit for Passion 2011 - Ft. Worth! The conference is April 1-3, so we are here with our key leaders for one last walk through the space and logistical meeting. I am so pumped about the gathering and really grateful to be a part. God blows my mind through these events and the lasting effects He creates through them. The team of people who lead these events are simply amazing. They love Jesus, TRULY have servant hearts (most of them VOLUNTEER weekends to travel & plan for the conferences, plus take off time from their full-time jobs & families for the conferences), and they are so fun. I am surprised by how much I enjoy Texas. I like to see new places, but am generally content in Atlanta, happy to call Georgia home. I have said before that D.C. is the only city I'd consider living in. However, visiting Texas a ...

Just have to share this today. The concept of this song is so powerful! Because of our relationship with Jesus, we can have utter confidence in our future. We can also have utter confidence in the present. Romans 8:28!

A few things. - Passion City Church - Ft. Worth - Housing decisions - Community - Weight loss (a goal, anyway) - Cooking experiments - Family - Friends - Learning to love more & love better - Hopefully debuting flip-flops because it will be warm occasionally :-) - Carrying His name.

I wish I were better at sitting still. I'm not good at just waiting to find out the outcome of a decision. I tend to jump in and try to control things myself (hmm, think I've blogged about that before). I want to be better at sitting still, enjoying restful moments when I've put things in God's hands. I want to get better at recognizing when I've done all I can do about a situation, and my action steps are just to wait and be still. Normally, when I feel I've reached the end of my ability to work on a situation, I will rest for about 5 seconds and then jump in and try to solve it from another angle. However, I want to recognize - and REJOICE IN - the times when I've used up the resources I have and need to simply TRUST GOD and be still. Truly, that is an AWESOME place to be. The responsibility is no longer mine. I've submitted my request to God, done all I felt led to do, and can then stop striving. I can simply trust Him to work things out according to ...

I had dinner with some good friends one night this week at their house, and their precious nieces were present as well. These girls are both under the age of 5 and could not have been more fun. After they gave me a tour of their rooms and introduced me to their stuffed animals, I had the privilege watching them interact with their daddy when he came home. They began squealing as soon as they heard his car hit the driveway, and they attacked him as he walked in the door. He, too, was excited to see his precious daughters. They clung to him for a while, and then all three of them rolled around on the floor, laughing and giggling. Then they played what I later learned is a common game at their house: chasing their dad around the house in a circle, running laps and squealing with delight. Later, the girls put on a "show" for us, which consisted of jumping around the living room dancing wildly to Christian music. They were completely free in their dancing, swinging arms, legs, hea...

Whew! What a few weeks it has been. I've been flooded with blessings, but of course, there have been some interesting moments along the way too! I'll back up and start from the beginning. Christmas was absolutely wonderful - one of the best of my entire life, truthfully. John did not have to work for the first time in 3 years, so we were able to enjoy the entire weekend together, which was great. We also were grateful to participate in Passion City Church 's first ever Christmas Eve service, which was at an outdoor venue. Both of our families were present, which was uber-special on multiple levels. On Christmas day, we had a fun breakfast together at our apartment and then our families merged for one big lunch together in Cumming, which was a blast. Then we visited with the rest of John's family with a snowy backdrop. Unreal, and so special. I used to think that Christmas was way more special/enjoyable for children, but now I firmly believe that it is more significant f...