Category: Encouragement

Do you struggle with not feeling good enough for God?

 

“Most of us were taught that God would love us if and when we change. In fact, God loves you so that you can change. What empowers change, what makes you desirous of change, is the experience of love. It is that inherent experience of love that becomes the engine of change.”

-Richard Rohr

Quote  from the book Crash the Chatterbox by Steven Furtick

Before I elaborate I must say that I am really enjoying this book! I highly suggest picking up a copy.

Something deeply rooted in my mind since my childhood is that I am never going to be holy enough for God. I could do more for him, I could be better. I am never on the right track, never paying enough attention to him, never reading enough of my bible, never worshiping him enough to get to that place of true certainty that I am loved by him, and he is pleased with me.  I am just down right not good enough to be called a child of God because I just can’t seem to get this whole Child of God, Jesus follower down! I actually feel guilt and condemnation when I go days without picking up my bible. Then I think, well now I have to start all the way over to get back in his good graces.

How stupid is this!

Progress with your walk with Christ comes little by little. We have an enemy who is pushing back against us the whole way. He wants us to have none of the victories Christ already died for us to have. We are overcomers, we are saved, we are healed, we are made righteous in his sight through the blood of his one and only begotten Son, Jesus. We are forgiven, we are loved unconditionally, and his mercy and grace is new every day.

Joyce Meyer says it best: “I may not be where I need to be, but thank God I am not where I use to be!” Progress

Jesus already paid the price for my sins, past, present, and future. So why I am always fighting, waging war within myself, within my mind to try to get to him. To believe this is really true! Why do I waiver in my faith. In my heart I believe with every ounce of my being. I believe I am free, I believe I am saved. My mind however is just always being attacked with negativity, doubt.

Maybe you struggle with this mindless chatter as well? These lies that keep playing over and over and over in your mind. You did this and this today, God is so not pleased. Whelp, maybe tomorrow after you pray and read your bible for an hour you will be okay again. I am not saying that we don’t have to repent and ask for forgiveness of our sins, of course we do. These feelings of guilt and condemnation linger way after confession and asking for forgiveness.

Satan loves to make us believe that getting to God is a LOT OF WORK, BUT HE IS A LIAR.

Well actually it was a lot of Work for Jesus, He took our place and atoned for our sins. He did the hard part for us all, so that we could be free and live in his Victory over Death!

Steven Furtick knocked it out of the park when he elaborated on the first chatter told to Eve. It was actually an ah ha moment in my mind, and I want to share it with you because maybe you struggle like me, maybe this truth will give you some hope and a fresh start to your faith, and your stupid thoughts bouncing around up there!

I am going to take this straight out of Chapter 4 of Crash the Chatterbox.

This is after the fruit has been eaten and now Adam and Eve are hiding from God in the Garden.

“Yes, the serpent is a master of asking questions to insinuate things about God’s intentions: “Did God really say….” Thankfully, God counters those questions with a question of His own: “Where are you?”

God doesn’t ask because He needs the information. He knows His way around this garden. He asks so that Adam can locate himself in relation to his God. So the hiding can stop.

Adam’s answer is straightforward enough: “I head you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked: so I hid.”

And God’s next question is my favorite of all. It is the ultimate counter-question, and it’s the source of our separation from God: “Who told you that you were naked?”

Implicit in God’s question “Who told you that?” is at least part of the answer: Because it sure wasn’t Me.”

Steven Furtick Crash the Chatterbox

Those words across my iPad  pierced my soul. It knotted my stomach and then released tears down my eyes. Really it was a release of bondage rooted with my doubts. “Because it sure wasn’t Me.”

In a few days we start a new year. I might have made the mistake of not keeping my eyes on God for the past few weeks, but He didn’t go anywhere.

Our Father is a patient and steadfast Father. HE LOVES us, and that LOVE for us is what continues to change me. As his child, I must do what Paul tells us, keep on pressing on towards the prize!

I am not hiding from my guilt of not being a perfect human being. No, instead I am walking by faith and not by sight, and I am clinging on to the Hope and the Promise of the Word’s spoken in Romans 5:

Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[b] boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The TRUTH ALWAYS REVIELS the LIES!

Because of His blood, I am good enough, not by my acts, not by my deeds, not by my success or by lack of any shortcomings, or because I did or didn’t read my bible this morning. Because of my belief and  my faith, and because I have been saved by Christ, God’s Holy Spirit is always with me, always helping me, convicting me to change, because I AM LOVED and so are you my friend!

Now go back and read the title quote again. 🙂

SMASH THE LIES AND SMASH THE STUPID LYING CHATTERBOX!

Love and Hugs,

Leigh Leigh

Follow me on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE!

New Years Resolutions

 

Isaiah 43:18-19

18 “Forget the former things;
    do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
    Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
    and streams in the wasteland.

I have always been one who takes New Years Resolutions pretty serious. I enjoy the ideal of new beginnings and tend to use January 1rst as a reason to change some bad habits picked up during the previous year.

I have not made my “official” New Years 2015 resolution list yet, but I have been reflecting back on my list I made this time last year. I plan on making my resolution list in this post, so keep reading to find out what makes the list!

2014 was a year of excitement, change, new beginnings, and accomplishments.

We fostered 4 children in our home.

The new gym opened up.

My dear step daughter made Cheerleader and now is an official teenager!

Went on a beach vacation to a new location never previously visited.

My son played his first year of Popwarner football and scored his first touch down!

I started a new position that was created over the summer at the preschool, Specials Coordinator.

My husband took on a new job position at his work place.

My daughter started preschool and turned the big 5.

My step son turned 16 and is now a proud owner of a drivers permit.

I met some pretty new amazing friends over the summer.

We started attending a new church which plans on planting in February 2015.

I started running for the fun of it. (Over 120 miles to be exact off and on over the year.) I really didn’t get serious about it until August.

We got some new pets.

I got to see and visit most of my family a lot more then previous years. 🙂

Looking back now I see so many blessings God showered over us in 2014.  2014 was a GOOD year!

Often times I felt like a crazy woman trying to keep up with it all, but in the end it all worked out the way it was suppose to. So did I keep my resolutions? Actually yes for the most part I did. I am seriously thinking about keeping my 2014 list and maybe expanding on it this year.

So instead of rolling out my journal this morning and writing them all down, I decided to blog about them instead. Here comes my *top secret 2014 Resolution List only printed in my journal! 🙂

Be in God's word more. Seek Him first always.
Learn others needs and help them. Show them agape love and do it by choice and on purpose.
Remind my Husband every day how special he is to me and how much I love him and need him in my life.
Strive to be a better Mom always meeting the individual needs of each one of my children.
Become a better runner, make healthy eating choices, drink more water, and hit the weights.
Call my family members more.
Believe in myself and know my worth and value in Christ.
Be thankful More and complain Less.
Mind my own business.

I would like to add for 2015…

Ease up on social media with the exception of promoting my blog of course! ;)
Don't Sweat the small stuff.
Don't worry about things that are not in my control!

So there you have it! My raw resolutions list for 2015.

Do you make a resolutions list? Do you keep it or do you end up tossing it out the window a month into the new year? I would love to hear some things you have on your list for 2015! Please comment below!

I pray that your New Year is the best one yet! I also pray that you have the endurance and the faith to keep any resolutions you make for yourself!

mary@kissesfromheaven is the copywrite of the featured image
mary@kissesfromheaven is the copywrite of the featured image

Blessings!

Leigh Leigh

Follow me on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE! 🙂

CHRISTMAS TREE FRO, HOLIDAY HAIR HOW TO!

 

 

Are you competing in a Holiday Spirit Dress Up competition? Got invited to a Holiday Cheer Dress up party and need that over the top attention grabber?

LOOK NO FARTHER!!!! I have the sure to please Holiday FRO for your awesome Holiday/ Christmas  Get Up!! The idea came to me in the middle of the Holiday Décor Isle at the Dollar Store. I was competing for the GRAND PRIZE for our Holiday Spirit Week at work and I knew I had to come up with something that was really crazy cool! I am the Queen of Corny! Well let me inform you, I work at a Preschool so Corny is COOL with the Littles! The children LOVED my Christmas Tree Fro and the adults got a good GIGGLE out of it as well! It was a WIN-WIN!

My costume was actually called “A Present Under the Tree.”

I picked up 2 poster boards from WAL-MART and wrapped them with Christmas wrapping paper. I then stapled straps out of ribbon, and pasted a BIG RED BOW on the center of the now “present.” The present covered my chest and mid torso along with my back.

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Now.. how to get the FABULOUS CHRISTMAS TREE FRO!

*I have long hair. I am not sure if this will work for short hair. (sorry)

WHAT YOU NEED TO GET THE LOOK

accessoriestext

MAJORITY of these items can be picked up at your local Dollar Store!

Toilet paper roll (or paper towel roll cut in half)

Tissue paper (mine is recycled from a birthday present)

Hair tie (I only used one but you may need two)

Hair clips

Lights Necklace (WALMART Find $3 and they have 3 different light settings!!!)

Garland (You can get creative with your color choice.)

Mini Ornaments (Dollar Store $1 for a package of 20.)

Clip On Ornaments (WALMART $2.)

Christmas tree topper (I actually went cheap and made mine with a yellow folder, tape, and foil!)

HOW TO CREATE CHRISTMAS TREE FRO

steps

PREP YOUR HAIR …. The day before I sported my BEACH WAVES Look for our WILD CAMO Spirit Day. You can find this tutorial HERE! When I distress my hair it makes it thicker. I have thin hair so I am not sure freshly clean, blow dried hair will hold as well on the top.

#1 Shape the tissue paper around the bottom of the toilet paper roll to form a shape that looks like a pawn in the board game SORRY. Place this creation on the top of your head, leaving plenty of hair in the front to cover up the base.

#2 Flip your head upside down holding your base with one hand and gathering all our hair around the base with the other hand. Secure hair with the hair tie. It doesn’t have to be painfully tight, just make sure it is secure. I stuffed the remaining hair inside the toilet paper roll.  (I didn’t use any hair spray.)

You should now look like a Character out of WHOVILLE! 🙂 HOLLAR

#3 Start at the base of your hair and begin to wrap the garland up your hair. I secured the beginning of the strand with the mini butterfly clip. Keep wrapping until your head is covered in the garland.

Now in the photo above you see my ornaments already attached to the garland. This is because I decided to turn this into a blog post while I was taking down the FRO! You can attach the ornaments first using crafting wire, but I recommend attaching them after your hair is wrapped with the garland. This allows you to place them exactly where you want them on your fro tree!

#4 ADD the mini ornaments using craft wire serving as ornament hooks, and strand your lights necklace. Make sure you turn the lights on first!! ADD tinsel if you desire!

#5 ADD on the heavier clip on ornaments if you wish. Don’t forget your Tree Topper! I secured my yellow star with a clip shown in the clips photo above by attaching the star onto the toilet paper roll.

christmas tree fro11

I completed my look with these flashy eye catching Christmas tree light bulb earrings…found at WALMART for $3!

photo 2 (31)

I wore this for 6 hours and didn’t experience a headache until I started to take it down. It only took me about 10 minuets from start to finish however I did practice the night before! Oh and guess what!!? I TOOK HOME FIRST PLACE!! 🙂

PLEASE SHARE!!

I would LOVE to see your CHRISTMAS TREE FRO you create! Please share with me on FACEBOOK or TWITTER!

Don’t FORGET to FOLLOW my BLOG!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

LEIGH LEIGH

Follow me on FACEBOOK HERE and Twitter HERE!

 

Breaking “Perfect Mom”

I have officially given up on being the “Prefect Mom!”

Now wait before you go judging hear me out! This urge to be the “Perfect Mom” comes with the territory of being a “Step Mom” and a “Foster Mom” as well. To be quit frank it has been exhausting and completely stupid to say the least!

The older I get the more I realize my kids, step kids, and foster kids don’t need me to be the “Perfect Mom.” Perfect as in one who: never never cries or feel depressed, loses her cool, never stumbles, never does something completely stupid, never misses an appointment, or sleeps through an alarm, forgets a pep rally, a lunch, wouldn’t dare open her mouth without thinking, never burns a meal, or has an untidy house. I have tired myself down to nothing trying to maintain the perfect clean house while staying on top of laundry for seven people in my home, attending as many sports games between three of my five children as I possibly could, and juggling a part time job. My smile was plastered on BIG and BRIGHT, but I felt empty and disappointed on the inside.

My children need a real mom. One whose love knows no end, disciplines when she would rather be their friend, one who is always there for them, attentive to their wants, desires, and needs, and shows grace when it is or isn’t merited. They need me more then I need the illusion of being the “Prefect Mom.”

I don’t want my children to live with false expectations of what the world has to offer in other people. I am no one special, just a woman who is trying her best at this whole wife, mother thing! I have days where I feel like an overachiever, and days like a true failure. I am a woman so I can experience both of these highs and lows about 30 times in one day!

I want my kids to see me at my best, and at my worst. When I am in first place and on top of the world am I showing them what humbleness and humility looks like? When I finish in last place and feeling down and out do I complain, or extend blame on everyone else’s short coming but my own? How about my attitude? They are watching you know, every move you make, your actions and reactions.

I want them to know that I don’t expect perfection out of them, just their best! I want them to know that I am giving up on being the “Perfect Mother” for them, but not my true honest attempts to be the best version of myself for them as their Mom. There is no such thing as perfection on this earth in my eyes, so striving for that only exhaust me and disappoints me.

I want my children to grow up being real people! I don’t want them to feel like they have to fake perfection to make other people accept them or love them. I want them to know that there will be days where they will need grace and mercy and days where they will need to extend grace and mercy to others.

We all have a story, a past, made mistakes, experienced life changing events that have impacted us and helped shape us into who we are today. I long for the days I can sit up late talking to them like we are friends, sharing my past days of when I was little with them, all the dumb things I did, and all the fun adventures I lived as well, but Today is not that day.

Today is the day I show them love, and I teach them discipline. Today is the day I  train them up in the way they should live and treat others, how to make right choices, help mold their character, and  teach them to always do the right thing, even if it “feels” wrong. Today is the day I show them how to seek first the kingdom of God,  putting others needs before their own, and teach them how to love and forgive themselves and others around them.

It’s imperative that I share the love of Christ with them, building them up on truth and what God says about them! I think it is important that they realize that while I am their Mother here on this earth, there will be a time when I will be a sister in Christ, glorifying our Lord and Savior with them together some day.

I long for that day! That day when all this responsibility of being a Mom is gone and I am left with just being their loving sister in Christ. I will hope that they learned from me, received love from me, knew that I was just trying to give it my best, and while we were here together I loved them the closest to how God loves us, unconditionally!

When I think of how much I love them, my heart burst to know how much I am loved as a daughter of Christ! My love is far from perfect, but his love is perfect for me and every other Momma out there!

I am giving up on being the “Perfect Mom’, but  will never give up on becoming my best each day for them. They were hand selected just for me! When insecurities creep in my mind, I just remind myself that they are an exact reflection of Gods love, and a reminder that I have everything they need out of a Mom to raise them up to be bold and courageous soldiers for him!

If your an Expecting Mom, a New Mom, a Veteran Mom, a Step Mom, an Adoptive Mom, a Foster Mom, you have everything your child needs to feel loved and to be loved! Don’t seek perfection, seek Jesus, he who is Perfect will work out all the perfection you need from him through you for them, and remember in your weakest mommy moments, he is strong! Lean on him, cry to him, ask him to carry your burden load.

chalk

How has being a Mom changed you? Are you seeking perfection on your adventure of motherhood? Please share and comment below.

Leigh Leigh

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Don’t Box God

We box God’s abilities to do incredibly impossible things by taking power into our own hands and not trusting in him!

I don’t know about you but I want to see just what all he can do in my life daily!

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Matthew 19:26

Whatever you are dreaming about that seems impossible to obtain have a little faith my friend! Ask God to help make a way.

LOVE
LEIGH LEIGH

Fasted Cardio Does Work

image found on werefit.com
*image found on werefit.com

Some how I stumbled across fasted cardio in August.

With the exception of an illness that took me down and out an entire week I have been faithful on fasted cardio 4-5 days a week since then!

It’s super simple but takes serious commitment and will power!

Fasted cardio is described as doing cardio before breakfast or 4 hours after a meal. When you do preform cardio on a fasted stomach you are burning your stored fat versus burning the fat you just ate after a meal.

I am no expert on nutrition so google “fasted cardio” to educate yourself on all the specifics and make sure you speak to your doctor before you start.

I can only speak for the results I have seen for myself! I choose to run as soon as my alarm clock goes off on an empty stomach. I change my runs up daily. Some morning I just run as hard as I can for a mile and call it quits. Some mornings I run hard for 1.5-2miles. Then there are morning when I will keep a good pace and just run for 20-30 minuets.

photo 1 (33)

I’m a busy Mom of 5 so unfortunately I have to be realistic with my cardio time I cut out for myself in the morning as I do weight train in the afternoons as well.

It does take time and consistency. I didn’t see weight fall off immediately. In fact, I am just now starting to see my legs look more toned and defined and my abs are actually coming through on my stomach! :0) On that note I would just not even get on a scale for a while because from what I have read some people actually weigh more after they start running. Remember muscle weighs more then fat, so if you are really curious get the tap measure out!!

Beside the changes my body is making I can say I absolutely love fasted cardio because I love how I feel after a 5am sweat! I feel more energized and alert during the day.

5amsweat

Of course I have to be honest it took me about 3 weeks until I started feeling this good. You will be extremely tired and worn out and maybe even a little cranky at first. You will also have to be committed to being in bed at a reasonable hour as well!

After my cardio session I crab a peanut butter crunch Cliff Bar and intake lots of water. Some morning I will treat myself to an egg mcmuffin or protein pancakes, but I am a creature of habit so I tend to find what is easy and convenient for my mourning routine and stick with it.

When you start running you will find yourself a lot hungrier during the day so make sure you are making healthy protein packed snack choices.

I’m seriously considering picking up some 5k work outs via Pinterest and possibly making it a goal to actually time myself and compete in the spring at a local 5k event.

Remember who cares if you are not the fastest runner, you are still lapping everyone sitting on the couch or catching extra Zzzzzzs in the morning!

Check out my SECRET FORMULA to a HEALTHIER you…here!!

dontgiveup

Check out my Work Out Transformation HERE!

What is your favorite Cardio work out? Comment bellow!

x0x0x0

LEIGH LEIGH

Follow my blog! Follow on Facebook and Twitter @ash_leighharris

 

A Mom Who Wants To Be More

If I could bottle up the wisdom that comes with being a little innocent child I would! To be an adult and look at life through the lenses of my daughter at her ripe age of 4, I could learn so much!

She sees the world in ways my jaded heart just can’t perceive. It’s her blank canvas. She is the paint brush as she grabs a hold of everything vibrant, bold, and colorful to leave her mark in this world!

rainbooots

She inspires me each day to just be the creature God created me to be. Unique and one of a kind!

I think I read a quote some where a long time ago that said, “Be an original, not a copy.” I think that’s what God intended us to be. Our own unique one of a kind being that he created that way on purpose. It is so the world can see his glory and his imagination, his creativity.

I love the way she dresses herself! She hardly ever matches.

I love the way she has no care in the world that half her pony tail has been unraveled and hanging from one side of her head for the whole entire day.

I love how she can wear a jacket, shorts, and rain boots when it’s 86 degrees outside with no clouds in sight!

I love how she can tell me what’s on her mind uncensored but sincere.

She is always smiling and always being silly. Nothing she does ever surprises me!

Just today she came running over to the neighbors to show us her face which was completely covered in burgundy lipstick! “Oh Kenna,” I said, “we have got to wash that off before it breaks your face out into a rash!!”

I giggle with fascination that she has both me and her Daddy’s best characteristics (looks and personalities) but she is also just her own self, Kenna!

God please let me live with a heart and a mind like hers. Help me to accept and love myself and be the person you created me to be. Let me truly know and believe that my worth and security comes from no where, no place, and no one person’s opinions of me, but just you!

The world is a cruel, harsh, non-accepting place, but only we can imprison ourselves to be held captive in that brash reality.

Here is to holding onto that freedom we receive in Christ to just be who we are and want to be!

I think being a Mother is a beautiful gift. We have so much responsibility and freedom to raise our children how we see fit. The more I mature and grow in wisdom the more I start to see the purpose of Motherhood. Yes we absolutely have to nurture and provided the needs of our children. They need to be healthy and loved, but I want to be more then just a mom who provides a yummy home cooked meal on the table each night, a mom who washes their clothes, cleans up after their messes, taxies them to and from, cheers them on, bandages and doctors their boo boos, helps mend broken hearts from unforgiving statements made by so called friends.

kennamommy

I want most of all to leave the impression on them that they are loved, not only by their Mommy and Daddy but by Christ. I want them to love themselves and be confident in who God created them to be. I want them to believe in themselves, their abilities and God given talents and gifts. I want to do this by believing in these truths for myself, loving myself and growing in my relationship with Christ so that his love and truths would flow through me and onto them, living and leading by example.

Your children will learn about your insecurities by the way you talk about yourself In front of them. They will start to believe that because they are your child they automatically will inherit these flaws as well.

I want to tell my daughter that she is perfect in my eyes. She has the best style and the sweetest words on the hardest mommy moment days.

Stay innocent and precious and strong headed. Don’t let the lies of this world tell you aren’t good enough, smart enough, fashionable enough, skinny enough, tall enough, creative enough, strong enough, etc..

You are the perfection of His Creation.

Found on lovelyfestevents.com
Found on lovelyfestevents.com

 

XoXoXoXo

Leigh Leigh

Follow my blog here or on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE!

9 Things Learned from a cRAZy Busy Month #motherhoodstruggles FUNNY

To make light of the Chaotic Month of October here is an insert straight from my *TOP SECRET* Journal!

9 Things I learned from what seemed like the craziest month of my LIFE!

#1 When your memory fails you, there are emails, text messages, and social media posts to retain every moment of our life! (Maybe it’s not so bad for you after all to be an addict!??)

i-love-social-media

#2 When given any opportunity to sit still long enough, or lie horizontal you will fall asleep on accident and maybe even snore or drool because your body is so sleep deprived from going non stop!

atomic_betty_s_mom__sleep_time_by_voyagerhawk87-d6tnnvk

#3 “Mommy Time Outs” are FOR REAL and when used in moderation (10-20 minuets after you come home from work, or just anytime in your day) will SAVE your afternoon and your SANITY!

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#4 Gym stretchy leggings will become apart of your daily casual wear and you can be okay with this! Why? Well all the hours of cardio and weight lifting are sculpting some nice legs!

(sorry no selfie..will work on this though!) 😉

#5  If you ditch your make up, made up hair style, and decide to skip the contacts and wear your glasses all day including public outings, your kids will question if you are okay! (My son was very puzzled when I picked him up from school after work looking like a scrub! “Mom are you okay?”) LOL

photo 2 (29)

#6 PB&J on a tortilla is a wonderful back up sandwich when you run out of bread on a Thursday morning.

#lunchtimestruggles

#7 There are still NO EXCUSES for MISSING morning runs! These make you feel better!

photo 1 (33)

#8 If you feed your kids cereal for DINNER (because it’s 30 minuets past their bed time due to a football game) they will announce to the world, shout it off the roof tops that you ARE “THE BEST MOM EVER!!” (I have waited my whole life for that moment-thank you cereal!) 😉

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#9 If you have to skip out on laundry and cleaning up your chaotic dirty house, the mess will not disappear or disown you, it will be waiting patiently for your attention multiplying by the seconds!

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WOW I feel so much more knowledged! I’m SO happy and thrilled I had to endure craziness to learn such fascinating things! 🙂

 

GO Busy Mommas ALL OVER THE WORLD!!

WE ROCK!

Leigh Leigh

Follow my blog! Follow me on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/leighleighspeaks or Twitter @ash_leighharris.

November Please Be Good to Me

Just when I feel like I have this crazy season of Motherhood in the bag, I quickly become inflated like a balloon pricked by a sharp pin. POP!

I honestly can not recall much of October. I feel as though it was so busy I lived an entire alternate life inside of an alternate world, which was completelty disconnectd from my mind and my memories. Did I just live, go, go, go and kick into survival mode? It’s pretty sad when you have to go to social media just to see what you did last week in hopes you did actually take a picture of a real actual moment that did happen, or go through text messages with your husband to recall an event you needed to document for whatever reason, but don’t realize that event in fact happened in September! September! I feel like you were my friend last year not last month.

****And exactly after I finished the previous sentence my four year old opened our gate and let my wild dog out. I just sat down after chasing him across the streets of our neighborhood.****

He is new to our family as we have only had him for about a month, and he loves to test the limits.

It’s funny I decided to write a blog to encourage other mothers. I often feel like I am the one in need of encouragement.

Right when you think you have Motherhood pegged down, life comes with constant changes and challenges causing you to fall off the tight line your walking. I am in a circus act right now but I can’t seem to make it across the tight walk. I keep falling into the net down bellow that is catching me. My net of course would be my husband in this season. The net is a constant reminder to get back on the tight rope until I make it all the way across.

Having a Husband who loves you, cares about you, and simply adores you is a blessing that I will never take for granted! With out him and just his love and support, I often wonder how I would even make it. ❓❓❓❓

I have neglected my blog because quite frankly I have had no time to sit down and write. No time to think about anything that would be helpful. No time to create something funny or fun, for you my readers, and for that I apologize.

I’m in a pruning season. But I know through God’s love and grace I will come out of it something beautiful and a better person because of it.

Can you relate? What is some advice you could share that has helped you relax and keep on trucking?

Leigh Leigh XO

A Mothers Contentment

As I lay here in my bed nestled up to my sound sleeping husband and our half conscious Sphynx kitty cat ( Thaddeus) who has now awaken and moved over to me to bury his body under my left arm as I type away on my iPhone, I can’t help but wish this day didn’t have to end.

Nothing astronomical happened today. I didn’t win the lottery, glance out to see my dream car barracuda awaiting my surprised and excited welcome to the driver set. I did however receive some good news from my sweet husband that can’t go unsaid, but besides this awesome awaited news, today was pretty ordinary.

Ordinary days are the days I seem to love the most. It was more of a blah day. I didn’t rush around like a mad Momma to get everything taken care of like I should have. I coasted, relaxed, listened to good conversations my children were having with each other. I prepared dinner and just hung out with my husband. Things I do daily just at a much crazy rushed pace.

It was a good day. My almost teen daughter shared with me some of her struggles and events coming up with school. My youngest snuggled up to share with me her bed time prayers before she hurried off to bed to have Daddy’s turn to tuck them all in. My oldest boy was home late after football practice so we didn’t talk much, but did get to visit in the wee early hours this morning as I dropped him off to school! My younger son shared some of his school day with me and wanted to show off his awesome bike skills for us this afternoon.

We, my husband and I, realized we are expecting.. Tomatoes that is on our tomato plant! Haha We have so graciously waited and hoped we would see a harvest of our sowing some months back! It appears we managed to keep the tomato plant alive in this scorching Texas summer heat.
Go us!!

Yes today was a good day! It was just an ordinary day, so why am I laying here wide awake wishing I could freeze time in this moment of my life a little bit longer!

Call me crazy but I believe it’s in these moments when we stand still and relax and allow ourselves just “to be” we are the most content and joyful.

I don’t need anything new and fancy, exciting and extraordinary to happen to me or to us to change how I feel or view the value of my day. In this moment I am so thankful and blessed to be in the place God has planted me in this beautiful season of my life.

My prayer is for my friends out there to have a day where they are fully content doing nothing but just living and enjoying their day. Breathing in life now deeply and exhaling the peace, love, joy, and the beauty in it all.

I guess all good things must come to an end sadly, but I’m glad I have this moment! I will keep it close to my heart for the harder days that may find me and remind myself that these happy content days do exist and they will find me again!

He is with us, always!

Xoxo
Leigh Leigh

The Ugly Truth about Empty Calories

Although they taste Delicious…Mostly… They are NOT GOOD FOR YOU!

Scared-Face

Stay away from EMPTY CALORIES!!!!!

Empty calorie foods and drinks are foods and drinks that contain high calories with little or NO nutrients at all. They are made up out of processed carbs, ethanol (alcohol), loads of sugar, bad fats and oil! Sodas, cakes, cookies, chips, candy, pastries, processed sugar snacks, alcohol beverages, some condiments like syrups, mayonnaise sports drinks, punches, whole milk, frozen milk, fast food, crackers, frozen foods, microwave popcorn,  etc.. There are also empty calorie foods that do have amounts of nutrients in them, but the number of empty calories is so high that it doesn’t make it any healthier for you. This would be your ground beefs, fried chicken, etc.

Especially if you are active and you are trying to count calories, you want to avoid these empty calories as your body is craving nutrients not just food to fill you up! I have been learning this the hard way. This happens to be the reason why I have been researching on the matter. I am so hungry in between meals that I am grabbing empty calories thinking that the calories count toward my total for the day, meanwhile I am not satisfied because I am still starving!

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Instead of empty calories snacks aka junk food, I will be carrying around protein packed almonds and string cheese.

You don’t have to swear off empty calorie foods for life, just be smart and eat and drink in moderation. Obviously if your daily diet just contains empty calorie foods you are never going to drop those pounds you are wanting to!

Burpees (2)

Make sure you are drinking plenty of water, making healthy eating choices, and finding ways to stay active!

* I did my empty calorie research on http://www.livestrong.com and http://www.WebMD.com

Smart Calorie on!

Leigh Leigh

 

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