birthday girl...22 years-old!!!!!!!!! YEAAAAA!!!!

Another year of life has been granted to me, and I am just so thankful to God for the ways He's provided and the lessons He's taught...I am so immensely blessed! Goodness. I spent some quiet time today just reminiscing on all the work God has done, and these past 4 years since I was saved have been really...eventful! It's almost as if life before becoming a believer is a blur. And I really look forward to the next few decades, if God wills I live that long. Pruning is really tough to go through (John 15) but extremely necessary, and I am really just going through some stuff that makes me grit my teeth and wince, but I praise God bc I know that He is faithful and I just need to really apply the Word to my daily life...good times and bad. It's really humbling, especially during times of confession, coming to the reality that I am just so sinful and that I really need to completely depend on God, which is really difficult because my nature and pride really make me want to be self-sufficient. Praise God too, some stuff from my past is being resolved and reconciliation is occurring...man, it's been a crazy year!

I absolutely love this poem by Blair Wingo, and the link is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjO9NCkTsF8

My favorite lines within her poem include these words:

"All of that was bound to decay, and you took my breath away...When the world's tryin to holla at me, im like pleeease...because i'm happily in a relationship with the King of Kings!...I wanna love your Word so much that I finish your sentences, well, or at least remember the Scripture references. I want to know you so intimately that my friends get nervous, because they think i'm looking too much like you too fast! ...I'm gonna think about him all day long...You deserve that and so much more...See you didn't just say that you love me, but you clearly made it known, left your throne...But because you so loved the world, you gave so that whosoever would believe would not perish, you willingly took my place so i could have a spiritual marriage. Love is an interesting word we throw around so casually, but God is love! ...help us that we would love you with an outward expression, help us to see that your love is so much more than just a confession"

Oh, love! How can my heart not beat faster and my breath be taken away by the God of the Universe? Amazing. (I feel like such a girl when I say stuff like this, but hey, it's the way we process things okay lol ....but seriously, this poem is pretty legit and just grasps the way girls fall for guys when really their hearts should be devoted to the lover of our souls)...

Praise God for another year of life! My past is interesting and my future is hopeful, so I'll continue striving toward the goal of life...

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as are perfect, have this attitude..." -Philippians 3:13-15

I AM SO EXCITED!

fellowship and good times!

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!" -Psalm 133:1

"...that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you may also have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." -1 John 1:3

"Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing."-1 Thessalonians 5:11

"...and I pray that the fellowship of your faith may become effective through the knowledge of every good thing which is in you for Christ's sake."-Philemon 1:6

Oh my gouda-ness! This has been a great summer. One of my favorite summers ever, actually. I actually struggled a lot with feeling guilty and insecure after I graduated from UCSB because I didn't have a career, and I would beat myself up and my mom had to rebuke me! She said, "Leigh Ann, why are you worrying so much about the future? I thought you were godly. Why are you worrying? Don't you know God is going to take care of you?" OHHH SNAP! OUCHIEZ!! I GOT REBUKED FROM MY MOMMMAA!!! love it! LOL so I got over myself, and remembered Matthew 6:33 "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." CHEW DAT! I can't believe how much my worrying affected my witness of Jesus Christ...lesson learned!

But yeah, it's been great being back at home because I've been having great fellowship with other believers. It's so great to be back with my partner-in-crime James, I mean, where would I be without her? She knows me! and I became more well-acquainted with other members of South Bay Christian Alliance Church in Carson and Friday night bible study for College and Career, and I'm just so thankful that the leaders are so faithful to teaching the Word of God, and that the other members appreciate and love Scripture as well. I really feel like I am growing so much, especially through conversations and examples of others, and it's nice to see and listen to others talk about what they are learning and how they are applying what they learn into their daily lives, asking for prayer and guidance. I've also been discipled by Ate Rona these past few weeks, and words can't express how much I look up to her. She is just a huge encouragement, and a loving mommy and a godly wife. Of course, she has told me she is human so she is not perfect, but I love that she is transparent enough to know her weaknesses so that when she is guiding me, her transparency lets me see Christ through her and He is really using her as an instrument to teach me what it means to be a godly woman. We're going through a Fundamentals of Faith workbook by John MacArthur and I love it! I was going through it by myself before I met up with her, but it's nice to just really dive deep into these lessons about the Bible. I've got great brothers and sisters within that church and bible study, and it's nice, because I have the family of believers to be there for me, through good times and bad.

It's also really encouraging to be with friends and meet other believers from other churches as well. I visited my friend Elijah's bible study with Kevin a few days ago, and a few of them afterward would freestyle about Jesus! Probably one of my favorite memories ever. LOVED IT!!! It's so encouraging to see and know that there are others out there who have a passion for spreading the Gospel and talking about how good Jesus is.

The Christian life was never meant to happen alone! We need fellowship to be encouraged and to share the painful and joyful moments of life. And sometimes we're so blinded by our sins, and that's where godly brothers and sisters come in to rebuke and to correct through Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16), which has happened to me a few times in the past, and I can't say how thankful I am for being corrected. All part of the process of sanctification. I'm so thankful for fellowship. God is good!

Day 2-meaning behind username/Day 3-pic with friends

So I'm kinda behind on doing this 30 day challenge...but that's okay. Lots of things have been overtaking my mind (in a good way...actually, in a marvelous/wonderful/at-times-very-frustrating/refreshing way)
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Day 2: meaning behind username "leigh"

Leigh is my nickname, and I actually prefer being called "Leigh" more than "Leigh Ann" because it's what my family calls me. My mom and dad and brothers call me "Leigh" and I have a few close friends (like Jamie) who call me "Leigh"...It's personal, and it makes me feel at home. Also, I met a woman who was asking me how to spell my name and she told me it was a beautiful way to spell it, that every woman should spell 'Lee' like that. I usually get people making fun of it saying it's "LAY ANN" which causes me to cringe, so this random woman's compliment made me feel special and not like a weirdo haha

Day 3: pic with friends

These are UCSB my gal pals: Jamie, Jenn, Carrie, Tori, & Amanda. I spent a lot of hours laughing, crying, praying, talking or bonding with these beautiful women.



The funny thing is, all these women are all very different from one another. And I know that being separated by miles can do things to alter relationships, whether it be in a good way or bad way. But for the season that God placed them in my life in a close physical proximity, I was blessed by each of them and they have a special place in my heart. Being at UCSB wouldn't have been the same without them :] Aww!!! Thankfully, I still keep in touch with each of them on a regular basis.

what you need to know about me

"Upon a life I did not live, a death I did not die, a God I cannot see, I stake my eternity." Amen.

Day 1- Recent picture and 15 facts

I literally took this photo a few minutes ago, and I'm gonna cheat and add another one since my little brother was next to me and we decided to take a few together too...

ANYWHO! Time for the random 15 facts:

1. I love eggs. They are my favorite food. It's especially good with spam, corned beef, or bacon. Or green onions. Or pan de sal. YUM YUM YUM! Now I am drooling.

2. I have always wanted a pet lion. I want to ride on his back and call him/her Aslan. I don't care if people think I'm weird. I'd choose riding on my pet's back anyday; it is way cooler than carrying him in a little purse into the supermarket.

3. I want to name my first son Joshua, for so many reasons. Not only does it mean "God saves" in Hebrew, but when God saved me, the relationship between my little brother Joshua and me became better. Since we have different fathers, there was always a divide between us growing up. Josh and I quickly became very close as brother and sister after Jesus changed my life, so when I see him I am reminded of how good God is, and how I am so very blessed. God can change lives. He changed mine, and so many of my relationships within my family have been restored.

4. I like correct grammar during conversations. It's excusable if it's just typing on the internet. When people use incorrect pronouns after prepositions, it drives me crazy. For instance, "Yeah, between you and I, it was an okay movie." YOU NEVER USE "I" AFTER A PREPOSITION! Why? Because it is a subject pronoun, and the only pronouns that come after prepositions are object pronouns. Does that look like an object pronoun to you? No. Use "me". You don't sound less intelligent by saying "me". Come on people!

5. I've dyed my hair so many times in high school that I wore myself out and stick to my natural hair color now.

6. I get very itchy before I sleep. My roommate of college used to say "If I didn't hear you scratching in the middle of the night, I sometimes worried that you weren't alive." So I put on lotion a lot. My brother, on the other hand, grinds his teeth in his sleep so we have some pretty weird habits!

7. I hate cilantro. I cannot stand the taste. It ruined my experience tasting pho and I cannot stand salsa. Needless to say, I do not eat much Vietnamese or Mexican food.

8. I used to grow up getting a lot of compliments about how long my fingers were and how I had nice, long nails. I always thought it was weird, until I noticed everyone's short fingers/fingernails. I wish I actually used my hands for something worthwhile, like playing piano or guitar.

9. I do not care for music. No, literally. I just DO.NOT.CARE. Ironically, every person close to me loves music! They are just the most musically-inclined, talented people, who love to express themselves through instruments and singing. And every guy I have dated has been in a band, or was a worship leader. Weird.

10. Growing up, I loved drawing. I wanted to be an artist for the first two decades of my life (haha, I'm entering my third decade!) I was voted "Most Artistic" in Junior high and used to draw people pictures of Pokemon or DragonballZ which made me very popular and cool at school HAHAHHAA. Wow I was such a dork. I even drew pictures of friends too! I wanted to make my own cartoon series because I made up all these stories & characters in my head. I still have them stored up there. Growing up though, I became realistic and didn't think I would be able to do anything with that talent. The last time I drew was at a Winter Retreat for my fellowship at UCSB. I was taking care of the speaker's son, Drew, who was 5 years old. To keep his attention and for the sake of well behavior, I drew him a bunch of Disney characters and Winnie the Pooh and his dad was surprised by how well I could draw. I know that this talent will come in handy when I have my own kids one day.

11. As a kid, I had 4 pet birds, 2 pet fishies, 2 cats, and 6 dogs. After my parents divorced, I never had pets ever again. But having pets was such a great experience! My favorite dog was my first dog "Estee" who was a shepherd dog. He looked like an obese Lassie haha I want to have that as my first dog when I have my own family.

12. I am a cautious person. I am not attracted to extreme sports or adrenaline rushes. I think it's careless and I would rather play it safe than risk anything. I used to hate this aspect of my personality but I think American culture glorifies extreme and risky hobbies. No thank you!

13. I am an extremely light sleeper---I wake up to a feather falling down! This usually results in very restless or interrupted sleeps where I feel tired once I wake up. It's annoying and I wish I was a heavy sleeper. I really hope that my future husband does not snore!

14. Outside of the U.S. and Mexico, I have visited the Philippines and Hong Kong (for family). I have also been to Paris-France, Frankfurt-Germany, Swiss Alps-Switzerland, Prague-Czech Republic, Amsterdam-The Netherlands, and Rome-Italy. I instantly fell in love with Paris and if I am ever proposed to, I would love to be proposed to by the Eiffel Tower (nearly close to impossible, and while it's cheesy and cliche, I still think it's such a sweet setting! Oh Paris...) I really enjoyed Prague in the snow because of the grand castles and statues. Rome had the best food but it was pretty dirty because of the tourists, and I went to the Red Light District of Amsterdam and was super disturbed by the things I saw. Ironically, before you enter that district is a beautiful Gothic cathedral. My brother Billy got lost on his toboggan down the Swiss Alps and I cried because I thought he was lost forever and going to die! Thank God they found him. But on top of the Swiss Alps, the view made me feel like I was in heaven. I had never seen such a beautiful sight before.

15. Save the best for last! Sometimes, I imagine what it would be like once I see Jesus face-to-face, and my heart accelerates and stops beating all at the same time. To behold His glory, to see and experience such intimacy, to be in His arms and to be WITH Him physically and just ...I don't know. Words can't even describe it. In my mind- my sinful and fallen and tainted mind, this future experience would be amazing and overwhelming and breathtaking and just so good one could hardly take it all in! And I know that what my mind is imagining won't even come close to when it actually does happen. And then I think about every person in heaven right now, and how I would be able to meet all the men who wrote the books of the Bible inspired by the Holy Spirit, and all those martyrs... all of us praising God together. And I hope it's not too morbid, but I think about death a lot. I go about my day wondering, what if I died today? Or tomorrow? Would I have done something differently? Praise God for the hope I have in Him! I am so assured of where I am going after I die. It breaks my heart to know there are so many who do not have the same assurance. It pushes me to get out of my comfort zone and proclaim the gospel more to those around me.
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let's do this!

30 Day Challenge
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Day 01- A recent picture of you, and 15 interesting facts about yourself.
Day 02- The meaning behind your user name.
Day 03- A picture of you and your friends
Day 04- A habit that you wish you didn’t have.
Day 05- A picture of somewhere you’ve been to.
Day06- A picture of you and an ex boyfriend/girlfriend/first love.
Day 07- A picture of someone/something that has the biggest impact on you.
Day 08- Short term goals for this month and why?
Day 09- Something you’re proud of in the past few days.
Day 10- A picture of something that describes/relates to your life.
Day 11- Another picture of you and your friends.
Day 12- How you found out about blogger and why you made one.
Day 13- A letter to someone who has hurt you recently.
Day 14- A picture of you and your family.
Day 15- A song that relates to your life.
Day 16- Another picture of yourself.
Day 17- Someone you would want to switch lives with for one day and why?
Day 18- Plans/dreams/goals you have.
Day 19- Nicknames you have; why do you have them.
Day 20- Someone you see yourself marrying/being with in the future.
Day 21- A picture of something that makes you happy.
Day 22- What makes you different from everyone else.
Day 23- Something you crave for a lot.
Day 24- A letter to your parents.
Day 25- What I would find in your bag.
Day 26- What you think about your friends.
Day 27- Why are you doing this 30 day challenge.
Day 28- A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?
Day 29- In this past month, what have you learned.
Day 30- Who are you?
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Sometimes I feel like I want to post stuff on this blog but it's either super lengthy, which makes me feel like I'm writing an essay, or really short and silly that makes me not care if I post or not. I guess this 30 day thing gives me a chance to do a lil bit of both. And so it begins...

first time for everything

Yesterday was Father's Day! How cute na cute! I invited my Dad to have lunch with my mommy, Joshua, Billy and me at Cheesecake Factory so we could all celebrate. I went to my mom's church nearby home FFC (First Family Christian) instead of SBCAC (South Bay Christian Alliance) so I could make it to lunch on time, and what a surprise i had at church...MY DAD JOINED US! It was the first time he had ever gone to a Christian service, and even when my parents were married I don't remember him being there with us during Catholic Mass. He said it wasn't "that bad" and liked it more than Mass, which was surprising. He even made a few jokes about the sermon, since he doesn't believe in Jesus, but it was nice to know he was listening to certain parts though he purposefully sat down with his eyes closed during the entire message. I said "Dad so this means you're coming back next Sunday right?" and he laughed and said "Yeah, you mean NEXT Father's Day!" It's still a miracle in and of itself that he doesn't mind coming back!

During lunch my mom gave him his present and they laughed and exchanged jokes and I sat next to my brothers. It is so weird how nice and friendly it is when we eat together as a family. It really feels like this backward progression where...you know, people are supposed to have pleasant family memories of growing up with married parents, but the pleasant memories are in the making as we speak. They are still divorced, and my little brother Josh has a different dad, but it feels sweet when we are all together. Even better than anything I'd experienced in the past. And I praise God for that, because it seriously is ALL of His work! I really can't explain it in words but I really want my family to be saved, not only for their sakes, but for the glory of God's name! My gosh, so much change is already occurring. My mom and I used to fight all the time and now I consider her one of my best friends, and though my dad hurts my feelings a lot because he usually calls me fat or ugly or not smart, he is a lot better in terms of answering my phone calls and hanging out with me. I know he loves me, he just has a really..strange way of showing it. I have to continually remind myself that he does not know Jesus, and that I have to shine that light to him. Earlier this year I decided to send weekly text messages from SB to both my mom and dad, like "Hey mom, hey dad, I miss you guys. God bless." or "Hey Dad, love you and Jesus loves you too." I really believe that it softened my dad's heart, even though he doesn't believe. Our relationship has changed drastically, for the better, and it's still not perfect but that's ok. I'm going to keep hoping and trusting that God will take care of my family.

Although I don't do it as much as I should, when I do, I cry out for God to have mercy on my family...

"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."-Luke 11:9-10

"And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."-1 John 5:14

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."-Romans 8:28

I don't know what stops me from asking more from my Father in heaven but I know that He loves me and listens to me so I am going to stop being shy and just continue to ask for grace and blessing upon my family! It's also amazing to know that everything works together for the good of those who love him. I want all of them to know Jesus Christ personally and intimately. My dad's life would be changed so much...I can't even imagine. And I can't thank God enough for Joshua learning more and more from the Bible study every Friday night. I absolutely love being back at home! I get to be with my family and witness all these great things. And because I'm not stressing over finals, I get more time to read and just rest. I get antsy and bounce up and down thinking about the changes and God's hand working, and I just need to thank Him and praise Him so much! Oh God is so good...


"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are." -1 John 3:1

I am God's child, and every day is a Happy Father's Day for Him! Praise Him!