It was awesome chatting with God’s Girl* Leorah, age 15 . . . (*God’s Girls are those who are happy because God is in their life!)

Come take a look . . .                                                                 

What does it mean to become a Christian, and when did that happen in your life?

To me, becoming a Christian means more than just going to church and praying before bed every night. It means to seriously have a relationship with Christ. To be friends with Him and to completely trust Him. I was five when I accepted Jesus into my life but it wasn’t until I was thirteen that I actually saw Him as a friend. As someone I could fully rely on and the day I was able to give Him everything was the best day in my life! I never felt as carefree or alive as I did that day.

How do you spend your quiet time with God, and what is your favorite Bible verse?

My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 3:5-6. It goes, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall make thy paths straight.” I love this verse so much because in my life, it has been the one that has helped me most. It is just so comforting and encouraging! As for how I spend my quiet time with God, I like writing letters to Him. I find that it is easier for me to write my thoughts and feelings down rather than word them out. And so by the end of each letter, I feel I have put more into my conversations with God than I would have if speaking, and as a result, I get more out of them.

What difference does God make in your life?

Wow! God has made so many changes in my life that it is hard to even think of them! I think the biggest change He has made though has been in me as a person. Without Him, I am afraid I would be a pretty…well, lets just say my parents have a lot to be thankful for! God has shown me my flaws and has helped me patch them up in a way I, nor anyone else, ever could. I have had many “Oh. Please. No.” moments in my life (too many I might add…) and He has turned each and every one of those dreaded moments into something GOOD. I honestly don’t know who I would be without Him.

You mentioned having 13 foster siblings. That’s so incredible, and what a gift I know you’ve been to them. Can you describe what it was like and the impact it had on you? Can you share any fun experiences you’ve had with them?

Being a foster sister to so many amazing foster siblings has been the best experience in my life! I won’t lie, there were times when I didn’t know if we would make it, but in the end, those hard times were what made the good times so beautiful and the whole adventure so worthwhile! I think the greatest impact foster care has had on me is that it opened my eyes and heart to all the pain in the world. I have had a first-hand look at what some have to go through, and I want to see a change. 

Moving onto a lighter topic…the list of fun experiences I have had with my foster siblings is absolutely endless! We’ve done so many fun and memorable things together. Making up these silly little plays for our parents…baking cookies…having huge pillow fights…daring each other to knock on the neighbor’s door and run away…getting caught by the neighbor…spending three days in our rooms as punishment…scheming our revenge the while…sneaking out of the house after our punishment was over with a couple dozen eggs and some – okay, okay. So some of the best memories weren’t those when we were exactly wearing halos. I’ll skip to the end and say after scandalizing the neighbor’s house, well, let’s just say the next three weeks were kind of…weedy. After weeding out the neighbor’s yard, we were forced to weed out our own and then our other neighbor’s house. You will be happy to know that this actually turned out to be a good thing though. We sincerely learned our lesson and our foster sister did too. Though we haven’t seen her since she left our place, we are still in contact with her and she says that whenever she wants to get revenge, she thinks of our weeding punishment and completely has second thoughts.

You also mentioned you love to read. That’s so great, also. What are some of your favorite books and why?

One of my all-time favorite book is “Christy” written by Catherine Marshall. The story absolutely swept me away and taught me just so many amazing lessons! I then love this series by this Christian author Jenny B. Jones called “A Katie Parker Production.” Besides the fact that Miss Jones writes in the most humorous style I have ever read before, I absolutely adored the characters in this series. They all reminded me of a loved one in my life and Mad Maxine (Grandma in books) was just the funnest character ever. EVER. These are just a few books I could mention though. Currently, I am reading and loving “The River of Time” series by Lisa Tawn Bergren as well as rereading my Nancy Drew collection that consists of 87 books. (Nancy became a hero to me at the age of nine and I have been collecting her books ever since…)

What desires has God put on your heart?

I have plenty of desires in my heart but I think the biggest desire God has given me is the desire for change. I want to change so many things in this world! Mostly though, I want to see more people helping out those in need. It is so sad looking at all the pain in this world. The worst part is that due to the fact there is so much pain, so many of us have turned a blind eye to it. I want to change that.

What dreams do you have for your life?

Like practically everything else, I have a lot of dreams for my life. Ones of joy, adventure, love, etc. When everything is said and done though, my biggest wish is that I live the life God has planned for me and that I live it to the fullest extent. Because no matter what it is, I know it is His will, and His will is always best.

Leorah’s ‘Favorites’ . . .

Favorite Color – Yellow: The color of birth…light…joy…life…old fashion vanilla ice-cream. :]]

Favorite Food – Enchiladas: Mmmmm! My mouth waters just thinking of them!

Favorite Place You’ve Visited – Oregon to visit my Aunt. I still can’t believe how green it is there! At least compared to where I come from…

Favorite Song – Too. Hard. My favorite song changes practically every day. Three songs I can never get tired of though are “My Deliverer” by Rich Mullins, “Walk on Water” by Britt Nicole, and “We Live” by Superchick.

Favorite Quality in a Friend – Love: Because love is the strongest emotion in the world. Also, with love comes practically every other good quality you can think of in a person. A person who loves you will trust you. Will be kind to you. Will be honest with you. Will always be there for you. Will have your best interest always in mind. Will long and short of it all be the friend you want to have.

Fun Fact – I use to write letters to my future self when I was younger. This next birthday, I will be opening one from my six years old self….most people find this cute. The rest think I am a little too self-absorbed. Or was. Me – I think I was bossy. Seriously, my seven year old being wrote this HUGE list of things she wants me to buy ‘her’ once I get my drivers license. And get this, I HAVE to get them for her because as she came before me, she is the elder of us two and I need to respect my elders. I know…I feel so bad my parents had to deal with me!

HeartDream Chat – Thanks, Leorah, for chatting with us!  It was awesome hearing about your life! Have a comment or question for Leorah?  She’d love to hear!