Basketball shoes and prayer

One thing I can tell you about having boys is that they are always participating in some kind of sports activity. Last month, we breathed a sigh of relief because football was finally over. Carson's (our youngest son) team made it to the payoffs and they won the championship game for their division. It was so exciting but I was completely ready for the football season to end. I was tired of the hectic schedule and wanted some down time for our family. A good rest was needed in our home.

Well, after only 3 days of "rest", we began basketball practice. Both of our boys signed up so of course they needed brand new basketball shoes!

At first I objected. Afterall, their school tennis shoes would be fine. That hole in Brody's shoe could easily be taped up and Carson's hand-me-downs would certainly survive a few more months.

The boys had a whole different game plan. They secretly stratergized then confronted me with the idea that their new shoes could play a dual role. Ya know, basketball shoes and winter shoes combined. I fell hook, line and sinker.

Before I knew it, we were in the car and headed for the local shoe store. I had already told the boys we needed to stay away from one of those fancy sporting goods stores that seldom have the kind of deal we were looking for. I've majored in shopping most of my life and this was defintely a buy one get one free moment.

As we drove to the store, I began to feel my stress level rise. So many thoughts were flooding my mind. Basketball shoes are expensive. Christmas is right around the corner. So much for those cute boots I was saving up to buy. It's after 7:00 pm on a school night. What am I doing! In that moment, I blurted out "Brody, would you please pray".

To my surprise, my 13 year old said "sure mom" and began to pray. Ya see, it has become a small custom for our family to pray when we pull out of our driveway. It doesn't matter whether we're running a simple errand or leaving for a 7 day vacation. We always ask God for protection and a safe return home.

Brody started out his prayer by just thanking God first. He said thanks for passing his science test that moring and for his friends. He thanked God for keeping our family safe and for a great dinner that night (I made tacos which is a favorite). He even asked God to forgive his sins that day.

There I sat, beaming like any proud mamma would be. I thought to myself "he really gets it!" Brody new the importants of praise, thanksgiving and confession. I was so proud of him.

Then he began to pray about his new to be found basketball shoes. Not only did he ask his Heavenly Father that we find a pair that but that it would be the right size for both him and his brother. That these shoes would be on sale at a really good price but still a name brand of course! He prayed that we would find these shoes quickly and not have run to several different stores since after all it was a school night.

In those few moments, I learned something very special about my teenage son's prayer life. It was real, it was intimate, and it was heart felt. He prayed in such a way that many people don't truly experience or even understand. Brody knows that his prayers ascend before Emmanuel, which means God with us. That his heavenly Father will pause to listen to his voice when he calls out to Him.

What is your prayer life like? Do you only go to God with the "big stuff"? Do you think He is way to busy to hear your prayers? Do you think you have to come clean and be perfect before he will accept you? Brody isn't perfect but He knows his Father accepts him just as he is. He knows that His heavenly Father always has time for him, no matter how busy life may seem.

After one hour, we found two pair of basketball shoes for the boys. There were just the right size and just the right price. Not only that, they were name brand too! What more could we have asked for. God was faithful and answered a young boy's prayer about basketball shoes. As we headed home, I didn't have to ask my son to pray, he just did it automatically as a natural response to his joyful heart. My heart was full of joy too knowing that the feet that would walk in those shoes, would also the road for Christ.

Brody's Sunset

My favorite view!

My son, Brody took this photo from our backyard. It was a lazy summer evening and I was busy cooking dinner, oblivious of what the Creator of the Universe was painting for me outside.

Brody didn't miss it though. With my camera in tow, he ran outside and snapped a couple photos before the sun slipped away. How could I have missed this beautiful moment? I was too busy checking off my "to do" list. Could dinner have waited? Yes, it could have. Would my family have been upset if their food had gotten a little cold? Probably not. At the end of the day, what was more important? A well prepared meal or a glimpse of God? Although it hasn't come easy, I'm learning to pause, lay down my "to do" list and look for the brush strokes of the Creator. His masterpiece is everywhere. I just need to be more aware of it. What has He shown you today through His creation?

Sweet Blessings,
Leah

Favorites

Here are some of my favorite things:* Scented candles from Bath and Body Works
* Mocha Toffee Nut Lattes from The Human Bean
* Chinese food from The China Doll
* Dansko Leopard Print Clogs
* Dark Chocolate Raisinettes

* Sundresses and sandals 

* Sandy beaches and sunsets  

Here are some of my favorite places to visit:Steamboat, CO
San Francisco, CA
New York City, NY
Deer Valley, UT
New Orleans, LA
Houston, TX
Charleston, SC

Here are some things I love to do:* Dig into a great Bible study

* Travel with family
* Morning coffee and quiet time

* Spend a day on the lake
* Win a game of doubles in tennis
* Have lunch with friends
* Dinner and a movie with Keith
* Outlet shopping by myself

Sweet Blessings,

Photos

Sweet Blessings,

Where I'm Headed

One of the many things I love about my job at Proverbs 31 Ministries is that I get to travel with Renee Swope to her speaking events. I've decided to post these events on my blog in hopes that maybe you can join us if we're coming to your area.

Here is where we'll be in 2012-2013

July 20-22, 2012

She Speaks Conference

Charlotte, NC

September 22, 2012

Ocean View Baptist Church

Myrtle Beach, SC

September 29, 2012

Radical Girlfriends Conference

Tampa, Florida

October 13, 2012                                               

Celebration Women’s Ministry                               

Houston, Texas

November 16-17, 2012                       

Raleigh First Assembly Church

Raleigh, NC 

December 7-8, 2012

The Vine Women’s Conference

Wayne City, Illinois

January 18-19, 2013                           

Compel Women’s Conference

Sioux City, Iowa 

 February 1-2, 2013

GraceFULL Women's Conference                           

Myrtle Beach, SC

March 1-2, 2013

Willowbrook Baptist Church

Huntsville, Alabama

March 23, 2013                                  

Kingdom Hearts Ministry

Long Island, NY

I hope you can join us!

If you'd like to connect, feel free to email me at Leah@Proverbs31.org. 

Sweet blessings,

About Me

It's hard to talk about myself without including my family...

My husband, Keith and our two boys, Brody and Carson, have settled our roots into the red clay of North Carolina. I'm a southern girl who grew up in the city of New Orleans. So, I never imagined, in my wildest dreams, living close to the Blue Ridge Mountains!

I serve as a team member and Executive Assistant to Renee Swope at Proverbs 31 Ministries and pinch myself every day because I get to work with the most AMAZING women!!

Aside from ministry and family, I'm currently working on my Masters Degree in Theology and Biblical Studies at Tabernacle Bible College and Seminary in Tampa, Florida.  Thank goodness for online classes. Yes, I'm a Bible Geek and proud of it!

In a nutshell, I'm a wife, mother, ministry partner, Bible teacher, author, and friend. I live life one day at at time and trust God every step of the way. My passion is to lead women through God's Word so they can experience freedom from their struggles and receive God's power to live out each with hope and courage.

Living life with God is such an incredible adventure and I want every women to experience their own journey with Him!

If you'd like to connect, feel free to email me at Leah@Proverbs31.org. 

Sweet Blessings,

Speaking Topics

A Girlfriend's Guild to Survival 

Our friends are gifts from God. But, if we're not careful, we can sometimes find ourselves competing against each another instead of celebrating our unique talents and abilities. The Bible gives us a perfect prescription for true friendship. 

This message is based on 2 Corinthians 13:11 (NLT), "Be joyful. Grow to maturity. Encourage each other. Live in harmony and peace. Then, the God of love and peace will be with you."

                  

Being A Fashionista 

Imagine what it would be like to wear hot-off-the-rack designer clothes and be a real Fashionista! Well, the truth is, as women, we are each uniquely fashioned by the Master Designer. With love and tender care, He has delicately created us and we are wonderfully crafted to experience our own custom made calling. 

This message is based on Genesis 2, where we will discover details about the very first woman God fashioned on earth, and what we can learn from her. 

                     

Becoming A Woman of Audacious Faith

The Bible tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. As women, we want to have unshakeable faith but oftentimes our own fears and insecurities can keep us from experiencing the adventurous life we long for. 

Meet a woman in Mark 5, who risked everything, while taking a leap of audacious faith, to experience a miracle from Jesus. Her story will inspire you and reveal the steps you'll need to embrace, so that you can start living a life of audacious faith too!   

It's Only a Masquerade

In this session, Leah shares her personal story of years spent hiding behind a mask of perfectionism, people-pleasing, and performance-based living. When her mask fell and shattered into a million peaces, Leah as left holding a medical diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Chronic Depression. 

The masquerade was over and her life could have ended there, but with God's help, Leah was pulled from the pit and journeyed the uphill road to recovery.  Leah will uncover the lessons she learned along the way, in hopes that you will learn from her mistakes.   

  

Other messages include:

Authentic Worship

Lord, I Want What She Has! 

My Body, His Temple

RefresHER

I Need a Make-Over! 

Finding God in the Center of Heartache 

Does Anybody Want My Kids? (parenting message)

Turn Up the Heat (marriage, wife, spouse)

If you are interested in finding out more about one of Leah's message topics. Or, would like to book Leah for your next women's event, conference, or retreat. Please email her at Leah.Proverbs31@gmail.com 

Thank you!