I saw the unseen!! Incredible day!

Lord Jesus, going to a Children's hospital is not always my favorite thing to do.  #1, I'm there for a reason - there is something going on with one of my children and so therefore that is always reason for concern.  #2, the other families are there for a reason as well.  Many that you run into look very sick or their parents have the face that tells all.

At the same time it is a very tough trip, I am always brought to a very grateful place.  It is as if I am saying thank you in my mind the whole time I am walking from one room to the next knowing that the particular stages of sickness that are so visible in so many of the kids we have not entered into.  Thank you!!

Much like always, we didn't park in the most convenient location and had to do quite a bit of walking to get to our building.  Passing the patients outside still hooked up to all kinds of medicines AND smoking was something that Sarahjane could not understand.  "But mom, if a doctor is making them stay in the hospital, cant he make them not smoke too?"  I thought she had a very good point.

The further we got into our journey I began to think about each family represented.  This was the last place anyone would have ever chosen to spend even a small amount of time.  No one asks to be sick or even given something that is curable.  Sickness, in any form, is not something we as humans raise our hands to be chosen for.  BUT, i saw the unseen.  I really did - it was not visible, but I saw it!

¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor. 4:18


As i passed each family I allowed my mind to go to a place where there would be no sickness.  A place where no doctors would be needed.  A place where there would be no pain - no need to even draw blood.  A place where the sick would never cry again and those giving care would never cry as well.  


The Lord allowed me to envision Heaven and these precious lives walking, running, playing, singing, jumping, and even sitting.........at peace.  I quickly took my mind to a scene in Heaven when some day when both my dad and I will meet up on the corner of Gold Street and run to worship the Lord Jesus.  He will hold my hand with his left hand that will be fully functioning and we will together RUN to the Father as fast as we can - no cane, no delays, PERFECT.  


For now I saw the unseen.  But someday I will see AND experience the unseen all at the same time. I pray for those families that are living in the seen, that have no hope of the unseen.  I pray they come to find the hope that will help them make it until they see the unseen!  Lord, may they come to know the one that freely gave His blood once and for all.  May they all come to know and trust The Doctor!  May we fix our eyes on You!  I love you Savior!  


PS - Update on Sarahjane - the doctors are running more tests on her thyroid.  They also are doing a test to find out what stage of growth her bones are in.  All in all - the doctor had no serious concerns.  Praise You Lord!!  

903 - What Do I Do w/"bad" thoughts that come to me?

834 - Sugarcoating is never sweet!

Dear Lord, I find myself so often wanting to make things easier for others than they actually are. Or I want to help my kids too much or not tell them the whole story so not to scare them away from something. I like to sugarcoat. I guess it is the protector in me or something.

Even the other day my Elleigh was published in our town paper that she wanted to be a missionary to China. When she first told me that I was very proud of her of course, and I wondered if she even knows many people get killed for their faith over there? I wondered if she knows how life can be over there? So I just patted her on the head and squeezed her tightly knowing I was not going to expose it all - did she even need to know now? I wanted to protect her from that info. I knew the worry wart she already is would quickly change her mind.

After all was said and done I asked her about being a missionary and why she chose China. "Mom, I like how sweet the people look over there."

Elleigh do you know that Christianity is a forbidden religion over there and that many people get killed for their faith over in China?

Oh no Momma, I didn't know. I change my mind, I want to go to London.

I didn't know it would be London, but I knew she would change her mind. Bless her! But it took me many days to muster up the guts to ask her that...I wanted to protect and let her just live in fairytale land.

The point is to all that is that I so often want to keep the hard stuff covered up so that one will not turn away...who does it help? No One!! I find myself wanting to sugarcoat a walk with Christ...I get scared to tell people at times it is not easy, it hurts many times, people don't understand, if you know everything you may want to run...

I have been reading much about the body of Christ and studying 1 Cor. 12. I find it so interesting that in verse 26 (i think) the writer explains that while one part of the body suffers we all suffer, but while one part of the body is honored, we rejoice. We are here for one another! We are suppose to help all parts of the body suffering through whatever it is. We don't sugarcoat and especially not ignore with our heads in the sand.

Now I find myself in 2 Cor. 1:8-10 and the writer pleading with the prayer warriors that they need not be uninformed about the hardships they suffered. He wanted them to know so that they would pray harder or keep praying. He also wanted them to realize that only the living God could get them through such trials and "deadly peril". All of this they were going through had the purpose of making them not rely on themselves, but on the Lord!

I see here that Paul was not into sugarcoating. He wanted to be upfront and honest with the way things really were. He wanted others to "come to the other side", but wanted to make sure they knew how difficult and dangerous it was at times. He wanted those serious, but also wanted others to know that HE will supply everything you need and more.

There are many lessons from this passage. Our call to keep praying for all the saints. The call to press on through the hard stuff as it should catapult us closer to the Savior. The call to give up the self-reliance game that can easily trip us up and make us believe we are all that and a bag of chips. Ha! But also what I took from this is that we are to not sugarcoat our trials in order to protect the innocent.

Lord Jesus, I am not sure how this really applies to me other than this is something I struggle with at times. I don't know of a situation right this minute that I am trying to do this sugarcoating in, but Father open my eyes to see. Maybe I am trying to protect my newest love - Baptist Children's Home girls!! They each have already been through so much in their lives and many don't know You, Lord. Lord, help me to be truthful and not sugarcoat. I love you Savior!

I am headed to Harrisburg to pick up the Barlow Girls tickets this morning. I am taking all the BCH girls. Barlow Girls have been featured in the Bible study we have been doing and it was incredible timing they were in town!!! I am so excited to worship with them! Thank you for this opportunity!

EJ did wonderful in her game last night - she hit a real homerun! Tucker has a game tonight and we are also excited for American Idol. Lord, please raise the temperature!!! I love you!

736 - You are my Comfort!

Dear Lord - It was a great weekend and a wonderful Sunday.  Thursday and Friday were quite tough with Clay's granddad's funeral and all.  He was 93 years old and as Clay eulogized he lived a full life.  He was a very hard worker and good provider for his 5 daughters.  He was a committed man and deeply adored man by Grandma!  The family is sad as they have been left behind, but we know Grandpa Cecil is pain free and probably enjoying some heavenly baseball with the older Cardinal players that have gone on as well.  Naw - he is probably playing with them!  

But as I came to the Lord this morning I was lead to 2 Cor. chapter 1 verses 3 - 11.  This is the chapter or verses rather that talks about the Lord being our great comfort.  It goes on to explain that our trouble times and His comfort have reason and purpose.  Like most of all Christianity that reason has nothing to do with self, but what you can do for another - giving!  

Verse 4 says that we can comfort those in any trouble with the same comfort we have been given.  The word that sticks out to me the most in that verse is "any".  We can comfort those in any trouble, it does not have to be trouble that we have gone thru.  I think it can be that much more powerful when we do take our own trouble and allow Him to minister to others by our own experience, but this verse says it doesn't have to be that way.  

I so often am at a total loss of words when there is a situation one has been going thru that I have never experienced.  I kind of want to hide in a hole in fear of saying the wrong thing.  But i remember Dr. Vickery teaching in college that we don't have to be schizophrenic to help a client that is.  We don't have to have been thru child abuse to help a victim.  We don't have to have been thru a loss of a husband to be able to minister to ones that has!  

Nope, this verse tells us that we can comfort anyone that has been thru anything because His love and blood (sufferings) covers it all.  We have been given all we need to display His comfort - in this situation!  He is more than enough and helps us to know that as well so that we can communicate that to the next one!  

Wow - Lord, thank you for this word this morning.  I was having such a hard time focusing after my run this morning and sitting before the Word.  But Lord once again, you did it!  You brought your Word alive to me to see how I can still be used for your great purposes even if I have never experienced such things.  I know your grace, mercy, comfort, your healing, your help, refuge, strength, etc...  I can share that with whomever.  Thank you Father!!  

I have such a busy week!!  I am really hard selling the conference to all those around.  Lord, help me to know where to turn!  Help me to reach out to those that do want and need to be there!  Lord, guide me - always!!  Be my rear guard!!  Is. 58:8.  I love you!  Amen!  

652 - Thoughts Captive

Forgive my beauty, don't be jealous!!  Rough morning!  

569 - Got Comfort?

Dear Lord - Oh how I know you do love me Jesus. Thank you for this past weekend at such a lovely church. The ladies were so kind and creative. They had everything decorated so wonderfully and just gone over and above. I feel like i always say that, but it is so true what church ladies can do to a fellowship hall or even a gym. There was no hint of it being a gym this past weekend. They had it all dolled up and beautiful. The even had all kinds of other vendors to kind of add another element to the weekend.

As we traveled over to the worship center I could feel the Spirit begin to speak to my heart - "Leigh be open to the roads I may ask you to travel down. Leigh, be ready to take a sharp left if I prompt you that way. Leigh, will you obey? Leigh, I have something to say to these ladies - please do what I ask." Oh it was awesome. The worship was incredible - brought us right to the very throne of God and then allowed us to smell the sweet fragrance of forgiveness. He was so strong that evening and I just can not get over it. Thank you Lord.

That evening I was able to stay in the parsonage with the pastor's family. Absolutely the cleanest house I have ever been in!! Holy cow - I mean spic and span!!! wow!!! We stay up for quite some time talking about the Word, different ways of worship, and just how wonderful and creative our Lord is!! I love, love, love times like that - and really with complete strangers! That can only happen when HE is involved!! Love it!

The next day the Lord did not disappoint at all. He showed up in a huge way again! It blows my mind that the same message can be given to hundreds of women and each one of them receive something so very different. I love that too. God you are so individual and complete!! I love you!

Before I get further into my prayer time I want to introduce another addition to Speaking Thru Me Ministries. Her name is Tracy Berta and can be found at http://www.tracyberta.blogspot.com/. Tracy and I came in contact a number of years ago through a particular ministry site. I was asking some questions and she was one of the ones kind enough to answer me and with great "thoroughness". That is a trait I love the most about Tracy. She just does not answer yes or no - she usually backs things up with scripture - even the simplest question - and takes her time to respond. She is sweet, soft spoken kind of gal that LOVES and lives the Word out loud! Tracy is a prayer warrior extraordinaire!!! I mean awesome!! Please stop by her newly redesigned blog and tell her congrats and way to go. We feel so honored that Tracy would accept our invitation and come on board with STMM.

2 Cor. 1:3-4 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

Dear Jesus - I have found myself in a place I am not the most comfortable, but am willing to learn from. I am on hold - i think that is the way I would describe it. I do know the plans you have for me are to prosper and not to harm, but I have no idea what those plans look like. It is so neat, but still very different - in a good way - to not be looking at a full future, but looking at Him full in the face. Lord, all i can see right now is the work you have been doing in my heart over the past 3 months and it is hard. The process has been hard. If the process was easy would I have learned anything - most likely not. But God I can see how gentle you have been and how patient! Thank you Lord Jesus!

There have been so many times "ladies in waiting" - waiting for God to start the ministry journey, not waiting to be married - have called or sent emails about how to get everything rolling. Many times have i had conversations with women wanting to desperately to be used and the opportunities have not been coming in. What do I do? Am i reading all this wrong? Have I missed what God has called me to do? Is there a magic formula to get appointments and events? How can I get into the next church, conference, event, etc.??? I can not even begin to tell you how many times I have been asked to show compassion/comfort as the scripture describes above and I hope to some degree I have.

Hopefully my conversations have been that God will do it in His time. You have a responsibility to be professional and knock on some doors, but ultimately it is God that swings it wide open and grants you the grace to receive the invitation. I have coached many girls on different avenues and possibilities of speaking - where to go and who needs what... Hopefully my words have been encouraging and brought comfort - the same comfort the Lord gave me in the beginning of this journey. But............

This is where I am and what He is asking of me right now.............If I, the Lord, ended it all today would I, the Lord, still be enough? If I, the Lord, never did another thing would you, Leigh, be happy with just Me, the Lord? Can you, Leigh, be content in a life of mommying and ministry from the background? Just recently I have had 6 or 7 churches contact the ministry website and I have been able to place some of our new speakers and some old friend speakers as well. Lord, it is not like I can hide my heart from you. I am asking myself as well- Will this be enough? The answer that is working in me of course is YES!!! Oh yes oh yes!!

Lord, I do want you. I want to bless your Name! I want you to be my promoter and agent. I want you to use me and if it is to bring other speakers to various places then I will. Not just I will, I am totally excited about promoting the team - team of Christ! This is where I am. I might be on hold as far as me going forth - for today, tomorrow, or even this year - but I know He is good and I want more of Him. I want to promote my Jesus, my Savior, my Breath of Life!! Jesus, this is a new place. A different place, a place that I am a bit uncomfortable. Help me to be content. Help me to seek your face and not your plan. Help me to see your hand and where I can join Your work! I love you Lord. Thank you for allowing me the responsibility of being faithful to You and to those that You are using at this time to bring Your Word. May my prayer penetrate the very marrow of my bones. Don't let it just be words. Help me to receive Your comfort and the comfort of others! I love you - You are worthy. I bless Your Name!