13 Things You 'Probably' Don't Know About Me

So just for fun, I thought I'd share thirteen random things that most people don't know about me.

1. I can eat a whole cucumber by myself.
2. I am not in any way flexible or athletic.
3. When I was little, I took ballet, gymnastics, tee-ball, and soccer. (not all at the same time)
4. I don't like carrots. At all.
5. I am Poleish, German, Irish, American Indian, French, and Sweetish.
6. I talk to myself when I'm alone.
7. I spend most time making faces in the mirror while brushing my teeth.
8. I cry when I watch UP.
9. Strangers will think I'm shy and quiet, but my friends know that I do the weirdest things and say the most random stuff.
10. Whenever my hair blows in the wind, I imagine myself as a supermodel.
11. I can't stand Justin Bieber.
12. When I was around 5 years old, I said I wanted to work at Build-A-Bear, have 100 kids, 2 dogs, 2 horses, and 5 cats when I got older.
13. My favorite show is 19 Kids And Counting.

Becoming A Wife

So after hearing all this stuff about waiting and guarding your heart for the man that you deserve, have you ever stopped and asked yourself, "Do I deserve him?"

Think about it. You can't just expect this dream guy to show up in your life one day and live happily ever after. You have to prepare.

I'm sure you've heard the saying "It's better to give, than to receive". Well it's the same way in a relationship. Whether it's a friendship or a marriage, you're main goal should always be to give. It should never be "What can I get out of this", but "What can I give?".
If you are in a relationship right now, just because you want to receive attention or sympathy, or just because it 'feels good', you are not doing it right. (we will talk more on that another time.)

Ways to prepare:
1. Spend time in God's Word. Reading the Bible always refreshes your mind and heart, and each time you read you're guaranteed to learn something new.
2. Talk with God. Praying is also good for your heart and mind, and after all, Jesus loves hearing from us!
3. Pray for your future husband. You never know where he could be at this very moment, so just ask God to protect him, and his heart.
4. Work on serving God and others. Outreach, mission trips, etc. is a good way to use our 'single' time.


When I was praying for my future husband one day, I found myself asking,"Lord PLEASE guard his heart for me. I want SO badly for him to guard his heart." And that's when it hit me. Am I even guarding my heart for him? Here I am pleading to God to help save my future husband's heart for me, when in reality, I'm not really doing such a good job of that myself. He could be praying for me and wanting so badly for me to guard my heart.
And that's when I realized I really have to start preparing for him. So what if I'm only 12? It doesn't matter! You can start wherever, whenever, however, just DO IT.


   

 

Six Secrets For Guarding Your Heart

If you are one of those girls who have committed to guarding your heart, than you know it is not easy. This world and everyone in it is very tempting. Especially when you let your emotions get the best of you. I often have to stop and ask myself, does my heart belong to me, or do I belong to my heart?

Here are a few tips I have found handy-
1. Whenever I find myself thinking about boys, I start praying for my future husband. It's distracting, in a good way.
2. If my mind is just flooded with in-pure thoughts, (and it happens to all of us) than I just place my hands on my head, as if I'm grabbing those thoughts, and push them away from me, as if I'm throwing them away. I know, it's silly, but it seems to work for me..
3. I haven't tested this one out yet, but if you are feeling tempted or distracted, or simply tired of waiting, get out your journal or a piece of paper and write a letter to your future husband. Or, if you'd rather, write a letter to God. Just tell him how you feel.
4. Read/purchase a good book. There are several books on purity and 'waiting' out there. They really helped me.
5. Pray. Talking to God helps with everything. It makes everything and anything better.
6. Read the Bible. There are plenty of verses and scriptures on purity and guarding your heart. It's a big encouragement boost when I'm doubting at all.

Hope these help!

Love,
Genesis

Black Friday in All The Wrong Ways..

First off, our family is not materialistic at all- or at least we try not to be. So when Christmas comes around, we celebrate it a little differently. (more to come on that.)

But anyway, we went to Walmart Thanksgiving night, to get a good deal on some bikes for Jude and Zane because they were outgrowing theirs and we needed them for our camping trip next week.

I had never gone Black Friday/Thanksgiving shopping before, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. It was around 9pm and we had just eaten wayyy too much so I was half awake. Which just added to the INSANity in that store. I had never seen a store so crowded in my life. There were huge lines through out the store, of people waiting for the release of some electronic. There were several moms with sleeping kids in their cart. But that's not what made my stomach turn. (and neither was the food.)

I think it just hit me while I was walking down the aisles full of toys and accessories. It hit me that hundreds of people will come out and spend hours shopping and standing in crazy long lines, while there are millions of orphans around the world, hanging on a thread. I was hit by the question, 'Would Jesus be pleased to see this?' Just because we may not see anything wrong with obsessing over these Black Friday deals and materialism, doesn't mean it's right.

I imagined millions of people flooding orphanage gates with toys and food and warm clothes. I saw families loving on orphaned kiddos. And THAT, is what I believe God made us to do.

We were made to live for and spread the word of God. To make disciples. To be Jesus in this desperate world. To love the least of these.

Think about it- If Jesus came to earth every Christmas, do you honestly think you would see Him standing in lines at stores? Do you think you would find Him writing letters to Santa? No. I think I would see Him spending the holiday with the homeless, and orphans. I think the greatest gift someone can give is love. Jesus gives that gift to us everyday, and never stops giving it. And I find that much more valuable than a plastic toy that a kid's going to get tired of in the next three weeks. Much more valuable than any laptop or tv that's going to brake or go out of season in a year or two. And much more valuable than any piece of clothing that's going to be outgrown and out of style before you know it.

I much rather spend my time advocating for orphans, and giving to the poor and hungry. I see the impact and memories lasting a life time. Verses a materialistic gift, lasting only a few months, if even.

I'm not trying to bash those who go Christmas shopping. I'm just saying, don't say you don't have the time or money to give to the less fortunate. Or to do outreach in your community, or donate to an adopting family, when you're standing in lines for hours or spending hundreds of dollars. I'm sharing my opinion, and my guess at what Jesus sees. I'm also hoping that when you're done reading this, you will be changed. Take a minute and ask God to break your heart for what brakes His. To open your eyes to the bigger picture, and to the lost and hopeless around the world. Ask Him to help guide you towards outreach. To show you the needs, and to help you love like He does. Go ahead. Do it right now.
 


Happy holidays,
Genesis

When Modesty Calls

A week ago, my mom and I went to Dannah Gresh's Pure Freedom conference. It was amazing. We went home with a few books in hand. One titled Graffiti (by Erin Davis) and another named, And The Bride Wore White, one of Dannah's best selling books. (click HERE to read more on the book)

So anyway, I'm half way through it, and I hit a familiar topic- Modesty.
At the end of every chapter, Dannah encourages the reader to journal and pray about the last chapter and what not. So, I pulled out my journal and a pen, and sat against my dresser on my bedroom floor. I did just as the she had asked, "go through your clothes and kick out whatever needs to go. Get rid of all immodesty. Then, tell God how good you feel..". It actually wasn't that bad. I turned on some music, prayed, and eventually, had a nice sized pile of clothing. Any short shorts, (that I wore around the house- don't worry, I would never actually wear those things out in public!) shoulder-showing shirts/sweaters, etc. I felt pretty great. As I sat there, continued to read and write in my journal, and give thanks to the Lord, I felt a sense of...freedom. I felt as if I was beginning a new life. A new life of modesty!

See, I have always thought modesty was important. So that's not what changed. It's just that since I've been reading And The Bride Wore White, my views on modesty have changed. I used to think certain things were okay, like you may see no harm in wearing mini skirts. That is your opinion and perspective. But Dannah and her book have helped me to realize that the deep, true reason for letting your shirt hang off your shoulder, is to fill your natural desire. The natural desire every girl has, to attractive a guy. Even if you don't admit it, it's most likely true. And it's okay! We all have it. In fact, we were created with it. God made each of us to one day desire attention from the opposite gender. Just, the right attention.

So long story short, I've realized that since we don't need to go out 'searching' for a guy, there is no need for us to dress immodestly. Plain and simple. 

How To Be Beautiful

If you were attracted by the title of this, How To Be Beautiful, then here is your answer- Be. YOU. God created you just the way you are, and He thinks you are absolutely beautiful. You may think at times, "why did God make me this way? Why can't I be pretty like those girls?" First off, God didn't see anything wrong with you when He created you in the first place. Second, He made you to fill a purpose only you can fill. That's why each of us look different. Like it says in Johny Diaz's song More Beautiful You, 'you were made with such a care, your skin, your body, and your hair.' Think about it. The King of Kings, the creater of heaven and earth, made YOU. He created every single person on this earth. Don't you think He knew what He was doing?

Some people may go through plastic surgeries, tanning beads, etc. to improve their looks. There is nothing wrong with "improving your look", but let me just say, there really is no need to. I don't believe in something like plastic surgery, because we were not made to be fake looking barbie dolls. God made us the way we are and loves us just the way we are. Why change that?

Here is a list of things for girls to remember-
1. Everyone on magazine covers uses photoshop. No one has perfectly smooth and tan skin, perfect light weight, perfectly straight or curly hair. (take a look at this photoshop before- and- after)

2. The world looks at the outside, while God looks at the heart.
3. The world measures everything differently than God does. He thinks our skin is perfect just the way it is. Zits and all.
4. Whatever it is you're doing, do it in honor of God. Just by being a loyal servant to Christ, you are becoming more and more beautiful. The amazing inside, will shine on the outside. Try it. You'll see.
5. The materialistic things on earth are the least important. God doesn't want you to stress over what you're going to wear tomorrow.
6. Don't get mad at your body. As you get older, your body changes and progresses. You'll realize your face isn't so clear anymore, or that you've put on a few pounds. Don't worry, it's natural. And everyone goes through it.
7. Never try to be anyone but you.
8. Always remember that 'modest is hottest'. If a guy is attracted to you for your pretty face, your legs, your hair, or any other outward appearence, let me just tell you now- That is NOT the right guy. A man should love you for your love of Christ, your pure heart, and your personality.
9. Stay pure. It's the best kind of beautiful.
10. Never reject Jesus. If you need anything or are hurting, run straight into the arms of Christ.

I hope this helped you today! I would encourage you to listen to this song above. Really listen to the lyrics. Take it as a message from God.


And remember.......
You are beautiful!

Genesis

Monday Insanity

Well today was a pretty good day... This morning I got up and read some Genesis (no, not just because I'm named after that book....) in the Bible, and prayed a nice long prayer. My favorite way to start off a day :) I then watched 19 Kids and Counting and Amish Out of Order with mom and dad. Afterwords, I hesitantly got out the laptop and worked on school. Oh, did I mention I'm over a month behind? :P Yyeeaahh.  So I have some major catching up to do. But once I finished school, Kara came over and we did Insanity. My mom, Kara, and I did it. If you don't know what Insanity is, it is a craaazy intense workout. And I mean crAzy. So I made it through about a quarter of the 30 minute workout. I was so incredibly nauseous, mainly because I hadn't eaten anything all day. The thing doesn't lie. It is truly INSANE.

Later we had my dad's famous enchiladas. And I made double chocolate chip bread. Two words-Chocolate. Heaven. And then, we finished off the night with an episode of The Voice=)

(Here are some pictures from the past week with Kolya!)

 

Just remember...
Jesus LOVES you!!

Genesis 

3, 2, 1, BLAST OFF!

As an adopting sister, I have been counting the days since the very beginning. And I'm sure, if you have ever adopted, you understand the feeling. Six months can feel like a year. So even though six months is actually a short time frame for an adoption, it felt like a lifetime of waiting, going through every day of Gabe and Levi's adoption. And since Kole's adoption process has hit it's 7 month mark already, and he's still not home, it's like going through torture. Butttt, the good news is, he will be home really soon! I know we keep saying that, but this time I mean it. My parents are traveling in 3 days!! Which is exciting and exhausting all at the same time. Because we only had nine days from the day we got our DAP appointment date, we (my mom) have been running around like madmen, trying to get all last minute shopping done, packing, and between us just now starting school, that's an extra 10 pounds of weight added to their shoulders. But man is God providing! Just a couple months ago, we were about $6,000 short and it took nothing but a small miracle, a big God, and amazing friends, family, and support to shrink that number. Not only did we shrink it, but we vanished it. Gone. Fully funded.

So, won't you join us in the count down?

3

2

1

BLAST OFF!!!!!!!!!!!  

 

Purity Comes at Costs

Like it or not, especially this day in age, in order to stay pure and follow the Lord, you sometimes have to give up stuff you love. Because this world is full of sin, almost everything we do has a string of sin attached to it. Like Facebook. The internet is a great invention, and it is a blessing. But unfortunately it can often be miss-used. There are so many inappropriate pictures, videos, comments, etc. out there that we as followers of Christ should be ignoring. The Bible tells us to guard our our eyes, ears, hearts. We may not realize it, but those things are very important. We can accidentally see the wrong thing, or hear a bad song, or give our heart away to someone we hardly even know. The past few days I have really taken that into consideration. As this was all on my mind, I decided to get out my handy Before You Meet Prince Charming book. Little did I know that the chapter I was about to read, would make that decision for me. They covered the exact subject. I felt that was a pure sign from God. I couldn't ignore it. Therefore, I prayed and asked God for his guidance. The next morning I made the announcement. I was overwhelmed with the positive feedback I got. Several people told me I would be missed, but they highly respected my decision. I felt that was also a God moment. He is constantly reminding us that if we follow in His foot steps, we will be blessed. That He will take care of the rest. No worries or harm will come our way. And I really felt that reminder that day. 

So this afternoon, I took what may seem like a little step, but in God's eyes, a leap of faith. I deactivated my account. Which means no more temptations or time consuming activity. Of course there will still be many temptations and traps that Satan casts, along the way. They aren't just online. But by getting rid of the online temptations I am slowly erasing them. And I can proudly say that I am doing that with God by my side :)  

Before You Meet Prince Charming: Week 1

I am currently reading the new book my parents bought me, called Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally. I am only 7 chapters into it, and man has it changed me for the better! Sarah is a young woman who has a heart and a gift in the area of educating young ladies in pure, wholesome, God oriented love. She even appeared on an episode of TLC's 19 Kids & Counting, after several of the Duggar girls read her book. They were all inspired and challenged by her amazing book and testimonies, and so am I. Even though I'm only half way through it. But any way, since I think every girl in the WORLD should read this incredible book, I have decided to keep you all up to speed about some of the things we cover. So tune in every week, to get a little update on where I'm at in the book, and what speaks loudest to me.

Week 1- first 7 chapters

Sarah talks a lot about saving your whole heart for your husband, and committing to not dating. Now you might be thinking, "Not dating!?!? How would I get to know a person, or find out which guy is right for me?" There are plenty of other ways to get to know a guy/girl, without the dangers of dating. Sarah covers this topic, in her chapter Dangers With the Dating System. This chapter really made me realize that I don't want to be one of those girls that goes through boyfriends every month. And she showed me that I don't have to be! I never really knew how pointless dating was until now. I know I'm only 12, and surely things will change when the times comes for me to even think about marriage, but I have committed to not date. When I am of the age my parents and God think is the right time for me to start looking for a husband, if the right (godly, strong Christian, devoted, selfless, etc.) man comes along and asks permission from my mom and dad to court and my family and I see he's the right one, then I would agree to get to know him better. But this is not a game. You don't go around trying out and experimenting on a dozen different guys just for fun. I don't want to give away little bits and pieces to different guys, instead I want my future husband to have my whole heart. Sarah also uses the pure white rose as a metaphor of our heart. She says to picture our hearts as a white rosebud. It hasn't nearly bloomed yet, and if we try to force it open, we will break apart the little pedals, that could eventually be big, soft, beautiful, white pedals to a fully blossomed rose. Our heart is not yet ready. God has our whole entire life planned out, and he is telling us to wait. Wait until our hearts have fully blossomed and are pure and white, with Jesus. Don't try to force it open, and tear little pedals off of it. 

She also talks about the waiting season. And how difficult it can be for young ladies to wait for Mr. Right. But how the time of waiting is the most important time of all. There are many Scriptures on waiting in the Lord, and serving Him while we wait. She points out that waiting is the best time to look into ministries. That while God keeps us single, He has work for us to do. Many young ladies have given their testimonies on how they've done things through ministering, things that they would have never been able to do married. That makes me even more excited about advocating and doing outreach now. Think about it, if God wants me to get married in my twenties, then that leaves me about another 12 years to do what I love- speak up for the silent, reach out to the orphans, and the poor. Now I could be completely off, I don't know God's plan, but as we're commanded to do I will let go and let God. I won't get in His way, I surely do NOT want to mess up His marvelous plan for me. I will stay out of His way, and do everything I can to bring glory to Him.

Modesty

"And the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,"
1 Corinthians 12:23 NIV

I've been thinking and hearing a lot about modesty lately, and decided to discuss the subject here on Living Out Proverbs 24:12. What does modesty mean to you? To me, it means covering up your body and not showing off the things that don't need to be seen. That doesn't mean you have to cover up every inch of your body, or go to extremes. You can still dress outside your box, but in His book. For example, don't wear shorts that look like underwear, or shirts that show off your belly button. For me, I feel comfortable in long shirts. I do wear shorts, just not super short. Skirts, jeans, and capri's are great if you want to go longer then shorts. My good friend, Alyssa, has decided to fast from jeans for the month, and live on skirts. 

 She's committed to keeping her body pure, and dress with God in mind. Which in this generation, is not easy to do. She also introduced me to a blog called Fresh Modesty 
which was created by a teen who also wants to stay modest and pure. 

 So you see, you can be cute and covered at the same time! I 
have just gotten into maxi dresses and skirts, so I would wear one any day! It's a great way to be comfortable, modest, casual, and classy all at the same time!

One of the main reasons girls choose to dress in-modestly, is because they want a guy's attention. Well first of all, if the only reason a guy is attracted to you is because of the way you dress, you've got the wrong guy. When you are at the appropriate age and looking for 'Mr. right' then you should look for a man who will love you for you. Not your outward appearance, but the inside, your personality, your heart. Because styles and fashions always change and fade away, but your heart shouldn't. You need someone who will love you for YOU. 

So cover up and keep your body pure!!

Dear God,

Dear God,
I know you have a plan for each and every one of us, and it's bigger then any of us ever thought possible. I know that since I am strong in you and have faith, you will help guide me through this big maze/journey/life. Just like you said in Jeremiah, "For I know the plans I have for you says the Lord. Plans to prosper you, and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future." You had our lives mapped out before we were even created. Only you know the exact number of days we are here on earth. And the exact time we'll go to you for eternal, joyful, non-sinful, life. In Heaven.

I believe, that everything happens for a reason. For you don't cause the bad things to happen, but you bring good out of them. I know you are always there. During tragedies, you're there. During happiness, you're there. During sorrow, you're there. And in every single second and moment of the day- YOU ARE THERE. You are here, with us, holding our hand, guiding us in the dark and celebrating with us in the light. When people ask why bad things happen, my answer is, "Honestly, I don't know. Nobody does but God. But I do know that this world is sinful, and there is a Devil, which is one of the routes to tragedies. AND, God will provide, and prevail, and shine a light through every tunnel we walk through. Sometimes, a lot of times, He does it in ways we don't fully understand or see, or expect. But He is always there for us, here with us, and loving on us. We were all made by God, choose to believe it or not, and we are on earth to serve him. We are on a mission. We are special agents, to the all-mighty, all-powerful, Glorious, God. Each day, we encounter a mission, and only He knows when our mission will end. There will be a day, when our mission will be complete, finished, over, and we will receive the ultimate reward- eternal life in Heaven. If we were only on a mission for Jesus, to follow His path and plan, and to serve where He calls us to serve, then we will eventually go with Him. Go HOME. And rest in His arms. As he whispers, "Mission accomplished."

Wake Up Call

I am a 12 year old girl, with emotions, hormones, and attitude. I am a sinner, just like every single person on this earth. Despite my joyful, random, giggly, shy, compassionate personality, my heart is full of sin and ungratefulness. No matter how much I go on about the things I'm thankful for, I get tangled up in the world's many webs of ungrateful, bad attitudes, and arguments. In other words, I disrespect my parents, start arguments, butt heads, just like everyone does now and then. And that's simply because we were born into this world, sinfully. Thanks to Adam and Eve, the world is sinful. But that's another story. What I'm trying to say is, I AM thankful for everything I have, and I know I don't deserve it all. But when I do disrespect and get in a bad attitude, I forget all that. I forget that I am way beyond blessed by God. I forget that there are others out there that are not as fortunate as me. I know you're probably thinking, 'what is this girl talking about??'. Mainly because I am a major advocater and am involved in orphans and special needs. So why would I be admitting to the fact that I can be unthankful and selfish? Because I am human. I was created by the perfect, king of kings, the unconditional loving, Father, yet I live in this world. In which we all know, is unGodly and in no way, perfect. And I just have one thing to say to those who want everything they see, and think the world revolves around them- IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU. It's not!!! You're blessed if you have clothes on your back, a roof over your head, and food and water. Somethings some people don't have. Some people around the world. Foreign countries, no matter how fancy or beautiful they may be, are not as fortunate as America. Believe it or not. And that's one of the reasons I choose places like Europe to advocate for, or adopt from. But we all know, Africa is one of the most poorest and famished continents. Recently, while I was scrolling down Facebook's home page, I stumbled upon this picture. I have seen several pitiful pictures of people in Africa, in desperate conditions. But when I saw this, I literally froze. My draw dropped, and I stared at the two unbelievably skinny and starving children in the photo. These two were nothing but skin and bones, hardly any skin. With hearts aching and reaching out, desperately asking for help. For food, water, aid, ANYTHING. You can just see it in their eyes. The sadness and hopelessness.



And so, this is my heart. This was me pouring out, sharing my thoughts and feelings. And hopefully, a wake up call to you.

Friday Morning Adventures

Just a little bit of our Friday morning.....

So basically, this morning, my mom had a lot of adoption errands to run. On the way to town, she drive past a huge turtle, and turned around just to show me. The picture doesn't do justice of it's size, 'cause it was THE biggest turtle I've ever seen (besides at aquariums, zoos, and such). And before we left, we broke out the pinini presser. A friend of ours handed it down to us, thankfully, because this thing is like a little piece of heaven. It came with a book full of different recipes and ways to press. Seriously, your possibilities are endless with this!

New and Improved Tuesdays!

Every Tuesday morning, my mom gets together with several other ladies for bible study at church. It typically goes from 10:00, to 2:00 (you know girls and their chit-chatting) while their kids are watched in the nursery. But usually, the older kids (sooo, the homeschoolers) go to a friends house that's near but lately we've been hanging around the church. Well now, there's 6 girls, which basically is just a recipe for disaster right there. So to help prevent the drama, an incredible teen, Mindy, has taken on the responsibility of hosting a bible study for US. It's pretty awesome actually. We cover different women in the bible, while munching on snacks and afterwards it's craft time! So in comes Pinterest ;) It's just really great and I can't wait to start writing about our new and improved bible study Tuesdays!

(here are some pictures from our previous Tuesdays....)

Live Like You're Dying

When I was a little younger, not too long ago, I would question my Christianity and relationship with God. Probably around the age of 9 or 10. I would think, 'well I'm just a kid, by the time I'm an adult I'll be a better Christian.'. Well that's not the way it goes. Sorry to break it to ya. But I was completely wrong! I've lately been really thinking about the saying "live like you're dying". Just like people say, you can't go on living life then when you get older decide to follow God, just so you can secure a spot in heaven. That's not the way it works!! And I used to think that was a good plan, until I realized, we don't know when we're going to die! We don't and we never will. It's one of those 'for me to know and you to find out' moments. Just picture God saying it. 


Now, I get a lot of comments/compliments on how mature I am, and how I must be this amazing 12 year old to have the faith in God that I have, and the advocating interests that I have. I'm not saying I don't appreciate them, because I do, I love getting those humbling comments. But the answer is, no you don't have to be some amazing person, you don't have to be born that way (I don't know if that's even possible), you just need God. That's all. Once you realize it isn't all about you, and that God is bigger and better then this world, you have it. You should automatically feel the burden God left on your heart, that you just opened your eyes to see. This relates to Proverbs 24:12 (take a look at my header). Of course, if you were born into a Christian family, and brought up to love Jesus, then you might ask Him into your heart at a young age, like I did. And I am so grateful and blessed to have the family that I do, because I don't even want to imagine where I would be now if I didn't have them to teach me about Christ. I know so many kids that aren't living in a God loving home, and I see how that truly does effect them and their lives. 

 But back to the subject of 'you're never too young'......... 
If you have felt God calling you to His service, DON'T ignore it. No matter how old you are. Even if people are telling you are are too young, too uneducated, too in-mature, don't listen to them. I have grown in maturity, and God, through advocating for orphans and loving on the extra special ones in the world. The way I look at it is, God didn't hang out with the wealthy and privileged because He thought they were better. He tended to the weak and the poor, the sick and the helpless. So that's what I am doing. Tending to the weak, lost and suffering. Being the voice for those who have no voice. And I am not alone, I have such inspiring and amazing friends around my age, encouraging each other and sharing the same dream and interests as I do. And I know God put them in my life for a reason. I know that he has a purpose for each and every one of us. We just have to believe and trust in Him, with all of our hearts, souls, strength, and minds. 



Love,
Genesis

Grandkid #11

I can't type all my excitement into this one post, but I'm gonna give it a try! Since this is my personal journalism blog, I thought this would be the perfect place to share this exciting news.... Grandkid number eleven is on the way! And no, it's not us, but my aunt Tanya!! 

 Congrats to the amazing aunt, mom, wife, sister, daughter, cousin, and friend,Tanya!!! (a.k.a. 'TT') And the awesome uncle, friend, teacher, son, cousin, husband, and soon to be again dad, Jason!

  My little imaginative 21/2 year old cousin, Noah is gonna have a baby sister or brother! Which to him, means a little play mate ;) 


 We'll all be blessed and happy to have another little Yungmann, whether it's a boy or a girl, but I am secretly praying for a girl. The only female cousins of mine live hours away from us, and two are even states away. So I think a little girl with the (soon to be 7) boys would be pretty nice ;) Besides, I need someone I can model my hair clips on, make handbands for, do photoshoots with, all that girl stuff! I mean, for the past several years, I've been looking at little pink and purple girl clothes, dresses, sandals and saying "I need a little girl!" and obviously, haven't got it.... So if I could finally have a baby girl that's related to me, and lives less then 30 minutes from me, I would be in heaven :) But like I said, I'm a static either way! 
 

We Were Made For More Then Sitting on the Sidelines

Well, I guess the title says a lot. I've just been thinking lately, there are tons of people out there that just live their life to live it. And let me start out with saying, we are NOT here just to live our lives because we have 'em. That doesn't just mean don't take it for granted, it means don't go through your everyday life doing the same thing, over and over again- sitting on the sidelines. Each and every one of us were made by the creator and kind of the universe, God. He gave His only son to die for us and our sins!! Doesn't that mean something to you? We now have a choice and a chance to live for that all mighty, powerful, loving Father.... and I choose to. In fact, I asked Him into my heart when I was 5 years old. 

If you're one of those people that feel like they're just going through the motions and can't find a good enough reason to live, here's your reason. It's a pretty good one too! I promise you, once you give your life to Jesus and trust in Him with all your heart, (...soul, strength, and mind...) you will be a different person. Your life will automatically change and you will see things differently. How does that sound, having a whole new perspective of life? And all you gotta do is pray. I won't go on with the details on prayer right now, but one thing to remember is that you can say anything, anywhere, at anytime because He is ALWAYS listening. I for one, have experienced dramatic changes and miracles. My family has had some ups and downs just like all families do, but like I say- Good will always come out of the bad. I can always count on that when I have God by my side.... and He is never leaving my side. Especially when I'm doing something to glorify Him.
Philippians 4:19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

Matthew 6:31-32³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  

When we are making a difference in Jesus' name, He is right there, like always, supporting us and providing us with everything we could possibly need. That's why I have such confidence when it comes to adoption. Because I am confident in the Lord, and I know whatever happens, it's all part of His plan and He is in control. The important part is remembering not to take control ourselves. No matter when, what, where, when, or how, God knows best and has a will and a plan for us and our lives. Everything happens for a reason. Even the bad stuff. Sure, there are things I've said or done in the past that I'd like to take back but I would be messing with God's plan. You know those movies like Back To The Future, where when they go back a certain time or place and or do something and it messes up something else? That's where the little saying Everything happens for a reason comes in. It took me a while to be able to say this, but when people ask me "If you could go back in time what would you do differently?" I would say nothing. 


So go out there and make a difference! Change someone's life, or make someone smile, just don't sit around your comfy warm house while there are cold, starving, lonely children in desperate need all over the world. When you stand at the gates of heaven, God isn't going to want to hear about your little victories in life or what you did, but how much love you put in Christ and in the people around you. If you truly love God, you will have a natural feeling of guilt and disturbance, and heartbreak for the orphans and widows, homeless, hungry, or the most saddening of all- the people without Jesus Christ. 

Sisterhood

Yes, I am the only girl (besides my mom, of course) in our family. We're currently in the process of bringing home my 5th brother! But you know, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ, our heavenly father. Well in 2009, a girl named Madison contacted me. She emailed me about adoption. Now at the time, we were still waiting for God to show us the right child(ren) to commit to on RR. While Madison's family was in the process of adopting a little boy with Down syndrome. Long story short, we continued talking but it would go on and off through emails. Until I found Madi through a friend on facebook and that's when we 'clicked'. Fast forward 2 years.... I eventually started texting Madison's older sister, Amanda, and we three became close. One day, Madi came up the brilliant idea to start an advocating blog together! Amanda asked if she could join, then the two invited their good friend Caitlin to join in as well. I had never 'met' Caitlin, but we're just as close now, as Manda, Madi and I are (it's amazing how advocating can bring people together!). So we came up with Guardian Angels.

The four of us now fundraise for an adopting family every 2 months. Not only is God allowing us to help amazing families, but he has given me 3 beautiful, God-loving, awesome big sisters. All the late night phone calls, time difference, texting, facebooking, it's all part of our 'sisterhood :) And one day, if it's God's will, we'll meet in person! Whether that means me coming to Oregon, or them traveling to Florida. I love you guys!!

Caitlin (17)

Amanda (16)

Madison (14)

Love,
your little sister from Florida


 

It's a Cold Life

"Cold, cold, go away, come again some other day."

I'll start off with saying, I don't have a very strong immune system. I catch things constantly! So Zane and Gabe were generous enough to hand it down to me ;) I've had this runny nose/sore throat since Tuesday, and thank you Lord, I'm getting better! I'd say the key is Vick's. VapoRub, Vaporizer, I've been on it ever since and it's working. But over-all, it's just a minor cold. Gabster on the other hand...not so much. Poor kid has a wet cough, runny nose, and who knows what else! He could have a sore throat, but obviously, how are we gonna know?! But we do know that he has a scheduled dentist appointment for March 19, that we've been waiting on for over 4 months. He has to go under major anesthesia, to have almost all of his teeth removed. Which means he has to be completely healthy. So yeah, prayers are appreciated!! We've been on a 5 month waiting list to get in for this app. and we're not planning on missing it! We're all more then ready to say goodbye to bad breath and bloody gums!!! 

I'll leave you with a couple pictures of Gabster....

Thanks,
Genesis

Hey There!

Hey everyone! My name is Genesis and I'm 12 years old. I am the oldest, and only girl in our soon to be family of 8. On June 16th, 2011 we brought my 2 brothers (with Down syndrome) home from Ukraine. They are such an absolute joy and blessing to our family, we love them both to death. While there, we met a precious little 4 year old boy, who stole our hearts. In conclusion to that, we have just began the adoption process AGAIN to bring our sweet Kole home :) Ever since I was introduced to adoption, I have been advocating and blogging for orphans. And as soon as we discovered Reece's Rainbow, I was hooked! I saw what I saw and I couldn't look back.... and so I haven't. I would say my hobby is advocating, along with photography. I am also the quiet/shy type, until you get to know me. My friends call me random, crazy, anything in that context ;) I am also very compassionate and I love kiddos! But most of all, I adore Jesus Christ!! He is my savior and has been ever since I asked him into my heart at 5 years old. As of right now, I am apart of a blog called "Guardian Angels" with my best and close, but not so close friends/sisters. I have 'met' so many amazing teens online who share my same passion of advocating, that unfortunately live in all different states. But God has brought close together, even if we aren't visually. 

I plan to share about my everyday events and challenges, family, thoughts, and maybe even write a few letters to God :)