Frequent Flyer Miles...

Starting in March through Good Friday I will be touring the U.S. and Canada with Soli Deo Gloria Ballet. This production entitled, "Ode to the Broken" will also feature my fellow homeschool graduates: Rachel Starr Thomson and Carolyn Currey. I am super excited!!

For more information about this tour, or to bring us to your city, visit: http://www.solideoballet.com/repertoire/odetothebroken/

And no, I will not be dancing. I will leave that to the professional

[  Mood: Happy ]
[  Currently: Listening to Scenic Roots Orphan Girl ]

Erin and Amber Rogers (who you can look up right here on HSA!) have an incredible new music video that you have to see! Share it with your friends and then drop them a note to tell them you love it The song is also available on itunes.

[  Mood: Happy ]

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This message was given at the 2009 "AWAKENING the LORD's Generation! Conference". Stephanie shared candidly and passionately, check it out...

<p><a href="http://vimeo.com/19357208">Stephanie Carrillo: "Do It Afraid"</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/lifecompassspeakers">Mercy Hope</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

[  Mood: Happy ]

Hey I wanted to let you all know that if you ever want to check up on me (since I am not updating this blog too often) you can go to: www.mercyhope.com/blog and get the latest. Thanks for listening!

This morning I watched the sun rise over the lake. The brilliant colors bursting through the cloud streaked sky created the perfect backdrop for the added element of seagulls soaring over the water. The combination of all this eye candy created a breathtaking scene. Truly one of those moments where you stop what you were doing, gaze, and go, “WOW”. God you are awesome! How great are the works of Your hands!!

Then my spirit swelled with the song that fills my mind more than any other. It is a song by Margaret Becker called, “All I Ever Wanted”. You know those songs that just express your heart better than your own words seem to be able to? This is one those for me – it echoes my heart in such a clarion way.

The lyric is:
From where I lay
I can see the sun
Rising through the trees
Before I face this morning rush
I get down on my knees

I lift my eyes
And thank You for
This life you've granted me
I pray that every day I live
Your heart will be pleased

I pray for hands that hold You
Higher than anything else
And a heart that loves You
More than life itself
This is all I've ever wanted
This is all I want to be
All I've ever wanted
Is to love You, faithfully

From where I stand
I can see the dreams
That you have fulfilled
Such kindness I did not deserve
But You gave it still

What do I have
That You did not give?
There's nothing that I can see
So all I have to give to You
Is what You've given me

So I bring these hands that hold you
Higher than anything else
And this heart that loves You
More than life itself
This is all I've ever wanted
This is all I want to be
All I've ever wanted
Is to love You, faithfully

I know I don't have the power
To love You like I should
But every day with everything I have
I wish I could
I'm standing here now
These words I pray
I wanna love You better
Whatever it takes…

To hear the beautiful melody, watch:



I recently heard Lance Wallnau say, “Hold lightly the CONTEXT of the fulfillment of your destiny”.

In other words, you may be called to be an evangelist and you think that the context will be New York City because you live just across the border in New Jersey, and it makes sense, but in reality the context of that vision from God is actually to be fulfilled by Him sending you to East Asia. It is not that God is untrue to His word, it is that we often times put His promise (or command) in a context that is familiar, or comfortable, but one that He didn’t intend.

I am learning in this season of life to hold loosely the CONTEXT of my destiny while holding fast to the CREATOR of that destiny.

No matter where He takes me, or how many times I am uprooted and get new marching orders, the bottom line for me is this: all I really want in this life is to love my Savior, Redeemer and LORD, FAITHFULLY. Everything else simply flows out of that one thing.

Thank you so much to Glory and Kerry Haney for letting people know it was my birthday and for all the friends who left me a note! It made my day! I love and appreciate you all!!! I wish I had time to write each one of you personally, but am focused and busy prepping for a conference in NC (www.lifecompassconference.eventbrite.com) that I am helping to organize, plus speaking at. Hope to connect soon though...

[  Currently: Listening to my nephew playing in the livingroom ]

I thought it would bless those who's thoughts and prayers have been with Chris Klicka (and are now picturing him running in Heaven) to enjoy a few video clips of his impact while he was with us...

[  Mood: Very Sad ]

The last few days I have been sad and distracted because Chris Klicka (HSLDA attorney, author, speaker) seems to be slipping away from this life and transitioning into the next. I am happy for him because I know he has physically suffered for so long, and I know he has an awesome homecoming waiting. But I will miss him. I will miss after convention dinners and voice mails and emails and convention hall conversation.

I was blessed to meet Chris and Tracy Klicka for the first time in 2003 at the HSLDA National Leadership Conference. I had heard good things about them all my growing up years from my mom, Skeet Savage who had a great deal of respect for them, but once I met them for myself my admiration for them just soared.

In June of 2008 I was blessed to reconnect with Chris at a the CHEO convention in Columbus where we got talking about our mutual hero of the faith: Joni Eareckson Tada. Since he didn't know how to get a letter to Joni he typed up an email and asked me to forward it on to her for him, which I was honored to do. This point of connection forged a priceless relationship. After that I kept in touch better because I knew how precious each interaction with him was and that his time was short.

The last time I was with Chris was on May 14-16 of this year and the first thing out of his mouth was "Mercy! Thank you again for connecting me up with Joni..." and he went on to share again how much it meant to him. And before that weekend was out I would hear several more times about how Joni was his hero and and at dinner he shared how when he is in Heaven some day he was going to be looking forward to "dancing with Joni Eareckson!" which he said with a huge smile.

I told him, "Chris, Joni is a hero of the faith to me as well, but what Joni is to you, you are to me!"

It was such a gift to get to spend time with Chris because he and Tracy's journey of faith through the rough and painful journey of MS has challenged and inspired me so much. Getting to personally know Chris better over the past couple of years has been an incredible gift from God! I could not be more grateful for that priceless blessing! And that is what I keep reminding my heart... how grateful to God I am for what I was given in being a friend of such a great man in the final days of his life. I will think back on and treasure that always.

There is a recent interview with Chris that a friend of his did. It's short and what Chris shares in so good. Check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/mchopester#play/favorites/1/_SBJjc45sg8