Brave Love in Life's Hardest Moments with Lisa Leonard Ep 58
Constantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
Release Date: 01/24/2019
Constantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
Kathryn Maack talks about the work of the Holy Spirit in her life. She has seen the spirit lead her and equip her in every circumstance. And you won’t want to miss the last half of our conversation where she shares how a homeless boy’s life was changed dramatically because of her willingness to hear and obey the Holy Spirit’s leading. She co-wrote the book Whole as a way to acknowledge all of our being - our entire selves - before God….with our head and our heart, in truth and in spirit, in being and in doing, and in the identification of being both sinner and saint so that we may bear...
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If you feel like you are wrestling with comparison, the pain of brokenness in your life, or needing inspiration for how to cultivate a kingdom minded home, you’ll find encouragement in this episode. Kennesha Buycks lays out all the pain points that have pointed her back to restoration in Jesus. This also birthed the social space and newly released book, Restoration House. Kennesha desires to pull your heart and your home toward God’s peace and toward a welcoming of the Holy Spirit. We get vulnerable pretty fast in this episode and cover topics like numbing pain with alcohol,...
info_outlineConstantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
My friend Chrystan Ferrell walks us through her journey of coming to Christ. Like the real moment, not the outside circle moment where you know who Jesus is and you know about scripture. The REAL life-changing relationship with Jesus was birthed in Chrystan’s life after lots of chasing after fun that ended in destruction. She talks about the struggle as a single parent and I love how she defines the brokenness of sin yet the blessing that God continues to place in her life. Chrystan poured her heart into the book Sister, Walk in Truth because she believes there’s a tangible hope you can...
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Episode 75: If you struggle to understand where you are in life and why, Lindsey’s story can point you to God’s sovereign plan and his perfect timing that’s bigger than all of us. My guest and new true friend Lindsey Hale talks about a time in her life where what looked like a blessing to most of the world, was a surprising point of grief and surrender of self. After 13 years of raising her kids, Lindsey unexpectedly found herself pregnant again creating a gap of 9 years between her last baby and this new one.We talk candidly about what it looks like when life becomes unexpected and God...
info_outlineConstantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
Your gonna tap into your own personal reason to be courageous today. Melissa Scott has had a tumultuous life. From horrific sexual abuse as a child to a cycle of repeated abuse in relationships, Melissa hit rock bottom, seeking more for her life. Even though she was able to see healthy relationships and witness to God’s power around her, Melissa felt very much on the outside of the ability to achieve an actual and real relationship with Jesus. You’ll be encouraged to hear how she found healing moments through true forgiveness, therapy, and crying out to Jesus in her car. ...
info_outlineConstantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
In Episode 73, we talk candidly about 4 ways a critical spirit can take root in your everyday life. In fact, I share a few of my own struggles in my marriage and in my actions where I wrestle with a spirit of criticism. Shannon Kay McCoy is a biblical counselor and new friend and helps us walk through this spirit of criticism that we can easily fall into or rationalize. This important conversation also evolved into trying to define terms like self-love & self-care. We were both seeking to pin down where self-love could be Bibilcal and where is it outright sin. I was so glad...
info_outlineConstantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
Your gonna tap into your own personal reason to be courageous today. Melissa Scott has had a tumultuous life. From horrific sexual abuse as a child to a cycle of repeated abuse in relationships, Melissa hit rock bottom, seeking more for her life. Even though she was able to see healthy relationships and witness to God’s power around her, Melissa felt very much on the outside of the ability to achieve an actual and real relationship with Jesus. You’ll be encouraged to hear how she found healing moments through true forgiveness, therapy, and crying out to Jesus in her car. ...
info_outlineConstantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
Episode 72 is all about freedom from our hangups. If it’s food or relationships, Jenna Barbosa has a lot of wisdom to offer on the issue. We talk about Jenna’s personal brokenness and how is continually gaining freedom from hurts from her past, relationships that she tried to use to replace God, and using food as an idol. Feel comforted and encouraged as you listen to Jenna introduce herself as a women that is content and the hope that she can bring to you, no matter your situation. I really loved the thoughts she had on the difference between being a victim and having a...
info_outlineConstantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
Friends, episode 71 will give you freedom in questioning your faith and choosing self-help as self-care. My guest Joey Monteleone is a podcast pal that has a story of freedom from religion into relationship. I hope you’ll find inspiration in Joey’s story and be encouraged to walk forward in the truth that God cares more about your heart than your appearance. We talk about Joey’s background in the Plymouth Brethren Church and while denomination isn’t the point of his story, it points to the strictness, the legality of religion and how he found freedom in his heart...
info_outlineConstantly Under Construction with Donna Harris
Episode #70 will help you see that lessons in life are often obtained by self-awareness and grace with your situation. David Rawlings speaks with me today about baggage. He wrote a modern day parable called The Baggage Handler, a story that captivates you because we all know the pain of having a mis-hap with baggage at the airport. The story is built around three different travelers, on individual journeys, who realize they have picked up the wrong suitcase at the airport. They meet an interesting character, The Baggage Handler, who shows them there is more in their baggage than...
info_outlineFriends, you’re going to love getting to know my guest, Lisa Leonard. If you’ve struggled in your relationship or if you feel like you are emptied of all your ability to continue to keep people happy, this is the episode for you.
Lisa is an amazing woman who’s story will give you new insight on self-care. I got the chance to read her upcoming book, Brave Love, where she shares that even from childhood, she was willing to step back and let others be happy at the expense of knowing herself.
Lisa shared her struggle of constantly caring for others in an unhealthy, unbalanced way - this people-pleasing method was surprisingly a tactic of control her environment to keep things stable in her life but ultimately Lisa found that she was neglecting loving herself (and others) in a healthy way.
In our time together, we dive deeper into how it was nearly divorce from her husband that brought Lisa closer to God and back to a truly honest space in her marriage where she could love and be loved.
Here's some Lessons Learned and Unlearned in this episode:
Are you missing space and quiet in your life right now? Lisa shared that space was what really allowed her to heal. When she was emptied of her strength, she needed quiet and rest to avoid the knee-jerk reactions of her old habits of soothing away discomfort. It’s busyness and noise that fills the quiet space and discourages us to be mindful when it comes to reconnecting to God. If you’re missing out on illuminating moments that bring you closer to how you really feel, I encourage you to seek space in you life.
Lisa was fighting a two part battle. She fought for herself and for her marriage. She stressed that it wasn’t quick and it wasn’t easy. The Undoing of the way we used to think is so incredibly hard. Especially when you aren’t used to giving yourself the permission to heal. And especially when you are doing it alongside of your spouse. But this retraining of thinking and doing is necessary for lasting change and it’s worth it for a flourishing life. Pray for God to give you clarity in these moments. Ask for God to give you space. And when you are provided with that time and quiet, soak it in, don’t fill it up with distractions. Use it for what it’s for: self-discovery, leaning into the painful parts, and clinging to God for his strength and guidance.
I’m totally in love with Lisa’s heart and her ability to become more whole from brokenness. Her family’s story of vulnerability and faith are such an encouragement.
Links:
Lisa's Website - preorder Brave Love today!
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