Genevieve C. West

Amazon.com Widgets Bozeman, Montana 2011 photo by Deeapaulitan Once upon a time... There lived a happy little family who was on the road to achieving  Financial Peace . There was King Eric, Queen Genevieve, Princess Evie (9), and Princess Kaylie (1). One day, King Eric heard God speak. Queen Genevieve, as well as trusted royal advisers, confirmed what God had said.  The one room cabin on 20 acres in Paradise Valley As you know, when God speaks, you listen and obey.  So, six days before Christmas, without a job lined up, and without knowing a soul, the happy little family packed up whatever they could fit into their car, and moved into a one room cabin on 20 acres of land in Emigrant, Montana.  It was a simple time of being together, playing board games, reading their Bible, and playing in the snow. A trip into town to get the mail and go to the general store was the highlight of the week!  During all the excitement of moving to a new land, King Eric and Quee

In one of my recent posts entitled "I Can Dish It Out But I Can't Take It" ( which you can read HERE ), I talked about this thing that happens when I'm called to defend my writing.  It's this debilitating panic that rushes through me.  Even an innocent request for clarification makes my heart pound and my face flush.  I'm still questioning why this is happening!  It's embarrassing and annoying!  I'm pretty sure that my inability to accept criticism comes across as "prideful" or "arrogant".  I'm sure because I've been accused of it. And though I know I have plenty of room to grow in putting on the humility of Christ, this isn't coming from a place of pride! It comes from a place of knowing I'll be crushed under the weight of opposition, so I run and hide to protect myself, to protect my heart. Like I said, embarrassing.  I think it's because I'm pouring my heart out on paper.  It sucks whe

I deserve death. I deserve to suffer. So do you. Even my children do. I make choices every day, knowingly and in ignorance, that I dig my grave deeper.  If Karma were real, I would be so screwed.  So would we all! But you and I don't just deserve death because of our actions.  We deserve death because we were born fallen creatures, rebelling against God with every breath and fiber of our being. We deserve to be punished because we've turned away from God. We deserve death because we're sinners. Thankfully, Karma isn't actually a thing. Sure, we have to put up with consequences from our actions, but it's not a "what goes around, comes around" thing.  Knowing that people would turn against Him, God had already planned for Another to take our deserved punishment so that we wouldn't have to endure it.  That's mercy: Holding back something bad that should be coming your way. Christ took my punishment in

Last December, I wrote a post called The "D" Word ( which you can read here ) about my depression. My doctor, my husband, and I decided to try Zoloft . After just a few days, my husband noticed a difference in me, even before I did. It's now August, and for the first time in my life, I really like who I am.  I like who I am! I feel like I've finally become the Genevieve I was supposed to have been all along. I can think more clearly. My writing just flows out of me. I can pray. By God's grace, I can sense The Spirit even more clearly. I'm happy with my body just the way it is. I don't feel like every little not-good thing throughout the day, from dirty diapers, to tantrums, to bank statements, to haters, compound one on top of another, sending me spiraling into a funk.  I was genuinely fearful of stopping Zoloft, afraid that I'd go back to the place where I was when I started it.  But, thanks to Jon Acuff's ST

I've noticed a bit of an annoying conundrum in myself: My opinions, and my style of expressing those opinions, seem to piss people off. Though I am assured in my reasoning, having to defend my beliefs to anyone, even folks genuinely asking for clarification, causes me so much distress that it often takes me days to recover, and I find that it's challenging to function in daily life, leaving me questioning: Why has God given me this feistiness to speak up, but allowed me to experience this timidity in defending it? For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7 I know I'm not always right. In fact, I'm never going to be ALL right.  Everything will be skewed by my experiences, my biases, and because I'm a fallen creature. Just because I've formed a belief based on what God has revealed to me, does NOT necessarily mean that I'm right in my conclusion.  In fact, I'

Amazon.com Widgets Dear Men, (Contrary to popular belief, if you have a penis then you are, in fact, a MAN.) Our culture tells you that you're not necessary, that women can do everything without you (even have babies), to be more sensitive, and to not fight, even to defend those you love. Our culture has told you to be a woman, but with a penis. Our church culture loads you up with all sorts of unbibilical responsibilities under the title of "spiritual leader." Go to work all day to provide for whatever standard of living your family is accustomed to, be gentle, loving, never get angry, to wear pressed khakis, and sit in pews with floral print every Sunday and sing Jesus-is-my-boyfriend songs. Our church culture has told you to be a woman, but with a penis and extra obligations. How exhausting! No wonder Christian men don't want to get married!  I call bullshit. When God created Adam, He said, "It's not good for the man to be al

How To Break Up Like A Man Breaking up sucks. But sometimes a relationship just cannot be allowed to continue if you’re genuinely unhappy. If you’re a good guy then you don’t want to hurt the girl any more than necessary, so here are some tips on how to break up like a real man....  ....Read more @ howyoucanfindlove.com

Some general guidelines for singles: Don't judge a book by its cover - give them a chance.  You've got to risk big to win big - be vulnerable. Your job is not a meat market - Stop looking at your co-workers as Matrimony Meat. Stop trying to "marry up" - you are worthy. Stop trying to "marry down" - you are lovable. Contact me today for your personal consultation . Buy Genevieve West's {New Book} " It's Your Fault You're Single:  Why You Are Your Own Worst Enemy In Love " {tell your friends}

I answered a call to " adventure " from Jon Acuff , along with 2,500 others.  We were invited into a 24 day experience: The Start Experiment  #STARTexp to "PUNCH FEAR IN THE FACE!" (scroll down to sign up for STARTexp Round 2) What happened next was pretty incredible... We formed a community #STARTexp Relationships formed.  Friendships formed. Even romance formed! (shout out to #STARTsingles!) We were to choose a " risk ," a goal to accomplish during the 24 days of #STARTexp.  The risk I chose was to come up with an idea for an ebook , write it, and publish it within the 24 days. As of tonight, with one day to spare, by God's grace, I accomplished my risk (which you can purchase HERE ). Here are some things I learned during #STARTexp: No Excuses. 3 kids  + 2 businesses   + 1 marriage = CHAOS! But, by God's grace, I accomplished my goal. Fear fears community. I don't think my real life friends were able to

{buy the ebook now}   #YourFault Cover Art by Michelle Cheney www.michellecheney.com BUY IT NOW! DOWNLOAD YOUR  FREE KINDLE  READING APP HERE A real, gritty, straight-forward look at why you're single, what you're doing wrong, what you're believing wrong, and how to change all that. " It's Your Fault You're Single " offers an alternative take on singleness, sex, dating, and relationships that will transform the dating culture Genevieve West has helped singles of all ages navigate the chaos of the dating world. You want her to be the voice that your single friends hear! You'll want your kids to read this book before they venture into the dating world! BUY IT NOW! DOWNLOAD YOUR  FREE KINDLE  READING APP HERE Click HERE   to read what people are saying about West's book:t   " It's Your Fault You're Single:  Why You Are Your Own Worst Enemy In Love " Testimonials

Soulmates?... I call bullshit. This whole “soul mate” idea that Plato pulled out of his ass is complete bullshit. It’s totally narcissistic to think that our Creator took the time and attention to form another being who’s supposed to be your perfect other half, made just for you. It might be good for selling books or filling theaters where you’re pulling for this couple to finally get together. But in real life, it’s way easier to find love than that. “Then WHY am I still single??” I hear you shriek?... .... Read more  @ Signature26.com

First Dates, First Impressions You never get a second chance to make a good first impression. Here are a few tips to ensure that the first impression you make is not only a lasting one, but a good one: ....Read more @ Signature26.com

"God has a spouse picked out just for you. You just haven't met them yet." I call bullshit. "Careful who you choose for a spouse, lest you ruin God's will for your life." I call bullshit.  "Oh, you met someone? Have you prayed until you got a 'yes'?" I call bullshit. "Just be patient." I call bullshit. "Stop looking for a spouse and then God will bring them to you." I call bullshit. What a narcissistic view of marriage. Confessions of a Genevieve: Before we were married, Eric and I prayed for God's will. We even prayed that He would intervene if it was not His will for us to marry. We never got a "yes." We just never got a "no." So, we got married!  Was it God's will for us to marry?  Yep!  How can I say that so confidently? Because it happened. God already knew that we would marry.  When God created the world, He already knew that David and Bathsheba would h

Genevieve West is a Relationship Consultant, helping you navigate the ups and downs of love, singleness, dating, sex, & relationships. What to expect during your personal consultation: Personal consultations are relaxed coaching sessions with Genevieve West where you will discuss: * Your relationship history and relationship goals.  * Potential obstacles that may cause finding or keeping love a challenge.  * Action steps you will be responsible for following through on.  * Resources  you will be responsible for completing. * During your follow-up Consultation with Genevieve West, you will discuss your completed action steps and resources, what worked, what didn't work, and how to tailor what you've learned to your specific situation. * It's imperative that you have an open mind and are  willing to accept positive changes .  * "There is plenty of time to argue with new ideas later. The key is to take

The Importance Of Personal Space In A Relationship I am the weirdest person to be writing about the importance of personal space in a relationship. If I could, I would be physically squished up against my husband and talking his ear off 24/7, never giving him any personal space. Ever. Or maybe that makes me the perfect person to be writing this because I had to discover this the awkward “it’s not you, it’s me” way..... Read more @ HowYouCanFindLove.com

{Guest post by Ricci McConnell-Hegland } (Click HERE for Ricci's Trades Of Hope Fundraiser ) (Click HERE to contribute to suicide prevention and awareness ) Three words I thought I would never have to say at such a young age, and such a short but great marriage are, "I'm a widow." However at the age of 26 and only 3.5 years of a marriage under us, those are exactly the words I have to say. My husband vanished without a trace on December 22nd, 2012. For months we held hope that he was somewhere, either not in his right state of mind or in his right state of mind and just, for whatever reason, didn't want to do the family thing anymore. On May 24th the detective working the case wanted to come over and talk. He had something to show me. I knew right after he got off the phone with me that the news wasn't good. My heart fell to my stomach where I felt like it was caught with the net of knots that was in it. The detectiv