Weekly Challenge #1

We live everyday life as it's planned. Coffee, devotion, breakfast, and then work or everyday duties at home. But that's all we do. Do we make at least one persons day everyday? Do we share the love and grace of our God to everyone we see? Do we love those who talk behind our back and/or go against us? Do we live everyday life as our Lord Jesus has asked us to? The answer for all of these is NO. We don't realize the people around us and their problems. They could be thinking about suicide, but since someone did a simple thing to make their day, they decided to give life another chance. Something so simple like smiling at them, talking to them, paying their meal, can make all the difference in this world. Share the story of our marvelous and loving God to everyone you meet, because life is short.


So my "Daily Challenge" for you is, to be kind, and loving. Make someones day! 






"We can't help everyone, but everyone can help someone." -Ronald Reagan

~Mercy

          

The #1 beauty secret

"Let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us."

Psalm 90:17

 



We live in a world that's obsessed with physical beauty. If you search online for "beauty secrets," over 43 million pages will pop up. It's sad to think about because most of the population of girls think that they are ugly. Well, I've got the beauty secret. :) Whether or not we see ourselves as physically beautiful, all of us who know and love our beautiful Savior, Jesus Christ, share his beauty--- the beauty of holiness.

The bible assures us that it's true, but it's often very hard to believe. We always look at our inner flaws and imperfections, and for that, it's almost impossible for a girl to think that she's beautiful, but it's not. This inner beauty in not something we can manufacture or create for ourselves, no matter how hard we try. Instead, it comes to us as a gift from God, a gift won by Jesus himself on Calvary's cross!

This inner beauty that God gives us cannot be purchased, nor does it belong to only a few people. Instead, it is our heavenly Father's gift to each and every one of us, his daughter's in Jesus, our Savior. That beauty makes a difference in our lives; in fact, it makes ALL the difference!

That's the secret, the beauty secret, the secret of inner beauty!! Our beauty doesn't come from what kind of clothes we buy, or what kind and how much makeup we use, it's "the beauty of the LORD" himself!

The sparkle in our eye, the beautiful beaming smile, it is evidence of a life redeemed by Jesus. Our beauty comes from our Lord and Savior, because he is truly beautiful. And that's NO secret! :)

"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain:

but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

Let his light and beauty shine through your life, always!

~ Mercy

If

if

 I ask to be delivered from trial rather

then for deliverance out of it,

to the praise of His glory;

if I forget that the way of the cross

leads to the cross

and not to a bank of flowers;

if I regulate my life on these lines,

or even unconsciously my

thinking,

so that I am surprised when the

way is rough and think it

strange, though the word is,

"Think it not strange,"

"Count it all joy,"

then I know nothing of Calvary love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The perfect Valentine

The day that my family and I have been waiting for for 9 months came today! Sweet Selah Elizabeth Lee was born on Febuary 12th at 2:04am weighing 6lbs. 7 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. She's so gorgeous. If anything in the world COULD be perfect, it would be her. What a perfect Valentine. :)

 

Aunt Cici loves her little Selah :)

 

The most gorgeous baby girl

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm a proud Aunt :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

~Mercy

I need to start writing more often!

I need to start writing more! It's hard to believe that it's already 2013! I feel like it was Summer just yesterday. 2012 was one of the best years of my life. I learned alot of lessons, met alot of new people, and sang at many new Church's. My family and I had alot of singings this year. I also marked some things off of my bucket list too. Like going to the Grand Canyon! It was so amazing, and beautiful.

Our camp this year was really great. We had alot of new Church's come. I'm hoping that we have even more this year. One thing I really loved, was spending more time with my friends and family. All my family live in many different states, and so it's always so great seeing everyone again. :) It was so good seeing some friends that I don't get to see but 2 times a year. It was an AMAZING summer!
Christmas was super fantastic! I had such great fellowship with all my family.

As I said earlier, I got to mark off some things on my bucket list. Well, in the beginning of December, I got to meet...... KARI JOBE!! It might not seem very big, but she is one of my role models. It was so nice meeting her. She's a sweetie! lol. My year was just full of all kind of emotions. Happiness, sadness, depression, amazingness, awesomeness... CRAZY! lol. I guess that's just life as a teenage drama queen. :)     

 

 

Some of my favorite moments in 2012. :)

~Mercy

Is it really a Happy Halloween?

 

 

Is it really a Happy Halloween? That's the main question I want to ask you. Most people don't know where Halloween came from, or what things mean. All everyone knows is 'Tradition'. "Halloween is just a fun tradition about getting alot of candy!" Some say. It might seem fun, and you do get alot of candy, but the origin of it is the farthest thing from happy and fun. The smallest little things like 'Jack O'Lanterns' has such a horrible origin! I'm trying to warn people about evil and dark things that the Bible tells us to stay away from. (Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. -Romans 12:21)  (Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. - 1 John 2:15-16)

 

 

 

 

Here's some meanings of the "fun" Halloween traditions.

 

 

 

 

Jack O'Lantern. The Druids (Celtic priests) carried large turnips with them and carved demon faces on it as their charm. There was a candle placed inside the turnip and the candle was made from human fat. It was believed that this charm contained a demon spirit that guided the priest. According to author Owen Rachleff. "The candlelit pumpkin or skull... served as a beacon for the sabbat and as a signal to mark those farms and homes that were sympathetic to the Satanists and thus deserving of mercy when the terror of the night (Halloween) began."

It is believed that faces, rather than other images or symbols, were originally carved onto the pumpkin because they gave the jack-o’-lantern the look of a head. The Celts of ancient times believed that the head was the most sacred part of the human body, for it housed a person’s immortal soul. (Dunwich, Gerina. The Pagan Book of Halloween, p. 32)

Carved and illuminated by a candle, they are symbolic of death and the spirit world. (Thompson, Sue Ellen. Holiday Symbols and Customs, p. 256)

Skulls. An interesting symbol, the skull . . . It is prominent in Witchcraft and Demon worship as a celebration of death. (Burns, Cathy. Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, p. 388)

Trick-or-Treat. In Ireland, which is where Halloween began, you were to set out a TREAT of food and fruit, and provide the wandering spirit with shelter for the night. If the demon was satisfied with your TREAT, it was believed that they would not TRICK you by casting an evil spell on you causing havoc. The Druids would go through neighborhoods on October 31 to collect offerings for Satan. They would carry lanterns, bags of money, and canes with very sharp points on the ends (currently known as leprechaun staffs, good luck horns, or fairies' wands). At each house, they would demand a specific amount. If the household would not or could not give the offering (penance or treat), the Druid would use the cane to maim, hurt, or disable the man or sometimes, take a human sacrifice (usually a virgin girl). Whoever refused them would be cursed and tormented. History shows that someone in the cursed family would die within a year. To this day, witches and Satanist will hide glass, poison, and such in candy to continue the ancient practice of sacrifice...as their "trick."

Costumes. In Ireland during the festival of Samhain, children would dress like IMPS and fairies to lead the evil spirits out of town after the feast of Samhain. Halloween is called by many the "Day of the Dead" and years ago, the Celts believed that the border between this world and the spirit world became thin on Halloween, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through. They believed that they could ward off harmful spirits by wearing costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise themselves as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm.

Witches. Our country is consumed with witches, vampires, warlocks, and wizards (no doubt thanks to Harry Potter, True Blood, Twilight, The Vampire Diaries and the dozens of other movies and TV shows which are infiltrating this generation). Halloween is the high holy day for every witch and pagan in the world. They watch the moon and plan, all year, for the sacrifices and rituals they will perform. Much of today's kidnapping is in accordance with Halloween. If you’ve been lullabied by the gospel of Halloween that witches are harmless folks, wake up, witches worship the devil:

The witches held a party at Hallowe’en and the women . . . sold their soul to the devil, would put a stick in their beds anointed with the fat of murdered babies. . .(Douglas, George William. The American Book of Days, p. 569)

Although witches vigorously protest they have no dealings with the devil, under the heading, "A Witch’s God," the popular witch’s training manual, Witchcraft: Theory and Practice, plainly states: A Witch’s God. . . He is . . . Lord of the Underworld [Hell] . . . He is named . . . Baphomet . . . Lucifer . . . Baal. . . (Angeles, Ly de. Witchcraft: Theory and Practice, p. 60)

Monsters. In Druidism, the dead are raised as horrifying creatures of the night, hideous monsters, decaying skeletons, vampires, and so forth. They received not glorified bodies as Christ promises in our resurrection, but inhuman ones.

Bobbing for Apples. In A.D. 43 the Roman Empire was in solid control of the Celtic people. To honor their goddess of fruit trees, they would try to grasp fruit, floating in water, without the use of their hands.

   
         
 

Every bit of this is true. It's a scary thing. It's a demonic thing. Think twice before you say 'Happy Halloween!'












 So... I'm gonna ask you again. Is it really a Happy Halloween?

 ~Mercy

Westward bound

So this past month, me and my family went on a tour with a GREAT evangelist friend of ours, Jack Daniels. It was GREAT!! We saw 5 people saved the whole trip. First we left Arkansas and went straight to New Mexico. After a long night of traveling, we made it in Albuquerque! We sang on that Sunday morning and then left for Arizona. We got to see the gorgeous Grand Canyon! It was to beautiful for words. I can't even begin to describe it. It is a MUST SEE for everyone. After that we hit Texas on our way home. It doesn't sound like it was a long trip, but it actually took us 10 days. Lol.

It was such a great experience! We've been doing this since 2007. In '07 we toured the East Coast. That was actually a 32 day trip. I loved every second of it too. Last year we did the plain states. It was by far my favorite. :) It was STUNNING in all of the plain states. I'm ready for next year!!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   ~Mercy~