My life isn't at all how I imagined it would be.

I had my life all figured out when I was younger. I was going to graduate high school, go to college, find a quick way to get out of debt from college, get married to my church crush (I wouldn't dare mention his name on here!!!!) and be a stay at home mama. (that part came true!) I was going to have a huge wedding with a guest list of 500 and I was going to have 8 bridesmaids and our honeymoon was going to be in Paris! After that we'd come home to our dream house and get started on babies a year later while traveling the world on missions trips and raising children who didn't have homes. I think I spent more time thinking about my future than actually preparing myself for my future ha ha! 
Well, I never went to college.. It just never happened. My life was getting really crazy at the time with family and college just wasn't something I made time for even though it would have made a great escape! 

My church crush turned out to be nothing I was looking for in a husband and to be honest.. I don't think he was interested in me in the first place and obviously I didn't become his stay at home wife... Thank God!

And I never did have my big wedding. It was a very small wedding with a guest list under 50. Like I said earlier there was a lot of drama going on where I lived so planning a wedding was  not  a fun experience. 
So Leon and I were married with the help of friends and our pastor in a hotel ball room. 

Our Honey moon was not in Paris right across from the Eiffel tower but more like Ocean city in December for a weekend. It was so cold but it was nice.. We never went outside anyways unless we were getting food!  

Instead of coming home to the dream house Leon and I both decided to share a townhouse with his mom and sister until we all got on our feet better financially considering I only worked at Panera bread and Leon was a house inspector who only worked when there was work..

Oh and waiting a year to start a family didn't happen considering we were blessed to receive the positive pregnancy test just three months after Marriage.

And we have not yet been on a missions trip.

Yep, my grown up life is nothing like I expected it to be... but it's way, way better!

 Both my hubby and I never went to college and though we are in a very tight space with money at the moment we are living a debt free lifestyle which is something we both plan to keep that way.

I am married to the man of my dreams that God provided for me!! I now see my old crush on facebook and well, I love my husband more than words could say!

We haven't been on a Missions trip (yet!) But God has given Leon and I so many opportunities to witness and love people around us!  

I never did have my big wedding and I was very upset about that at first but it's okay.. I would get married in a cave if it meant I could be with my man for the rest of my life. 

F.Y.I I am not taller than my hubs.. I was just wearing some huge heels ;)

                     
We had sooo much fun in Ocean city.. No one was there so Leon and I had the entire beach to ourselves. We ate fives guys, ice cream, watched movies and sat in the hot tub... at the same time ;) We also had such a beautiful balcony with a gorgeous scenery of the ocean.
                                         
Living in a townhouse with my mama inlaw and sister inlaw has helped me grow so much as a person. It has made me stronger in so many ways and though we are at an end to us living together I'd have to say I'm gonna miss them being a few rooms away.

And finally my precious girl! Finding out I was pregnant just three months after Leon and I  were married was the most joyful and most terrifying day of my life. We were in no way prepared for a baby I mean we've barely been living together for 3 months, I just quit my job at panera because they weren't giving me enough hours and Leon had his house inspector job that wasn't dependable. But God has shown us in so many ways just how faithful He is during this process and He has provided our every need for this little one.. She has honestly lacked nothing and blessings seem to just keep coming her way. I honestly wouldn't delay her existence at all if I could. She has made out family complete and has made it stronger with love!




                                                  
                                            
                                                 
                                                       

Hurt for them.

 Today I'm  linking up with Lauren    & Hayley  for the Girl between the lines today! And today, my answer comes with a story haha! Enjoy!

                                                    
I'm still learning.. Learning to let me go and let God live through me..  To die to self and let Him live, speak and soar through this body.

I'm gonna be honest today, It's still hard for me sometimes to let go of self.. Self feelings, desires, and hurts.

When I'm hurt by someone else It's easy to forgive them but it's hard to let the hurt from what they have done go. And my question is why is that? Why is it hard to let hurt go? It's certainly not because we enjoy the feelings of hurt, sadness and pain.. When I'm wronged I'm usually over it by the next day  but to me that is still way to long. Those are hours, minutes, seconds God could be using to bless someone else but instead I'm soaked up in woes.

The other day someone hurt me.. My precious feelings were offended over something so little. However, my feelings were hurt. And that's when my husband came up saved the day and preached to me a little sermon (On a note I love it when he does that!) He said.

"Heather, Don't let it bother you, and don't think bad towards them. Our fight is not against flesh and blood but the devil.. He used them to hurt you even if they didn't mean to do that. Don't let it bother you. Hurt for them and not from them". "

Seriously, my hubby is like a daily devotional at times. It's just what I needed to hear to turn that frown upside down. So, I forgave them and had instant joy!

Sometimes it's so easy to forget to remember that our fight is not with flesh and blood. But its  against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (see Ephesians 6:12) 

It's so easy sometimes to live in the flesh and use our rebuker button on people when we should be using it on satan. The one who wants to ruin our lives. His condemned booty has nothing else better to do, obviously! 

So today friends, I not only desire to encourage you today but also myself.
Today and forever more I desire to hurt for those and not from those who have tried to hurt me.. And you know, it's a possibility that wasn't even their intention or goal.. But nonetheless, I'll pray for them. 

And I'll rejoice with the fact that I have the kind of Jesus freedom that isn't bound to condemnation, to not being good enough, to the world, and to people. We only have to answer to One and One only. And His thoughts are much more precious towards us than anyone.. I say we listen to His thoughts on us. 

What say ye?

TGBTL Link up.

So so excited to be linking up with Lauren    & Hayley  for the Girl between the lines today!
Today the question is:


Tell us about a trait you look up to or admire about someone in your life. Why?

There is a little girl who likes to run around my kitchen floor, get under my legs, accompany me in the bathroom, she likes to watch everything I'm doing and she is so independent.

She is my daughter, my little love. And I admire every trait about her. 

She is the spitted image of her father (Maybe she has my nose) But she acts just like him. I admire him too! She's a leader, she's independent and she knows what she wants and will give me a fight until she gets it.

Yes, though that often leads to one minute in time out or an Evelynne's alone time for however long it takes to calm her down.. I still see that what my baby girl carries in her is such a strong trait. 

A trait worth admiring.
She's strong and tough and she knows what she wants. And even though at the moment it's so frustrating and I often want to pull my hair out when I'm trying to communicate with her and she easily gets frustrated because I don't understand her.. But that's where my job comes in as a mama.

It's my job to mold those God given traits she has. Encourage her to use them in the right way and out of love and not anger.

To bring her leadership and independent heart to be used for God's glory.. Because God knows His children need more leaders.

She has such a love for music. She's anointed.   She loves to dance and scream when worship music is playing, and she loves to dance with me and I hope she always will!

I admire my little girl.. She has huge things coming her way! And I pray that God will continue to teach me and guide me to raise my Princess Warrior.

Peppermint Icecream cake. Yum Yum!

Okay so the question today on TGBTL link up is What is your go to recipe? .. Is it sad to say that  the first thing that came to mind was desert??

Don't get me wrong! I'm a healthy eater. I'm just a healthy eater with a wild side.

So, I thought I would post a recent invention for a Christmas desert that I love! Like really love! Like I'd eat the whole cake in one sitting love.

Ingredients:
Peppermint stick Ice cream.
Oreo cookies.
2 tubs Whip cream.
one box of Brownie mix.


1)  Mix the ice cream you will be using with some whip cream.. As much as you like. For me the creamier it is the better.

2) Put plastic wrap inside 2 cake pans. Enough where it's covered and no ice cream can stick to the pan.

3)  Fill the pan up with Ice cream and cover with plastic wrap. Then you want to freeze it for a day or so.

4)   After it's  done being in the freezer. Make the brownies and let it sit until it's cool.

5). Empty the one Ice cream pan on a plate, put the brownie in the middle and then put the other Ice cream on top.

(Helpful hint) Make sure the brownie is shaped the same size as the ice cream circle so it's not uneven)

6) Spread the whip cream on the top. Add oreo's, chocolate and whatever else you think would taste great with it.


My friend and I enjoyed this cake with a great cup of peppermint coffee!! Our babies were a fan too!


If you try this I'd love to hear what you think of it!!! It's now one of my favorites!!

TGBTL Week #1: Photo & 3 Things

Hey guys, I wasn't originally planning on blogging on here today but I came across a pretty groovy (Yes, I said groovy. Don't judge!) Link up held by two beautiful ladies Hayley And Lauren And I couldn't miss out on all the fun going on here this morning. :)
                                                        

                                                     
Share a photo of you along with three things you love about yourself.


A few years ago this would have been such a hard one for me to answer. Considering just a few years ago I didn't like myself or anything about me. I thought I was a weirdo and a ugly one.But God has been doing some major God changes on this heart of mine and has not only encouraged me to love myself but He's given me lists of why I should!! (A post for another time perhaps?) Anywho, At this point in life it's gonna be hard to narrow down everything I love about myself to only three things!!

1. I love the fact that I am free. Being in bondage with who I was my whole life.. Of insecurity, sexual abuse and not knowing how to deal with that, and the bondage of just hating who I was and not really understanding the Love of Jesus and who He wanted to be in my life. I now appreciate my freedom in Him more than ever.. He has given me the freedom to love myself, to dream, to run, to receive the very faith that Jesus died to give us so that we would have authority and victory in Christ. And the freedom to be a wife and a Mama after God's own heart. It's a freedom that only Jesus can give and it's def worth receiving. There would be nothing good about me without Him.

2. I'm Patient.  I'm so glad Jesus blessed me with Patience.. It's really something I rarely struggle with and for that I am 100% thankful. Having a daughter who knows what she wants and will fight Mama hard to get it and a wonderful husband who works almost 24 hours on end as a police officer Jesus really must have known that Patience is really on my need list along with the rest of the fruit of the Spirit. I'm glad I have received them all.

3. I'm a writer. I love to write! And I'm so glad that Jesus gave me a gift for it. I'm not a huge speaker but will be if I feel called to or even asked to. But writing is a go to place for me. It's a place where my heart just freely speaks out without the worry of what people think. It's a gift that God has given me and I'm so glad I can use it for His glory.

What are 3 things about you that nobody else knows about? Or at least your blogging friends. :)

                                            Happy Mid week lovelies!
                                                   xoxo Heather Leigh