509 - Leaping Lizards!

Heavenly Father - there is an immediate prayer request that needs to be address. Please read in red. Our missionary friend from Africa, Titus, is in desperate need of prayer. There was a political election held on December 27 in which the reigning president fraudulently reinstated himself causing an uprising among the tribes. They are trying to get a recount but the president is resisting. Titus and other Christians in Kenya are trying to give shelter to people of the tribes that are being targeted regardless of their spiritual background and are being persecuted as well. Titus and his family are in hiding somewhere and sent Jeff an e-mail begging his friends in the U.S. to pray for the situation. Some of Titus' fellow ministry friend's houses have been burned. We do not know when we will next hear from him but just are asking people to pray for his family's safety and that the Lord's people will remain strong so that they can continue with their ministries. Thank you for taking a moment to lift up those that are truly fighting the fight for us all!! Oh Jesus - protect, preserve, and proclaim your works, word, and wonders!!

Lord Jesus, there is a new Leigh - I mean I am jumping out of my skin. It is Jan. 7 - or something like that - and it has already been a great year. I got a 5 book contract with Lifeway!!!!!!!!!!!! No, better - Beth Moore has ask me to join her in ministry and on the platform!!!!!!!!!!! No again. I just won the lottery! No - I don't play that. I have been asked to be the new Spiritual Advisor to the Stars - ha ha! No, not that either. It is 10 times better than all of that!!! God, my Lord Jesus, Savior of all, My Redeemer has granted to me a complete reconciliation and restoration of an old friendship!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friendships mean so much to me and when one goes hairy for whatever reason - even miles that slow it down - I get so crushed. It may not appear that way because I am a "lot of friends" kind of gal, but I just hate when it happens!!! Oh it hurts, makes me sick, haunts my thoughts, steals my joy and births such unrighteous behavior and thinking - it rules me!! It even makes me eat. (But what doesn't it.)

But this past Friday I received a sweet, honest email from an old friend - she is not old, but our friendship is - it brought on loads of conversation and precious forgiveness. Satan is hating it right now because my heart is so free, my thoughts are so clean, my feet are leaping.....lizards, and my joy is returning - some that i didn't even know had been diminished! Oh Father - You are so great!!! here is the best statement and something that is so wonderfully true said by my friend...........“But I am learning to be vulnerable with people. It's a part of my growth. I want to jump and take risks and leaps even when I am afraid to do so. There is no risk in trusting that God will take care of my heart in the process.”

That is so true. What risk is it to just live our lives hoping that God will just heal things in His time. No work on our part and no vulnerability to the others around. I will just stay closed up and pray I never have to deal. What kind of honor is that to my Lord? That was me. I just thought this would be a forever strained relationship and that even possibly that God wanted it that way. It certainly did keep me humble after all. Just my thorn in my flesh possibly. But God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There it is again!!!

He is in the reconciliation business!! If He weren't He would not have sent His son to die for us all, paying the price we could never pay, allowing for us to be reconcile with Almighty God!! Oh how wonderful. Thank you Lord for the opportunity to live out in human form what you have done in the spiritual realm!! Oh Jesus I am just completely humbled by your Grace!!!!!!! There is that word again as well!

I read out loud - actually did some yelling and shoutin' this morning - Ps. 107 Oh my word. It is like my whole relationship with this friend. Lord - how wonderful and awesome You are. I feel like this year can end!!! It has been so wonderful and I thank you! Verse 43 - consider the great love of the Lord. We can go on to 2009 because i just can not fathom that it could get any better!! Praise you Lord!!! Thank you for your forgiveness and clean up of my heart!! Oh Lord -leaping lizards this feels so good!! Amen and amen!!

ok - few things............... go check out www.gingermoore.blogspot.com This is my ministry partner and she just started blogging. please go by and say hello and tell her i sent you. no, there is no blessing, no prize, no random counter that might pick your name at midnight or anything like that. (I am just being silly.) But i just want you all to encourage her to keep going. She is one talented chick!!

We have updated our website a bit more... www.speakingthrume.com let me know what you think. opinions, suggestions, complaints (just be careful, we are bit tender on this project. it has about made us want to crawl in a hole. But God has given us Dori with wisdom and help!!!)

Going to sell old fixtures today. Aerobics starts as well. Oh Lord - thank you!!!!

508 - Mature, I don't think so!

Heavenly Father - this morning it is early. My tummy has been upset and I just couldn't sleep anymore. I think i am a bit stressed. I usually exhibit stress physiologically - stomach ache, fever blisters, etc. SO I have some knots in my stomach! Maybe I am not suppose to have a job...........I found out yesterday when I went into the high school to get my roster that my schedule had changed. Carmi uses a different kind of system - they have A and B classes and they only meet every other day depending on what the class is - or something like that. So one week I would have taught M, W, F and then the next week it would have only been T and Thur. Well it got confused. My boss was told it was a B class and for all practical purposes of telling this story, it was actually an A class. SO with my speaking it would be virtually impossible for me to teach as an A class, but I could if it were an B class. Needless to say this is an upset for me and for my boss that is now scrambling!!! I think You have already provided another teacher! Thank you Lord.

There are many days I wonder if I am getting anywhere in my faith. I go through dry days or weeks or months and wonder where my love goes and why my love fluctuates. I even remember having thoughts in college when I was SOOO mature......... Ok, I have read the whole New Testament now what should I do once I finish the Old Testament?? Like I have learned everything there was to learn and just couldn't think of what in the world there was to teach this smart whipper snapper!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What in the world!!! My thoughts are so ridiculous at times! A humblin' - I don't remember exactly, but I bet a humblin' was soon to come after that thought!!

So I find myself at the other end of the spectrum as I get older. And i think this is part of wisdom in my old age. The older I get the less and less I feel like I know about the Lord and have such a deeper desire to know Him! That is not everyday, but many days. But i find myself today wondering if i am getting anywhere - am I learning anything - is there any maturity - can anyone see a difference - could i go back even after being away from Charlotte for 1 year and people know that God has made more of an impact in my life? I am not sure.

I found myself going to Hebrews this morning, the 6th chapter. It actually is the end of the 5th and most of 6th chapter. I was looking at the part where Paul, I think it was Paul, is telling the folks you should be past this by now. You should be eating solid food and you are still hanging out on milk. I feel like the Lord can say that to me often. Leigh, this is a sin we should be way past by now. Leigh, this an emotion we already put to death. Why, Leigh, why are you still dealing with these things. And really that is my question to myself so often!! The sad part about it is the things that Paul says these people should be past seem to be much more mature than my petty sin or feelings that rear their head so often. So I am way behind........

Paul tells them in verse 1 of chapter 6... let's get past laying a foundation for repentance, faith in God (wow, now that is a big one), instruction on baptism, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. Now according to Paul those are suppose to be the elementary things - I am in trouble. See, from this scripture I have so much maturation to do!!! I know you, Lord Jesus, have done an incredible work in my heart, but there is work to do done! And if i am just in elementary school as it looks now, boy oh boy do we need to get busy. I am usually only a master of something once I have experienced it - oh goodenss, what kind of expediences are we in store for?

Lord, it just seems so often that my eyes are so set on me. Even if i am talking, thinking, dreaming, or planning out ministry - it still is about what I can do - always have a sight problem. Oh Lord, I so want to get past this! I want to be always thinking about you! I want to be thinking about what I can learn from you. I want to be more mature!! I want to learn and learn and learn more!! I know i could never know it all and apparently I have so far to go!!! Oh Lord, once again it is ringing in my ears - GRACE!!! Thank you Jesus. If you have allowed me to minister and do as much as this and and I still have so much more maturing to do - Oh Lord that is grace!! Thank you thank you!!

507 - Post for Southern Illinois

Hey Everybody!!

I wanted to take a few minutes and let you know about 2 things upcoming - ok maybe 3.

1) STEP AEROBICS
Starting on January 7th, that is this coming Monday, we will begin another semester of step aerobics at FBC Carmi at 4:45pm. It is $75 for the semester, suggested donation. There is childcare!! Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday mornings. Saturday will begin at 7:30am, but no childcare. Get it done before the whole house starts the day! You will need a step, weights, mat or towel, and exercise band. There may be a few steps for sale on the first night if you don't have one just yet. Oh and on Saturday an exercise ball will be very helpful! Please let me know if you are interested. You will need to register, especially if you have kids. These classes are taught by Patricia Trout and Leigh.

2) Training Little Ladies - class taught by Leigh Gray
Starting Jan. 29 we will have an introductory meeting for a 6 week class actually starting on Feb. 10 at 6pm. This is on Sunday night and I am by no means trying to take you away from your church, but I wanted to let you know about this short class. We will be discussing contagious faith, birth order, love languages, mother/daughter relationship, daddy/daughter relationship, and a possible panel discussion to end the class. I am not claiming to have it all together - the jury is far from finished - but I was overwhelmed with the fact of having 3 little ladies!! So I began to research how to raise these little things! This is not my own info, but things I have discovered in research, interviews, and watching! Love to have you there. Please let me know if you have any questions.

3) Survivor Woman to Carmi
March 1 at approx. 9:30am Leslie Nease will be coming to FBC Carmi to speak to the woman of the church. She was on the recent Survivor show and is most known for leaving the Buddhist Temple. She was booted from the show on the 3rd week, but not ever forgotten. She is from Northern South Carolina and a radio host for a local Christian station. She is a very dynamic speaker. You can check her out at www.leslienease.com. This event is open to all, but will have limited seating - first come first serve. Brunch and Q&A after speaking.

Let me know if you have any question on the above info. Love to answer anything or register you for everything. Well, really only aerobics requires registration. Thanks for "listening". See you on Monday!

506 - I need wisdom!!!

Dear Lord, here we are at day 2 of the New Year. I love being on a schedule and having much discipline and reason to get up much earlier than everyone else. I love being able to sit down at 10am and breath deeply thinking about all that has already been accomplished in the heavenly realm just through quiet time and prayer. Thank you for your power Lord.

I find myself at Prov. 1:7 today. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." I am in need of some serious wisdom. Nothing too major going on, I just need much wisdom. The fact of having 4 growing and constantly changing young kids, a new ministry with great potential, a husband with dreams, and the need to do things with excellence - that is reason enough to need much wisdom.

My newest adventure starts on Friday. I have been asked by our local college to teach a college course at Carmi's high school. It is called Health Occupations, but basically is Anatomy and Physiology. It is for those that want to go into some kind of healthy occupation such as nursing and this is an introductory class. They receive college credit, etc. I have to say I am not sure why we push our kids so much. We - I - do it so much when they are young, but why do they need to finish high school and be a sophomore ready for college. I know money and that whole issue, but I say stay in college as long as possible. I don't mean 7 years, but don't rush it! It is the time of your life and there is no need to grow up and do life. You have the rest of your life to do that! Ok - that was my little tangent or soapbox. Plus it is that much less time you have to figure out what you what to do with your life as far as major............. slow down! So I have been hired to help the young ones to hurry up - sort of. I am excited, but scared too!

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge" - Lord Jesus, from what I understand the fear is the reverent fear we associate with knowing you. This means this is like the head of knowledge. As if knowledge was a whole body and fear is the head - from what my commentary said. Oh Lord, that is what I need. I feel like I do revere you, but do I really. Do i take you seriously and follow all your leads? I am sure not all the time. My life is so busy i hate to think the things I mess from You. Lord, please clear my head so that I can hear correctly. Lord, I want to have such a fear for you that I desperately seek your will with all "earnestness". Being out of your will, even innocently, is not what I long to do. I know you can make perfect that which I just innocently miss or mess up, but I want to get things right the first time! Your power is too great to miss so help me to see. I want my body of knowledge to work correctly so that even my eating, breathing, looking, etc. brings you much honor!

I don't want to be a fool as seen in this scripture. It says they despise wisdom and discipline. Lord, despise is a really strong word. I would say it is up there with hate. Yikes!! I know I don't hate wisdom, but sometimes I don't like discipline very much at all. It seems to me, just going out on a limb here, but wisdom is like knowledge only aged at bit. A young thang might have much knowledge - a whipper snapper - but it is wisdom through life experience that puts the knowledge into work. Wisdom here is to be wise and skillful, always used in a positive sense, and used in the sens of a skill to describe a whole range of human experiences. SO i don't think I am too far off, right, Lord? Fear is the head of knowledge and knowledge is the head of wisdom...

And discipline - oh goodness, we just have to go here. For me i know what this is speaking about. This discipline denotes correction that leads to education. And when we are educated properly we see change and results - hello extra weight!! It is a discipline issue doesn't matter how you slice it. I am about to meet a friend to go running in our high school. This is just the beginning of discipline. It must follow me all day no matter how much I hate it! When you put this way it really speaks volumes - "Leigh, fear is the beginning of knowledge, but Leigh you are a fool to despise wisdom in any form I bring it to you and a fool to despise and reject discipline that needs to take place in your life. My Bible even states that a fool in the OT is one that is morally deficient. hmmmmmmmm - that puts a new spin on it as well.

Lord, I just want to follow. I want to have an abandonment to all things except you. I want to thirst for nothing but you. I want to be filled with nothing but you!! Oh Lord, increase my thirst and hunger for you. Increase my passion and love. Grow my intensity to do your will! I don't want to be a fool. I don't want to despise your correction and wisdom!! I don't want to ignore the knowledge!!! Lord, guide me and lead me!!! Forgive me!!! I love you!!

505 - Review and Look Ahead... LONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Heavenly Father, we are off and running in a new year, 2008. Wow, I can hardly believe it. Both my husband and I are 35 and my kids are 9, 8, 6, and 4. Times flies when you are having fun and yet it still flies when things are not so fun. But thank you Lord that I can never really get ahead of you. I can get away from plans and purposes, but I can never get away from you. Oh Lord, thank you and praise you.

The last couple of weeks have been quite a struggle. I have longed to feel your breath, but have struggled to even hear from You. Once again in your faithfulness You have given me a BUSY schedule of speaking for this Spring. I have a lot of new messages to write and I think Satan has put a stopper in my ear. I have had the biggest speaker's block ever. I would have said writer's block, but I don't consider myself a writer AT ALL. So I am trusting God is going to give me a break through in just a few days... He has to! And this is a very common problem when I am writing new things.

This year the word that keeps coming up in my mind is GRACE. I am not sure why - will I need to dispense it more than ever, will i be in need of more...more than ever, will I see it displayed to my family for some reason, will I get the opportunity to speak it into lives more than usual???? I don't know... But here is my year verse - I am surprised I haven't gotten a call or email from Rae Deal asking what my verse is for this year. She is usually always on top of that - Prov. 22:11 "He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend." And why should my speech be gracious especially to others..............because Is. 30:18 "the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice."

I was with a group of girls one time that would throw up the phrase "grace, grace, grace" whenever they needed a pardon for messing something up or saying the wrong thing or even sinning. I want my grace to be more than just a silly phrase when I am looking for an excuse to be pardoned. Yes, their intentions where good in the beginning, but just like anything including a diet we can quickly excuse one another lightly in a joking manner - finding excuses for one another instead of true grace when it truly needs to be dispensed. So as the Lord longs to be gracious to me, I am hoping to find opportunities when I can be gracious to another even when they are least expecting it. And this can only be done in a manner that pleases Him and brings honor to Him with a pure heart.

So here are just some random thoughts about the year past and looking forward.

1) We moved into our Norris City home on Dec. 28. It has been a perfect home for our time being here. A little or rather a lot squooshed, but very content. Perfectly located for this town and will be a wonderful home for the new owners - I am believing they are coming soon!

2) Emmajoy has now had 2 birthdays here on Dec. 29. She is now 8 years old and just as sweet from the day she was born. I feel sorry for her about the time of her birthday, but she is the one out of all the kids that can handle it the best. Here are some pictures from her party.

What an awesome day and all night of fun!!! The girls were so, so, so, so good!

3) Grace is something I not only want to give much to my kids, but also want to teach them to display as well. I became aware of very displeasing attitude in the girls as we walked around the mall. Of course I want to teach my kids to dress appropriately and act respectful, etc. But what I saw displayed made my skin crawl. As we walked through the mall all the girls were commenting on the dress of other girls and how it was terrible to see. I can appreciate them knowing all that, but the attitude and the looks that came from their faces said - I am better than you because I don't dress like that. Their faces and whispers said you are trash and God loves me more. Now I know my girls don't say that and probably don't think that, but that is what it looked like and appeared to anyone that may have been watching. "My momma said that store is bad. My momma says little girls should not wear those earrings. My momma said you can not wear those shoes. My momma said you should never spend that much on a shirt. My momma said we can not watch that. My momma said we can't believe in this or that. " It goes on and on. Yes, I can appreciate and do agree with many of those things, but somewhere in the mix of it all we or I have taught our girls to think NOT that it doesn't honor God, but because they don't or are not allowed that THEY are better. Oh it crawled all over me and it was nothing I could address at that moment.

I want my kids to know that we choose certain beliefs and adhere to certain rules not because we are better than others, but because of God's grace. He has lavished so greatly His grace on us and we are trying our best to live a life to please Him. Our convictions can not be everyone else's, but that does not make anyone less than me or us and does not make anyone restricted from grace either. Oh Lord, please help me to teach this. Your grace is great and apparent in my life and I want my kids to understand that as well. Oh Lord, Help.

I have so many more thoughts of the year past and upcoming, but that is all for now. Maybe if i get a few more minutes today I will continue, but until then Grace to you!!! I love you Lord!