Victorious Declarations

Two months ago, I wrote an article about the power of words, if you haven't read it - you can find the post here.

Just a few weeks ago, my dear friend sent me something called "Victorious Declarations".  What it is, is a list of Scriptures that you read over yourself.  It helps you refocus your thoughts to the mind of Christ, and to speak godliness over you, your life, your thoughts, etc.

It is amazing!  So amazing, I just had to share it with you all :)
Please feel free to copy this list, print it off, and add other Scriptures to it.  Make it yours!

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~ I will praise You for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. (Ps. 139:14)

~ I am like a green olive tree planted in the house of God. (Ps. 52:8)

~ My life has been redeemed from destruction and I am crowned with loving kindness and tender mercies. (Ps. 103:4)

~ I am my Beloved's, and His desire is toward me. (Song of Songs 7:10)

~ I have been given the mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16)

~ I have been bought with a price, I am not my own, I belong to God. (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

~ I have been made righteous by Jesus who became sin for me, that I may become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor. 5:21)

~ I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ loves in me. (Gal. 2:20)

~ I was chosen by God before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blame before Him in love. (Eph. 1:4)

~ I am accepted in the beloved. (Eph. 1:6)

~ I have been made alive together with Jesus. (Eph. 2:5)

~ I have been delivered from the power of darkness and conveyed into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom I have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins. (Col. 1:13-14)

~ I have been made complete in Christ. (Col. 2:10)

~ I am of Abraham's seed in Christ, and an heir according to the promise. (Gal. 3:29)

~ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Phil. 4:13)

~ I have been given a spirit of power, love, and self-control. (2 Tim. 1:7)

~ Not by works of righteousness that I have done, but according to His mercy He saved me, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)

~ I am kept by the power of God through faith for salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. (1 Pet. 1:5)

~ I am a new creation, old things have passed away. (2 Cor. 5:17)

~ I am reconciled to God and am a minister of reconciliation. (2 Cor. 5:18-19)

~ I am hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:3)

~ I am a living stone in God's house. (1 Pet. 2:5)

~ I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor anything in all creation, will be able to separate me from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39)

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What are some Scriptures you like to speak over yourself?

Comment the Scriptures below.  Maybe others would like to add them to the list ;)

When Life Gives You Lemons

title image from Pixabay

Summer 2016.
This summer was epic … amazing … adventurous – but most importantly, I was able to heed the call of missions.
I traveled across the Atlantic.  I went on a three month trip.  I was able to reach out to a village that I would not be able to reach here in Virginia.  Loving the little children that came into my path unconditionally.
I was able to see the joy on a person's face when I handed them their own Fante Bible.  I got to see the joy in children's eyes when they got flip flops.  I was able to share the Gospel with several people.  I was able to see how much impact a simple card can have on a person's life.  I was able to give hugs to people and see how that simple act of love changed their day.

Yes that's right, I went to Africa this summer!

This opportunity had me so excited … ecstatic … bewildered … anxious … nervous … you name it, I felt it!

My family, friends, and I prayed for God's will to be made evident.  We fervently prayed for God to open and close doors according to His will.

{A huge hug and thank you to those of you who prayed with me every step of the way!}

I knew God could do anything – I knew He could close doors, but He didn't.  May 31st I set foot in Ghana.  I couldn't believe I was actually there … it felt like a dream, and I didn't want to wake up!  I was ready to impact this country for His Kingdom … haha okay, I was pumped :)

Then it happened.  One month into my trip and I made a stupid mistake.  I won't go into detail, but the struggle that I face here in America followed me to Ghana.  However, this struggle was ever more present, and came to me stronger than ever before.  I lost sight of everything and became “best friends” with the world.

One minute I was focused on what the purpose of my trip was, and the next minute … the focus had changed.

When my parents found out all that I was going through, I was so embarrassed.  I knew I couldn't change my huge mistake.  I knew that I would have to live with it the rest of my life.  I knew (deep down) that I would suffer heartbreak.  I also knew that my parents would be disappointed in me … they had a right to be. However, to my surprise, they weren't mad/angry/upset.  Instead, they offered encouragement and took the news like champs.  Sure they were disappointed, but instead of showing that disappointment, they extended mercy.

To say that I'm hurt is an understatement.

But I just have to remember that God has a bigger plan for my life than what I can fathom.

Sure I can't change my mistake, and yes I have to live it the rest of my life.
But there is a reason that God allowed me to go through this struggle.  Do I know what the reason is?  No of course not, and I don't need to know at this time.  But I can learn from my mistake and move on with life.

Sure I'm hurt, embarrassed, and disappointed with myself.
But this is the perfect opportunity to learn how to extend mercy to myself.  I need to learn how to move on and not wallow in self pity, or become even more depressed.  I have to overcome this hurt.

I can't let hurt control my life.



The other night, God led me to a passage in Scripture:

“But as for me, I would seek God, 

And to God I would commit my cause - 

Who does great things, and unsearchable, 

Marvelous things without number.”  Job 5:8-9

That's exactly what I've done – I've committed my cause to the Lord.

I'm excited to see what great things He has in store for me the rest of the year.  I know they will be unimaginable and unfathomable to me – but I trust God.  I am finally willing to move on, and not let this hurt + disappointment steal my joy and contentment!

Life has given this gal lemons …

… anyone care for some lemonade? ;)

Living Loved

the title of this post was taken from the theme of Lysa Terkeurst's book "Uninvited"

Since I've been home, the Lord has been reaching out to me in ways that He's never reached out before.

While I was in Ghana, I went through a huge struggle (and am just now recovering from it).  God laid it on my mom's heart to purchase a book for me called "Uninvited" by Lysa TerKeurst.  Her theme for the book is living loved.  I have only read the first three chapters, but last night I felt like God challenged me to figure out what living loved meant for me.

This post are my thoughts on what it means ... hope you all learn from my rambles :)

The human race seems to run on this word.  We use it when talking to our family, friends, and our jobs (well, some of us do anyways lol).

We long to be loved by a guy.  To have him look down at us and say "I love you sweetheart".

We all long to be loved by a child.  To have him wrap his tiny arms around our neck and say "I love you Mommy".

But do we long to be loved by my King?  To have Him bend down, wrap His strong and mighty arms around us, and say "it's okay baby girl, I've got you and I wont' let go.  I know you're hurting, but I'm here to heal that hurt.  Love me, and only Me.  Walk through this life knowing you are loved, loved by Me dear one.  I love you sweetheart!"

Living loved looks different me than it does for my mom and vice versa.  However, the foundation is the same ... she is still loved by her King.

So how can we live loved?

// find our joy & strength in the Lord - Nehemiah 8:10

// get lost in our King's love for me & be content - Hebrews 13:5

// be strong in the Lord - Ephesians 6:10

// extend mercy & love to others - 1 John 3:11-24

Verses on God's love for us:

Zephaniah 3:17 // 1 John 4:7-8 // 1 Peter 5:6-7 // Job 34:19 // Psalm 86:15 // 1 John 3:1

So are you ready?  Are you ready to experience love from the King like no other love?

I pray that this helped someone, I know it helped me a whole lot.

Seize the Day

Growing up, I've been told:

“Alisha, don't get ahead of God – He has you where HE wants you.”

“There is a season for everything!”

“Focus on today – the here and now.  Let tomorrow take care of itself.”

(There were probably other wonderful words of wisdom, but the ones mentioned are what I remember)

Of course I was given wonderful advice – I mean c'mon!  Parents are great at giving advice (can I hear an amen!?).  However, as a young adult (searching out my own faith), how can I truly know any of the advice is true?  I can't/shouldn't use the stock answer “my parents said so” or “well I've been raised in a devout Christian home, so what my parents believe … I believe”  I need to search out the why behind the advice.  I need to know if the advice given to me is truly biblical.

I almost “regret” (not the right word to use folks, but hang with me) the following verses.  They almost seem to be a biblical stock answer in the aspect of “what verses should I use?”.  However, they really do go along with what I've been searching out!

<< Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, 17 >>

It is said that the writer of Ecclesiastes promoted a “seize the day” philosophy.  Which, if you read all of chapter 3, you can most definitely see.  But noticing the philosophy, it made me ask:

Is this philosophy scriptural?

I really pondered over this question + asked God to really reveal to me what He wants me to learn.  I came to the following conclusion.

I'd say the writer's philosophy is indeed scriptural!  If we aren't supposed to worry about tomorrow (see Matthew 6:25), and everything has it's season – then we should most definitely seize the day.

If we don't “seize the day”, we are most likely exhibiting anxiety, or showing a lack of trust in God.

After I came to this conclusion, I asked myself yet another question:

What does it mean to seize the day?

It means for rich and poor alike to heed the call, and focus on the most important issue of life – seeking God's kingdom with it's righteousness and justice.

Thinking that God had revealed to me everything He wanted – He whispered in my ear :

Whenever you feel yourself wishing for a different season of life, or worrying about what the future may hold, remember that I'm in control.  Take every thought captive + seize the day.

To Those Who Don't Understand

I know that you all don't really know the reason behind why I've chosen to live my life the way I do - so hopefully this post will kind of explain it to you!

I am going to try my absolute hardest to be respectful with this email!  If I seem to be disrespectful – I'm sorry, but I am very passionate about my convictions, and I'm tired of the constant strife they seem to bring!

I want to share a definition with you all – it may help you understand the reason behind my “radical belief”.

Conviction - 

a standard that serves as a springboard for your choices

At nine years old, I made the decision of waiting for/wanting God's best – it wasn't forced on me by my parents or pastor, nor was I brainwashed!  My parents had no idea the kind of commitment I made – saving myself for the man God has for me (they didn't understand or know what it was).  That choice (like all the rest I've made) was a choice I made by myself with God's leading!!

As I got older I knew that I wouldn't get support from the majority of my family and friends, but I always “figured” that the small minority would show a little support.  After all, I'm not living in sin like most of the world!  But soon the small minority started showing their disapproval, and I just can't seem to be the duck (like my Papa always told me).

For six and a half years now I have lived under the disapproval, constant nagging, and unbiblical teaching of the world, some of my friends, my family, etc.

For six and a half years I have let my mom stand up for me + and have not spoken up for myself.

After six and a half years, I'm finally ready to be heard by everyone!!!!

My mom recently told me that someone wanted me “to go out and find myself”.  So I'm happy to share - I have found myself:

I'm a 20 year old young woman who has no desire to get drunk (nor consume any alcohol), do drugs (I'll stick with my ibuprofen and Aspirin haha), go to parties, lay with any guy I find cute, or play around with being lesbian. I desire to be counter-cultural and wait for God's best.  I desire to be a young woman of faith, who is loving her

single-hood.  Who doesn't need the approval of every man she meets – because I already have the approval from a Man … my Man Jesus!

I found all that out just by reading God's Word, observing how society chooses to live, and by being me – all while living at home.  If none of you aren't satisfied with who I am and who I am becoming, then … I'm sorry!

Why is it that the world complains/tears down others and how they have chosen to live immoral lives, but when I choose to live a higher morally standard life – the world complains/tears me down too???  I can't seem to win for losing with anyone!!  I'm told all the time “Ali go out and experience all the fun the world has to offer!”

Readers, is fun what society is living???  As I see it it's lack of conviction which leads to everything society has gotten into:

:: drugs + alcohol + smoking + cussing + tattoos

:: sex before marriage

:: unwanted pregnancy/teen pregnancy

:: living with someone before marriage

:: abortion / adoption

:: divorce

:: jail/prison

:: suicide

I have decided that I don't want any part of this type of “fun” – because all it leads to defiling the Lord's temple (my body) and goes against His Word!!  I want to continue to live my life with higher moral standards.  So I ask:

What is wrong with higher moral standards?

The higher standards in God's Word (the ones by which I live my life) are not irrelevant, but completely applicable to finding God's best in my life (and yours).  They are directly from the Bible, and show that I love the Lord (Deuteronomy 30:20)

At nine years old, I made a decision to live a life of a true God girl – much like my favorite woman from the Bible … Ruth.

Before she married a godly young man, Ruth lived in an ungodly culture (Judges 21:25).  The culture was Pagan, and worshiped not the One true God, but many false gods.  When she married, God changed her life – she became a great woman of faith!  After her husband died, Ruth did not allow the past influences of an ungodly culture keep her from setting new standards and making wise choices for her life that would honor God.  Instead, she chose to break her family's sin cycle and establish a new godly cycle.

The ungodly culture that Ruth faced, is that which America is today according to Judges 21:25:

“In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

Ungodly cycles can be broken!  My destiny isn't something that is left to fate or chance; it is the product of wise choices.

Many of you may think that my convictions are unrealistic or that I'm stubbornly opinionated, but with Jesus' strength I am standing firm, unwavering as I wait for God's best!  Which is much like what my papa told me:

“Just be yourself, if they don't like it… that's their problem.”

I'm told quite often “I won't be surprised if you never get married.”  To be honest I won't either.  I have given God full control of my future – if He wants me married, then the right man will come along … He doesn't need my help matching me up with my southern boy!  If He doesn't then I won't have the distraction of being married (1 Corinthians 7:32), and I'll be able to serve Him fully in the way He wants me to!!  Just note, being single the rest of my life is not my hearts desire, but I'm fully content in where ever God has me going in the journey of life.

It doesn't matter how much others tell me that I'm making a big mistake, or that I'm missing out, or whatever it is I'm “doing wrong”.  Nothing anybody says will change my mind in how I'm choosing to live my life.  I'm being controlled by God's Holy Spirit, not by what the world, my friends, my extended family, or my family say.

My purpose in this post is that it would diminish any strife my convictions cause.  If any of you would like to come to me about my convictions, I'm a big girl now and I can answer for myself.

I would like to end this post with a question for you all (none of you don't have to answer the question if you don't want to):

Why are you so adamant on persecuting my convictions?

Taking Every Thought Captive

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” {2 Corinthians 10:5}

As daughters of the Most High, the way we handle our thought life is extremely important!

If we spend all our time thinking about how we appear to others, what guy might possibly like us, etc., then it makes it harder for the light of Christ to shine through us … and it’s hard to remain content in who God made us + where He has placed in this life.

For instance, if we spend every.single.day of our life thinking about guys, then we will be discontent in our singlehood + struggle in serving God / our family to the fullest.

2 Corinthians 10:5 says to “take every thought captive“, so what are some ways to apply this to our daily life??

When we are fretting over how we look :

ask yourself these three questions …

:: why am I focused so much on my outward appearance?

:: do I represent the Lord in how I am dressed today?

:: am I trying to impress somebody other than my Lord?

After you have asked yourself those three questions, pray that God will help you see yourself through His eyes + that He will take away any vanity polluting your thoughts!

When we are fretting over young men :

ask yourself these three questions …

:: what’s the purpose of these thoughts?

:: would I think this way if I was married or if the young man was my brother?

:: how are these thoughts making Jesus feel? (after all ladies, Jesus is your ultimate Lover!!)

After you have asked yourself those three questions, pray that God will help you put your focus back on Him + that He will help you see the young men in your life as brothers.  Pray that God will help you grow ever closer to Him, your Lover!

I am by no means perfect, and these are areas that I struggle with as well – but together we can be victorious!

Ladies, I can’t express how important it is to take every thought captive!  When we learn the importance of this quality, we will be able to shine the light of our Savior even more than before!!

Be victorious + take every thought captive!

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Thank you for taking time in reading this!

If you have any comments on today’s topic, feel free to leave a comment below ;)

This post was first published at Lilies Among Thorns Ministries

In HIS grace, Alisha

Are you married to God or the church?

In today's culture you have a diversity of people, and therefore have a diversity of beliefs on church attendance.
Some believe you shouldn't go to church at all
Some believe you should only go to church for the Christmas Eve and Easter services
Some believe you should only go to church on Sunday morning (excluding Sunday school)
Some believe you should only go to church on Sunday morning (including Sunday school)
Some believe you should only go to church for Sunday morning and Wednesday night
Some believe you should go to church for Sunday school + Sunday morning + Sunday night + Wednesday night + go soul winning every Thursday night + all the fellowships + bus ministry.

It baffles me that the last four are so different!  I mean, we all read the same Book and notice how the early church (in Acts) met for worship (which should be the way we do it today), but yet we bend the views to fit whatever we want to do.

Just the other day, a friend asked me what my view of church attendance is, and I thought that I would share it with you.

I believe that believers need to have a place where they can be encouraged + uplifted + worship together in one accord + be edified.  I believe that each individual believer is the church … and that the body of believers is the church – not the building … because the building won't stand forever.
I believe that you don't need to go to church for Sunday school + Sunday morning + Sunday night + Wednesday night + Soul Winning + bus ministry in order to truly love the Lord.
When Paul said “do not forsake the gathering of fellow believers” (see Hebrews 10:25) he was talking to the Hebrews.  They weren't going to church, because they were afraid of the persecution they would face.  It wasn't a matter of not going all the time, it was a matter of not going at all.
I truly believe that this one verse (which happens to be the only verse that talks about “church attendance”) is taken out of context!

Do I think it's wrong if a young couple wants to go to church every time the doors are open?  

No – unless it gets in the way of their relationship + is put before our Lord.

Do I think it's wrong if the same couple wants to go to church every time the doors are open once they have children? 

Yes – the church isn't called to rear up the children, the parents are.

But how can parents train up their children if they are always attending a church service?

After a while, the parents begin to wonder what went wrong.
“We raised our children up in church – why have they turned out this way?”
The parents were so consumed with church church church, that their children were thrown to the way side and left to fend for themselves.

How fair is that to the children?
It's because the parents have neglected their children that the children start to feel neglected + search for love elsewhere + feel depressed + leave the faith + rebel + try to kill themselves.

I truly think / believe that when children are involved, Sunday school + Sunday morning is plenty.
If the husband wants to be encouraged in his walk + get in the Bible more, then he needs to listen to sermons to and from work – and he also needs to start family devotions.  He doesn't need to make his family warm the pews every day of the week.

Most churches are so adamant on “family is the foundation of the church” - which is something I totally 100% agree with.  However, how can the family be strengthened, if the family is so consumed with church activities + church services etc.?

Are we married to God or the church?

I for one do not tend to be married to the church – but to my Lord!!  Which will you choose??

In HIS grace, Alisha

Kelsey's testimony << 2015 Salvation celebration >>

First I want to say, thank you so much Alisha for asking me to do this, it has been such a joy getting to know you, and your heart for the Lord presses me to love Jesus more. 

This is my testimony of sorts...;) I grew up in a Christian home and my parents' were/are faithful in teaching me and my siblings about the Lord, and have constantly pointed us to Him. But, also growing up, we were raised in a very strict and legalistic church, in this church, the rules were made more important than Jesus. About six years ago, my parents eyes were opened, as they started reading the Bible and finding out that a lot of what we believed was not actually Biblical, it was more man-made rules that we had been believing. The Lord slowly brought us out of that "religion" very gracefully, and unlike many to leave very strict backgrounds, I became closer to the Lord rather than far away. About four years ago, the Lord started drawing me to Himself more, He put questions in my mind that only He could answer (and He did). During this time I had such a deep hunger for Jesus, and I wanted all of Him, and nothing else. Jeremiah 29:13 "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" was my life verse, I knew if I wanted Him, I must seek Him. I spent time reading His word and talking to my mom a lot about Jesus. Also, during that season I heard of Ellerslie, and that greatly impacted my walk with the Lord, I went to their Set Apart Girl conferences, and was so encouraged by all the girls there, with their hunger and thirst for Jesus, it just inspired me to pursue Him all the more. I stayed at Ellerslie for a little bit of time, and learned so much, (side note: I went back this fall for 3 weeks, and enjoyed it so much). Ever sense I have been on a mission to know Jesus more and more each day, not just know about Him, but truly know Him. He rescued, redeemed and loved me, even at my worst. He is my Refuge, Well-Beloved, Prince, and Friend. It is my joy to be able to serve Him with everything I am. It's my hearts desire to never stop pressing into, and longing for more of Him in my life, because He is so supremely good and faithful, and He who promised is faithful! 

Hebrews 10:23 -Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering

To know Him, and make Him known,

Kelsey 

 A little bit about Kelsey:

 I long to be a Proverbs 31 women, and enjoy all things homemaking. My dream job would be to be, a wife and mommy if the Lord wills. I take joy in the little things and enjoy most things girly, and yet, I am an adventurer at heart and have 5 brothers. Some of those lovely joys in my life are...The color mint green, my mom, Ellerslie, funny friends, hugs, rainstorms, missions, Biblical femininity, the Gospel, baking,  shabby chic, laser tag, a clean house, having 5 brothers, evangelism, sunsets, laughing, organizing, Set-Apart Girl, adventures, Josh Garrles music, my Bible, chivalry, photography, Hebrews, Colorado summer nights, hospitality, and star gazing.

Is "impossible" in your vocabulary? :: March 2015 challenge ::

Do you have a deep desire to accomplish something that will greatly affect the Kingdom, but you're told that it's impossible, or you tell yourself it's impossible? I will admit that I do have a deep desire, and I've been told that it's impossible, and I even tell myself it's impossible sometimes.

When we first learn how to talk, we copy what our parents say. They say “say 'mama'” we say “mama”. When they say “say 'daddy'” we say “daddy” the best we can. Pretty soon they won't need to tell us what to say. We start to repeat what our loving parents say, good … and yes, even the bad. One of the words you'll eventually learn is the word … impossible.

“Alisha, my parents decided when they got married that they would never say something is impossible.”

That is great news! Even if you never learn about the word through your parents, you'll still learn about it through friends, school (we have to learn how to spell it eventually, music, etc. As you get older, you begin to understand the context in which to use the word. And eventually, you begin to use the word in sentences cuz it fits.

Is it wrong to use the word “impossible”?

Not it's not wrong to use the word … but using the word can undermine one's faith and make you feel defeated. The Bible says:

“All things are possible to him that believeth.”

Mark 9:23

If we look in the Bible, we see that Jesus never used the word “impossible” one time. This word was absolutley and completely out of His vocabulary.

If we believe that God can do everything, then why do we even say that something is impossible? The Bible says:

“Jesus looked at them and said, With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

As a Christan who is trying to immulate Christ, are you going to keep “impossible” in your vocabulary? Or will you eliminate the word from your vocabulary?

I have a monthly challenge for you …

for the month of March, I challenge you to refrain from using the word impossible. When you feel the urge to say it, remind yourself that Christ never used the word. Quote Mark 9:23 or Matthew 19:26 out loud. As Romans 10:17 says “so then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”

At the end of March/early April, I would love to hear how this challenge went for you :) I will post how this challenge went for me in the post with my March recap/April goals.

In HIS grace, Alisha

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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Did you find this post helpful and encouraging and inspiring? Leave a comment and let me know ;)

Any thoughts on this topic?  Leave a comment and let me know ;)

Is there a topic you would like me to post about? Leave a comment and let me know think ;)

In HIS grace, Alisha

       xoxoxoxox

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 ;)

Any thoughts on this topic?  Leave a comment and let me know ;)

 Is there a topic you would like me to post about? Leave a comment and let me know think ;)

In HIS grace, Alisha

      xoxoxoxox

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

Being in full surrender

Growing up, I heard all of our pastors say, “in order to get the most out of your faith, you need to be in full surrender” and that's where they would stop. They wouldn't explain what it meant to be in full surrender. They didn't explain why I needed to be in full surrender. I was just left on my own, to figure the rest out, and if I find it … great, and if not … oh well, at least I tried, right?

This was one topic (out of quite a few) that I decided that I wouldn't ask God to reveal to my what it meant to be in full surrender, and why it was important. I simply figured …. “if God wants me to learn what it means and why it's important, then He'll reveal it to me on His own. He doesn't need me to ask Him.”

[pause for a moment]

I know, I know … what kind of mindset is that?

To be honest … as of lately, I have been having a hard time coping with a “trial” my family and I have been going through. This “trial” has really put a damper on my faith … like a lot, thankfully we serve a God of restoration and mercy, so my faith is being restored!! [more on this in another post]

[okay back to the post]

About three weeks ago (I think my time frame is right), I was praying before I started my morning Bible reading. During that prayer, I prayed that the Lord would show me what it means to be in full surrender to Him, and why it was important … I also prayed for my time to be encouraging + edifying. I was quite disappointed when none of the verses I read that morning, didn't mention being in surrender to Him. Ready to give up, I felt as if I needed to read chapter 2 in“Sacred Singleness” by Leslie Ludy … I couldn't understand why I felt that way, but I felt it … and I read the chapter.

[side note]

I have had the book “Sacred Singleness” for about three years now, and I haven't even finished it once. It isn't a book that I see on my shelf and think to myself “I really need to finish that book”. Instead, it's one that I see on the shelf and think “oh yeah … I haven't finished that have I? Maybe I should send it to a friend … I'll never get around to reading it!”

[back to the post]

What I read in chapter 2 was aah-maay-zing! Below is a snippet from chapter 2:

¹“When I chose to live in purity 'all the days of my life,' I wasn't making a bargain with God: 'I'll stay pure, and in return I want You to write me a beautiful love story.' Rather, I chose a life of purity because I wanted to love and honor the Prince of my heart, Jesus Christ–even if He never blessed me an earthly love story. When I walked through this process of surrender, God exposed and uprooted every seed of selfishness within my heart. Prior to this season of my life, I had always approached Christ wondering what I could get out of my relationship with Him. Now, He was asking me to lay everything down upon the altar, not expecting anything in return.”

After I read this, I realized that God did want me to learn what full surrender was! After leading me to this, He made it clear to me that I wasn't in full surrender to Him.

As I was about to close the book … satisfied that He had answered my prayer, I noticed that Leslie Ludy used Jim and Elisabeth Elliot's love story as an example of being in full surrender … so I read on.

I was astonished to learn that Jim and Elisabeth, even though they were interested in one another, surrendered everything … their dreams, desires, plans, to the Lord. They were willing to except whatever the Lord had in store for them. If that meant that they would remain single, then great … they wouldn't have a “hinderance” or an “earthly distraction” keeping them from the Lord's work. Or if that meant that they would end up getting married, then great … they would be able to serve the Lord side by side.

It amazed me (and still does to this day) that they were willing/able to lay their love for the other on the altar of the Lord … ready to except whatever was in store for them … even though they were in love with each other.

[oh by the way … I ended up finishing chapters 2 & 3 haha]

Still in amazement, I began asking myself questions:

*have I “surrendered” something to Christ, only expecting something in return?

= the answer is yes … my purity. I have decided to live a life of purity, which is great. But I have expected the same “reward” that Leslie Ludy had expected … an earthly love story written and orchestrated by God.

*am I willing to be in full surrender to God, and not expect anything in return?

=the answer is yes … I want to get the most out of my faith! And if I'm not in full surrender, then I will be doing a disservice to my Lord.

*if I'm in full surrender and not expecting anything in return, will I be okay if God chooses for me to be single until He takes me Home?

=this answer was the hardest for me to answer … because being a wife to a Godly man has always been my desire. So I began really contemplating whether or not I would be okay/content or if I would be worried/discontent. However, I finally came up with the answer … if God sees fit to give me a Godly husband, then great – I will be able to serve Him by my man's side! If He sees fit for me to remain single, that's great too – I will be able to serve Him and worry about the things of the Lord, and not the things of the world (1 Corinthians 7:34).

Were those questions easy to answer? Yes and no

Do I wish I would have been told all of this when I was younger? Kind of … there's a reason God revealed it to me now and not then!

I am soo glad I heeded the Holy Spirit's nudge in reading “Sacred Singleness” … it was just what I had needed!

Oh and by the way … I am still reading the book – I look forward to reading it!

In HIS grace, Alisha

       xoxoxoxox