30?

WOW! So I turned 30 yesterday, but I don't feel any older! I guess it's due to the fact that I don't act my age. I say this alot, but I hear it alot. I don't, but I have learned that that is what makes me ME! I can be serous if I have to, but they way I see it is laughter and jokes and just plum goofiness is how I survive! I can't dwell and have pity parties very long before I just have to find laughter in any situation. It's what moves me forward and helps me get going in the right direction. Why make everything so complicated and sad? It just brings you down even more and what fun is that to be a the bottom....NONE! My life is here and now and how I choose to make it through tough times is find the brighter side of things. I don't want to waste my life saying what might have been, or should have done that! I want to refelect on my life and say YES, that was me, I did it! I live my life for God and fail everyday, but I am only human. How I get through those failures is what makes me LESLIE. I wouldn't change anything about my life and the way things have turned out. I have a purpose in this life and plan to find it and grab ahold tightly and run! I feel my calling is in the nursing field , that's all I know right now and getting my degreee is just one step, once I reach that goal I will be guided from there. It has taken me too long to get to the point I am i finding myself, but I can finally say at 30, that I know who I am and the direction I am going!

Just a Note

I have had such a rollercoaster week. I've been on spiritual highs and down deep in the valley, but no matter how low I feel i always have my God with me. I have some awesome friends too! I just don't know how I could move back up to that Mt. top without the love of my friends. If I ever feel like I"m losing faith or feeling like I just can't go any further...there they are with God standing in front of me saying, "Leslie, what are you doing?, this is not you? You know God has a plan for for you?" I can't think of anything that I have ben through lately, that I have not been able to turn to my church family and friends. But, then I feel like I have lost one. So much of me has been shown and now I feel like I've lost a big piece. I don't understand what has happened and I pray that one day this friend will come back. I hurt for this friend but I turn to prayer! I just want this friend to know that nothing was done with intent to harm or with intent to betray. I will always be here for this friend!
I have so much going on right now but the devil is still weeping! God is winning this battle...once again! Everytime that stumbling block is placed in front of me, I think of Job, and how he never wavered in his faith nor turn from God. I have been down that road and I will never turn back again! The devil is trying to hit me from every angle...whether it be my family, my school, my friends, he's trying everything to win me back....but devil I've got some words for you! YOU ARE BENEATH ME! YOU ARE NOTHING! YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OF THIS CHILD OF GOD!

Open Arms

I haven't been blogging lately, but it's not due to nothing going on in my life. I have really gone through some rough spots recently but have come out with God by my side and my head held up high. I have realized that I am who I am going to be and if people can't accept that then all I can do is pray for them. I live my life the way I feel I should and will not let anyone steer me differently. God has a plan for me and I'm willing to accept whatever that may be. I believe that God puts you through test to see just how you will react. Or if you truly live for him. I refuse to deter from my walk with Christ even though these walls are thrown up in front of me. I am not the type of person who throws my hands up and says I can't do it! I am determined to succeed in whatever God places before me to accomplish. I am not a sad person and never will be. I thrive on laughter and happiness. I just want people to know that Leslie will always be herself and never let anything get her down! I am strong and stand firm in my faith! I am so ready to start the nursing program back in the fall to prove myself worthy of that passion to be a nurse! I know and I will succeed with God by my side!

Random

All I can say is I am truly blessed! Certain things in my life just go so smoothly and I can only say "thank you Lord"! When things work out for my friends or family I still feel blessed just to know them. Sometimes I feel like maybe my prayers for them helped in some way. Prayer is my powerful shield that I can use to ward off any ill or evil thoughts, actions, people, or just anything that can be a stumbling block in my life. Prayer seemed so hard for me and to pray in front of people was even worse. Now, after learning how prayer is your relationship with God and to understand that if you just talk to Him as would any other relationship you have then there is no wrong way. Last night in prayer group I relized that I have been blocking myself or quenching the Spirit in my walk. I let others criticism, remarks and myassumptions of those hinder me in ways that are critical with my walk. After the awesome prayers that went up last night, I realized that I'm not living for others and what they think, I'm living for God! I follow HIm only! We live in such a judgmental world that I sometimes have to stop, take a deep breathe and just pray. Pray for those I come in contact with, those I pass by throughout the day and those that are so close to my heart. I thank God everyday for the church and the church family that he has lead me to. He knew what I needed in my life and made the path for me to follow. I just had to realize the conviction and follow through! We as christians must stand up for Jesus and spread His word. Live each day as if it were our last and no matter what stumbling blocks are thrown in our way, turn to God and He will send you flying over those obstacles. We are not perfect and never will be, but it's the climb for the Christ like perfection that we work for and strive to become. For we are to be in His image so others may see Him through us!

Great Weekend

ok, so I haven't been blogging as much because I need to feel inspired or creative or even moved. So this weekend, I spent Saturday with my sisters and my cousin, and now I feel like blogging. I had so much fun with them! I laughed so hard that I woke up with a scratchy throat and i think sometime amist the laughter I almost peed in my pants. I hullahooped in Wal-Mart and even had one of those laughs were your mouth is opened but no sound comes out with tears streaming! I had bought some of those big round Cheetos (their new) and Breta decided to try and make them stick on her eyes, she ended up with orange crumbs all in her lashes and looked like she had contracted a new strain of conjunctvitis! Just thinking about it makes me laugh! I love my sisters and never had such a good time as Saturday night. We got up and went to church this morning and I sang at Denise's church. It was so awesome to be together in the God's house again. I couldn't have asked for a better weekend and we have decided to do this more often. Siblings and family are so important in your life, you don't realize how much you miss them until you spend time together after not seeing each other for awhle. I think they are the reason I act the way I do sometimes. I get the best laughs out of them! I love to make them laugh, I can't remember having so much fun with them growing up as we did Saturday night! Pics are posted on facebook if get a chance to look at them! No matter what friends come and go and no matter what anyone does to you, you will always have your sisters to make you laugh until you cry and cry until you laugh. My greatest blessing is having sisters like Denise and Rhea, love yall and you too Breta. Thanks for giving me a great weekend!

My Favorite People

Just wanted to post this pic here. This group of people and youth are some of my favorite people! They never let you down and are always there to lend a hand or an ear! This youth group are a great bunch of kids, even though Whitney wouldn't get in the pic. They made this pic just for me! Thanks guys...and girls, I love ya all!

Moved by the Spirit

I went to church yesterday and it was great. But I'm having issues with people not acting when the spirit moves them. How do you ignore such a powerful feeling? I get so overwhelmed when I feel the spirit that I know when I am being spoken to. It's a feeling I can't ignore and can't shake off. So how does one feel the spirit for someone else and that person doesn't respond. Bro. Larry felt it too, but no one moved. I still have this feeling this morning. I don't know exactly who it is, but it was someone in both services yesterday. All I can do is that I pray that this person can no longer shake the spirit and follow.