2.28.2015

A Call to Modesty

As you and a close friend are chatting over coffee at a local coffee shop, she asks you a question.  “I know you dress modestly, but isn’t it hard when those around you don’t?  Why exactly do you dress modestly?”  You knew this question would come up eventually, so you begin to explain the importance of modesty, we are called to modesty, and that modesty is a matter of the heart.

<<Is modesty important?>>
When you dress modestly, you are helping the young men (also your brothers-in-Christ) out.  Job 30:31 says:

I have made a covenant with my eyes;Why then should I look upon a young woman?”

It is an understatement that men have a huge difficulty when it comes to looking at ladies.  But why make it difficult for the Godly men, who have made the same covenant with their eyes as Job did, by wearing seductive articles of clothing?

This doesn't just apply to young women, but to young men as well.  Christian ladies have also made a covenant not to look at a young man!  So why continue wearing shirts with cut-off sleeves, or your baggy pants down to your ankles?  While tight, seductive clothing draws the wrong attention to you young men, sleeveless shirts and pants to your ankles draws the wrong attention to us young ladies.

Modesty also reflects to others that you desire to be different, and it could be a great way to share your faith.  I’m not saying, “Dress modestly in order to get attention”, because then you are doing it for the wrong reason.  But remember, you may be the only “Bible” people may ever read!  When others see that you don’t dress like others around you, they will start looking at other aspects of your life, and may eventually come up to you and ask what is different about you.

You will also be respected when you dress modestly!  This is the reason why: when you dress modestly, it seems to challenge men and young men (specifically) to treat you like a lady and give you the respect you deserve.  Again, I’m not telling you to dress in order to get respect…..I’m simply telling you this, because it’s a blessing that comes with this decision.

<<Are we called by God to modesty?>>
God desires His children to dress modestly….we know this because of His command in Deuteronomy 22:5:

“A woman shall not wear man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.

If He didn’t care about what we wear, or how we dress, then He wouldn’t have added that commandment in the Bible!

1 Timothy 2:9 says:

“Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments,”

Paul wrote to Timothy and specifically told him that the women were to wear “proper clothing, modestly and discreetly”!  “What is proper clothing?”  Proper clothing would be, a skirt to the knee cap (or longer), a ¾” sleeve shirt, a v-neck shirt with a lace camisole (with adjustable straps) underneath, flats (instead of high heels), etc.

Like I said before, if modesty wasn't so important to God, then He wouldn't have had it added in the Bible.

As women (and men), we are to obey the call to modesty…not because Alisha is calling us, but because God has called us!

<<Modesty is a matter of the heart?>>
To dress modestly, your heart has to be ready, otherwise, you won’t be happy, and you will constantly want to go back to wearing the seductive clothing.

I’m not saying the devil will never come to you and try to make you discontent in obeying the call to modesty, because he will.  The devil will always bring thoughts to your head about “wearing pants is a whole lot more convenient” or “if you wear pants, you will have more friends” or “wearing pants will make you ‘fit in’”.  The devil doesn't want you to obey the call to modesty, because you are a step closer to conforming to Christ (and he doesn't want that).

God wants your heart to be in the right place when you obey His call to modesty.  He wants you to do it because He’s called you to it, not because you have to.  He wants it to be your conviction, not the conviction of your conservative friend, but you’re doing it because she wants you to.

If your heart isn't ready to obey the call to modesty, then God doesn't want you to heed the call.  He wants your heart to be ready….however, God doesn't call the equipped, He equips the called!  If He’s calling you, He will make your heart ready for what He’s calling you to!

<<Is modesty required?>>
To be honest…I wish it was….then the world would be closer to being a better place!  But to answer the question, no, it’s not required!

You will not go to Hell, just because you decided that you didn’t need to obey the call to modesty!  You only go to Hell if you refuse to heed His call to Salvation (but that’s a completely different topic)!

God doesn't force anyone to dress modestly; He wants a willing heart to obey His call!

******************


So after you finish answering your friends’ questions, she seems to understand all you said.  As you two go your own ways, you silently pray that God will convict her, and that He helps her obey…the call…to modesty!

In HIS grace, Alisha

2.22.2015

Let go and let God

As I look out on the horizon, the view is beautiful – a sunset with colors of pink, purple, and gold. As long as I don't look at where I am currently standing … I will be fine … “don't look down Alisha! Don't look down! Don't look down!” I take a deep breath and take in the beauty of what lies ahead of me. Then it happens … I look down! My heart starts beating faster and faster. I feel as if I'm gonna burst out in tears. My hands and legs start to tremble. I need to move back, but I can't … I can't move. If I move, then I will miss the beauty of what is ahead of me.

I'm not one to write a post like this, mainly cuz I can never seem to write it without it sounding like a mumbled jumbled mess. Plus, I've been to ashamed to admit to anyone that I'm not “fine” or “great” or “pretty fantastic”. So bare with me as I try to admit to everyone, how I am truly feeling!

You see, last year if you would have asked me if I was content in where God has me in life, I would answer in a heartbeat “yes I am most definitley!” In fact, after I had finished reading Leslie Ludy's book “Sacred Singleness”, I decided that I need to surrender everything to God. After that, well, I didn't feel discontent. I felt revived / inspired / encouraged / alive / happy … the list could go on.

Then it happened!

God turned my world upside down in November 2014 … He turned it upside down, in a way I never thought He would. But I didn't let this steal my content … I just prayed and kept on living life like nothing had even happened.

Then I noticed something within me start to change. I noticed that my mind kept going back to how God turned my world upside down. But I wasn't about to let the devil steal my content … oh my no! It had taken me 7-8 years to get the point of contement … there was no way it was going to be stolen from me!

Then the end of January 2015 came – and once again God turned my world upside down! And once again, I was shocked at how He went about doing it. Once again, my mind kept going back to how God turned my world upside down both times. Only this time … I noticed that the devil had stolen a part of my contentment. I notice that I don't feel as happy/revived/alive/inspired/encouraged.

Now as we near the end of February 2015 … well, my mind still goes back to how God turned my world upside down those two times, but this time my mind is more focused on the last time. You see, my mind is stuck on the last one cuz it was “physical”. Now … I'm standing on the edge – wondering, “what will come of this?” “Does this mean anything?” “What does 2015 truly have in store for me?”

In the start of my post, I used an example of me standing on the edge of a high cliff, looking out at the beautiful sunset on the horizon. I did that cuz I can use it in my current situation …

Right now, I'm standing on the edge, wondering what will come about with what God is doing. But like in the example, I'm looking ahead … and what Alisha is seeing is absolutley beautiful … what Alisha sees is the future she has always dreamed of and desired. I don't want to take a step back, cuz I might not be able to see what's ahead. I won't be able to see what the future holds when Alisha has let herself take control.

Is what I'm going through all beacause Alisha has taken the reigns again? Absolutley not, I truly believe it's is all God. But now that I can see what might happen, well, let's just say Alisha needs to … in the words of her Dad … “let go and let God!”

Just this past Friday, I had this thought:

What if what I'm currently going through, is God testing me? He knows that I'm not a patient person, and what I'm currently going through does indeed require lots of patience. Yes when God turned my world upside down, it was physical, but will I be able to trust God in the future if it happens again?

Was this thought from God? I dunno … but what I do know is this:

if this is a test … then I am failing miserably!

I hate despise the feeling of failure … always have, always will! So in order for me to “pass the test”, I guess what I need to do take Dad's words and make it go from being head knowledge to heart knowledge.

In order for me to “pass the test” 
I need to be patient and let go and let God!


In HIS grace, Alisha
         xoxoxox

2.21.2015

Take the survey


Please fill out this survey and send it to me as soon as you can. This survey will help me discover what your interests are, what you want to see on my blog, and most importantly what you don’t like about it. As the author of this blog, I would really like to know what you (my readers) truly think about this blog, what you want to see on my blog, etc.


I would like to see more posts on…
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I really don’t like articles with the topic of…
gossip
true friendship
beauty & character
goals & recaps

As an individual I believe in:

I really don’t like the fact that you won’t allow pictures with young ladies wearing tight pants, tight shirts, etc.
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I absolutely love the fact that you encourage young ladies to grow in faith and strive to be the godly young woman God wants them to be.
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Looking forward to seeing what y'all have to say :)

In HIS grace, Alisha
       xoxoxox

2.20.2015

Beauty vs. Character

In today's society all you ever hear about is “how to make yourself look 10 years younger” or “10 exercise moves that will give you the body you've always dreamed of” or “going gluten/dairy/sugar/fat/carb/sodium/nut free is the way to live a healthy life”. It seems that everywhere you turn, everyone is focused on beauty. Beauty this … beauty that … beauty, beauty, beauty. Don't get me wrong … I love looking/feeling beautiful (most of the time lol), but when emphasis is only on beauty, doesn't it seem that we're making beauty an idol/god?

The desire of a man is his kindness: and a poor man is better than a liar.”
Proverbs 19:22

Girls, there is only so much we can do outwardly, there is a great deal more we can do inwardly! Instead of “improving” ourselves outwardly, how are we improving ourselves inwardly (our character)?

Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.”
Proverbs 31:30

is vain = does not last.

If beauty doesn't last, then why is there so much emphasis being put into it? I mean really … what's more important: how beautiful we are or how beautiful our character is? If you think about, once you've been dead for about 3-6 months (or even a year), people won't remember how beautiful you made yourself look. What they'll remember is how kind + generous + compassionate + humble you were. If you are focused on who you are in Christ and attempt to fear the Lord (as Proverbs 31:30 says), then you will leave behind an absolutely beautiful legacy. What kind of legacy will you leave behind?


But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD looketh on the heart.”
1 Samuel 16:7

Okay this verse is very blunt! When God judges us for what we do, He judges our works and our character … not our outward appearance. While we spend hours on end trying to enhance ourselves outwardly, we should spend even longer to develop our inward character. What is more attractive: your outward appearance or your character?

So what will you start putting more emphasis in : your beauty or your character?  I know for me, I will be working on putting more emphasis in my character!

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In HIS grace, Alisha
       xoxoxoxox

2.18.2015

Don't be a busybody

“Oh my gosh! Did you hear?? Alisha is going to make a very special announcement. You didn't hear this from me, but I heard that she's in a courtship!”
Wow … it's ah-may-zing how easily gossip can get started! Before I continue with this post, I need to clear everything up. I am not in a courtship nor is there a special announcement … sorry for the disappointment lol.

The Bible says:

The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.” 
Proverbs 18:8

Refusing to listen to gossip is just as easy as refusing a piece of cheesecake. Once you take a bite of that savory sweetness, you want more and more and more (oh no … now I'm hungry lol). Same goes with gossip! Once you start listening , you long to hear the rest. However, if you resist the opportunity to “nibble” on the gossip, then you won't crave the “second piece” and the “third piece”.

A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor is a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow.” 
Proverbs 25:18

Think about this verse for minute … a person who gossips is compared to a weapon of violence. So the next time you are being tempted to gossip, imagine yourself “stabbing” your “victim” (the person you're talking about) with a sword … haha I'm sure your mind will be quickly changed lol.

Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.” 
Exodus 23:1

God commanded not to make or pass along false reports (gossip) for a reason. It will/can undermine families, friendships, etc. Next time you're tempted to pass along gossip, remember that our Lord has commanded against it and squelch the false report.

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” 
2 Thessalonians 3:11-12

When you aren't spending time doing things worth while, you will find yourself easily tempted to gossip (I speak from experience gulp). So in order to resist the temptation, spend your time doing worth while activities (reading the Bible, journaling, working out, typography, etc).

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Did you find this post helpful and encouraging and inspiring? Leave a comment and let me know ;)
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 Is there a topic you would like me to post about? Leave a comment and let me know think ;)

In HIS grace, Alisha
      xoxoxoxox

2.17.2015

Are you fair weathered or loyal?

>> What is friendship supposed to be like? <<
Many people have a different "ideas" of what a friendship is supposed to be/look like.  Some have the mentality of "we won't talk about faith/religion/denomination" or "no idle conversation" or "we'll talk about boys, fashion, boys, TV, boys, music, + boys."
There is definite merit to the second mentality ... conversations should not be pointless, but you don't have to talk about faith in order for it not to be idle.  And at times, the first mentality could be practiced.  However, if you can't talk about your faith with your "friend" then you may need to decide whether or not this is a friendship you should keep.

So let's take a look and see what the Bible says about what a friendship should be like.

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Psalm 1:1

This verse is pretty clear in who you should not associate yourself with ... so we don't need to go in depth with this.  But you need to ask yourself:

*Do your friends build up your faith, or do they tear it down?

This question is important because the influence of true friends should draw you closer to God, not hinder your relationship with Him.

So now we know that friendship is supposed to be:

*Edifying/encouraging/inspiring

and it's supposed to 

*build up your faith


>>> My friend + I stopped talking for about a year, because of the difference in denominations.  Is that wrong? <<<

I can't give a definite answer with this one actually ... here's why:

// if you + your friend stopped talking because she was trying to convert you to her religion/denomination, then no you weren't wrong.

But if ...

// you + your friend stopped talking because you stepped over the line, she responded a tad harsh + you went to your mom + dad's rescue ... then yes you were in the wrong.

The last example is what happened to me + my dear friend.  My family + I had just been hurt by the church we were attending.  So when my friend + I got in a "squabble" ... well we (my family + I took it personally). 

Just this morning, I came across a verse that really spoke to me + went perfectly with this post/topic.

"He that covereth a trangression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter seperateth very friends." Proverbs 17:9

This verse doesn't mean we can cover our own sins/trangessions!  It's talking about forgetting whatever your friend has done/or once did.  It also means that you don't throw past mistakes in their face ... what past is past ... forgive + forget.


My dear friend + I are in communication again ... and we have taken Proverbs 17:9 to heart.  After we apologized for our rash decisions, we don't talk about what happened a year ago ... we have chosen to forgive + forget.

>>> All the friends I once had, have all ended our friendship!  Why? <<<

"A friend love at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Proverbs 17:17

Many times, girls encounter "fair-weather friends".  They stick around when the friendship benefits them and then leave when they're not getting anyting out the relationship/friendship.  So maybe you've encountered friends like this or maybe you need to ask yourself:

*What kind of friend am I?

True friendship requires : sacrifice + loyalty + understanding

Sacrifice - you won't always get what you want out of the friendship. Much like marriage, it's a give/receive relationship.

You may giving for what seems like an eternity!  Giving advice, giving encouragment, giving your time, giving love, and giving patience.  
But then the wheel turns ... instead of giving, you are now on the receiving end.  Your receiving advice, receiving encouragment, receiving all their time, receiving love, and receiving the blessings from their patience.

Loyalty  - there will be times when you feel like the friendship isn't worth all the time + effort. However, don't give up ... show your friend that you will be there through the thick and thin.  Don't prove to be a fair-weather friend ... prove to be a true friend.

Understanding - this is so important!  When you come to the realization that you two are at different areas in your faith, the better off your friendship will be.

You may be at the point of understanding the true meaning of surrender + true purity, while your friend may be facing a situation in which she'll have to experience harship + sorrow in to get to where you are.  And while you can try to convice her + encourage her, all that that is really doing is making you sound "holier-than-thou".

While sacrifice + loyalty are important factors in a frienship, I truly believe that understanding is extremely important!

So are you a:

fair weather friend?
or a:
friend of sacrifice + loyalty + understanding?


<< In my frienship, the conversations aren't all faith based ... is that bad? <<<

Depending on what the conversations are about, I wouldn't consider it a bad thing.

If you two only talk about fashion, hair, shoes, a boyfriend, and the current "heart throb"; then yes it's a bad thing.

But if you two talk about everything, from views on faith all the way to coffee vs. tea; then no it's not a bad thing.

Just remember this :

you're conversation needs to be pure + of good report (Phil. 4:8).

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Any thoughts on this topic?  Leave a comment and let me know what your thoughts are ;)
Are there any topics you would like me to post about?  Leave a comment and let me know ;)

Happy Tuesday y'all :)

In HIS grace, Alisha
       xoxoxox

2.10.2015

The truth is told



and now y'all know what I'm impatient for lol.  Spring is fine too .... buut it just doesn't feel quite right when you have a bonfire in the spring =P

In HIS grace, Alisha
     xoxoxoxoxox

2.05.2015

January recap + February goals




*Blog more

*Get my hair highlighted

*Learn a new song to sing with Rhey

*Read Isaiah

*Read Proverbs

*Read Psalm 119

*Exercise 4x a week - I wasn't really consistent in this .... buuut i was  a lot better than December =P 

*Take more nature photos - surprisingly I didn't take a whole lot of photos January ... ohh well!


*Blog more

*Journal more

*Read Proverbs

*Read Ezekiel

*Exercise 4x a week

*Learn how to speak Tagalog

*Learn how to play "I'll Fly Away" on the piano

What are some goals that you have for this month?

Until next time!

In HIS grace, Alisha
      xoxoxoxox