Reflections and Responses

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...