But What About My Faith

“Therefore everyone who confesses me before men, I will also confess him before my Father who is in heaven.” – Matthew 10:32

I love God.

Since I was nine years old I have KNOWN without any doubt what so ever that HE IS REAL.

When I was 12 years old I went to my Pastor and asked him what I needed to do to be baptized. He told me I needed to CONFESS my love for Jesus and accept Him as my own personal Savior.

So I did.

In High School I began writing in a notebook, often times speaking as if I was talking to God. Because I was.

I never missed my nightly prayers and often spoke to Him throughout the day. He was like my best friend. Sometimes my only friend.

I read this book by Judy Blume when I was in Jr. High. It had such an impact on me. I realized that I could speak to my Father in Heaven just like I was speaking to my friend.

I was such a lonely child.

My Dad, oh how I loved him, but my Dad…he drank.

A lot.

And he was so broken, only I didn’t know it then, I was a child after all. All I knew is that he drank most nights. And on nights he drank our home became a war zone. So much fighting between him and my Mama. Curse words, belittling, yelling. There was never much peace in our home.

It was awful and I felt SO all alone.

But that is where God came in.

HE WAS ALWAYS THERE.

Ready to listen.

Ready to protect and give me peace.

In college I went down the path of self-destruction and almost succeeded.

It was a time full of self-torture as I filled my broken Heart + Soul with alcohol. I was becoming just like my Dad.

While my Faith in God never left me, I turned to drinking instead of the Lord when I needed comfort.

It was an awful time.

I had forgotten I was a Daughter of the King.

I had forgotten I was LOVED unconditionally by my Father in Heaven.

I thought NO ONE would want me.

But then, a miracle happened. I met my husband. Oh what an incredible man he was and IS.

Through him, God showed me that I COULD be loved, in spite of my past mistakes and wild lifestyle.

My Faith in God was reignited ten fold several years after we were married and had our two children. I was invited to attend a Bible Study at a local church by a friend.

We had not been going to church nor had I been in my Bible for several years. I still prayed nightly and would occasionally read a devotional but this Bible Study seemed like something I truly needed in my life!

Oh my GOODNESS! This Bible study quite literally, CHANGED MY LIFE!

The way Author Beth Moore explained to BELIEVE GOD rather than just Believing IN God was so IMPORTANT…it changed my perspective on EVERYTHING. I fell in love with this book, the Bible and God again.

I REMEMBERED what it was like, lying in bed, covers pulled up so close to my head, trembling as my parents fought in the next room and PRAYING TO GOD FOR COMFORT…

and RECEIVING IT.

Feeling His love surround me like a big hug.

My Faith took off. I KNEW God was real!

I BELIEVED HIM.

And that changed everything!

The darkest period of my adult life began in 2011 and didn’t end until just a few years ago. For over a decade our whole family struggled. Each of us was in the darkest pit trying to claw our way out.

I won’t go into the details BUT what I will tell you is even though, those were the HARDEST years of my life (there was LOTS of light and happiness sprinkled throughout!) it was during this time that GOD SHOWED UP in ways none of us could have ever imagined unless we were in such a bad way.

We had to be in such a dark place in order to SEE HIS LIGHT.

It was during this challenging time my Faith became as SOLID as it had ever been.

In order to get through all of the muck I had to have Faith over Fear or I would have just curled up in a ball in a corner somewhere, waiting for my time to be up.

But instead of that…I grew my Armor of God. My Faith increased more and more each day and I became a Brave Heart Faith Warrior for God.

Until…

I wasn’t.

A few weeks ago my art friend Jenna Burne (if you don’t know Jenna…get to know her and her art. Both are FANTASTIC!) made a comment on my post.

“Your faith is really blossoming.”

All I thought at the time was…

“Huh. What does she mean by that? My Faith has already blossomed. Doesn’t she know my Faith is my everything? Doesn’t she know that without God I am nothing?”

The more I thought about Jenna’s comment and my reaction to it, the more I thought about what I had been posting on social media these past few years.

While I was creating faith-filled art, I wasn’t necessarily professing what my beliefs were.

WHO it was I put my Faith in.

I was always so careful to say Creator, Earth, Nature, Spirit rather than Jesus or God.

I DO BELIEVE each of us has the right to believe in any way we choose. I never want to be that person that says because you may not believe the way I do, you’re not okay or you are wrong or whatever it may be.

I LOVE AND ACCEPT YOU NO MATTER WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

However…

and this is a HUGE However for me today…

I DO BELEIVE IN GOD.

I DO BELIEVE IN JESUS.

That is where MY Faith lies.

And I don’t want that to ever be in question again.

My Faith is my EVERYTHING.

MY EVERYTHING.

So now you know.

There is no question.

I am soooo GRATEFUL to be a part of Faith Fest 2025 that starts TOMORROW!! April 22nd!

It’s FREE for the first three days but you gotta sign up TODAY!!!

It’s the PERFECT time to dive into my Faith and share it with YOU.

Oh and a HUGE Thank You to Jenna who had NO idea her sweet comment would have such a BIG impact on me!!!

xoxo

Leslie