Faithful Feature – January
This January I count myself blessed because I get to introduce you to a blogger whom I’ve witnessed to have the biggest of hearts. Leslie Newman’s love of the Lord is not only refreshing but it spills over onto those around her. She has a compassion that is unparalleled and a gentle demeanor I admire. Leslie’s blog Journey To Imperfect touches on the very subject that many of us as women struggle with today…perfectionism. Leslie’s perspective is a breath of fresh air and her blog provides a safe place to be perfectly imperfect.
Take some time to get to know her and give her blog a visit. I’m sure she’ll welcome you with open arms.
Journey to Imperfect
Hi! I’m Leslie Newman and what a pleasure it is to be here today for the Faithful Feature to share a little bit about my blog and how it all came about. I’m so excited to “meet” you today!
In all honesty, I never expected to be blogging or even writing for that matter. This journey came to me quietly at first and quite out of the blue.
It began as a whisper one day during my quiet time that left me with the impression that I was being called into women’s ministry. But all I could think of at that time were paid ministry jobs, and how on earth could I pursue that? I was homeschooling, and that was a full-time job in itself, not to mention all my many other responsibilities. I was busy. Really busy. And so the thoughts to pursue that calling got pushed back into the recesses of my mind.
And then, after a long time, and entirely out of the blue, there it was again. It was silent to everyone else around me but something I heard so loud and clear inside of me that there was no way I could ignore it. It all started with a spiritual gifts inventory and a handful of high scores that took me by surprise and reflected spiritual gifts I was not aware I had. And at the end of the inventory, was this question, “How can you begin to use these gifts?” That question, plain and simple as it was, took a life of its own. I knew immediately I had to do something with what I had been given.
The Gift
I prayed. It came to me – blogging. I realized that this was something I could do while I was homeschooling, but I didn’t know anything about it. I almost dropped the whole idea due to my lack of knowledge, but within a few days there came a thought, soft all around the edges with grace and kindness, spoken into the deepest part of my heart as I was reading my Bible at my kitchen table, “You should write.”
And so I did, quietly and entirely in private.
I began to write about marriage. That would be a great topic for a blog and one that I cared about very much. I thought it was a place I could make a difference. Surely I could share some of the spiritual things that had meant so much to me in my own marriage. These verses and prayers and thoughts might encourage and help other couples. After all, I was almost 50, I had been married for 24 years, and I had learned so much through the years about motherhood, family, and marriage.
Something Unexpected
But as I began to write, something totally unexpected happened that was magnified even more as I read my articles with a keen eye for editing and revising. I saw it there, a conniving thing, quietly hiding itself behind my own issues, shifting in and out of the shadows of my words, and shining out through the cracks in my life in ways that weren’t so pretty.
It was perfectionism, a weight that I had been dragging behind me like a ball and chain for many years. It glared at me through the pages of my writing. Reading my own articles was like looking into the mirror and finally seeing the truth. Every single piece I wrote about marriage became a flashing neon sign pointing me back to my own perfectionism.
Now, what was I going to do with that?
As much as it hurt to realize it, I began to understand how perfectionism had impacted my life. I realized that perfectionism is a genuine struggle for many women that often remains hidden. I began to understand that I needed to open up and start sharing my journey with others. If my words could make this thing easier for someone else behind me, it would be worth all the effort and all the uncomfortableness it would take to be that transparent.
A Blog Was Born
And so, after a lot of prayer and a huge learning curve, Journey to Imperfect was born. My tagline became “Overcoming Perfectionism One Prayer at a Time.” And that’s exactly what we do at Journey to Imperfect! It’s a place to come to find community and understand that you are not alone. It’s a place to find resources to help you in your prayer life. It’s an imperfect place, but that’s okay because we are not called to be perfect. We are called to be complete, and that happens through our relationship with Jesus.
We are not called to be perfect, we are called to be complete. That happens through our relationship with Jesus. @jrnytoimperfect #thefaithfulfeature Share on X
We are Daughters of the King, and our identity is in Jesus Christ. We can be confident and bold and full of life and joy because of who we are in Him. We talk a lot about faith, and we lean on the Word of God to help us throw off the things that hinder us and run the race set before us with perseverance always looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
I would dearly love to meet with you over at Journey to Imperfect, and I invite you to stop by for a visit sometime soon!
Leslie is a pastor’s wife, mother to two, writer, teacher and friend. Currently, she spends her days home educating, reading, writing, and being a full time household manager. Drop by and visit her at her blog, www.journeytoimperfect.com, where she’d love for you to join her in conversations about faith, prayer, and letting go of perfect.
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Natalie, it is an honor to be able to share this story on your blog today. Thank you for your kindness and friendship and thank you for the words you write! Your writing has been a blessing to me!
Leslie, your willingness to give of yourself is truly inspiring and I’m so blessed that God has introduced us. I look forward to knowing you more and even meeting one day! Love you sister!
Leslie, so good to see you here and learn more of your story! Natalie, thank you for hosting her.
Thank you for stopping in and showing support Sarah. Leslie is an absolute joy!
Natalie, you are too!!! 💜
Sarah, thanks for being here! I appreciate you so much!
Beautiful Leslie and Natalie. Just beautiful. Thanks for sharing your story with us and bringing light to a nagging cloud that shrouds many of us. Sharing on Facebook 👍
Thank you so much for stopping in Gretchen and thank you for the share!
Gretchen, thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing!!! Blessings to you!
What a story, Leslie! It is so beautiful to see a heart yielded to the Lord! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Kelly, your kind words mean so much! Thank you!
Kelly, thank you so much for being here!
Leslie, How wonderful to find my friend here blogging. I am so glad we were neighbors on a link-up. I love reading what you write and what a treat to hear your story of how you got started.
Although, my blog is not about perfectionism I consider myself a recovering perfectionist. Blogging sure bring it out in me and I have to tackle it on a weekly basis.
Blessings,
Maree
You are certainly not alone Maree, I’m also a recovering perfectionist (I love that term lol). Thank you for showing support : )
Maree, I’m still tackingling it too. Thank you for the kind words and for stopping by!
I am so glad to meet you ,Leslie through Natalie. We are definitely called to be complete by a Perfect God. Hoping to read more of your posts real soon.
You’re a treasure Diana! Thank you for stopping in!
Diana, so happy to see you here. Thank you for reading and yes! Thankful for a Perfect God! Blessings!
“We are not called to be perfect, we are called to be complete.” This resonates with me on so many levels this morning. I think many times perfection lead us to procrastination, and God just wants us to obey the call He has given us. And then in our obedience to Him, He will complete us along the way! Thank you for sharing. Stopping by from By His Grace Bloggers, pinned, and tweeted to share with our Living Our Priorities community.
Thank you so much Timberley! It’s always a pleasure having you visit.
Timberly, Amen to all of that! Thank you so much for stopping by and for sharing. I appreciate you!
Hi Leslie
It’s a true honor to read your story. Inspiring and encouraging. Thank you for answering the call to write. Your message is definitely touching hearts…it has touched mine. Much blessings to you. Thanks Natalie for hosting this sweet lady!!
It’s truly a pleasure working with Leslie. Thank you so much Lureta for your continued support. I’m praying God’s blessings over you today.
Lureta, thank you so much for the kind words and encouragement. I’m so glad to “meet” you here! Blessings!
Thanks for sharing the backstory, Leslie. That was interesting to read. It’s always fun to hear how God works in the lives of others and brings about His plans. 🙂 May God continue to bless the ministry He began in you. ((hug)) And, nice to meet you, Natalie. 🙂
So very nice to meet you too Brenda. Thank you so much for showing your support by stopping in!
Leslie I loved reading the backstory of your blog and writing journey! You have blessed my heart so much with this. Even if our words help one person (even our own selves working through muck or mire) I believe it is worth it.
Blessings,
Meg
Leslie is so gifted! I can read her writing for days! Thank you for visiting us Meghan : )
First of all: I love your writing style and choices of words. Clearly, God is making you adept! In addition-this story touched my heart and made me stop and pay attention. Did you know that real treasures are not always perfect? You are wonderfully made. Thanks Leslie, and Natalie – for the space for Leslie to share her story.