Issue no. 2
Autumn 2019
ST O R I E S / I N S P I R AT I O N
G E N E R AT I O N MAGAZINE
G E N E R AT I O N MAGAZINE
olivia walls Founder and Editor-In-Chief @livvwalls host: https://issuu.com/generation-mag submissions: genmagpublication@gmail.com Generation Magazine extends a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to our
CONTRIBUTORS Paige Wagner Juda Zapata Rebecca Morales Trinity Anderson Contributing Photographer: Genel Lynne Rivera
LE T T ER F RO M T H E E DITO R
Portrait by Fernando Garcia
In this issue, I wanted to celebrate the many aspects of the season—enjoying the warmth of home-sweet-home, tasty holiday desserts, taking time to self-reflect, and reaching out to someone who really needs a friend. What I love about the interview with Paige on page 6 is the way she describes “home”. It’s more of a feeling rather than a physical place. “Home” can be felt in a conversation, in a tight hug, in food, in a song... It’s a feeling you can carry around with you and even give to others. We all have a deep yearning to feel at “home”—to be seen, heard, and loved. Page 24 is a profound reminder of the ones who are in need of this feeling.
Some of the ways the spirit of Autumn can be celebrated is by the act of hosting: hosting a family dinner, a Friendsgiving, or even a simple gathering to melt smores by a bonfire. There’s an art to hosting. A skillful host can make a person feel at home in their presence because they’re not just hosting the party, they are hosting the moment. With every changing season, whether tumultuous or smooth-sailing, there is something to be enjoyed. One of the ways we discover it is by being a good host to the special moments this season has to offer.
Olivia with love,
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IN THIS ISSUE 6-15 | Paige Wagner: finding beauty in the old & new 16-21 | Holiday Recipes by Judesign 22-23 | My Dear Friend 24-25 | The Lonely 26-30 | Lives Depend On It.
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Paige Wagner: finding beauty in the old & new Interview by Olivia Walls
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Paige Wagner, broker and owner of Paige Wagner Homes Realty. Creative Pastor with husband, Chase Wagner, at Grace City Church. And mother to daughter, Nova.
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After stepping into real estate in 2014, what made you decide to become a broker and start your own brokerage?
A
fter 4 years as a Realtor and falling in love with real estate, I wanted to maximize every part of the field by becoming a Broker. I loved buying and selling homes and the oneon-one connection with my customers, but I was also drawn to the team-building, teaching and leadership aspect of being a Broker. I wanted to start a company that valued the ‘client over the commission’. A company that stood for integrity, communication and the overall well-being of people. Buying and selling a home is the most transitional time in people’s lives and my company takes our role very seriously—standing in the gap from where people are and where they want to be. A lot of your work is centered around the historic homes of Lakeland. Why do historic homes hold such a special place in your heart? Everyone loves transformation. The before-and-after marketing model is very popular in so many aspects of our entertainment i.e weight-loss shows, beauty or fashion makeovers and home flipping. There’s something about humans that love seeing something completely unwanted and making it the most desirable thing. I captured that vision in historic homes and fell in love with advocating for them. I love taking an old home thats been forgotten and giving it new life and vision that makes it the most desirable home to an individual person. Each historic home is its own. Through the decades and generations of remodels, additions, and phases of style they all posses their own flair. When someone buys a historic home they truly buy a one-of-a-kind piece of a city’s history.
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I am sure flipping a home can be a stressful process at times. Do you have any tips on managing stress or pressure felt during a major home remodel/flip?
T
he best lessons in flipping homes are caught not taught. People ask me to give them ‘tips’ or my ‘top 5 on flipping homes’ and I always say ‘just jump in’. Not one of my flips have had the same process or budget or even design styles. Each home and experience it takes to remodel is completely different so you just learn as you go. I didn’t have any prior training and I never shadowed someone remodeling a house; I just thought critically through the process and learned a lot of lessons along the way. Start with the core 4: roof, electrical, plumbing and AC. Then after working on the core 4, with whatever budget is left make the interior pretty. But don’t put lipstick on a pig and avoid the big issues just to make it sparkle! What has been your favorite flip project to date? Why was that one special? My first is my favorite. I flipped a 2-story 1920 Spanish style home when I was 23 years old. My parents were the investors and who knows why they trusted me! I was 6 months into my real estate career and had only sold 5 houses. I not only poured blood, sweat and tears into this project but it set up my career in historic homes. I didn’t set out to make a business centered around historic homes this historic home just picked me. I used the remodel process as marketing since I was so new in the industry. It ultimately set the stage to my career and my love for old homes that I didn’t expect.
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As a broker, you have helped many people find their new home. What does ‘home’ mean to you personally?
H
ome is going through the business and hustle of your day, being all over town running errands, working at your office or with people and walking into your front door feeling like ‘there’s no other place I’d rather be.’ I show homes almost everyday and at least once a week I tell my husband as I walk through our front door, ‘I’m in a lot of houses and I’m so glad this is our home.’ It’s a feeling of peace, rest, and a reflection of who you are and how you want the world to see you.
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Holiday recipes by
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G E N E R AT I O N
Judesign Traditionally, we have used these recipes to fill up our tummies and bring warmth to our home. Each one of them are special for this season.
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Juda Zapata Pastry chef & owner of Judesign. Serving the Central Florida area with personalized desserts for any occasion!
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Cinnamon Cake Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees 4
cups self-rising flour
4
bars of butter
3
cups granulated sugar
10 eggs 1
cup evaporated milk
3
tsp. cinnamon
Cinnamon Cake filling: 1
can shortening
1
bag powdered sugar
4
tsp water
2
tsp vanilla extract
Instructions:
Instructions
1. Take a small can of shortening (Crisco).
1. Divide the portions of each ingredient.
2. Mix shortening and flavored extract for 5 minutes.
2. Take the yolk of the egg and separate it. 3. Take the egg whites and pour it into a standing mixer. 4. Mix the egg whites for about 10-15 minutes. (We usually keep an eye out for texture, this is one of our family secrets!) We like to say this in Spanish, “textura de merengue”.
3. Add 1 pound of powdered sugar with 4 spoons of warm water, mix for 5 minutes. Take a large spoon and blend manually for 1 minute. Mix again with in the stand mixer for 5 minutes.
5. Take the mixed egg whites and cover them in a container and place them aside in the fridge. (Keep it there until you are finished with the rest of the instructions). 6. Take the butter, sugar, and the almond extract and mix it for about 20-25 minutes. The texture should become buttery. 7. Add 3 teaspoons of cinnamon to the self-rising flour, mix it, and then add it in the stand mixer. 8. Add the egg yolk to your batter and mix for about 2 minutes. 9. Take the egg whites mixture (that you left in the fridge) and stir it into the batter for about 2 minutes. 10. Add mixer to your favorite cake molding.
19 for 45 minutes. Bake
Pumpkin Cake Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees 4
cups self-rising flour
4
bars butter
3
cups granulated sugar
1
bar butter
8oz cream cheese
10 eggs 1
can pumpkin puree
3
tbs cinnamon
1
Pumpkin Cake filling:
can evaporated milk
Instructions: 1. Divide the portions of each ingredient. 2. Take the yolk of the egg and separate it.
1
cup powdered sugar
2
tsp vanilla extract
Instructions: 1. In a stand mixer add 8oz of Cream cheese and 8 tablespoons of unsalted butter 2. Then mix 1 cup of powdered sugar and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract 3. Mix it all together for 5-6 minutes  
3. Take the egg whites and pour it in a stand mixer. 4. Mix the egg whites for about 10-15 minutes. *Keep an eye on the texture. 5. Take the mixed egg whites and cover them in a container and place them aside in the fridge. (Keep it there until you are finished with the rest of the instructions). 6. Take the butter, the sugar, and the pumpkin extract and mix it. 7. Take the self-fising flour and place into the mixer and slowly stir in the evaporated milk. Mix both ingredients slowly in your stand mixer for about 10 minutes. 8. Add pumpkin puree to the egg yolks and mix before adding it into the mixer. 9. Take the egg whites mixture (that you left in the fridge) and stir it into the batter for about 2 minutes. 10. Add mixer to your favorite cake molding. G E N E R AT I O N
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Bake for 45 minutes.
Almond Cake Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees 4
cups self-rising flour
4
bars butter
3
cups granulated sugar
Almond Cake filling: 1
can shortening
1
bag powdered sugar
10 eggs
4
tsp water
1
can evaporated milk
2
tsp almond extract
3
tsp almond extract Instructions:
Instructions: 1. Divide the portions of each ingredient. 2. Take the yolk of the egg and separate it. 3. Take the egg whites and pour it in a stand mixer. 4. We like to mix the egg whites from 10-15 minutes. *Keep an eye out for the texture. 5. Take the mixed egg whites and cover them in a container and place them aside in the fridge. (Keep it there until you are finished with the rest of the instructions).
1. Take a small can of shortening (Crisco). 2. Mix shortening and flavored extract for 5 minutes. 3. Add 1 pound of powdered sugar with 4 spoons of warm water, mix for 5 minutes. Take a large spoon and blend manually for 1 minute. Mix again with a stand mixer for 5 minutes.
6. Take the butter, sugar and the almond extract and mix it for about 20-25 minutes. The texture should become buttery. 7. Take the self-fising flour and place into the mixer and slowly stir in the evaporated milk. Mix both ingredients slowly in your stand mixer for about 10 minutes. 8. Add the egg yolk to your batter and mix for about 2 minutes. 9. Take the egg whites mixture (that you left in the fridge) and stir it into the batter for about 2 minutes. 10. Add mixer to your favorite cake molding.
Bake for 45 minutes. 21
dear my
friend
Just sit here a while longer, my dear friend. Distractions tug and pull away but I insist that you stay.
words by olivia walls
You’ve been feeling frustrated. Yearning for the remedy to clarity, And it’s no where in sight. Perhaps you’re looking the wrong way. Let’s talk it through. Take a second, a minute, an hour. We can see it to the end. Just sit here a while longer, my dear friend.
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the lonely
Photo by genel lynne rivera @genellynne
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I am a firm believer that with life comes many different seasons. Seasons of hope, seasons of joy, seasons of sorrow and even seasons of loneliness. There is nothing more real to you, than the season you are in. It is easy to feel on top of the world when you’re in your best season. Yet it is much harder when that difficult season decides to root itself for who knows how long. When your world begins to collapse and you feel that all you are left with is yourself, when silence resides, and you are left to your own fears...they begin to play louder than they have ever played before. That is when reality hits. No one seems to be close enough to your reach. No one looks for you like they did before. It is just you... and God. And even then, sometimes it still only feels like it’s just you. Life goes on as we know it and you are still stuck. Have you ever been in that place? Do these things sound familiar? Now, when that season finally ends, have you ever gone back and remembered that very place you were once in and thought about the people around you who could be in that place, too? Have you thought about all the smiles you have encountered on a daily basis and realized that even though they smile on the outside they could very well be crying on the inside? Have you ever been the friend that’s always the first to reach out? When you stop you realize how many people don’t reach out to you—it hurts, doesn’t it?
is in their “best season.” And I believe it is so important that we are intentional with those in our lives we say we love and make a point to be there for them in those seasons. When holidays pass and you’re having a great time, remember that some people are mourning the loss of their loved ones. Many do not even have families to spend the holidays with. In life it is easy to become so self-preoccupied that we isolate ourselves from others and what’s going on in their lives too. In fact, it takes work to intentionally remember to reach out and check on the ones you love because we just assume they’re okay—that is where we fail. That is where we miss the signs that more often than not are sitting right in front of us. Yes, most of our lives are nonstop. But somewhere out there, there is someone waiting to hear from you.
Waiting to be seen, waiting to be heard, waiting to be hugged and waiting to feel loved. I believe at some point in our lives we will all taste loneliness and that is okay.
And no, it doesn’t make you weak. In fact, it only makes you more human. My hope in sharing this is to encourage you to be mindful of those around you. That even if where you are seems grand, it's not always that way for The lonely season is often the most difficult everyone else. Whenever someone comes to one to swallow. Even when there is a group of mind, even if it’s in the middle of your busy people around you, or you’re surrounded by a day, reach out to them and see if they are okay. home full of loved ones... it’s as if there is only Extend kindness, love, and even an invitation you. No one really sees you, or hears the cry of to your home for that day, because you never your heart but God Himself. I can attest to this know what that very act itself will do. very thing because I have lived through this season on more than one occasion. I remind myself often that I am not the first, nor will I be the last. More often than not we get so busy with life that we forget that not everyone story by rebecca morales 25
LIVES DEPEND WRITTEN BY TRINITY ANDERSON
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D ON IT.
I
magine this: glancing from the stage, the first person you see is a wife in the front row. She’s kind of tucked off in the corner doing her best to just have a moment with God. Most people don’t know it, but her marriage is in shambles. A look to the other side, this guy is laid prostrate at the altar, but service hasn’t even started yet. It definitely resembles the woman with the issue of blood pressing in to get to Jesus. There’s a young adult in the back corner. He’s completely new to the faith, totally lost in how to do life right, but he’s a total music junkie and keeps coming only because there’s a cute girl inviting him. Lastly, you can’t forget about Pastor. He just called during soundcheck to say that a couple flew in from another country today on their absolute last dime. They sold everything to get here and they’re believing God to be healed in our atmosphere, so we must posture ourselves in worship accordingly. No pressure at all... Meet Lives Depend On It. ®️!
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My name is Trinity Anderson. I’m a singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, and most importantly, worship leader for quite a few years now. I’ve been privileged to lead others in worship from the platform. From that place, I get the most unique and vulnerable perspective of seeing into a tiny scope of the lives of others that the congregation doesn’t get to see. Lives Depend On It. ®️ was actually not planned at all. Smack in the middle of the above scenarios, add an engagement break up to the list. I could’ve folded, but worship was still my first priority and will always be. Therefore, the original phrase “Lead Worship Like Lives Depend On It.” became an anthem of encouragement for me personally to continue going forth in worship. Little did I know, God was planning to echo it to the world.
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The design started with a Word Art app on my phone, then became my screensaver. I decided to make it a phrase on a coffee mug for my voice students as an incentive, but that idea fell through because there wasn’t enough funding to invest. While randomly walking through the mall one day, the Lord led me to a T-shirt print shop and honestly, the rest is history... these tees have even out-traveled me!! God loves to do cool things. The bottom line and heart of this organization is stemmed from one word: COMPASSION. Jesus walked the Earth and no matter what trials He faced, even up to the Cross, He always put the needs of others before His own. We can never be more like Him than when we live and lead from that perspective. So, that’s what this entire organization is about— ministering life to others through all that we say and do. My prayer is that this organization serves as a consistent reminder for every person, and especially Believers, to show the love of Jesus by living and leading like “Lives Depend On It.” ®️
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