Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
          creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

    Princess Turquoise starts her day in prayer. She pours out her heart to God before the first gleam of dawn. Her peacock "Mercy" stands beside her on the castle's deck overlooking Rainbow Cove. Prayer is a conversation with God, and Princess Turquoise begins her prayers by admitting her sins. She knows that God loved us so much that He showed Mercy by sending His only Son to be a sacrifice and take our sins away. Jesus died a cruel death on a cross so that our sins can be washed away by the blood of Jesus. There is nothing that she did or does that makes her righteous so that she can come before God in His throne room. When the guilt and power of sin is removed from us by God's free gift of grace it transforms (changes) us from the inside to a shining beauty outside. God's mercy is given to us to relieve the pain of the consequences of our sins. Mercy reminds us that redemptive freedom rescues us from the pathetic condition and misery of our sinfulness.

    Once we experience forgiveness from God we must extend that mercy to others by showing them forgiveness. Jesus told us to pray "forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us." Unforgiveness causes bitterness, resentfulness, and anger. Satan's grip on our hearts will be released when we learn to truely forgive those that do harm against us, and we will find inner peace and joy. Forgiveness is the beginning of God's transforming beauty in our hearts.