Tagged!

Katie from "Hello Highlights" tagged me! After reading some of her tags, I thought it looked like at lot of fun, so I was thrilled that she tagged me! =) I thought this would be a fun for you as the reader to get know us (Olivia will be doing it later on...hopefully!) better! So, let's begin! =)


1. Would you rather read or watch a movie? I love reading, but good movies are certainly on my favorites list as well! It would totally depend on the book or movie, but right now, I'm going to go with the movie!

2. How would you describe yourself? Ambitious, driven, sometimes stressed....=)

3. Do you have many best friends or just one? I really have one best friend, but I have other close friends!

4. If you could choose your own name, what would it be? I really don't know. I love the names "Jordyn", "Danielle" and "Catilyn", but those names just don't suit me...I think I'll stick with Emily! :)

5. If you could have any dream job what would it be and why? I'm hoping to be a journalist....writing is what I love, so why not put my passion to good use? =)

6. What's one material item you couldn't live without? A black ink pen...I'm a writer, after all! :)

7. If you had to choose between doing your hair and doing your make up which would it be? I really don't do any make-up, and since my hair is really in need of help in the mornings, I think I'll choose to do my hair!

8. What is a trend that you never understood? I agree with Katie on Bieber fever, though I thought that the Hannah Montana craze was a little dorky! =)
                                                                               ----------------
1. At what age would you want to get married? 22, 23...I want to graduate from college before I marry the love of my life (whoever that may be!:-D).

2. How many times do you eat a day? (snacks included) Hmmm....counting snacks, normal day would be 4-5 times a day....LOL! :)

3. If you could go anywhere and spend a month where would it be? I think I'd go and visit Olivia. Though if I'm there for a month, she might start to dislike me! :o That would not be a good thing!

4. Do you like your middle name? Michaela isn't my favorite name, but it does flow nicely with "Emily"

5. How many pictures do you take a month? Hmm...not a lot, really, which is crazy since I scrapbook.

6. How many times do you post on your blog a week? I post 1-2 times a week.

7. Are you happy with the amount of followers you have? Actually, no; I would love to have more followers on V.O.T.I!

8. Do you think you could write better questions? No, and I don't think I shall try! :)
                                                   ---------------------------

Rules:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.

2. For each question push the next button to get your answer.

3. You must write that song name down no matter how silly it sounds.

4. Tag 20 Friends.

5. Everyone tagged has to do the same thing.

6. Have fun!

Questions:

1. If someone says "are you okay" you say?
"Joy to the World": Chris Tomlin :)

2. What would best describe your personality?
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands": Randy Travis

3. How would you describe yourself?
"Indescribable":Chris Tomlin (I PROMISE you this was not rigged!!!)

4. What do you like in a guy/ girl?
"With One Voice":Steven Curtis Chapman

5. How do you feel today?
"Forever": Chris Tomlin

6. What is your life's purpose?
"Shadow of Your Wings": Casting Crowns

7. What's your motto?
"This is What I'm Fighting For": Steven Curtis Chapman

8. What do your friends think of you?
"Exalted (Yahweh)":Chris Tomlin

9. What do your parents think of you?
"Rejoice!": Chris Tomlin

10. What do you think about very often?
"Mercy": Casting Crowns

11. What is 2 + 2?
"Let Your Mercy Rain": Chris Tomlin

12. What do you think of your best friend?
"God Almighty": Chris Tomlin

13. What do you think of the person you like?
"Overflowing": Chris Tomlin

14. What is your life story?
"Miracle of the Moment" Steven Curtis Chapman

15. What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Come Thou Long Expected Jesus": Christy Norkels (on Chris Tomlin's "Glory in the Highest")

16. What do you think when you see the person you like?
"Three Wooden Crosses": Randy Travis

17. What will you do at your wedding?
"Behold the Lamb": Keith and Krysten Getty

18. What will they play at your funeral?
"At Your feet":Casting Crowns

19. What is your hobby/ interest?
"One Heartbeat at a Time": Steven Curtis Chapman

20. What is your biggest fear?
"Jesus Messiah": Chris Tomlin

21. What is your biggest secret?
"This is Our God": Chris Tomlin

22. What do you want right now?
"Always Enough": Casting Crowns

23. What do you think of your friends?
"Love Lifted Me": Randy Travis

24. What is the one thing you regret?
"With Me": Chris Tomlin

25. What makes you laugh?
"Captured": Chris Tomlin

26. What makes you cry?
"He's My Rock, My Sword, My Shield": Randy Travis

27. Will you ever get married?
"Praise the Father, Praise the Son": Chris Tomlin

28. What scares you the most?
"Glorious"

29. Does anyone like you?
"Faith in You": Randy Travis

30. If you could go back in time, what would you change?
"The Wonderful Cross": Chris Tomlin (just for the record, I WOULD NOT change this!)

31. What would you want to say to the person who tagged you?
"The Noise We Make": Chris Tomlin

32. What will you name this note?
"Four Walls": Randy Travis

I don't think I'll be able to tag the 20 people, but I do tag:

~Olivia

~Jennifer

~Annie

~Amanda

~Lydia

~Emili


If I didn't tag you, but you still want to answer these awesome little quizzes, feel free! Let us know if you do decide to complete them so we can stop by your blog (please leave the link so that will be possible!), or, if you don't have a blog, email us your answers at voicesoftheinnocent@gmail.com . Looking forward to hearing from you!

--Emily--

Christmas Carol Favorite #3: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

--Hark! The herald angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!

Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconcile!

Joyful all ye nations rise! Join the triumph of the skies! With

Angelic hosts proclaim, Christ is born in Bethlehem! Hark!

The heral angels sing, Glory to the newborn King!--

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! God bless!

--Emily--

Another Christmas Favorite: Come Thou Long Expected Jesus

--Come Thou long expected Jesus, born to set Thy people free!

From our sins and fears release us, let us find our rest in Thee!

Israel's strength and consolation, hope of all the earth Thou art!

Dear desire of every nation! Joy of every longing heart!--

-Charles Wesley's "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" (verse 1)-

Merry Christmas!

--Emily--

Rejoice, O World!!

Merry Christmas, everyone!!  

It is finally here!!  I can remember as a kid, Christmas would take sooo long to get there, and I wouldn't be able to get to sleep Christmas Eve!!  I got to sleep just fine last night, and it didn't really hit me that Christmas was today until about 6:00 this morning!!.... or at least that is when I really got excited!!  I have already written a long post on what Christmas really means, so I won't give you that speech again!!  I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas to all of you from Emily, and I!!  

Merry Christmas!!  We hope that you have a blessed Christmas filled with hope, and joy!! =) 

~Olivia~

"Rejoice, o world, your Savior has come
Through the love of a virgin's womb
Son of God, Son of man, born that we may have life
You were born that we may have life
You were born that we may have life" 
 Chris Tomlin's "Born That We may Have Life"

 

Christmas Traditions.......

Hello friends,

As Christmas approaches, I have been thinking of some of the traditions that my family has!!  Every year, my brother, and sisters, and I wake up to find our stockings at the bottom of our beds, waiting to be opened!!  My dad works at the Ticonderoga International Paper Mill, and he works shift work.  For that past.... I'm not sure how many years now, he has come off of 11 P.M.-7 A.M., so we would open our gifts (as a family) after he got our of the shower!!  But this year it is going to change because he is going to be working days, or 7 A.M.-3 P.M, and so we won't be able to open them in the morning. =(  That is going to be a shift in our family tradition.  Hopefully when he gets home, he will be able to eat Christmas dinner with the family (my grandparents, Aunt, and Uncle with all the cousins, and usually we have a few elderly people from church that don't have any family around)!! =)  

Another tradition that our family has is breakfast up at my grandparents, who live right up the road!!  After we eat, my grandfather, being the pastor of our church, like to read the Luke account of Jesus' birth!!  I don't know how long how it has been since we have been doing that!! =)  It is definitely a tradition that will last a really long time!!  

Now that I have told you a little bit of what Christmas is like in our family, I would like to know what some of your traditions are.  If you have an lasting traditions that you family has had for a while, and you would like to share them, drop us a comment!! 

Merry Christmas!!  

~Olivia~

 

Christmas Carol: It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

I love Christmas music! I absolutely love the carols we sing at church, and listening to different artist’s (especially Chris Tomlin’s! : >) versions of these beautiful songs! I thought it would be fun to post some of my favorite carols on here. If you have favorite, please feel free to share it with us (we’re in love with comments, so you’re going to hear me talk about feedback a lot!)!

It came upon a midnight clear, that glorious song of old! While angels bending near the earth did touch their hearts of gold! Peace on the earth, goodwill to men, from heaven’s all gracious King! The world in silent stillness lay to hear the angels sing

       --It Came Upon a Midnight Clear--

Merry Christmas!

--Emily--

The Power of Prayer!!!

Hello,


I wanted to give y'all another update on where our readers are coming from, because we have gotten so many more, and from different locations!!

~United States - 670

~New Zealand - 46

~ Russia - 12

~Canada - 9

~France - 7

~Malaysia - 4

~Slovenia - 3

~Australia - 2

~Brazil - 2

~Philippines - 2

~Croatia - 1

~South Korea - 1

~Taiwan - 1


We have 760 views in all!! =)

I was soooooo excited when I saw that we had so many new readers in countries so far away from me (up-state NY).... It is hard to fathom that we have readers coming from countries across the world!! That is amazing!! I have been praying that the Lord would bring readers to V. of the I., and in his timing, He did!! At the beginning, Emily, and I were pretty discouraged about the results that had received. But by the power of prayer, we began to see results over time, and we continue to get more, and more readers across the WHOLE world!! I know that many of you are praying for V. of the I., and I would like to ask that you continue to pray that God would this in a mighty way for His glory!! =)

To God be the glory!!

~Olivia~

Update.... by: Olivia!! =)

Hello everyone,

I am sorry that you haven't heard from me in a while!!  I miss being on the computer!!  I have just gotten back from a basketball tournament near Binghamtom, NY (I live two hours away north from Albany, so Binghamton is about three in a half to four hours away from me)!  We (the boys, and the girls teams) had a great time even though we, boy and girls, lost all of our games. =(  But our main goal was to bring honor, and glory to our God through our attitudes on the court, and toward the other teams after the games as we interacted with them a bit, and I think that we did that!!  Now I don't have practice until after Christmas.... I am going to be a LONG 2 weeks. =(  I normally have practice 4 times a week from 3:30-6:00, or 3:30-4:30, so that really take up a lot of my day, and time, not counting the time it takes to get there which is about a half an hour.  So you get the picture..... I'm doing a whole of basketball right now, and I don't have much time for anything else.  But I'm not complaining!!.... I love having a full day, and being on the go.... I hate having nothing going on during the day!! =) 

Anyway, enough about basketball.  Guess what!!  Last nigh we just got our first snow fall!!  I personally don't like that snow.... but for some of you that live in parts of the world, or U.S. that don't get snow, it might seem really cool to get snow.  I'm telling you - you are NOT missing much!!  All you have to do is come to the Adirondacks up in New York, spend a winter shoveling snow, and being cold, and you will change your mind about that snow!! =)  

But there is a good side to the snow!!  It blankets the ugly, gray earth with a beautiful, pure blanket of white, glistening powder!!  It is soooo.... beautiful really isn't the word for it!!  It is a really good example, or picture of what Christ did for us on the cross.  The world was ugly, dirty, sinful, and dark.  But God sent his Son, who gave up everything for us, who went through so muck humiliation for us, an extremely sinful, prideful, and arrogant people, and took God's wrath on His shoulders to be a ransom for all who believe!!  
As the business of the Christmas season approaches, I see, a lot of the time, even Christians get caught up in the business, too.  And I know that many of us do, and I'm not pointing fingers, but this Christmas I want to really, really reflect on why Christ came to be born in a humble stable.  Even I get caught up in the presents, and making sure that I get what I wanted this year, and if I am going to have enough money to get my parents, and grandparents something, that I lose sight of that true meaning of Christmas, and don't take it seriously.  I hope that you will do the same!! =)

Well, I hope that you have a great Christmas!!

Merry Christmas from Voices of the Innocent!!  

~Olivia~       


"Emmanuel, Emmanuel
God incarnate here to dwell
Emmanuel, Emmanuel
Praise His name Emmanuel!
The son of God, here, born to bleed
a crown of thorns would pierce His brow
And we beheld this offering, exalted now, the King of kings
Praise God for the hallowed manger ground"
"Hallowed Manger Ground" by Chris Tomlin 

An Update....by Emily! :)

Hi Everyone!

Is it just me, or is a blank document intimidating? I mean, I think it's inviting, but at the same time, kind of scary! :)  I don't know...is that just me, or are there any other bloggers out there who feel the same?  I'd be interested in hearing your thoughts-on this seemingly silly matter! :)

Well, Christmas season 2010 is here.  I find it hard to believe how quickly the months pass by anymore.  I guess time does go by faster as you grow older.  I have a December birthday, so the year always seemed to drag on especially slow when I was little...but not anymore, that's for sure! :)  We have yet to get out our decorations (we have some remodeling going on that's hindering us a bit!), but we're hoping to soon!  I have to go do some Christmas shopping-which should be fun! One of my favorite parts of Christmas is buying gifts for my family, espeically for my siblings.  It's always heart-warming to see my sisters and brother open their present and find something that they're (hopefully!) going to love.

On top of gift giving, I also enjoy marveling over the fact that almighty God, Creator of the Earth, left His throne in heaven to came down to earth.  He gave up His position as the King to become a man and actually died for ungrateful, sinful mankind.  Amazing when you think about it....

 I know that some people, around the holidays, enjoy donating money to charity.  If you are looking for an organazation to make a donation to, I highly reccomend CareNet (We list their website on our favorites list.).  They are a Christian group who are dedicated to ministering to pregnant women who are considering abortion.  Our family has made a few donations to this group, and I feel wonderful knowing that our money is being used to help save lives!  If you'd like more information on this group, check out their website!

I want to remind y'all that we would be glad to post any prayer requests y'all may have on our prayer request page.  If you have a need in your life, please feel free to share it with us!

Also, I'd like to mention the fact that V.O.T.I. loves hearing feedback from our readers!  Please leave a comment and let us know your opinion on a particular post, V.O.T.I. in general, or you could ask a question! :) 

Enjoy your Christmas season!

--Emily--

May This Be the Desire of our Hearts...

Shine, Jesus, shine! Fill our hearts with the Father’s glory!

Blaze, Spirit, blaze! Set our hearts on fire!

Flow, River, flow! Flood the nations with grace and mercy!

Send forth Your Word, and Lord, let there be light!

--Author Unknown--

May the words and message of this song forever be the desire of our souls!



--Emily--

New Page

Hi Y'all!

You may have noticed our new "prayer request" page...you may have also noticed that there is nothing there yet! :)  That is your page!  If you have a prayer request, please let us know about it!  Email us at voicesoftheinnocent@gmail.com or leave a comment on here to let us know about it.  Great things happen when God's people pray, so if you have a need that you would like others to pray for, let us know!

Thanks everyone!

--Emily--

"No Chains on Me"

I LOVE this song!!  From the first time that I heard it, it became one of my favorites by Chris Tomlin (I have MANY!!)!! =)  We should be singing this song at the top of our lungs!!  "No chains on me!" I hope that you never get sick of praising out Lord, Jesus Christ for taking upon Himself our chains to make us free!!  He left His glory above to become a ransom for many!!  

~Olivia~ 

"Like a rolling stone, like a runaway train
No turning back, no more yesterdays
My heart is free, no chains on me
God, You raise me up, up from the grave
The cross before, I'm on my way
My heart is free, no chains on me"
~Chris Tomlin's "No Chains on Me"
[ From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/c/chris-tomlin-lyrics/no-chains-on-me-lyrics.html]

Current Volunteers

God is really working in Voices of the Innocent!  We are now up to 16 volunteers, and I am simply thrilled about this!  I thought I'd share the list with y'all...if you'd like to see your name on here (which we would too!:), just drop us a comment or email us! Those with the "Rebelution" beside it in parentheses responded to me off of the Rebelution forum!

-Emily G.

-Olivia B.

-Debbie L.

-Marta L. (Rebelution)

-Jennifer G. (Rebelution)

-Olivia C. (Rebelution)

-Mary R. (Rebelution)

-River B. (Rebelution)

-Jordan H. (Rebelution)

-Michael S. (Rebelution)

-Annabel Z. (Rebelution)

-Riley S. (Rebelution)

-Kim Z.

-Brad (Rebelution)

-Tabitha H. (Rebelution)

-Abigal M.

As always, we're excited about the numbers we're seeing, but we're really interested in seeing this list grow!  Please continue to spread the word!

--Emily--

"I Will Follow"

Hey, 

Here is the song of the week!!  This week we are going to strive to follow Christ, and I want to know how you are doing that!!  Let me know!! 

~Olivia~ 

"Where you go, I'll go
Where you stay, I'll stay
When you move, I'll move
I will follow you
Who you love, I'll love
How you serve I'll serve
If this life I lose, I will follow you
I will follow you"  

~Chris Tomlin's "Follow You"

Update, Announcement, Requests!

Hey Everyone!

Hope y'all had a happy Thanksgiving!  Olivia's post on Thanksgiving and finding joy in it was really thought provoking and made me thankful for her writing abilities! :)

We're excited about the responses we have received.  Just this weekened, we added 2 more volunteers to our list.  We're now up to 13 people!  Anywhere close to the 200 we're hoping for? No, not yet!  But we're making progress!  Please continue to spread the word to your friends.  A way you might do this is by sending out our link (www.voicesoftheinnocent.blogspot.com) in an email to everyone in your address book.

Also, I'd like to let y'all know that V.O.T.I is now listed on http://www.prolifeblogs.com/.  I applied for listing on here some time ago, and never received a response from them.  I had practically forgotten about them when I received an acceptance email today! :) But anyhow, we're now on there, so hopefully, they'll direct some more readers to the blog!

I thought it be cool if everyone sent in the name of the newspaper that they were sending their pro-life letter to.  Please leave the name of the newspaper that will receive your letter here on the blog in a comment or email it to us. We’d enjoy hearing from y’all, so please try and do this for us!

--Emily--

 

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hey everyone,
I just wanted to wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!!  I hope that no matter what kind of circumstances your going through right now, that you will take time today to reflect on everything that God has done for you, and know that no matter what, God will hold you together, and bring you through.  
Thanksgiving is a time to thank God for everything that God has done for us, and I know that all of us who are in Christ can thank Him for many things that the He has done, even in the midst of trials. If you are in Christ, and can't find one thing to be thankful this Thanksgiving, I truly feel sorry for you, because we have the most wonderful gift that God has given us to be thankful for-eternal life!!  And that is something that, if you are in Christ, even in the valley, you can give thanks to God.  
So, I challenge you..... if you are in the dumps (if you will allow to put it that way!!-), find something to be thankful for, and ask God to bring to your remembrance things that he has done for you..... God desires that you would praise Him!!  And for those of you who are thanking God for bring you through a trial, or God has been blessing you, set a time before this day is done to praise God for EVERYTHING He has done for you!!  And I don't mean, "And thank you for everything that You have done for us, and for you grace," and I'm not making fun of anyone...... but try to be specific in what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving!!  God continues to bless us in so many way even when we don't deserve it, and we ought to be the most thankful people on the face of the earth!! =) 
Happy Thanksgiving!!

~Olivia~

"Enter into His gate with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His name.  For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to ALL generations."  ~Psalm 100:4,5

"Thanksgiving" by A.M.B.

I have  a friend whom God has blessed with an amazing talent for writing poetry is VERY and writes poetry on a variety of things!  I have to remind myself not to be envious of her talent, because I CAN NOT write poetry to save my life, and I often ask God why I can't have that same talent.  Whenever she reads me a new poem that she has written, I always sit back, and marvel at her talent!!  So I asked my friend if she had any poems on Thanksgiving that she would be willing to let me publish, and this is the one that I have decided to use.  I hope that you enjoy it!! 

Thanksgiving

There was the first Thanksgiving in 1621,

With fowl of the air and lots of venison,

To thank the Lord for the gifts He had given them,

Chief Massasoit brought 90 Wampanoag men.

Governor Bradford declared this a day

To give thanks to God and to feast and to pray.

In the year 1863 Lincoln declared a holiday

For America to give thanks and it still is that way.

Every year we take special time to give thanks to God,

And remember how much He gives us help in our plod.

And maybe we think of those people long ago,

And of their great celebration and know

  That we are so very much blessed,

And we always should have such great thankfulness.

~Olivia

How Great is Our God

Hey everyone,
  It is well known by MANY people that I know that I am a total music freak!!  I love listening to K-Love on the computer, and I have to have it on ALL the time (but my mom doesn't always let me :\)!!  Chris Tomlin is probably my all time favorite (I have others, but Chris Tomlin is at the top of my list!!) because he has such a gift to write music to touch hearts across the U.S., and beyond!!   And so many of his songs have changed lives!!  One of my favorites is "How Great is Our God"!!  Evey time I hear that song on the radio, or when I sing it in church, it makes me want to stand up, and raise my hands to Him!!
  
"How great is our God, sing with me,
  How great is our God, and all will sing
  How great, how great is our God"  

~Olivia

35 Reasons Not to Sin

This came off the Rebelution's blog...

35 REASONS NOT TO SIN

• Because a little sin leads to more sin.
• Because my sin invites the discipline of God.
• Because the time spent in sin is forever wasted.
• Because my sin never pleases but always grieves God who loves me.
• Because my sin places a greater burden on my spiritual leaders.
• Because in time my sin always brings heaviness to my heart.
• Because I am doing what I do not have to do.
• Because my sin always makes me less than what I could be.
• Because others, including my family, suffer consequences due to my sin.
• Because my sin saddens the godly.
• Because my sin makes the enemies of God rejoice.
• Because sin deceives me into believing I have gained when in reality I have lost.
• Because sin may keep me from qualifying for spiritual leadership.
• Because the supposed benefits of my sin will never outweigh the consequences of disobedience.
• Because repenting of my sin is such a painful process, yet I must repent.
• Because sin is a very brief pleasure for an eternal loss.
• Because my sin may influence others to sin.
• Because my sin may keep others from knowing Christ.
• Because sin makes light of the cross, upon which Christ died for the very purpose of taking away my sin.
• Because it is impossible to sin and follow the Spirit at the same time.
• Because God chooses not to respect the prayers of those who cherish their sin.
• Because sin steals my reputation and robs me of my testimony.
• Because others once more earnest than I have been destroyed by just such sins.
• Because the inhabitants of heaven and hell would all testify to the foolishness of this sin.
• Because sin and guilt may harm both mind and body.
• Because sins mixed with service make the things of God tasteless.
• Because suffering for sin has no joy or reward, though suffering for righteousness has both.
• Because my sin is adultery with the world.
• Because, though forgiven, I will review this very sin at the Judgment Seat where loss and gain of eternal rewards are applied.
• Because I can never really know ahead of time just how severe the discipline for my sin might be.
• Because my sin may be an indication of a lost condition.
• Because to sin is not to love Christ.
• Because my unwillingness to reject this sin now grants it an authority over me greater than I wish to believe.
• Because sin glorifies God only in His judgment of it and His turning of it to good use, never because it is worth anything on it’s own.
• Because I promised God he would be Lord of my life.

Thanks Jennifer! =)

Have y’all been noticing the pretty new blog button on our side bar? Is it just me, or is it not perfect?! :) I’d like to thank Jennifer for so graciously helping us with this (BTW, the TRANSFORMED GENERATION blog is hers…really great thoughts on there-you should totally check it out!)! I am not a tech savvy teen (who is dealing dial up internet-which can make things difficult!:), so doing something which may seem pretty basic like making a blog button seemed totally overwhelming to me. But Jenn kindly offered to help me with the button-and I’d like to say thanks to her for it!

The blog button isn’t the only thing I love on this blog: I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing comments. So comment often! I want to hear feedback from y’all; I want to hear what you think! So please, please-leave a comment and share your thoughts with the V.O.T.I world!:)

Thanks!

--Emily--

Just Two Little Request......

Hey everybody!!

I know that in the past, Emily, and I have asked that you spread the word about the blog to ANYONE you know!! And both of us are overjoyed with the response that we have gotten ALL over the world! :) It is extremely encouraging!! But we just want to remind, and ask our readers, again, to please keep spreading the word!!

We also just wanted to update you on the number letters that we have so far (or will be receiving). God has led 10 people to write letters!! Again, Emily, and I are overjoyed!! But we will be even more overjoyed if you commit to writing a letter, too!! :)

Sooo.... we ask that you spread the word, and commit to writing a letter!! And we trust, and pray that you will be led by God to do these two things!!

Thanks for all the encouragement!! :)

~Olivia~

World-Wide Readers

I love the newest feature on BLOGGER...the stats feature absolutely ROCKS! It provides such a huge amount of encouragement, and it's pretty awesome to see that people from literally all around the world are seeing our blog! Thought I'd share some of the stats with y'all...these stats are from September 23-October 22.

United States:

153

New Zealand:

11

France:

7

Canada:
2
Colombia:
1

United Kingdom:
1

Guadeloupe:
1

Italy:
1

These numbers may not seem overly impressive to the bigger blogs that are out there, but this is growth for V.O.T.I-and we are SOOOOOO thankful for that!

Like I said before, I love seeing these numbers-but I would LOVE to see them grow! Please pray that God will lead other people to be part of this ministry. I know that He can and that He will if only we will pray for the increase and trust in Him!

Thanks!

--Emily--

p.s-to each reader who hasn't already commited to writing a pro-life letter to your local paper, please consider doing so! Remember, when you do decide to write, please let us know by either leaving a comment on the blog or emailing us @ voicesoftheinnocent@gmail.com !

Yet It Lives

Yet It Lives – Author Unknown

Generation follows generation - yet it lives.

Nations rise and fall - yet it lives.

Kings, dictators, presidents come and go - yet it lives.

Hated, despised, cursed - yet it lives.

Doubted, suspected, criticized - yet it lives.

Condemned by atheists - yet it lives.

Scoffed at by scoffers - yet it lives.

Exaggerated by fanatics - yet it lives.

Misconstrued and misstated - yet it lives.

Ranted and raved about - yet it lives.

ts inspiration denied - yet it lives.

Yet it lives - as a lamp to our feet.

Yet it lives - as a light to our path.

Yet it lives - as the gate to heaven.

Yet it lives - as a standard for childhood.

Yet it lives - as a guide for youth.

Yet it lives - as an inspiration to the mature.

Yet it lives - as a comfort for the aged.

Yet it lives - as food for the hungry.

Yet it lives - as water for the thirsty.

Yet it lives - as rest for the weary.

Yet it lives - as light for the heathen.

Yet it lives - as salvation for the sinner.

Yet it lives - as grace for the Christian.

To know it is to love it.

To love it is to accept it.

To accept it means eternal life.

~Olivia~

Olivia's Letter

Abortion kills more than 42 million babies every year. Those innocentbabies are living in the womb; God created these precious childrenwith a purpose and it is not anyone’s right to take that life.
Many women think that that baby inside them isn’t alive. This in andof itself is sad. The fact that some people actually believe thismakes me angry. Even in the womb the baby shows sensitivity to light:he develops fingers, toes, eye lashes, and eye lids.

Hosea 12:3 says, "And he took his brother by the heel in the womb, andby his strength he had power with God." I love this verse because itclearly shows that the baby was alive in the womb.

Another thing that strikes me is that when teenage girls get unwantedpregnancies they turn to abortion because they think that they have noother choice: "I'm too young," "What will everyone think of me," "Ididn't want this to happen," or "I didn't mean for this to happen." Ifthis is the case, why did they get pregnant in the first place?

Other times women just don't want the baby because of a birth defector disease that he will be born with. How can anyone love that babyany less just because of a birth defect? He is still a human being,and is still created by God, who has a special plan and purpose for him.

Just remember, you have to live with the decision to kill your own baby. Before you take your child’s life, ask yourself this question: Can I live with this decision for the rest of my life?

~Olivia~
age: 15

Homeschool or Public/Christian School??

Hey everyone, it's Olivia!!

I apologize for neglecting the blog, and leaving poor Emily to do all the work. :( But Emily has done sooo well.

Last night I went to a Bible study. The name of it is "Genesis of a Legacy" by Ken Ham. The study is about raising godly kids, and (just some free info) did you know that more then half the teens that have been brought up in a Christian home won't attend church after they graduate high school, and they will fall away from the Lord? I was shocked by this statistic.
Anyway... we got into homeschooling, and how it is so much better to home school because you can control so much more of what goes in, and out of your kids minds. And it was really interesting to see what people were thinking. Some said that homeschooling was the best, and only way to go, and some said that they send their kids to a Christian school, and they think that it is fine; however they were always making sure that they knw what is going on in school by asking their kids how that day went.
I don't think that going to school is wrong (though I am home schooled, and have been my whole life, and will graduate home school), but there are many benefits when it comes to homeschooling.

I would really like to hear what you have to say on this!! What do you think??!! Please let us know!!

~Olivia~

I'm Waiting...

I'm waiting, I'm waiting on you Lord, though it is painful...patiently I will wait! I will move ahead, bold and confident-taking every step in obedience.

--While I'm waiting! I will worship while I'm waiting! I will serve you while I'm waiting! I will not fail! I'll be running the race, even while I wait!--

I absolutely love this song! It reminds me that no matter the circumstance, I must be worshiping, serving and following Jesus. The path the Lord has chosen for me may be painful at times, but I must always remember the prize I am running for-and that I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me; because of this truth, it is utterly impossible for me to fail, as long as I keep my eyes on the KING!

I've been waiting for the Lord to work with V.O.T.I.-and I believe that He is and will continue to do so! We haven't had a huge amount of people commit to letter writing (yet! =D), but God is leading people to become involved with our ministry. It's exciting to see God at work, and I am praying that He continues to move!

God bless!

--Emily--

Making some Changes...

Hi All!

Just wanted to let y'all know that we are changing our letter send out date from October 15 to February 14, 2011 (this date is up in the air...nothing is set in stone! :D). I wanted to make this change because I feel like I need more time to reach others about "VOTI". I recently applied for membership on the Rebelution forum and was approved this Saturday (yay!), so I'm hoping to use my time on their to spread the word about our mission. I submitted my project idea to the head of the abortion section of the forum, so, we'll see!

I've had several people comment (not just on here, but in general), telling me that "VOTI" was great, but they didn't give me definite commitment on writing a letter. Please, please let me know if you are willing to write a letter. Just knowing that you're going to write a letter would be SOOOOOOOOOOOOO encouraging! So let me know! ;D Also, please remember that when you do write a letter (which you don't have to until February of '11), please email a copy of it to us (voicesoftheinnocent@gmail.com).

I was also wondering if anyone would be interested in helping update the blog...as you can see, it doesn't happen very often, and was thinking/hoping with another brain involved, we could produce more posts, reccomend more links and such. If you would like to help, just comment or email (address above). When/if you feel led to comment/email about this, please tell us why you would want to and how you think you would be able to help. I'm not requesting a certain # of words essay, but I would like to know why you're interested in helping. =)

Thanks everyone!
--Emily--

Always remember...

-It is easier to preach 10 sermons than to it is to live 1!!!-

-When you get to your wits end, you'll find God there!!!-

-God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called!!!-

-God promises a safe landing, not a smooth passage!!!-

-The will of God will not take you where the grace of God will not take you!!!-

-The task before us is never as great as the Power behind us!!!-

Please Pray!

It's kind of discouraging when things don't go according to plan....Olivia and I had the whole idea for "Voices of the Innocent" perfectly planned, and quite honestly, we really weren't expecting any hurdles.

When we first came up with "Voices of the Innocent" we were really expecting a huge amount of interest. But, as many, we've had a bit of a rude awakening. We've had very few responses thus far...not anywhere near the 200 we were hoping for. Please understand that I'm not faulting anyone here or trying to throw a guilt trip out at people; I'm simply stating a fact. I'm thankful for the responses we have recieved, and I'm praying that God will lead others to help us.

But people usually don't just happen to come across your blog, so I'm trying to get the word out about our existance and our mission. So far, I've contacted The Rebelution-http://www.therebelution.com/ and Tenth Avenue North-
http:// www.tenthavenuenorth.com/ (farily new, but VERY good Christian band!)....if anyone has any suggestions of who else I should contact, please feel free to comment or email!


--Emily--

What We Need to Be Doing...

Expect great things from God;
Attempt great things for God!
-William Carey-

Update and Prayer Request

Hi All!



I know it's been a while, and for that, I aplogize! But honestly, there hasn't been really anything to post...up until now. Please read this and join Mr. Van Zant in his fight against abortion through the power of prayer!



-Emily

Dear Friend,

This e-mail is praise to God coupled with an urgent request. I'll write more later but for now, I'll be brief as we in Florida's House of Representatives have an opportunity we must grasp

right now to advance the cause for Florida's unborn and to set an example for our Nation.

Today, just a few hours ago, Florida's Senate voted to attach the Sonogram Bill language plus the Hyde Amendment language to Senate Bill 1143. This is greater progress toward protecting Florida's unborn than has been known to our state legislature in 38 years.

Specifically, this bill will do two things. First, it will require that pregnant mothers will be given an opportunity to see their unborn child before an abortion. Alone, it is expected that this requirement will provide life for thousands of Florida's unborn. Secondly, the Hyde language will prevent tax dollars from funding abortions in our state.

All of this is great, but the fight is only 1/3 over. To stand as law, this bill must pass in the House of Representatives and be signed into law by our Governor. We need your help now...please help!

Would you accept the challenge to do three things, without delay? One, would you just pray and thank our Heavenly Father for this great progress and ask that this bill become law. Second, please prepare a short e-mail in your own words and send to your State Representative plus any other State Representatives you choose. Third, please forward this e-mail from me to your own e-mail list as this will greatly expand the number of e-mails that House Members receive.

The e-mail addresses for all 120 Representatives in Florida are are included at the end of this message for your convenience.

Now, what to write to the State Representatives....simply ask each one to vote yes on Senate Bill 1143 that will be placed before them for a vote on Thursday or Friday. Add any comments you want, but a short message is easier to understand.

Again, in behalf of Florida's unborn, thank you. May our Lord continually bless you in all you accomplish for Him.

Sincerely,

Charles Van Zant

State Representative

A Letter on Aborton-By:Emily

The belief that a "fertilized egg" (an innocent baby) is not a living human being, in my opinion, is wrong. Not only does it show man’s flippant regards for a God-given life, but also, their willful ignorance.

Living things portray several different characteristics that separate them from non-living things. Living things grow, respond to their environments, require energy (food), etc. Non-living things, dead things-cannot grow, cannot respond to their environments and have no need for food. It is common knowledge that a "fertilized egg" portrays all of these listed traits: the baby grows over a period of 9 months, reacts to his surroundings and gathers nutrition from his mother. No matter how hard people would like to argue, when one looks at the scientific facts, it is clearly seen that the unborn child, is indeed, a living, growing child and has every right to live.

By science’s own description, that infant in the womb is indeed alive. The constitution may give women the right to make decisions about their bodies, but most certainly not the right to take another person’s life!

Hi!

Hello world! :)



My name is Emily and I am a 9th grade home schooled student from Florida! As Olivia told you in her post, we are working on a project that we're calling "Voice of the Innocent".



Ever since I understood what abortion is, I have been struck by the fact that many people actually kill their unborn babies. Nearly, every time I have the (wonderful) opportunity to hold a baby, I am angered by the horrible truth of abortion. My love for the beautiful babies that God has blessed the world with drives me as we begin to work on "Voice of the Innocent".



Olivia told you our basic idea in her "welcome" post....sending letters to local newspapers protesting abortion. We would also like those letters to be sent out on the same day (October 12, 2010) so that newspapers around the country will receive these letters all at once. What an impact can be made if 200 letters are sent! Wouldn't that be great? If you need some ideas on what to include in your letter, you can refer to the blog to get ideas from the letters Olivia and I have written and posted.



We're pushing our send in date to October so that: A)-you won't feel rushed about writing this letter (rushed writing is never overly great in quality and we want the letters to be as effective as possible) and B) so that we can reach and recruit other people about our project. All we ask from you in the meantime is that you join us in telling others about "Voice of the Innocent"....we need as many people as possible!



Thanks!



-Emily-

Welcome!!

Hey everyone!! Thanks for checking us out!

My name is Olivia. I am a home schooled high school freshman from New York. A while back, my friend, Emily, and I started talking about abortion. As we began to get into our conversation, we realized that we had the same opinion about this harsh, and cruel practice. When we first started talking, the thought never occurred to start a protest. The next day I got a call from Emily and she came up with a great idea!!




By now you are probably saying, "Just tell us what you are doing and get on with it." So now let me tell you what we are all about, and our goal for the protest. Emily and I are encouraging teens and adults to write letters to local newspapers telling how they feel about abortion. We also would like to have a copy of your letter (you can e-mail it to us at voicesoftheinnocent@gmail.com. But more about that later!!) so that at the end of the year, we can send them to our President.

Our goal is to have at least 200 letters submitted to various new papers all over the country. We pray that God would bring teens that have the same passion to write these letters. If you feel that God is pressing you to send a letter in, you can e-mail us at voicesoftheinnocent@gmail.com .
Thanks!!

~Olivia~