I’ve never done the “word of the year” practice.
I have this weird thing about not wanting to join in something just because it’s popular (though admittedly I still do in some cases – I just don’t like that I do).
It took me years to read Harry Potter because it was such a craze. I wanted to form my own opinion. I saw many of the movies before reading the books – and if you know me, that’s backwards. It wasn’t until book 7 was about to be released that my friend Alison convinced me I need to get with it already. When I started, you better believe I sprinted through books 1-6 in record time and kept going every year.
With the word of the year, I respect it and have always thought it was a nice idea. I completely understand why it is done. Not only is it motivating, it provides one a grounding to see the whole picture in times of plenty and want, in times of quiet and times of turmoil. Using that word and more importantly, how God is using that word and theme, is of great advantage to a journey and a focus. I wholeheartedly understand.
Still, I prefer to stay back. It’s hard to describe.
But I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I could use the extra motivation to stay connected with His presence. I’ve come to understand better the importance of my participation in my growth and daily life and how a practice such as this, assists. Read More
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Visceral
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Posted on October 7, 2019 by Leigh Gorham
I’m looking forward to the day when the baby section at Target doesn’t cause an anxiety attack.
I sent that text this morning to my husband and a couple friends.
It is because it is a visceral memory that grabs me and shoves me roughly back to a painful moment of my pregnancy, before we knew the end was coming. Read More
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The Moments That Change Us
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Posted on August 23, 2019 by Leigh Gorham
Have you ever been curious about what goes through someone’s mind at any given moment? The times that seem as if it’s just the same old life, only to realize that it only takes a second for everything to shift?
Maybe it’s an innocuous memory, maybe it’s a random replaying of a conversation. Maybe it’s a note-to-self “oh I can’t forget to pick up milk”. For me, while I can’t remember what was going through my mind that day, I do recall that exactly one week later, it was song lyrics. Song lyrics that I was singing in my head to carry me through the next sentences spoken… Read More
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In The Silence
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Posted on July 23, 2019 by Leigh Gorham
Seven Months.
That’s how long it’s been since I came to this space to speak.
I’ve gone longer, but it still dampens my spirit, the hiatus between the coming. My sister-sage-writing hero- friend Kris Camealy declared the most perfect insight on the practice. She put in syllables what my soul tries so desperately to convey, when her son asked her “Why do you write?“:
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The Decision to Try
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Posted on January 1, 2019 by Leigh Gorham
I’ve never done the “word of the year” practice.
I have this weird thing about not wanting to join in something just because it’s popular (though admittedly I still do in some cases – I just don’t like that I do).
It took me years to read Harry Potter because it was such a craze. I wanted to form my own opinion. I saw many of the movies before reading the books – and if you know me, that’s backwards. It wasn’t until book 7 was about to be released that my friend Alison convinced me I need to get with it already. When I started, you better believe I sprinted through books 1-6 in record time and kept going every year.
With the word of the year, I respect it and have always thought it was a nice idea. I completely understand why it is done. Not only is it motivating, it provides one a grounding to see the whole picture in times of plenty and want, in times of quiet and times of turmoil. Using that word and more importantly, how God is using that word and theme, is of great advantage to a journey and a focus. I wholeheartedly understand.
Still, I prefer to stay back. It’s hard to describe.
But I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I could use the extra motivation to stay connected with His presence. I’ve come to understand better the importance of my participation in my growth and daily life and how a practice such as this, assists. Read More
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Surrendering Bridges
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Posted on December 28, 2018 by Leigh Gorham
I have a tendency to make more of things than they may be. [If you listen close, you can hear the sound of a collective sarcastic gasp from anyone that knows me at all…]
I know I do this. I have gotten better at listening to my rational side during moments of doubt, of spiraling over-analytical processes in my head.
Still, when it comes to matters of the heart, of emotion – feeling tends to be stronger than practicality. Particularly when it relates to rejection. No matter how old I am, rejection still hurts as sharply as if I were a child not picked for a team or sitting alone at lunch while others glance my way and whisper. I think we all have that default ache, even if some were more acquainted with such grief than others. Read More
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Weary Yet Welcome
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Posted on November 9, 2018 by Leigh Gorham
There are flakes falling softly outside.
The first snow of the season. It will be a dusting at most.
Ever notice how quiet everything is in snow? The world muffles the cacophony and you’re immersed in silence and calm. There is a scientific reason for it of course. Because snow is porous (more space between the snowflakes when accumulating together), it muffles the sound. The science is lovely and the calm is comforting.
I am thankful for how my back sliding door is in a great position so when I pull back the curtains, I have a peaceful view of the trees, falling precipitation and yard.
Right now, I have music on, decaf coffee, a nervous dog beside me and comfy clothes. I took a half day but it doesn’t feel like it. The time passed quickly and I wanted to use the time wisely. To read, to write, to journal. This isn’t even going to be a worthy post, I can tell. I just wanted to do something. Advance this. For myself. Read More
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R & R
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Posted on August 30, 2018 by Leigh Gorham
It’s a rainy Thursday.
We have had days of significant rainfall. Windy, thunderstorms, hail. It’s the recipe for a cozy day indoors.
Most often we don’t get to participate in the relaxation instinct. We have jobs to go to, chores to finish, things to do. Rest is just that elusive thing only a fraction of people get to do, right? Read More
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Doing the Small Things
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Posted on August 13, 2018 by Leigh Gorham
I took a “mental health” day today.
No work. No obligations.
There were things I needed to get done (laundry, grocery shopping, laundry, changing my name over to my married name, laundry) but I tried not to make any promises I couldn’t keep and I tried to allow myself the introvert time in which I could soak.
Those that know me may not find it easy to believe that I’ve grown deep into introvert roots. I cultivate a healthy balance now. Read More
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Life Sneaks Up
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Posted on July 23, 2018 by Leigh Gorham
Have you ever prepared for a move or begun Spring Cleaning and come across something you’d almost forgotten existed? You brush off the dust and for a split second may even forget how to use it — like an old instrument (I’m looking at you, Elementary School recorder).
That kind of feeling is what I’m experiencing. Read More
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The Whir of Passing Time
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Posted on January 24, 2018 by Leigh Gorham
I know.
It’s been….a long while. I’m honestly going to be incredibly surprised if there is even a “you” reading this. I may have lost the small pairs of eyes I did have, due to this belabored absence.
So much has occurred. Beautiful things. Excruciating things. Life.
We all experience it.
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