Faith Moves Finances

           Faith may not always move mountains, but this past month it has moved our finances. God has miraculously provided above and beyond our expectations and needs. Again. He alone has given us more than we had ever hoped. We find ourselves in moments of anxiety and doubt but He takes us by the hand and whispers "Trust Me, I have a plan.". Time and time again He shows us that He is the one who breathes life into us, He is the one who carries us. Nothing, not anyone person, circumstance, or situation is too great to thwart the will and power of God. He is great and worthy of praise.

          While God has provided for us again and again, I have to be honest and admit that we still often struggle with fear and a desire for control in our lives together. Our struggles have strengthened us in our faith considerably more than we imagined, but they have also left us weary of the blessings that pour out of the heart of God. We find ourselves wondering when things start to ease up,  'This is a wonderful blessing, but what is going to happen next? What great struggle is going to capture us in it's relenting grasp next? '.  What we fail to fully understand is that life is going to be filled with struggles, trials and tribulations, but just as we continue to walk this road and push through these rough patches, we also continue to experience the grace and joy of walking with the Lord as He pours out blessings and mercy. We walk hand in hand with a God who is greater than anything we could ever face (even when we can't understand the pain in the moment), yet we still forget and struggle to believe that God will take care of us (spiritually and physically). We try to do it all in our own strength (granted most of the time we just can't do it on our own),  but God still uses us and ministers to us, and we continue to grow in Him.

       I feel like an Israelite somedays; God preforms miracles in my life that are beyond me, only to have me turn a bling eye as soon as things become difficult. I grow weary and complain when I should be exalting and praising with faith and surety.  The beauty of Jesus and God's grace is that even though I fall short of the glory of God, He still made away for me. We grow and learn day by day. Sometimes we forget the goodness of God and sometimes we forget we are only here for a season. Today is another opportunity to rise above my insufficiency's and embrace the power of faith and Gods gracious mercies. I thank God that He is not done with me yet!


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     We are two days away from our move and the official beginning to our year long entertainment fast. In two days we are walking into a new door to face another day as disciples of Christ. We hope and pray that as each day comes and goes we will walk closer to God, each other and the body of Christ. We pray that our lives continue to change radically for God. We want to be challenged and experience a real living relationship with the Lord of our hearts. Even if that means we have to struggle.

    My heart is aching and crying for more of God. I want to serve Him more, know Him more, and be a true reflection of Him. One of my greatest fears is to walk through this life only half invested in laying my life down for Him. I want our lives to be radically invested in Jesus. I want to be crazy for His sake. Less of me and more of Him. This is what I hope waits for my family around the bend.


What things are you looking for has your life rushes by? Where is your heart today? Leave a comment and let me know. I'm always happy and encouraged to hear from you.

With an Earnest Love,
Leah






       

Monday Posts and a Book

I didn't make it one week this month in my attempt to post something for you every Monday... Pathetic...I know.

In the process of moving, packing and getting Charlottes Dr. stuff figured out my project completely slipped my mind. I totally completely forgot. This following week we will not have internet access so I won't be able to really get on top of this until the week of the 7th of February. As of then there will be fewer distractions and plenty of time to pray and focus on you.

Until then, I simply have to recommend this book by Amy Baker Getting to the Heart of Friendships (which you can find here ). A very dear friend of mine handed me this book last week and in just a few days I feel like my whole perspective and understanding of relationships has taken a dramatic U-turn.  Amy Baker has a refreshing and challenging view on relationships. Her book takes a look into the heart of our hearts-the center of our relationships, bringing to light the heart issues and then offering God's view on authentic God ordained relationships. I have been so blessed by the words and insight of this woman of God; both being deeply challenged and encouraged. There is hope my dear friends to have deep fulfilling friendships with our husbands (or wives), our children, our parents and siblings, and our neighbors. I cannot say enough about this book.


With an Earnest Love,

Leah

A Year Without Entertainment

Lord willing we have a moving date! While we have a lease and the funds we never fully know the will of the Lord. So as James implores the believers: “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, :If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” - James 4:13-15

In the meantime we are making plans and preparing to move into a place of our own! It has been a long run, but we are finally close to the end of this road. Only weeks away and we will be unpacking boxes that have been in storage far too long, and refurnishing the empty pallet that awaits us. We are elated and nervous as we anticipate the deadline for the needed funding. We are at a point where we have to trust that the Lord will provide what we need. Though we know that our budget says we should be fine, the numbers are quiet daunting. So this time around- we are choosing to put the anxiety behind us and trust the Lord with our finances. I am quiet proud of the stand my husband is taking in this matter. The Lord is doing a good work in his heart. I’m seeing faith I’ve never seen before evident through his decisions, words and confidence. 

(It is such a blessing to have a husband that desires a relationship with the Lord)

There are going to be a lot of changes for our family in the next years apart from an apartment and a minimalistic approach on life. Starting the first of February, following my post :We Need A Radical Change, and many hours of prayer and discussion, we have decided to take a year long fast from ‘electronic entertainment’. It was not an easy decision by any means and we are far from prepared to embrace this drastic culture shock. However, it is far more important to us that we put aside from ourselves this mundane routine we have fallen into. We are determined to banish from ourselves this idol in our life- whatever it may take. 

We wanted to do more than put strict rules on ourselves (which by-the-way, are easily broken). We wanted to utterly destroy and sacrifice the very thing which we have until this point been unable to part with. So we are giving it all up...for not just a week, month,  or months, but for an entire year. We will be left with twelve beautiful months battling for something deeper in our relationships, lifestyle, and thinking.  

So as of February first, we will not have access to Netflix, Amazon movies, TV, video games, movies (except for on occasion as a family night), Wii games (except for occasional date nights or friend nights), Facebook scrolling, Pinterest scrolling, and so on. I will write for my blog but I won't be wasting time on media sights just glancing here and there.  Our phones will be for texting, calls, and emails only. We are putting our computers on a shelf in a closet and our TV will be set up so that in order to watch our occasional family movie we have to move our seating so that we can see the TV. We don't take lightly what we are trying to accomplish here. Call us extremists...it's probably true. 

Since my goal this past year is to be as honest with you as possible, I do want to note that while we are desperate for change in this area, I am terrified and anxious over what I may discover along the way. What on earth am I to do with myself? How will I pass the long hours of these early years of motherhood? What will I do in addition to cooking and housework? Have I gone so far into the modern world of entertainment that I have completely forgotten the richness of learning and discovering? Yes...I think to a point, I have. 

It does scare me to think of putting away all of our forms of electronic entertainment, but it also excites me; as if there is some grand adventure to await. As hidden gold, we are seeking out the riches and treasures of our own hearts and the heart of Christ. We are on an expedition to rediscover ourselves. No wonder the impending sacrifice is so tantalizingly daunting! 

As we wander this road and rediscover ourselves and our family, we want to share that part of us with you. We want to share with you the raw unedited version of our story. How greatly vexed we might become and the great unfathomable jewels we may stumble upon as we walk.  After all- I should have more time to write...and maybe something worth writing about. 

With an Earnest Love,

Leah

The Gift of Food - Green Chili Nachos

I love food. Who doesn't? God has created so many things in this world that are beautiful and incredible. Food is no exception. While in the earlier years of the world we haven't always had a choice of the kinds of food we could eat, in the past decade, in America particularly the choices of food we have are far beyond comparison. For the most part, anything our hearts desire are at our finger tips, ready to toss in a pot, fry, bake, poach, or however else you choose to cook it. We are so blessed! So many people in the world even today, don't have a choice. Some don't even have a meal. It is really humbling when I sit down to think about my grocery list for the week. Even with our meager budget, we have the opportunity and a quantity of food that some people will only ever dream of, and yet I still struggle with moments of discontentment and a lack of "inspiration" for dinner.

Alex and I are really determined to change our attitudes and the way we think about the things we have and the way we choose to live this year. Food and our grocery budget are one of the main areas we are working on. How do we eat and plan our meals in a way that honors God with our choices? I know it may seem to many of you that Alex and I are taking our desire to bring God glory through all these little things too literally. Maybe we are? Maybe we aren't though. We so desperately want to honor God in every area of our lives however big or small. It isn't that we necessarily believe that God is watching every little thing we d
o with a scowling, judgmental stare.  It is only that we have so little time, so little money, so little to give and do in the moment that we want to make the very most of what we do have. If changing our focus on the way we eat can effect our budget and health...maybe our hearts too, then we are willing to make a change.

Food has such a huge impact on our lives. We need food to live. Our bodies need nutrition to function. Food is yummy too. God has given us an incredible gift to be able to enjoy what we eat which in turn gives us life.

Right now we are trying to find health and inexpensive meal ideas. We are learning a lot about cooking in the process. Even the husband is getting in kitchen determined to learn how to cook and eat well. (I am so tickled to see how excited he and involved he is in the process!) 

One of our favorite new dishes is our Green Chili Chicken Nachos. Yum!

I have had an intolerance to tomatoes for quiet a while so this recipe was created with that in mind. However you can add and substitute wherever you want!
(The great thing about this recipe is how versatile it is.)

Green Chili Nachos 

1lb. Chicken Breast (Shrimp and ground beef are great substitutes as well)

Lime Zest and Juice

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Sprinkle of dried ginger root

8oz Cream Cheese

1 Can Green Chilies

1 Can Green Enchilada Sauce

1lb Mexican Shredded Cheese

1 Can of Black Beans

1 Can of Pinto Beans

1 Bag of Tortilla Chips

*Fruit Salsa (or regular) 

Directions:

Brown chicken breast in skillet with ginger, salt and pepper, and a little lime zest and juice until cooked through, then temporarily turn off stove. Shred chicken and cube your cream cheese. Place cream cheese, Green chilies, and Enchilada sauce in skillet and bring to a slow boil, turn down heat and let simmer for 5 to 10 min. Sauce should be creamy and decently thick. On a cookie sheet, place tin foil and then layer chips and beans, spoon chicken mixture over top and cover with cheese.  Place in broiler for about 3 to 4 minutes or until top is bubbly and slightly browned. Serve immediately with *Fruit Salsa 

Fruit Salsa

Frozen fruit of your choice, thawed or fresh

*Pineapple, Mango, Papaya, Peach and Strawberry are all great options

Lime Juice

Dried Ginger root

Place desired amount of fruit into food processor with some lime and a good pinch of Ginger. Process until slightly chunky, and add lime and ginger until you get the taste you want. (You can also add fresh green chilies if you want a little spice.)

You can also top with whatever you like, such as olives, tomatoes, or green onions. Be creative, be inspired and let me know what you think! You are all welcome to use and print and revise! 

With an Earnest Love,

Leah

We Need A Radical Change

I remember the days when I was a young girl and would spend countless hours reading and writing in the privacy of my room. I remember when I could find rest and contentment in sitting still with no means of entertainment. I would think. I would pray. I would dream and dare to imagine what my days to come would hold. I savored my quiet moments scribbling in my journals. I cherished the hours by my bedroom window watching the world pass by me while having conversations with the Lord. 

It was romantic, peaceful, and above all it enriched my heart and filled my soul with worth. I wasn’t just wasting away or shutting my thoughts away from myself; I was discovering God and the woman I was becoming. I was discovering people and invested in unveiling the mysteries of the world around me. I didn’t need entertainment to console and satisfy me. I was already richly enthralled with the things that spoke to my heart, both in quiet and in the chaos, I found a purpose that drove and filled me.

When I was young, my parents had strict rules about the TV, internet, and computer game usage. It was possibly one of the best things they could have done for me growing up, with the great exception of teaching me about the Lord. I grew up learning how to entertain myself apart from the things of today. Instead of wasting my time and thoughts in a world of games and the latest sitcoms, I was growing closer to the Lord and discovering the world around me as it is. 

I wasn’t given the opportunity to have a Facebook or Myspace page. I didn’t even have a cell phone until I started working. Instead of pinning a thousand pins on Pinterest that I would never do anything with again, I was repurposing the things around me. Today I find myself in such a different mindset. 

I don’t like it. I don't like who I’ve become, or the way I spend my time. I don’t like how empty I feel. Instead of pursuing my walk with the Lord, or with my husband, I find myself in front of a TV wasting hours growing further and further away from the ones I love.

One of the things that truly instigated the drive to simplify and minimize was Alex’s and my own obsession with entertainment. We started recognizing patterns of laziness, a lack of drive to do anything meaningful with our time and a desire we couldn’t seem to break. 

The reality is: entertainment and the media have become an idol in our lives. 

I start my day with one thought: I am not going to touch my phone, turn on my TV, or start up my laptop. I am going to spend my day thinking and doing things that matter.

10 AM - I’m on my phone. 

I am realizing how big of a problem this is in my life. It is robbing me of the joy and peace I could have investing my time and energy into my God, husband, daughter, friends and family. My prayers grow fewer day by day. My thoughts are mush and my energy and drive to live is slowly disintegrating. 

I am not saying that entertainment is bad in all circumstances. I'm saying that when it starts to have such a pull on our heart and mind that we cannot bear to live without it, then my dear friends, it is a problem. 

After so many months of trying to make changes in our life of our family over specific issues- the fact that we still struggling so desperately causes me to think that maybe we need to do something radical. Maybe the answer is to do something that will force us to break the bonds that media and entertainment has over us. 

I don’t have the answers yet. I only know that something needs to change and that we have to be the ones to do it. 

Denial and half-attempted ideas will not make changes our hearts need. It will not force us to address the heart of the issue. 

If we are to make God the King of our hearts and thoughts then we have to be willing to put aside the things that are robbing Him of His throne. In my heart, entertainment is stealing the throne of my King. 

I’m not okay with it anymore.

If you guys have any radical ideas that could help us break this bond on our lives we welcome and encourage them. 

With an Earnest Love,

Leah

Faith Can Move The Mountain 2015 -

I started blogging when I was 16 years old. I didn't really have much of an objective or reason for blogging, other than I loved to write. It became a way to voice what I was thinking and feeling without being judged. It was a safe place for me.

You can see more here: (if you are really interested) HeartGiggles.

By the time my husband and I got married, my blog had morphed into a place to share my walk with Christ. Unbeknownst to me at first, my stories and struggles were testaments of encouragement and hope to my friends and family members. It became apparent to me that my story is was not so different from every other persons. We all have our own unique struggles and trials, but in turn we all struggle with so many of the same things. We all experience doubt, fear, heartbreak, and joy. We all have sin in our lives; none of us have it all together. To my readers I think it was a window into another persons heart and it showed all of the raw parts of a humans soul as we learn, grow, mature, and walk through this world. I was so surprised when people started messaging me and pulling me aside to tell me that my blog was helping and encouraging.

When I first started blogging I hadn't even considered the idea that God could use my story to impact others. But as I have continued writing and sharing God has been showing me how all of our stories have the potential to bless and impact the people around us. I am no one special, I am not an unending fountain of wisdom. I am just me: Leah- a struggling disciple of Christ trying to figure everything out as I go.

Today when I write here my goal and heart is to share honestly what God is teach me and where He is leading me. I want to be open with you and to give you a look into the world of an ordinary family with common struggles and trials. Ultimately if my stories and struggles can bless and encourage you then I will keep sharing. I am not afraid to put it all out there...to expose myself.

I want you to know that you are not alone as a person, as a Christian, wife or mother. There are people all over the world, all around you that struggle with the same 'things' that you do. There is another person in this world who can understand, imagine, and sympathize with your plights and your great joy's and miracles.

This year as I have prayed and sought God's guidance through my blog I am changing some of my focus. This year I want to reach you as my readers. I want to connect with you, get to know you, give back to you as you have each given to me and blessed me through the years, through all my trials and triumphs.

While the focus of my blog has always been to share my life with you, I will also be adding a few other elements. Starting on this coming Monday, every week I am going to share something with you be it recipes, DIY instructional, devotionals, recommendations for products, books, or anything else we really find to be a blessing, and ideas for a minimalist approach. (If you have anything else you would really like to see send me a message or comment below and I'd be so happy to oblige)

In addition my husband will start joining me more regularly sharing from his point of view things that he is learn or on topics that he feels passionately inspired by. We will also continue sharing our journey through simplifying and going more natural.

There is going to be lots coming this next year! Most importantly we just want to be as
real and honest with you as we can.  

To a new year and another day on the road!

With an earnest Love,
Leah