Category: Encouragement

Stepping Out in Faith

Guys! It has seriously taken 3 years to realize this is my mouth piece for the never ending abundant flowing of God’s grace over my life. 3 YEARS!! I am excited though and now eager to be obedient at the task at hand.

I think we fumble when we fail to realize the potential that lies within each one of us. This potential lies in seed form given to each one of us by God himself upon conception. I believe this seed of potential comes to life the moment we except Christ Jesus as our lord and savior. I am calling it potential, others my label it as destiny or calling.

The more trips I take around the sun, the more I realize all this whole life stuff is about me and me taking responsibility and ownership of the part I play while I journey here.

The World wants us to believe we don’t achieve true success unless we earn it. We must get that degree, that 100k job position, the white home with the picket fence, so on and so forth, and we are not worthy of top social status unless we make it all the way to the top. Seems like a true waste of our time if all we are created for is to be great and have great things for a span of 100 years on this planet. I have a hard time believing we were all created to exist temporarily period.

The truth is we were not even created to earn anything but to be gifted eternal life with Jesus all because of this thing called love. Why? Well that my friend I don’t know the answer to, but I believe it was because God desired companionship, and if you have any kind of artistic bone in your body then you know because creating is fun!

This free gift requires one thing though, faith. Faith is to put your complete trust in God even when at the present moment there is no evidence or proof. Faith in God’s Kingdom means we believe before we receive, seems silly, but God requires our trust and confidence in him and him alone.

So how am I stepping out in faith? Well for One making known your faith in today’s society is not the norm, and it is definitely not cool! People think that just because you are a believer you walk around as a self righteous/ judge-mental psycho who pretends to do no wrong. (FACE PALM) It’s these criticisms that keep believers from letting their light shine bright for all to see. Two, believing God will send the people who needs to hear his truth.

Hang around a believer long enough and you will quickly see they are just as human as you are, but there is one thing that is different. We cling on God’s grace with every breath we take, and we rest in the peace Jesus left for us, that his Blood shed on the cross did pay the penalty for every single one of our sins, and we are truly forgiven.

God’s word says that perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)

Will you take a leap of faith and believe these words spoken over each one of us?

Prayer; Dear Father, I pray that the person who is reading this very word would have a heart to receive your truth. I ask that you would remove any doubt or disbelief that they don’t have a kingdom purpose here on this earth to share your light and love to everyone they encounter in their every day lives. I pray for a great measure of faith to be laid upon their hearts and their minds to believe. I also ask Lord that you would make yourself known to them this very day. In Jesus name I pray. Amen

Ash’Leigh Harris

You are Hand Picked by God

FLOWERS CAN’T PICK THEMSELves!!!!!

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.”Colossians 3:12 NIV.

You are special, unique, set apart, chosen-handpicked by God to live a life that serves him and brings him glory and honor!

Freedom in the hurting

Dear Girl who has been hurt by people over and over again, this post is for you.

I pray right now that the Lord would move over your heart and your mind as you read these words because you are so fearlessly authentically made by God the creator of the whole universe; the one who spoke it all into existence with the sound of his mighty voice, and you my sweet girl are no accident, you were created for a heavenly eternal purpose.

We have an enemy on earth who comes to kill steal and destroy , but Jesus came to give you life, true life to the full! With out accepting Christ in your heart (no offense) but, you along with me, and everyone else is literally the walking dead.

“O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.”

Psalms 10:17-18 ESV

The walking dead are who the Bible calls orphans, or the fatherless. God wants to adopt you and make you his daughter. I know it may sound crazy but until we receive Jesus Christ in our hearts we are missing the inheritance that is from our Heavenly Father God and what his son died so brutally for us to obtain and use! Freedom from your past and true freedom from the pain caused by others is included in your inheritance!!!

God can supernaturally heal every brokenness inside of you in the blink of an eye!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.”

Ephesians 1:3-14 ESV

I’m actually really excited you have reached a place to where you can experience the pain caused by others. I had a lot of pride and it hindered me from allowing God to heal my hurts and pains once and for all. It’s okay and normal to feel the consequences of actions caused by others, what’s not okay is to stay in that hurt and live in a victim mentality!

(Not saying you are.)

Father God I pray right now Lord that you would allow her to feel your presence and your love as you are calling her out of the darkness and pain and into the light of your loving arms. The arms of a father who will never ever let us down, you promise a Good plan for our lives, you promise to never leave us nor forsake us, father I pray that if she doesn’t know your son Jesus that you would remove any confusion Satan has blinded her heart and mind with and receive your love, your light, your joy, your happiness, and peace that passes all understanding.

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.””

Romans 10:9-11, 13 ESV

Father I pray she would accept your invitation to be adopted by you and receive a life of freedom through your son Jesus! In Jesus name I pray, amen!

A glimpse of my past

For the past three years I have been searching for indentiy, Identity in myself, as a mom, as a wife, as a woman, and as a participate on this planet playing the game life. I have been searching for meaning, and purpose.

There is nothing more attractive, and I am not talking about physical looks, there is nothing that will suck you in like a magnet then knowing someone who is the real thing! They make your crave what they have, originality and truth to themselves and to others.

My whole life I have measured my worth on other’s acceptance. I have been esteeming myself based on others opinions, their critics, their approval. This even stems down to how my children appreciate or don’t appreciate the small or big things I do.

I have been guilty at times of trying to rush raising small children. I have been guilty of rushing my life away to the point of thinking that if I can ever raise my children to become suitable young adults, I will be able to soar in any career path I chose.

Reality hit my like a ton of bricks today as I was about to let my now 8 year old son out of the car so he could begin his day at school. My eyes whelped up with tears, as I was thinking, quick say anything, does he know how much I love him, does he know how his existence brings so much joy and happiness into my life? In this moment, I could not wait any longer, he needed to know now! I spoke my gentle words of affirmation and love over him, and I kissed his little for head like I do every morning and he quickly jetted out to make a b line to the door.

The reality is I am 29 years old and just a few short weeks ago I was dropping my Step Son off who is now 16. He will never know this, but I watched him walk farther away from my car towards the High School. This tall young man of 6 foot 3 becoming the image of a 5 foot person between on the other end of the distance that was in between us.  Where did time go? I remember dropping him off like his little brother off to 2nd grade. Where did it go? Then the anxiety kicked in. I know soon I will be watching my 8 year old son walking into High School as a 16 year old teen age boy. My heart grew heavy, tears rolled down my cheeks, as I thanked God for all my children and the years we have had together up to this point, and then carried on.

I know every mom goes through the whole it just goes by so quick stage as they are prepping their once baby boy or baby girl for the senior graduation! Maybe I am lucky one by having two sets of children? I can appreciate the small things and all the short moments we will have together because I know now how precious they are, and just how fleeting our time will be to make the memories with them while they are little children.

I am not the same woman I was a few short years ago, wishing her life away quickly, waiting for her moment to find out what true success is. The Lord has laid it heavy on my heart to stop living for future accomplishments, and start living for Today!

This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice in be glad in it.

Romans 12:6 has found its self into my direction twice this week. WE are each given gifts by the grace of God. IF I could only figure out what that gift is God it could just make more sense. I could invest into this gift, water this gift, nurture this gift. Then it hit me. What if my gift is just to love by showing my children and my husband hospitality.

I was reminded today as I Was giving my preschoolers their chapel lesson, what Jesus did at the last supper. He washed his disciplies feet. The last memory they would have of him together with him would be him washing their feet before they ate dinner. Washing dirty feet!! WAshing dirty feet! Washing Dirty feet!

I wash dirty sheets, dirty bodies, dirty dishes, dirty clothes, dirty rooms, dirty messes, dirty faces, the list goes on. I do this not out of obligation but out of love. Okay back up, maybe I once did it out of obligation to said “Mom Title” but I want to live for more then an obligation. I want to live with a purpose, a passion. I want to LOVE to wash anything for my family because I LOVE them.

Trust me you can tell a difference when someone does their job if they really love what they are doing, or if it’s out of obligation to a job title. I know I can anyways.

My grand accomplishments that are awaiting in the unseen future horizon, can actually be accomplished today and every day after that. Loving Jesus, Serving others, and loving others. This is my mission set out to be accomplished.

My prayer is that I never lose sight or focus on how important LOVING MY FAMILY AND SERVING MY FAMILY IN LOVE CAN BE!

And so it has to be said, because this was brought up tonight by dear Step Son. Yes my PB&J sandwiches may be a little unbalanced. So I might put 80 percent PB and 20% Jelly, or you may end up with the 80% Jelly 20 % PB that day in your lunch box, but I can promise you with way that PB&J is made by the hands of a woman who truly loves you, and sincerely hopes it makes your tummy happy and full. I am not perfect neither is my lunches I pack, but I can promise you that you will never taste one once of love out of a premade PB&J in the frozen section at the store. 😉

Motherhood….wow just when you think you have experienced all your growing up from a child through adolence to adulthood, your wrong. I have never had the opptertunity to grow more then over the years of being a Mom!

*This post is 3 years old and was found in my drafts this morning. 😵

This little light of mine

I’m going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!!!

I so very often catch myself singing Sunday school songs I sang in church as a little girl. I think deep down inside, they will always be my favorite!

The Lord woke me up around 6:30ish this morning. As I was grabbing my freshly brewed morning coffee and collecting all my devotionals for some time with him, Holy Spirit whispered very quietly, “Arise, shine, for the glory of the Lord is upon you.”

I knew this was a scripture so I pulled my bible app out to search for it. I was taken by verse 3 because today is our last summer session with the immigration ladies!!! Eeeek! I felt like he was letting me know that today his glory was going to shine so bright over us ladies that they would find joy in their sadness, His presence is going to show up and shine BRIGHT!!!!

Eeeeeeekkkkk!!! (Oh that’s my happy squeal sound by the way!!

““Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭60:1-3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Where are you going today? Will you be around others that are in a dark place in their lives? Yes this even counts as your office! Your work is your mission field! Pray Isaiah 60:1-3 over yourself this morning! Ask the Lord to shine so brightly on you with his glory that others catch some joy and love radiating off you today! Be the little light we use to sing about and shine, shine, shine!!

*The picture was taking on my first morning at the beach this summer… watching the sunrise on the beach is a glorious place to be!

Lord this is your day that you have made, we will rejoice and be glad in it, do your thing Lord, do it BiG and Bright for all to see! In Jesus name I pray, amen!

God loves you! ❤️

Leigh Leigh

I Almost Died But I Just Did It

Y’all two weeks out of the gym is like a year in my world. My plan was to start back Monday but with my husband being home for two extra days more then planned I just couldn’t make myself wake up at 5:30am and disturb his morning sleeping-in time.

Well he went back to work today so as I heard the alarm blaring at 5:30am this morning and the sound of him turning on his night stand lamp as I grumbled and threw the fluffy heavy covers over my head to shield my eyes from what seemed like the bright lights from a choo- choo train 🚂 blinding my pupils through my closed eye lids, I thought Just Do It. It’s not going to be fun, but come lunch time you are going to regret not just starting back today.

I literally told myself, “FINE!” In about a 4 year olds tune!

So I did it…….. and I almost died! 😝

Just kidding not really anywhere near close to actual death, but my legs felt like I could barely keep them under my body in a forward walking position out the gym door, my face hurt from all the blood rush, and my gym clothes and hair were a hot sweaty mess! I guess that’s what you call a killer good work out.

Discipline, it’s never fun in the beginning but the fruit that comes from your hard labor is very juicy sweet and rewarding! 🍉

I have been off a diet for about two months and surprisingly didn’t gain any pounds on the scale. After a hardcore 16 weeks of BBGs and a high protein, high fat, low carb diet, I have to be honest I’m so completely over even thinking about jumping on a diet band wagon.

I decided at 11pm last night I was going to stop chasing vanity over my body, stop making it an idol and just work out because it’s healthy for my body, work out because it reduces stress, and work out because well I just feel better on the inside. I won’t hop on a diet, I will however try and train my mind and appetite to crave God made foods!

I use the word “training” because it allows myself self grace for the days when I don’t practice self control and consume processed foods.

I was going to start back Monday, but meh, it’s so hard to buy into putting it off a few days when I can just start today!

So here is to day one of almost dying and being conscious of the foods going in to energize me!

Do you like it diet? Have you come to a place in your life where your just so over doing the same thing and going around the same mountain time and again?

💪🏻👊🏻🤟🏻

Blessings!

Leigh Leigh

God’s Promise A Year Ago Today

A year ago today I journaled what Holy Spirit had told me during my prayer time.

I lay in awe tonight as I am nestled down in my warm safe cozy bed, in my comfortable cool 67 degrees home I think silently in my thoughts, not to wake my husband God your just so good, not only to me but to your children! I am reliving those feelings I felt last summer having a heart on fire and a dream to bring God’s love and heart to another through art. I had just learned a little earlier the significance of how we were created by the Creator God to create! We have his creative DNA in us as his children through his son Jesus Christ. We have permission to broadcast what he is saying over us, nations and neighbors, his people through art forms. God is so big and so vast he has endless was to bring his love down through our creative imaginations.

This truth blows me away!

I ramble because God has taken a desire of mine to create and he has allowed me to work along side him, and together we are bringing his Kingdom to Earth and it is transforming lives of others. One year ago I had no inkling of what I would be experiencing on this day, not one!

A few months ago a dear friend of mine and I met with a man who is a member of our church and who is also a Chaplin for a women’s immigration facility. Little did we know what God was going to drop into our laps that day! We thought we were meeting to go over some questions about something totally off the subject of ministry work and once we shared our hearts for bringing art into our church as a vehicle to usher in God’s presence he told us he needed to ask us if we would be willing to come and do this at his work.

I’m not sure if you get the whole picture, but God was calling two Moms who are as common as they come, to bring his word to the nations in literally our backyard with out even having to leave our home country!!!!!!!!!! 😱😱🤗

We agreed we could fit three sessions in this summer and serve around 100 woman! I believe the facility houses close to 500 at a time.

You may be wondering well what does creative worship look like? We sing, we dance, I do a live painting to a song with a hidden message that the Holy Spirit places in my heart to preform. We then have a time for a message as my friend shares God’s father’s heart and that we are his daughters, and she goes over salvation and has a moment where the woman can receive Jesus as their savior. It’s absolutely the most beautiful thing! Then we show them that we can also worship through art and we allow them to have fun painting on a 8 by 10 canvas! This summer we focused on Daughter of a King so it was fitting they would paint crowns decorated with beautiful exotic jewels!

It’s such a blessing to be there with them and be able to just have that time together to remind them that even in the darkest times God still sees them, loves them, and still has a good plan for their lives!

Today is special because we were asked to come back after our last session and present our creative worship to the whole group of women!! 😱😱 God has taken a little and expanded our horizons to reach more women there! For this I’m forever grateful and excited!!

I share this with the world because if your still reading this I want you to know dear friend that God wants to do so much through you! He has an agenda and it’s that no man shall perish! We are the light of the world, we are a city on a hill, and this dark world is craving the salt and the light which is Christ Jesus in us. Just say, “Yes God I will go! Yes I want to partner with you for your kingdom”, and then sit back and with faith and obedience listen and watch where he takes you. He will not disappoint, because his word never fails! Just like he told me a year ago;”don’t despair, I have gone before you to make a path, trust in me!”

What passions has God placed within you? Are you surrendering that passion to him and asking him to send you to make away to share it for his glory? It’s never too late to get get started!

Be blessed!

Leigh Leigh

“He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10:2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Even Nike gets it ;)

Brushing my teeth this morning I glance over at a pair of glasses I don’t wear often because they are men’s and don’t fit my tiny face hence the rubber bands.😝

Not sure if Nike knows it but even they are advertising God’s word lol “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”

1 Peter 2:16 ESV

#livefree #freeinthesavior #hediedforyourfreedom #godlovesyou #Nike #justdoit receive Christ Jesus as your savior and let him transform you from the inside out! #speakinglifeinalostworld

I was made to Worship the King..

So were you!

“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭100:1-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Today seems like a good day to blog! I’m overwhelmed that my blog is still receiving traffic. I have noticed most visitors stop by for my doxycycline post or my women shouldn’t talk back to their husbands post. I find this interesting.

I feel like as a child of God I have stepped into my purpose and I have been allowing the Holy Spirit to guide my steps. There is so much freedom in knowing who’s your are and the revelation of this truth and the revelation of your true identity can catapult you into your Devine destiny.

I feel the most free when I am in worship to God our Heavenly Father. I begin my worship journey a few years ago when I dabbled into worship painting, this year I have collected another arrow for my belt so to speak and it’s the act of worship dancing.

When I am dancing In the spirit I am using my whole body to worship our Lord. It’s so joyful and fun! Sometimes it flows so peaceful and gentle, sometimes it comes out violently suppose like David how he danced violently before the Lord, and sometimes it even comes out kinda hip hop! It’s just fun and the faucets of the form are endless because I am in worship to a God the creator who never runs out of new creative ways to worship him.

Worship dance can also be used as a prophetic tool to release healing.

“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”

‭‭John‬ ‭4:23‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What are you waiting for? We serve a mighty God who is so worthy of all our praise!! Crank up the worship songs and dance before the Lord! 🕊💃🏼🎉👑👏🏻💃🏼👸🏻🙌🏻✝️

Last day of Winter Break

Technically I went back last Friday but tomorrow my kids and I will return back to school.

It has been a great break, and I’m thankful that I have a job that allows me to be home when they are as well.

Now that I have no excuses to eat what I want when I want I have decided it’s time to start back up with counting macros.

I did this two years ago and had really great results in 12 weeks. This year my goal is to continue this and turn it into a lifestyle.

On another note, I have fallen in love with two worship songs I am totally digging and hoping to use them as inspiration to create my next worship art / prophetic painting.

I will share that here once completed.

Basically I’m just checking in and keeping the flow of writing up.

A lot can happen in a year! Here is to week #2 of 2018!

❤️

Ash Harris

I’m obsessed

Yes I have to admit, yesterday I finally drove the 20 miles to the nearest Hobby Lobby and after an hour on the planner isle 🛒 picked out my new 2018 Planner! 🙌🏻 🎉

Oh my gosh y’all it’s soooo purdy!

Its an Agenda 52 12- Month daily planner. It came with the monthly divider tabs as well. I love it because it’s rose gold and has the cutest divers in it which include flamingos, pineapples, and cactus. 🌵🍍

I picked out a fitness packet to insert in the back of the planner, pens, pen bag, stickers, paper clips, and cute to do sticky notes to help keep me organized!

I may have got a little carried away and spent more then I normally would because I had a gift card!

All is right in the world again and I now can tell you what’s going on in my life for at least the next three weeks! 😆

Plan on my friends, plan on!

✌🏻

Ash’LeighHarris

5 hours, 7 stores

AND….. $$$ later- KID FREE Retail- Therapy for this much needed Momma!!

This pretty much sums up my day. It was nice to run away and escape off to retail land. I got lost behind art supplies, women’s clothing, and shoes. I filled up the back of our Trans-Am as I shopped til I got hungry!!

I passed up some cute 50% off day planners at Michael’s in hopes that mine would somehow magically appear today when I arrived home. I imagined those planner thieves, my 8 year old falsely accused and made up, had sneaked back into my home and placed my beloved planner back onto my coffee table. It would be crying out to me begging me to scoop it up close in my arms and snuggle it as we embraced a warm reunification after a night of terror those monstrous planners thieves had executed.

( here is where I would insert a cute planner being rescued sketch, but it’s 11:18pm and I’m laying in bed so use your imagination)

That wasn’t how this story ends. I searched with a flashlight high and low again under beds, couches, and my kids rooms this evening. 😢 It was no where to be found.

Tomorrow I shall mourn the loss of my planner for real this time, and let 2017 keep it where ever it may be! I must set out and buy a new planner because I’m pretty sure by now, my husband along with everyone else is so over hearing me whine about me losing my planner! 😂

Enough already!!!

❤ Ash’Leigh Harris

Have you ever just freakishly lost something that you used on the daily? Comment below. I need to know I’m not the only crazy out there who loses things while she cleans!!!! 😬