God's Not Dead! He's Surely Alive! :)

    Today I went to the movie theater to see God's Not Dead. It was fantastic and very sad at the same time. 

It got me thinking........how many of us say we are "Christians"? How many of us actually believe it ourselves? How many of us just act like it on Sundays and Wednesday night? These questions rolled through my head as I sat there. 

Am I truly a Christian? Do I actually question God? How strong is my faith? Could I risk everything? Several more questions rolled through my head. Then I heard a voice "You are my child! You are my beautiful daughter!" 

Several scenes in the movie brought tears to my eyes. I sat there watching those "tear jerker" scenes just wondering how could those happen? Again that same voice says "Everything happens for a reason. I have a plan" 

I knew who was talking to me! I finally whispered through my tears "Okay God! I understand now You have shown me Your work! I am Yours!" 

Now as I start to go off to college, I know I will have to face challenges. I may have to risk everything. I may lose everything, but GOD IS NOT DEAD! I have NOT lost God! 

GOD IS NOT DEAD HE IS SURELY ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am living proof! 

Britt Nicole "Gold"

Britt Nicole is a Christian Pop Singer who is amazing! She has a song called "Gold" and it applies to EVERYONE.................girls and guys!

This is the chorus:
"This, this is for all the girls, boys all over the world
Whatever you've been told, you're worth more than gold
So hold your head up high, it's your time to shine
From the inside out it shows, you're worth more than gold
(Gold gold, you're gold)
You're worth more than gold
(Gold gold, you're gold)"

God made you for a purpose. Psalm 139:14 says "I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful I know that full well." (NIV) Every little detail to the shape of your body to the color of your hair He designed perfectly! There is no one like you. You are unique! 

No matter what even if you do not believe it....................YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! God thinks you are worth more than GOLD!!!! He loves you so much He sent Jesus Christ to die for your sins and my sins (John 3:16). 

So go to the Bible for encouragement, but also look up Britt Nicole! She's pretty awesome! 

Sisters In Christ----Whitney Dixon

 This is my other 

best friend! Her name is Whitney Dixon. She is amazing and I love her so much! This picture is at a birthday party my 9th grade year, her 10th grade year. She is one amazing friend and I am so blessed to have her and Beth in my life. 

 These are my two best friends

Whitney (on left) and Beth (on right). We have been friends since I started my 8th grade year, but got closer

my Sophomore year. They have been there when I've needed someone to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. They know things about me that no one else knows. I am very grateful that I have the friendship I have with them, because now I know two people who I can trust. 

 This picture was at 

Region Literary two years ago. I (again) am so blessed everyday that I have the friends in my life that God has blessed me with. The three of us can't be separated if we are together........THREE MUSKETEERS! God is so good, He blessed me with two amazing and inspiring people who are my BEST FRIENDS!!!!!!!! 

 Junior/Senior Prom 2013

"A Night at The Masters" my only prom with her, but a memorable one. She is so much fun and is a better dancer than me by a LONG SHOT!!!! Haha! I never knew that I would be so close to someone like her.She has a huge heart for Christ! 

I am very grateful! I am extremely blessed! God has blessed me with two amazing friends! 

BLESSED with the Power of Friendship, Family, and Christ

This picture was my "Birthday Lunch" that I had with all my friends at school! It was amazing to see how blessed I was and still am with the friends that I have and can turn to when things get hard!

We all have gotten so much closer every year. I am so sad to part ways with these amazing blessings God has put in my life! I mean EXTREMELY blessed! I wouldn't be who I am today without A) My Lord & Savior Jesus Christ, B) My family, and C) ALL my friends! No matter how bad things get I know I have those three things to get me through! 

    Dear Heavenly Father, 

Thank you SO much for such a fantastic family and amazing friends. More importantly YOU & YOUR SON! Lord, I wouldn't be here if it had not been for you sending Jesus Christ to die for my sins! *John 3:16* I am so thankful and forever grateful to have all that I have! Thank you for this BEAUTIFUL day of Spring! In Your Son's Name I pray! 

    Amen! 

~Lecie 

*John 3:16* "For God so loved the world that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life." 

Sisters in Christ

 BEST FRIENDS!!!!!!!!! From my Eighth year till FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She has been an incredible blessing in my life! Her name is Beth Jenkins (wanderingforevermore.blogspot.com is her blog check her out.) I never knew we would become SO close. This picture is our most recent.....Plugged-In 2014!!!!!!! 

 This was Homecoming 2012 at our school 

Edmund Burke Academy Spartans!! This picture shows our relationship SO well! She has always been there by my side through it all no matter what. If I needed a shoulder to cry on she was there, if I needed someone to vent out to or complain as the case may be.......she was there! ALWAYS! God blessed me with an incredible best friend! We tell each other everything and we have a bond that will never be broken! 

 The Junior Ring Ceremony 2012! This was when I got my class ring. The Seniors present them to the Juniors, of course I picked Beth!! My ring has a more sentimental value than anything. I wear it everyday and it reminds me that I have a wonderful friend who has such a HUGE heart for Christ. I have learned so much from her! God has blessed our friendship 

 Junior/Senior Prom 2013 "A Night At The Masters" 

My only prom with my best friend, but a memorable one. We had so much fun! I will never forget that night for as long as I live! Again I say that God has blessed me so much with a wonderful person. She will never know how lucky I am to have her in my life and she has inspired me to pursue my passion in writing. She is the one who told me to write my heart out when I competed last year and this year in Region Literary. 

 This is so true for us! I really can't explain any more than what I already have. I will say this.....

Beth, 

Whenever you read this I hope you know how much you mean to me. I know I tell you all the time, but if I didn't tell you it wouldn't be true. What I have written in this post is 100% TRUE!!! You have helped me through so many challenges in my life. I pray that we will ALWAYS remain best friends! Love you girlie! 

~Lecie 

Plugged-In 2014 continued......

Continued from my last post...........This is my amazing small group that I had. Mrs. Lorretta Stembridge (www.dancingonthedash.com) she was my small group leader. They were so amazing and I felt like I can open up to them without them judging me or my actions. We all can relate in some kind of way!

Annie and I. The speaker

I talked about in my previous post. She has become one of my greatest friends. She writes like she is talking to you. She is an amazing person, Christian, friend that a teen girl could EVER ask for. The first time I met her I wondered if we could really be related. She isn't afraid to share her life experiences at the right time. "I like having fun!" -Annie Downs! We are not suppose to live this life alone, we need Jesus in our lives! She also has a devotion to go with her book Speak Love it is called Speak Love Revolution 30 days. 

 This picture was Sunday during 

our last worship service! I didn't plan on getting up and talking, but it just happened. Plugged-In changed my life two years ago. I became a Christian at this retreat! God allowed me to meet Annie so I could see that I was not alone in the struggles I was facing. She dealt with the same things I was going through. So I told her on Sunday "Thank you Annie for all you have taught me throughout the years." Which was 100% true! God has used her to show me that no matter what I am not alone in my struggles. No matter what you are facing in your life.....God will never leave you! 

 We were apart of a global service project

called Sole Hope. This organization makes and sends shoes to the people of Uganda, Africa. In this picture we were cutting out the plastic soles to go into the shoes. We made 41 pairs of shoes out of old jeans! Wow! That was incredible! I am so blessed that I was apart of that, the fact that a kid is going to have a pair of shoes because of me is a humbling feeling inside my heart. If you ever have a chance to be apart of something like this or in your own community TAKE THAT CHANCE!!!!!!!!!!!! It will change your whole output on life and make you see how many blessings you have in your life. I know I did! 

Thank you to Mrs. Lorretta Stembridge for taking the amazing photos! 

Plugged-In 2014! Teen Girl Retreat!

I just got back from a girls retreat in Waynesboro, Georgia! It is called Plugged-In (2014)!!!! It is so much fun and worth the time to attend.

Our speaker was Ms. Annie F. Downs, author of Speak Love-Making Your Words Matter and Perfectly Unique. She has a blog called Annie Blogs annieblogs.com follow her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, etc.... She is an amazing writer and author. Look her up!

Anyway she has come to Plugged-In for 3 years now, and she has been an important asset to our group. As I walked in that Friday afternoon, an instant smile came across my face. Why you ask? Well I saw people that I haven't seen since that time last year. First person I saw was my two best friends Beth Jenkins (blog is wandering forevermore------check it out) and Whitney Dixon. I haven't seen those girls since Homecoming day at my school (Edmund Burke Academy) in October.

All the ladies who made this retreat happen really deserve a HUGE thank you!!!!!! Our theme was how to become an authentic community. Our theme verse was Acts 2:42 "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." Some important words in that verse are DEVOTED, TEACHING, FELLOWSHIP, BREAKING OF BREAD, AND PRAYER. There are three types of people in our lives: Plane- they know you but you don't know them, Bus-Everyday people, and Car-Your closest friends & family. Who is in your car and bus?

On Saturday we did service projects throughout our community, I was apart of cleaning The Center For New Beginnings, a tutoring place for kids with special needs. Every time I help someone or a group of people I get a humble feeling inside my heart. Also was apart of a global project called "Sole Hope" this organization makes and sends shoes to the people in Uganda, Africa. We made soles for 41 pairs of shoes for the children. That was the most humbling feeling and I was blessed to be apart of it. If you EVER have a chance to help in your community or even better within the world then TAKE THAT CHANCE!!!!!

Annie talked about her life experiences within her life, some were SO FUNNY, others were more serious. She wasn't showing us a fake person. She was showing us HER! The Annie that is her self and not someone else. Her book Speak Love is amazing, and will truly change the way you use your words. Be careful about how you use your words. Leave the right kind of "footprints in the sand" because you will never know who is following in them. Ephesians 4:25-26 says "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 'In your anger do not sin.' Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." Ephesians 4:31-32 says "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." 

WATCH YOUR THOUGHTS THEY BECOME YOUR WORDS
WATCH YOUR WORDS THEY BECOME YOUR ACTIONS
WATCH YOUR ACTIONS THEY BECOME YOUR HABITS
WATCH YOUR HABITS THEY BECOME YOUR CHARACTER

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE PLUGGED-IN 2014 POSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Chapel Lesson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyheJ480LYA This is the link to the video my lesson was about. It is called Lifehouse Everything Skit. It is VERY powerful!
   God created you for a purpose. This video shows how easily we can slip from God. Satan sends things in our lives to make us turn away. Everyday we are in a spiritual battle against something. Whatever it may be, God is pulling you back to Him. Cry out to God and you will be heard. (Basically a battle of tug of war) Psalm 116:1-2 says "I love the Lord, for He heard my voice, He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live." (NIV). After we accept Christ, that doesn't mean that all the trials won't happen. They WILL! I know! We just need to run and cry out to Him. Galatians 5:1 says "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, the, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
      Don't be afraid to run to God when something in your life goes wrong. He wants you to go to Him when you are hurting.


Hope you like the video!


See ya!


Lecie :)