Are you thankful for your dad?

Memory Verse:

...but bring them up in the nurture

and admonition of the Lord

{Ephesians 6:4b}

Our Father above gave us our earthly daddy for a specific reason. Even though we may not see it or understand it now, the Lord did it for our protection.

• How do you show your dad that you love Him?

• Think back to the last time your dad protected you. Looking back now, are you thankful that he did?

• What other vere(s) can you think of and memorize, that will help you remember that your dad will protect you?

List ten ways your daddy has protected you

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You are more than welcome to copy this post for your personal use only.  

I wrote all these out on a piece of paper and taped it to the front inside cover of my journal ... so I have a constant reminder of how blessed I am to have an earthly protection :)

In HIS grace, Alisha

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!

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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

Outward beauty vs. inner beauty : the constant battle

I have a question for you:

Is outward beauty more important that inner beauty?

I have been asking myself for a little over a month now ... why?  Perhaps it's because I see people around me taking more care in how they look, rather than what the state of their heart is.  Perhaps it's because I witness people around me entering into relationships only because the other is extremely handsome or extremely beautiful.  What ever the reason is, the question still remains, which is more important?

Before I reveal the answer, why don't we a little study on what inner beauty is shall we.  Then we will see what the Bible says about inner beauty, and that should tell us which one is important.  Let's begin ;)

What is inner beauty?

This is a question that I have always stumbled on in answering .... am I the only one?  If you were to have asked my friend's little sister (which I didn't intend to do when she was 5) you will get an answer like this (the young girl took the question literally):

"Ali, a person can't be beautiful on the inside... the inside of a person is just plain ugly!"

I have to be honest ... I have never been able to come up with a good explanation of inner beauty, so here is what the Urban Dictionary defines inner beauty as:

Inner beauty basically means being a generally good person. Being kind, honest, etc.

Many people think inner beauty is just a phrase "used for ugly people to make them feel better about themselves." People who think that are sorely mistaken.

Not all people who have inner beauty are "ugly," in fact, many people with inner beauty also have outer beauty. So you can't just look at someone and know if they have inner beauty, you have to get to know them first.

Ever heard the phrase, "It's what's on the inside that counts"? It's true.

She doesn't have any inner beauty, the only thing she has is her looks.

This is how I've always thought of inner beauty as, but have always been afraid (I guess you could say) of pubicly sharing it as such (not to mention, it sounded better than mine haha :P)

What does the Bible say about inner beauty?

So we know that inner beauty is basically about our attitude, how we treat others, etc.  Here are a few verses that talk about inner beauty.

"Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." 

Proverbs 31:30

~ Is it wrong to desire to look our best?  Absolutely not!  It is wrong however, if you spend two hours in front of the mirror, making sure your hair is absolutley perfect, and your make-up is absolutley perfect, etc.  Remember, we won't be praised for how "perfect" we make ourselves ... we will be praised by our fear of the Lord!

"But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 

1 Samuel 16:7

~ If you aren't familiar with the story, Samuel went to the house of Jesse in order to anoint the next king of Israel.  Samuel was about to anoint a young man who was tall and handsome (just like Saul, who had recently died), and the Lord commanded Samuel with the above verse.  Samuel then asked Jesse if he had any more sons, and Jesse brought in David who was "ruddy, and withal o fa beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to" ... right then the Lord commanded Samuel to anoint David as the next king of Israel.

The most important thing to take from this verse is this: God looks at the heart, therefore, we should look at the heart too.  

>> If that means that a couple waits to go further in their relationship because they need to really see what they are like on the inside, then great!

If that means that you end up only being aquaintances with someone who is beautiful/handsome, only because inwardly they are (in the 5 year olds words) "ugly", then good for you!

>>Don't base all your decisions on what the outside looks like .... you could get yourself into a lot of trouble ... truuuust me!

"Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious." 

1 Peter 3:3-4

~ Here are a couple more characteristics of inner beauty: a gentle and quiet spirit.

Instead of adorning yourself to "enhance" your outward beauty, focus on "enhancing" your inner beauty.

>>One thing I admire about the Amish ... they don't exhert all their energy in the latest fashion trends, make-up secrets, making sure their hair is "perfect", making sure their shoes math their outfit, just so they can be outwardly beautiful.  They exhert that energy elsewhere, and focus on being simple and plain, so others will be drawn to them by their character (inner beauty).

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day." 

2 Corinthians 4:16

~I don't know why, but I have always loved this verse.  Perhaps it's because it mentions that while outward beauty wastes away, our inner beauty is being renewed (meaning it will never waste away).  I truly think believe that that's why I love the verse so much.

>>This verse has caused me to think about what my grandpa once told me:

"When we die, eventually our loved ones, our friends, our co-workers, etc., will forget what we looked like, what we wore, how we wore our hair, how we wore our make-up, if our shoes matched every outfit, etc.  But they will never forget how we were kind/unkind, selfless/selfish, caring/careless, etc.  No matter how much emphasis we put into how we look, the only thing that will matter in the end is what we say, think, or do."

(ps. the link on my grandpa was from my very first blog - which I have never been able to get back into haha)

So ... which one is more important?  Outward beauty or inner beauty?

If you answered inner beauty, then congratulations (I'm very sorry, but there is no prize for you, the lucky winner haha).

I pray this post was of help to any of you and that y'all have a great night!!!

In HIS grace, Alisha

     xoxoxoxox

Covering your head

There are many views on the passage in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 ... the passage regarding head coverings.  Most people today believe that head coverings are only for the Amish, Mennonite, Muslims, or Jews.  But on the contrary, head coverings are for all ladies.

Let's walk through certain verses in this passage together, so you can understand my reasoning behind my statement head coverings are for all ladies.

"But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoureth her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven." (1 Corinthians 11:5)

"Well there you have it Alisha.  If we are to cover our heads, it shouldn't be daily, but only for church."

Okay I see that reasoning, since the verse states prayer and prophecy.  However let me state this first before I move on:

"Pray without ceasing." (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

According to this verse, we are to pray non-stop.  Which means ... covering your head should be daily if you are to constantly be in prayer.  That's just something for you to think on.

Now here are a few questions that I've heard people ask others and questions that I've read:

:: Are head coverings only for Sabbath?

:: Will I be mistaken for being a Muslim young lady?

:: Is covering your head a Salvation issue?

:: Is covering your head another form of modesty?

Okay allow me to answer these questions:

:: Are head coverings only for Sabbath?

~ Head coverings can (or should) be worn daily or can be worn only for Sabbath.  Since it's not a Salvation issue, I say don't fuss over it and become legalistic.

I actually know a dear, sweet young lady who wears head coverings for Shabbat and Sabbath.  Why?  To set apart Friday night and Saturday apart from the other days of the week, in order to save something special for her Lord's day.  Is she legalistic about it?  Absolutely not ... it's her own personal conviction.

::Will I be mistaken for being a Muslim young lady?

~ I want to answer this question with a question:

Would you rather be known as a modest muslim young lady or a young lady of the world?

Being that the head coverings are different in the Muslim religion, I would say that you would probably be mistaken for a really conservative Christian young lady.

:: Is covering your head a Salvation issue?

~ Absolutely not!  I do believe however that covering your head is way to show your love to your Heavenly Father.  I love the verse in John 14:21:

"He that hath my [the Lord's] commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him." 

(John 14:21)

"Alisha, covering your head isn't commanded by God, but Paul."

Technically Paul doesn't command covering your head, but addresses it to the church in Corinth.  However, Paul states in 1 Corinthians 14:37:

"If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I [Paul] write unto you are the commandments of the Lord."

I think that Paul addresses his point clearly in this verse.

:: Is covering your head another form of modesty?

~ After covering my head for five days, I tend to believe that it is another form of modesty.  Individual young ladies are welcome to believe what they want in this regard.  

I know of five young ladies (all from the same family) who cover their head all the time.  Why?  For a modesty factor and because of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (for the reason I stated earlier).

Why do I believe it is another form of modesty?

Much like dressing in modest clothing challenges the men around us, the same goes for covering your head.  

There have been multiple times where a man next to me will rush to the door and open it for me.  Why? Well ... I can only point out two factors:

1. modest clothing  

2. my head was covered

And other times when I'm talking to a guy, he will respond in a respectful way, such as:

"yes ma'am"

"no ma'am"

"ma'am can I help you?"

"can I help you carry that?"

Okay ... even just wearing modest clothing, the guys would be like:

"yeah"

"nope"

"hey, you need help?"

"oh here, since your hands are full let me get the doors for ya."

Wow ... and I used to think that girls who covered their heads were exaggerating hahaha ... but they weren't.  Guys truly do show more respect and are indeed challenged when a lady covers her head.

For me personally, I am attempting to cover my head all the time.  I see it in Scripture and I feel as if God is calling me to this new found conviction.  Why?

:: it's a symbol of authority (1 Corinthians 11:10)
:: it's a way to show my love for my Heavenly Father

:: it's to be worn while I'm praying (which is without ceasing)

:: it's a way for me to be set-apart for Christ

:: it helps others focus on the beauty of my heart and not my physical beauty

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not covering my head for the respect factor, but it is a nice blessing to be respected the way a lady should be respected.  I'm doing it because I want to obey God's commands and show Him that I love Him in any possible way!

I'm not trying to push my new found conviction on you.  I'm simply writing this to get my two cents worth in.  Oooh and to tell you this, "if the pictures I publish on here show me in a head covering .... you know why lol ;)"

BTW: I get my head coverings from my dear friend.  Right now she doesn't have head coverings listed ... I think it might be hard to list head coverings while you're away in Israel (she and her family are helping with the harvest).

I pray you all have a blessed day!

In HIS grace, Alisha

My encouragement for today!!!!

I found these on Pinterest today...and thought I would share them with you!

I have been praying about something major lately...I'm not going to share with you right now (maybe in the near future), but please pray that the Lord's will!  That He will open the doors that no man can shut, and shut the doors that no man can open.  And that my parents and I will have an overwhelming peace from our Father if it's His will or not!  I thank y'all for your prayers....do you have anything I can pray for?

<3

Lord help me become that type of young woman!!!!!!!!!!!

Well...not for two years...it could be a month or two!

Love from,

Alisha

xoxox

I will never be the same

I grew up going to church, and like most children, I knew the song “Jesus Loves Me” – I even went to a Christian daycare.  Although I had grown up hearing about God and Jesus, I didn't know that I was a sinner damned to Hell.  My mother became a Christian in 1997, but as a new Christian she didn't know exactly how to live out her faith (God was slowly working on her).

When I was eight years old, my mother led both me and my dad to the Lord.  I truly believe that I became a part of the family of God that night.  However, as a young child, I believed that the Christian walk was going to be a bed of roses.  I have always had an evangelistic heart – I began witnessing to everyone (I was even sent to the principles office for witnessing on the playground).  At eight and a half years old I gave a piece of my heart to my good friend, only to have him break my childish heart a few days later.

At nine years old, God led me to trusting Him with my heart.  December 27, 2009 I vowed to remain pure until the Lord brought the right man into my life.  I went to all of my friends and told them about the decision I had made.  Instead of encouragement, I heard “Alisha you're crazy!”, but I didn't let that phase me.  I kept on keeping my heart pure – and still am.

When I was thirteen, the Christian walk became an extremely bumpy path for me.  We had been living in TX for a year, when my parents told me that I wasn't able to go to the young group until I was fourteen.  I got mad at God and my parents, and decided that I could live my life better without God.  Finally fourteen rolled around and I was able to go to the youth group.  One night, the pastor's son asked me out on a date.  Out of spite for my parents, and without hesitation, I told him “yes”.  Surprised to hear that I had accepted, he told me that it was an April Fools joke, which really bothered me.  God was trying to pull me closer to Him by giving me an uneasy feeling about this youth group.  Heeding this feeling, I stopped going, and thankfully God led us to a different church.

At the age of fifteen, I got myself into some trouble and even contemplated hurting myself.  I was choosing to follow the crowd, and not follow the Word of God.  I was allowing my past mistakes to control me.  I was in a secret relationship, listened to music that wasn't glorifying to God, talking like the world, and simply not living my faith out.  

When I turned sixteen, I couldn't hide my miserable life any longer.  I told my parents what I had been doing, and they were extremely disappointed in me.  Hearing them say “We're extremely disappointed in you” was heartbreaking, but it caused me to think of how I had disappointed my Heavenly Father.  I had walked around calling myself a Christian, while living like the rest of the world.  My parents prayed with me, asking God to change my heart, and if I wasn't truly saved – to save me.  I knew I was truly saved, but I wanted life done with me in the driver's seat.

From then on, I really dove into the Word and started getting my life back on track.  I still made silly mistakes, but I finally realized that I had victory over them!  I realized that they didn't have to consume me, and that I didn't have to beat myself up over them.  I knew that I didn't have to let my past control me, and that I had been forgiven.

When we moved to Virginia, we started to attend a small Baptist church.  Two nights before my eighteenth birthday, the pastor felt the Spirit leading him to allow the congregation to give praises, thanksgiving, apologize to people – it was a wonderful impromptu revival service.  Four nights ago (April 3, 2013) I surrendered my life to God.  That night I realized the following:

Yes I became a Child of God at eight years old – and was baptized two months later.  I had made mistakes that I regret (even to this day).  What I was missing in my walk with God was complete surrender!  I needed to get out of the driver seat and allow God to take the wheel of my life.  Until I surrendered control, my life wouldn't be in line to God's will.

Now at the age of eighteen, I am so thankful that I have not only given Him full control, but I have given Him my dreams/desires.  Once I surrendered my dreams/desires to God, He has opened doors for me that I honestly never thought would be opened (oh me of little faith).

While I regret the mistakes I made in my past, I know God will use them to touch other peoples lives.  I am thankful that while I decided to live life my way, I never lost sight of what my Savior did for me!

White as a rose

 “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:22

Living in purity is by far the best way to live your life. God has a perfect future for you, but sometimes we tend to forget that God is in control of our life, and go out trying to live for us. This is very dangerous...especially when it involves close friendships with young men. Lets take a look at an example, then I'll explain what I mean.

Eleven year old Gracelynn was so excited! She was finally at the age that her parents said she could have a “boyfriend” and start dating.   She couldn't wait until she was asked to go out on a date, finally it happened! A young boy named Trevor, came to Gracelynn after school and asked her to go to the movies with him.  She said yes and immensely enjoyed her first date with Trevor. Soon the two became inseparable!  Suddenly Gracelynn's heart was broken.  As she was walking in the hall at school, she noticed Trevor holding hands with another girl.  Soon Trevor came to Gracelynn and dumped her. Gracelynn's heart is now scared forever!

Did you notice anything wrong with this example? Let me show you what's wrong:

First, an eleven year old young lady should not be dating (any young lady should not date period), that is just asking for trouble.  Secondly, having a “boyfriend” is only temporary enjoyment.  I'm sure you have friends that say, “Oh wow, having a boyfriend is so much fun!”  What they really mean is, “I hope this relationship will last longer than the previous relationship that I was in.”  We as young ladies don't need to go searching for temporary enjoyment, when we have God to give us everlasting enjoyment, through His precious Love Letter (His Word).  Last but not least, dating is another form of divorce!  "Oh now you're being just plain silly!  Dating is by no means like divorce!"  Let's take for instance Trevor and Gracelynn's situation, shall we!  

They enjoyed their relationship, until Trevor thought that Gracelynn was not good enough for him, so he dumped her. When a couple gets married they have the best life together, until they realize their partner has too many quirks or dislikes. Then they go searching for something better...this leads to a sometimes nasty divorce.

Give your heart to the Lord, asking Him to hold it in His strong hands. Have Him give it to the right person at the right time. It's never to late! Thankfully we have a God of second chances! Strive to live a life of purity...you can do it!

Dear Almighty God, I ask You to help me keep my body, mind, and most importantly, my heart pure. Lord I ask You to help me avoid all the youthful lusts that I'm tempted with. Create in me a pure heart, oh God!  Thank you for all that You do in my life. In Christ's name I pray, amen.

Our Saturday blessing

My mom grew up in a family where the world evolved around one word...

...sports...but not just any sport..football!

Does her family still like football?  I would say so.  Allow me to explain...

Mom went to football games her 4 years of High School (in fact she was a cheerleader one year and in the drill team the rest of the time), my uncle was in football when he was in High School, my grandpa watches football, my cousin (who is also a Junior in High School) plays Varsity, etc.

Now for me...well let me just put it this way...I had never been to a football game in my life!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have I ever been associated with this sport?  Sure I have, but in the past I couldn't say I understood it.  Sure I've "played" football (two hand touch football), and going to your friends football game in Middle School doesn't count because I didn't even watch game, I'm not going to count watching the Shiloh Eagles vs. the Richland Giants either, and I don't think I can count the football game "I watched" on TV last September when I visited my grandparents in IA.

Thinking that I would never have the memory of going to a football game, I was beginning to envy those I knew who did go to football games (like my two good friends we went to the game with).  I know being envious is wrong!  But I have every right to be...because I'm an uneducated, inexperienced, deprived 17 year old home-school Junior in High School (yeah right)!

Friday we were blessed by our friends giving us three football tickets...God is so good!  Which means that yesterday Daddy, Sydney, and I were able go to our first football game, while Mama had some well deserved mama time!  I couldn't believe it...I would actually have the game explained to me by a friend who had been going to football games for awhile, I would have the memory of my first football game to share with my (Lord-willing) future children {much like Mama does with her memories of drill team}, not mention I was able to go to my first football game with Daddy, Sydney, and our friends.

Daddy let me take his camera so I could get tons of pictures...yeah that didn't happen...I was too busy watching the game.  Luckily Daddy took pictures of the three of us...here are two of them:

Without us knowing, Daddy captured pictures of us talking.  I had mentioned doing a "funny picture", but the guys mentioned they didn't do "funny" pictures.  That's okay these "funny" pictures may not have been posed, but they made me chuckle!

To make a long football story short...our team won the game by 1 point with 6 seconds left in the game!!  Let me just say that we were extremely happy afterward :D

Hey gang -
thank you so much for the wonderful time yesterday...I enjoyed it immensely!  It was great to have the game explained to me, and to watch it with great friends like you all.  

Serving HIM,
Alisha  

December 27, 2005 is a night I will never forget

Eight years ago, I made the most important decision any nine year old could ever make...saving my self physically and emotionally - for the one God has for me.  Looking back now, I am so glad that I made the decision!  My parents have been a tremendous help with helping me through the tough times life throws at me.  Daddy has read the book: Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally with me. In her book Miss Sarah explains the dangers about dating and having a boyfriend. This book is the perfect book for all the girls who want to remain pure. It gives advice when you find yourself daydreaming about a boy that has caught your attention. It has encouraged me in the choice I have made in purity.

In case you all are wondering here is my purity story:

My parents were never raised in a home that uplifted purity or salvation.  They were encouraged to leave home at 18, get a boyfriend right away, etc.  That's all they ever knew, until December 27, 2005 when I was about nine years old.  My family and I were invited to a wedding (it was actually our pastor's daughter's wedding).  I noticed that the bride was swinging her arms around, snapping her fingers, and not able to hold still, until her dad said: "You may now kiss the bride."  I asked my mom why the bride was so fidgety and she told me that kiss was the brides first kiss, and continued to tell me that purity, to the bride, was extremely important. It was that night I made a vow to the Lord that I would not kiss a boy until my wedding day.

ttyl,
Alisha

I'm blessed to call her friend

Recently I've been thinking about how blessed I am to have the friends that I do. But really I thinking about one very, VERY special friend... my little sister.

She will be a friend that will always be there for me. My friendship with her will last a lifetime, and I recently been so worried about the choices in the friends I've made now, when I actually have a best friend by my side everyday.

Siblings are such a blessing and we need to take the time and enjoy the time we have with them. Instead of being worried about the next time we get to hang out with our friends from church or from school. It's okay to have good friends to hang out with, but those friends we meet at church or at school won't always be there for us when we're older. My mom has told my sister and I this many times in the past few years, and it's so true, there are friends that I used to ALWAYS play with when I was younger, and I don't even see them anymore. The only true friend you will ever have lives in the same house as you, you may even share a room with her, and she is the one that constantly wants to do everything that you want to do.

Sydney, you are the greatest friend and little sister I could ever have, I love you so much!

love you bug,
Sissy

A goal worth living for

What exactly is purity? I have been asked this question so many times. The answer is this: purity isn’t just saving all of the important firsts for your wedding day. It’s also being pure in body, heart, and mind. Being pure isn’t a set of rules some Christian set up for a better world. Being pure is how God orchestrated the single and married life. To me my heart is a precious gift, that I will one day be able to give to my Prince Charming. Miss Sarah Mally explains it like this:
Pretend you’re a princess and the King calls you to His throne and tells you, "My daughter in this bag are 100 (a candy of your choice). I want you to go into town and give the candy to a special person. Now you may go." Suppose you ask Him, "But Father, who is this special person?" But He won’t tell you. So you go into town, and along the way you see your friend. So you think to your-self, He has to be that special person, I’ll just give him one piece of candy just in case. Soon your walking along and you meet another person, so you think to your-self, Oh he has to be the one, but I’ll give him one piece of candy just in case. Pretty soon you have given almost the whole bag of candy away. Then suddenly you meet someone and you just know that he is the special person your Father told you about. When you hand him the bag of candy, he counts to make sure all 100 pieces are all a counted for. All of a sudden he has a very disappointed look on his face and he asks you, "Where’s the rest of the candy?" Then you have to tell him that you gave other people his candy along the way.
I wonder what the King thought when He heard that His daughter didn’t give that special someone ALL of the candy? This story is similar to what is going on today in our society. There are young men and women today who are going on dates and thinking to themselves, well she/he has to be the one. I don’t know about you, but I’d like to be able to stand at the altar on my wedding day and be able to give the man of my dreams my entire heart with no guilt.

If you would like to ask the Lord take control of your heart then below is a prayer I found while reading a book called A life of Faith: Millie Keith: Millie’s Faithful Heart:
Jesus, please hold my heart in Your hand. Don’t let me give it or any piece of it away. I want YOU to give it away in Your time, to the right person. Please hold it tight, lock it up, and keep the key. ~Amen~

PS. If you placed your heart in the hands of the Lord, I would love to know (if of course you would feel comfortable with it). If you want you can contact me or you can leave a comment.

ttyl,
Alisha

Honor your father and mother

I'm sure when we all hear the word "honor" we all tend to take a step back and say to ourselves, “why exactly do I need to honor them?” This is most definitely not the way to respond (even when it's quietly)!  For the Bible tells that: out of the heart comes the issues of life!   If, in your heart, you hate honoring your parents, then your actions will follow what you think!

God has given us parents who tell us “no” for a reason, who love us, risk their lives for us, and who most likely try their best to exemplify Christ in every aspect of their life.

I understand how hard is to show parents the honor they deserve, but just remember this is one step closer to becoming more like Christ. And isn't that our main goal in life?

Allow me to preface the importance and reward of honor...and obedience:

In 2011 I asked my parents if I could buy myself an iPod Touch 4^th generation, but my dad told me to wait because I could find one used, in good condition on Craigslist or Ebay. This didn't make me happy, because I didn't want to get a used one...I wanted one brand new (my flesh was taking control)! Then the most amazing thing happened to me...I felt a little tug on my heart, and heard a quiet voice say to me, “Do you really need one brand new? Trust your father he knows what he's doing.” So I told my dad that I would love to get one used...as soon as I had enough money to get one. Christmas time rolled around, and I received the most amazing gift...and mp4 player. No it's not an iPod Touch, but it was a whole lot cheaper, and it has everything that the iPod Touch has. God rewarded the obedience and honor I showed to my dad.

When you show honor, respect, and obedience toward your authority...God will indeed bless you!

We as chilren really need to learn how to honor our authority, because the way we treat others is in fact how we would treat Christ, and how we will treat the man God has for us. But not only that, we need to honor our authority because God commands us to!

The next time your dad tells you no to going to see a certain movie, think about why he's saying “no”. There may be something that you as a young lady don't need to see...don't argue! Or the next time your mom tells you that you can't wear this certain article of clothing – don't back-talk! Our parents tell us “no” for a reason, and if we take the answer with a happy heart☺then God will bless us (sometimes not instantly).

For the next week, take the challenge and strive to honor your parents!

ttyl,
Alisha